Some Like it Hot: The Moss Rose

If you're looking for plants well suited to your area, one frequent piece of advice is to "grow native." Here's another tip- why not "grow what a native grows?"

Neighbors can be a great resource, especially if you're new to a climate like me. I was admiring my neighbor's backyard earlier this summer, and she raved about the "Moss Rose", or Portulaca grandiflora.

Photo by Not Your Real

This year, I planted Portulaca in a particularly sunny location. The weather has been horribly hot and dry recently. And this little plant is thriving and blooming. No wonder my neighbor likes it so much! While the zinnias I put in nearby containers are struggling, the moss rose seems to be a great container plant.

Photo by Callie

Yes, there are plants out there that thrive in hot, dry weather! Tune in next time for another edition of "Some Like it Hot."

Fun with Tomatoes: My Bruschetta Fountain

It's mid-July, the time many gardeners are going through an attitude change from "Wow, Look! I grew a ripe, luscious tomato!" to "Ummm...what the heck am I susposed to do with all these tomatoes?"

Well I know what I'll be doing with my next harvest. Check out Christa's Tomato sandwich. Doesn't that just make you crave tomatoes all over again?

Last night I experimented with bruschetta. My procedure:

1. Make sure the husband is busy watching TV so he doesn't ask too many questions.
2. Harvest some basil from the garden, trying not to think about the stray cat that might use your herb garden as a litter box. Wash well.
3. Consider how to "de-seed" the tomatoes as the recipe dictates.
4. Decide to just cut into wedges and suck out the tomato seeds.
5. Swallow.
4.Toss some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, oregeno, and the de-seeded tomatoes into the blender.
5. Realize that the blender doesn't work as a food processor.
6. Dump the whole concoction on a cutting board and dice.
7. Notice there's no fancy crusty bread in the house, so debate between a multi-grain bagel and Sarah Lee Delightful White. Decide on the bagel, toasted. The hole in the bagel gives it a fun "bruschetta fountain" effect as it dribbles back on the plate.

Well maybe you should stick with Christa's tomato sandwich.

Dirt is not dirty

The painters arrived this week, and earlier this summer I thought their impending arrival would be a good excuse to "clean house". Well, life happens, and the house is not spotless. But as I survey the progress we did make, I am reminded of a fundamental difference between my husband's and my world views. No, it has nothing to do with stem cell research or conflict in the Middle East. We can debate about the issues in the news for hours, but when it comes down to it our opinions aren't that different. But there's one issue on which we might never see eye to eye - the definition of "dirty".

My husband's view, in the typical male fashion, is very literal. "Dirty (adj.) - covered with dirt" I know the pile of potting soil in the garage is annoying him, but why clean it up if I'm just going out there to pot more plants this weekend?

In my view, dirt is not dirty. It's a complex mixture of humus and perlite and dozens of essential minerals.

In my view, "Dirty (adj.) - strewn with litter and debris." In other worlds, the way it looks right now in our living room, like a computer puked up all over the rug. I know the individual wires, routers, and miscellaneous parts have no trace of dust. But in my mind it's "dirty".

I have "dirty" blonde hair, I like "dirty" jokes, but obviously neither has *nothing* to do with actual dirt. Language is just not that literal.

Well, in the end I must remind myself it's a small issue. The important thing is that I'm glad my husband has found lots of computer jobs recently, so we can afford to paint the house. He makes good money from taking in all those ailing computers and emptying their guts on the carpet.

I guess I'd rather sacrifice a clean house than end up dirt poor.

Ok, sorry, I just can't let it go.

Feeling fruity

Have you ever planted some seeds, and then a few weeks later, when they start to germinate, you have no idea what you planted?

I’m usually compulsive about labeling. Growing plants for laboratory research trained me well. And during this time I also got addicted to Sharpie markers. I think I label just for an excuse to inhale the Sharpie fumes.

But I had a recent lapse. After a few days, and a few leaves, I remembered that I had soaked some lemon seeds overnight and poked them in moist (and unlabeled) potting soil. It took them a little while to sprout, but they’re coming along well!

Since I first saw a lemon tree at a local conservatory as a child, I have been really fascinated with growing tropical fruit. So now that I’m all grown up and in a warmer climate, I can indulge my fruity tastes.

A citrus tree

A banana plant

I’m not sure how well they will overwinter, since we do get frost here, so they will eventually move into my garage with florescent lights.

Maybe someday they will have a greenhouse home!?!? I’m still considering this, although we do have a rather long growing season here and I’m afraid it would involve too much work for upkeep. Any greenhouse gardeners care to comment?

Fashion DON’T in the Garden

While these $5 Old Navy flip-flops are a summer fashion essential at the poolside, they DO NOT work in the Garden. As I’m slow to learn, we have these critters called fire ants down South. These ants are not stunned by my copper nail polish. Perhaps it just makes my toes look all the more tempting, like chocolates wrapped in golden foil.

The romance of the beetle stomp

Romance isn't about fine dining and a dozen roses, it's the man who cares enough to stomp two dozen Japanese beetles that were dining on your rose bushes.

I was really smitten that my husband not only watered the roses while I was gone, but also went the extra mile to protect them. What a man!

Now that I'm home again, I'm getting aggravated watching the beetles happily munch away once again on my roses, and I'm still trying to devise a plan of attack.

I've heard the traps will catch a lot of beetles, but in the process just attract more beetles to your yard and don't really solve the problem.

I've heard people recommend Sevin, but I know that is really nasty stuff, and I've been trying to avoid chemicals as much as possible this year since I'm expecting, and I've also recently developed an affinity for bees.

So spraying the beetles off with water and then stomping still seems like the best option. Some people recommend carrying a bucket of soapy water and shaking the beetles into the bucket. Personally, I find the crunching sound to be a little more satisfying, and the ants seem to take care of cleaning away the remains. I've also noticed that late at night or early in the morning the beetles tend to be more sluggish, so it's a good time to go in for the kill.

Any other advice on taking on the Japanese beetles?