The Summer's Biggest Hits



"Big Rainbow"

This year I want to make a better effort to save the seeds for the successful varieties I want to grow again next year.  It’s also the time of year that the summer failures transform into lessons learned and next year’s compost. 

Two of the heirloom tomatoes that I grew this year are on my list for seed saving: The “Riesentraube” and “Big Rainbow.”

The Reisentraube, which came from Hook Mountain Growers,  is a large red cherry, with a tiny point at the bottom.    Hard to explain exactly why, but it doesn’t taste like a cherry tomato at all  - more like a beefsteak.   It was super prolific and is still producing!

I love the surprise of cutting into these gorgeous “Big Rainbow” tomatoes. 

It can be hard to tell when they’re ripe, because they’re often green on top and throughout.  When the bottoms are red, they’re usually ripe, and you can also tell by touch.   They’re sometimes called “tie dye” tomatoes.

This was my favorite summer squash this year -  Costata Romanesco, a seedling given to me by a generous soul in our community plot.  It was mild and milky inside and looked beautiful when sliced.

I grew “Rattail” radishes for the first time this year. 

This is a variety that was grown mainly for it’s pods, which have a radishy flavor and bite, and are fun to add to salads - I pickled some of them! The flowers were sweet - a beautiful color and attracted attention of bees and other admirers.

The “Bright Lights” swiss chard did really well until August when it got buggy.  I blanched and froze a couple of pounds of it for winter.

The nice thing about "Purple Ruffles" basil is that it didn’t bolt and flower like the Genovese- at least not yet! 

Pineapple Mint went a bit crazy in the community garden plot.  I cut it back many times.   The flavor is perfect in iced tea and lemonade.  Love the look of it in bouquets too.

In my backyard I got my first concord grape harvest – maybe a little over a pound of them from this 5-year old vine that has endured many abuses and relocations.  I do hope that it’s finally found a home. 

My little fig tree on the deck gave me about 30 figs.  I have another one growing on the side of the house with lots of foliage but very few figs – they’re still ripening. 

My new favorite weed is Wild Quinine.  It’s blooming everywhere now and I’ve decided to cultivate it in my flower patch because it's one of the few wildflowers that hasn't been chomped on.  The flowers are delicate with little spikes and it smells wonderful.  Lots of medicinal uses.

A sunny third plot graciously provided by a friend with extra space enabled me to grow some cantaloupe, watermelons and squash – things I would never have had space for in the community garden. (They surely wouldn’t have produced in my shady backyard.)  I also planted zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers there.  The “Sugar Baby” watermelon was most successful.

The vines seemed to be resistant to the squash bugs, too.   Butternut squash also did very well there.  One of our traditional Thanksgiving dishes is a Butternut Squash Risotto.  It's curing now and I’ll be prepping and freezing it for the November feast.

What plants did best in your garden this year?

The Wildflower Queen

photo by Dennis Fagen

When Ladybird Johnson was a little girl, she used to comb the meadows and fields for the first bloom of the season and crown it “The Queen.” Many years later, as First Lady, she remembered how wildflowers and native plants had entertained and consoled her as a child, and made it her personal mission to ensure that future generations would appreciate them too. Along with our local heroine Helen Hayes, she founded the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center just outside of Austin, TX, and helped get laws passed to beautify US roadsides. The center is part of the University of Texas and is a research center and as well as a public garden.  I was able to make a short visit there while I was visiting Austin last week.

Lupinus texensis

I was informed that it hasn’t been a great year for the Texas Bluebonnet, the state flower that's shown above in the photo of Ladybird.  I was a little too late to catch them in full bloom, but managed to find a lone little bloom under a shady tree here. There are few flowers that are truly blue—many considered “blue” are actually shades of periwinkle, violet or indigo.



I saw a huge variety of plants there, but decided to highlight only my very favorites, and a few that I saw most frequently while we were in Austin. Below is "Indian Blanket."

Gaillardia pulchella

"Mexican Hats" were also common in New Mexico when we were there last summer.

Ratibida columnifera



Leucophyllum frutescens

Similar hues were found on this captivating Pink Mimosa.

The foliage of this cenizo was absolutely pristine --  I loved the look of the purple flowers against the powdery green leaves.

Mimosa borealis



Salvia farinacea





Datura wrightii (a.k.a. "Jimsonweed")


Although the blooms are pink, this flower is known as "White Gaura"

Guara lindhelmeri

Red Yucca was in bloom all over Austin, often in large potted arrangements.

