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Friday, August 31st, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 05:30:00 pm
 These are a couple of photos of a heath and heather garden I designed for my mom. She did most of the installing...and weeding. I hate weeding. From her bedroom window they create quite a tapestry of color. What I like about heaths and heathers is their year round color. Not only do they flower in a variety of tones but their foliage comes in bright green, dark green, chartreuse, grey, red, orange, yellow and more. Heath blooms in winter. Heather in summer. They are both fairly low maintenance. They can get leggy but stay low. They are perfect for a seaside garden. I think they work best when you have some space to plant several contrasting varieties. I got mine from Heaths and Heathers in Shelton: http://www.heathsandheathers.com/hhweb_001.htm 
Categories: Flowers
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 04:30:18 pm
I've been so busy with work -- and the garden -- that I haven't done much blogging here lately. But good news: I've found yet another reason to garden: Cucumbers. I harvested one earlier this week for sushi purposes. I actually don't even like cucumbers, but I buy them (and planted them) just for making sushi. That's about to change. In the sushi, the cucumber was good, but it really didn't shine until I ate it in a rice bowl the next day. When it was heated a bit, it was buttery and excellent: Two words I never thought I'd use to describe bland, crunchy/mushy cucumbers. Also, my tomatoes (I'm not even sure what kind they are, but they're small-ish) are amazing. I'm thinking next year, the cherry tree that's currently shading most of my garden is going to have to go!
Categories: Ahhh, that's adorable
Thursday, August 30th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 06:13:17 pm
 When I got home from work yesterday I began to give my sidewalk a bit more room to breathe. It's my annual just-before-school-starts trimming job. I hate to see the kids get swallowed up by my bushes though it beats the old "the dog ate my homework" excuse. My friend Jeremy, who is somewhat of an urban rebel, likes to take walks with his clippers and deliver an on-the-spot pruning job to limbs and twigs that smack him in the face and body. He's quite busy this time of year. It amazes me how many people let their landscaping get out of control. In some areas in my North End neighborhood you have walk in the street because tree limbs will cause decapitation or blackberry vines will snare unsuspecting legs. If you share a sidewalk with the public take a stroll along it and see if it's fully accessible. And to the person who keeps hiding plastic bags filled with their dog's "calling cards" in my bushes. Stop. I'll catch you sooner or later.
Categories: Dilemmas
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 11:16:11 am
I took a drive down to Tenino Saturday. It was another open garden event for the Northwest Perennial Alliance. http://www.northwestperennialalliance.org/ First up was the garden of Lois Willman and her husband, David. Their six acre property packs a lot in: wooded area, ponds, sculpture, vegetable garden, greenhouses, orchard. It was all incredible.  One wall of a barn has been painted a deep raspberry.  Groundcovers thrive in the woodland.  A charming garden setting.  A banana is the highlight of an ornamental border next to the vegetable garden. Next up was the garden of Jean Maust and Bob Demico. They started their garden with food in mind but have slowly added areas for year round enjoyment.  The tall plant on the left is Datisca cannabina, also known as False Hemp. It was getting a lot of attention Saturday. Jean said she bought it at Steamboat Island Nursery (one of my favorites) http://www.steamboatislandnursery.com/  Globe thistles frame a rustic arch.  A grape arbor was loaded with little green pearls.  I'm a sucker for dark leaved Dahlias. The last garden I visited was owned by Sally Alhadeff, a Seattle refugee. Her spread has an expansive feel as it sits in a huge valley bordered by fields.  Sculptures add to this combination.  Sally has quite an artistic eye for combining elements as this setting shows.  Take a seat here and you won't want to get up for a long time.  Verbena combines with a sumac in Sally's central garden.
Categories: Gardening events, Flowers
Friday, August 24th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 01:47:35 pm
I now know why someone invented the recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes: They got tired of waiting for their tomatoes to ripen just like I am. I am, however, getting a few in: orange cherries, Lemon Boys and one Brandywine. The rest of them are every variation of green you can imagine. Sue brought in a Green Zebra for me the other day. She said it was just a nice co-worker thing to do. But, I knew she was secretly mocking my still green crop. I tried to resist her little trap but I couldn't: I ate it. It was delicious. Darn Sue and her tomato growing green thumb. But now: Victory is mine! Behold my first ripening Green Zebra... 
