Oh nuts!
By Ralph E. Mitchell I was out in our Demonstration Garden at the East Port Campus on Harbor View Road in Port Charlotte this morning and smelled a floral fragrance of some type –a honey-like scent. I followed… Read More
Category: Fruits & Vegetables
All hail kale!
By Ralph E. Mitchell I am going to have to repeat myself, but in addition to not liking red beets as a youth, I also did not like kale. It was probably in the manner it was served,… Read More
Sweet potatoes grow themselves
By Ralph E. Mitchell Sweet potatoes are surprising plants. Native to tropical America, this tuberous relative of the Morning Glory, is both edible and ornamental. An excellent source of vitamin A, the tubers come in yellow, orange and… Read More
Papaya – a giant arborescent plant
By Ralph E. Mitchell A papaya is not a true tree, but a tree-like or arborescent plant. This large herbaceous plant is relatively short-lived, but can be a great producer of high-quality fruit. I have grown them for… Read More
Soil testing is fundamental
By Ralph E. Mitchell I have heard that one of our soil’s best attributes is for keeping plants upright – our Florida terra firma takes a great deal of ridicule! “Moon sand” or “beach sand” are common terms… Read More
Can you grow a coconut palm in Charlotte County?
By Ralph E. Mitchell Can you grow a coconut palm in Charlotte County? The short answer is both “yes” and “no”. While this magnificent symbol of the tropics makes a wonderful landscape feature in some places, it is… Read More
Home-grown dragon fruit – a fruit salad possibility!
By Ralph E. Mitchell We have a dragon fruit plant in our Demonstration Garden on Harbor View Road and for the first time it appears to be setting fruit! This member of the cactus family produces large red… Read More
Natal plums – fragrant blooms, tasty fruit
By Ralph E. Mitchell I often wander through our Demonstration Garden at the East Port Environmental Campus on Harbor View Road in Port Charlotte to see what is blooming, producing fruit, or has a pest infestation. Our Natal… Read More