Newsletter for September 5th, 2026

September 5, 2026 - Issue #790

"The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses." — Hanna Rion

Cooking With Garden Produce

The best recipes start in the garden, not in the books. When you grow vegetables, herbs, and fruits at home, the foundation of a delicious meal is already at hand. These recipes highlight how to transform your harvest into satisfying dishes that showcase the flavors you've cultivated.

Growing peppers indoors and outdoors, from seed to fruit, and caring for pepper trees

Garden peppers are Capsicum, from the nightshade family. Pepper trees are Schinus, from the cashew family, and the two are completely unrelated plants with different needs. Both are covered here.

Why were my melons big but not sweet, and does soil pH matter?

Large, bland melons usually result from watering too late in ripening and picking before they're ready. Soil pH is far less important than most gardeners think, and there's no separate rule for different vegetable types.

How to Grow and Care for Peppers

The brilliant hues and full-bodied flavors of peppers have assured them a central role in many of the world's cuisines.

Cooking and Storing Corn

Biting into fresh corn on the cob slathered with butter is one of life's true pleasures. Growing your own sweet corn allows you the simple luxury of savoring the unbeatable, indescribable flavor of eating it minutes after it's picked.

Into the Kitchen: Squash and Melons

To prepare summer squashes, wash the whole vegetable, trim off the ends and cut into cubes or slices.

General Cooking Tips for Peppers, Eggplant and Okra

Peppers, eggplant, and okra are tasty ingredients in many dishes. Here's some tips on preparing them and information about their health benefits.

Together with Victory Seed Company

Through Labor Day

Garlic Is Back, 20% Off

Victory Seed Company's garlic is in for fall planting, with seven varieties in stock and shipping now, from hardnecks like Music and Chesnok Red to softneck Inchelium Red and big, mild elephant garlic. Plant the cloves a few weeks before your first frost, mulch the bed, and pull full heads next summer. All of our seed is non-GMO, and through Labor Day you can take 20% off the entire store with code LaborDay2026. Garlic supply is limited and won't be back until next year. The code expires at 11:59pm Monday, September 7th.

Shop Garlic at Victory Seeds

Mammillaria (Mammillaria elongata 'Copper King')

Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 9b -3.9 °C (25 °F) to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
Plant Height: 4 to 8 inches
Plant Spread: 8 to 12 inches
Fruit: Edible to birds
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Suitable Locations: Houseplant, Xeriscapic
Uses: Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Drought tolerant
Containers: Needs excellent drainage in pots

Dahlias (Dahlia)

Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Flowers: Showy
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger

Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Frans Hals')

Hybridizer: Wilmer B. Flory
Year of Registration or Introduction: 1955
Foliage type: Dormant
Scape height: 24.00 inches
Bloom size: 4 inches
Bloom time: Midseason-Late
Plant Traits: Diurnal
Fertility: Pod Fertile, Pollen Fertile
Bloom Traits: Bicolor or Reverse Bicolor
Bloom Form: Single
Color description: Bright rust and orange bicolor, creamy orange midrib on petals
AHS Awards: Honorable Mention, JC
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Flowers: Showy
Ploidy: Diploid
Parentage: Baggette x Cornell

Clematis 'Mrs. Robert Brydon'

Raised by: Robert Brydon
Country of Origin: USA
Growing Zones: USDA Zone 4, USDA Zone 5, USDA Zone 6, USDA Zone 7, USDA Zone 8, USDA Zone 9
Typical Plant Size: Typically 6 to 8 feet
Pruning Group: Group 3 - Hard pruning recommended in early spring
Bloom Diameter: Very Small - 2 inches or smaller (<5 cm)
Bloom Color (Tepals): Light to Lavender Blue hue
Bloom Shape: Single
Preferred Light: Tolerates partial shade, Prefers full sun
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb, Vine
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Plant Height: 6-8 ft.
Leaves: Deciduous
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Lavender
Flower Time: Summer, Late summer or early fall

Nikko Maple (Acer maximowiczianum)

Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 5a -28.9 °C (-20 °F) to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
Plant Height: 30-45 feet (typically grows rather slowly)
Plant Spread: 30-45 feet
Leaves: Good fall color, Deciduous, Other
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Other
Uses: Shade Tree