Prepare to Visit: Miramar Community Garden Visit

Pantin Mamey Sapote Pouteria sapota

A unique, tropical tree fruit with an interior texture that is both creamy and sweet, the vibrant salmon-colored flesh of the 'Pantin' mamey sapote is unlike anything most people have ever tasted. The flavor is a combination of sweet potato and pumpkin with undertones of almond, chocolate, honey, and vanilla. The ovoid, medium-large fruit has a large center pit, similar to an avocado. It ripens quickly, making long-term storage difficult, but once peeled and mashed, the flesh freezes well. The mamey sapote belongs to the same botanical family, the Sapotaceae, as the sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), another distinct tree fruit. Mr. Scott shared about this. https://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/pantin-mamey-sapote

Ichiban Eggplants

Ichiban Japanese eggplant is a productive variety that grows well in warm climates with full sun. It bears long, slender fruit that has a sweet, mild taste throughout summer and early fall. It requires steady moisture and well-drained, fertile soil. Plants also need plenty of space because they can grow up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

Ark of Taste

Micah answered Mr. Scott's question so extremely well. He shared with the moringa team about the story of Noah's Ark. I hope the other two groups of 11 also knew their story. Do you know the story of Ark of Taste, Ichiban Eggplants and Seminole Pumpkins? http://www.slowfoodusa.org/blog-post/a-recipe-for-sustainability-5-ingredients-for-earth-day-from-slow-food-usa https://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-of-taste-in-the-usa

moringa

One spoonful of dried ______ tree treats malnutrition and various illnesses in 30 days species that holds considerable potential for increasing farmer income as well as improving nutrition - also known as the miracle tree

Irish Potato Famine

What happened between 1845-1849 in Ireland? There was only on kind of potato grown as crops in Ireland. This one kind of potato became diseased and the Irish starved. It set off the immigration to the U.S. This led to a drop in the Irish population.

Seminole Pumpkin

The Seminole Pumpkin is an important product for the Miccosukee, or Creek people and the Seminole people. The Miccosukee name for this product is "chassa howitska" meaning "hanging pumpkin". The reference is to the method by which the pumpkin grows, as the Seminole and the Miccosukee people would plant the pumpkin seeds at the base of girdled trees, so that the pumpkin vines would grow up the trunk, and the pumpkin fruit would grow to be hanging from the bare limbs. It was under cultivation by Seminole people before Spaniards arrived in Florida in the 1500s. Immigrants to Florida also adopted this cultivation method, producing hundreds of pumpkins per acre.

Rules for a Health

Think before you eat anything with more than 5 ingredients.

Okanowa Spinach

This attractive perennial herb (Gynura crepioides) has half purple, half dark green leaves that make a delicious addition to salads. It propagates well from cutting. Ms. Toby shared about this plant.

Consider Color Wheels

What can we do to be healthier by looking at our smaller plates?

cotyledon

What is a "seed leaf" ? It is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, this becomes the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of these present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants (angiosperms). Species with one cotyledon are called monocotyledonous ("monocots"). Plants with two embryonic leaves are termed dicotyledonous ("dicots"). Ms. Beth told us about this.

Aunt Molly Ground Cherries

What is a tomatillo type plant named after somebody's aunt? (Physalis pruinosa) Outstanding Polish variety prized for its unique flavor. Easy to grow, prolific, and super sweet. Can be used for preserves, pies, over ice cream, or in fresh fruit salads. The ½-¾" fruits are encased in a papery husk that turns brown when the fruits ripen. Stores 3-4 weeks in the husk. Productive plants have a sprawling habit. 70 days from transplant. Mr. Scott shared about this.

lichen

What is an organism made of a fungus and either algae or autotrophic bacteria that live together in a mutualistic relationship? It is an indicator species of having clean air in the area. Mrs. Roach shared about this.

Mazano Bananas

What is the one of the more unusual varieties of dessert bananas ? It's one of the world's most popular fruits, this banana has been cultivated and enjoyed since ancient times. A stubby, thick-skinned, golden yellow fruit that is commonly known as the "apple banana", this gourmet banana has a delicious, sweet taste with a hint of apple and strawberry. This short, plump, finger-sized variety will turn dark yellow when ripe. These kind of bananas are a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Eat one a day! They contain 8 amino-acids our body cannot produce itself.

Cavendish Bananas

What kind of banana is it where one gets a disease and all the bananas are killed ? It may die very quickly from Panama disease. Mr. Scott told us about this.

resurrection fern

What lives on a live oak tree and is a Florida native epiphyte? During dry times it seems dead but when it gets wet, it comes back to life. Mrs. Roach shared about this.

radish

What root vegetable can be toned down in taste by making it cold and soaking it in rice vinegar or eating it with a milk product? Ms. Cathy told us about this.

wild lime tree

What tree is very important to the swallowtail butterfly caterpillar? This caterpillar looks like bird poop. Ms. Colleen told us about this at Driftwood Middle School.

Micah in second grade

Who answered Mr. Scott's question about Noah's Ark really well?

Dr. Barbara McClintock

Who said: "I was just so interested in what I was doing I could hardly wait to get up in the morning and get at it. One of my friends, a geneticist, said I was a child, because only children can't wait to get up in the morning to get at what they want to do. " http://todayinsci.com/M/McClintock_Barbara/McClintockBarbara-Quotations.htm

Cathy Whitt

Who said: "When you eat a bag of chips it's like eating dirt. When you eat a fresh part of a plant, it is like eating soil."?