Native plants used as "foundation" plantings

From left to right:
coral honeysuckle, fothergilla, Euonymus, mountain laurel, Leucothoe, Aquilegia, with Christmas ferns and bloodroot, and Carolina jessamine on the front porch rail

And lots of water oak catkins on the front path!

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Kohlrabi: a versatile cole crop

The weird stem enlargement is about the size of an apple...

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) is one of the many cole crops (cabbage, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and more), which have all been bred from just one plant species. Kohl is the German word for cabbage—hence they are the "cole crops" and why cabbage salad is called cole slaw. The word kohlrabi means cabbage apple in German, which makes a lot of sense because of the size of its stem enlargement and its sweet taste and crispy texture.

Because kohlrabi is easy-to-grow and has few pests in an organic garden, helps to explain its recently gained popularity with farmers markets and local food groups. It has been grown as a crop in Europe for centuries. Grown for its weird Sputnik-shaped enlarged stem-bulb with leaves sticking out at odd angles. You can consume both the enlarged stem and its leaves.

Be sure to leave enough room when you plant the kohlrabi
so they can expand to their full size. 

Planting kohlrabi

Plant seeds directly in the garden or start in flats in the fall and periodically throughout the winter until mid-February in Florida. Plant seeds or plants at 6 to 8 inches apart so they have enough room to develop. If too many seeds come up together, transplant them early so they get a good start. Amend soil well with compost and composted manure for the best growth.

Planting locations should be in full sun or slight shade with more shade for the later plantings. Mulch around stems with pine needles to keep weeds at bay and to hold in moisture. Irrigate regularly, but deeply. 

Cut the stem-bulb when it's two to three inches in diameter. Larger bulbs become tough and woody and definitely harvest before hot weather arrives. There may be some regrowth after harvesting, but usually only the leaves.

Sliced about 1/8 to 1/4-inch thin, pan-fried in olive oil, and
garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

Preparation

There are many ways to prepare kohlrabi:
1) cook it like a turnip and all its ways (roasted, mashed, or in a soup), especially if it's 5 inches in diameter or larger.
2) grate the enlarged stem and use them in salads or instead of zucchini in breads. 
3) cut the stem into sticks and use them as dipping vegetables.
4) use the leaves as you'd use any of the leafy cole crops including veggie chips, added raw to salads or cole slaw, chopped in soups, or mixed in with a mess of cooked greens.

All the cole crops are the same species: Brassica oleracea.

Aren't cole crops amazing?

Consider planting this interesting cole vegetable in your cool-weather edible garden next year.

Green Gardening Matters,
Ginny Stibolt

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A flourishing woodland garden

It's been wonderful to see how the front woodland garden along the path is flourishing this spring, along with the "foundation" plantings in front of the house.

Even the assessor (from the bank of our buyer) on Tuesday (admittedly a plant enthusiast) admired the nice combination of mountain laurel, rhododendron, fothergilla, and coral honeysuckle in front of the house, as well as the native crested iris, green and gold, Christmas fern, and pussytoes.

He also noticed the wild ginger (he told me his grandmother showed him the small flowers - the "little brown jugs."  He thought they were insectivorous because he'd seen ants in them;  I mildly suggested it was the odor, and they probably weren't insectivorous, but didn't want to totally pop that idea!

Just getting back from the mountains today, I didn't have time to take a photo. It is looking lovely.

Nice to feel like we've made a difference as good stewards of our space here in the Piedmont.

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A woodland garden

It was so nice to see the woodland border thriving, in spring guise, returning from the mountains to the Piedmont in the final stages of relocation.

This was a created woodland spot; it was shallow dry grass beneath a water oak when we bought this house.  And there was no pathway to the front of house, either. We put one in ourselves.

Crested Iris in flower

Now the space is full of Christmas ferns, crested iris, bloodroot, pussy-toes, and green and gold - it's a lovely small drought-tolerant woodland patch.

Lonicera sempervirens flowering on the fence nearby

The bloodroot is reseeding everywhere. Here's a "mama" plant with her babies -- remarkable, seen this afternoon.

A "mama" bloodroot and seedlings

Bloodroot seedlings

I'm delighted to see them flourishing.  They've been a favorite spring wildflower for many years.

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Paring down books

I've been paring down my gardening and natural history books, with upcoming consolidation to a smaller living space.

It's an interesting process (not without angst).

I think about and weigh (based on my de-cluttering inspirations):  have I looked at this field guide lately?  Do I really want to know as much about dragonflies as this very nice guide provides?  Ditto about caterpillars?  Hmm.

My gardening companion and I don't need duplicates, either, so extras are being shed.

And doesn't the internet now provide access to virtual field guides of all sorts, I'm thinking?

This is at least the 4th time I've gone through the book shedding process, now with increasing intensity as moving looms near (three weeks from Friday), thinking about how much space I'll have for books, and what I really need to go forward in my work in the future, volunteer and otherwise.

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Time in the Low Country

The Low Country of South Carolina was naturally a place of coastal rivers, cypress swamps, and maritime forests. Historically, it included rice fields and indigo growing and plantations.

A visit today to Magnolia Gardens and Middleton Place (part of a Garden Writers regional meeting) brought largely moments of appreciating the natural beauty along the Ashley River.

Ashley River from the Magnolia Gardens river trail

Bald eagle above the Ashley River

An old live oak at Middleton Plantation

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A brazen woodchuck

If the squirrels eating the kale weren't enough, a woodchuck appeared in the back garden yesterday chewing on buckeye leaves. 

They're full of nasty compounds.  Amazing.

At least the squirrels don't seem to like spinach, Japanese red mustard, or parsley (at least not yet).

This is quite a sub-par photo, taken through the window, and blurry, but you get the idea.  Hmrph.

Eating buckeye leaves?  Really?  No wonder that they'll chew their way through cilantro, etc.   This one has just come out from its burrow, so probably hasn't discovered the small amounts of spinach, etc. that I have in flats.

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