Panzanella or Italian Bread Salad

One of my favorite recipes for end of summer tomatoes is Panzanella. It is so simple yet so good; the key is using only the highest quality ingredients. This is a dish that is both rustic and elegant, healthy yet a solid comfort food.

Ingredients:

4-5 large heirloom tomatoes (cubed) or 1-2 pounds of cherry tomatoes (halved)

One cucumber, seeds removed and sliced thin

One red or sweet onion, sliced thin

Fresh basil, cut in thin strips

Loaf of thick, rustic, crusty bread, slightly stale (cubed into crouton sized bites)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil – I reduce to 1/8 of cup to reduce calories

1/4 cup red wine vinegar – I reduce to 1/8 of cup to reduce calories

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop all vegetables using the above directions and place in large bowl (preferably one that can be sealed). Liberally salt and pepper the contents to taste. Remember – the salt brings out the flavor of the tomatoes! Add the oil and vinegars and lightly toss to mix. (I fill a quarter cup halfway with olive oil and the rest of the way with red wine vinegar. Do add the whole tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.)

I normally wait until a couple minutes prior to serving to add the rustic bread. It is supposed to be soggy with oil and vinegar, the key is to not let it get too soggy. Use slightly stale, thick rustic bread made from hardier wheat flour. This will hold up better than a soft, white flour baguette.  For a slightly crunchier texture, bread can be toasted in a toaster or under the broiler in the oven. Chop the bread in larger-sized croutons and toss salad again, making sure the oil and vinegars are evenly deposited on the bread. Salad will keep for up to three days – if it lasts that long!

Panzanella sans the bread

KNARLY SAGETORUS

Have you ever had a plant in your garden that your wife hates and won’t die?  I have one of those in my garden.  Here is what it looks like.

 

Sweet Tomato hates it and has hinted strongly on multiple occasions that she would like to see that ugly excuse for a plant taken out and relegated to kindling.  A strong hint in our house is just above an eye roll, but not as bad as the ‘glare’.  If a ‘glare’ is held long enough it can burn a whole clean through you.   My take on the Knarly Sagetorus is that it is kind of like a really old pair of boots or an old t-shirt.  Each of them has been around a long time, they are useful, and I am comfortable with them.  Sweet Tomato doesn’t like my old boots or t-shirts either.

You are probably wondering at this point why I refer to this plant as a Knarly Sagetorus.  I came across this old book at a garage sale many years ago.  It did not have a publishing date, but it looked older than me, and that is old.  It was something of a cross between a farmer’s almanac and a book of folk tales.  It even had a very strange story about a briar patch, a rabbit and a tar baby.  I don’t think the story would be much appreciated today, but I found it hilarious.  Also in this book was a description of the Knarly Sagetorus accompanied by a water color painting of the plant.  While the artist had attempted to depict the plant truthfully, it was still ugly as a three tooth witch after falling off her broom.  I never thought much of it until the sage plant I have in my garden had reached an age of somewhere north of a score of years.  That was when I went looking for that old book again to check the description and painting against the sage in my garden.  Sure enough, the painting and description matched my sage to a T. 

 

At the bottom of the page was a written description of the Knarly Sagetorus  and what looked like a warning or a curse if you believe in such things.  It went like this:

KNARLY SAGETORUS

Rare specimen of the sage family of the genus Salvia L. of the species Salvia knarly, no variety or sub species.  Not indigenous to any particular region, but able to survive long cold winters and hot dry summers.  Identified by its signature ‘knarly’ trunk and bark.  Also known and identified by extreme age and ugliness.  Legend says that anyone cutting down a Knarly Sagetorus will be inflicted with toenail fungus until the end of their days.

I have been able to find references to the Knarly Sagetorus in the famous online resource Zippipedia, but they referred to it as ‘Gnarly Sagetorus’ and there was no mention of the legend about cutting it down.  I am not an unusually superstitious person, but ugly as it is and even if it is disliked by Sweet Tomato, I intend to leave it alone.

Outdoor living continues to increase in popularity

Remodeling magazine reports that an increasing number of homeowners want to break down the barriers to their backyard just as much as they want to tear down walls to create open interiors inside. One San Diego designer told the magazine that his clients have always been interested in outdoor living, but now many of them want an outdoor space that is seamlessly integrated and looks like it was part of the original house.

Homeowners should consider the impact that outdoor
 features will have on interiors.

 

Provide support for top-heavy flowering plants

Blooms on late-summer flowering plants can become top heavy and their stems may not be able to support them. Dahlias, sedums, cannas and rudbeckia are just a few of the plants whose flowers may flop over. Michigan State University Extension suggests using inexpensive supports such as plant stakes and garden fencing to help eliminate floppy flowers.

