Plants and Produce for Sale at the Garden (2 to 5) Thursday & Friday, and HLFM (8 to 11) Wednesday & (8 to 12) Saturday

This week we are harvesting beautiful young leeks and a new planting of red radishes. The radishes we are pulling are nice and small, so they will not be overpoweringly spicy with a heat wave upon us.

Radishes are more than just a salad garnish. Besides the young radishes tasting great, they are packed with Vitamins E, A, C, B6, and K. Plus it’s high on antioxidants, fiber, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, copper, calcium, iron and manganese. And each of these is known to keep our body in good working condition. And like many radishes, Red radishes contain active enzymes that are known to aid in digestion.

Leeks are a member of the onion family and are related to shallots, garlic, chives, and scallions. They have a sweet, delicate flavor all their own. And the health benefits of leeks are numerous.

In addition to leeks and radishes, we also have a new bed of young arugula to harvest for you, and plenty of lettuce mix and mesclun. There will be some green beans and a pint or two of sugar snap peas.

The flowers are popping and we will have beautiful specialty cut flowers this week. Some of our current flowers are zinnias, snapdragons, yarrow, cosmos and ageratum. Each of our bouquets will last you a full week and comes with a packet of flower food.

Why no Patty Pan Squash?

Unfortunately, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Delaware Mosquito Control, through their air-deployed mosquito pesticide program, have killed the bulk of our pollinators, as well as the bee hive on the property. Thus, no patty pan squash for now. We are hopeful the pollinators will come back as we are lonely in the garden without the constant buzzing of bees and insects. Although at times annoying, they are essential to the ecosystem.

We understand the difficult position of the State of Delaware in controlling a burgeoning population of mosquitoes this year, but have let them know this is happening. We do know they take the general insect and bee population seriously and have safeguards in place to specifically target just the mosquitoes. Hopefully they can address the issue in a timely fashion.

Plants for Your Garden

We still have a few plant starts for your home gardens such as late tomatoes and peppers. Did you know you can still reliably get tomatoes and peppers if you plant before July 4?

Our flower plants include Benary giant zinnias, Oklahoma zinnias, Cut n’ Come Again zinnias and profusion zinnias and brocade marigolds.

Where and When to Find Us This Week

You can find us on this week from 8 to 11 at the Wednesday Historic Lewes Farmers Market (HLFM) located by the Crooked Hammock Brewery on King’s Highway near Dartmouth Drive and Rt. 1.

We will also be open at Hattie’s Garden from 2 to 5 on Thursday and Friday, and at the HLFM on Saturday from 8 to 12, located on the grounds of the George H.P. Smith Park located at the corner of Dupont and Johnson Avenues.

If these times/dates do not work for you, please email Hattie to make other arrangements. We can accommodate most requests.

Yours in the Garden and at the Markets,