Between the cold blustery rains, the snow, sleet and thunderstorms we've seen paltry few mild and sunny days this year. Spring hasn't allowed us to stop and smell the flowers. Now that May is here, flower gardening interest is finally starting to build. However, excitement in another category of gardening has been evident since early this year - edible gardening.Recent concerns about costs and carbon footprints especially related to transportation have turned attention to fresh-from-your-backyard grown food. Across the country there is tremendous attention to "eat local" and "grow your own food." We have always had a loyal following of gardeners buying organic tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and lettuce. They are asking for French Crisp and Merlot lettuce, prize-winning Momotaro tomatoes, golden beets, Keifer lime trees (leaves for Thai cooking) and lemongrass. One of the most rewarding things we see is the excitement the gardeners have while planning their garden and then thinking about the great fresh salads and other dishes they'll be enjoying in a few weeks. We spend a good part of the next several months salivating over the various foods they talk about preparing. While some city farmers are pulling out their lawns to install edible garden beds, one needn't go to that extreme. There are many locals successfully growing crops with good yields in mini-gardens or just containers. The key is matching your crops to your "farm": whether an entire backyard or a few small pots on your deck. Here are a few suggestions for the container gardening crowd. For tomatoes in smaller containers select determinate types. These are usually smaller in size and don't require such a large container to get maximum yield. Leaf crops such as lettuce, romaine, arugula, etc. are great crops for small spaces. Harvest the larger leaves from the outside of the plants for small salads whenever desired. For pepper fans, jalapeños, Anaheims or even bells make great container plants. I plant three pepper plants in each large (18 - 24" wide) pot and grow them in a warm sunny spot. Add a generous amount of compost (Gardener & Bloome makes an absolutely amazing vegetable compost) to your fresh potting soil, water regularly and sit back and sip your mojito (with your freshly picked mint). Quick recipe: Prepare a wonderfully tasty appetizer by lightly grilling sliced peppers over coals or open flame. Then marinate them in olive oil over coals until tender. Use a variety of peppers for a more spicy taste.Chuck and Margaret Flaherty are the owners of Magnolia Center.[[In-content Ad]]
