I haven't been updating about our garden this year, the way I did last year, but on sunny mornings this is the view that greets me as I walk out the door when I leave for work. I love the way the sun shines on the chocolate mint plants, which are potted in hanging pots currently setting on the ground. I love their green leaves and reddish stems.In the foreground you can see a couple of the tomatoes that probably won't ripen this year (we gotten zero, so far). We planted two plants, and have two volunteers from last year. June is just too cold here to get many things growing. It's the chard and yellow squash that are doing the best; in fact, they are both producing more than we can eat. Oh, and also the basil: it's been hung and dried, and it's ground leaves are mostly away in little jars for the winter.
The white flowers in the background, seen mostly as shadows, are cilantro plants that went to seed very rapidly. I'll have to check to see if the seeds can be used for coriander.
Many continued thanks to Julia, at Stages of Succession, for sending the chocolate mint across the ocean!
15 comments:
We planted some grape and pear tomatoes this years, and wondered why we weren't getting the hundreds we thought we would. Found out Scrub Jays like tomatoes.
er, "this year"
Nice garden! We've never tried to grow chocolate mint. We bought some tea a while ago (my son loves it), but in my ignorance I assumed they add chocolate to the mint to make the tea. Any other uses?
Pinon jays don't seem to care for green tomatoes.
Mihaela, I haven't used the bought tea much, and haven't (yet) had a lot of our own mint. I like it steeped hot, it's good with cream! Seems like a winter drink that way.
Not sure of other uses. Might be good sprinkled on something... not sure what.
Oh I sure do like your garden choices. Love cilantro, the chocolate mint sounds divine just to chew on. And Oh I'd love some fried green tomatos.
Gaelyn, do you just fry them up plain in the frying pan, or do you use some special batter?
Brilliant - I'm so glad it's doing well!
Green tomatoes are probably all I'm going to get this year also. Portland's weather just hasn't cooperated enough to allow for ripening. I do have a nice recipe for spiced green tomatoes that make for an excellent pie filling. I do like the suggestion for frying them, also. You can just batter them like fish and fry them in oil.
Too bad you haven't gotten any tomatoes! It's been ideal for them in my area this year. I planted 7, and now I've got tomatoes coming out my ears. I'm not complaining though!
Glacialtill, thanks for the idea about pie filling. It sounds good. Will have to look it up.
EGF, I think we'll have to make it next year without trying tomatoes. We have to buy them almost ready to ripen in June, although we tried indoors from scratch this year, and that was worse than last year. What we need is our own greenhouse, and space for the greenhouse, besides!
Glad yours are doing so well!
Looks like your garden's thriving! We had only one tomato this year, but the apple mint and basil are doing well. I didn't realize coriander was from cilantro, that's neat. :)
Yes, I'm drying some of the cilantro seeds for coriander now.
And we just got lucky: the temp at the airport went down below freezing last night; didn't here at the house (our banana belt site).
I will also harvest green tomatoes this week. I just hope that my kids will love to eat them since they are fond eating ripe reddish tomatoes. I love cilantro too.
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