Categories: Tomatoes
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 01:23:23 pm
Yesterday, Get Growing reader reidb commiserated over the loss of my blue potato crop. After harvesting them I made them in to a bowl of mashed potatoes. Only later did I realize the milk had gone sour. But, I couldn't tell from eating them. I ended up putting the leftovers in a Tupperware in the fridge. When I got home last night I decided to see if they were edible. Let me recount last night's events in a handy, easy-to-use reader's guide to blue potatoes: STEP ONE: If you make purple mashed potatoes do not use milk that has gone sour. STEP TWO: If you fail Step One you should just throw the whole mess out even if they taste and smell OK. STEP THREE: If you fail Step Two and decide they are OK to eat you will notice they have turned from purple to bright blue overnight. This should serve as a warning to you: Throw them out. STEP FOUR: If you fail Step Three DO NOT microwave them. STEP FIVE: You should not be on Step Five. You should have given up by now. Nevertheless, if you fail Step Five you will discover the microwave turns them from blue to aquamarine in color. THROW THEM OUT. Please. I beg you. STEP SIX: Clearly, you are not listening to me. Fine. You will find at first bite the now radioactive looking potatoes taste normal. You will however, on your second bite, suddenly inhale the overwhelming scent of ammonia. Ammonia strong enough to clean your bathtub with. At this point, I guarantee you, you will throw them out and vow to never, ever work in the food service industry. In case you think I'm making this up here's a photo of my dinner (complete with leftover ribs). 
Categories: Vegetables
• 1 comment
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 06:23:50 pm
I harvested my 'all blue' potatoes last weekend. The plants had died down so I figured they were ready. Maybe I harvested too soon. Or maybe I'm just bad at potato growing. They weren't too large or plentiful. But, at least I got more than I planted. Last night I made them in to mashed potatoes. It was only after I added the milk did I realize it had gone sour. Sigh. Next year: more potatoes.
The potatoes after I steamed and peeled them. They tasted like...well...potatoes. Is purple food good for you? You bet. Read more:
Categories: Vegetables
• 1 comment
Monday, August 20th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 06:11:23 pm
I visited two open gardens Saturday as a member of the Northwest Perennial Alliance. Both were stunning. Both increased my garden inferiority complex. But I enjoyed myself just the same. First up was Karin Williamson's Steilacoom masterpiece.  Later in the day Karin was holding a party and she had already set up an area for it near her house.  One of the themes Karin has in her garden is chandeliers. Here, one marks the entry to an allee.  A shady hideout overlooks a pond.  A chandelier hangs above a pair of Adirondack chairs. The garden below belongs to Sharon and Ed Stanford of Olympia. Their 3/4 acre garden seems more like 34 acres with its 150-foot long border and views of Puget Sound and forests.  Ed uses an early 20th century design to create these colorful and very comfortable chairs.  This shady border fronts a curtain drain that protects the Standfords' home from water runoff.  This variegated columbine is a volunteer throughout shady areas in the garden.  The Stanfords get their pots from Tacoma's Bamford and Bamford (and other places.)  Crushed colored glass makes an interesting space for a garden bench. They got it from Bedrock Industries in Seattle. It's under the Magnolia Bridge and well worth a visit.  Yes, this is one cabbage plant, Sharon tells me. And it was getting plenty of astonished admiration Saturday.
Categories: Gardening events, Ahhh, that's adorable
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 10:32:41 am
I was feeling bad about my garden, with plants competing for resources with weeds (my survival-of-the-fittest plan) and some empty spaces until I read Kathleen Merryman's column this morning. This summer, I'm blaming my less-than-with-it-ness on the less-than-summer-ness. I'm hoping that rain during summer means less for the fall and winter, but I don't think weather operates karmically. In other news, the tomatoes are delicious. Well worth the little time and effort I've devoted to them!
