Recent Posts
Florez Nursery
Return To Blog Listing
A catalogue of plants grown by a horticulturist of interest to home gardeners,designers,landscapers and cooks
Recent Posts Tagged With 'edible plants'
Passion Flower
Passiflora species, Passionfruit flowerBlack Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) can be a bit tricky to grow as they require an even supply of water and rich well drained soil to facilitate the production of a good crop. Poorly drained soil results in t...
First Figs
Small and sweet ,'White Adriatic' FigsNever before have figs been ripe so early in Summer. Usually you have to wait until mid January before the first figs are ready for picking. It is not only here where fruit trees are growing out of character, per...
Eau de Cologne Mint
Mentha x piperita 'Citrata', Eau de Cologne Mint or Bergamot MintThis is a plant I can't live without and it really comes into its own during Summer. This mint is distinguished by having rounded leaves which are bronze green when given a spot with lo...
Oregano
Ensalada de Tomate: Spanish onions, Greek 'Righani' and ripe tomatoesTomatoes with everything and every day is the case for me at the moment after the hot weather has ripened them all at lightening speed. Instead of the usual basil with tomatoes in a...
Artichoke Flower
The vibrant purple flower of the Globe ArtichokeI always let a few of the globe artichoke plants go to flower so that I can collect the seed. The flowers are really dramatic and look great either in a vegetable or a flower garden. ...
Apricot....Xing
Picked today some ApricotsClimate change and global warming may have a big impact on the growing of food plants ,not only in broad scale agriculture and horticulture but in the home garden as well. After the warmest Winter on record and lots of hot d...
Desiree Potatoes
The all purpose Desiree potato dug todayThis heatwave is limiting gardening activities to early morning and evening only. So I dug the last of my potato crop this evening, barefoot and clad in a pair of old boxer shorts. Luckily I didn't spear my toe...
Zucchini Fritti !
At this time of year, the zucchini plants need to be checked on daily as they are producing loads of fruit. Leave them for a week and you come back to find a giant zeppelin marrow has appeared which is tough and tasteless. My favourite way of cooking...
Tom Tom Club
The organic tomatoes are blushing In a couple of weeks I will be able to start picking the first ripe tomatoes of the season. In the meantime it is tempting to use some of the still green ones in a few recipes . Cooking with green tomatoes may have e...
Basil \'Genovese\'
Ocimum basilicum 'Genovese'The first Basil leaves are ready for harvest from an August planting. This variety has fine flavoured shiny green leaves and originates from Genoa in Italy where the famous pesto sauce was first made. (The seed is available...
Santa Barbara Rosemary
Rosemary 'Lockwood de Forest' One of the interesting Rosemary varieties I grow originated long ago in the garden of distinguished American landscape architect Lockwood de Forest (1896-1947). Lockwood and his wife Elizabeth (1898-1984) were keen gar...
a piece on olives
This weekend the Festival of the Olive will be held at Elizabeth Farm (70 Alice St. Rosehill) as part of the Sydney International Food Festival. This is an Historic Houses Trust property and home to the oldest European olive tree in Australia. My ow...
First Cucumbers
Cucumis sativus, CucumberA week ago I checked my cucumber vine and the fruit were only finger size and then we had some rain and they suddenly matured overnight. In the heat of summer you almost have to check then daily as they have the habit of turn...
Rocket Man
Eruca sativa, Rocket / Arugula Diplotaxis tennifolia, Perennial Wild RocketThe season for the annual Rocket is coming to an end as masses of the windmill shaped flowers are towering above everything in the vegetable patch. I don't try to grow it dur...
Tarragon little dragon
French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) kitchen window herb Tarragon is one herb I can't live without. Being a herbaceous perennial plant it disappears underground during the cold months and makes a welcome return at this time of year. One could almo...
The Potato Weekend
'Bon Appetit' ,Julia Child's Kitchen ,The Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Washington DC (photo from Wikipedia)The movie Julie and Julia is as much about bloggers and blogging as it is about the iconic American cook Julia Child (1912-...
The Red Pontiac
Red Pontiac potatoesYesterday I dug the first of my potato crop. The Red Pontiac variety is an 'early maincrop' type and was originally known as the 'Dakota Chief' in the United States. The first thing you notice about home grown potatoes, compared ...
Coriander/Cilantro/Yuen sai
My Coriander patchOne plant I can't live without is Coriander. There is no comparison between the store bought kind and the home grown variety. Home grown Coriander has large shiny leaves and a stronger taste. However it is really at its best during ...
Pea Straw Mulch
Pea tendrils growing from pea straw mulchThe mulch I like to use in the vegetable garden is pea straw which is available in big compressed bales. The bonus you get from using it is that after a couple of weeks of putting it down you get a crop of new...
Growing vegetables and flowers from seed
Growing vegetables and flowers from seed is one of the rewarding and interesting aspects of gardening. I use small biodegradable pots made from peat or cardboard for growing large seed like Zucchini, so that the whole pot and plant can be placed in t...
Golden Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis aureus ,Golden RosemaryFor a brief time in early Spring this Rosemary puts on new growth which is a glowing golden yellow. As the weather warms up it changes to a more soft green colour. It is a robust plant usually reaching ab...
Purple Leaf Mustard
Brassica juncea var integrifolia 'Osaka Purple', a Japanese MustardThis is one of the more ornamental vegetable plants producing big quilted purple leaves which are hot tasting and best used when quite small. The mustard seed produced later in the se...
Eryngium maritimum, Sea Holly
Eryngium maritimum, Sea Holly (Cardo Corredor/Cardo rolador)at Meia Praia Beach ,Lagos, Portugal. photographed by Julio ReisEryngo or Sea Holly is an interesting plant with a fascinating history. As the common name suggests,it is a spiny leaved plant...
Tomatoes in Potatoes up
Seed potatoes planted in late June are now growing well.Tomato planting time here on the coast is the first weekend of August. This year I have planted Grosse Lisse , and mini Roma. Look set for a great harvest around Christmas time....
Lemon Grass
Cymbopogon citratus, Lemon GrassLemon Grass is now a familiar plant across Australia ,with the distinctive lemon fragrance of the leaf stems being an essential ingredient in Asian cooking.It forms a well sized clump to about a metre in height and is ...
Mangosteen
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions it is best to buy food which is locally produced or grow some of your own if possible. In the supermarket it is possible to buy fruit or vegetables which have been imported from another country because they are out ...
Caldo Verde
At this time of year I make lots of Caldo Verde ,a green soup made from kale and potatoes .It is easy to vary the ingredients and add some chorizo or make a seafood version with small pieces of fish .At the last moment of cooking ,I always add a sque...
Artichoke/Artichaut/Alcachofra
'A Young Lady' attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo(1443-1496)Berlin, Staatliche MuseenThe leaves and flowers of the artichoke are used as a decorative motif on clothing.Artichoke Wallpaper (1897) by John Henry Dearle for William Morris & Co Vict...
