Sweet Violets. Thyme and Food of Kings

How thyme is used as a naturopathic herb in Plant of the Week. Get those asparagus crowns in in Vegetable Heroes. Part 2 of a A new series in design elements, dig plant and grow for all types of gardeners. Plus, the talking flowers segment goes violets.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Thyme: Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a herb with a multitude of uses and not just for cooking.

Thyme uses are also as an anti-microbial and is good in a tea for sore throats, and sore stomach problems.

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme is a part of bouquet garni, but you can use thyme on its own in cooking. Thyme is surprisingly, it’s good with chocolate, and try cinnamon and thyme is part of crumb on chicken!

Let’s find out how more.
I'm talking with Simone Jeffries, naturopath and herbalist. www.simonejeffriesnaturopath.com.au

The first thing to consider when growing thyme is that it's a mediterranean herb, so likes the same conditions here. Dry, hot summers and cool winters.

If you don't have a similar growing environment you can of course, grow it in a pot.

To get the most out of your thyme plant, give it a good haircut in autumn.

Lift and divide the plant so that you'll always have plenty of thyme in the garden.

The best culinary thyme is common thyme (Thymus vulgaris).

Creeping thyme or woolly thyme is not recommened other than as a rockery plant, lawn edges or lawn alternatives.
If you have any questions either for me or for Simone, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis 

Asparagus is from the Liliaceae or lily family and is a perennial plant that is native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.

 “Asparagus” comes from the Greek language meaning “sprout” or “shoot.

• Did you know that Asparagus has been around for at least 2,000 years?

Fast forward to the 16th Century, where asparagus was eaten a lot in France and England. 

During that time Asparagus was known as the “Food of Kings” because King Louis XIV of France loved to eat them.

In Fact King Louis loved them so much that he ordered special greenhouses built so he could enjoy asparagus all year-round?

• Asparagus was so highly regarded in England that the thought of setting up a colony in Australia without asparagus was unthinkable, so seed was included in the list of vegetables carried by Sirius, one of the ships of the First Fleet.If you look in old seed catalogues that date back as far as the 19th century you’ll find that Asparagus was popular with Australians even back then.

What is Asparagus exactly?

The plant has a crown that is actually an underground stem from which asparagus spears shoots

The roots are called rhizomes (pronounced rye-zomes).

On top of these rhizomes grow spears, which are tender and succulent to eat, are slightly glossy, about 18-25cm long and 1.5-2cm wide, with many small, bumpy, triangular scales (called bracts) concentrated in the top quarter of the stem.

Some gardener might be thinking where can I buy Asparagus to grow?

• In fact, do I buy seed, or tubers or what? I’m here to tell you all that.

Planting asparagus crowns

You can in fact buy Asparagus seed, including Purple Asparagus seed from online companies such as Green Harvest or diggers.

But now’s the time to buy something called Asparagus Crowns, and you can buy these from just about anywhere even some supermarkets.

I saw some this week in a supermarket, they were the Mary Washington variety.

You can buy the Crowns online or from mail order catalogues as well

WHEN TO PLANT

In sub-tropical districts, plant Asparagus crowns from May until July.

In temperate, arid and cool temperate zones, you have June and July to plant Asparagus crowns.

• So what do you do with Asparagus really?

Asparagus is a perennial so if you haven’t a perennial veggie patch find somewhere else in the garden, maybe near those rhubarb crowns, because the crowns last for many years, and need to be left in the one spot.

Normally, your veggie patch gets a makeover every 6 months or so, -not that good for the crowns of these plants.

• So find a sunny spot in the garden where you don’t mind some veggies growing there year after year.Preferably with soil that’s been given some Dolomite and heaps and heaps of compost and complete plant food.
• To plant, dig out a shallow trench 30cm wide and 20cm deep. Incorporate well-rotted manure to the base of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm layer of excavated soil.
• Be sure to buy fresh crowns, as they often dry out while on display.
• Place the crowns onto a small mound in the centre of the furrow, so that the roots point down at about 45°, spread the roots out carefully. Backfill with compost to a depth of 7.5 cm.
• Space the plants 45cm apart, with 1.2 m between rows.
• Fill in the trench gradually as growth progresses.  Doesn’t sound too hard does it?

In spring Asparagus will grow long and slender with soft fernlike foliage.  

