Growing A Greener World Experts Share "Must-Have" Plants

As more Americans embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle these days, the timing couldn’t be better for a new PBS television series called Growing a Greener World, distributed by American Public Television.

Growing a Greener World combines traditional gardening knowledge with a strong focus on sustainability – and provides plenty of cooking and preserving tips for your garden harvests. Each episode tells the story of people making a difference in our world today.

These inspiring stories have ranged from ...  Pittsburgh’s Phipps Conservatory (called “America’s Greenest Public Garden”) to the Edible Schoolyard Project, spearheaded by local-foods advocate Alice Waters at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California.

Must-Have Plants: After traveling around the country and touring these fantastic gardens, what "must-have" plants do the hosts and producers of this national television series recommend? Their answers might surprise you.

Executive Producer and Host - Joe Lamp’l: As one of America’s most recognized names in gardening and sustainability, Joe shares his knowledge on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America and PBS’ Victory Garden. When he’s not running The joe gardener® Company, Joe writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column, books, podcasts and more. He also hosts the Fresh from the Garden series on DIY Network and GardenSMART on PBS. On Twitter: @JoeGardener.

So, when Joe says a plant is worth buying… you listen. One of his favorites is the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), which he uses around his zone 7 garden, especially when he wants to create focal points.

“Yes, Japanese maple is ubiquitous, but there’s a reason why,” explains Joe. “What other tree does so well with neglect? They’re as happy in containers as they are in the ground. They come in many different varieties and sizes now, with a rainbow of foliage colors. And I love them just as much in winter when they are pruned to give an open airy look.”

To see what Joe means, check out the stunning Japanese maple at the top of this blog post.

The native oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), shown above, is another of Joe’s favorites. Along with the stunning fall foliage, Joe likes the beautiful long panicles of flowers that turn from white to pink, and last from summer well into winter, as the handsome bark is exposed.

“What more could you ask from this four-season performer?” asks Joe. “This is a tough performer that responds well to pruning, has exquisite fall color, grows happily in sun or shade, and looks wonderful in a woodland setting. There are also compact varieties that are perfect for any garden.”

Hellebore or lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis) is another plant Joe couldn’t live without – and he encourages folks to forget everything they’ve heard about hellebores being fussy or hard to grow.

“This deer resistant plant thrives on neglect, puts on a show in the shade, blooms in winter, and rewards you with lots of seedlings every year,” says Joe. “Hellebore reseeds prolifically in a myriad of color combinations and their evergreen foliage is a welcome sight in the dead of winter. This is a plant you’ll be happy to pass along to your gardening friends.”

Co-host - Patti Moreno: Also known as “The Garden Girl,” this well-known writer and TV host is an expert in sustainable living for urban environments. She is a contributing editor to Fine Gardening’s GROW magazine, columnist for Organic Gardening Magazine, contributor to Farmer’s Almanac, and host of the PBS series Farmer’s Almanac TV. On Twitter: @pattimoreno  On Web: www.gardengirltv.com/  

Over the years, Patti has tried hundreds of plants in her zone 6b garden, but she especially loves nasturtium (Tropaeolum minor). “I start them from seed where I want them to grow each spring, “she says. “I never run out of places to sow them. Their edible flowers come in many different varieties, and have a mild peppery flavor. They brighten up salads or fresh-from-the-garden side dishes. Plus, the leaves are edible as well.”

Another plant she loves is sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas), which she simply must buy each year. “They mainly come in two colors, a beautiful florescent green and a deep purple,” explains Patti. “Although they may not look like much when first planted, they are truly amazing once they get going and start trailing around in interesting ways.”

Associate Producer - Theresa Loe: Based outside of Los Angeles, Theresa is all about living local, organic and sustainable. This book author and garden writer is an expert in educational school gardens and urban homesteading. She’s also a canning and preserving expert.  On Twitter: @TheresaLoe On Web: www.gardenfreshliving.com/

Theresa’s charming cottage garden is zone 10, allowing her to grow many different edibles and cut flowers together. One favorite she likes to grow in containers and hanging baskets is the tender perennial called kent beauty oregano (Origanum rotundifolium 'Kent Beauty'). The plant really lives up to its name, according to this gardening pro.

