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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 8, 2009 7:32:36 GMT -5
Currently, I'm designing a edible garden for a raw vegan. She lives in straight laced suburbia extraordinnaire so I've been looking out for the best cultivars and combinations.
It's fun.
But it's added to my wishlist of vegetables/herbs... sigh.
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Post by grungy on Apr 8, 2009 15:11:23 GMT -5
And your wish list would be?
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 9, 2009 7:52:01 GMT -5
You really want to know. I'll upload it later today...
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Post by grungy on Apr 9, 2009 9:06:51 GMT -5
Yes, please.
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MikeM
grub
frost-free 365.25 + clayish soil + altitude 210m + latitude 34S + rain 848mm/yr
Posts: 91
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Post by MikeM on Apr 9, 2009 10:43:51 GMT -5
You really want to know. I'll upload it later today... Please do! |
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Post by pugs on Apr 9, 2009 19:17:52 GMT -5
Yes, stop teasing us and add your list.
Pretty please?
Pugs
(And the ads at the top of the page are for Regina Catholic Tours, Vide Chat rooms and Mp3 Rocket Pro, I can't figure out what they have to do with this topic. I must be dense.)
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 9, 2009 20:41:58 GMT -5
Cornelian cherry
Mahonia - same here, good tasting. It's a useful evergreen perennial edible
Pine nut - ditto
Juniper berry - my kids really like these but I would like to research a nice looking cultivar that is a heavy berry producer.
Elaeagnus x ebbingei - trying to grow this one out
Serviceberry - good tasting variety
Highbush Cranberry - compacta
Quince - local nursery is selling a hardy variety that apparently makes good preserves...
Persimmon: same localish nursery breeding a hardier kind
Red bud - I'm dreaming here really.
Prickly Pear pads
Yellow leafed agastache
Variegated horseradish
Golden Lemon Balm - I think I"m trying to germinate some seeds of this already
Purple stemmed garlic chives
Mauve flowered garlic chives - yeah I know they are weedy but they are also tasty
Some of the tastier bellflowers
Goat's beard - similar to scorzonera and a weed around here. I tasted the root once raw and it was really sweet.
Silver Shield French Sorrel
Golden Alexandria alpine strawberry
Etc...
Just noticed the adds: I have a DVD trailer and some game.
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Post by houseodessey on Apr 9, 2009 20:48:55 GMT -5
Does your friend like to juice? If so, giant parsley would be good, as would lots of greens (the colorful chards would look nice). It seems that you may be looking for edible ornamentals, since it's a 'burb garden?
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Post by michaeljohnson on Apr 10, 2009 0:25:05 GMT -5
I didn't know that Mahonia was edible, Most people over here in the Uk grow it as an ornimental shrub which has yellow flowers and tough prickly leaves.
Juniper berries- can be quite dangerous if consumed on a regular basis and can lead to kidney damage, it is used as a herb treatment over here for chronic back ache and urinary problems in small doses as it is quite powerfull,- so I am a bit surprised that you included it in your list-can you elaborate a bit on it.
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 10, 2009 6:57:11 GMT -5
Houseodessy: Already on her list. Her list is a lot longer and different.
This is MY wish list based on research I was doing.
For her, I am focusing on self sustaining plant such as orach rather than spinach and bietina (reliably overwinters here) rather than swiss chard.
I remember something about that MJ when it comes to Juniper. It's not for her, but for me. I also wouldn't regularly suggest highbush cranberry despite how pretty it is because the taste isn't to everyone's liking. Same with the borderline stuff. I only recommend things that grow well a zone colder than I'm planting. The problem with researching is it gets you to dreaming.
Did I mention my new found hankering for Cornelian Cherry?
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 10, 2009 7:08:24 GMT -5
MJ: As for the berries, they are eaten regularly by wild walkers. I did hear something about their safety though we've never problems around are house. Maybe because I hover when they eat these and only let them eat some ripe ones at a time. Same with the darn edible nightshades. Hovering, hovering. They are only allowed the most ripe ones though I've heard this usually isn't a problem. Info from the Poison Control Centre: "Juniper An evergreen tree often used in holiday decorations. Its blue-purple berries have been used in recipes for flavoring. The safety of juniper berries as a food item is questionable since abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported when large amounts were eaten." www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Junipco.htm"Severity CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN." "Symptoms Large amounts may cause diarrhea." If you google it, you get a wide range of "Don't eat it, it'll kill you!" to "Juniper berries of all species are edible." We only eat the local wild junipers and only in small quantities. We were taught to do this by respected wild food experts and have never had a problem though apparently there are more or less resinous ones. However, people used to eat bracken and don't do that anymore! |
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Post by pugs on Apr 10, 2009 19:15:36 GMT -5
Mahonia, you want Mahonia? Ugh. It grows wild around here. Oregon grape. The leaves are worse than holly leaves. I offer to kill the stuff when ever I find someone growing it. To each their own I guess.
I've never tried the fruits.
Pugs
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Post by grunt on Apr 10, 2009 23:41:03 GMT -5
Uncooked, the berries are astringent enough that you can almost hear your cheeks smack together in the middle. Pucker power like you wouldn't believe. Cooked, they make a lovely jam or jelly.
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 11, 2009 17:29:04 GMT -5
That's the thing, the berries we've eaten raw were sweet?? Rather like piney blueberries? I wouldn't mind trying to make a jam with them.
Pugs: They make jams and stuff in the west coast near my parents house where they are native. They are prickly but evergreen and perennial and a woodie. Those are not common combinations... Pine nuts but the ones that grow around here are little and fiddly.
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Post by grungy on Apr 11, 2009 20:16:43 GMT -5
Telsing, give me a week or two and I will ship you a couple of small plants.
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