Asian Shredded Salad

This variation on coleslaw combines many of the flavors of Southeast Asia and makes a great pot luck dish. I make the salad a few hours before serving it so the flavors blend. (When I’m in a hurry, I use 1 3/4s of a cup of a commercial coleslaw dressing and add the called for grated ginger and hot sauce to it before pouring it over the greens. )

Dressing:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce to taste

Mix the ingredients well in a small bowl and refrigerate them until they are needed.

Salad:

12 to 16 cups thinly sliced cabbage (1 large cabbage – 2 to 2 1/2 pounds)

5 to 6 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard

2 to 2 1/2 cups chopped cilantro (1 medium bunch)

2 cups chopped green onions or scallions including the green tops (1 small bunch)

1/2 cup crystallized ginger, minced

1 cup dry roasted peanuts or cashews

Wash the greens well, chop, and place them in a salad spinner to remove extra moisture. In a large salad bowl combine all the ingredients and add the crystallized ginger. Pour most of the dressing over the greens and toss. Add the rest of the dressing if needed.  Sprinkle the nuts over the salad.

Serves 6 to 8

Before the Edible Design

Their backyard was nothing much to start with: a concrete patio and a lot of lawn, plus one large almond tree on the left side.

Today, a much larger paver patio anchors the space. The redwood arbor sits off the patio proper, providing plenty of shade during the late afternoon without dominating the space and providing for a wisteria or climbing roses over the top in the future. The remaining space is filled with plants, both in the ground and in a variety of containers. There are plenty of edibles scattered throughout, including ‘Enchantment’ and ‘Sungold’ tomatoes growing in barrels and over small arbors, peppers contained in colorful “tomato” cages, strawberries, and a broad range of culinary herbs. Ornamentals are equally well represented, with roses, ‘East Friesland’ salvia, zinnias, and million bells. A low boxwood hedge edges part of the patio and walkway, creating a boundary and providing visual interest in winter.

A mix of pots cascades down the steps from the house, filled with purple salvia and petunias, orange zinnias, yellow gaillardia, blue lobelia, and orange and purple million bells to tie them all together. The colors reflect those found in the garden itself, and the red and terra cotta hues of the pots mix together surprisingly well. A small statue of a black poodle, a lookalike for their own dog Portia, keeps guard over the entire space.

Bob and Julie wanted to give a contemporary feel to the garden and purchased three large horse troughs and placed them along the path and filled them with portulacas and cucumbers. A yellow heirloom tomato in a barrel balances them on the left. Just past them, you can see the reincarnation of my old Magic Circle garden, featured in my book Edible Landscaping. A mix of bright colors surrounds the green birdbath: yellow lantana, red petunias, pink penstemon, and purple salvia. ‘Elfin’ thyme fills in the spaces between the stepping-stones.

Edibles and ornamentals share this trough-turned-planter. In this case, the edible is the heirloom ‘True Lemon’ cucumber, available from Seed Savers Exchange. Growing the cucumbers in a tall planter is an easy way to keep them off the ground without having to stake them.

Rhubarb flowers bloom atop tall cream colored stalks. In warm-winter areas, cut them off when they emerge to focus the plant’s energy on stalks and leaves. In colder climates, where the plants are so vigorous and flower plumes so decorative, let them grow and show off in the summer.

Easily grown, with virtually no pests and diseases, rhubarb is hardy to zone 2. Here, it grows happily in this zone 7 Long Island garden. Sunlight coming through the plant emphasizes the red of the stalks and becomes a bright accent in your landscape.

How to Grow

Rhubarb has specific requirements. It needs at least 2 months of winter cold and is not productive in areas with very hot summers. In the high desert, plant it in autumn as a winter annual.

In most climates, grow rhubarb in full sun in acidic, well-drained loam rich in organic matter; in the high desert, choose an area with afternoon shade for coolness.  Mulch in spring and fall with compost or manure to keep weeds down and to feed the plant. In arid climates, provide 1 inch of water a week. I’ve had the most success with rhubarb when it’s been in a bed with overhead water rather than drip irrigation.

Rhubarb serves as a backdrop for low-growing herbs in the Denver Botanical Garden. The parsley and blooming oregano provide bright green accents against the red of the flowering amaranth and rhubarb stalks while the straw bee skep adds a rustic decorative touch.

Rhubarb has few pests and diseases.  If placed correctly and given a modest amount of attention, a plant will last a lifetime. Two to three plants are adequate for the average family.

Unless you are growing it as an annual, do not harvest any stalks the first year. After that, harvest by gently pulling or cutting off the thickest, healthiest stalks near soil level. Harvest begins in spring and, if the plants are healthy, goes well into summer. Growth slows down in hot weather, but picks up again in fall. Well-established plants tolerate an additional light fall harvest. After a decade or so, if the plant is getting crowded, dig it up and divide into three or four plants.

