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In case you don’t know, Loving Garland Green is the official steward for the Garland Community Garden.  We meet the first and third Monday of the month at 216 East Kingsbridge Drive, 6:30 to 7:30 PM.

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At our Monday February 19 meeting Jane Stroud, our President, has promised to bring some Hopniss for us to sample.  If you’ve never heard of Hopniss, you can join my club.  Until a few days ago when Jane educated me, I had not heard of this plant either.  This edible is also known as the “American Groundnut.”

Hopniss is our North American answer to the South American potato.  It is a tuber from a bean plant.  The beans, flowers and shoots of Hopniss are all edible.  The first European reference to Hopniss comes from Thomas Harriot, the resident scientist with Sir Walter Raleigh’s 1585 voyage to Virginia.

This plant has been found as far west as Colorado.  The Hopniss is reported to be a hardy plant that loves to grow in wet places such as stream banks, around the edges of ponds.  Yet it is also drought tolerant—this is a suitable candidate for growing in our gardens here in North Texas.

Old World/New World Garden Patch

As mentioned previously on this blog, we plan to have an Old World/New World bed down at the Garland Community Garden this year.  Half of this bed will feature plants fro the Old World the Europeans brought to the New World and the other half of the bed will feature the plants from the New World that the Europeans took with them back to the New world.  Hopniss will be among the plants featured in the New World section,

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Update on Fava Beans and Tulips in the Garland Community Garden

Most beans prefer warmer (but not too warm) weather.  However, the Fava Beans prefer temperatures between 40 and 70 degrees F.  About three weeks ago I planted 15 Fava beans in three different places in the Garland Community Garden.  Shortly after we had that cold snap with temperatures dipping into the teens.  I had given up on them.  Then on Thursday (Feb 15) Low and behold!  The Fava beans have broken through the earth with their lovely dark green leaves.  I think all the beans have germinated.

Jane and I counted emerged tulips on Thursday as well:  28 of 50 tulips are now poking through the soil.

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If you want to have fun, learn more about what you can grow in our North Texas area, or taste some American Groundnut, come to the next meeting of Loving Garland Green:

Monday February 19 – 6:30 to 7:30 PM – 216 EAST Kingsbridge Drive 75040 (between Crestone and Naaman School Road)