Salvaged Eggplants

The frost a week or so ago killed all the eggplant and pepper plants. The peppers that were on the plants were soggy. The eggplants were planted elsewhere and did not receive any attention. When the plants were pulled off Saturday, there were a lot of eggplants still on them. They appeared to be firm, so they were picked and taken inside. They wound up in eggplant parmesan Monday night and were delicious.

The eggplant parmesan was served on a bed of arugula, which was wonderful and accompanied by a side salad featuring mesclun, arugula, radishes and onions from the garden. Just because the winter comes does not mean the garden won’t feed the gardener.

Once again the perfect garden is being planted in my head. Learning the lessons from the summer, most of which are positive this year is important in planning the garden and the choice of plants to start in the greenhouse.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Sweet Greens

The freezing weather has really improved the taste of the greens from the garden. The leaves are limp in the early morning until things warm up, but in the afternoon they perk up. They are still a darker green and they are really tender. There does not seem to be a change at all in the collards, but they are not big enough to pick yet anyway.

The pansies seem to enjoy the cold weather. They are smiling all the time now and producing a riot of color. The camellias too are doing well. It is doubtful that the artichokes can take much more cold. It really doesn’t matter. They were planted in the front yard to provide interest while the other winter plantings were getting started. Hopefully their roots will survive and prosper and next spring new artichokes will come up.

The backyard artichokes in the garden produced 1 artichoke this year and then seemed to die back. Hopefully the front yard “chokes” will do better.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Some Grows, Some Goes

The fall garden has been a spotty thing this year. Cucumbers came up great and died. Squash came up well and have small squash, that grow so slowly that the pickle worms find them. The sugar peas came up and went away. They were replanted and have not come back up. The 1st radishes are getting some size, but they have no radishes. The spinach came up and went away and had to be replanted. The cabbage was doing well, but has disappeared.

The arugula is doing well as is the mesclun. The mustard and turnips have been picked several times. The kale that was planted at the same time as the mustard and turnips is growing really slowly. The onions and collards planted a week ago have not even come up. The fig tree is loaded, but they are not getting ripe.

The bed in the center of the front yard has been completely reworked. All of the living plants were dug up. The bed was sided with a double row of landscaping timbers and filled with compost and dirt. Three artichokes were planted and the irises and cannas were replanted. The cannas will be moved to another bed, but they had to be replanted in that bed, because there is no place for them yet. That bed will get a lot more work through the week and next weekend.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Master Gardener Day 1

The day before yesterday (1/19) was the 1st class for Master Gardener. It was primarily orientation so nothing was learned about gardening, only about the program and the co-operative service. We did get to meet each other. The next class will be on botany and will take place at UNCC. That should be very informative.

A bunch more stuff sprouted in the greenhouse. There are now a lot more plants under the lights than in the “incubators”. The decision time is coming close about culling some of the little plants that don’t look so healthy or a few that are obviously dead. The reason for reluctance is that there were several seeds put into each cup and maybe there are un-sprouted seeds hanging around.

The warmer temperatures have made the garden more enticing. Maybe this weekend there will be an opportunity to replant the greens and rework any un-refreshed beds. The old turnips and mustard still need to be pulled off.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Forgotten Arugula

Somehow the arugula was left out of the fall planting. Someone somewhere mentioned arugula and I tried to remember if it had been planted. No, it hadn’t. It got planted yesterday. The rain is supposed to come today, so maybe it will be off to a fast start. The first of the scarlet globe, white tipped radishes were picked yesterday; but there are no salad greens to go with them. These are beautiful big radishes and they are not pithy at all.

The mesclun and spinach are coming up, but they are still too small to pick. We have had 3 messes of sallet greens and one mess was given away. They are tender and delicious. The stems were even tender enough to leave them in. We are saving the greens from the radishes to mix with the next batch.

The dry weather has really hampered the garden growth. The garden has needed watering every day. Rain is predicted for today and the sky is cloudy. I even heard thunder a little while ago. Pray for rain please.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Succession Planning for Gardens

This is not to keep my children from fighting over the garden after my demise. This is to keep the garden producing all year. There are several phases of succession planning. The overall garden plan needs to be considered. If inter-planting techniques are used, the succession may take care of itself. Greens or salad stuff may be planted at the edge of the squash beds (rows). When the greens start to bolt, they can be pulled off to leave more room for the squash. Summer squash takes a lot of space when it starts producing.

Some things can be planted at intervals to provide a longer eating season. Spinach, lettuce, carrots and radishes are good examples of this. Increasing day length causes the spinach and lettuce to bolt so the succession crops of these will be short lived. Old radishes and carrots tend to get woody as the season progresses.

Squash and tomato plants will produce until frost; but the plants get shabby and production declines. A follow-up crop in June will assure a continuous supply of these summer delights, to mix with the okra and lima beans. Potatoes will be finished in July in Charlotte. Peas will be finished in June. These rows or beds make a great place for follow-up plantings.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The Long Silence

It is almost always better to do something than talk about it. That has been the situation in the garden this month. Now everything is coming up great and the concentration is on weeding and building support structures. Watering has also become important very early in the season.