“Kent beauty oregano is a real charmer,” says Theresa. “The leaves are heart-shaped with strong architectural veins running throughout. It has bracts that combine creamy white with a lovely chartreuse at the base. The flowers make spectacular flower arrangements and the bracts even hold their color well when dried.”

She’s also crazy about a creeping vine called cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens). “This profuse bloomer is a fast grower,” explains Theresa. “It quickly covers walls or fences with lovely cup-shaped flowers, yet it does NOT damage walls as other vines can do. In my area, it dies back each winter. The flowers first open as a light green and slowly darken to a deep purple in the sun. It is a real show stopper and perfect for any unsightly area.”

Theresa grows many different herbs in her garden, but she is particularly fond of Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citriodora).

“This plant is highly prized in the perfume industry for its essential oil,” explains Theresa. “And you need only brush past the foliage on a warm day to see why. One sprig, tucked into a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers will fill the room with sweet lemon fragrance."

“But I also grow this tender herb for its flavor,” she adds. “On any given summer day, you will find a pitcher of lemon verbena water in my refrigerator. To make your own, simply pick a few 6-inch stems, gently bruise the leaves with your fingers to release the essential oils and drop them into a tall pitcher of ice water. So simple and yet so delicious!”

Learn more about Growing a Greener World:
On Twitter: @GGWTV
On Web: http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/GGWTV

And if Growing a Greener World isn’t showing on your local PBS station, contact them and find out why. These folks have plenty of great gardening and culinary tips you don’t want to miss…

17th Century Recipe for Pickled Cucumbers

Photo by David Salafia on Flickr

With canning and preserving foods such big culinary trends these days, it's easy to forget these skills are actually quite old. Canning is centuries old, and preserving foods dates back to ancient times.

One example is this seventeenth-century recipe for pickled cucumbers. Although I strongly recommend you apply only USDA-recommended standards when you preserve foods ... I bet you'll find it interesting to see the similiarities of ingredients with our pickled cucumbers today.

Photo by Lori_NY of Flickr

To Pickle Cucumbers for Winter-Time

from The Compleat Cook, 1671

"Put [cucumbers] in an earthenware vessel: lay first a lay of salt and Dill, then a lay of Cucumbers, and so till they be all laid. Put in some Mace and whole Peppers, and some Fennel-Seed: then fill it up with Malt or Beer-vinegar: and put a clean board and a stone upon it to keep them within the pickle, and so keep them close covered."

Sounds rather delish, don't you think?

For more about canning and preserving, don't miss Nest in Style's podcast interview with Theresa Loe of Growing a Greener World. You can also enter to win a free copy of the book, Canning and Preserving Your Own Harvest.

More Help: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Meanwhile, how do you like to pickle cucumbers? What else do you like to preserve? Any good recipes? Share your ideas here...

Let Us Celebrate Lettuce!

"Lettuce is like conversation," said the American editor and author Charles Dudley Warner. "It must be fresh and crisp, so sparkling that you scarcely notice the bitter in it."

That pretty much sums up the abundance of lettuce and greens in our garden this year. The unseasonably cool temperatures and wet weather provided ideal growing conditions for these plants. Often the dinner salad fixings were so pretty I'd have to take a picture, which is how I got the one above.

This year, I grew everything from spotted and red romaines to arugula, mustard, tatsoi and kale. Colorful radishes ranged from the striking 'Long Scarlet' to 'Purple Plum' and pastel 'Easter Egg.'

I'll sow seeds for salad greens, wherever I can. Here's a bed where I tossed different seeds together for radicchio, lettuces, kales, mustard greens and more. It's a wild look, which also works well for containers.

Eventually, I let the greens form flowers as the temperatures rise. Then I'll pick the flowers for a vase. So, we can snip off edible, spicy flowers right at the table. And the flowers left in the garden help to self-seed new plants for next year.

Some greens are pretty enough for a prominent position in your ornamental beds. This 'Leonardo' radicchio is a favorite. The leaves add a beautiful, slightly bitter taste to salads. As you can see above, this plant grows nicely next to baby kales and other greens.

