BfloGirlGarden: Proven Harvest Edibles from Proven Winners

Last year, as part of the Proven Winners trial program, I was able to sample three new edibles that the company was releasing in 2019 under the Proven Harvest banner. The plants were Amazel Basil, Berried Treasure Strawberries and Garden Gem Tomatoes, and overall, I was very impressed.

Amazel Basil

First off, what a beautiful plant! I grew this in a large (10” diameter) ceramic floral-decorated planter, and it looked great – it would make a great filler plant in a larger container recipe.

Second, Amazel Basil is a sterile plant, so it will continue to produce new growth even if it flowers, and a little bit of flowering shouldn’t affect the taste. It is also Downy Mildew resistant.

Finally, I’m going to have to try it again, because I didn’t get to use it as much as I would’ve liked to. It was my first time growing basil, so I felt like I spent too much time looking for recipes and not enough time making them!

Berried Treasure Strawberries

I was most excited about this, because I LOOOOOVE strawberries! These were great to eat picked right off the plant, which leads to my only complaint: the berries were on the small side. They were tasty, however, and as an ever-bearing plant, quite prolific.

This plant still looks good: in September, I transplanted this from a container into a section of my veggie garden that I had pulled some old strawberry plants from (June-bearers) – then I ordered another one, and after that I ordered a Berried Treasure Flower Pillow from PW (I believe that will be 4-5 more plants for the garden next fall).

Garden Gem Tomatoes

Garden Gem is a smaller, Roma-shaped tomato (a larger, round tomato – Garden Treasure – will also be available in 2019) that, even I will admit, had good flavor. In general, I’m not a fan of tomatoes – I’ll eat them sliced thin on pizza, diced in pasta or salad, or as a sauce, but I’m not a fan of their usual pulpy texture. These weren’t pulpy – they were meaty. I was impressed, so I ordered another one for this year, as well as a Garden Treasure to try out.

I planted this – as well as the basil and strawberry plants – in containers so I could keep a better eye on them, and was impressed with the haul (about two pounds).

If you are in the Buffalo area and are interested in the Proven Harvest collection, Badding Brothers Farm Market, located at 10820 Transit Rd. in East Amherst, will be hosting a Launch Party on Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, featuring demonstrations, taste tests, raffles and more.

all photos: PaulaThompsonFreelance

BfloGirlGarden: Plantasia in Paradise 2019

I’m not sure why this year felt different than others (perhaps it was the 19 straight days I worked in late January thanks to the weather…), but I am sooooo ready for spring…like, right now!

This weekend I took a stroll through this year’s edition of Plantasia – “Plantasia in Paradise” – at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, and it gave me just enough of the good feels to make it through to “real spring!”

“Paradise” included putting greens, outdoor kitchens, water features, lighting ideas and, of course, plenty of plants. There were also plenty of vendors (maybe a few too many for my taste) and lots of people (who were probably just like me – looking for spring inspo!).

A few things I noticed:

• Garden art is still a thing (here in WNY at least!): like this guy, who would look great in Khaleesi’s Garden… 
  
  
    
• “Funky geraniums” were everywhere: whether because they were available or because they’re cool (I vote for the last!), the fancy-leaf geraniums that I’ve adored for the last few years were all over the place. The multi-colored foliage looked great against the dark mulch backgrounds, but I’ve always enjoyed them in containers (because they overwinter well in my basement! #bonusplantsforthewin).

• I need an elderberry shrub: I first saw elderberry outside of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, and fell in love with it because it looks like a Japanese maple. I found out later that it’s less expensive and more durable than Japanese maples – that sounds like a winner to me!

• There were many different versions of “paradise” on display: for golfers, the putting green; for cooks and entertainers, the outdoor kitchen and specialty lighting. Unfortunately, I didn’t think there was enough on display for garden DIYers like me – containers, raised beds, garden art, garden-to-table growing. Hopefully soon, I’ll get to play in my own version of “paradise!”

all photos: PaulaThompsonFreelance