The only thing that has not come up well is the potatoes. They were planted in raised bed boxes that had not been filled, so they are really just planted in the dirt. Only 5 potato plants have come up. They will get one more week to manifest themselves or they will be covered with compost and dirt and the new bed will be either planted with something else or covered with leaves until it is needed.

Both salad and sallet greens are gracing our table and the tables of our friends in abundance. Onions too. Even a few asparagus are showing up. They are not very thick. Not even as thick as last year. There are more of them though. The sugar peas (sugar snap) are 30” tall already; but they do not have blossoms yet. They are supported by bamboo poles and a cats cradle type of string arrangement. String is a necessary evil in the garden. If it is not carefully and completely removed after use, it can really cause havoc with the tiller.

OK… I’m back to doing and eating.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

The Wearing of the Green

The price of corned beef has suddenly gone up and is on sale. Cabbage is too. Everyone is getting ready for St. Patty’s day. It is after all the real all American rite of spring. At least a few of the beds in the garden are getting their green clothes out. The Arugula came up on the 10th. The spinach, kale, rape, mustard and turnips popped up yesterday (the 11th). They should be large enough to bring color to the garden in another 5 days.

Something has been digging in the sugar peas. I hope the did not eat all the seeds. There were a couple of seeds laying on top of the ground; so maybe the digger was looking for earthworms. A few of the onion sets have sprouted. That means it is almost time to plant a follow-up crop. One never needs to run out of onions.

The cherry trees on Sardis Rd. are blooming. That is the signal that the sap is rising and Spring is springing. This weekend the time changes giving us an extra hour in the garden each day. Praise be to Mother Earth.





David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Dead Heroes

Some of the winter heroes praised in the last article have fallen in combat against the cold. It is possible they have a little bit of Lazarus in them however. The older kale plants look to be beyond recovery. The newer kale and the mustard and arugula seem to be recovering after the warm spell and a day of rain. The rosemary and thyme actually seemed to enjoy the cold. The onions had no damage from the cold and experienced a growth spurt when the rain came.

The tomatoes in the greenhouse did not fare so well. All but one is totally dead. That one still looks very frost bitten. The bedding plants held up fine. The earthworms enjoyed their protected habitat.

Garden plans for next year are coming along well. 17 boxes for beds have been built. Most have been filled. The lumber for one more is cut and ready to nail together. A list of needed plants and seeds has been compared with the inventory and the order should be ready for Burpee by tomorrow. Bulk seeds will be bought from Renfrow’s as needed. The seeds needed for the greenhouse are not available there. Many plants have been started; but the serious preparation and planting needs to be done this weekend.




David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com/ , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Christmas Tomatoes

In most of the country they come from the windowsill; but Christmas tomatoes are one of the real rewards of gardening. They don’t count if they come from the grocery store. We don’t have Christmas tomatoes this year. The deer feasted on tomato vines and our harvest was almost nil. At the end of the season when the frost was coming and the vines were being pulled, there was only 2 green tomatoes. This was mid November and they ripened and were gobbled down quickly.

We do have tomatoes growing well in the greenhouse. They are planted in an indoor raised bed. We are holding out hope for Easter tomatoes. All of the greenhouse plants are doing pretty well. The garden is still producing kale, mustard, turnips and arugula. The cold weather has slowed them down a little; but the frost has really made them tender.

The newer plantings of spinach, creasy greens and onions from seed are growing very, very slow. The radishes are doing well; but the carrots and beets have not even sprouted. The onions from sets are really doing well. We are picking from one group and another group is almost ready to pick.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Planning a Raised Bed Garden

A vegetable garden is a fairly permanent establishment. When raised beds are added it adds a new level of permanence. A regular garden will be in the same place every year. The rows may not be. With raised beds the rows (beds) will stay where they are. This has advantages and disadvantages. Some crops have very specific needs and the beds used for them may not work well in crop rotation. Most of the beds in my garden are 3’ wide. This is optimum for reaching the center from anywhere. The squash beds need to be 4’ wide. That may not be enough.

There is always something growing in our garden; so the spot where things are growing may have to wait for beds. The picture from Thursday’s article shows greens planted in a row with beds on both sides. Those greens will last until well into spring, I hope. Space had to be left for a bed between the other beds. That really doesn’t matter this time of year; but it could cause a problem next spring.

Some things grow vertically. This can complicate planning. Normally I like the tallest crops in the west of the garden with a north/south orientation. This lets everything get maximum sun without being blocked by other plants. In a raised bed plants are mixed up more to take advantage of the tighter planning requirements. This could put tall plants and short plants together, requiring heightened awareness of available and needed sunlight.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Fall Garden is Planted

Last weekend the Chard and Spinach went in. Everything else had to wait. This Saturday I built a new 12’ X 3’ raised bed. I was not double dug. The whole empty part of the garden was tilled deep. The box was built on top of the ground and about 6” of compost was put in. Then the surrounding loose dirt from the pathways was used to top out the bed.