Don’t cut any spears in the first Spring, because this is when the crowns are developing.

Ferny foliage of spring growth of asparagus

Spring is also the time you need to add 100g per sq m of fertiliser like fish meal or blood and bone.

Then top with a thick hay mulch.

Asparagus produces both male and female plants.

Modern cultivars are all male, as male plants produce more and better spears. If you have any Female plants, which have berries, pull these out   because the red berries are poisonous and don’t produce as many edible spears.

During Autumn and Winter the tops will go yellow and brown off, cut off the old tops about 7.5 cm from the soil surface.

Frost damage causes distorted or dead spears, often some time afterwards if the tips are just below soil level.

Shadecloth covers or fleece can hold off light frosts.

• PICKING THAT ASPARAGUS

Don’t cut any spears for the first two years after planting. In the third year, gather spears for the first month of the growing season, but in following years, if the plants are strong, cut for eight weeks.

Slice off spears with a sharp knife just below the soil before they get more than 18cm tall.

In warm weather, this may mean cutting every few days.

Don’t cut any more after late December so that plants have enough time to build up their growth reserves for winter. 

Asparagus bud

In the following years, mulch the beds thickly with compost and manure in late winter. 

Remember patience in the early stages will help to get a life span of 15 years or even longer for your asparagus.

• Spears are harvested in two ways which gives them a different colour.
• White asparagus is grown below the ground and not exposed to light.
• When harvested it’s cut below the surface before being lifted out of the soil.
• If spears are allowed grow in sunlight they turn a green colour. 
• For green, only hill about 10cm (4”) and allow the spear to grow 15cm (6”) above the soil, making sure to cut the spear just below ground level. Asparagus is most delicious when the time between cutting and serving is kept to a minimum.
• When you’re cutting the spears, do it carefully to avoid injuring the crown. 

Farmers harvest by a rule-of-thumb, if the spears are thicker than a pencil cut them before the spears branch, usually at approx. 20 cm high, if they are skinnier, leave them to develop and feed the crown.

Why Is It Good For You?

Asparagus has a great flavour and is very affordable.

Asparagus is low in kilojoules, without fat or cholesterol, while providing fibre. That makes it a must for any diet, including a weight loss diet.

Asparagus contains B group vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and biotin-is a great source of folate, with a serve giving us over 20% of our daily needs.

THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Plant It

The series called ‘dig, plant, grow’ continues and it’s all about what you need to do to the soil before planting anything.
Of course you assessed the soil you have in the garden after listening to last week’s segment didn’t you?
So what next, are you happy to choose just plants that you love or do you need to be a bit more discerning?
Let’s find out ? I'm talking with Glenice Buck of Glenice Buck Designs.
www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
PLAY:Plant It_17th July 2019
Digging some more in the garden is also involved when it comes to planting, but don’t just plonk the plant into a hole you’ve dug, fill it, and water in, then hope for the best.
Preparation is the key to success.

Preparation before planting

It may take a bit longer but you’ll have years of rewarded effort you did on the day.
For all the latest news - Follow Glenice on Facebook or Instagram
Facebook : www.facebook/glenicebuckdesigns
Instagram: Glenice_Buck_Designs
Or check out my website: www.glenicebuckdesigns.com.au
Or Subscribe to my monthly Garden Greetings Newsletter: www.tinyletter.com/glenicebuckdesigns

TALKING FLOWERS

Sweet Violet: Viola odorata and Viola banksia (syn Viola hederacea)

Family: Violaceae

Also known as wood violet sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet.

Leaves are edible, good for salads.

• ·         In temperate climates, sweet violets (Viola odorata, ht 8cm) begin flowering in winter and continue into early spring.
• ·         They are rhizomatous perennials which originated in Western and Southern Europe. 

They spread  via seed and runners to form a green groundcover of heart-shaped leaves, often coming up in unexpected places in the garden. 

Violets flower best in part-sun, but will grow in full sun or full shade and prefer moist soil.

Bunches of violets great winter posies.

Cut them in the morning or evening; dipping the bunch of flowers head down into a large bowl of water to soak for a while will extend their vase life, as will spraying a fine mist of water over the flowers when they are in their vase.

• Sugared Violets

·         The flowers can also be turned into sugared violets for cake decorations, by painting the petals with egg white and dipping them into caster sugar!

