Time to talk of other things ...

 How to Grow and Care for Artichokes Artichoke plants ( Cynara scolymus ) are herbaceous prickly perennials that are members of the Asteraceae family, including thistles (their blooms are remarkably similar), dandelions, and sunflowers. Artichokes need full sun (at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day) and are best grown in sandy well-drained fertile soil for their edible flower buds that appear in the early summer of year two, which must be harvested when they are 3 inches in diameter before the flowers open. Tender artichokes are preferable. Artichoke plants will go dormant in hot weather.  When temperatures cool off in late summer and fall, the plants will start growing again and you may get a second harvest. Artichoke flowers open into striking large, dome-shaped purple thistles that are lovely, pollinator-friendly and strikingly fragrant if allowed to blossom on the plant. Care and feeding Artichokes are heavy feeders, so add compost or aged manure into the planting hole at

 NPK Fertilizer Use in Layman Terms N (Nitrogen), P (Phosphorus), and K (Potassium) are the three elements (by weight) that make up the vital tripod of plant development. Each of them acts specifically in the plant: • Nitrogen N : promotes healthy foliage by helping in the development of shoots and leaves. Without it, the old leaves usually become yellowish, and the plant loses the green tone characteristic of chlorophyll. Sources of nitrogen include fish or crab meal, cottonseed meal, feather meal, soybean meal, blood meal, ammonium/urea and manures such as bat guano, as well as many cover crops. • Phosphorus P : supports strong root development and is responsible for stimulating the plant’s fruiting and flowering. The phosphorus-deficient vegetable has a weakened growth with an abnormal dark green colour.  Sources of phosphorus include  Fish meal, bat/seabird guano, bone meal, alfalfa meal and phosphates. • Potassium K : helps regulate water and nutrient movements within

 Spring blossoms at Willowgate Community Garden We've had some pretty wet weather this spring and there has been a lot of talk about the weeds in Willowgate Community Garden, but today I want to take you on a visual tour of some of the spring blossoms.  And while we are about it, I'll share some tips to grow Irises, Roses and Blackberries and beneficial flowering plants ... so without further ado, let's get started. Bearded Iris California Gold Poshy Purple Bearded Iris Best grown in full sun, Bearded Irises ( Iris germanica, so sometimes called German Irises) grow from shallow, fleshy roots called rhizomes . Their distinctive flowers have three upright petals called " standards " and three cascading petals called " falls ". Running down the centre of each fall near the base is a “ beard ” that resembles a furry caterpillar.  The leaves of the bearded iris are flattened and sword-like, and the plants grow to varying heights. Dwarf varieties may stand j

 The Intriguing World of Farmer Ants 🐜 and their Captive Aphids There is plenty of intrigue, nay brazen thuggery, in the garden ... if only you care to look closer.  Take the case of garden black farming ants  🐜  ... that are very active in spring. Farmer Ants extracting honeydew from Aphids (Source: Originalbuttterflyhouse) I noticed the French chard which had overwintered in my garden, and was doing quite well until the leaves were getting predated by aphids - tiny black dots on the underside guarded by garden black farming ants!! Holes in French chard leaves due to aphid infestation Aphids feed primarily on the sap from plants, essentially sucking the nutrients from leaves and stems to secrete a sugary liquid called honeydew. This honeydew secretion is very sugar-rich and is devoured by ants as a food source.  As a result, a mutualistic system (the National Geographic link below says the ants have gamed the system to favour them) has evolved wherein the farming black ants sh

  What's the deal with Stinging Nettle Stinging nettle (source: Grow organic) Any encounter with a stinging nettle plant leaves you with an unpleasant memory for a good reason. It is loaded with toxins that send a very unambiguous message. Touch me not  😬 , stay away!! source: Compound Interest Stinging nettle  ( Urtica dioica L. ) also known as common nettle , burn nettle , or nettle leaf , is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant with hollow hair-like structures called trichomes on the leaves and reddish stems.  When something brushes against these hairs, their very fragile silica tips break off, and the remainder of the hair can then act like a needle. It pierces the skin and releases a cocktail of various chemicals from the base of the hair which cause an itching sensation sometimes leading to redness and swelling.  The stinging trichomes on the stems and leaves carry a fluid rich in histamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin - so keep an antihistamine or corticosteroid cream h

  Oven-baked dried tomatoes Dried tomatoes in olive oil Tomatoes are known to be a great source of lycopene, the phytochemical which makes them red also has significant antioxidant properties. This year my Sun Sugar Cherry tomatoes were super-prolific so I decided to dry and preserve them. In a perfect world, I'd have strong sun for most of the day but till then, I decided to dry them in the oven. Doing so, the tomatoes lose 80% of moisture but retain all the nutrients, sugar, sweetness and flavour to intensify the taste. Ingredients Tree-ripened cherry tomatoes + 1 kg tree-ripened cherry tomatoes + 1 Tbps sea salt + 1/2 cup Olive oil Garden fresh herbs + Garden-fresh herbs 2 Tbsp Genovese Basil 1 Tbsp Italian Parsley 1 Tbsp French Tarragon 1 tsp Garlic Chives 1 tsp Thai Basil 1 tsp Spearmint 1/2 tsp Sage 1/2 tsp Oregano 1/2 tsp Rosemary  + 2 Garlic cloves + 1 Bay leaf Instructions Cherry tomato halves scooped out and dried 1. Wash and cut tomatoes in half, scoop