Fruits and Berries are Here!

Last Thursday, we recieved our first tree delivery of the new year.

 Our nursery personnel unloaded all sorts of fruit trees and berry bushes. Blueberries, figs, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, Chinese chestnuts, peaches, pears, apricots, persimmons, paw paws, apples, plums, nectarines and some fruits that don't come to mind have been unloaded, signed and organized in our nursery. I spoke to two of the guys that work in that department, and they seemed pretty excited about the delivery.

Scott Carbone mentioned the new Saturn Donut Dwarf Peach. I've seen these at the fresh markets, but haven't tried any yet. According to information from Hollybrook Orchards, one of our growers, and Mother Earth News, they have a very sweet white flesh, aren't too fuzzy, and pit removal is easy. They are prolific bloomers and set about twice the fruit as an average peach tree. Sounds like a wonderful addition to the home orchard.

Jack Quinn mentioned the hardy figs. Most of us know the variety Brown Turkey, but we're becoming familiar with Celeste, Italian Everbearing and Peter's Honey Fig.  All of them may need some protection from winter wind and cold. The extra effort is worth the promise of a good harvest of delectable fruits.

Last year saw the introduction of a new blueberry called Pink Lemonade. The bush blooms pink in the spring, bears firm, pink berries in the summer and has attractive orange-red foliage in the fall. I hear this plant is as ornamental as the fruit is delicious.

Most of the trees we recieved this week are dwarf or semi-dwarf, making them ideal for the average yard. Many can also be cultivated in pots. All are tagged and signed to make selecting the perfect fruit tree or berry plant easy.

All in the Family

Valley View Farms is a locally owned family business. Father/son business partners Bill and Andy Foard own and operate our garden center, now in our 51st year. Family ties are strong here. Scores of couples have met and married after working together in the store. Brothers, sisters, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, neices, nephews and other family members have worked side by side for 2-3 generations. While looking through our personnel listing recently, I noticed several instances of moms or dads working with sons or daughters. Here are  some of them.

Bill and Andy Foard

Billy and Andy run the business together. Both are keen with numbers. Andy has a special knack for display and leads most of the construction projects at the store and our farm greenhouses.

Timothy and Dad, Tim McQuaid
 

Tim McQuaid is Valley View's store manager. He also runs our water garden department. Son Timothy is a customer helper, performing an assortment of duties to aid our guests at the store.

Tom Piampi works as a postman full-time and in our garden shop on evenings and weekends. Tom's wife, Sharon, is a receptionist in our office. Son Nick has worked in both our water garden and nursery departments.

Dotty Zajac specializes in vegetable gardening in the spring, moving to the Christmas shop in the fall to keep things organized there. Daughter Suzanne Barton works with plants most of the year. Both help our garden shop with pricing and set-up in the winter.

Bonnie and Ryan Smith

Bonnie Smith works in our office, keeping tabs on purchase orders in our system. She helps out in other areas when business warrants it. Son Ryan aids in pond installation and cleaning for our water garden department.

Michael Glants in our long time mechanic. If it breaks, he fixes it. Daughter Michele is a cashier, working in other areeas as needed.

John James works part-time in our garden shop, helping customers with any questions they may have about their gardens. Son Ethan works in our water garden department, assisting folks with ponds and fountains.

Mary Beth works in several departments, including the Christmas and garden shops. Daughter Laura works with customers as a cashier and a customer helper.

Joy, Valerie, Colleen and Grace Harlan

Valerie Harlan met and married her husband, Jim while working at Valley View Farms. Jim has moved on; all 5 of the Harlan kids have worked here. Currently, Valerie works in the Christmas Shop with her daughter, Colleen. Both do an outstanding job decorating Christmas trees. Daughters Joy and Grace work as cashiers and receptionists.

Penguin to Visit Valley View Farms---COOL!

On December 8th, we will be visited by some folks from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and this blogger's favorite wild animal ---an African Penguin!

Wanting to learn more about this Animal Ambassador from The Zoo, I looked him up on the zoo website. Here are a couple of pages from their website.

African Penguin

Spheniscus demersus

RANGE:islands and coast of southwest Africa
STATUS:Endangered
HABITAT:marine
DIET: CARNIVOREfish, cephalopods, crustaceans
ACTIVE:diurnal
LIFESPAN:Up to 30 years in captivity
OFFSPRING:2 eggs per clutch
WEIGHT:6-9 pounds (3-4 kilograms)

The African penguin, or black-footed penguin, is also nicknamed the “jackass penguin” because its mating call sounds like a braying donkey.