In my cool and dry Zone 9 garden, rhubarb is a focal point. Its large leaves contrast nicely with the small foliage of the boxwood and jasmine surrounding it. In winter, after the foliage dies down, I fill the empty space with tulip bulbs that bloom in the spring.

In the Kitchen

Cook the thick, fleshy leafstalks of this striking plant in traditional rhubarb pie, sauces, and stew; my favorite is strawberry-rhubarb pie—sweeter than straight rhubarb. You can even make rhubarb wine. Preserve rhubarb as jam or wine. Freeze or can stewed rhubarb.

Caution: Rhubarb leaves are deadly poisonous if eaten.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Cobbler

This traditional rhubarb cobbler is surprisingly light and creamy.

Filling:

3 cups rhubarb cut into 1/2” pieces

3 cups sliced strawberries

2/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon orange or lemon peel

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place rhubarb, sugar, and orange peel into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until rhubarb begins to juice, about 2 minutes. Add butter and flour and bring to a boil while stirring. Cook about 1 minute. Add sliced strawberries. Remove from heat and pour fruit mixture into a deep 10” pie dish.

Batter:

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, chilled

1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided

3/4 cups half and half

2 tablespoons grated orange or lemon peel

Optional: 1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1 tablespoon extra fine sugar

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut butter into small pieces. With a fork, or a pastry cutter, cut in chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/2 cup sugar and blend. Slowly incorporate half/and half with a fork. Spoon dough over fruit to cover. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and orange peel and sprinkle over top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve with, or without, whipped cream. Serves 6.

For many people, strawberry-rhubarb is the first “fruit” pie of spring. There’s no need to fuss with fancy crusts or picture-perfect presentations; something so delicious will quickly disappear.

If you live in a mild winter area like I do, USDA Zone 9, or warmer, the rich green shiny leaves, stunningly fragrant flowers, and colorful fruits make these edibles a must have. If you live in a colder climate, then you can grow them in containers.

Here we have a kumquat and Meyer lemon, both of which grow beautifully in containers. They also are among the hardiest of the common citrus and can be grown in warmer sections of Zone 8. In case you were wondering, my edible landscape here also includes sugar snap pea vines and onions among the flowers and herbs.

Citrus fills all sorts of niches in your edible landscape. Full-size citrus reach 20 ft.; dwarf varieties that can be kept under 6 ft. are best for most yards. Of course, they’ll need sunlight; 6 hours is ideal, though lemons and limes can take less. Temperature is even more important. Most varieties tolerate only light frosts – kumquats and calamondins are the hardiest; lemons and limes are the least.  For sugary sweet grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines you need heat, lots and lots of heat. In cool-summer climates, give them full sun, plant against a hot south wall, or set them along a sunny patio that absorbs heat and reflects it back. All these tricks add to the sweetness of the fruits.  Consider citrus for hedges along the driveway or use smaller ones as foundation plantings, and make sure to have a few off your patio or bedroom window because the smell in the spring is unbelievable!

When I planted this navel orange, I made sure to put it in the warmest part of my yard. It benefits from the southern exposure, proximity to the house wall, and the extra warmth provided by the brick walk and gravel area. When a hard freeze is expected I put old-fashion large out-door Christmas lights in it and keep them lit all night to add extra heat.

Remember, your edible landscape also includes the no-man’s land between two houses or along a back alley. Ordinarily, this area is wasted. Citrus are perfect for that because they are shade-tolerant. A bonus for the trees is the extra heat from the street and house walls. The bonus for you is that the shade from their foliage cuts air conditioning bills.

This is actually my neighbor’s lemon tree that grows between our houses. It provides endless lemons and an amazing aroma to all our bedroom windows. Further down the path, toward the back of my house, my lime tree returns the favor, cascading limes into their yard.

Where do you start? First, decide. Do you want tangerines, mandarins, tangelos, grapefruits, lime leaf, limes, limequats, or lemons and oranges? Then, check your climate. What grows well in your area. If you have questions, there’s an amazing resource for you – Four Winds Growers. They’re a wholesale citrus nursery with a special place in their hearts for the home gardener. They’ve helped me when I’ve had questions, and they can help you, too. Their website will take you through the whole process from choosing from the many, many different varieties to how to plant, be it in the landscape or containers, how to grow them, and how to deal with any problems that may arise. They really want you to grow their citrus and succeed.

Tangelo and Kiwi Salad with Orange Blossoms

This citrus salad is lovely to look at and the flavors are both familiar, yet slightly different. Taste your citrus petals before adding them to the dressing. Expect some bitterness but if they are very harsh try blossoms from another tree. The point of adding a few citrus blossoms to the dressing is to infuse the tangelo juice with a lovely aroma and to deepen the citrus flavor.

