Sunshine Community Gardens

25 July 2019

www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org

Gardener's Picture page

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Tomato Plant Co-Dependency Release Therapy

By Dr. Garden (a/k/a Charlotte Jernigan)

Client: Doc, I am in love with my Spring tomato plants. They have not fruited in over a month but I can't let go.

Doc: In 80-90% of cases there is no hope for new fruit. Especially for many heirlooms that are not indigenous to very hot climates. Most tomatoes need night temperature well below 70 degrees to set fruit. Did you specifically buy any "heat set" hybrids like Solar Set or Sun Master...or a heat-set heirloom like Brandywine or San Marzano?

Client: No. But the plants are still growing. They are getting huge! They are blooming. More tomatoes must be possible!

Doc: Please face reality. Those plants are just further robbing your soil of nutrients and nitrogen. They will NOT fruit or fruits will be deformed and lack-luster at the most. You have got to let them go...now.

Clip the stem at the soil surface, put down some compost and amendments, cover everything with newspaper or cardboard, and thick mulch, and come back to the spot to plant in the fall.

Client: But can't I prune them back or do the stem bending replant like I saw on YouTube? I can't let go!

Doc: Oh look, our time is up. That will be $450. Come back next week. Your case seems serious.

* To reach the doc to express further anxieties you can email charlotte@cybermesa.com.

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Faces of Sunshine - Inaugural Column

Submitted by Marsha Riti
Featured Gardener: Noelle Letteri
Garden Secretary
Zone: 9

Noelle says: "I grew up in Vermont and we had a huge garden every single summer; we lived off that until probably November because we had a root cellar in the basement of our house. I've gardened on and off since. I've been in Texas but I stared working at Health and Human Services across the street and a co-worker invited me to be his secondary gardener. Then I ran as secretary and I had the opportunity to have a plot on my own, so I did. So that's what I've been doing.

This is my fourth season - it's been a full year since I've been secretary. It's fun, it's a beautiful place, and it's a nice stress reliever during the day and on the weekends.

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Gardeners Moved Leaving Soil Amendments for Sunshine Gardeners' Use

Long time gardeners, Karen and Matt Birkner, have moved to the Netherlands. Before leaving, they brought their collection of organic soil amendments for Sunshine Gardeners' use. The amendments are under the table in the tool shed. Please use what you need and return the rest of the container so that other gardeners can use it. We wish the Birkners much happiness in their new home.

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Swiss Chard Pancakes - Recipe from the Splendid Table

If you are lucky enough to still have swiss chard growing in your garden, consider this recipe which Ila Falvey enjoys.

This makes a lot of pancakes, but they freeze perfectly, so I always make the full recipe. If you think this is going to be too much for you, cut the recipe in half and use 1 egg and 1 yolk.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 shallot, coarsely chopped, rinsed, and patted dry
• 2 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
• Leaves from 10 parsley sprigs
• 10 fresh chives, snipped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 large or 10 small Swiss chard leaves, center ribs removed, washed, and dried
• About 1/2 cup grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and line a plate with paper towels.
2. Put everything except the Swiss chard and oil in a blender or food processor, making sure you season the mix generously with salt and pepper, and whir until the batter is smooth. (If your machine won't handle this quantity, work in batches.) Little by little, add the chard to the mix and whir to incorporate it. There's no need to pulverize the chard - having some strands is nice.
3. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of oil into a large skillet and place the skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot (a drop of batter should seize immediately), spoon in a scant 1/4 cup batter for each pancake - don't crowd the pan: depending on the size of the pan, 4 pancakes is probably max per batch. Cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes, until the underside is nicely browned and the edges are browned and curled. Flip the pancakes over and cook for another 2 minutes or so. Transfer the pancakes to the paper-towel-lined plate, cover with more towels, and pat off the excess oil. Place them on the foil-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you continue to make pancakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Serving:Traditionally, farçous are served with a salad as a main course, but you could serve fewer per portion as a starter or omit the salad and serve them as a side dish. If you want to serve the farçous as an hors d'oeuvre, you might want to include a dipping sauce or topping of crème fraîche, cervelle de canut, or plain yogurt. You might also think about drizzling them with a little basil or parsley coulis- they don't really need the coulis, but it's a good combination.

