Weekly Gardening Tips - August 22, 2009
Mitzi Davis
Colorado State University Extension Master Gardener in Larimer County
- Instead of drying, preserve your herbs by freezing them in water. Place chopped herbs in an ice cube tray, cover with water and freeze. Store the herb “cubes” in plastic bags in the freezer.
- Keep fruits and vegetables harvested even if there is more than you can use or give away. Keeping the fruit harvested will keep the plants producing.
- “Everlasting” flowers like yarrow, baby’s breath, statice, strawflower, globe amaranth, sea holly and celosia are easily dried. Pick before the blossoms are fully open, strip the foliage and hang upside down in a cool, dry location. Bright yellow, orange, pink and blue colored flowers keep the truest colors. Reds and purples turn dark and unattractive; whites become buff or tan.
- Eggplant is great sliced, coated with a little olive oil and cooked on the grill. It’s ready to harvest when the fruit is fully colored – which could be traditional purple, pink, green, white or striped. The seeds inside should be white and the flesh firm. Brown, hard seed indicates the eggplant is past its prime and could taste bitter.
For more information, contact your local Colorado State University Extension office.
