Tag Archives: purple hull peas

July 9, 2010 · 5:15 pm

How does your garden grow?

The garden is in full swing.  I can’t believe it has been a month since I posted.  Here is what is growing or just finished growing (potatoes) so far.

Tomatoes – three varieties, Potatoes – two varieties, Peppers – three varieties, green beans, pinto beans, speckled butter beans, lemon cucumbers, purple hull peas, swiss chard, Jack Be Little pumpkins, basil – two varieties, lemon verbena, lemon balm, oregano, lavender, parsley, salad burnet, thyme, germander, and tarragon.

peas, basil, tomatoes, parsley in back, chives, lemon balm, salad burnet.

beans.

lemon cucumbers.

tomatoes.

pumpkins.  Well, at least a bloom which will hopefully become a pumpkin.

peppers – anaheim, bell, pepperoncini.  The anaheim have been very prolific.

pepperoncini

purple hull peas.

lemon verbena.

I have a dear, sweet friend whom I have never met in person.  Amazing, isn’t it?  She lives in Canada and we email, facebook and mail packages back and forth across the border.  She is an amazing person and has a truly pure spirit, if you know what I mean.  She has sent me amazing gifts – REAL Maple Syrup, cookbooks, chocolate, picture frames – you see what I’m talking about.  Well, this last pkg. was all about gardening.  See for yourself.

which I promptly hung my hat on … ( I had been looking for something for just this very thing.

and she also sent these cuties

Thank you, Josee’, my dear sweet friend.

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August 11, 2009 · 6:06 pm

If You’re Gonna Plant a …

It really is too  hot to do anything but sit here and type.   I hope I  can find something to write about as the garden is in limbo.    Vegetables are growing,  but at such a slow pace.   I am tempted to go out and pull up everything  to get ready for Fall.  But then I’ll see a tomato or a pepper or better yet a cucumber and I decide to wait jussst a little longer.

I have learned a lot this growing season.  Mostly what NOT to do next year.  Here are a few decisions I have made.

I won’t be planting anymore Green tomatoes.  I’m sorry but it’s too hard to tell when they are ready to eat.  AND I believe I prefer the red ones.  My space is too limited to plant something I don’t really LOVE.

If you are gonna plant a hot pepper plant, plant a variety that is HOT.  I planted some TAM jalapeno plants which were very  mild.  I thought this was a great idea,  (jalapeno flavor without all the heat) but they were pretty much like a sweet pepper.

And IF you plant a hot pepper plant, seriously consider how many you really need.  For me, probably one plant.  (Note to self: please remember this in Jan. when you go wild with the seed buying)

When planting cucumbers plant only one variety.  This way when the vines start to grow into their neighbor’s area,  yikes!  it won’t be necessary to figure out which variety is which. 

Never buy seed from the local feed store where it has been sitting  for God knows how long.  ( I was desperate for Purple Hull Peas and my normal supplier was OUT) I could definitely tell the difference in quality.

Do plant lettuces  early and frequently to have a continuous supply.

Do plan ahead how you are going to utilize all that bounty.   Man cannot live by salsa alone.   Well, maybe.

I also realized I am going to need to build up my beds EVEN MORE with excellent composted soil.  I think for me, raised beds are the way to go.

So, here is the last of the Porter tomatoes, a few cucumbers and my beloved purple hull peas.

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While I may not be ready to say goodbye to summer, I am ready to say goodbye to 100+ temperatures.<a title=”Cucumber on Foodista”

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July 24, 2009 · 4:00 pm

Tough Plants

People, the temperature has been in the three digits for a couple of weeks now, with the heat index pushing it to 108, on a couple of days.    Whew! But finally we are getting a break.  We have  even had a little rain, which is very exciting.  My tomato plants are crispy.

But even in this unbearable heat, there are plants that haven’t missed a beat.  Vegetables and flowering plants.  I ‘m not talking about Nogales cacti either.  The first plant that comes to mind is Angelonia (angelonia angustifolia).  (When I first read the scientific name I thought it said AUGUSTifolia and thought “no kidding”. 

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 This is the most amazing plant.   It is zone hardy for zones 9-11.  Is is drought tolerant, heat tolerant and low maintenance, requiring no deadheading.  It also tolerates  humidity which is a bonus here.  The low temperature  hardiness for this plant is 40 degrees but I can tell you the upper range is at least 104-106 degrees.  I am speaking from first hand knowledge as those are the temperatures we have been having and it hasn’t  wilted.  not once.

I love that this plant is called the “summer snapdragon”.  I couldn’t give it a more perfect name. 

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Also, the colors of this plant are white, lavender, pink and a pink/lavender.  Those are very cooling and soothing colors in the middle of the summer and not always easy to find in sun-loving plants. 

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 The plants range from 12-18 inches in height to 15-18 inches wide.  There is a compact variety called “Serena” Angelonia  (My lavender and pink one are “Serena”).  I have found this variety at several of my local nurseries.  Another observation about this plant is it doesn’t seem to grow much larger than the size it is when you purchase it.  For me, that is a bonus as they don’t get too large for pots (although all of mine are in the ground) nor do they “take over” their area.

Another plant loving the heat are my purple hull peas.  I didn’t think these were going to produce as I had blooms but then nothing. 

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 Well, on one of the hottest days we have had so far, I looked out and there were pods everywhere.  It seemed as if it happened overnight.IMG_0650

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These are my favorite kind of summer pea, so I am hoping to have a good harvest . 

 I asked my Dad one day how many pods would you need to pick for a “mess” (it’s a Southern thing) of peas.  My Dad had a wonderful sense of humor.   Without missing a beat, he said “A whole day’s picking”.

I sure do miss my Dad.

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