Gardenia Best known for their fragrant white flowers, gardenias are heat-loving evergreen shrubs that have become a gardening symbol in the Southeast. Another common name is cape jasmine. About This Plant Plant gardenias near a deck or window where you can enjoy the flowers’ fragrance. The plants grow from 2 to 8 feet tall and wide, depending on the variety. …
Read More »admin
Dehydrated Tomatoes
Dehyrated Tomatoes Also called “sun-dried” tomatoes; almost no one lives in a climate that makes that the best method. According to the USDA, few, if any store-bought “sun dried” tomatoes are actually sun dried (but the regulations allow them to call them that!). Ingredients Tomatoes – any quantity, ripe, but not over ripe, still firm. The yield varies considerably depending …
Read More »Chile – Habanero Chocolate
If you like serious smoky sweet heat, step right up Chocolate habaneros are even spicier than the Red Savina with unique earthy and smoky undertones that complement their typical habanero sweetness. Chocolate habaneros are hotter than regular habaneros? They are. In terms of the Scoville scale, chocolate habaneros tend to hit around 425,000 – 577,000 Scoville heat units. That can …
Read More »Scabiosa caucasica
Pincushion flower is still blooming in winter in Sunnyvale. Scabiosa caucasica (Caucasian scabious) is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Caucasus, north eastern Turkey, and northern Iran. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) tall and broad, it is a clump-forming perennial with divided leaves. Pincushion-shaped buds, borne on erect stems, open to pale blue …
Read More »Rancho San Antonio OSP
Rancho San Antonio is one of the Bay Area’s most popular parks. On a nice summer day there’s a continuous stream of people on the main road to Deer Hollow Farm, and even on the challenging 8-mile PG&E Trail there’s a group of hikers or joggers every 1 or 2 minutes. It’s often said that the park is overcrowded, but …
Read More »Chile – Yolo Wonder
The YOLO WONDER bell pepper was developed in Yolo County just west of Sacramento in Northern California. YOLO WONDER – sweet; Bell Elongated Type; 3.5 to 4 inches long by 3 to 3.75 inches wide; thick flesh; matures from dark green to red; pendant pods; green leaves; 24 to 30 inches tall; Mid Season (70-80 days); dependable producer; C.annuum. Sweet …
Read More »Chile – Corno di Toro
Corno de Toros are a beautiful, long, dark-red heirloom Italian pepper. 6-10 inches long, twisted or curved and pointed on the end. These deep crimson beauties are very sweet and intensely ‘peppery’. They’re a perfect roasting pepper-their skins blacken nicely, and shed easily–and are also good raw in salads. In my opinion the flavor of Corno de Toros is superior …
Read More »Chile – Serrano
Serrano chiles look like slender jalapenos. They are typically eaten raw and have a bright and biting flavor that is notably hotter than the jalapeño pepper. Serrano peppers are commonly used in making pico de gallo, and salsa, as the chili is particularly fleshy compared to others, making it ideal for such dishes. The Scoville rating of the serrano pepper …
Read More »Watermelon – Moon & Stars
The “Moon and Stars” melon is a century-old heirloom from Tennessee/Missouri. It is a large-fruited melon whose dark-green rind is speckled with tiny yellow dots (the stars) surrounding one or more larger yellow spots (the moon). It is cool that the leaves have the same pattern. Another cool thing is that this is an heirloom melon, not a hybrid, so …
Read More »Western Gray Squirrel
The western gray squirrel was first described by George Ord in 1818 based on notes taken by Lewis and Clark at The Dalles in Wasco County, Oregon. The bad news is that in a forty-house area around my home, I am dinner central: fruit, then tomatoes then sunflowers. I have a lawn and about 50 pots perfect for squirrels to …
Read More »