6 medium tangelos, divided or 3 tangelos and a cup of bottled fresh tangerine juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

5 lemon, tangerine, or orange blossoms

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

2 kiwi fruit

Squeeze three of the tangelos and put the juice in a medium bowl. To the tangelo (or tangerine) juice add the lemon juice, and the petals of 3 of the orange blossoms. If the tangelos are not very sweet, add a tablespoon of honey. Peel and section the remaining 3 tangelos and peel and slice the kiwi fruit, add them to the juice mixture and stir to cover the fruit. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

To serve divide the fruit between 4 serving dishes. Pour the tangelo juice over fruit and garnish with orange blossom petals. Serves 4

Becky took me back to Williamsburg and on Sunday I gave two lectures at their 66^th Colonial Williamsburg Garden Symposium: one on edible landscaping and the other on heirloom vegetables and flowers. As usual, when I go to these seminars I always learn something. In this case, it was about both the new and the old. Lee Reich gave a real refresher course on unusual fruits and how they can be used in the landscape and the curator of the Williamsburg vegetable garden, Wesley Greene (whose official title is Gardener of the Historic Trades, Colonial Williamsburg) spoke to the old techniques in gardening. I was struck by how energy-saving and efficient they were. While I was there, I also took time to walk around their historical gardens, and I’m sharing my photos with you here.

The evening lighting captures the vivid colors of late spring. Note the wonderful middle bed filled with four fig trees and countless thyme and rosemary plants. Our ancestors needed the edibles to survive but added the flowers for their own pleasure.

Cold frames are a time-honored way to grow leafy greens over the winter and to start seedlings in the spring in cold climates. Like all good cold frames, this one is shorter on the south side to let in more sun. Notice the windowpanes, now stored behind the frame to let in the heat during the day. On cold days and at night, they are put on top to hold in the heat. Note, too, the heirloom lettuces, in all their glory.

Imagine my luck watching this cardinal look for caterpillars among the broccoli. After a while, he came out with a great big, fat caterpillar and commenced to eat it. All of a sudden, his wife appeared and harangued him. “That’s for the kids. You can’t eat that!” I got so swept up in the drama I didn’t photograph that part. Sorry. Natural pest control aside, these heirloom broccolis and cauliflowers will produce for months, unlike their modern cousins who produce one large head, and maybe a few small ones, all within two weeks.

Boy, wait until you hear the rest of the month.  To be continued . . .

The first week I spent in San Diego with my daughter and grandkids, exploring. I sure enjoyed playing hooky. When I got back, I hopped a flight to Virginia. The first day I was there, Becky Heath came and whisked me away for the day. We started with a lovely drive through Gloucester, Virginia. This quaint town, home to Brent & Becky’s Bulbs, is filled with tulips and narcissus, planted in every curb, planter, and parking strip. The company donated most of the bulbs, and Becky, staff, and volunteers have planted them throughout the entire town. It’s a tribute to spring, spontaneity, and the generosity of these two growers.

She then took me to their nursery, which I have to say was very impressive and ambitious (and I’ve seen a lot of nurseries). Among other things, they have a living catalog. The beds are laid out the way the catalog is, from A to Z, and there’s the plant you may want to grow, often in bloom. They refresh the beds with plants from their coolers, so more is in bloom than you would ordinarily see. The other parts of the nursery are actual landscapes, at least eight of them, where they incorporate the bulbs with other plantings. It’s a valuable resource for people on the East Coast to see how the plants they choose will grow together. And then we had a wonderful lunch.

Be sure to tune in next week for part II of my April adventures!

Q: (…) how do you keep the squash bugs away. I have them every year with no way to rid them. I would not put toxic poison out, I want it ito be free of bugs and snakes with out poison.– Pearl

A: Hi Pearl,
Squash bugs can be a persistent problem along the East Coast and in Midwest gardens. To keep them under control, choose summer squash as they are more resistant than winter squashes and pumpkins. Two suggestions for control: keep mulch well away from squash plants as the bugs congregate under loose material to avoid the heat of the day and cover young plants with floating row covers. When they start to bloom, remove the covering so bees can pollinate the flowers. By that time the plants should be large enough to withstand the bugs but if you occasionally hand gather them in the early morning while they still move slowly and drown them in a can of soapy water, you can keep the hoards at bay.

As far as the snakes, of course they are great for the ecosystem, but certainly not welcome in the garden under your squash. Visit the website: http://www.chiff.com/a/garden-snakes.htm  for lots of good ideas for keeping them out of your garden.
Great Gardening,
Ros Creasy

Adult Squash Bug

Photo Credit: By Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons