Hot Weather Musings
Hattie’s Garden open weekly Thursday and Friday from 10 to 5
Yes, it is quite hot! And seemingly sudden after last week’s cooler weather. But we do expect it to become less humid and more seasonable after Wednesday. It will be another great opportunity for you to plant your vegetables, herbs and annuals for the season.
Hattie’s Garden has another new planting of Benary Giant Zinnias and some nice new tomato plants in addition to lots more items for your garden, including more flowers, both bedding flowers and cutting flowers, and lots of Dolly Basil and many other herb plants.
Meanwhile, stay plenty hydrated with water, and especially when outside, wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
What’s Available This Week
The following freshly harvested produce, beautiful cut flowers and plants for your home garden will be available on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) located at Kings Highway across from Crooked Hammock Brewery, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hattie’s Garden located at 31341 Kendale Road in Lewes, and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the HLFM located at George H.P. Smith Park. If these times/dates do not work for you, please email Hattie to make other arrangements.
Hakurei Turnips and Patty Pan Squash
Yes, they’re here. This week’s high temperatures have quickened the harvest and we should have plentiful Hakurei Turnips and Patty Pan Squash for you at either the Wednesday market at Crooked Hammock, here at the garden on Thursday and Friday as well as at the Saturday HLFM Market.
For those in the know, Hakurei turnips are some of the most versatile of vegetables – both their root (the turnip) and the greens (which do not have the small hairs that are found on other turnip greens) are edible and delicious. They can also be eaten raw, as salad turnips. And while Patty Pan may look like a small toy top, or flying saucer, this is a delightful summer squash that can be grilled or sauteed in just minutes.
Other Produce
For triple-washed young arugula and nice triple-washed lettuce or mesclun, look no further. We keep all greens cold from the moment we cut them and then our salad bags are kept cold at the market and will last a minimum of a week. It is so nice to have really fresh salads. Look in the blue coolers.
Fresh Cut Herbs
This week, we will begin putting together an herb combo pack for our customers. These combos have been popular in past years and contain a smaller amount of several herbs at a good price so that customers get the benefit of the herbs they need or want to try without needing to buy a separate bunch of each herb.
We hope this encourages folks to experiment more with herbs. I once asked a friend of mine with a background in the culinary arts how I should use herbs. She told me I should just start using them and to use them in everything−salads, vegetables, meats, etc. and not to worry so much about whether I should use this herb or that herb with this food or that food. She was right. It is much easier than I thought to use herbs and they have amazing health benefits.
Hattie’s Garden Cut Flowers
In addition, we have more flowers each week and this week our bouquets will include snap dragons and yarrow and colorful zinnias. Each of our flower cuttings, which will last you at least a full week, are pretty enough to stand alone in a vase. However, we do assemble, in advance, some lovely individually-wrapped bouquets. And of course, you may also request a custom made bouquet, using your choice of flowers, made on the spot. Each bouquet comes with a packet of flower food.
Hot Pepper Plants
We have new hot pepper plants this week and can offer you a mildly warm Ancho/Pablano or another mildly warm Czech’s Black Hot (we love this plant). We have lots of our favorite Jalafuego Jalapeno plant that really produce for you and give you consistent heat in every Jalapeno pepper.
And for those more adventurous, we have our cute Thai Hot pepper plant that also looks terrific as an ornamental pepper and can easily be grown in a small pot, and of course, for some hot pepper lovers no season is complete without a nice Habanero pepper plant!
Yours in the Garden & Markets,