Purple Basil & Sweet basil!! Win-Win!

Sweet basil is one of the most common varieties. Popular in salads, pastas, pesto and more, most of the basil you will find in a grocery store is sweet basil. One of the beauties of basil is there isn’t a real, definitive harvest time – just pick what you need as you need it. And the best part is the more you harvest, the more a basil plant will produce. Regular harvesting will keep plants full and round. Harvest before the plant goes to seed, or “bolts.” When basil goes to seed, the leaves will often have a bitter flavor. I just cut my sweet basil and have some drying and some to put in oil for later use.

Green Basil ~ grew really well in part shade

While the flavor is not as sweet as some basil varieties, purple basil has a clove-like, slightly spicy flavor is wonderful fresh in salads, pesto, or preserved in oils and vinegar's. Until I researched purple basil, I couldn't pin down the flavor... yep, it is slightly clove like and spicy! Will be drying some and can hardly wait to see how it flavors vinegar and oil. Hints from another blogger: Fill a large jar with half white vinegar, half cider vinegar, stuff it with purple basil, and let it steep for a week. Then you strain it and pour the resulting gorgeous magenta vinegar into a pretty bottle with a few sprigs of fresh basil.

Purple Basil ~ did fabulous this year! 

Banner year for huckleberries!

Most years we get to pick just enough huckleberries for a couple of pies and a batch of jam, two if we're lucky. This year has been amazing! We are finding beautiful, large berries as well as the usual smaller ones. Whatever the size, they are delicious! I was using a different camera, so the pictures aren't great, but you get the idea!

Well, this could be a problem! Pawpaw Trees and Genetics

The two little Pawpaw trees I purchased 3 years ago are doing great! They are growing well, have been potted up to larger containers and even have some new leaves emerging.  They are beautiful!

BUT!! What I didn't know is they need a genetically different partner to bear fruit...

"Pawpaws are picky about who pollinates their flowers. Many fruit trees are self-fertile, meaning they can use pollen from one flower to pollinate another flower on the same tree to produce fruit. Pawpaws require pollen from another (genetically different) tree to achieve pollination and fruiting. Furthermore, pawpaws are not pollinated by bees. Instead, beetles and flies are attracted to their flowers and spread the pollen. Because of this, you must have two trees growing within 10-15 feet of each other."

All I can hope is that the nursery where I purchased them had a diverse genetic stock of trees, or that they can tell me where the trees were grown and if they can find out about the genetics. (sigh)

"Dancing Bones" and "Drunkard's Dream" cactus

Hatiora salicornioides looks like something from an underwater dreamscape. Composed of many tube-like branches that grow from upright, woody stems, Hatiora salicornioides is often called by its common names -- "Dancing Bones" and "Drunkard's Dream" cactus -- because of its contorted growth habit and bottle-shaped segments. Each stem can grow to be quite long, and eventually the Hatiora will gently cascade over the edges of its pot. When the cactus blossoms, tiny bright yellow flowers develop into small pink berries. Personally, I have never had the berries develop.

A jungle cactus, Hatiora salicornioides is epiphytic, meaning that it grows in the crooks of trees in its native forest habitat. This means that it requires little soil to survive, and is tolerant of lower light and more moisture than most cacti. As such, it's an exceptionally easy houseplant to care for, perfect for houseplant beginners and experts alike.

Native American Sunflower aka Sunchokes ~ Helianthus tuberosus

 The sunchoke, also called Jerusalem artichoke, is a variety of perennial sunflower grown for its edible low-starch tuber which looks much like a small potato but tastes like a water chestnut.

 Sunchokes are a native American sunflower that grows substantial amounts of ginger-shaped and potato-like tubers an easy-to-grow, delicious, prebiotic, and wonderfully productive garden vegetable. It has been recorded as being in cultivation by Native Americans in 1605 by Samuel De Champlain in French Canada.  They are also known to be a health-promoting prebiotic food stuff that is great for carb-counting dieters and diabetics alike.

Storing and preserving. Sunchokes will keep in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days, or set them in a cold moist place for 2 to 5 months. Sunchokes can be frozen or left in the ground until needed; protect over-wintered sunchokes with a layer of mulch.

Harvest. Sunchoke tubers will be ready for harvest is 120 to 150 days after planting. Cut off flower stalks as soon as they appear to encourage tuber, not seed, production. Plants also can be “lodged” once flowers appear; step on stems at soil level and bend them to the side diverting energy to the tubers. Sunchokes harvested after a light frost will be sweeter tasting. Sunchokes are ready for harvest when leaves die back; lift tubers with a spading fork. Tubers left in the ground will regrow the following season.

Common name. Jerusalem artichoke, sunchoke
Botanical name. Helianthus tuberosus
Origin. North America

My plants are growing beautifully this year! Hoping for a good harvest!

My sunchoke palnts this year! They are about 7ft tall!

Lambert Cherries - Frozen and canned

I canned some of the 20#, of Lambert cherries and froze the rest. They are huge, and so good!! Also made 2 jars with Amaretto flavoring, they are in the fridge for eating now!