Monthly Archives: April 2021

Master of the Woods

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Dallas Garden Buzz

If the title sounds like the name of a new novel, continue reading for a charming introduction into an often-forgotten herb, sweet woodruff – Waldmeister (Galium odoratum formerly known as Asperula Odorata.) According to German folklore it is known by many sources as master of the woods. Delving deeper into its history and uses, you may want to obtain some quickly for a refreshing sip of Maiwein to celebrate May 1^st.

In the edible landscape we chose sweet woodruff because it is an ideal herb to use for planting under trees and along shady walkways. With its whorls of emerald green leaves and white starry flowers, it is a welcome sight in late spring while the foliage is attractive all season long.

Sweet woodruff prefers a rich, loamy, well-drained slightly acidic soil but tolerates both sandy and heavy, alkaline clay soils. The shady side of our hügelkultur bed provides it with an optimum growing environment. It typically grows to about a foot tall and spreads indefinitely by stringy yellow underground runners. In our Zone 8 climate it is considered an evergreen. A light covering of mulch this winter helped it survive during the freeze.

The German name, Waldmeister (master of the woods), reflect its habitat, the common name bedstraw, applied also to other members of the genus, refers to its use. During the middle ages it was used as a fragrant strewing herb and mattress filling. When dried, the leaves smell pleasantly of new-mown hay, honey and vanilla.

Today, sweet woodruff is probably best known as an ingredient of German May wine. It is traditionally drunk on May Day both to welcome the season and as a spring tonic. Follow this simple recipe for a refreshing sip of an historical beverage. The recipe was taken from a German Culture website which specified that only the tender, young leaves should be used in this drink, before sweet woodruff is in bloom. As you can see from the photograph, our sweet woodruff fits that description, so we are ready to enjoy a glass of Maiwein on Saturday, May 1st!

Sweet Woodruff Wine

Ingredients

1 bottle dry German Riesling

7 sprigs young sweet woodruff

Instructions

Tie the stems of the woodruff with a string and stuff it into the opening of the wine bottle, leaving the string outside the bottle. Let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Remove the bunch and serve the wine chilled. Note: Germans like to garnish the Maiwein with fresh strawberries and mint.

Here is a link to a wonderful recipe for Creamy Maiewien cake: gathervictoria.com.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Aji Dulce – Paco’s Peppers

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Dallas Garden Buzz

April 29, 2021

This article is about my friend Paco. We met on a pickleball court 5 or 6 years ago and have been good friends ever since. The first time I stepped into his backyard, I discovered we had something other than pickleball in common – gardening! Paco is from Puerto Rico and he has turned his backyard into a tropical paradise. Last year at a summer pool party, I noticed a pepper plant with small, wrinkly looking red and green peppers. He explained that he collected the seeds from peppers he got in Puerto Rico because it is an important ingredient for sofrito. I left the party with a baggie full of seeds.

The Aji Dulce peppers (Capsicum Chinese) are small, sweet peppers. They have the shape and size of a habanera pepper but without the heat. They start out light to dark green and eventually turn red and orange if left on the plant to mature. Aji Dulce is used to season dishes in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba. My research found that in Puerto Rico, it is most commonly used in sofrito (which translates to stir fry or sauté in English). It is a perennial in the tropics but is an annual here.

With the seeds Paco gave me last year, we have been able to start a number of these pepper plants for the Raincatcher’s Garden annual plant sale which will be held at the garden on Thursday, May 13^th. I am looking forward to growing a couple of these plants myself this summer and will be looking up sofrito recipes once I get a good crop going!

This plant goes by several names. In Puerto Rico it is know as aji dulce, ajicito or ajies. In the Dominican Rebuplic it is called aji gustoso and in Cuba it is aji cachucha. To me, this plant will always and simply be referred to as Paco’s peppers!

Jackie James

Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 1993

We will be posting more details on this blog about the May 13th plant sale in the near future.

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Posted in Vegetable Gardening in Dallas and tagged Aji Dulce Peppers, Dallas County Master Gardener, Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Dallas Plant Sale, growing bell peppers, Plant Sale, The Raincatcher's Garden, The Raincatcher's Garden of Midway Hills, vegetable gardening. Bookmark the permalink.

The North Garden Veggies Are Back

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Dallas Garden Buzz

April 27, 2021

The vegetable crops in the north garden are thriving again. All of the raised beds are going strong. We had such nice yields from our Bloomsdale and Regimen spinach that we were able to donate 12-gallon bags to a food bank. Yesterday onions were harvested and donated and we picked a bountiful crop of purple potatoes.

Team leader, Lennard Nadalo, did his homework on tasty varieties. We especially enjoyed the Flamboyant French Breakfast radishes, Runaway and Wasabi arugula.

Hoping to delight our frequent preschool visitors, we constructed a teepee and planted Sunset runner beans to climb the poles.

This week the vegetable team was pleased to see peppers developing well on the varieties we are growing for the jam and jelly team fund raising efforts. We have started an heirloom variety of cucumber especially for the team to try branching out into bread and butter pickles this year.

Looking ahead to fall, we are considering small varieties of brassicas that have a better chance of success in our climate.

Volunteers have started vegetables from seed at home. Gardeners are tending okra and roselle hibiscus in the greenhouse to be ready in time to plant in May. The converted turf bed has been tilled and looks perfect for planting. Other volunteers took time and care creating the central brick lined bed that will have heat loving plants such as cucumbers and okra. The compost team provides the nutrient dense material that makes our plants thrive. We appreciate the many donated packets of seeds.

The spirit of cooperation among all gardeners at Raincatchers has contributed a great deal to the successful revival of this area. Thank you!

Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018