Master Gardens, August 23

Have you picked all the tomatoes you can eat? Do you need to plug some empty spaces in your late summer garden? The Master Gardeners are back at The Green Tent for another month of giveaways, including free plants, free seeds and free information. 

And what a lot of choices you’ll have on Sunday, August 23 from 9 am to 1 pm!! Better come early for the best selection.

• Anaheim Peppers, mildly hot, use green or wait until they turn red. 
• Mustard Greens, mild mix of four different shapes and textures, succulent and delicious. 
• Calendula, edible flower. The poor woman’s saffron. And beautiful as a cut flower. 
• Bush Beans, French baby, tender-crisp & fine tasting gourmet baby beans.
• Pole Beans, imported French variety, abundant, slender and elegant, crispy-sweet beans.
  
• Summer squash, patty-pan, space-saving bush plants, easy and fast to grow, harvest in 55 days!  
• Spinach, long-standing spinach, upright, crunchy leaves and rich flavor, keep picking for long harvests.
• Basil mix of Purple Opal and Heirloom salad leaf basil.
• Dill, an heirloom called Leafy Diana. Blue-green leaves for salads, seeds for cooking and blossoms that bring butterflies.
• Cilantro, fast growing lacy green leaves with a fresh spicy-sharp flavor.

But wait, there’s more…!

• Baby Pak Choi,  Plump, crispy mini heads with pastel stalks. Ready in a record 45 days!!!
• Kale, Triple-Curled, Dutch Darkibor. Handsome & productive, vitamin-rich leaves are mild tasting & juicy-sweet.
• Chard, Neon Glow, eye catching color combo. Delicious and beautiful.
• Arugula, Rustic Heirloom variety. Long lasting plants with tangy-tasting indented leaves and spicy golden blossoms.

PLEASE remember to bring your plastic six packs so the Master Gardeners can plant up a batch of seedlings as generous as this month’s.

Your best source for drought related information is http://bewaterwise.com/gardenspot.html. And what’s that eating  your veggies, fruit or making your plants sick? Try this resource as your first recourse and try to avoid the temptation to use chemicals: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu!