Bitter Melon
The Bitter Melon Short Fu Qwa, Foo-Gwa, 'Momordica charantia', is widely used in the Orient. You will quickly enjoy its bitter flavor. It is refreshing, cooling, and a compliment to beef, poultry, and seafood. The Bitter Melon is also called a Balsam Pear. The bitter flavor of bitter melon is due to quinine, and is a taste that is quickly acquired by adults and kids. This soft flavor softens as it absorbs other flavors. It is used in stir-fry, stews, steamed, braised, or curried. When mature, the melons are very showy, which is why it is commonly used as an ornamental. Plant in the spring, 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost when soil temperatures are warm. The Bitter Melon prefers light and well drained soil. Keep the plant moist but not soggy. Harvest the fruit when they are no longer than 6 inches and are still light green in color. ... more
Corn Cockle - Milas Rose Queen The Corn Cockle Milas Rose Queen, 'Agrostemma githago', is a fragile looking but very sturdy plant with delicate pink and white flowers that will delight you all summer. The Corn Cockle looks dramatic when planted in mass and is very tolerant of a wide range of conditions. It will tolerate wind and less than perfect soils. It is the ideal flower for continuous summer/fall show of color. Milas Rose Queen is used as an annual hedge, in the back of a flower border, and for bunches of cut flowers. All parts of this plant are poisonous. Plant in the spring after the last average frost date in cold climates. In warm climates seed in the fall or winter for early spring bloom.