Don't have a lot of space? Lots of greens like these butterhead lettuces grow nicely in a small pot. As temperatures rise, move these cool-weather plants into partial shade and water well. Lettuces prefer rich, well-drained soil that has plenty of organic matter.

If I could only pick one green to grow, I'd pick 'Forellenschluss' romaine lettuce ... called "speckled trout" lettuce in English. I sow this Austrian heirloom directly into my raised beds, in neat rows.

This variety handles cool temperatures and heat well. In fact, it's the last salad green to bolt in my gardens. You'll love the way this delicious lettuce holds its shape well with salad dressings, and it's beauty will impress your friends. If you can't find this delightful variety at your local garden center, try Seed Savers Exchange.

Fall Greens: There's still time to plant lettuce for the autumn. Simply, count back from your average first frost date and allow enough time for the lettuce to grow before then. Most varieties take about 30 to 60 days to grow, and you can pick the leaves while they're still small. Some varieties perform well with a little frost, as long as the ground hasn't yet frozen.

With a little effort, you can enjoy all types of greens well into the fall.

Want more information?
Here's lettuce growing tips from Clemson University. Plus, tips for growing radishes. Happy growing.

How to Make Elderflower Fritters

Old-fashioned cordials, medicinal teas and skin-softening cremes are just a few ways the fragrant flowers of elder (Sambucus nigra; Sambucus canadensis) have been used over the centuries. Elderflowers also make delicious fritters, which I've always wanted to try even though I don't typically like fried foods.

So, I did a little research and read recipes from The London Times and Good Food Channel. Here's my adaptation of those recipes, based on ingredients that were available in my kitchen at the time. We ate ours right before the June full moon, lunar eclipse, and can't wait to make another batch.

Elderflower Fritters Ingredients

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 cup organic milk

5 huge heads of elderflower

3 tablespoon of ultrafine baker's sugar

1 tablespoon of Cointreau (optional)

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

Cooking oil

Directions: Pick elderflowers from Sambucus nigra or Sambucus canadensis, which have not been sprayed with pesticides. These flowers came from my backyard tree, which was started from another native tree found an hour from here.

Many recipes recommend you don't wash the flowers, because you'll wash off the pollen that gives the fritters their flavor. So, pick carefully, watch for little critters, shake well and then store in the fridge until you're ready to use. If you can't bear the thought of not washing the flowers, do it gently and then drain in a strainer.

Whisk together ingredients (except the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of sugar) into a bowl. Let batter sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, clip flowers into smaller florets but leave some of the stems.

Fry elderflowers like pancakes, using a spatula. Push flower gently down into the oil until it is golden brown and then flip. Drain cooked flowers on paper towels.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dust tops of the cooked fritters with the cinnamon-sugar. Then sprinkle with some flowers and serve warm with frozen yogurt, fruit or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy the pleasures of summer, and tell yourself you can always visit the gym tomorrow...

More about elder folklore, health benefits and recipes.

Part III - Even More Experts With Must-Have Plants

A suburban garden in New Jersey. An apartment balcony in California. Acreage in northwest Ohio. These gardeners may enjoy the outdoors in different ways, but they all know plenty about plants. Here are their "must-have" plants for this year...

Like gardening blogs? There's a good chance you've read Kylee Baumle's Our Little Acre. Her award-winning blog takes place in a rural northwest Ohio garden. Recently, it was awarded not one, but several 2010 Mouse and Trowel awards.

Somehow this dental hygenist also finds time to write Gardening by the Book and co-write Soil Sisters, as well as write for Cool Springs Press GREEN Program. On Twitter, you can find this busy woman at @OurLittleAcre.

This summer Kylee is thinking about plants "that offer a little out of the ordinary," such as Toad Lily (Tricyrtis sp.) suitable for Zones 5 to 9. Toad Lily 'Miyazaki' is shown above, while Toad Lily 'Tojen' is pictured at the top of this blog post.

