Texas Statewide Roundup April 28, 2007-TRADES

If you find any seedlings Mary Lee....I bet my parents would like a redbud tree. Mom saw these when she visited (although we didn't know what they were then) and commented that they were very pretty.

Kim

I'm convinced the redbud is one of God's most prescious gifts to the world. I just wish they would come up in my yard in places where I can let them grow. They always seem to come up 6 inches from the house or something. I'll keep looking for some I can dig up.

Dave, I told DH about your 4 foot redbuds from the last years RU. He said "well they are obviously Aggie redbuds.:) They like that Aggie dirt."

Mary Lee, I can dig up another White Mistflower for you, no problem. And I'll bring you a couple of Cedar Sage.
blue_eyes, since you mentioned the redbuds, I remembered I have a small one in a pot...wasn't with the other pots, so I forgot I had it. I'll bring it for her. The redbuds around here are blooming right now, so pretty! But some things sure do grow slower in the Hill Country...some plants are like bonsai plants almost. I noticed after I'd lived here a while that there were a few very small redbuds on a corner of my property that never seemed to grow...not that I could see, anyway. I moved one to my yard and watered it and it started growing...now taller than I am. I suspect there's a thick shelf of solid rock underneath that corner of the property. And dirt...that is pretty much something I have to pay for and then put it in raised beds. Many plants just up and die when they're planted in caliche.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2007 3:13 PM

I'll put you down for a Mountain Laurel seedling, Debbie. Thank you for the rain lily! I'd love to try it. :-)

Thanks Linda for the plants. Maybe Dave watered his. Ours rarely get watered. Our dirt is fortunately very deep. DH figures it's about 2 feet of good rich loamy clay. Below that is probably caliche. We live at the bottom of a slight hill next to a creek. But I probably owe alot of my good dirt to DH's GM. We bought his GP's house. When I started working the dirt here I began to appreciate the hard work his GM put in this yard when she was young enough to work in it. We have a fairly large back yard and it was mostly vege garden when she lived here.

I had planted the redbuds in the bottom of my vegetable garden where they got consistent drip irrigation. Plus, the soil had been amended with much mushroom compost. :)

dave

Oh wow. Yes, I suppose mushroom compost would make quite a bit of difference.:) Never thought of trying that. We usually just use 7-2-2- from Gardenville. Hmmm maybe I'll try that. We have one that's about 3 feet tall, and I did find 2 seedlings. One is in a flower bed, but it's only 1 1/2 inches tall and the other is under the pecan tree and I think I'll leave that one since it came up in a good place.

Linda.....that redbud would be great....I mentioned it to my mom and she was excited. I have a vitex for her already, she can't wait to be able to garden down here.

Thanks, Kim

Since my move I have very little to share. So when i hear about something I would like, i am just going to throw it out here. I lost all my purple Mexican Petunias (Ruella) when I moved if anyone has one to give I will surely take. Thanks

I have Katie's Ruellia. Would you like some of that? Also, please refer to my post. I have plenty of these things, and you can have whatever your little heart desires! You too, Ann! Don't be concerned that you have little to share. I have little room left to put anything!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/p.php?pid=3173387

Sylvia, would you like any Lyreleaf Sage or Cedar Sage?
And I added Chocolate Mint to my list.

Linda, if you have more cedar sage than Sylvia wants, can you bring some for me please? Thanks.

Sylvia, do you want some chives? I gave some to htop a couple of years ago and she really likes them.

Sorry for the off subject.

Dave, ya'll OK up there ??? Just looked at the doppler radar and noticed that you're getting hammered. Hope the hail estimates are not correct !?!?!?

http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?ID=HGX®ion=d3&lat=29.62692070&lon=-95.56427765&label=Stafford%2c%20TX

I don't know about Dave....but it is pretty soggy at my house! No hail as of yet thank goodness....we don't need that.

Kim

I've been so busy diggin' in my yard, I haven't listened to a weather report in days. Where's all this coming from?

