HortLine New email address for all Philadelphia Gardeners

Penn State Extension Philadelphia Master Gardeners' Horticultural Hot Line -- HortLine -- has a new email address.

PhillyMG@ag.psu.edu

Send your questions about flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees, soil health, pruning and all other horticultural topics to this email address. A qualified and knowledgeable Master Gardener will answer your email and help to solve your problem, or find someone who can.If you have photos to illustrate your problem, please send these, too.


Not a Philadelphia County gardener…….check you local or state Extension for their Hot Line. Master Gardeners are always ready to help with your questions.

Kalette - A New Addition to the Garden

 By Michelle L. Dauberman

As I was walking through the PSU MG Edible Demonstration Garden this week I noticed an unfamiliar plant tag.  At first I wasn’t sure if I was reading it correctly but there it was plain as day, “Kalette.”  Hmm, Kalette.  Now if you’re a plant geek like me a name like this rates high on the curious meter so off I went to do some research.

This is what I found:  Kalette is the brainchild of British seed house Tozer Seeds and it is a hybrid cross between the Brussels Sprout and English Kale thus making it a very interesting vegetable indeed.  According to the plant’s website (yes, Kalette has its own website - sponsored by Tozer Seeds America) it is sweet and nutty and it can be sautéed, roasted, grilled or eaten raw.  Sounds pretty good, right.

Truly what’s not to like yet the appearance of this new vegetable lead my thoughts to GMOs.  These days when anyone mentions GMOs an ominous tone of dread sets in and I had to curtail my kneejerk reaction upon learning about this hybrid and recall that gene crossing through traditional, non-GMO, hybridization and open pollination has a rich, deep, safe and tasty history in the garden.

A history that is alive and well and it is showing up in the form of plants like the Kalette.

Want to learn more about other, traditional, non-GMO hybridizations (like the apple tree and a couple canopy trees)?  Check out this PSU Extension online publication: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/master-gardener/counties/lackawanna/news/2016/genetically-modified-plants-in-our-landscapes

Is kale still the new “it” vegetable? You bet it is!

By Michelle L. Dauberman

Kale has been a regular in our PSU MG Edible Demo Garden for years now but what’s keeping it around?

First off, kale is a member of the cabbage family, Brassica oleracea, and it is related to other cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens and brussels sprouts.  Not surprisingly then Kale shares their health benefits and it contains antioxidant (disease fighting), high fiber (digestion aid), high iron (great for the liver), calcium, and vitamin A (immune system aid).

As we all become more and more health conscious foods that have this kind of an impact on our overall systems are bound to stick around.

Secondly, kale is a beautiful addition to any vegetable or ornamental garden.  It is easy to grow and it comes in so many striking red, green, blue and purple hues that it’s sure to make a visual impact wherever it is planted.

Thirdly, kale makes a great chip!  Cut the main vein out of the leaf and then dice or tear what is left of the leaf into smaller pieces.  Drizzle these kale pieces/chips with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes and voila, a healthy snack!

Edible Flowers?!

By Michelle L. Dauberman

Yes, that’s right, edible flowers.  The folks in charge of the PSU Master Gardeners Edible Display Garden have added something fun to the garden this year:  A container full of plants with edible flowers.  With a special thank you to Clearview Nursery, who donated several of plants, here’s what you’ll find in our garden this year.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache ‘Blu Boa’)

Scented Geranium (Pelargonium spp.)

Nasturtium (Tropaelum majus)

Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum)

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Give them a try in your garden today and for more inspiration here are a couple of quick and tasty recipes:

Anise Hyssop Tea

Steep 2 teaspoons of fresh or 1 teaspoon of dried flowers in a mug of hot water for 7-10 minutes.  Serve hot or cold.

Nasturtium Omelet:

Serves 1

•                
50g/2 oz tender runner beans

•                
2 eggs

•                
30ml/2 tablespoons milk

•                
2 nasturtium seeds

•                
2 young nasturtium leaves

•                
4 nasturtiums, petals only

•                
Freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste

•                
15ml/1 tablespoon butter

•                
Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste


For an additional blog on edible flowers  Grow, Then Eat your flowers

Annual Garden Day and Plant Sale Announcement

The Annual garden day is once again being held at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park.

The entrance is off Montgomery Drive near Belmont Plateau. Upon entering the park follow the road

around and behind the center. 

At this years event there will be testing of soil for lead and a speaker on soil health and testing.

Directions for sample taking is below.