Categories: Ahhh, that's adorable
Friday, August 17th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 09:36:13 pm
 Yesterday I came home to find my roommate cooking up a whole bunch of vegetables from his girlfriend's garden. Both of them hail from Japan and I'm used to finding all sorts of unusual food products in the fridge. But yesterday I found something new. They're called Nira, also known as Chinese chives. When the roomie wasn't looking I popped a few in my mouth. They were wonderful little bursts of garlic. Later, roomie-san cooked them up in sesame oil with salt and pepper. They were fantastic. The comprehensive Japanese cookbook, "The Japanese Kitchen" by Hiroko Shimbo says Nira is full of vitamins A, B and C as well as minerals like calcium. Shimbo says they are used in miso soup, dressings and stir-fry. Next Spring I'll definitely be looking for seeds. I found some listed at Seeds of Change: http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/product_details.asp?item_no=S17175
Categories: Herbs, New plants on the market
Posted by Niki Sullivan @ 11:28:49 am
Sometimes I get questions from people about where to get native plants and how to incorporate them into your garden. The truth is, I don't know (all the answers). But if you're curious, here's a perfect opportunity to learn: A plant propagation work party at the Bellarmine greenhouses. In their words:
Again, that's August 24 from 10:00 - 3:30 (with a 45-minute lunch break) at the Bellarmine greenhouses, 2300 S. Washington in Tacoma (at the back of the Bellarmine student parking lot). If interested, please RSVP to Anna Thurston, Native Plant Salvage Alliance, at
Categories: Ahhh, that's adorable
Saturday, August 11th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 08:43:26 pm
 The leafy herb in this photo is Shiso. At least that's what the Japanese call it. Like most herbs, it shows up in multiple cultures. Also known as Perilla and Beafsteak plant, it's used in Korean, Vietnamese and Indian cooking among others. I'm growing it in my garden from some seeds a friend in Japan sent me. The undersides of the leaf are red. I first tasted the strongly flavored herb 20 years ago at a San Francisco sushi bar when a chef wrapped it around a piece of squid. I've been hooked ever since. Cheryl the Pig Lady has been selling starts at the Tacoma Farmers Market where she patiently explains what it is to anyone who asks. So, what does it taste like you ask? I wish I could tell you. Every comparison I've heard doesn't come close. All I will say is that it has a basil-like intensity. If you know what to look for you'll find many shiso-flavored products in Japanese food stores. I use it to flavor salads, chicken and seafood. Wikipedia has this to say about it: It is considered rich in minerals and vitamins, has anti-inflammatory properties and is thought to help preserve and sterilize other foods. It contains several compounds, the most prevalent being perillaldehyde. Perillaldehyde, or volatile oils from perilla that are rich in perillaldehyde, are used as food additives for flavoring and in perfumery to add spiciness If you are looking for a herb like no other give this one a try.
Categories: Herbs, New plants on the market
Thursday, August 9th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 10:39:49 am
 Way back in Spring Sue and I visited Paldo World, the huge Asian supermarket on South Tacoma Way. We went there for lunch but on the way in found a friendly but English-challenged woman selling starts. I bought several even though I wasn't sure what they were. Eventually, I discovered they were squash, tomato, cucumber, pepper, sesame and beans. I put several in a pot (above). Here's what happened to them: Bean: A bush variety that grew two beautiful red streaked green beans before being eaten by deer. Tomato: Red cherry variety. Pruned by deer on a nightly basis. Cucumber: Died. Pepper: Stunted growth, a few flowers. Growing next to the tomato isn't helping, I'm sure. Or maybe it smokes when I'm not looking. Sesame: I used the leaves in salads for a while. They were OK but can't compare to Shiso (I'll blog on that in the future.) Squash: I planted it near my corn. It's leaves look like zucchini but as you can see from the photo (below) it's definitely different. Any of you out there know what it is or what I should do with it?  Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 11:17:06 am
 Way back in May when I started Freak of Nature garden I was determined to grow all my vegetables from seed. "Starts are for wimps!" was my battle cry. Well, now I'm blushing like a beefsteak tomato. The photo above shows a lemon boy tomato, an eggplant and a squash. All harvested last night from my garden and all grown from starts I purchased at the downtown Tacoma farmers market. I got them after various realizations and setbacks: I'm not giving up on seeds but I've seen the light on starts. Shortly after I shot this photo all of these veggies and more ended up in a ratatouille. Trader Joe's sells a great product: precooked single servings of brown rice. They were perfect together.
