PHOTO BY MARTHA HANNON
Shields Yard Honored
Hob and Jeanne Shields of 8 Carolina Shores Drive received the January Yard of the Month award
from Carolina Shores Garden Club. Alternating plants of ilex holly, gardenia, camellia and hawthorn
create a well-organized wintertime backdrop for the varicolored pansies in the foreground.
'Minor' Vegetables Offer Major Fun
What is the most popular veg
etable in the United States?
Answer: The Irish potato.
The majority of the fresh veg
etable diet eaten in the United States
comes from fewer than 20 widely
grown vegetables. The potato, toma
to. bean (bush, pole and lima), cab
bage. lettuce, carrot, celery, sweet
corn, cucumber, broccoli, onion,
peppers (bell, hot and pimiento).
squash (summer and winter types),
sweet potato, pea and turnip are
among the rn?ij\?r vc^ctSeScs grown
for consumption in the United
States.
What about chavote. chufa.
cilantro. dasheen. jicama. kangking.
orach. Sea Kale. Jerusalem artichoke
and cushcush?
Most of these vegetables will
readily grow in eastern North Caro
lina gardens and will add a new di
mension to the garden and diet of
the adventurous gardener
Chavote (Scchium ??dulc) is a
perennial vine-forming member of
the cucumber family that produces
an edible fruit. I have eaten chavote
sauteed with onion (it tasted similar
to southern fried squash and onions).
The vine must be protected from
freezing temperature to perennate.
Chayote can often be purchased at
the grocery store. Plant the entire
single-seeded fruit in the spring after
the danger of frost is past. Allow
plenty of room and trellis for this
vining vegetable.
Chufa (Cyper its esculcntus) is the
edible cultivated form of the dreaded
yellow nutsedge. Grown and eaten
extensively in Africa, this cultivated
sedge produces peanut-size tubers
that are excellent when roasted or
eaten raw. Grown mainly for wildlife
or livestock feed in Florida, chufa
tastes like a cross between coconut
and almond. Plant tubers in earl\
spring uud hurvest Hcforc firvt
Cilantro. a.k.a. Chinese parsle>
(Conundrum sativum) is an annual
herb and the leafy version of the
herb coriander. Cilantro leaves used
like parsley in any tomato-based
dishes are excellent. Fresh cilantro
makes Mexican cuisine special. It is
one of my favorite leafy herbs.
Dasheen (Colocisia esculenta) al
so called Eddo. taro or malanga. pro
duces an edible underground stem
(called a corm) from a plant that re
sembles a giant caladium. The corn
is planted alter the danger of frost is
past and harvested in October. You
like the tropical etfect of the foliage
better than the edible corm.
Jicama (Pachyrrhizus erosus) is
pronounced "he-cam-a" and known
to many as the yam bean or Mexican
turnip. This tropical perennial
? eon
r
THE
PLANT
DOCTOR
C. BRUCE
WILLIAMS
Extension Area
Turf Specialist
'V.CVI UIO% ill V tu MJiiiV lii"
dividuals. hut the edible root makes
a great addition to a raw vegetable
salad. Due to the long growing sea
son required to grow this vegetable,
plant whole immature roots immedi
ately after the danger of frost has
passed.
I have never eaten Kangkong
(Ipamca tu/uatica) hut folks from
southeast Asia. Taiwan and Malay
sia consider it to be a fine leafy veg
etable plant. I do not recommend
growing this plant in southeastern
North Carolina because it could be
come a serious weed problem in the
Southeast. Grown in Florida by per
mit only, this vegetable can be pur
chased canned in specialty stores.
Orach (Atriplex hortcnsis) is one
of the world's oldest cultivated leafy
vegetable plants. This cool season
annual will grow especially well in
alkaline soils (pil 7-N). Plant in late
September and harvest leaves
throughout the winter tor a spinach
substitute. You have to check British
seed catalogs to find this one.
Pickled sea kale (Crumble mariti
ma) was eaten by the Romans on
long sea voyages to prevent scurvy.
In fresh form, young shoots and
leaves are cooled and eaten like as
paragus. 1 have not grown or eaten
sea kale \et. but am try ing to get
seeds or roots for my garden. Sea
grows wild along the coast of
western Europe and Great Britain.
The Jerusalem artichoke
(Hclianihus tuberosus) is a wonder
ful native American perennial plant
that grows well throughout North
Carolina and can be used for orna
mental and food purposes. The un
derground tuber is excellen' raw or
pickled and the sunflower bloom is a
welcome addition to any garden.
Plant tubers in early spring in a
fertile, loamy soil amended with
limestone to a pH of 6. Plants may
grow 8 to it) feet tall. Dig tubers be
fore fsvs! In the fs!! 2nd leave some
tubers in a well-mulched bed for
next year's crop.