Marylee you are so lucky to be digging in your yard. My yard was tilled saturday and never leveled ... now that its raining ... it look like a swamp out there.
Ceejay ... Yes thank you I would love some of you katies, its one of my favorite ground cover.
Linda I would some Chocolet mint ... I am not familiar with the sage, do you cook with it?
Marylee some one( might be Josephine) gave me some Garlic chives a couple of years ago. It is the prettist thing ... just to pretty to cook with. ... and it came back again this year! Yes I would love some chives. I am goin to make me a kitchen garden! :)

Oh boy Sylvia. I'm sorry about your yard. Our yard looked like that a few years ago. A plumber tore it up putting in new water and sewer lines. He dug the trench and never came back. Finally 6 months later I found somebody else to finish the job. Boy was I mad.

I'll bring 2 pots of chives. One to cook with and one to look at.:) I'm also bringing lots of mother of thyme.

I have never heard of mother of thyme so went to plantfiles to look it up. Appears to be a ground cover. Is it used the same as any thyme for cooking, too? If you have enough I would like some. I find that my mint (which some think is invasive but I don't ) has come back in a small way and I love it as a ground cover. I used to have chocolate mint but left that back in my former house but I loved it too.

Ann

We got lots and lots of rain yesterday, but no hail thankfully. My tomatoes would be pretty grumpy.

The rain here was a nice steady rain all day. Occassionally it came down pretty hard, but it is good for the gardens and our lake levels. The local ducks were loving it I noticed on my way home.

Plantlady, mother of thyme is what I use in cooking. It needs full sun, not much water and space to spread.:) I'll bring you some.

Thanks, silverfluter!

Ann

I planted the butterfly vine seeds two weeks ago and only 2 of the 8 that I planted came up. I need to contact the nursery about that. I will try planting the ice plants today so that they will be rooted by the time of the trading. The berry vines are blooming so I'm not really sure if it would be wise to try to dig them up now. Though heaven knows we have enough to spare. Sorry it took so long to answer, I'm trying to get more flower beds ready.

Oh, Mary Lee, I had already put down 2 Cedar Sage for you. Sylvia, the Cedar Sage and Lyreleaf Sage are just pretty salvias. Since you like herbs, would you be interested in a small pot of Chervil?

which salvia is this?

Which one is this? I found it growing in middle of my front yard. I almost pulled it
up as a weed.

edited to say Which salvia? It is a pale lavender in color. I have no Idea why it sprung up in the middle of the front yard. I only have azaleas out there.



This message was edited Mar 28, 2007 9:06 AM

Linda, you have chervil. I've never seen that. Do you use it in cooking?

Well, my friend Sheila that came with us to the RU last spring got me started using Chervil. Yes, it's only good fresh and can be added to lots of things. See link,
http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/chervil.asp

It sounds interesting. I'd like to try some.

Of course, I'll bring you some. I didn't list it because I didn't think anybody knew about it or wanted it.

Thanks Linda.

LInda I would love some Chervil. I have just the place for it. Thank you!

Its bright green leaves look like carrot tops, not too surprising being that it is a member of the carrot family. It also produces characteristic umbels of tiny silvery white flowers at the end of its very short growing period. Chervil goes to seed quickly in the heat, and in fact, unlike most other culinary herbs, prefers a cool, moist and shaded location. To promote growth and a longer season, pinch off the tops. Successive plantings will help to give you a longer harvest. Chervil also has a very long tap root, and does not like to be transplanted so be sure to sow the seeds in the desired location. Chervil is one of those herbs that does well growing in containers. As the plant matures, the leaves tend to turn a purple, bronze color. At this stage they also lose the pungency of their taste, so use only the young green leaves.

These tender young leaves have been used in spring tonics for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Greeks. Dandelion, watercress and chervil were combined to combat the nutritive deficiency brought on by winter (and lack of fresh greens). This combination of greens with all their vitamins and minerals were thought to rejuvenate the body. Even today European herbalists recommend this tonic. In Norway and France bowls of minced fresh chervil leaves often accompany meals. People liberally sprinkle this on salads, soups and stews.

As with most herbs, chervil is an aid to sluggish digestion. When brewed as a tea it can be used as a soothing eye wash. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 TBLS. fresh chopped chervil and let this steep for 20 minutes. Be sure to cover this to keep in all the volatile oils. When cool, moisten a cotton ball with some of the mixture and place over closed eyes for 10 minutes. Definitely refreshing.

