Rosalind’s latest article is titled “Grow $700 of Food in 100 Square Feet.” It is featured in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Mother Earth News. You can read the complete article online HERE. I have uploaded some additional information to this website, which can be found under the Featured Content Section HERE.

Additionally, in the Mother Earth News article I promised to make an Excel spreadsheet available that can be used to track garden productivity on your own! You can access the sheet by clicking on the link below:

Trial-Garden-Spreadsheet

Another feature in the same issue of Mother Earth News includes my photographs of Heirloom Fruits & Vegetables featuring the Seedsaver’s Exchange.

[caption id="attachment_433" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Cover of the new book"][/caption]

After 5 and a half years of research, which included travels to 49 states, visits to countless restaurant, home,  and botanical gardens,   photography, and writing — the photos have been submitted, the manuscript is finished and now we’re just cleaning up the last details.  The official publication date is November 1, 2010. I know it’s really going to happen because the book is already available for pre-order on Amazon!  Edible Landscaping is a total revision of my 1982 book, perhaps prematurely titled, The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping.  It includes 300 color photos and updated organic growing information.

My lecture schedule for next Spring is starting to take shape and it starts where it should…at EcoFarm, the annual organic farming conference where I spoke 25 years ago on the same subject of Edible Landscaping.  I’m excited to still be a part of this edible revolution.  Keep checking the website as I will be updating my speaking calendar in a few weeks.

[caption id="attachment_412" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Crocodile with Hubbard squash and gourd eyes"][/caption]

Winter squashes are nutritional powerhouses that are not only luscious and sweet; in the kitchen they are extremely versatile. Over the years I have studied this vegetable and cooked dozens of different types. Today, I would say, my favorites are the sweet butternut, I find it the easiest to peel and the cubes are great for roasting; Kabocha (Japanese chestnut squashes) that have such dense flesh and meatiness that are perfect for baking and pureeing; and, I love the acorn types for their rich mellow flavor that pairs so well with all type of nuts and brown sugar.

Today, winter squashes are enjoyed in most parts of the world. In Mexico, where they are native, winter squashes are made into a puree and baked inside empanadas, and the seeds are roasted and salted or added to candies, even ground into their famous mole sauces. Italians add winter squash cubes to risotto and soups, and they mashed and seasoned the pulp with herbs and spices to fill raviolis. In gay Paris they use the heirloom pumpkin Rouge Vif d’Etampes to bake a rich leek and cheese soup and create a rich gratin by layering the squash and baking it with cream and hazelnuts.

In this country, for centuries the Native Americans have roasted whole squash in the coals or added the cubes to stews along with venison or turkey and flavored them with chilies. The colonists grew and cooked winter squash as well. They mashed the flesh and sweetened the pulp with sugar or molasses and made them into pies and puddings, which were served as a side dish to the meal with other vegetables and starches. Not until the twentieth century were pies and puddings accepted as dessert items. Who knew?

Enjoy winter squash for the next four or five months, then next spring, after all threat of frost is over, choose your favorite varieties and plant them in great soil and in full sun. I’ll post photos of how to include these exciting plants in your landscape and give you some growing hints.

[caption id="attachment_414" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Neighborhood kids harvesting pumkins from my garden"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_415" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Harvest of pumpkins at Tra Vigna Restaurant in Napa"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_416" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="White pumpkin jester "jack-o-lantern" with chilis"][/caption]

Winter Squash Recipes

Baked Winter Squash with Maple Nut/Seed Butter

A wonderful compliment to squash is a nut or seed butter. The rich flavors seem meant for each other. You can make your own nut or seed butter, or many types are available in natural foods and specialty stores.

Basic baking directions are given below; the time will vary and the number of people served will depend on the size and variety of squash.

• 2 acorn or other small squash (about 1 1/4 pound each), or 1 medium squash (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons each dairy butter, nut or seed butter, and maple syrup

Place squash on a baking pan and bake at 350 F. for 3/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until soft. You may want to turn the squash a couple of times for more even cooking. Cut in half and remove seeds, (save to wash and toast for snacks if you like), and strings; if using 1 squash, cut again to make 4 servings. Put back on baking pan cut sides up. In a small saucepan, melt dairy butter, add nut or seed butter and syrup, and stir to mix. Spoon mixture into squash cavities and coat surfaces. Return to oven for about 10 minutes to heat through before serving. Serves 4

Classic Home-Grown Pumpkin Pie

Some pumpkins do not make good pies. Select a pumpkin bred for pies, not a Jack-o-lantern type. If you can’t find a good pie pumpkin use a Butternut squash, they make great “pumpkin” pies.