Native violets, Viola banksia, have no scent, but flower in a similar fashion.

Flowers are edible.

Grows and spreads by rhizomes. Full sun or part shade.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini, floral therapist www.floralgossip.com.au

THYME ,time, THYME

SPICE IT UP

“If someone asks for help in the herb garden, you can certainly give Sage advice if you have Thyme.”
Why did the chef add extra oregano to his sauce?
He was making up for lost thyme.

Listen to this…..with herb expert Ian Hemphill from www.herbies.com.au

If you want to grow Thyme in your garden but your soil’s a heavy type, first spread a layer of gravel then plant your Thyme.
Should that fail, Thyme grows well in pots . Use it as a filler in a bigger pot with a large plant in it.
Thyme can be preserved by freezing some in ice cube trays. When the cubes are frozen take them out of the tray and pop them into a plastic bag.
Another way is to wrap the Thyme, stem and leaves in foil and put that in the freezer.
Frozen Thyme keeps well for a few months.
Thyme is quite pungent so even if you add some sprigs of Thyme at the beginning of cooking, there will still be flavor at the end.
The best advice for adding fresh herbs to any cooking is at the end. Dried herbs are best at the beginning.

VEGETABLE HEROES

Well it’s TIME FOR VEGETABLE HEROES  Garden Sorrel and French Sorrel or Rumex acetosa  and Rumex scutatus are members of the Rumex family and found mainly in temperate climates all over the world

Some people think Sorrel’s are all alike

Did you know that there’s a Garden Sorrel or Common Sorrel and French Sorrel?

French Sorrel is not quite so sour.

The word "sorrel" comes from the old French surele, which derives from sur, "sour".

The Cambridge World History of Food and Drink claims that “sorrel” actually comes from a Germanic word also meaning sour.

Yes, we get the picture, it’s sour to taste.

Have you been given a pot of something and planted in out in the garden, only to think a few weeks later, “where did I plant that?”

I was given a pot of what is most likely the French Sorrel over the weekend which I accepted gladly because I couldn’t remember where in the garden my sorrel had got to.

The flavour of sorrel is memorable – astringent and a lemony taking me back in time when I was very young.

I was given some Sorrel soup and although eating it, complained that I had been given soup made of grass.

How things change.

Sorrel originates in Europe, North America, and Asia.

Sorrel is a close relative of the weed dock, with large, arrow-shaped leaves.

If you know the weed Curled Dock, you’ll know what I mean.

Sorrel, whether French or the Garden variety, grows best in a rich soil, but will grow in any well-drained soil, and can be planted in sun or partial shade.

Sorrel grows anywhere in Australia, and for Tropical and Sub-tropical climates it’s a good substitute for Spinach, which tends to run to seed in those areas.reenish brown flowers when they appear in summer by cutting the flowering stem, or the plant will put its energy into seed, not leaf, production.

When your sorrel plant is established, it's easy to propagate by using a sharp knife to cut sma

Prepare the bed by digging in generous amounts of aged manure or compost.

An occasional side dressing of compost doesn’t hurt during the growing season either.

The plants should be kept moist, so water well during dry summer months.

French Sorrel is a perennial (means in will continue growing year after year) grows to about 15-45 cm high, and about 60cm wide if you put it into the garden.

The mid green leaves are shaped like squat shields.

Plants can be bought from a garden centre or started from seed.

Better still, if you know someone with an established sorrel plant, ask for a small cutting.

The plants will grow into fairly sizable clumps, anywhere from ½ metre high, and will produce tangy, edible leaves approximately four months after thinning.

Remove the gll sections from the main root.

Autumn is the best time to do this and these sections should be potted up to give away or planted back in the garden and watered in well.

Once the plant has matured, it can be treated as a 'cut and come again' crop.

Sorrel is pretty much a self-care plant.

Just don’t forget where you planted it in the garden.

So what do you do with Sorrel?

If you pick the leaves when they’re young they’ve got a fresh, palate cleansing taste and make a delicious addition to a salad.

Older leaves can be pureed to make green sauce for fish, French Cream of Sorrel soup, or a variety of Russian borscht.

Sorrel leaves go well with avocado in a salad or on a sandwich.

Add some shredded leaves to scrambled eggs, omelets and frittata.