“Where I live”

This species of penguin lives along the rocky coastline of southwest Africa, in the countries of South Africa and Namibia. It is found nowhere else in the world. Its range is restricted to a relatively small area where water temperature doesn’t fluctuate much.

Like all penguin species, the African penguin lives in the Southern Hemisphere. It also lives in a temperate climate, as do most species of penguin. Only a few species live as far south as Antarctica in an extremely cold climate.
At The Maryland Zoo, African penguins can be seen at Rock Island in the African Journey exhibit. This species is also featured in the Zoo’s Animal Embassy collection as an Animal Ambassador.

“How I live there”

African penguins live in large colonies. They spend their days at sea feeding and their nights gathered together on shore. Like all penguins, African penguins are much more agile in water than on land. They are excellent swimmers with perfectly streamlined bodies. They can swim up to 12 mph.

They feed on small fish such as sardines and anchovies, as well as small crustaceans and squid. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day. They absorb water as well as nutrients from their diet, but also are adapted to drink salt water. All penguins have highly developed glands over their eyes that filter salts out of sea water.

“Making my mark”

Because penguins gather in such great numbers, the presence of any penguin colony is hard to miss. One colony of African penguins in particular, established at Boulders Beach near Cape Town, South Africa, has become something of a tourist attraction. People go there for the beach, the swimming, and to see the penguins.

“What eats me”

Sharks, Cape fur seals, and occasionally killer whales prey on African penguins. Mainland colonies also have to watch out for leopards, mongoose, genet, and domestic cats and dogs. Kelp gulls steal penguin eggs and newborn chicks. Despite protections in place for this species, people continue to collect African penguin eggs, although not to the extent that they once did. Penguin eggs have traditionally been considered a delicacy to eat, and for a very long time people also collected eggs for public and private egg collections. In the past, the birds were also food for sailors.

Raising Young

African penguins form monogamous pairs that stay together for about a decade, or for life, whichever comes first. Females construct nests out of guano (yes, bird poop!) because their rocky habitat offers little else in the way of nesting material. Each female lays two eggs per clutch, on average. Both male and female take turns incubating the eggs. Incubation lasts 38 to 42 days. Both parents also participate in caring for the chicks once they hatch.
Chicks are able to regulate their own body temperatures at 14 to 21 days. They then begin to form groups of chicks, or crèches, that are guarded by adults. Cooperative care allows individual sets of parents to go out to sea to feed. Both parents also feed the chicks at this time. Chicks fledge anywhere from 60 to 130 days.
Adult birds employ a few different strategies for keeping cool while stuck on shore molting, incubating eggs, or guarding newborn chicks. They stay in the shade as much as possible or stand with their white stomachs toward the sun in order to minimize heat absorption through their feathers and skin. They also cool off by opening their mouths and spreading their flippers (vestigial wings). Also, the hotter an African penguin gets, the more blood circulates to the pink glands above its eyes where air cools it.

Conservation

The African penguin is an endangered species whose population has declined by 90% since the turn of the 20th century. The current wild population is estimated at about 52,000 birds. Human interference of one sort or another has always posed the greatest threat to African penguins. Collecting eggs for sale and collecting guano for fertilizer (thus destroying nesting sites) nearly drove this species to extinction in the 20th century. Today, although better protected as a species, African penguins still must compete with commercial fishermen for access to fish.
They also remain vulnerable to pollution of their ocean habitat, particularly oil spills from big tankers. An enormous oil spill off the coast of South Africa in June 2000 impacted 19,000 adult African penguins at the height of their breeding season. Volunteers from The Maryland Zoo traveled to South Africa to help with the rescue and rehabilitation effort initiated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds. To date, this remains the largest animal rescue and recovery operation in history, with 91% of the affected birds rehabilitated and released successfully.
The Maryland Zoo maintains the largest colony of African penguins in North America and breeds the species at the recommendation of the AZA Species Survival Plan for African penguins. Since 1967, more than 1,000 African penguins have hatched at the Zoo.

Resources

Spring 2006 Zoogram, “News from the Zoo” spread, p. 4.
“Penguins: Caught on tape,” special to The Baltimore Examiner, 2/26/2007, p. 30.
Spring 2007 Zoogram, “News from the Zoo” spread, p. 4.
“Chick Season!” Zoogram, winter 2008, p. 5.

We'll have our cameras and promise to share some photos on our facebook page. But, wouldn't it be cool to meet one of these cuties up close and personal? See you on December 8th.

Saving Seed

Fall has finally arrived, bringing with it shorter days and cooler temperatures. Parts of the garden have gotten a light frost, but the plants are hanging on as long as possible.