• 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree (see below), or squash
• 3/4 cup white or brown sugar
• 1 cup milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice or cloves
• 3 eggs
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make your own pumpkin puree: Cut pumpkin or squash in half, remove seeds and strings, and place cut-side down on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. until very soft, 1 hour, or longer, and let cool. Remove skin and any coarse fibers, and puree flesh in a blender, food processor, or food mill. One small to medium pumpkin makes about 1 quart of puree.

Place all the ingredients except pie shell in a blender and blend. (You may have to do this in 2 batches, depending on capacity of blender. If so, mix the batches before pouring into the pie shell.) Pour into 9-inch pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes longer or until set and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool at least 1/2 hour before serving. Makes 1-inch 9 pie.

[caption id="attachment_391" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Pomegranates, lemons, and persimmons make up my fall harvest."][/caption]

Fall Lecture Schedule 2009

October 1^st, 2009

Lecture for the Florida Nursery, Growers, and Landscape Association Tradeshow in Orlando. I am the lunchtime speaker from 11:45 to 1:00PM. The topic of my presentation is “The Power of Edibles in Today’s Landscape Industry.”

October 25^th, 2009

Lecture for the Association of Professional Landscape Designers in Sacramento, CA. The title of my lecture is Edible Landscaping: The New American Garden.”

December 12^th, 2009

Lecture at Prusch Park in San Jose, CA for the California Rare Fruit Growers: “Edible Landscaping: The New American Garden.”

Tentative Spring Lecture Schedule 2010

My spring lecture season starts in January this year with presentations at the Los Angeles Botanical Garden and then a few weeks later—at the largest organic farming conference in the country—EcoFarm, in Asilomar, CA.

In February I will be speaking at Powell Gardens in Kansas City, MO and in March I have a speaking engagement planned at the San Francisco Landscape Show and a few days later at the University of Illinois Extension Service in Champagne.

More lectures are in the planning phase and I will update all pertinent information with specific times and titles as the season nears.

Hope to see you soon,

Rosalind Creasy

Last August, I gave Paul James, the host of the HGTV show Gardening by the Yard, a tour of my garden and showed him how you can have a beautiful as well as edible landscape.  The show (Episode 1906) will be airing on August 23rd at 7:30AM (PST/EST) on HGTV.   Mark your calendar and set your DVR so you don’t miss it!

Prior to coming to my garden, the producer wanted to make sure I had enough edibles growing. So, I did a quick tally and here’s what I had (watch for them as Paul and I tour the garden):

* 8 different types of fruit
* 20 kindsof vegetables, including 15 varieties of peppers.. and
* 28 different herbs and seasonings

Gardening by the Yard website

The picture below gives a little preview of what my front garden looked like.  You can see the cherry tomatoes just ripening on the arbor over the front steps and my containers of figs, kumquats, and lemons–a welcoming edible landscape!

[caption id="attachment_366" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="My front garden last August "][/caption]

The last weekend in June I was at The New York Botanical Garden’s opening of The Edible Garden, their summer long exhibition.  Saturday morning I gave a lecture on heirloom vegetables and antique flowers and how to incorporate them into your edible landscape.  Then, I was in the Seed Savers Garden for the rest of the day, answering questions and teaching people how to save their own seeds.   The New York Botanical Garden will offer many more events featuring edible plants throughout the summer, such as their Edible Evenings: A Celebration of Wine, Beer, and Food featuring well-known chefs, demonstrations, and food and wine samplings.    You also may want to check the progress of my Seed Savers Garden and attend some of the other edible landscaping presentations like the Home Gardening Center Demonstrations on Saturdays and Sundays.  If you are particularly interested in seed saving make sure you visit the Seed Savers’ website and if you want to get started right away, the gift shop at The New York Botanical Garden has a large selection of Seed Saver seeds.

The following photos show the initial planting of the garden I designed in March and how it looked on opening day.  I will update you with photos of the same garden as it grows throughout the season.

[caption id="attachment_345" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Signing books on Saturday afternoon - © TalismanPHOTO, The NYBG"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_346" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Laying out the chives in a geometric pattern to add some edible landscaping style - © Ivo M. Vermeulen, The NYBG"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_348" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="Three raised beds with curly kale, young basil, Bull's Blood beets, new teepees for cucumbers and tomatoes  - © Ivo M. Vermeulen, The NYBG"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_347" align="alignleft" width="900" caption="The raised beds on the opposite side include the chive diamonds, triangles of basil, Bull's Blood beets, and tomatoes - © Ivo M. Vermeulen, The NYBG"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_339" align="alignleft" width="428" caption="Sign describing the Seed Savers Garden - © Ivo M. Vermeulen, The NYBG"][/caption]

This past April my assistant Gudi Riter and I flew to Kansas City, MO to the Heartland Garden at Powell Gardens to oversee the planting of my edible landscape garden. From this angle you can see the early plantings of cherry tomatoes. 20 different varieties were arranged by color to introduce viewers to the amazing spectrum that is available for tomatoes (white to gold, orange, red, and black). The plants were to wind through a walk-through tunnel, providing an immersive experience for the garden visitors and a little welcome shade during the hot summer.