These orchid-like flowers bloom in autumn, "when nothing much besides mums and asters are really going to town," says Kylee. "Plus, Toad Lilies come in various colors, and the foliage varies from cultivar to cultivar. Some leaves have spots or stripes. Some are golden in color. And some are traditional green. A particularly nice feature is that they add color to shade gardens and are in the mid-height range."

Her second choice is an edible one ... corn. "Where I live, in northwest Ohio, corn is as common as the dirt it grows in," explains Kylee. "Summer just wouldn't be summer without sweet corn. My favorite variety is the white and yellow bicolor, but I'm a big fan of the pure white, such as 'Silver Queen.' " (Shown above.)

"In August, I make a meal out of just sweet corn," she says with a laugh. "I slather the corn with butter and salt and can eat six ears or more at a time. Most people gain weight over winter, right? For me, it's in August." (Shown above is 'Ruby Queen' corn, which she grew in 2008.)

Gardening in a smaller space? You still have plenty of options. Just ask Fern Richardson, who writes the award-winning blog Life on the Balcony. Also a 2010 Mouse and Trowel award winner, the blog has won praise from Sunset Magazine and others. On Twitter, Fern can be found at @LifeOnTheBlcny.

Some favorite plants Fern likes growing on her California balcony...

The first one is ... Aeonium. "There are so many interesting varieties of Aeoniums, you really can't go wrong," says Fern. "I particularly like the variegated and black varieties like the one in this picture. Their floral-like rosettes provide year-round interest and ask for only the tiniest bit of attention in return."
 

 

"Another favorite is chocolate mint," says Fern. "This plant is nearly indestructible, and yet so tasty! I love using the leaves in teas, and they're also a yummy addition to banana bread."

When she makes banana bread, Fern adds 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried chocolate mint with the dry ingredients.

In the New York Metropolitan Area, award-winning landscape and design consultant Susan Cohan is busy managing Susan Cohan Gardens and serving on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. That is... when she's not writing her thought-provoking blog Miss Rumphius' Rules or tweeting as @SusanCohan on Twitter.

Susan admits it's not easy to choose only a few "must-have" plants. But she did agree to provide "two finalists culled from a long list of favorites." As she explains, "I won't give a plant the thumbs up until I've actually grown it. So even from a landscape designer's perspective, both are absolute winners!"

Her first choice is 'Red Romaine' lettuce. The plant really stood out among the rest when she recently designed and planted a large vegetable garden.

"I chose plants based not only on their cool weather preferences," says Susan. "But also for the beauty of their foliage. Unfortunately, the flats were only labeled as 'Red Romaine'. But this unnamed red romaine was my favorite of all the lettuces. It is a striking plant that added a punch of color to a very formal vegetable garden and would look great mixed with ornamentals as well."

Her second choice is the 'Abalone Pearl' peony, shown above.

"The peony has a single clear salmon pink bloom held upright on fernlike foliage," explains Susan. "I hardly ever buy plants for myself anymore. And I even thought about this when I saw the plant in the nursery. But as I was ready to leave, I started to feel remorse at leaving it there. So I had to buy one."

She hasn't regretted her decision yet.

Hear Susan Cohan discuss landscape design (and design in general) on Nest in Style.

Like this? Don't miss these other stories:
Must-Have Plants
Must-Have Plants (Part II)

Favorite Winter Plants (Maine Containers)
Favorite Winter Plants (Northern Idaho)
Favorite Winter Plants (Canada)
Favorite Winter Plants (North Carolina)
Favorite Winter Plants (Western Washington)

More expert plant suggestions to come soon!

Part II - More Experts Share Must-Have Plants

As we enter into June, the peak growing season is upon us. So, I turned to two more gardening experts for their "must-have" plants for 2010.

Here are the plants they can't live without this year...

In the San Francisco Bay area, Rebecca Sweet knows plenty about plants. The talented landscape designer owns Harmony in the Garden and her creatively inspired garden designs have been featured in Fine Gardening Magazine. She writes a popular blog called Gossip in the Garden and can be found on Twitter as @SweetRebecca.

Rebecca's job takes her around lovely plants each day. But one of her current favorites is Nicotiana mutabilis purchased at Annies Annuals. (The plant is the tall pinkish-purple flower in the above photo; a closeup photo is at the top of this blog post.)

