Salsa Garden
| May 8, 2011 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
Pick a sunny spot for this pepper-packed oak half-barrel.
A well-stocked container is all you need to a fresh supply of salsa. Our planting scheme includes two fiery chili peppers; a golden tomato; a small, meaty tomato; cilantro; and a tomatillo (a small, green, husked tomato).
Instructions:
1. Decorate the barrel using acrylic paints in a south-of-the-border pattern. Make it bright and simple.
2. Paint four 1-inch x 1-1/2-inch x 4-foot garden stakes, and let dry.
3. Drill a small hole through each stake, 1 inch from the end. Secure the undrilled end of each stake 4-5 inches deep in the planter’s soil.
4. Gather the drilled ends, tepee style, and thread a 12-inch piece of wire through the holes; twist wire ends together to secure the stakes.
5. Attach an ornament, such as a sunny Mexican decoration, to the top of the stakes.
6. When You Plant: Each year that you reuse the planter, remove 1/3 of the old potting mix, and replace it with a nutrient-rich blend or compost and composted manure (1 part each). Blend with potting soil.
7. Stake. When plants are from 1- to 2-feet tall, secure them to the stakes with gentle-but-firm ties made from 1/2-inch-wide strips cut from legs of pantyhose.
8. Make fresh salsa by chopping and mixing ingredients from your salsa garden with onion and garlic. Add a squeeze of fresh lime. If desired, simmer together; freeze extra salsa.
