Quote of the Week
"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."
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Garden America
This Week's Radio Show
Saturday, December 24
8-10 am PST / 11am - 1pm EST
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Part organizer, part problem-solver, Katie Dubow's business acumen developed early. Employing friends, other seven-year-olds, she directed a successful envelope stuffing and stamp licking operation for her mother's public relations firm, Garden Media. Flash forward 30 years and Katie is continuing the family tradition by introducing her daughter, Quinn, to the business of horticulture PR.
Together, they aim to bring gardening to a new demographic and convince people that brown thumbs can, in fact, be turned green. In her spare time she practices Bikram yoga, mixes a mean cocktail and of course, gardens excessively. She will be talking with us about exciting upcoming trends and products for 2023.
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Did you miss the show? CLICK HERE to watch our Facebook live episodes.
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DID YOU KNOW?
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Ves heill means “be in (good) health”. The toast of Wassail was brought to England by the Danes and spread quickly. Toasts are statements made in honor of a person, group of people, or idea, followed by a drink. Another pre-Christian practice, driving out evil spirits that might blight their crops, by singing, shouting, and making noise in the fields and apple orchards also became part of Wassail. The villagers poured cider onto the ground to encourage bountiful crops. This practice continued in parts of England after converting to Christianity. Over time, the term wassail came to refer to the drink, the toast, and the practice of going Christmas caroling. Historically, Wassail (the beverage) was an alcoholic drink made from hot mulled mead, hard cider, or ale. A typical version of Wassail is a drink called Lamb’s Wool. It is made from an ale whipped to a froth with floating roasted crab apples. Some of the recipes for Wassail include egg as well. Modern versions of Wassail can also be non-alcoholic, typically a hot spiced cider. Traditionally, Wassail was served from large communal bowls, often with floating pieces of toast in it, which is where the phrase to toast someone came from.
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What's Growing in Our Gardens?
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'Thai Constellation' Monstera
Jerry - San Jose, CA
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Christmas Mouse Poinsettia
John's
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Wood Rot Fungus
Lynda - Redding, CA
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LIMES BURSTING WITH FLAVOR BUBBLES
by John Bagnasco
Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime, is a thorny understorey shrub or small tree of the lowland subtropical
It has edible fruits which are now under development as a commercial crop in the US. Who could have predicted that finger-shaped fruits nestled among small, pointed, thin leaves on thorny branches would appeal to citrus lovers? This odd citrus hits the top of the "super cool" and zing taste-meter. Often referred to as citrus caviar, chefs prize the 3-7 in. tapered fruits because its juice vesicles burst out when they are sliced width-wise and resemble caviar or tapioca balls.
The translucent orbs range from pale green to dark berry and its unique tangy, refreshing lime-tasting fruits are used as garnish, spooned over oysters on the half shell, in salads, soups, jams, sauces, Thai curries or eating them plain for a zesty, crunchy munch.
Finger limes can be grown in the ground in USDA zone 10. Where winters are cold, plant in a container and bring indoors where there is bright, indirect light during the frosty seasons. You'll know finger limes are ready to harvest when they pull off the branches easily. Ripe fruit won't fall off the tree, you need to pull them off. If you pull fruit and it resists, try again a week later. Ripe finger limes can be from 1-5 inches long. Even small fruits can be ripe so don't worry about the size
Research conducted since the 1970s indicated that a wild selection of C. australasica was highly resistant to Phytophthora citrophthora root disease, which has resulted in a cross-breeding program with finger lime to develop disease-resistant citrus rootstock. In 2020, researchers began working with C. australasica to develop solutions for Citrus greening disease.
If your local nursery does not have finger limes, they can be ordered online from Four Winds Growers.
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We'd love for you to share pictures of what's currently growing in your garden. Please send photos to john@gardenamerica.com
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