Hesperaloe parviflora



An orange spider wasp enjoying some yarrow.

(From "Whats That Bug.com": This magnificent Spider Wasp is a Tarantula Hawk, a member of several genera that hunt Tarantulas to feed to their young.  The female Tarantula locates a Tarantula and stings it which paralyzes the Tarantula, but does not kill it.  The female Tarantula Hawk then buries the spider after laying an egg.  The larva of the wasp then feeds on the living but paralyzed Tarantula which ensures the meat is fresh.  The vital organs are eaten last.  The sting of a Tarantula Hawk is reported to be quite painful.  Only the female stings.  These large distinctive wasps, generally with black bodies and red wings, are frequently seen taking nectar from flowers including milkweed.  You can find more information about Tarantula Hawks on BugGuide.)

Achillea millefolium


One of the highlights of the center is the theme gardens in this gorgeous courtyard. 



"Sotol" was the focal point of this succulent/cactus garden.  Other themes included medicinal, woodland, and flowering plants.

Dasyilirion texanum

Totally charming little clematis near the front archways.

Clematis pitcheri

One of the staff showed me how the bees get the nectar from the honeysuckle. They’re too fat to fit into the flower opening, so they bite through the base of the flower.

Inside the “Little House” there were activities for children, and a fascinating display of photos from Ladybird’s life.

To learn more about Ladybird Johnson, find this beautifully illustrated book, Miss Ladybird's Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appet, illustrated by Joy Fischer Hein.

What wildflowers are blooming near you right now?



Ten Things I Learned from Dr. Susan Petro

If you ever have an opportunity to take a class or go on a "Botanical Walk" at Ramapo College with Dr. Susan Petro, don't even think about refusing. It can't exactly be called a nature walk because it was so much more -- history, literature, entomology, and ecology all had their moment.   There was even a culinary component. These are just a few highlights.

Our walk began with the Linden Tree in the parking lot.

1) Linden Trees (Tilia) are insect pollinated, so they can bloom AFTER the leaves appear.  Wind pollinated plants bloom before the leaves appear, because the leaves inhibit the flow of pollen. Tea, honey and scented oils are made from linden blossoms.  Our guide brought us sample of linden tea (which she served with some yummy homemade lemon madeleines!)

2) When White Clover (Trifolium repens) has been pollinated, the lower petals fold down.  That sends a message to pollinators not to bother with this one.

3) MADCAP HORSE is an acronym that helps you remember which trees and shrubs have opposite leaves so that you can identify them.
M  = Maple
A  = Ash
D = Dogwood
CAP = Caprifoliaceae - viburnums and honeysuckles
HORSE = Horse Chestnut

4) Spruce (picia) v. Fir (abies)- One way to identify conifers is to pull off a needle.  If it is a single needle (rather than several in a package) it is most likely a spruce or fir.  A spruce needle has 4 sides- "S" is for "Square" and "Spruce."  A fir needle is flat.  "F" is for "Flat" and "Fir."  You'll be able to tell the shape by rolling the needle between two fingers.

5) One legend says that Queen Anne's Lace (daucus carota) is so named because Queen Anne, a champion lacemaker from Denmark, challenged her ladies in waiting to a contest to see who could make the prettiest lace, and Queen Anne, being the queen, won. 

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, has washed her lace
(She chose a summer's day)
And hung it in a grassy place
To whiten, if it may.

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, has left it there,
And slept the dewy night;
Then waked, to find the sunshine fair,
And all the meadows white.

Queen Anne, Queen Anne, is dead and gone
(She died a summer's day),
But left her lace to whiten in
Each weed-entangled way!

By Mary Leslie Newton

6) Sassafras- (sassafras albidum) has 3 different leaves: One that looks like a mitten, one with three lobes, and one a simple oval.  The root was used to flavor root beer until it was discovered that the distilled oil causes cancer, and it was banned by the FDA.

7) Lichen

"Algae, you're a fungi, I think I've taken a lichen to you...."  Lichen are both algae and fungi living together.  Lichen are harmless to trees and very sensitive to air pollution.

8) St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) produces an oil that, when consumed by cattle, makes them photosensitive.  When the plant overtook some California farmland, the cattle started getting terrible sunburns, and a special beetle had to be introduced to get it under control. 

9) Which Maple (acer) is this?  Squeeze the tip of the leaf twig. If a white milky extract comes out, it's a Norway Maple.  If none, it could be a Red or Sugar Maple.  Red Maples have teeth along the edge.  Sugar Maples do not.  The shape of a Red Maples is like a cat in a ski cap. 

