Linda Shively from Farmington Gardens in Beaverton joined us today with a fun project to do with our kids or grandkids:  grow your own salsa garden!

She also showed off a mojito bowl and told us how easy it is to put one together!

For more information about Farmington Gardens, check out their website.

Salsa Garden

Contains:

• Patio tomato – choose a determinate variety of tomato.  These do well in containers – not so large and “viney”.  Give it a little support, with a bamboo stake or round tomato cage.
• Jalapeno peppers – or other hot peppers for some sizzle.  I like to put a stake next to these at planting time – they will need it later when the peppers get heavy, and it is good to insert it when you don’t have to disturb the root system.
• Sweet red bell pepper – to add a sweet crunch – give this one a little support too.
• Walla Walla onions – these are our local sweet onion.  Will mature to a large round onion, but can also be picked in the green onion stage.  That is why these are planted close together – we will harvest and thin them out at the same time.
• Cilantro – the favorite herb for salsa.  This herb is very easy to grow from seed – just scatter over your soil and water in.  It will be less likely to bolt and go to seed by starting it from seed rather than transplants.

Soil:    Use fresh potting soil, not dirt from your backyard.  You need loose, well-draining soil for container gardens.

Light:  This garden will thrive in full sunshine – give it a minimum of 8 hours of sun per day.

Fertilize:
Vegetables are heavy feeders – a tomato plant can produce 20 pounds of tomatoes!  So of course they will need lots of fertilizer.  Plant them with a good handful of EB Stone Organic Fertilizer and some dolomite lime in each hole.  Give them a sprinkling of EB Stone Organic Vegetable fertilizer once a month throughout the season, scratch in with your fingers, and water well.

Type of Pot to Use:
This Salsa Garden has lots going on in it, so we need a wide, large pot to hold it all.  This pot is high fire clay, which will hold up for years without cracking.  I like the terra cotta color for this collection.  It would also be possible to grow each of these items in individual pots instead of as a collection. 

Mojito Bowl

Contains:  4 kinds of mint: 

• Mint Julep spearmint
• Spearmint
• Peppermint
• Orange Mint

1. Use fresh potting soil, for good drainage.
2. Fertilize with organic fertilizer at time of planting. 
3. Water well.
4. Place in sunny location.
5. When harvesting, pinch back to branching nodes – that will encourage the plant to be short and bushy instead of long and leggy.