Urban Plantations was created to help people blend urban farming practices with contemporary neighborhood landscape themes. By incorporating fruits and vegetables in your front or backyards, or even on a balcony or window box, we provide you with a source of inexpensive healthy food.
Garden Care - Selecting your Tomatoes
Heirloom or Hybrid? We recommend growing both. Yes, Heirlooms can have superior taste, but they can be a bit tricky to grow. Heirlooms produce "true to type" seeds, meaning the resulting plants will be the same as the parent - IF they are segregated and do not cross pollinate with other varieties. Heirlooms are fun, with their unusual shapes, colors and tastes. Hybrids are the cross between two similar parents possessing different traits. Hybrids were created to produce disease resistant tomatoes that are similar in color and shape. It’s true, in some hybrids, taste is sacrificed for other positive qualities, but here are some delicious hybrids out there. Hybrid seed will not always produce a plant that is exactly like the parent plant, making seed saving “interesting”. Hybrids are not Genetically Modified seed. Plant as many varieties of tomatoes as you can this year and pick the ones that do best for you!
Colorful Carrots
I love the color orange, but how about those purple carrots? Now you can find colorful carrots at the Farmers Markets or your own garden.
Historians believe the cultivated and edible carrot dates back about 5,000 years ago when the purple root was found to be growing in the area now known as Afghanistan. The modern orange carrot was developed and established by Dutch growers in the 16-17th century. Legend has it that the orange carrot was bred in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century to honor William of Orange.
Carrots have one of the highest content of beta carotene (vitamin A) of all vegetables. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, which can be restored by adding carrots back into the diet. Rumors that eating large amounts of carrots will allow one to see in the dark, were started from stories of British gunners in World War II who were able to shoot down German planes in the darkness of night. The legend arose when the Royal Air Force circulated a story about their pilots' carrot consumption as an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of radar.
Honey Ginger Carrots
- 1 pound carrots, sliced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tsp. minced ginger root
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
- Steam carrots until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain.
- In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter, saute the ginger and add honey. Stir in lemon juice. Stir in carrots and simmer until heated through.
RecipeRelay
What is Recipe Relay? Good Food. Good For You. Good For the Planet. It’s a live collection of unique recipes meant to inspire and encourage others to have fun eating seasonally and locally.
reciperelay.com
SD Backyard Growers on Facebook
If you are a backyard grower or just a supporter of growing food in urban, small backyard settings, please join!
Hoping to establish a strong base of people who have micro-farms in their backyards who are looking for ways to make use of their surplus. Coming together on this can help formulate ideas and will hopefully create a little more good in world.
Facebook link
Urban Plantations interview on Cascadian Farms Blog
Go to the Cascadian Farms blog to see an interview by writer Kari Burk as she visits an Urban Plantation in North Park.
http://blog.cascadianfarm.com
Interview