Winter is Prime Time for Starting Alpine Strawberries

When I was a young child, one of my favorite spring activities was gathering wild strawberries.  Tiny red fruit ripened on plants that grew low to the ground and my brother and I would spend hours searching for and plucking berries for my mother's delicious jam.  The fruit was so delicious and tempting, we ate as many as we placed in our small buckets and the task never really seemed like a chore.  When I began to grow Alpine strawberries several years ago, I rediscovered that unique flavor punch that is completely absent from supermarket strawberries, which are usually pretty tasteless and dry.  If you also love real strawberry flavor, include growing Alpines on your New Year's resolution list. 

Alpine strawberries sport beautiful, delicate blossoms

Starting Alpine strawberry plants from seed is relatively easy, but does require patience.  Before placing seeds in a small amount of sterile soil, store them in a freezer for a couple of weeks to trick them into a dormancy period.  The seeds are very tiny and although it is possible to sow them and thin later, I find it easier to take time to place single seeds in individual cells and transplant seedlings when they are about two to three inches in height.  It is necessary to keep the soil moist throughout the germination process and a plastic covering works well to hold in moisture.  Seedlings may take weeks to appear and a daily misting of water is helpful.  There are several varieties of Alpine strawberries, but I like Yellow Wonder and Red Wonder.  I find yellow seeds usually have a higher rate of germination and seedlings appear more quickly than red, but for an interesting combination of color and flavor, I love to grow them in close proximity.  Since birds typically avoid the yellow fruit color, that is a good choice for gardeners who have trouble protecting ripening fruit from hungry birds. 

Alpine strawberries are known by several names, including fraise des bois (berries of the woods)

With no runners, Alpine strawberries are excellent container plants and because they produce better in slightly cool growing conditions, they can be grown indoors.  When the plant blooms, whisk a small, soft brush across each blossom to help pollinate the plant.  Outdoors, pollinators will take care of this job and Alpines grow equally well in containers or raised beds.  Once established, Alpines are perennial plants that should produce fruit in the first season.  With just a few plants, you should have enough ripe strawberries to serve as a nice addition to morning cereals or evening desserts, if you can restrain yourself from just eating them as they ripen, fresh from the plant. 

Grandpup Winnie loves Alpine Strawberries, too!

What's Garden Trendy for 2015? I'll Take a Guess. . .

This is the time of year when we read and hear a lot about what is going to shape our lives for the coming year.  What color should we paint the living room?  According to which paint seller you believe, it is either a shade of coral or green.  Technology buffs tell us drones will be THE techie gadget to have and fashionistas are touting a 1970s influence on women's spring wardrobes.  Just when I thought I might not live long enough to endure the return of fringed jackets and earth-tone pantsuits . . .

Although I do not claim to be an expert garden forecaster, I do think there are a few heirloom plants that may prove to be trendy among North Carolina farmers.  You don't think foods can be trendy?  Perhaps you are not old enough to remember all those tasteless no-fat cookies that lined supermarket shelves in the 1980s and frozen TV dinners that made us 1960s kids feel like we were dining with the Jetsons?  While my crystal ball may be a bit cloudy, I offer the following list of heirloom plants I think will be popular additions to this year's backyard gardens and large produce farms. 

1.  Pink Okra
 In recent years, okra has been a darling of fine dining menus.  I'm not sure why we Southerners always sliced, battered and fried this versatile vegetable, but it is delicious grilled, stuffed and baked or eaten raw, fresh in the field, which I just tried this summer, and loved.  Pink Okra is perfect for those who do not like the "slime" associated with most varieties and although this plant is more hibiscus than true okra, it produces an edible pod with mild okra flavor and beautiful, deep pink blossoms that are delicious.  Shelf life for the flowers is very short, so pluck them from these compact plants and add them to salads for a wow factor.  Seed source:  www.rareseeds.com

Pink Okra is beautiful in both flower and vegetable gardens

2.  Christmas Beans
For bean lovers, this one is a special treat.  Large, creamy white lima-type beans and deep red striping make Christmas beans a beautiful dish and the pot liquor (cooked bean broth) they produce is rich and meaty.  Boasting chestnut flavor, these beans are great to lightly cook, chop and add to stuffings.   I received seeds from a Western NC man whose family heirlooms include Christmas beans, but they may be purchased at www.purcellmountainfarms.com.  Warning:  Christmas beans need a long growing season and lots of trellis to climb.  