"This plant might look tender and delicate," explains Rebecca. "But mine has been unbelieveably tough, surviving through freezing temperatures. It towers over 8 feet tall with scads of multi-color flowers that bloom for months. Plant one near a window, and you'll have a room filled with the most heavenly scent."

Another plant that has won Rebecca's heart is the Euphorbia 'Blackbird' shown above. "I'm always on the lookout for plants that give my clients the biggest bang for the buck," she explains. "This euphorbia tops my list. It has the darkest, most velvety maroon-colored leaves, and the flowers are a gorgeous complimentary chartreuse green."

This euphorbia is beautiful in a mixed garden bed, as you can see above. But the plant is also a practical choice. "It's deer-resistant, snail proof and drought tolerant," adds Rebecca. "In our Zone 9 climate, this plant is an evergreen. All it needs is a little dead-heading once in awhile. But watch that sap, as it can be a skin irritant."

Hear more gardening tips from this award-winning garden designer on Nest in Style.

Jenny Peterson is the owner of J. Peterson Garden Design in Austin, Texas. On Twitter, she's known for her gardening tweets as @MulchMaven, and her delightful blog was a nominee in the 2010 Mouse & Trowel Awards.

As much as this talented landscape designer loves flowers, she admits her "must-haves" right now simply aren't flowering plants.

Photo by BambooGarden.org 

Jenny has fallen hard for Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr'. "This gorgeous clumping bamboo grows up to 15 feet tall," she says. "But it spreads slowly, so the plant doesn't have the invasive qualities of other bamboos. With the lower-to-medium height, it makes a great screen. Plus, the yellow culms are smaller in diameter, making it easy for homeowners to cut back."

The designer likes the Alphonse Karr bamboo in minimalist contemporary landscapes, as well as blended into Asian and tropical landscapes.

Photo by Northern Territory Government, Australia

Another favorite is Mexican Feather Grass (Nasella tenuissima). "I love this smaller ornamental grass and use it at many of my clients' homes," says Jenny. "It grows to 2 feet high. And the smaller size makes it very versatile in the landscape, while the chartreuse green color and fine texture make this plant a beautiful accent."

This grass will reseed, but Jenny says it's easily controlled. She likes to plant this grass en masse or as an accent to other plants.

See other "must-have" plants for 2010.

Coming soon! More must-have plants for June.

 

Bone Appetit! Pup Cakes for Your Pooch

When our loveable mutt Maggie May celebrated her second birthday, we knew she deserved something special. So, we invited all her favorite pups over for a party in the backyard. But that’s not all. We also ordered a professionally baked pup cake by Chef Joanie Veage, owner of RYouBeingServed.

Over the years, Chef Joanie has cooked for well-known stars like the Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Def Leppard, Guns-n-Roses, Meg Ryan, Ozzy Osbourne, and other celebrities. But her favorite customers now are the four-legged kind, who she thrills with recipes like this one…

Muttballs and Pup Cakes

2 – 3 lbs raw, ground chicken or turkey (preferably antibiotic and hormone free)

4 cups of steamed, organic, sweet brown rice

1 cup grated summer squash or zucchini

1 cup grated broccoli

1 cup grated green beans

1 cup grated carrots

1 giant handful shredded spinach

1 small bunch grated parsley

½ cup grated celery

¼ cup coconut oil (optional)

1 tablespoon granulated, organic garlic powder

Prepare ingredients as suggested above. Joanie uses organic or clean, local vegetables in her cakes.

Using a food processor, finely grate vegetables. In a stand mixer, combine all ingredients. For muttballs, scoop 1 to 2 inch ball directly on a baking pan. For pup cakes, scoop directly into a lightly oiled (not sprayed) cake tin.

Bake in preheated oven, 350 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool.

Store in airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days. Or, place in freezer bags for up to 6 weeks.

Serve as a small sliver. Or, mix a couple tablespoons with their dog food. For dogs not used to eating this type of food, it’s recommended to start with smaller portions.

As you can see below, the party was a big hit with birthday dog Maggie. Just look at that grin. It says it all.