The harvest display at Locust Grove Sunset Sensations on October 9, 2014
(I apologize for the poor quality of the above photo. The room was dark and the sun was streaming through the glass doors and windows.)
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It was one of those week.
The week went by but nothing much was accomplished. Sure glad I got my garlic planted the week before and did not wait until 10/29 (the date I planted in 2013).
Since there was nothing exciting from my garden, thought I would showcase some of the 2014 crops grown at Locust Grove Heritage Vegetable Garden where I am a volunteer.
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Tomatoes
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Carrots
Yellow Carrot – Jaune Obtuse du Doubs (from 1894), Orange Carrot – St. Valery (<1885)
Cross sections of orange & yellow carrots
Both the yellow and orange carrots are heirlooms and even though quite large are not woody. The yellow stays yellow after cooking.
Taste: sweet and crisp. Good carrot flavor.
Will be growing both in my home garden next year.
Today we are having our Locust Grove year end gardeners’ potluck lunch. I am making a Sweet Potato Noodles dish featuring the above carrots.
To learn about sweet potato noodles and a recipe click here.
The above are just 2 of the carrot varieties growing in the LGHVG garden.
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Three Sisters – Corn, Pole Beans & Pumpkin/Squash
Three Sisters – Corn, Pole Beans (Scarlet Runner) & Pumpkin (Cheese)
Top: Corn (Stowell’s Evergreen)
Left: Pumpkin (Tan Cheese)
No photo of the harvested Scarlet Runner Beans, sorry.
The Three Sisters companion planting is an ancient and practical space-saving method that was used by native Americans and are used by many gardeners today. The cornstalks, which acts as trellises, offer support for the beans to climb. The beans fixes nitrogen in the soil to nourish the corn. The pumpkins, growing along the ground and acting as mulch, prevent weeds from growing and help to conserve moisture.
To learn about 3 sisters companion plantings click on the links below.
http://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-three-sisters
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Onions
Onions (Southport White Globe)
The above is one of the many varieties of onions grown in the LGHVG garden.
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Dried Beans
Dried Beans
The True Red Cranberry is a pretty beans and the texture of the cooked beans is creamy, I like it a lot. Wish I had room to grow some in my own garden. Have not tried the Blue Coco or the Mayflower.
NOTE: Home-grown dried beans cook faster than store-bought dried beans. The same is true for home-grown vegetables.
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Turnips
Turnips (Purple Top White Globe & Orange Jelly)
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Herbs
Lavender
Feverfew
Sage
There are also thyme, parsley, basil, rosemary …
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Nasturtium
The nasturtiums are truly gorgeous this year.
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The above are a small sampling of the crops grown in LGHVG. Click here to view some of the other crops.
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Copyright © by Norma Chang. All Rights Reserved. Do not use/repost any photos and/or articles without permission.
Visit Daphne’s Dandelions http://daphnesdandelions.blogspot.com/ for more Harvest Mondays
Garden to Wok 
I don’t enjoy those weeks when I am so busy doing a lot of nothing.
Have a wonderful week ahead Norma.
🙂 Mandy xo
Hello Mandy,
Frustrating isn’t it? This should be a much better week, I hope. A wonderful week to you too.
Those carrots are huge. I always wonder why we move away from certain varieties. For carrots I always guessed the newer ones are sweeter or faster to produce. Of course sweet is only a bonus when eating the fresh really. I like the cooked ones that aren’t as sweet just as much.
Hello Daphne,
I was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful those heirloom carrots were, hope they do well in my garden next year.
That dish sure looks interesting Norma, do the sweet potato noodles have a strange smell like the Shirataki do? I think I’d prefer the chewy texture than the Shirataki texture. The tomatoes look wonderful too, our neighbours just gave us a few of their heirloom tomatoes but they weren’t 100% ripe so I oven dried them. They really concentrate down to some incredible flavours.
I got my garlic in a couple of weeks ago, it’s in a large styrofoam chest, hopefully they’ll do well. I’m pretty sure I’ve already spent more on trying to grow garlic than I actually buy in a few years! Sigh.
Hope you have a great week.
Hello Eva,
No, sweet potato noodles do not have a strange smell like Shirataki, many people mistaken sweet potato noodles for cellophane (bean thread) noodles. You find them in the dried noodles section in Asian market. Comes in various thickness.
I do hope your garlic do well for you this time around. Was thinking, perhaps you could bring the Styrofoam chest into the garage during the coldest part of winter, like say January/February and take them outdoor beginning of March. A great week to you too.
What a glorious variety!
Hello Lisa and Robb,
We do grow a great variety of crops in the LGHVG garden and I am constantly learning.
That is a great collection of crops grown at the Locust Grove garden. And such a nice variety of tomatoes.
Hello Dave,
We do have quite a collection of crops and I am always learning something new. A fun place to volunteer.
Wonderful crops from the heritage garden. I really like the idea of photographing the tomatoes on the plates when doing comparisons. You not only identify the variety on the plate but it also provides a good indication of size. I did a comparison of the varieties I grew this year but have yet to do a post on it….I better get to it before I’m planting next seasons tomatoes!
