Bay Meadows

Happy belated New Year to everyone! As you can see from the beautiful edible bouquet pictured above, the Community Garden at Persimmon Park has been enjoying this unseasonably warm January weather. In the bouquet, you’ll find purple curly kale (great for kale chips!), broccoli shoots, swiss chard, and edible white arugula flowers – a mouth watering harvest for any winter gardener!

PEPPERY ARUGULA BLOSSOMS

If your arugula “bolts” or starts to flower, don’t despair! The pretty white flowers of the arugula plant are a delicious addition to any salad. Just sprinkle them on top of your lettuce and veggies for a hint of peppery flavor, not to mention the petals add a pretty flash of white to a plate of greenery! For more ideas of how to use arugula flowers in the kitchen, click here to see how this versatile little flower can spice up your scrambled eggs, scallops, and potatoes.

BROCCOLI SHOOTS

When deciding which variety of broccoli you’d like to plant, make sure it’s a variety that produces an abundance of “shoots.” Many varieties only produce one large head of broccoli (what you normally buy at the grocery store or farmers’ market) and then the plant is done. Considering that a broccoli plant takes up a lot of room (up to two feet wide and high) and can take three months to produce one head, this can be a disappointing harvest for a gardener with limited space. But if you choose a variety such as “Arcadia”, even once you cut that main, large head, the plant will continue to produce delicious, small side shoots that one can harvest for several more weeks!

NEXT DIG IT CLASS: THE GOOD BUGS!
Saturday, February 7th, 1-2PM

Join us on Saturday, February 7th for the next class in the DIG IT series – the Good Bugs! We’ll be discussing how some of the smallest critters in the garden are the most important. Learn why bees, ladybugs, and our friend the praying mantis (pictured above) should be encouraged to thrive among all your vegetables. This class is open to Bay Meadows residents and the wider community, so feel free to bring all your friends and family. Light refreshments will be served, so come prepared to snack, learn, and ask lots of questions!

If you have any questions about the Community Garden at Persimmon Park, please feel free to stop by and say hello. Mike the Gardener is there every Friday (9AM-2:30PM) and Saturday (9AM-3:30PM) and he is always happy to answer questions and show you around.

Happy Gardening!

Photo Credits Star Apple Edible Gardens