Chervil is also linked to the Easter celebration in parts of Europe, where it is eaten as part of the ceremony for Holy Thursday. Chervil is associated with Easter because its aroma is similar to that of myrrh (one of the gifts to the baby Jesus from the three wise men) and because of its early spring sprouting symbolizes renewal.

Chervil is one of the staples of classic French cooking. Along with chives, tarragon and parsley, it is used as an aromatic seasoning blend called "Fines Herbes." Most frequently it is used to flavor eggs, fish, chicken and light sauces and dressings. It also combines well with mild cheeses and is a tasty addition to herb butters. This blend is the basis for ravigote sauce, a warm herbed veloute served over fish or poultry. When a recipe calls for "Pluches de cerfeuille" -- it is leaves of chervil that are required. Chervil is what gives Bernaise its distinctive taste. Chervil, being a spring time herb, has a natural affinity for other spring time foods: salmon, trout, young asparagus, new potatoes, baby green beans and carrots, salads of spring greens. Chervil's flavor is lost very easily, either by drying the herb, or too much heat. That is why it should be added at the end of cooking or sprinkled on in its fresh, raw state. One way to keep chervil's flavor is to preserve it in white wine vinegar. Because its flavor is so potent, little else is needed as flavoring when added to foods. This makes it a low calorie way to add interest to meals. Chervil's delicate leaves make it an attractive herb to use for garnishes. Despite this fragile appearance, it keeps well. Kept in a zip lock bag, chervil will last up to a week in the refrigerator.

I think that chervil has been overlooked in American cooking until recently because most of us have only tasted dried chervil, which is basically tasteless and musty at best. Not too long ago I got my first taste of fresh chervil and was amazed at how flavorful it is: sweet and grassy with a touch of licorice. If you have never tasted fresh chervil, I highly recommend buying a small plant for yourself at your local nursery. I guarantee you will be as enchanted as I was. Now I often pinch off a few sprigs and sprinkle them on my salads, garnish potatoes, or toss it in with my omelettes.



Chervil Pesto
A tangy alternative to basil pesto and also simple to make, this is especially good spread on fish hot off the barbecue. Also tasty mixed in with goat cheese or cream cheese for a appetizer spread.

1 cup fresh Chervil
1/4 cup Romano/Pecorino cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 TBLS olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor until well chopped and blended. Best used right away, but it can be kept for a few days.

Wow Sylvia, that made me hungry! Where did you find all that?

Hi Dave,
Can I please get a start of each?

Yarrow
Coral Vine
Pride of Barbados
Hindu Datura
Chameleon Plant
Starfish Cactus
Rosemary
Blue Anise Sage
Baby Sage
Carrion Plant

I will be adding more to my list shortly....

Do you know what these white iris's that are in bloom right now are? You see them all over the place around Bryan/College Station and on old home sites....
Trishann

Louisiana Iris are blooming now--but not sure if that's what you are seeing Trishann.

Trishann, I've got you down!

dave

frostweed....could I have a mexican plum and a pecan tree for my mom please? The mexican plum is the one that smells really good in spring right?

Thanks, Kim

Trishann.....could I please have some butterfly iris?

Anyone have any incense passionvine? Mine seems to have not survived the winter....even though it should have. Still no evidence of anything remotely green. Sigh....


Kim

Debbie what was that you were going to bring me last year? you said it did well in a pot. :)

Ok I just got the spirit and did the cuttings from the pink ice plants. I potted up 7 of them. I live less than 2 miles from where the roundup will be so I can always run home and pluck some more. Will have some yellow ice plants large enough to pluck by the end of summer I think. I potted some foxglove and snow in summer seeds last weekend. I don't know if anyone would be interested I had the seeds and just thought I'd plant them. Everything sounds so pretty here. I almost want to say save me a little of everything!!!! I can till up the remaining 2 acres if I have too. My poor sweetie has been digging every weekend that he comes to visit me. He says that he's glad to get back to work on Mondays so that he can rest. lol