Meyer Lemon Blossoms
My next crop of Meyer lemons.
Rio Red grapefruit
February Gardening
While a lot of the country is covered in snow, gardening in Arizona yields rich rewards: In this bed, plants include spigarello, cabbage, Swiss chard, leeks, kale, I'itoi's onions, and artichokes.
February Harvest
Today's harvest: Tomatoes, Rio Red grapefruit and Meyer lemons
Meyer lemons and thyme
What to do with an abundance of thyme and juicy Meyer lemons? Make shortbread cookies! Click here for recipe link.
Garden Greens
Mom is visiting us from Boston and I love when she cooks Vietnamese for us. Today she picked these from the garden for rice paper rolls (gỏi cuốn) for our lunch: Cilantro, mint, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Outredgeous lettuce, Red Romaine, and Forellenschluss lettuce.
Poblano peppers
Poblano peppers do especially well in Arizona.
Meyer Lemon Season in Arizona
My Meyer lemons are at the peak of ripeness right now. This batch was delivered to downtown's Bitter and Twisted to be used in their fantastic craft cocktails .
December Citrus
Rio Red grapefruit
Before moving to Phoenix in 2008, I had no idea that Arizona had such an abundance of winter citrus. Currently I am growing Meyer lemon (my favorite), Lisbon lemon, Ponderosa lemon, Valencia orange, Nagami kumquat, Rio Red grapefruit, Bearss lime, and Moro blood orange. I only have room for one or two more, but on my wish list are Buddha's Hand citron, Kaffir lime, mandarin, calamondin, finger lime, or yuzu.
Meyer lemon
Lisbon lemons
Valencia orange
December Vegetables and Herbs
One of the perks of living in Phoenix is our two growing seasons. I plant in March and again in September and harvest about 10 months of the year. Most of my plants are from Vilardi Gardens. My friend Suzanne Vilardi grows amazing heirloom varieties which you can find at the local farmer's markets. These are some of the plants doing well in my December garden:
Red Romaine lettuce, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Marconi peppers, Dukat dill, Lunga Violetta eggplant, and Red Russian kale.
Tomatoes, artichoke, Ichiban eggplant, Bloomsdale spinach, Outredgeous lettuce, and poblano peppers.
Ruby Red Swiss chard, Mizuna, Shishito peppers, I'toi's onions, Spigariello liscia, and Quarantina broccoli rabe.
Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, King Richard leek, Forellenschluss lettuce, purple basil, Gigante di Napoli cauliflower, and garlic chives.
Florence fennel, Genovese basil, Moroccan mint, Nero Di Toscana kale, spearmint, and some of the seeds I've been sowing.
November Gardening
My friend Jenelle Bonifield of Food & Lifestyles Photography stopped by for some fresh garden bounty. She took home Meyer lemons, Poblano, New Mexico, Fushimi and shishito peppers, purple holy basil, thyme, and mint.
Fall 2015 planting
I planted this fabulous selection from Vilardi Gardens on November 11th: Forellenschluss, Red Romaine, and Outredgeous lettuces, Florence fennel, green Mizuna, French sorrel, Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, Kailan/Chinese kale, King Richard leeks, borage, Japanese Giant Red Mustard, Ruby Red Swiss Chard, Gigante di Napoli Marzatico and Snowball cauliflowers, Quarantina broccoli rabe, Red Russian and Nero Di Toscana kales, Gigante di Napoli parsley, Bloomsdale spinach, Dukat dill, Moroccan mint, and Spigariello liscia.
Growing Hibiscus/Roselle in Phoenix
Hibiscus and calyxes
Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) took over my garden this year. I had two plants from Vilardi Gardens and didn't realize how big they would get, but I love them! Not to be confused with tropical hibiscus, this is also known as Jamaican Sorrel and in my garden grew to be about 4 feet tall and wide. Both the flowers and buds are striking.
Before growing hibiscus, I thought that the vivid-hued jamaica I often drink in Mexican restaurants was made from the dried flowers. It's actually steeped from the calyxes which encase the seed pod. The pod is removed and then the calyxes dried.
San Diego Sunset plumeria
This was a happy surprise. I had some frost damage to one of my favorite plumerias - San Diego Sunset - and since they bloom from the tips, I didn't think I would see any flowers this season. I came home from a trip to Texas to find these.
Arizona Capers
JL Doric Plumeria
This was a splurge, but I'm so glad I bought a Jim Little Doric (named after his wife). I love the veining and unique color.
Ping Tung Eggplant
Ping Tung Asian eggplant. With a shade cloth (I've found they turn yellow and bitter if sunburned), I can harvest all summer.
Desert Sunrise plumeria
Jungle Jack's Desert Sunrise plumeria.
Fall Vegetable Gardening
Though it's still oppressively hot and the autumn cool-down seems far away, I started prepping my vegetable beds for fall planting. This weekend I weeded, cut back herbs, pulled out plants that didn't survive the summer, and top dressed with BioFlora Dry Crumbles, a favorite organic, granular fertilizer. I'm all set for some Vilardi Gardens plants.
My friend Suzanne, owner of Vilardi Gardens, has a fantastic variety of plants that are available at the local farmers markets - look for them at Roadrunner Farmers Market, DeSoto Central Market and Ahwatukee Farmers Market. After meeting up for lunch recently, I came home with some new additions of sesame (black, tan, and white), tomatoes (Indigo Rose, Cream Sausage, Violet Jasper, Tasmanian Chocolate, Dwarf Beryl Beauty, Punta Banda, and Taxi), Hibiscus sabdariffa, purple and Genovese basil, and Lunga Violetta eggplant. I can't wait to get them planted this week.
I'm especially excited to try growing capers for the first time.
JL Doric plumeria
Named after his wife, JL Doric is one of the more rare Jim Little cultivars.