PAS Gardens: Just Peachy

Broadcasting the Week of 06-14-10

This episode of P. Allen Smith Gardens is full of sweet ideas.  Texas peach cobbler, cut flowers, peach varieties and espaliered fruit trees are just a few of the topics we’ll cover.  

Feature Highlights:

Texas Peach Cobbler
Cut Flower Solution
Hardy Galdioli
Espaliered Trees
Cling Stone versus Freestone Peaches

Color Corner: Proven Winners® Angelonia® Angelface Blue
I remember when angelonias first arrived on the gardening scene.  I was intrigued, but not overly impressed.  With the Angelface® series the promise of angelonia has finally been fulfilled.  Super saturated bloom color, extra sturdy stems and high heat tolerance make this plant a must have for the garden.  Spires of bloom reach 18 to 24 inches tall.  It is a great choice for adding height and continuous summer color to flower borders and containers.

People and Places

Larry High, Farmer, High Orchard, El Paso, AR- Larry High grows a range of fruits for his you-pick farm, but peaches are especially popular.  Larry discusses some of the varieties he is growing and gives a tip on knowing when a peach is ripe and ready.

The longer the peach stays on the tree the better flavor it has. The first ones that get ripe are out on the ends of the limbs and what you look for is fullness and color. Make sure there is no green around the stem. If you have good color and fullness it will probably be ripe.

Peter Thevenot, Espalier Tree Farmer, River Road Farms, Decatur, TN- Peter has been a fun guy to work with both at his farm in Tennessee and at the Garden Home Retreat where some of his espaliered ‘Gala’ Apples and ‘Kiefer’ Pears are planted. 

Helen Smith, Master Gardener, Aylmer, Ontario, Canada- It’s often funny to hear the perceptions that people have about gardening in other countries.  For example you might think a gardener in Africa deals only with drought or, as in the case of Helen Smith of Canada, that it’s cold and snowy all the time.  Helen clears up some misconceptions about gardening in her home country and compares her gardening zone to Allen’s Garden Home Retreat during the 2007 International Master Gardener Conference. 

Scott Campbell, Chef, Milestone Culinary Arts and Viking Cooking School, Dallas, TX-  Scott Campbell’s recipe for Texas Peach Cobbler on the Fly really shows off his creativity and his love for his home state.  This is an easy and elegant dessert that’s perfect for summertime entertaining.