Cooked in water, Christmas Beans make a hearty broth

3.  Peppers (Sweet & Hot)
North Carolina is an ideal growing climate for a variety of heirloom peppers and with a burgeoning regional palate that appreciates spicy foods, (think Thai, Indian and Vietnamese dishes) fresh peppers are in demand.  On the hot side, red and yellow Thai peppers, Lemon Drops and Omnicolor are some of my favorites.  Piquillo and Anaheim are two varieties that pack a flavorful punch, especially when roasted, without scalding the tongue.  Prolific producers, a single pepper plant will satisfy the needs of most backyard gardeners and most plants require little growing space.  Seed sources:  www.chilepepperinstitute.org or www.rareseeds.com  or www.sowtrueseed.com

4.  Interesting Eggplants
To produce a variety of interesting flavors and intriguing colors and shapes, it is hard to beat growing eggplants.   Resolve to include some new additions to your garden plan and prepare to wonder why you always grew only large purple eggplants.  One of my favorites is Aubergine Burkina du Faso, a compact fruit that is the perfect individual serving size, although the plants grow taller than most eggplants.  Be sure to take every measure to protect seedlings since every pest loves an eggplant.  Seed source:  www.rareseeds.com

Aubergie Burkina du Faso eggplants range in color from yellow to red

5.  Cream Sausage Tomatoes
Cream Sausage tomatoes are my absolute favorite canning tomato.  Creamy white, the fruit is shaped like a Roma and is a bit mealy and dry when fresh, but cooking these tomatoes releases intense flavor.  Perfect in soups, stews, pies, and salsas, Cream Sausage plants are compact and seldom require more than a small stake to keep them upright.  Caution: Cream Sausage plants appear to wilt and their leaves sometimes have a dusty appearance, but after observing them for several years, I now accept their puny appearance as part of their appeal and the abundant fruit they produce makes up for the plants' drab style.  www.rareseeds.com

A determinate tomato variety, Cream Sausage produces abundant fruit

As with all heirloom plants, select the best fruit or vegetable specimens to save for seed.  After an initial purchase or gift from a gardening friend, heirloom seeds may be saved and planted every year of your gardening life.  And, unlike those 1970s fashions, these trendy foods will be welcome guests at your dinner table. 

The Farm is the Main Thing

Recently, I sat in a hospital waiting room while a family member was in surgery.  Surrounded by others who were equally anxious and hopeful for their own loved ones, I attempted to lose myself in the latest copy of Edible Charlotte.  One of my favorite publications, Edible never fails to deliver intriguing recipes, offer new planting ideas and showcase the best of Charlotte's food scene.

While reading, I overheard the man sitting next to me mention the word "farm."  I kept my eyes on the page, but shamelessly eavesdropped on the conversation between the man and the older woman to his left.  His words made me reflect on the growing emphasis on locally produced food, while inwardly I chuckled at his idealistic vision of the lives of restaurant owners and farmers.  Not that I doubt this man may someday live his dream, but as he talked, I remembered the heartbreak of crops I lost to drought, flood, freeze and blistering heat.  I recalled many chats with farm-to-table chefs and how these talented men and women struggle to maintain that delicate balance of stocking adequate fresh food ingredients for customers who may drop in unannounced, while attempting to provide an enticing menu for those who reserved tables in advance. 

Perhaps it is our hurried, busy lives that make us long for simplicity, a connection to the Earth and a renewed appreciation for the source of our food.  Maybe this man has a need in his life and he believes working with the land will fill that void.  I hope he overcomes the challenges ahead and I hope he realizes his dream.  Maybe someday, I will stumble across a restaurant, surrounded by a pastoral farm, that serves Saturday dinner only and the man's dream will echo in my memory.  I hope he lives his dream and I hope customers will come . . .

Hospital Waiting Room Soliloquy

I really want to farm.  When I retire, I hope to go where God leads me and have a farm.  I will work about 35 hours per week at my regular job and the rest of the time, I will work at the farm.  Gradually, I will only work at the farm.  I will plant vegetables and fruits.  One day, I will have cows and maybe pigs.  And chickens.  After I build the farm, I will open a restaurant.  I will serve food I grow.  Maybe I will do lunch or breakfast sometimes, but I will only open on Saturdays for dinner.  I will only serve two meal choices.  I don't want the restaurant to be too much; I will only do Saturday dinners and people will come from all around to eat.  The restaurant will not take much of my time.  The farm is the main thing.