What's the weirdest/most unique thing you grew this year?

[applestar]

yellow asphodel

...vaguely remembered from a
Tolkien book -- "Asphodel! Asphodel!...." ...something about an elf maiden.... Maybe one of Strider's fireside tales....
...now what book was that in? I'll have to go look it up now.

Edit: Asphodel was a Brandybuck.... Must have been Meriadoc telling the story... Was it during their adventures between Hobbiton and Rivendell or was it to the Ent? Hmmm....

(Sorry about the OT...)

Edit 2: Icame across this -- so interesting...
https://www.thehpn.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=28&topic=3674.top

[Francis Barnswallow]

I planted asparagus. At the time I didn't know they didn't grow well in Florida. I just got really tiny asparagus.....but in large numbers.

[GardenRN]

Hey Greg,
I have been wanting to try chinese artichokes ever since watching a YT video on them while researching Yacon. Did you grow them straight from the market? Or did you have to get them from somewhere else to get them to grow? They should be pretty fresh right now on a local level so it'd probably be a good time for me to hit an asian market if that's where you got starts!

[DoubleDogFarm]

Sense the topic has smeared into fruits. I have, Highbush Cranberry, Aronia, Sea Buckthorn, Shipova, 2 Asian pears, Medlar, Quince, dozen or so Filbert trees, Sweet Goumi, Currants, Chestnut, Gooseberries, Peach, apricot, Serviceberry, Elderberry and Fig. Oh! and a Meyer Lemon in the greenhouse.

Jerusalem artichoke, comfrey, asparagus.

More common, Apples - plums - pears - walnut- raspberry - blueberry - marionberry - Rosa Rugosa

Eric

[GardenRN]

How do those cranberries do for ya Eric? I always thought about trying them but figured t was probably one of those things where unless you have the land to grow a zillion plants you probably wouldn't have much to show for your work.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Jeff,

Highbush Cranberry is a Viburnum, not a true cranberry. They are very prolific, but IMO taste horrible.

Eric

[!potatoes!]

Jeff, i was unable to find any crosnes in any local markets of any kind, ethnic or not. i bought potted plants from a nursery --- will give you more info if you don't score at the asian market. hoping to multiply mine out enough to have some to sell/trade next year

i've got a higher tolerance for some bitter tastes than some, but IMO highbush cranberry, when you've let it freeze a couple times on the branch before picking it, is pretty good (if that's not good enough, you can always cook it down with a bit of sugar).

serviceberry should have made one of my lists earlier. did some bud-grafting of AMAZING found american persimmon this fall, too.

[applestar]

I have read that true American high bush cranberry tastes good but that the imported European cultivar has proliferated in U.S.A and they are the ones that don't taste as good.

I've also read that there is a viburnum species that only grow in extreme north -- Zone 3 at the southmost range -- that are excellent.

I think my oddest right now is Trifoliate orange "Flying Dragon"

[!potatoes!]

some other viburnums aren't bad, either, at least as a dried fruit...nannyberry comes to mind.

[DoubleDogFarm]

On a job site my brother found a vary tasty Laurel. I will be trying to propagate this one. I have forgotten the name, so I'LL have to get back to you on this.

Any secret techniques on propagating?

Eric

[GardenRN]

Jeff,

Highbush Cranberry is a Viburnum, not a true cranberry. They are very prolific, but IMO taste horrible.

Eric

AHA, that explains it!

[GardenRN]

Jeff, i was unable to find any crosnes in any local markets of any kind, ethnic or not. i bought potted plants from a nursery --- will give you more info if you don't score at the asian market. hoping to multiply mine out enough to have some to sell/trade next year.

Thanks, I'll do some recon work and see what I come up with. Maybe considering the harvesting time of Crosnes plus the season (holiday speaking) they will be around. Keeping my fingers crossed to get out and look this week.