Quinoa salad loves the tangy addition of sorrel as do seafood and tomato dishes.

Why not stir finely shredded sorrel through a basic white sauce to give a real zing to vegetables.

Tough, outer leaves can be fed to rabbits and chooks or tossed into the compost bin.

Picking the leaves is simple, either pinch or cut the leaves off with a knife at any time during the growing season.

Leaves grow upward on a strong stem, so they don't get gritty, like spinach.

When picking the leaves, remember the smallest leaves are the most concentrated in flavour.

To keep your sorrel patch going at full strength, start new plants from section cuttings every few years.

That's all the work there is to growing sorrel.

Sorrel is basically disease and insect free - aphids may show an interest in the young leaves.

These can be removed with a sharp spray of water. Even slugs rarely bother this potherb. It's a great plant for the organic gardener.

Why Is It Good For You?

Sorrel is considered to be good for you in much the same way as Spinach.

Sorrel leaves are rich in potassium and vitamins C and A, and will keep its beneficial qualities and great taste for a long time, but they are especially good when fresh.

To store, put French sorrel into a sealed plastic bag and keep in the fridge. Sorrel doesn’t dry well, but it can be frozen.

Sorrel is high in oxalates and not good for people with kidney stones or arthritis.

AND THAT WAS OUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY! 

 www.greenharvest.com.au www.www.newgipps.com.au

  www.fourseasonshebrs.com.au and www.diggers.com.au

DESIGN ELEMENTS

with Louise McDaid

Today the final in the series on the colour green in gardens, and as a colour, mostly gardeners overlook on how effectively it can be really used.
Are you worried about having too much green in the garden and not quite getting the variation in leaf size, shape and texture to give your garden a lift.
Today we might have just the right answer in the final of the series
Let’s find out what this is all about.
PLAY: Green_Gardens_pt5_26^th Feb_2014
Louse was talking mainly about plants with cream and green or cream and white variegations.

• What is a variegated plant – one with leaves that have more than 1 or 2 colours – for this purpose we’re talking about green with white, cream or yellow. The colours are usually in thick or thin stripes, but sometimes other markings a bit more random like splashes or marbling – often there will be a few tones of green

Stripey – NZ flax, iris, dianella, miscanthus ‘zebrinus’, alpinia zerumbet ‘variegata’, agave succulent
Perimeter splashes or edging – hibiscus, zonal pelargonium, hosta, pittosporum (screening plant)
Random splashes and spots – aucuba (gold dust plant), zantedeshcia (calla lily)
Euphorbia – mentioned them as a green flower but also available with variegated foliage
CULTIVATION TIP: Plants with more white or yellow need more sun than those with less – the trick is to give enough light but not too much sun to burn the leaves.For the most part, variegated plants don’t like full shade because the leaves have less chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
That tends to mean they also grow a bit slower.
HOT TIP: Plant an variegated and non variegated version of the same plant - it works well because of the repetition of shape, texture and form that gives consistency and harmony, but variation with the colour to add interest

PLANT OF THE WEEK

You might be surprised to learn that Bursaria grows in all states except Western Australia and Northern Territory, generally excluding more arid areas, grassy plains, and heavy clay soils at higher altitudes;

One thing we didn’t touch on was that all Bursaria species are vigorously rhizomatous.
Once established bursarias  are extremely hardy and will last 30-50 years.
Bursarias are great colonisers of marginal or disturbed sites and regenerate from rhizomes, e.g. after fire.

Bursaria spinosa is of high wildlife value, as a habitat for birds and as a nectar source. It is a useful honey plant in poor seasons, producing medium to heavy quantities of pollen.

 

Bursaria spinosa is an erect, prickly shrub to about 3-4 metres tall.

The leaves are an elongated oval shape 20-45 mm long and up to 12 mm wide, green above and hairy beneath.

The flowers are creamy-white, star like, and have a sweet pittosporum like scent.

The petals are quite small about 7-10 mm in diameter and are carried in dense panicles at the ends of branches-i.e. terminal panicles.

Flowers are usually seen in mid summer, around Christmas time, which gives rise to the common name of 'Christmas Bush' in Tasmania and South Australia.

Flowers are followed by flattened, purse-shaped seed capsules about 10 mm x 10 mm.