Most annuals and perennials will stand up on their own. Over fertilization or lower light levels can cause plant stems to stretch. Plants that have been pinched regularly don't usually need staking because of increased branching.

Individual stems or top-heavy flowers can be supported with
a single stake and twine.
Photo by Rebecca Finneran, Michigan State University Extension  

 

Suntory Combo Designer app is free

If you aren't familiar with Suntory Flowers' Virtual Combo Designer website, now you can access this site by downloading a free app. Available for iPads and Android tablets, go to the Apple or Google Play online stores and search for Combo Designer from Suntory Flowers. The app can be used to design mixed container plantings with Suntory varieties.

 

 



 

Add color to your late summer garden with containers

If your flower beds are starting to look a little past their prime, now is a good time to add some fresh color to your garden. Horticulturalist Neil Sperry said container gardens are a great way to spruce up landscapes during late summer. He said most garden centers have large plants available that  make an immediate impact wherever they are placed, including around the pool, patio, deck and front porch.

In addition to the plants, Sperry said any type of container will do. Its only must-have is a drain hole to ensure that mineral salts are leached from the potting soil. He advises gardeners to use the best possible potting soil. He said many of the commercially available soils are too heavy and don’t drain well. A lightweight potting soil is best. A suitable potting mix should contain as much as 50-60% sphagnum peat, 20% finely ground pine bark mulch, 10% or 20% horticultural perlite and maybe 10% expanded shale.

Sperry also recommends applying a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer at every second or third watering.

Container gardens are a great way to
spruce up landscapes during late summer.

  

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

 

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-leIt starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third time yoIt starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third It starts with a pot (or 15 or 20). Any type of container will do, whether it’s terra cotta, concrete, plastic, wood, fiberglass or metal (or anything else I might have forgotten). The only must-have is a drain hole. You simply can’t garden without one. Oh, sure, you can avoid overwatering if you’re careful. But you won’t be able to avoid the accumulations of mineral salts that will inevitably build up if you can’t flood water through the soil and leach out the excesses. So start with the drain hole and choose your favorite pot around it. If you’re planning a grouping of container plants, set the empty pots alongside each other to be sure they’re well matched.Use the best possible potting soil. Most of the commercially bagged soils I see are too heavy. They don’t drain well, and plants end up struggling to survive. Take a lesson from professional greenhouse growers and nurserymen. Use a lightweight potting soil that’s as much as 50 or 60 percent sphagnum peat, 20 percent finely ground pine bark mulch, 10 or 20 percent horticultural perlite and maybe 10 percent expanded shale.And the final hard good that you’ll buy will be plant food. Again leaning on the experience of the pros, go with a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want ta water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every secona water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer. You’ll want to apply it every second or third time you water.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

d or third time you water.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

every second or third time you water.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

o apply it every second or third time you water.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

time you water.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/23/5101124/the-garden-guru-let-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

u water.

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t-it-all-go.html#storylink=cpy

Transitioning through the Season

This spring/summer growing season has been a mixed bag of victories and defeats. On one hand, I was able to successfully set up and grow a potager garden. (Many thanks to Hubby’s help!) This style of bed allowed me to diversify my crop yield. I was able to get a decent yield of long Japanese eggplant, cucumbers, green beans, beets, sunflowers, five different varieties of peppers, and some very prolific San Marzano sauce tomatoes. My basil suffered however, with a strange brown fungus appearing on the underside of the leaves. I believe I accidently bought diseased plants from the nursery and subsequently spread the disease by placing the plants too close together in the garden beds. Once I realized the problem, I completed a mercy killing of the plants and started fresh with a new set of seedlings from a different nursery.

The potager in transition

Spacing was a big issue this season for the tomatoes. Since I planted them closer together this year, they were more susceptible to each other’s ailments. My squashes spread powdery mildew to the closest set of tomatoes and then the wind and close proximity carried it to the rest. I have to seriously rethink my squash placement next year, or simply not plant it any more. I am too close to the coast for the weather to be hot enough to eliminate mildew on squash.  I have also been experiencing diminished soil fertility. While my San Marzanos were prolific in one part of the potager, my other tomatoes failed to thrive. Blossom drop has been a huge problem. Heavy amending of the soil is in order with focus on introducing lots of natural calcium. I may need to let some beds take a break from tomatoes next year in order to build up the soil, planting nutrient rich cover crops instead.

I am transitioning the garden over to cooler weather crops. If my seedlings are any indication, I just might be successful with a fall garden this year. The kale and Swiss chard have already been planted and the broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, cabbage, and collards have been started from seed. So far, so good.