The new raised bed was planted with Arugula and Mesclun mix. Tokyo cross turnips and curly mustard were planted in regular rows. The Brussels sprouts are still producing. I did not bother the replant them. The broccoli from spring is still healthy; but not producing broccoli. The yield was so low the broccoli may not be worth the trouble. It may produce some more.

The tomatoes are finally getting ripe and there are 5 spaghetti squash on the vine. We ate one early in the season and had one last night. These things really make a lot of spaghetti. Powdery mildew has raised it’s ugly head; so all of the cucurbits got a good dose of sulfur yesterday. I have the wood to make another raised bed; but the compost isn’t ready. Maybe later.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

Odds and Ends

Chris has been wondering what to do with all of the figs. He found a recipe for fig wine. Here is a link: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques6.asp . Our figs are not ripening fast. We just get a few each day. I will only prune the branches that keep me from opening the greenhouse door this year. Maybe that will help. Speaking of pruning… The pruning that the deer gave to the tomatoes delayed production by a month. We picked the first tomato last weekend. The vines are totally loaded. The real test will be in how they taste.

The replanted cucumber vines are climbing and blooming. Hopefully they will be productive. Mesclun, Arugula and Chard will be planted for the fall this weekend. Maybe we will get a full salad from the garden yet. We could use kale; but it is a little strong for a full salad. It does make a great addition of two or three leaves though. The carrots are still doing well. The rabbits really like them. Potatoes are just not happy in my garden. The space they take will be dedicated to other things next year.

Our winters have been coming so late that a fall planting of squash may survive to produce a few fruits. The old plants are still producing; but they really look ragged. They might make good candidates for the new raised bed. The winter garden will also include mustard and turnip greens, carrots and beets, more kale and onions. The bunch type onions will be used for the fall/winter garden.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/

How to Prepare Greens

How to Prepare Greens

There are many types of greens with varied taste and texture. Some greens, like spinach, chard or collards, are better cooked by themselves. Others like mustard, kale, rape or turnips are good as mixed greens. The intensity of the taste can be managed by the quantity of each type used. Mustard has a strong taste. Turnips, kale and rape are milder. Use the amount of each that is necessary to balance the flavor and obtain the desired strength.

Pick the largest leaves to minimize the effort (and back strain) of washing them. Each leaf should be picked up and examined. Some people like to pull the stems out. They can be tough and woody sometimes. Grit and bugs need to be removed before cooking and serving. The greens can be boiled with some type of cured pork or just your favorite seasoning. Young tender greens can be sautéed in olive oil with garlic. They really go well in stir fries. Try adding some sliced or diced turnip bulbs in either method. My favorite turnips are the Tokyo Hybrid Cross. The purple top turnips are good as well; but they need to be harvested while they are small. The Tokyo turnips stay tender and sweet at a larger size.

Greens furnish a lot of folic acid, b vitamins and vitamin c. They are great with vinegar or a vinegar-based hot sauce. Sometimes we use bouillon in the boiled greens instead of pork. The “pot-liquor” left from cooking the greens is great for making rice or cous-cous or anything of that nature. Some people like to drink it. In makes a great organic vitamin drink.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

Greens, Greens and More Greens

Greens, Greens and More Greens

The greens, both salad and cooking are the stars of the garden right now. There are turnips, mustard, kale and Swiss chard. All are growing faster than we can eat them. We are giving away a “mess” a day and eating them every night. These are great sources of Vitamin C, and A and folic acid. The flavor is great with a little Texas Pete. I even ate some leftovers with my eggs Sunday morning.

Spinach of course can go both ways. We are cooking the spinach from the fall garden and using the spinach from the spring garden for salads. The other part of the salad greens is mesclun mix. I don’t remember what the show was; but there was a lady on TV harvesting mesclun with scissors. It is so easy. Just grab the top of the plant and give it a “haircut”. Picking really goes fast and the mesclun grow back faster too.

Probably the possibility of a complete salad from the garden is impossible here. By the time tomatoes and cucumbers are coming in, the spinach, lettuce and mesclun will have bolted. There are, at least, radishes and spring onions. Radishes, carrots and beets were planted together. As the radishes are harvested more room is available and the soil is loosened for the slower growing carrots and beets.


David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.

False Spring

False Spring

Saturday morning the air was warm enough to go outside without a jacket. What a great time to plant the spring garden. Saturday saw carrots, radishes and beets sowed into a row 3’ wide and about 25’ long. Sunday was for Swiss chard, Tokyo cross hybrid turnips, curly mustard, mesclun mix and kale in one bed of 3 rows. Potatoes and onions went into another row.

The soil was too alkaline for potatoes so the first step was a heavy dusting of sulfur. It made me think about George Bush. Then I worked in a whole bunch of leaves so that the soil seems to be about ½ leaves and ½ dirt. Then the potatoes went in and a side row of onion sets. I still need to plant arugula and lettuce. Spinach has survived from the fall garden; but it never got big enough to pick. Maybe this warm weather will bring it up.

The weather man (fickle as he is) has promised us a week of spring like weather. I am quite sure it will be followed by more hard freezes and possibly some snow. I hope we won’t get early bloom on the flowers and fruit trees.



David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.