Storing:You can make the farçous a few hours ahead, keep them covered at room temperature, and reheat them in a conventional oven or microwave before serving. Or you can pack them airtight (make sure to separate them with small squares of wax or parchment paper) and freeze them, then reheat as needed.

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Pepper Photos Project

If interested in joining this project, please contact Charlotte Jernigan, charlotte@cybermesa.com.

A few Sunshine gardeners are adding photos of pepper cultivars to the SCG website. We are using close up photos, preferably with a human hand or another object (like a coin) to give a quick view of the pepper's size without needing to read description. Link:

http://sunshinecommunitygardens.org/cgi-bin/pepper_upload.cgi

Our goal is to have every pepper from the 2019-2020 SCG Plant Sale lists before the March 2020 sale. (Other peppers, not sold at SCG, may also be added.)

There are two ways to participate:

1. Provide close-up photos that you have personally taken. Professional skill not needed, just do your best. Please only upload photos that have already been cropped and corrected.
2. Take on an assigned partial list of peppers and find close-up, copyright free or permitted photos from the internet. Please get your assigned set of peppers from Charlotte.

Photo samples:

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Upcoming Events at Zilker Botanical Garden

May 25th to August 10th - 2019 Woodland Faerie Trail

Explore the abodes of the faeries and gnomes along the Woodland Faerie Trail! Miniature Faerie houses of all sorts are created by families, businesses, clubs and groups around Austin, using whimsical design combined with natural materials to highlight native materials and plants found in Texas. Enjoy them before they're gone!

July 25th - The Garden Club of Austin's Monthly Meeting
"Live Auction & Ice Cream Social" - 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Beat the Heat at The Garden Club of Austin's Annual Garden-Themed Live Auction! Along with the auction, this month the club will be celebrating the beginning of Summer with an Ice Cream Social, where members bring their favorite ice cream toppings to share (while supplies last). Come join us for an evening of light refreshments, in this case ice cream with all the fixings, socializing and trading your gardening tips, and an opportunity to add fresh excitement to your gardenscape, porch or interior at reasonable prices. Auction items include Stag Horn Ferns, Bromeliads, Succulents, Plant Containers, and Garden Art.

For more information, Check out the Garden Club of Austin's website.

For more info, check out our Facebook event.

August 10, 2019 - "Growing Herbs in Texas" Gardening Seminar

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Learn the basics of growing herbs in the Austin area, including soil preparation, watering, growing seasons, when to plant, when to harvest and how to preserve and store your herbs. Master Gardener and past President of the Austin Herb Society, Lucinda Rudin, will provide ideas for growing herbs in a variety of situations, from apartment balconies to raised beds, to incorporating them into your landscape. Together we will get started on a journey to a fascinating group of plants that have been part of mankind's history for thousands of years. There will be an opportunity to visit the beautiful Herb Garden at Zilker at the end of the presentation.

Cost: Free with garden admission

Check out the Travis County Master Gardener's website.

For more info, check out our Facebook event.

August 12, 2019 - Austin Organic Gardener's Monthly Meeting

"Seed Saving" with Jace Furches & Linda Wall - 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Please join the Austin Organic Gardeners' club for our August meeting on Monday, August 12th. The topic will be Seed Saving and we're having a 3 part program starting with Jace Furches from the Austin Central Library discussing their seed library. Next, horticulturist Linda Wall from The Natural Gardener will discuss how to save seeds, and we'll wrap up with a seed swap.

Check out the Austin Organic Gardener's website.

RSVP via Facebook.

September 14, 2019 - "Selection, Planting and Care of Your Trees" Gardening Seminar - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Get ready for tree planting season! There are many types of trees, such as ornamental or fruit trees, understory or large shade trees, deciduous or evergreen trees, that are native to Central Texas and will thrive here. Matching a tree's characteristics and growing requirements with your personal preferences is the first step to successfully adding or replacing trees. Planting the tree in the right season, ideally between October and April here in Central Texas, allows the tree's roots to grow and get established before the heat of the summer is upon us. Trees that will increase the value of your property and bring you enjoyment for many years. Please join Master Gardener Jerry Naiser as he takes you through the steps of selecting, planting and caring for your trees.

Cost: Free with garden admission

Check out the Travis County Master Gardener's website.

For more info, check out our Facebook event.

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