Five separate planting beds for edibles were arranged into a half circle. This first bed contained 20 different varieties of culinary herbs.

I returned to the Powell Gardens in early June for the grand opening. Despite the unseasonably cold and wet weather lately, the tomatoes were starting to climb as planned, and promise to make a beautiful exhibit this summer! It should see its full glory in August.

A number of visitors walked through the garden. I gave a tour to some of the first to come through.

On both days, Saturday and Sunday, I’ll be giving a lecture at 11AM on Heirloom Vegetables and Flowers.  Following the lecture, I will be at the Seed Saver’s Vegetable Garden in the Home Gardening Center from 12:30 – 1:30PM. I would love to meet you, show you around, and answer any questions you may have about saving seeds.  After that, I’ll be signing books in the Perennial Garden with author Amy Goldman. If you aren’t already familiar with her work, you can check out her fabulous books and recipes HERE.

Here’s a break down of my schedule:

Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th:

11AM – Lecture Hall Presentation “Heirloom Vegetables and Flowers”

12:30-1:30 – Q&A in the Home Gardening Center

1:30 – 2:30 – Booksigning in the Perennial Garden with Amy Goldman

**And, as a special discount for my readers, follow this LINK for 50% off of a second adult ticket. Enter EGDIG09 when asked for the promotional code.**

Rosalind Creasy was featured in this month’s April issue of Sunset Magazine, in the “Digging into Veggies” article. This article includes several tips for designing with edibles in your home garden.

Why garden or cook in “black and white” when Technicolor vegetables could brighten you garden beds and add excitement and more nutrition to your table? Consider the following vegetable and herb varieties when you plan your next garden, you could even put in a rainbow garden and plant beds full of each color.

Red Vegetables

Beets – ‘Bull’s Blood’ – deep red beets, red stems and leaves

Chard – ‘Ruby’ – green leaves, red stems and veins

Corn – ‘Ruby Queen’ – red sweet corn, maintains red color if micro waved

Lettuce – ‘Red Sails’, ‘Galactic’, and ‘Sangria’ – large burgundy lettuces

Okra – ‘Red’ – red okra, red stems

Pepper – ‘Early Red’ bell – reliable, adaptable

Pepper – ‘Pimento’ and ‘Lipstick’ – medium size peppers; sweet thick flesh

Orange Vegetables

Beet – ‘Burpee’s Golden’ – yellow beets, leaves with golden veins

Carrot – ‘Nutri-Red’ – deep red-orange carrot

Pepper – ‘Golden Bell’ and ‘Mandarin Hybrid’ – large bells, adaptable

Tomato – ‘Golden Jubilee’ – medium-sized orange fruit

Tomato – ‘Sun Gold’ and ‘Gold Nugget’ – great tasting, cherries

Watermelon – ‘New Queen’ and ‘Orange Sweet’ – orange flesh, large fruits

Yellow Vegetables

Beans – ‘Pencil Pod Wax’ snap beans, bush

Carrot – ‘Sweet Sunshine’ – yellow carrots

Chard – ‘Bright Yellow’ – striking yellow stems and veins

Pepper – ‘Gypsy’ – yellow, ripens to deep orange, medium-sized fruit

Pepper – ‘Sweet Banana’ – medium, long yellow fruits

Tomato – ‘Taxi’ – medium sized yellow tomato

Tomato – ‘Yellow Pear’ – cherry, large plants

Squash – ‘Sunburst’ – round, yellow patty pan; bush

Squash – ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Sunray’ – bright yellow zucchinis; bush

Watermelon – ‘Yellow Doll’ and ‘Sunshine’- yellow flesh, small melons

Violet, Blue, and Indigo Vegetables

Basil – ‘Red Rubin’ – purple leaves, good flavor

Beans – ‘Royalty Purple Pod’ and ‘Sequoia’ – purple snap beans; bush

Broccoli – ‘Purple Spouting’ and ‘Violet Queen’ – purple buds

Cauliflower – ‘Graffiti’ – bright-purple heads

Eggplant – ‘Rosa Bianco’, ‘Orient Charm’, and ‘Neon’ – dramatic, lavender fruits

Pepper – ‘Lilac Hybrid’ – large lavender bells

Pepper – ‘Purple Cayenne’ – hot pepper; long purple fruits

Potatoes – ‘All Blue’ – blue skins and flesh

Radish – ‘Easter Egg’ – mix of purple, pink, and red radishes