Buck's Horn Plantain, Plantago coronopus

Plantago coronopus

Eat your weeds! They're good for you? I actually purchased seeds of this as the packet said the flavor of the leaves added a 'bitter high note to salads' I have kept just a few plants, pictured here growing close to some broccoli . A similar species from Greece, Plantago crassifolia, is given the name of 'Goose's Tongue', Arnoghlosson in Greek,  and is used as a cooked green vegetable. Plantain's were once called 'white man's footprint' because they were a weed of colonisation in America and Australia. Plantago coronopus is listed as a coastal weed of southern Australia. It is native to Europe where it has a long history as a survival food and use in herbal medicine. On the battlefield it became known as 'soldier's herb'. The astringent quality of the leaves made it useful for the treatment of wounds and bleeding. Shakespeare alludes to this when Romeo says 'Your plantain leaf is excellent for broken skin'

Desert Design

Warm earthy colours for a planter box beside a new deck.

Plants include the bronze New Zealand grass Carex comans, the russet orange Wallflower Cheiranthus 'Constant Cheer' and a double flowering Kalanchoe blossfeldiana.

Younger than Spring-time..

The Sweet peas are at their best this week though for some reason most of the ones I planted this year have turned out pink. So I will dedicate this bunch to David Sedaris who makes me laugh out loud whenever I read his books.
Anyone watching the Commonwealth Games in Delhi? Network Ten is giving great commentary and coverage but spectators in the stadiums seems to be a bit thin on the ground.It is certainly not a "green games". The budget in India didn't stretch to giving the winning medalists a bouquet of flowers for their efforts and the potted plants used for background decoration are quite miserable in size. The abiding image for me is seeing Indian soldiers standing in empty garden beds outside one of the main venues.

Raphanus sativus, Spanish black radish

'Rabanito', Spanish black radish (Raphanus sativus)

What to do when your entire crop is ready at once? Make pickles is the way to go with these beauties. I am guessing that the standard mix for pickling syrup is half a cup of sugar to 1 cup of vinegar with maybe a bit of salt added as well and some selected herbs and spices.

Salvia x 'Red Dragon'

Salvia x 'Red Dragon'

This is one of those brittle stemmed Salvias which has a fairly lopsided habit of growth and is best planted where it can sprawl in a haphazard way. It can be frustrating growing a plant like this commercially because it fails to look good in a pot and does not flower well until it is planted out.The flowers when they appear are a rich velvety red and like most of the genus are loved by honey eating birds.
2017 update: I  no longer grow this Salvia.

Brassica rapa var. rapifera, Japanese Turnip

Kabu, Japanese Turnip 'Kobaku' Type
 Brassica rapa var rapifera

This is the first time I have grown these small white Japanese turnips. They were ready to harvest about 30 days after planting the seed. The flavour is exceptional and they can be eaten raw as they are very sweet and mild flavoured. The green tops I have added to salads and used as a stir fried green. Because they are only small plants, they would be very suitable for growing in a container.

Iris x germanica 'Smoke Rings'

Iris x germanica 'Smoke Rings'

In flower this week is this aptly named Iris. It has delicate petals which appear like a wisp of smoke.