Since I kinda/sorta photographed the driveway crop tanks for my
then and now post last Friday (that's a new name I thought of for the stock tanks, and I love it), and this week I wrote about all the edible and "cuttable" crops growing in
Linda's garden, well I figured it was time to look at what I'm growing this year in this space just outside our back door...
In the large black pot on the far right (above), basil. A summer without fresh basil isn't really a summer at all.
In the cutting garden tank (one for veg, one for vases) is a crazy assortment of things...
I've never cut a stem from this Russelia equisetiformis for a vase, I wonder how it would do?
I just enjoy it here, since it's not reliably hardy in the garden. Common name, firecracker plant.
I was frustrated some seeds I'd sown in the tank hadn't gone anywhere (more on that below), so when I saw starter plants of these ‘Mermaid Blue’ Lisianthus (Eustoma russellianus) for cheap I thought what the heck, I'll try them! Kris at
Late to the Garden Party has been using Lisianthus in her vase combinations for years and I've always been intrigued by them.
What I didn't realize is that I'd bought dwarf Lisianthus. Yep. These plants max out at 8"... that means really small vases.
So it turns out there's a theme at work in my cutting garden tank. Seeds that went nowhere, plants I bought that I didn't realize were dwarf...
And this! These Zinnia were supposed to be Zinnia elegans 'Queen Orange and Lime'—which look like
this. Not mine, mine look like this...
The others were supposed to be Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime'—which look like
this. I had hope, I willed those buds to open into something sweet and varied.
Nope. This is what I got...
The last flower that I'm waiting on to open is this, SunFill™ Green, a "novel green sunflower"—which is supposed to look like
this. My fingers are crossed.
Meanwhile I'm also using this tank as a catch-all for an assortment of sun-lovers that have yet to be planted out in the ground.
And there are a few of those seeds I mentioned just now sprouting (there were others that got larger and kind of sort of bloomed at about 3-4" tall). They are Moluccella laevis, Bells-of-Ireland, and should be 24-36" tall. Such a dissapointment!
Moving on...
The sarracenia assortment loves the summer sun and heat...
As does this crazy tangle.
I bought two 4" pots of Mexican sour gherkins (Melothria scabra) and they've exploded!
So far I've just been snacking on them while I garden, but soon I'll need to harvest them and work them into dinners. Maybe I'll even have enough for a batch of quick-pickles.
This is my first time growing ground cherries (after trying one last summer
at Secret Garden Growers).
Physalis pruinosa 'Aunt Molly's'
They're ripe when the husk turns yellow and falls from the vine. Small ones are starting to ripen for me now, but there are larger ones ahead, lots of them.
As you might have guessed, if I'm going to devote time, space, and water to growing edibles they should be things that are not readily available at the local market, so I'm also trying a Toma Verde Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica). This variety is supposed to mature early and taste like "a cross between a lemon, a pineapple and a tomato. This dependable, prolific variety also produces larger size fruit than others, up to 2” in diameter"... not so much here though. I have lots of blooms, but only 3 fruits that are maturing.
Earlier in the year I had this tank filled with rat-tail radishes,
Raphanus sativus, var. caudatus, I grew from seed. That experiment was a huge success and I will definitely grow them again. We ate the long, seed-filled pods for weeks, I took them to gatherings and made radish pickles too.
One other seasonal planting to show, Datura meteloides 'Double Lavender'. It's taking a little break at the moment but has been blooming non-stop since I bought it just after Memorial Day weekend (yes, those bumpy things are seed pods).
Here are flower photos taken on a sunnier day...
That's the driveway crop tanks for 2025, along with several spiky plant friends...
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Making a note of Mexican Sour Gherkins. Cucs seem to do really well at the Coast too. A couple dahlias for cut flowers would love the hot wall too, I find they're more dependable and productive than zinnias...Your basil looks great! Mine seems to run to seed so quickly.
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly cutting back the basil, it helps keep it from going to seed and I have a vase on the kitchen counter that smells good! Mexican Sour Gherkins are the best!
DeleteLoved seeing your driveway crops. There is a great variety of choices.If there is just one tomatillo plant you’ll probably not have much harvest. They are not self pollinating.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea! Ugh. Thanks!
DeleteYou have a great variety going, those Mexican sour gherkins are cute - I want to give those a try. I love ground cherries, it's 9 am and now I want a plate of pickles. I have the absolute worst luck with zinnias, and they are supposed to be the easiest thing in the world to grow. *Russelia holds well in a vase. The Datura is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteGood to know about the Russelia! Hope you got your pickles.