10) Milkweed (asclepias) have a little slit on the side that can trap a pollenator and force him to carry hunks of pollen out with her when she leaves.

Well, that's 10, but I love this flower called "butter and eggs" (linaria vulgaris) or toadflax so much! the center has a darker yellow "runway" to alert insects to where the pollen is.  This flower is also known as a "baby snapdragon" and yes, they have a little jaw that opens and closes with a gentle pinch.  I just had to show you a picture of it.

Dr. Petro's talk stressed the importance of planting native species when given a choice, and the role of native plants in our ecosystem.  It will be very hard to walk through the woods, or even my backyard now without recalling these valuable lessons, and feeling grateful to have had this opportunity.

Milkweed and Monarchs

Do you have one plant that almost didn't make it? That had a tough start, a near-death experience or serious injury? A plant that you started from seed and thought might never bloom? This year it was my milkweed. It took a long time to germinate. Then half of the seeds died in my closet under a flourescent light, so I tried again in the school greenhouse. They were tiny, tiny, tiny for so long. You can barely see them in this photo in the lower left foreground.

I'm glad I persevered.

This variety is Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and it's an annual. I'm hoping I'll be able to save some seeds and try it again next year, but am looking for some native varieties too. There are over 100 varieties of milkweed that grow in the US. Common milkweed is Asclepias syriaca.

Why grow milkweed? Milkweed is the only plant where a Monarch butterfly will lay her eggs. When they hatch, the caterpillar's favorite food (milkweed leaves) is there in abundance --

(the above photo is courtesy of New York City Parks.)

Turns out milkweed is the only plant that wee Monarch caterpillars can eat.

Milkweed also produces a nectar that butterflies love and a when the pods open, an abundance of seeds, each with it's own silky little parachute that carries it away.

Long ago naturalists discovered that birds would sicken, vomit and even die after eating certain butterflies. The reason the birds got sick is because they were eating Monarchs that were loaded with a cardenolides (cardiac-active steroids) that were still concentrated in their bodies from eating milkweed when they were caterpillars. So the milkweed's even keeping them from getting eaten themselves!

Milkweed is used medicinally to treat bowel and kidney disorders and hemp from it's stems can be twisted into spring or rope.

Sadly, Monarchs are having a tough time finding milkweed. As land is developed in Mexico where they overwinter, and strange weather patterns increase, native milkweed habitats are disappearing. So plant some milkweed, whydontcha? Read more about the milkweed growing campaign and get seeds here.

Highlights of Fort DeSoto Park

Fort DeSoto was built in 1898 in St. Petersburg, Florida, for use during the Spanish-American War. The beach there is always rated among the best in the country and they have a beautiful campground, where we spent the second week of our vacation in a (thank god!) air-conditioned trailer. We had a Winnebago when I was growing up, and just about every vacation I remember taking as a child was a camping trip, but this was our first time camping with our kids. Our site was on a beautiful waterfront lagoon.

Poor Betsy was constantly tormented by the superbold squirrels.


Fort DeSoto Park is full of migratory birds. It wasn't unusual to come across sites like this during a stroll to the restroom or laundry. Those below are Eudocimus albus, or American White Ibis. Documented bird sightings have been recorded here for over 60 years and 328 species have been sighted as of last year, with new species being added every year. If you're a bird watcher, the best time to go is during spring migration - early April through mid-May.

A great Blue Heron. (Ardea herodias)

There are lots of nature trails, with common plant species identified.

You can fish from the piers and explore the forts.

There's a ferry that goes from mainland to Egmont Key, where there's a lighthouse and more forts to explore.


Here we are getting ready to go snorkeling at some sunken ruins not far from there.





Captain Jeff and Stephanie were our hosts on the ferry. They helped us with everything we needed. E. even got to drive the boat.



We saw some dolphin trying to mooch some fish from a fisherwoman on this pier.

Egmont Key has some of the best shelling in the area.

Both dog and kids had fun at the dog beach a.k.a "Paw Playground." Sand dollars and sea urchins were everywhere.

Around the campground, different varities of hibiscus were planted, and most were in bloom at the time of our visit.

(Hibiscus schizopetalus)

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Maybe it's all the mosquito bites, but I'm itching to get back into my garden at home.

Fort DeSoto Park

3500 Pinellas Bayway S.

Tierra Verde, FL 33715

Park Office- 727-893-9185

Campground Office- 727-893-9185