Swiss chard 

Kale seedlings in foreground, mature kale in background

My saving grace for the tomato season has been my unruly wild patch of cherry tomatoes. It spring up every year next to my tangerine tree. We used to have our compost heap here, so the soil is very fertile and all the seeds tossed out with the compost the year before have now blossomed into the hardy cherry tomatoes. They do not have the complexity and deep flavor of my heirlooms, but they are sweet and bright and beloved by my co-workers and their children. (I am not a stranger with candy; I’m a stranger with vegetables!) They make wonderful salsa and are the perfect fruit for my favorite salad, panzanella (recipe forthcoming). I need to stop being such a tomato snob. Sometimes the garden gives you awesome heirlooms, sometimes it gives you sweet cherries. Appreciate the fact you got something worth eating from the fruits of your labors. Even with hard work and diligence, the home gardener can end up with zilch. It makes every bounty, expected or not expected, big or small, a blessing from the earth.

The prolific yet neglected cherry tomato patch

The second string heirlooms have been besieged by gophers and plagued by blossom drop.

Guide makes it easy to plan, plant rain gardens

When rainwater flows over hardened, impervious, surfaces like sidewalks, rooftops and parking lots, it collects oils, soaps, fertilizers and other pollutants on its way to sewer systems. Contaminated rainwater can flow directly into waterways. Michigan State University Extension said strategically placed rain gardens can help contain rainwater before it gets into waterways.

The new "Step-by-Step Guide to Planning and Planting Rain Gardens in Detroit" is a great resource for people who want to install rain gardens not only in Detroit, but in other locations where residents want to prevent water pollution in local waterways.

"Step-by-Step Guide to Planning and Planting Rain Gardens in Detroit"
breaks down the process of planning and planting a rain garden into
eight easy steps, including the use of native plants.

 

Time to straighten up the garden beds

Horticulturist Neil Sperry suggests now is a good time to do a little urban renewal around your flower beds.
* Discard annuals that are past their prime. Trim back those annuals that can be salvaged, and apply a liquid high-nitrogen plant food to promote a burst of new growth.
* Deadhead annuals and perennials to remove dead flowers and seed stalks.
* Remove weeds.
* Apply a new layer of mulch. This makes beds look fresh, helps to conserve water and slows germination of competing weeds.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/10/5066799/neil-sperry-renew-your-yard-for.html#storylink=cpy

Adding a new layer of mulch to flower beds can freshen up their
look, helps to conserve water and deters weed seed germination.
Photo courtesy of  Colorado State University 

 

Still got the "itch" to garden? Scratch it with fall edibles.

While spring may be the best season to plant some edibles, National Garden Bureau reports others are best planted during the summer for fall harvest. Crops, like cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and peas, prefer the growing conditions that late summer and early fall offer and they are actually more flavorful when grown cooler. Some can even add a touch of color to waning flower gardens.


Cool season crops like lettuce can be planted now for harvest in
the fall. Cultivars like 'Relic' also add a much-needed touch of
color to the garden.
Photo courtesy of National Garden Bureau   

  

Consider these landscaping techniques to help improve water quality

Michigan State University Extension is advising homeowners that they can improve water quality by preventing erosion, reducing flooding, saving water and providing habitat through simple landscape features designed to collect and treat run-off. Landscaping techniques, collectively known as Low Impact Development, utilize vegetation, soil and other landscape features to collect and absorb rainwater, and allow it to be naturally filtered on-site back into the ground. These management techniques can help prevent runoff of storm water into drains and ditches.

"Landscaping for Water Quality: Garden Designs for Homeowners" is a full-color resource guide that can help homeowners improve water quality by preventing erosion, reducing flooding, saving water and providing habitat for wildlife. The guide includes tips on garden planning and designing.

"Landscaping for Water Quality:
 Garden Designs for Homeowners"
is a resource guide for homeowners
looking to help improve water quality.  

  

Voting for American Garden Award ends Aug. 31

You have until Aug. 31, 2013, to vote for the American Garden Award program. There are four plant entries in this year's competition:

* Impatiens 'SunPatiens Compact Electric Orange' bred by Sakata Ornamentals

* Petunia 'Surfinia Summer Double Pink' bred by Suntory Flowers Ltd.
* Verbena 'Lanai Candy Cane' bred by Syngenta Flowers
* Zinnia 'Zahara Cherry' bred by PanAmerican Seed

If you want to participate in the program you can vote for your favorite plant in one of three ways:

1. Visit a participating garden and text your vote using the special voting codes found on the signs in the garden.
2. Go to the American Garden Award website and click on your favorite flower.
3. Use the pre-paid postcard ballots found at the participating gardens.

Voting results can be followed on Facebook or Twitter. Encourage friends, family and business associates to get involved in the program by casting their votes too.

Voting for this year's American
Garden Award program ends on
Aug. 31.