Things are coming along just fine for the middle of May.
Earliglow and Jewel Strawberries
Thai basils
Mints
Rosemary
Fig
Chive
Cucumber
Vietnamese Coriander
Hopefully Pakistan Mulberries will be ready soon
Tomato
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Tony, very nice garden. All are on schedule except the fig which seems ahead of schedule .
That herb, I have a lot in my garden (not sure if they are exactly the same but the leaves looks same)and I can’t get rid of it. I am wondering how do you use it?
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It is called Vietnamese Coriander. We used it in papaya salad.
Yes. Real fragrant.
@IL847 how is Korea water celery? I was going to buy lovage seeds and saw your Korean water celery which is interesting.
Kate
Tony- What kind of mint? I’ve tried a few types…one is really stinky and i’ve been trying to remove it (it came back again this year) but i have one that i think is spearmint (think i got it at home depot) that is excellent. Perfect smell/flavor. I use it in tea. Comes back yearly (planted 3 years ago) too but it has to fight the creeping charlie.
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Your looks like mine. Smell good and not too strong. I bought a stinky one long time ago and got rid of it also.
Tony,
Don’t let your young basil plants set flowers. It will slow down their growth. They tend to flower young. Keep pinching flowers off and the plant will grow. Once they are fully grown and late in the season, you can let them flower and set seeds for you to collect.
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I think both you and @aap Bob are growing sweet basils, not holy basils.
Sweet basils are very common here in the U S. Thai restaurants here use this kind all the times. Holy basils are spicier and more pungent. It is the sacred plant in Hindu belief. Thai people use this to make a real chicken/beef and basil stir-fried dish.
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I grew a whole bunch of holy basils last year and it was too spicy for me so I am growing the sweet basils for the Vietnamese PHO noodles bowl this year.
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Yes, sweet basils and Pho. Love it and bean sprouts, too.
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ohhh, makes since. been using regular coriander.
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The most exciting plant this year for us is this tomato plant.
The seeds were sent to us by a student at the agriculture school at Cornell. She is hybridizing tomatoes for her project. Her tomatoes are two tones, purple on top where they get more sun and yellow at the bottom. Very pretty.
Of the 10 seeds she sent us, only two have germinated. I hope they will grow. We are to report the progress to her.
Behind it are the holy basil youngsters.
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Kate if you are not in hurry to get lovage, remind me in the fall, I can send you fresh seeds . I have couple of lovage plants and l love its aroma . It’s very good in soup or put under a fish when steams the fish.
The Korean water celery has mild celery scent. I cut it right at the ground level and sauteed stem and leaves with meat , pork or beef really does matter . The best thing about it is that it is very hardy in Chicago，and extremely fast grow. It is the first green veggie I can harvest in the spring. Sometime back, I read a article talking about this green veggie. I forgot what this veggie was called in English in that article. But I remembered that article said British used to rely on this to feed people and keep people alive.
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Very interesting. Don’t forget to post a picture of two tone tomato.
Warm,
That’s the mint we use in Thai cuisine. Again, do not let it flower. Otherwise, it will not produce much nice leaves after that. We often are busy pinching off flowers of these herbs so thet have energy to produce more leaves (the part we use).
Annie- thanks for the offer. I am taking you up on lovage. I want to Slowing grow a perennial herb/ veggie patch so I am researching types that can grow at 6b.
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