Are You Serving Vegetables to Your Clients?
28 Nov, 2008 By: Landscape Management Staff LDB SolutionsEconomic pressures and environmental awareness are driving the popularity of growing fruits and vegetables. Designing and installing fruit and vegetable gardens will allow you to stay ahead of a developing trend.
According to the National Garden Bureau, a national survey found that vegetable or fruit plants are second on the list of plants gardeners plan to purchase this spring — up from fourth place just a year ago. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of consumers plan on buying vegetable or fruit plants, behind lawn and grass (54%) but ahead of both annual (35%) and perennial flowers (31%), as well as trees and shrubs (35%).
Fruit and Vegetable garden designs can consist of an entire yard in the suburbs, a rooftop in the city or strategically placed container plantings. But what to plant? Three of All-America Selections' 2009 winners are vegetables.
Eggplant F1 Gretel
The earliest white eggplant perfectly describes Gretel. The glossy white mini-fruit are produced in clusters and can be harvested in 55 days depending upon growing conditions. Like all eggplants, Gretel will grow rapidly under warm temperatures, over 55° day and night temperatures. The white fruit are sweet with tender skin even if they mature beyond the ideal fruit size of 3 to 4 inches. This trait means clients have a longer timeline to harvest fruit. Gretel plants are relatively small, about 3 ft. wide and tall. Since the plant is small it is adaptable to growing in containers. It is recommended to use a rather large container about 16 inches deep. This AAS Winner was bred by Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Oxnard, CA.
Melon F1 Lambkin
The most important trait of this melon is the flavor. The oval shaped melon weighs between 2 and 4 lbs. with a thin rind surrounding sweet, aromatic, white, juicy flesh. Another advantage is the earliness. Most other gourmet melons of this type mature much later than the 65 to 75 days of Lambkin. Because of the early harvest, the vigorous vines can produce more melons. It is classified as a Piel de Sapo melon a. k. a. Christmas type. As a Christmas melon, Lambkin can be stored longer than other melons. They should be stored in a cool place such as a refrigerator. Lambkin was bred by Known-You Seed Co. Ltd., Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Seed and plants of Lambkin will be available in retail stores.
Squash F1 Honey Bear
Honey Bear acorn squash was bred to be baked and served in the half shell. The honey in Honey Bear refers to the sweet squash flavor when cooked. In addition to flavor, there are three outstanding qualities; the compact plant, high yield, and tolerance to powdery mildew. The bushy, compact plant will reach 2 to 3 ft. tall and spread 4 to 5 ft. without vines. The dark green acorn squash weighs about a pound. The plant produces 3 to 5 fruit per bush. The yield is high due to the powdery mildew tolerance. At the end of the season many acorn squash plants succumb to the mildew and fruit on the plant never matures. Honey Bear continues to bear fruit throughout the growing season. From sowing seed in the garden until the harvest of the first squash will be about 100 days. Honey Bear was bred at the University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH.
In addition to the AAS winners, there are many cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and lettuces that are popular garden items. Check with your local university to see if they have trialed varieties that perform well in your area. With some research, you can begin offering easy-to-maintain, beautifully designed fruit and vegetable gardens to your clients.
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