DeleteI am SO jealous of that Datura!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt used to be so hard to find, but after I bought this one then I found others, cheaper!
DeleteThat's a diverse and interesting assortment of crops! And it's attractive too. I initially used the raised planters we inherited with our current garden for vegetables but gave them up for cutting flowers. (My husband made fun of the cost of my tomatoes and peppers. I usually grow some herbs there too (feverfew. cilantro) but I forgot about them this year. I have to try those cute gherkins and the tomatillos - I bet they'd look good in floral arrangements ;)
ReplyDeleteI have used the gherkin vines in a floral arrangement and they were great! I love cilantro and would plant it if not for the fact it bolts nearly immediately (for me).
DeleteThank you for this! I love growing weird and cool edibles, and have always wanted to try rat tail radishes--seeing your pic, I think I'm going to do it!
ReplyDeleteAn edible I grow every year for full-sun beauty is purple shiso. I've had one get nearly 3 feet tall. I like to add it (chopped) to ramen. But, honestly, it's just so pretty that I'd grow it even it we didn't eat it.
I also love perennialized green onions; I generally let them grow for 3 or so years before I start over.
Last year, my best plant (edible AND decorative) of the year was African Blue Basil--it was insanely popular with the bees (beating out every single other thing in my garden!) and almost 4 feet tall in one of my pots. Tasted pretty good, too.
Do it! The rat-tails were so easy, prolific, and tasty. That purple shiso looks interesting, do you grow it from seed? Thanks for the basil tip!
DeleteI don't grow either from seed (lazy!). I can often find purple shiso at Freddy's, believe it or not. But Garden Fever and Portland Nursery are reliable sources as well. As for African Blue Basil, I plugged it hugely at Garden Fever and Portland Nursery last fall, and I know that Garden Fever carried it this year (woo hoo!). I usually get it from Van Hevelingen Nursery, but they were sold out this year.
DeleteMy Bells of Ireland were a big fail as well. A number germinated, I was optimistic, then squirrels decided the seedling pot was agreat thing to dig in and hide peanuts, there goes most of them...I tried to save the rest, but nope. I've grown them before, it's been ages, though. I don't remember what I did differently.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if A tree dahlia would work in your pot?
I'm doing odd collections in pots this year too, not quite the same things- my pots are smaller, but it's nice to really mix things up
Darn squirrels! I'm going to admit that I've never cared for tree dahlias, I just don't see the point of waiting all season, hoping to get a bloom at the top of a very tall plant.
DeleteI still have your recipe for pickling gherkins from years ago, though I never grown it or looked for it in stores (there's always next year).
ReplyDeleteI find your Zinnia elegans 'Queen Lime' better than what you expected! It's lovely in that green vase.
My sarracenia (also an assortment) is 3 years old. Disappointed it hadn't bloom I was considering tossing the lot into the yard waste bin. After threat of enahilation, it produced a single bloom! How old is your assortment?
Chavli
-and I love your sweet Aeonium planter!
DeleteFunny! I was hoping I still have that recipe somewhere too, I guess if I can't find it I can always contact you. The sarracenia have been growing together in that container (a trash can lid placed on top of a pot) for several years now. Some of them have got to be going on 10+ years. Those aeonium are bringing me much happiness!
DeleteI love all your crazy, interesting plants! I especially enjoy seeing the Datura. I bought that type a few years ago, but I had no luck with it. My white Datura love the heat here in summer, so I had great hope!
ReplyDeleteI was happy to find that Datura again after growing it a few years back.
DeleteI grew Bells of Ireland as a cut flower one season and after being harpooned multiple times by their wicked spines said never again. Knowing your love of spiky things I sense your disappointment over their lack of performance. I used to start them from seed in March so maybe that's the trick. Your Datura is gorgeous. Will you save seed? Disappointing about the Zinnias too.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I did! (from seed in March) I think perhaps the soil in that tank needs a serious refresh. I'll give the Datura seeds to a friend who will do good things with them...
DeleteYou are not alone being disappointed by tomatillos. Ours has flowered for months and has one fruit. One fruit. Only one. Disappointed may not be the right adjective. I do like reading about your food plant successes - several here that I would like to try now. I remember you mentioning the little gherkins before, but the radish pods are a new one for me.
ReplyDelete