Mystery Flowering Plant - What Are You?

I was hoping someone out there could help me identify this plant. I'm horrible when it comes to identifying non-edibles. It grows like a weed all along the border of our property, though I'd never be so ungrateful as to treat it as one.


The vines are thorny like a rose and the bloom's fragrance is as sweet and heady as any good rose - I wouldn't be surprised if it was in some way related to one. If anyone has any idea as to what it might be, please let me know! I need to start learning my flowers!

Flowers, meet Veggie Gardener. Veggie Gardener, meet Flowers.

In a lot of ways, I just don't 'get' flower gardening. I think I'm way too right-brain oriented to design a proper flower bed, which is why the one in front of our house laid neglected for so long. This past weekend, I was determined to do something about it. So I went to my favorite local plant nursery and spent WAY too much on what I consider to be the 'sexy sorority sisters' of the plant kingdom. And just to illustrate how much I care, I threw away all of the plant tags without reading them so I can't even tell you what I planted.


Peonies are among my favorite flowers and this one was the prettiest of the lot. I can't remember the exact name though.


And this purple thingy looked interesting so I snatched it up.


I think this is a chrysanthemum of some sort but alas, I can't say for sure.

Ok, that's enough about flowers. Let's get back to the veggies.

The Rain Soaked Garden

I really need to get a rain gauge for the garden. Keeping track of how much water our veggies get is not something I'm very good at. Our summer last year was incredibly dry and I'm sure our crops would have done much better if I had watered more often and consistently. On the other hand, I'm hoping that mother nature doesn't overdo it this year with the rain like she did in 2009.

That being said, I love to walk around the garden right after a storm and seeing everything covered in raindrops. Sometimes a fog rolls through and casts a faint glow over everything. It also makes some interesting photography.


I'm growing this speckled romaine lettuce for the first time. Hopefully it tastes as wonderful as it looks.


The hyacinths are in bloom right now. They smell incredible and are among my favorite spring flowers.


The claytonia is lasting longer than I'd expected. They seem to be thriving under the cooler than normal conditions.


Finally, my lone rhubarb plant is doing well. I'd planted the rather pathetic-looking crown last spring and am hoping to harvest a few stems this year. The first ones to emerge seem fat enough but aren't long at all. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will change as the plant grows. Otherwise, we'll have to wait another year.

Earth Day Colors

Flowering Red Russian Kale

I hope everyone had a chance today to soak up some of the beauty that this world has to offer. Happy Earth Day!

Chrysanthemum Tea Plants

They're here! After 2 years of searching and an open plea to my readers, I finally have 4 of my very own chrysanthemum tea plants. They arrived last week from Companion Plants, a medicinal plant nursery located in Athens, Ohio. I don't know of any other commercial source for this plant in the United States.

Hopefully they will grow well for me this summer and bloom in the fall. The flowers are what is harvested, dried and then brewed into tea. Again, I have to thank Michelle of From Seed to Table fame for finding Companion Plants.

For me, part of the thrill in gardening is being able to grow interesting plants that are not widely cultivated in my area. I feel really lucky to have this one.

The Elusive Flower - My Search for the Chrysanthemum Tea Plant

chrysanthemum tea flowers

I have an obsession. I'm convinced that most gardeners eventually develop at least one. Mine just so happens to involve a particular flower, which is somewhat ironic considering that I see myself as more of a vegetable gardener. Not that I don't find flowers compelling and beautiful. I like to compare flower gardeners and vegetable gardeners to gay men and lesbians. Yeah we belong to the same community, but at the end of the day, we're chasing after different things. I'll admit that unless I can consume the plant somehow, I'm generally not too interested in growing it. I'll need a flower enthusiast to set me straight one of these days (no pun intended).

Chrysanthemum tea is customarily sweetened with rock sugar.

Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I LOVE to drink Chinese chrysanthemum tea. Like chamomile, the best chrysanthemum tea is brewed using whole flowers. I especially enjoy the variety that is white or very pale yellow in color. My friend Winnie informed me that the kind I like is called Ju hua and has the botanical name chrysanthemum morifolium. For those of you who have never tried this tea, I would describe the taste as mild, sweet, nutty (like sunflower seeds) and earthy. Chrysanthemum tea is also known to have many medicinal qualities. In addition to acne and influenza (which is why it is sometimes referred to as a "cooling" herb), it was also used as a holistic treatment for circulatory disorders like varicose veins. Finally, the Chinese believe that chrysanthemum tea helps to "clear" the eyes and cleanse the liver.

Needless to say, I would give anything to be able to grow my own chrysanthemum tea plants and dry my own flowers. Hence the dilemma. I cannot find a source for seeds or transplants ANYWHERE. There are numerous online nurseries that sell chrysanthemum plants, yet none of them appear to be the variety that I'm looking for. Also, all of the seed companies I've come across only carry edible chrysanthemum greens, which is a whole different thing . As a result, I have no choice but to release this post into cyberspace and hope for the slight chance that someone will read this and tell me how I can get a hold of a few chrysanthemum tea plants or seeds (that is, without having to visit a tea farm in China).

Update: Believe it or not...and despite my overwhelming skepticism, someone out there has found a source for the elusive chrysanthemum tea plant. My lovely friend Michelle of From Seed to Table fame came through big time and her search ultimately led us here. I contacted the company and they confirmed that they have exactly what I'm looking for. The original stock was actually collected from a tea farm in Guangxi, China.

I placed an order for 4 rooted cuttings. Unfortunately, I will have to wait until the weather warms up a bit before they can be shipped safely. A minor obstacle at the end of this 2-year journey.

A MILLION THANKS MICHELLE! I surrender to the power of online social networking.

What's Been Happening Lately

When I first started blogging a few months ago, I found myself thinking, "what could I possibly talk about when the weather gets colder?" And COLDER it has been. Even though the actual "growing" part has slowed way down, I still find myself pulled in many different directions...all of them leading back to the garden. I hope it will stay that way as winter commences. In no particular order, here's what's been happening in my gardening world as of late:


The all lettuce mix that I received from Johnny's is ready to harvest. I haven't had to buy salad greens from the supermarket in the past month and a half. It will be a sad day when I have to again.


The rainbow chard is still tiny. I have some growing in pots (which I bring in at night) and inside one of my hoop houses. I'm wondering if it's possible to overwinter chard as I doubt I will be eating it any time soon.


The flowering brassica is starting to bud. I harvested some for dinner earlier this week and it was delicious.


I can't say enough about these Hakurei turnips. Simply steamed and with a little bit of butter added, they taste to me like the best cauliflower I've ever had...but much easier to grow.


Some red romaine lettuce growing in a pot. I love how it radiates in the sun.



We were able to make it to the Topsfield Fair last weekend. I always look forward to the livestock exhibits. In an ideal world, I would find myself living on a dairy farm on the coast of Prince Edward Island...milking cows and goats and making artisan cheese.


The Meyer lemons are slowly starting to ripen. They won't be ready until their skins turn a deep golden yellow....I'm guessing maybe sometime in November or December.


Finally, I'm already looking forward to next spring. To me, there's nothing more comforting than seeing crocus emerge from the frosty ground. As a child, I used to love my dad's tulips. Hopefully these will turn out to be as beautiful as his.