Rosa Bianca is a joy to behold – lavender/rose with white markings in a round, Rubenesque teardrop shape. This Italian heirloom is particularly creamy and tender. Pick on the small side when about 5″ to 6″ and still brilliantly shiny, before seed formation begins. One of the most widely used vegetables in global cuisines, Eggplant is low in fat and …

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Corncockle is a pretty flower that bobs in the wind on slender stalks. Warning: Probably should not be planted around small children. All parts of the plant are toxic to eat. But then again, so are many other common plants such as daffodils and foxgloves. I still recommend it for Sunnyvale gardens. The Corncockle originated in Europe where it grew …

Bougainvillea . Very popular . You need at least a foot width of soil. I tried growing it in 3 inches but it did not grow well. Sunnyvale’s climate zone (9b) is right on the edge for this tropical plant. You should protect it from freezes. Read more: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/55375/#ixzz3HZrgOo3C

Zinnias bloom in vivid colors from summer until frost, are a snap to grow from seed, and attract birds and butterflies to your Sunnyvale yard. A rainbow of color options. They come in every eye-catching hue except true blue, so you can match them with your favorite perennial or annual flowers, foliage plants, and herbs. A height for every site. …

Red Trumpet vine has lots of pretty red flowers. I am warning you that it is an aggressive climber. You can see an example at the intersection of Matilda and Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road. Another example is on the south side of Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road past Fremont just past the Falefal-stop restaurant. I have a plant growing in a 3-inch wide trench and …

Carpet Roses need no spraying, no staking and just a simple snipping to shape annually. (I recommend feeding them once or twice a season with time release fertilizer so they have the nutritional resources to produce huge volumes of blooms over the entire growing season.) The Carpet Rose is an excellent low maintenance plant for the Sunnyvale garden.

Black-eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy, Yellow Ox-eye Daisy. I grow it as an annual. Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are native to North America and one of the most popular wildflowers grown. They tend to blanket open fields, often surprising the passer-by with their golden-yellow beauty. Members of the sunflower family, the “black eye” is named for the dark brown-purple centers of …

In our Sunnyvale garden, half of the trees are in pots. We simply do not have the ground space for more trees. In the 100 foot by 2 foot side-strip we have gingko, tangerine, grapefruit, feijoa, pomegranate, apricot, orange, and lemon. In the former swimming pool is a large cherry tree. In the former hot tub is another apricot tree. …

You can only eat so many blackberries in two weeks. We have been eating them fresh. We have been making galettes. So now we are making jam. Ingredients: Note this receipe makes about 8 jars Marionberries and/or blackberries (about two and one-half pounds) 6 1/2 cups sugar Ball Liquid Fruit Pectin pouch You will need: Boiling water canning pot or …