Various native seeds

 Now is a great time to get into the garden and collect seeds for next year. Heirloom and open-pollinated vegetable seeds can be harvested. In my own garden, the Black Cherry, Mortgage Lifter, and Yellow Pear tomatoes are all good candidates for seed saving. The Jupiter peppers and some of the peas are good to harvest now as well.

In the perennial garden, many of the daisy-shaped flowers, like cone-flowers and black-eyed Susans have gone to seed. I’ll harvest some, but leave plenty of seed heads for the birds. They will do some direct-sowing for me.  In the annual garden, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos and calendula are easy flowers to grow from seed.

To collect the seed, look for mature plants. Clip the seed heads and pods and place into paper bags. Open up any pods and remove any chaff, stems and leaves from around the seed.  If you’ve kept the plant labels, staple them onto individual envelopes or include them in airtight jars. Several seed-savers exchanges can be found nationwide. I was luck enough to visit the Native Seeds Search in Tucson, Arizona, earlier this month.

Native Seeds Search is located in Tucson, Arizona

 

They are a great resource for vegetable seed used by Native Americans in that region. Corn, squash and pumpkin seeds are very prevalent. Store seeds in a cool, dry area or a refrigerator.

 

One of the many native corn varieties collected through Native Seed Search

 We save our Trinidad hot pepper seed year to year. Imagine our grower, John, in a face mask, goggles over his eyes, a long sleeved shirt and gloves. He waits until the fruits are fully ripe, and harvests the seeds from the center of the pepper. He removes the seeds, allows them to dry for several days and then puts them in jars or envelopes. They will be sown in February, and be sent from our farm greenhouses to our store in mid-April.



Trinidad pepper seed

In early November, seeds are collected from the giant pumpkins that have been on display at Valley View Farms for over a month. Each seed is cleaned and spread out into a single layer on a cookie sheet or window screen. EVERY seed is then packaged and sent back to the pumpkin grower so that he or she has a great chance of successfully growing another scale-busting pumpkin next year.

Seed saving is a wonderful way to keep the diversity of plants available for generations to come. For more information, visit the National Gardening Association site  online. Click on the Mid-Atlantic Regional report by Charlotte Kidd. Also, visit Seedsavers Exchange to find out more about seed exchanges in the gardening community.

 

Growing Lemons and Limes

Foodies know how fresh ingredients take a recipe from good to great. For gardeners, the idea of harvesting fruits and vegetables and being able to serve healthy, tasty meals, is a source of pride. And, with success, comes the anticipation of being able to try more exotic plants to grow different foods. So, its not surprising that more and more people are asking for citrus trees, particularly lemons and limes to add to their fresh food mix.

Key limes

The citrus plants that we carry at Valley View Farms are shipped in from either California or Florida. While not winter-hardy here, they can be grown outside in spring, summer and early fall, and inside during cooler weather. The sour fruits, including lemons, limes, kumquats and miniature oranges, do better in our area that sweeter citrus like grapefruits and oranges. The lemon trees that we received this spring were chock full of ripening fruit. Twenty or more yellow and green fruits loaded the tree, causing their branches to droop with weight. In addition to the beautiful fruit on citrus, the fragrance of the blossoms as they open is wonderful!

On a trip to Florida, many years ago, I brought back a small lime tree in my garment bag for a friend who had asked me to get him a citrus plant. The plant survived the trip, was repotted into a larger pot, was given sunshine and superb care. The two foot tall tree rewarded my friend with fifty-five fruits! The plant was so heavy with limes that it had to be supported with a scaffolding system made with small bamboo stakes and string.



Citrus plants are relatively slow growers especially when grown in containers. Following are a few facts about growing citrus here in Maryland.

• Indoors, citrus should be placed in front of a window that gets plenty of direct sunlight. Plants can be moved outdoors when all danger of frost has passed.
• Once outside, provide six hours of direct sun. Water when soil is dry to the touch. Provide a good, well-drained potting mix.
• Consider placing larger pots onto a plant dolly, making the transition indoors when temperatures fall much easier.
• Feed with Espoma Citrus Tone according to package directions.
• Repot into a larger container every 2-3 years.
• Scout for insects, particularly scale, and treat promptly with horticultural oil.

Lemon and lime trees produce a plentiful harvest. Use fruits fresh or freeze the juice from both to use in recipes later.

Jan's Key Lime Squares

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons grated Key Lime peel
2 tablespoons Key Lime juice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix flour, butter, and powdered sugar. Press in ungreased 8x8x2 baking pan.
Bake crust for 20 minutes.
Beat granulated sugar, lime peel, lime juice, baking powder, salt and eggs with mixer at high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust.
Bake 30 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center. Cool. Dust top with powdered sugar. Makes 25 squares.
Enjoy!
 

