Emily Davidow's enthusiastic garden experiments and explorations in Aotearoa New Zealand. More →
QUESTION from a Garden.Geek.NZ reader: I wonder if you have any suggestions for ripening windfall tamarillos? We had some extremely strong winds recently here in New Plymouth NZ and so many of our fruit fell to the ground and are still very green. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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In which we explore the wonderful new film “Queen of the Sun” and the honeybee queen’s dramatic nuptials, partnering with microbes for better health, and the latest happenings in the Seagarden.
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Initially I didn’t have high expectations for Tomatillo Grande Verde, since I associated tomatillos with Mexican food, and therefore a sunny, warm climate. But the tomatillo’s been surprising in so many ways, proving itself hardier than all the tomatoes I planted this year and even thriving in the challenging Seagarden environment.
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Behold, today’s bountiful harvest! Featuring cavolo nero, meyer lemon, parsley, roma tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, hungarian wax pepper, mint and oregano. See how it transforms into a delicious lentil-based salad with a recipe inspired by Madhur Jaffrey.
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Hard to believe it was just one year ago the Seagarden orchard was planted. Especially the magical bean-stalkish tamarillo trees. Almost everything made it through the first year on our extreme coast and quite a few have thrived. Here’s what’s notable in the garden this week, starting with the first ripe tomato.
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Growing up far from any ocean, I don’t remember coming across live bivalves, and although I’ve always loved eating them, I was intimidated to cook them for a long time. Turns out there’s nothing simpler…
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Delighted to see the first tamarillos emerging like jewels from these fast-growing trees. The leaves have been attracting aphids, but they seem responsive to strong sprays of water shooting them off.
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This week, I am so excited to welcome an infusion of exotic plants: inga bean, chocolate gardenia, vanilla passionfruit, Chinese ginger, galangal and a dwarf date palm.
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Summer has truly come alive. The first tomatoes, brandywine, are plumping up on the vine, and everything’s growing in full and lush.
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Sunday, the universe sent me one strawberry valentine. By Monday, five glorious fragaria glowed red and ripe. Now they’re ripening fast and furiously. But I am not the only creature loving this sweet heart of a fruit… Enter, the land snail. Enter many snails…
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Vivid tales of mummified aphids are but a part of this inspiring talk on plant protection using insects. A real horror story: 90% of fruits and vegetables in NZ have pesticide residues. This method of natural pest control could be a part of NZ’s strategy to reduce pesticide residues in our produce and soil.
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September 1 is the first day of Spring in New Zealand. That’s still hard to wrap my Northern hemisphere-raised head around, but the garden’s been sending signs for a couple of weeks that it’s so. Here are some of the clues…
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Growing cavolo nero, kale, or savoy cabbage? Got olive oil, salt and an oven? You have everything you need for an addictively delicious, nutritious crispy snack.
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The mystery plant I’d been flashing around images is Karo, Pittosporum crassifolium. Here are links to active plant ID forums to help figure out future mystery plants.
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