Newsletter Update

June/July 2007 (Our newsletters are all copyright The Tasteful Garden 2003-2007 if you would like to reprint any of this information please let us know by email.)

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After weeks of drought, scattered showers have finally been building across the south and our normal weather pattern of muggy, hot days has arrived. We are still very dry here which may make the 4th of July a little anti-climactic but hopefully the rains will come and make up for lost time.

Other areas have had just the opposite weather receiving all the rain that we were lacking and some areas have been much colder or warmer than usual. All of this affects the vegetable garden of course and the amount of watering we should do. An article on watering in the garden follows.

It is herb season! Now that the vegetables are in and starting to produce, it is time to get the herbs going that will add so much flavor to salads and barbeques. All of our herbs are in stock and plentiful so order yours now! If you missed it, here is a link to last months article on Herb Gardening for flavor

We have lots of new products in our catalog including our "Second Summer" tomatoes and Fall Vegetables. Pre ordering is the best way to make sure we have plenty of plants once your summer garden is done. We are planning to ship our second tomatoes beginning July 30th and continuing through August. Fall vegetables will start shipping August 20th and continue through September. If you want to receive both together, please order for shipment August 20th, otherwise tomatoes and vegetables will ship separately.

You should plant fall tomatoes at least 80-90 days before your first frost date in the fall. Green tomatoes which have not ripened yet can be harvested and kept in storage for late ripening or for fried green tomatoes! Our fantastic selection of fall vegetables includes Swiss Chard, Cabbages, Peas, French Beans, Brussels Sprouts and more which can be ordered

now! We hope you will try growing a fall garden. There is so much diversity and great flavors as well as maximum nutritional value. More information on fall gardening can be found here or visit our catalog and click on more vegetables.

In addition to citrus trees such as Meyer Lemons, Navel Oranges, Blood Oranges, Persian and Kaffir Limes, we also have Brown Turkey Fig trees now available in our catalog. Blueberry plants are also available and can be planted anytime. Apple trees, Peaches and Avocados are available from our store but cannot be shipped because of their size. Call us for more information at 866-855-6344.

We also have a great recipe for Tzatziki to use up all those cucumbers in the garden.

Check out these fun new items in our catalog for gifts or just for yourself! We provide quality garden tools, soaps, kitchen gadgets, books, fertilizers and natural pesticides as well as our plants.

In much of the country watering is not essential in almost year. Because of the natural rainfall amounts in the mid-Atlantic and New England states, supplemental watering is only necessary when less than 1" falls per week. In drought conditions it is important to try to water in the same way that rain would naturally fall. You want to have slow steady watering for about 1/2-1 hour which will percolate down into the garden soil and reach the deeper areas where roots are. Light sprinkling of the leaves will actually do more harm than good.

It is also very important in drought conditions to add layers of mulch which can be the fabric sold in stores along with something bulky to shade it, or as simple as folded sheets of newspaper laid on the ground or pine needles, hay straw or any other type of material to protect the soil from drying out. Gravel works well to reflect the sun away and the best mulch ever are the leaves gathered last fall. Tests have shown that tomatoes taste sweeter when leaf mulch is used and turned under every year.

Soaker hoses are nice to distribute water evenly or just turn your garden hose on a dribble for each plant. Filling milk jugs and putting small holes in the bottoms to dribble out slowly is a good way to recycle and reuse! Also, don't forget to add fertilizer about every 6 weeks.

What if you have too much rain? Too much rain can be detrimental also. The folded newspapers or plastic mulch can direct water away from the garden and prevent too much from soaking in but the best prevention is good draining soil. Adding compost early in the season makes for more air pockets in the soil and allow water to drain away deeper into the ground. Digging deep to break up a hard layer in the soil will also help drain away excess water. Mulching is also important to keep rain from splashing water back up onto the leaves of vegetables where water can spread diseases and fungal spores.

As much as we curse the weather and as gardeners always wish for better, keep in mind that nature will take its course and next season may be completely different.

Here is a recipe that is not only delicious, but fun to pronounce!

Tzatziki

2 cucumbers (peeled if you prefer)
1 pint plain yogurt

1/2 pint sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2-3 sprigs snipped fresh dill and parsley or mint
freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth or paper towel-lined colander and set it over a bowl to drain. Grate the cucumber and toss it with salt; place it in another sieve, and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.

Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumber as you can and add the cucumber to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, and pepper. Serve chilled as a dip for vegetables or a sauce for Gyros or just a light dressing for a salad.

The Tasteful Garden produce store here in our small town of Heflin, Alabama is just 1 mile off exit 199 of I-20 at Highways 9 and 78. Our small local store is bursting at the seams with wonderful fresh produce such as Watermelons, Fresh Sweet Corn, Strawberries, Blueberries and Okra.

We hope you all will come and visit as you are passing through on I-20. Our main goal is to provide healthy vegetables to our community and provide a support market for all of the local farmers in our area. Store hours are Monday-Saturday 9-5:30 Fridays till 6:30 and Sunday 12-5pm. Click here for maps to both our locations.