From My Garden to You

Black Eyes Peas - the veggies, not the group ! My Black Eyed Peas have really started to grow like crazy the last week or so. They love the heat here ( unlike us gardeners !) and are really easy to grow. Not only that, they are good for the soil - they fix nitrogen, provide shade for other plants AND you can eat them too ! So...if you would like to know more about them - read on.   Black Eyed Peas growing in my garden - Photo taken June 27th 2017 Black Eyed Peas are also called Cow Peas. They originate from Africa and are grown in many areas around the world. Their name comes from the so-called small black 'eye' where the bean joins to the pod within the shell. Here in the Low Desert, unlike the traditional peas that are planted in the Fall, black-eyed peas are a warm season crop. They do tolerate poor soil much better than most legumes. Planting guides may say plant in March for a crop in early June, however, I have found you...

What’s happening in the garden end of June/beginning of July ? July is a month of hot days and warm nights – how is this any different from June??!! (ha ha) Well, the humidity has increased for a start and fruit production for tomatoes, sweet peppers and summer squash is markedly decreased. My cherry tomatoes are still producing, albeit slowly and the bigger ones have by now either given up the ghost completely or are just ticking along trying to weather the next few months without actually dying ! There is still green growth but it is slow. To be honest, if that is all they are doing, then I am fine with that. All my summer vegetables are mulched with straw to keep the soil and plant roots cool and to try to retain some moisture. You will find that many of your plants - such as squash may be wilting in the afternoon or the hottest parts of the day. If the soil around them is moist, there is no need to water any more. Just wait until it cools down a bit and if the plant p...

Malabar Spinach - A heat tolerant Summer Green ( Basella alba) Yes... there is a summer green you can grow in the Low Desert !!   Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach Malabar Spinach is a heat tolerant summer green. It is not really a spinach but actually a type of semi-succulent vine, but the good thing is it grows really well in our Arizona summer. There are 2 kinds - the more popular red stemmed, as well as a green stemmed variety.   Red Stemmed Malabar Spinach - note how the stems are vining up the sunflower stalk. Cultivation: It is native to Asia, the  plant having thick, succulent heart-shaped leaves and white flowers. The red stemmed cultivar "rubra" has thick reddish purple leaf veins and stems and thus is considered to be more ornamental. As the season progresses the flowers give way to purplish-black berry looking fruit. Once the temperatures reach above 90 degrees F, it really starts to ramp up its growing habit, often growing ...