BTW – How did you find the three sisters garden grew? I’ve seen lots of people try it but only be successful on 2 of the 3 crops – usually corn and either beans or squash but not both.
Hello Margaret,
Photographing the tomatoes on the plates was LGHVG horticulturist’s idea, I just snapped the photos.
The corn and the cheese pumpkin do very well in the 3 sisters planting, I did not pay attention to the beans but there were tons of flowers so I guess they too did well.
Hi Norma, first time I’ve heard about the 3 sisters companion planting, what an interesting method. The sweet potato noodle dish sounds delicious!
Hello Cheri,
Glad I introduced you to something new, this companion method really worked. There was no leftover.
What a wonderful collection of harvests! I’m going to have to try that sweet potato and noodle recipe – – it looks delicious!
Hello Jennifer,
Thanks. The sweet potato noodles dish was delicious and there was no leftover.
I think that first photo is pretty cool! I never knew about the three sisters! So interesting. Thanks, Norma!
Hello Sandra,
I did not know about the 3 sisters until I started volunteering at LGHVG and the method really works well.
Have a great time at your potluck. I’m sure your dish will be delicious!
Hello Kristy,
Had a great time at the potluck, so many delicious dishes, brought my dessert home as I had no room for another bite. My dish went over well, no leftover.
Norma, what a tasty and beautiful blog post. Love the tomatoes, I just put all my tom plants in last weekend, cant wait! I have never seen a yellow carrot before either, just gorgeous! 🙂
Hello Anna,
Thanks. The heirloom tomatoes are so full of flavor. What are some of the tomato varieties you are growing? It will be another 8-9 months before I have homegrown tomatoes again.
I am in love with those heirloom tomatoes and those nasturtium are so beautiful!
Hello Angie,
I am spoilt by heirloom tomatoes, so flavorful. The is our best year yet for nasturtiums.
I’m sorry to hear you haven’t had the best of weeks. I’m constantly amazed at how many varieties of tomatoes there are. The carrots look really good. You certainly volunteer for a great cause xx
Hello Charlie,
This is going to be a better week, I am sure. According to Wikipedia there are several thousand tomato varieties, guess we are just scratching the surface.
Onions, carrots, herbs oh my. I love your harvest. I just wish I could have those carrots for my dinner today. I do hope you feel better in the coming weeks Ms. Norma. You’ve definitely put a smile on my face with this post so thank you 🙂
Hello Kay,
Glad my post put a smile on your face. This will definitely be a much, much better week, thanks.
I started planting heirloom tomatoes a number of years ago and now won’t plant or buy anything less. They actually taste like tomatoes should, unlike the stuff sold in our supermarkets. Interesting to learn of the 3 sisters planting method. What a smart way to plant! I hope you’re having a better week, Norma. 🙂
Hello John,
Thanks, so far I am having a much better week. Great that we are now able to buy heirloom tomatoes in the food markets, well worth the extra dollars. Well, I have seen them in the food market but never actually purchased one, should do so to see if there are as good as homegrown.
Your nasturtiums are stunning, I would love to have some around our house – what’s the best climate conditions for them? 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Hello Uru,
I find nasturtium easy to grow and are not fussy, not sure what climate conditions are best for them, ask the garden centers near you they should be able to answer all your questions.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a snowball tomato. So jelly that you’re still reaping fresh tomatoes. What I wouldn’t do to have a fat tomato sandwich…yum!
Hello Angela,
The snowball tomato is a white tomato, very flavorful. Our tomato season is over until next year.
I love the pictures of all the tomatoes…and the carrots are sure big…and I am loving the yellow one!
Thanks for sharing these fabulous pictures Norma…enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
Hello Juliana,
The horticulturist at Locust Grove will be happy to read your comment. The yellow carrot maintains the yellow color after cooking which is really cool. Have a delightful weekend.
wow, those are plenty selection of tomatoes!!!!
great job Norma….
Hello Dedy,
And they were all juicy and delicious, is your mouth watering?
What a wonderful collection Norma, you’ve done great at planting them. Look at all these varieties of tomatoes and the carrots look so fresh and colorful.
Hello Amira,
Thanks. The tomatoes were juicy and delicious with real tomato flavor. The carrots were full of flavor also.
Wow! Look at this harvest.,so plentiful you could start up your own farmers market on the street corner! Today I plan to make hot pot and would love some of those sweet corn/onions to make my broth? Do you have any diakon? That would go good in there as well. Wishing you a super week. Take Care, BAM
Hello Bam,
I have daikon in my home garden and would be happy to share some with you.
We do not grow daikon in the LGHVG as that was not a crop the residents of the estate would have grown during that period. A super week to you too.
You are so sweet Norma. One day, somewhere I am sure we will be able to cook together. The world really is a very small place. Take Care, BAM
Hello Bam,
That would be so much fun!!!!!