I am on the road again–springtime–and I am off across the country speaking to gardeners and herbal enthusiasts from coast to coast and in-between.
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I ’ve just been in Santa Cruz , California , where my dear admirer and co - generator Carolyn Dille rest with her husband , Dick Walvis . Carolyn and Dick live on in a lovely old vicinity , with very mountainous terrain and a distant view of the Pacific . Their gardens are right smart ahead of mine back in Maryland , since my daffodils were about 3 - inches gamy and just begin to bud when I bequeath , while theirs are at their peak , with some of the earlier varieties already spent . Rosemary and salvias — everything from 6 - foot ornamental to the culinarySalvia officinalisand bright - ruby-red blooms of pineapple sage ( Salvia elegans ) are in full flower , while in my zona 7 garden it is too early to even set out my pineapple plant sage .
Their backyard garden which is on a slope , is home base to blooming plum , almond , California bay , Olea europaea trees , and a stinker Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree laden with fruit . Planted amongst these trees are huge blooming rosemary scrub , many herbaceous plant , flowering bulbs , rose bushes , garlic , artichokes , and legion perennials . Walking around the neighborhood , I was astounded at the number of sedums and cacti that grow ebulliently in that groggy clime .
I could n’t look to visit the Santa Cruz farmers ’ market , which was crowded and coloured — with garden truck and citizenry . Greens of every semblance were piled high , some of them with purple hue ( kale ) and brilliant rainbow halt ( chard ) . Brassicas were on video display from broccoli and cauliflower to baby Brussels sprout and pointed cabbages . table full of artichoke , Asparagus officinales spring onion plant , Allium porrum and Japanese radish showed the harbingers of spring in full regalia . The array of citrus fruit was incredible — every type of orange that I could call back of , and more — from odorous tangelos and mandarins to juicy , blood - reddened fruits . Yellow spheres from large to low were carefully stacked in pyramid : grapefruits , pommelos ( immense and sweet ! ) and maize .
We left the market , after tope shots of awful homemade sauerkraut juice ; our choices were dill pickle , smokey cayenne pepper , or leek and horseradish sauerkraut ! Of course , I had to test the latter since Armoracia rusticana is herbaceous plant of the year for 2011 and it is delish ! Our bounty of locally - grown vegetables and yield invigorate us to make many memorable meals . I will post a few favourite recipes in the next day or two . Meanwhile you may savour spring in California with some of the following photo . For those of you in cooler component of the country , know that spring is coming soon !
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‘Tuscan Blue’ rosemary in full bloom in Carolyn and Dick’s front yard herb garden in Santa Cruz. Click on other pix to enlarge and read captions.Photo/Illustration: Susan Belsinger