Native Perennials

Native plants have become very attractive to gardeners over the last several years, and with good reason. Most provide food, nectar and shelter for wildlife, including butterflies, songbirds and hummingbirds. Many perennials are deer resistant. Native plants don't tend to be invasive, needing little care in the garden. There are thousands of species from which to choose. I asked Jan in our perennial department to name ten of her favorites. They are listed below. For additional information, go to The National Fish and Wildlife Service's list of plants for the mid-Atlantic area.

10 Favorite Native Herbaceous Perennials

Asclepias tuberosa, also known as butterfly weed, is an absolute must-have for the natives gardener. Butterfly weed is the preferred nectar-producing plant for Monarch butterflies. Asclepias thrives in sunny areas of the garden.

.

Aster novae angliea, commonly called New England Aster, is a staple in the fall-blooming natives garden. Blooms abound through autumn, particularly in the northeastern United States.

 Baptisia australis, or False indigo, is an attractive plant with sometimes hard -to- find blue flowers. It is a robust plant that blooms in mid-summer, made even more interesting as seed pods appear in the fall. The pods rattle as breezes pass through the garden. Baptisia grows best in a sunny, well-drained garden.

Eupatorium pupureum, or Joe Pye Weed is this blogger's favorite native plant. Blooming in mid-summer, it is a butterfly magnet, particularly for Swallowtails. Growing naturally at the forest's edge, Joe Pye Weed is a beautiful roadside plant along most of the eastern United States.

Lobelia cardinalis, nicknamed Cardinal Flower, is a wonderful shade-loving plant that thrives in a wooded area. Lobelia flowers are bright red and tubular, providing nectar for the Ruby-throated hummingbird in the mid-Atlantic region.

Monarda didyma, also known as Bee Balm, is considered an herb as well as a perennial. It attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. Bergamot tea is made from the leaves of the Monarda. While not invasive, Bee Balm is a robust plant that will demand lots of space. It does best in full sun in an area with good air circulation.

Mertensia, commonly called Virginia Blue Bells, is a spring bloomer with delicate, blue flowers. The state flower of Virgina, Mertensia grows well in a well-drained shady location.

Osmunda cinnamonea, aptly nick-named Cinnamon Fern, has large, beautiful fronds. Newly emerging fronds start out light green, then brown as spores appear. Like most ferns, the Cinnamon variety does well in moist, shady areas.

Rudbeckia fulgida, known as Black-eyed Susan, is a summer bloomer and a favorite in mid-Atlantic gardens. Often growing in fields and meadows, Black-eyed Susans thrive in full sun; they are wonderful companions to many native grasses.

With a botanical name like Schizachyrium scoparium, its easy to see why we need common names like Little Blue Stem to talk about plants. The stems are blue in the spring, transitioning to a beautiful mahogany color in the fall.

Valley View Farms is a great source for many native plants; they can be found in our perennial area and our tree and shrub department. The aforementioned Mid-Atlantic Native Plant List is also a good, (downloadable) resource to use to avoid planting invasive species.
Enjoy the garden and the beautiful and functional native plants found in our wild spaces and cultivated gardens.

Thank you to Ball Floraplant for providing most of the images appearing in this post.

Billy's Gardening Lessons

Our plant department gets together for an 'after the big season' party every year at Billy's house. Billy owns Valley View Farms with his son Andy.
One of the highlights of the party is Billy's garden tour.

Billy is serious about tomatoes. He takes a well- deserved vacation in late June, but always returns for a garden visit halfway through to check on his plants. Believe me, no one else is allowed to water, feed or otherwise take care of them. Billy shares his harvest beginning in July, bringing bucket after bucket of beautiful, ripe, Celebrity tomatoes for many of us at the store.

But I digress; let's get back to the tour. Our plant department is made up of novice and experienced gardeners. Like most people in the garden center business, we are able to share our challenges and successes with customers and each other. No one shares his expertise more than Billy. He shows us how his tomatoes need extra support because of his plants heavy fruit production.

 He shows us how the different varieties grow in the garden. This year, he planted Mortgage Lifters, Plum Crimsons and his favorite, Celebrity. Billy patiently explains how he sanitizes all of his tomato cages every year to keep his plants free from overwintering diseases.

 Best of all, he tackles question after question of the hows and whys of vegetable gardening from his staff.  It's wholesome stuff taught from the best classroom imaginable--- his vegetable garden.

Thank you, Billy, for inspiring all of us to be better gardeners.

By the way, Billy grows a pretty good crop of peppers too!