Raised Bed Evolution

As you can see, the veggies in our greens bed are beginning to pop up.  This is after 2 weeks, and in another 2 weeks we should have some young greens.  In this particular bed, which is 12 feet by 4 feet, there are 6 different varieties of lettuce, dandelion greens, beets, carrots, salsify, and a couple I can't remember.  The point is that, within such a seemingly small space, one can really grow quite a variety of veggies.  We have 3 raised beds in all, and hope to have more than enough to get us through the summer and autumn without having to buy much from the market.  

2008 Irises

These are some of the irises we've been collecting over the years, all non-bearded.  The dark indigo, with larger blossoms, is the Louisiana iris, it's the first time in 2 years that it's bloomed.  The other irises are both Siberian irises, and exhibit very different colors, as well as petal qualities.  As soon as the Japanese Irises open up, we'll get those on the blog.  It's going to be a banner year for flowers, it already has been, and looks like it's going to only get better.

Charleston Tea Plantation

In an attempt to find out more about our favorite drink; tea, we came upon the Charleston Tea Plantation.  Located on James Island, just south of Charleston, it consists of about 145 acres of camellia sinensis, or tea plants.  As in an earlier blog, all tea comes from the same plant, however, there are approximately 350 varieties of the plant!  I was shocked to learn this.  Some interesting tid-bits regarding the tea farm, they have the 1902 World's Fair tea plant that introduced iced-tea to America, they also have a plant that has been left unattended to, which has grown to about 16 feet tall.  The plants will naturally grow to tree height if left alone.  The processing plant, which is also on the property, is a quiet, very simple process that was surprisingly unobtrusive.  They only produce black tea, with plans to begin the green tea process later on this year.  The Bigelow family owns the plantation, and it would seem that the "Charleston Tea Plantation," brand of tea is only sold locally.  Which is a shame, the tea is fantastic!  The guide was telling us, that in the fall, all of the tea plants bloom, and that a particular butterfly, which is quite rare to the area, swarms the fields to pollinate.  That would be quite a spectacle.  We're going back for that at some point.

Magnolia Plantation

These are photos from our recent vacation to Charleston, SC.  On day 3 of the vacation we visited historic Magnolia Plantation, which is approx. 30 minutes outside Charleston.  All of the photos were taken within the boundaries of the Magnolia Plantation gardens.  The gardens are nationally known for their camellia's of which were only beginning to come into bloom.  The bridges shown, of which there are 4, were both built during the late 1800's.  The plantation was formerly a rice plantation of which it grew the famous "Gold Rice," of the south.  We tried, and eventually purchased some of this incredible rice, which tastes very much like basmati.  There are now only 145 acres of the rice in production in South Carolina.  During their peak production in the 1800's, they were pumping out a whopping 330,000 tons of rice!  If you'd like to know more about the plantation click here: http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/

Bamboo Culms

One of the most intriguing things about bamboo is it's incredible ability to adapt.  During the winter, the rhizomes spread out in an equidistant area from a central location of the plants roots.  When the night time temperatures reach a steady 45 to 50 degrees, the rhizomes begin sending up "culms," or what typically are referred to as bamboo shoots.  These occur along the straight line of the rhizome, and can exceed 20 or 30 feet in one season.  The culms typically grow about 1 - 2 inches per day when the temperatures reach the upper 60's and 70's.  Our particular grove of Black River Bamboo and Green Dragon Bamboo have been in place for about 6 years, and while it's beautiful, it's also incredibly invasive, and requires extensive care and maintenance.  A metal barrier was installed 5 years ago, and while that has kept it at bay, it still escapes and has to be cut back.  Currently the tallest shoot is at about 30 feet, which is nearly the maximum height of these types of bamboo. 

Soon the new seasonal leaves will come out, and a new forest of green will occur.  

Raised Bed Heirloom Tomatoes

This year we decided to try our hands at raising tomatoes from seed.  All went well for the first several weeks, and then, boom, they pretty much all died.  It was probably from lack of attention, due to our being too busy, however, we struck gold at the Watauga Farmers Market this past saturday, when we found a stall full of heirloom tomatoes!  Pictured are the following varietals; Cherokee Purple, Mr. Green Stripey, Mountain Gold, and Marlbarg tomatoes.  We did have success, well, so far, with 5 German Riesentraub miniature tomatoes, which are in the square foot garden, not pictured here.  After the tomatoes are about 2 feet tall, we'll install bamboo teepees around each one.

Two years ago, using this same raised bed, we harvested more tomatoes than we could use, giving bags away to friends and family.  We also dehydrate the tomatoes, and this year, we intend to make pasta sauce, which we'll can for the first time.  As soon as the greenhouse is up and running, more tomatoes from seed are on the way. 

Cameillia Sinensis

Here's a photo of our latest plant endeavor; Cameillia Sinensis, or the common Tea plant.  It lives best up to Zone 7-8, however, it can be kept indoors, or of course in a greenhouse, and a couple of plants will produce enough fresh tea for 2-3 people.  It typically grows to approximately 4' tall, and about the same in width.  The plants pictured are about 1' at this point, and have recently been transplanted into larger pots than they were shipped in.   

An interesting fact surrounding tea is that all tea, comes from the same plant.  Black tea, Green tea, all come from Camellia sinensis.  It's a matter of how the leaves are either dried, or roasted that produces black or green tea.  Then the tea is graded based upon the time of the year it's harvested, as well as the age of the leaves, in other words; the topmost leaf of the plant, harvested in spring is graded superior, and is considered to be a delicacy in China, and other countries.  I've tried the tea mentioned above, and it's amazing, very fresh, very delicate, and clean tasting.  Called "Dragonwell" Green tea, it is prized for it's subtle and clean taste.  When brewing this tea, make sure to use fresh water, and only allow the leaves (use 4-5 leaves in a single cup) to steep for 3-4 minutes.  Here's a link for Dragonwell tea: http://shangtea.com/store/p/10-West-Lake-Dragon-Well-Long-Jing-Before-Rain.html