I have never eaten or grown cush
cush (Dioscorea trifula) but I be
lieve it is a plant I would like to
know. Cushcush is a perennial tropi
cal yam grown throughout South
America and Africa and prized for
its flavor and cooking qualities. The
edible tuber is produced by a vigor
ous vine that is used in ornamental
planting in north Florida.
Plant chunks of the tubers in earh
spring and cultivate like sweet pota
toes. Harvest tubers when foliage
dies back or before the first frost in
the fall.
For more information on minor
vegetable crops check out James
Stephens' Manual of Minor Vege
tables. published by Florida Co
operative Extension Service. Public
ations Center. IFAS Bid. No. 664,
University of Florida. Gainesville,
Fla. 32611. Getting seed or propag
ules of some of these exotics can be
nearly impossible, but careful exam
ination of many seed catalogs will
often find these jewels tucked away
on the back page.
Let me know if you have found a
good source of exotic vegetables
and I will share it with readers in a
future column.
Send your questions or comments
to The Plant Doctor, P.O. Box 1()9.
Bolivia. A'.C'. 2H422.
5* Announcing. . .
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Organizational Meeting
Monday, Jan. 17, 5:00 PM
In the Hospital Dining Room
THE BRUNSWICK
HOSPITAL
Hwy. 17 S., Supply
Jlindci and &lvjijn i H^outLcjUz
"We dress you in style"
Thomasboro Road, Calabash, 579-7848
STOREWIDE SALE
Thursday, Friday & Saturday - January 13-15
EflO/ nPI* Fall & Winter
yi| #0 Ufi ? Clothing
Dresses, Pant Sets, Sweaters, Jogging Suits, Etc.
^tfl?/A flFF Jewelry &
?pui /n ur f Accessories
ALL RED-TAG MERCHANDISE
ADDITIONAL 50% OFF
All Sales Final ? Sale Ends Saturday, January 15
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
7Friends From Calabash'
This committee from Calabash collected $2,395 to refurbish a bedroom at the Duke University Ronald
McDonald House, and a plaque has been placed in one of the bedrooms with the designation from
"Friends from Calabash." Sixty-six local businesses, organizations and individuals contributed to the
effort. Pictured visiting the Durham house to deliver the cash and Christmas goodies are (from left)
Kathy Sommers, Roberta Czap, Maryn Hall, Sandra Dou ling, Marie Vaccarino, Kathy Morfit, Sandy
Tilden, Elsie South and Marjorie Hardy. South and Hardy work at Ronald McDonald House.
JAN. 27 FROM 6-7:30 PM ~~
Free Advice Available For Financial Aid
A free workshop Jan. 27 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at
Brunswick Community College will provide informa
tion for parents and high school students on seeking fi
nancial aid for college.
The information on scholarships, grants and loans
will he applicable to any college the student may select,
not just BCC. The program will also include how to
complete the standard Free Application for Federal
Student Aid.
The even! is c?-<nnnia>ri'rt hv xnidance counselors at
I J C
Brunswick County's three high schools.
Campus tours of Brunswick Community College will
be available just before the start of the program.
Interested persons are asked to drop by the Student
Services Department from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
The free workshop will be held in the Student Center,
which is located downstairs in the A1.S Building on
BCC's main campus north of Supply on U.S. 17
Business.
For more information, contact BCC Financial Aid
Officer Barrv Hood, at Ext. 322. 754-6900. 457-6329 or
343-0203.
Fine Dining on the 18th Green.
lavafi Onlfio cTe^
"RFQTAI IRA NT R? 1 nilNr^
A 1 m. J M. A Ml W A A A A M. AU W W A A VJIAU
Enjoy fine dining in a casual and relaxed atmosphere featuring a spectacular
selection of specialty entrees along with our chef's nightly specials.
Specials: Thurs., Jan. 13. PASTA MIGHT $9.95 ? Sat., Jan. 15, STEAK DIANE $1 1.95
Sun., Jan. 16, LONDON BROIL $9.95 ? Thurs., Jan. 20, ITALIAN BUFFET $10.95
Sea Trail Plantation, Hwy. 179, Sunset Beach, 287-1 167
C \ <*>4 THE BRUNSWICK BFACON
?BEBBBBBEBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
" The Excitement Con toes!"
Ufa 11 _tn Wall
Willi iu SStlii
Floor-to-Ceiling
All-Out, Blow-Out
CLEARANCE
Hwy. 17
Little River, SC
J. LIVINGSTON
FURNITURE GALLERIES H (803)249-6188
1 iiununn Xwiliihlr