Categories: Tomatoes, Vegetables
Monday, August 6th, 2007
Posted by Sue Kidd @ 10:21:58 am
Have some garden-design advice you'd like to share? Take a look at the photo here and tell us what you would do with this space. It's part of our garden-design series where we ask readers to weigh in with their advice. We'll publish the best advice in a story in the Home & Garden section. Scroll down to last week's posts to find Fix my yard: NUMBER ONE and Fix my yard: NUMBER TWO.  The yard: Deborah Garner- Madsen, University Place The dilemma: "It has very little curb appeal, and I recently built the front porch to balance the large window. I have made many changes, but the front is hard to work with. There is no center of interest to the front of my house." The wish list: The front of the house needs a focal point of some sort. "I want it to have appeal - not to look too busy or cheesy."
Categories: Dilemmas, Fix my yard!
Friday, August 3rd, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 11:28:59 am
 Freak of Nature garden would not stand for the usual yellow sunflowers so I grew these instead. These beauties are 'Prado Red' from Territorial Seed Co. The color of the petals are a dark red, almost brown with yellow undertones on the backside. The foliage is bluer than the standard sunflower. They are about five feet tall. I admit they don't look like the sun very much. But give them 5 or 10 billion years. That's when our favorite star will become a red dwarf.
Categories: Flowers
Thursday, August 2nd, 2007
Posted by Marce Edwards @ 08:45:31 am
It's been two weeks since we spent any time in the garden (and much longer since I blogged, as Craig points out.) This morning I asked Gwen to go out to check on the tomatoes. She didn't want to -- too busy playing. After a quick bribe of a piece of candy, she went to the backyard in her cherry dress, pink princess shoes and fancy ponytail.  We found the first few yellow grape tomatoes and the last of the sugar snap peas. Our lemon cucumbers are flowering and the carrots look like they will be ready soon. We just don't have enough sun to grow anything well. But we are trying. More tomorrow after I push the kids back into the garden.
Categories: Gardening with kids, Ahhh, that's adorable
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 05:38:28 pm
More in my continuing series of favorite plants...  Butterfly bushes can be invasive. But this one has never volunteered a sprout after being in my garden several years. It's kind of different in that it's variegated. And I like variegation. It's called "harlequin."  This looks like an artichoke gone to seed. It's a cardoon and it is indeed very closely related to the artichoke. The big thistles grow on very tall stalks with huge grey-green leaves.  A neighbor told me she took out her fringe poppies because they took over her garden. Indeed, they do sprout up everywhere. But, they are the easiest plant to pull up. It's like they leap from the ground. Mine are about 10 feet now and are the drama queens of my garden. Why they are called poppies...I don't know.  This is the oak leaf hydrangea. There are several varieties out there. What I like about them are their namesake leaves which take on fall colors. The flower heads also have a distinctive cone shape.  This is a pink glorybower, Clerodendrum trichotomum or C. bungei. Some call it the peanut butter bush or tree because when you rub the leaves they smell like P.B. I just think they smell gross. Maybe I should try rubbing some jelly on them. At any rate, it's a beautiful shrub/small tree.  There are a lot of salvias out there but this is my favorite: Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'. Don't let my lame photo fool you. This is a beautiful plant with deep blue tubular flowers, black sepals and shiny green leaves. And it gets three or four feet tall. Fantastic. Except it doesn't always come back in the spring.
Posted by Craig Sailor @ 10:42:39 am
Last weekend I took a trip on the Centralia-Chehalis Railroad. The ride was extremely scenic. One recurring theme was corn. They grow a lot of it down there in Lewis County. My first ever crop of corn is developing very nicely. I'm growing it in my alley as it's about the only place I have left. And it makes my alley look like a mini-farm. My corn, in true Freak of Nature fashion, is ornamental. I don't plan on eating it, just admiring it. So far it's been fascinating. I have purple husks with purple silk, white husks with red silk, red husks with red silk and every other combination you can think of. It's like Gregor Mendel is conducting a genetic experiment in my alley. I'll post more photos when I harvest them.  
Categories: Vegetables
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Get Growing
Craig Sailor is the Arts & Entertainment editor at The News Tribune. Last year he planted his first vegetable garden. Focusing on unusual varieties, “Freak of Nature” returns for 2008 with a new crop of uncommon vegetables and flowers. This year he’ll try yin yang beans, giant pumpkins, blue poppies and mutant sunflowers. He gardens at his North End Tacoma home and sneaks seeds in to his mother’s garden at Willapa Bay when she’s not looking. . More gardening blogs:
Greengirl"Starting seeds, dreading weeds."
You Grow Girl
Between Plow and Wood
Downtown Tomatoes Category
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