Luigi's Neighborhood Veggies and Flowers

02/23/2025

Posting to say hello to all visitors to this page.

I started it at a time when I was experimenting with market gardening techniques concurrent with my participation in the Master Gardeners program in the group associated with the Middlesex County, NJ Cooperative Exchange Service.

While the garden endeavor I launched is currently dormant, I am hoping that this page which documents my projects, educational journey and joyful gardening experience, lives on here and remains available to all fellow gardeners around the world as entertainment and education until such time that I am hopefully able to launch a re-birth of Luigi's Neighborhood Veggies and Flowers.

Happy growing to all!

Send a message to learn more

07/05/2018

Garlic going to cure

06/11/2018

Sizing up progress 3 to 4 weeks before harvest.

Zemo Porcelain: is a large, beautiful and well-formed porcelain garlic similar to German White. Its flavor is very strong and robust and sticks around for a long time.

German White:
One of the most widely grown hardnecks with rich garlic flavor & a lingering heat that softens & sweetens when cooked. We love German White in our pesto, sauces & roasts. Each large bulb offers 4-6 huge, easy to peel cloves that last for 6-8 months.

German Red: while adaptable, is especially well-suited for cold winters. It's bulbs are strong and spicy with a robust flavor, and the cloves are easy to peel, which makes them a favorite for chefs and foodies. Bulbs are fairly uniform and have thin, purple-brown skin.

04/26/2018

From this to this to this.
Tray to pots.

03/08/2018

This year's garlic crop starting to poke it's nose up at the beds we share at the Middlesex County Earth Center.
Varieties growing are German White, Zemo Porcelain, German Red.

11/10/2017

Thanks everyone who supported this project.
I hope you enjoyed the great taste and nutrition of local grown veggies.
This year I learned a lot through the experience. Methods that work, pests that destroy, flowers that thrive and shine, how to build a low tunnel, install drip irrigation, new recipes and tastes, how to grow garlic and much more.
I'll soon be planting close to 500 garlic plants of three varieties over at the Middlesex County Earth Center gardens to be harvested next July.
As far as this garden in East Brunswick, it's uncertain yet whether or not we will continue to have access to this property.
More will be revealed as time unfolds.

Thanks again!!

08/06/2017

My first tappas from a batch of baby Padron peppers. Num num num

08/05/2017

Rosa Bianca eggplant is an Italian heirloom variety prized for it's creamy white, mild, non-acidic flavor.
Medallions breaded and topped with pesto and parmesan are a favorite treat in Luigi's home.

08/05/2017

Local harvest German Red garlic is sought after for it's large, juicy cloves with a seductive aroma that foreshadows it's spicy true garlic flavor.
It belongs to a group called Rocambole garlic.
"Rocambole garlics are renowned for their complex and full flavor, often referred to as "true garlic flavor." These strains are the most well-known and hence, widely grown of the hardneck varieties. Beautiful, low growing plants with a deep green/blue tint. Scapes are delicious, growing into several tight curls."

08/05/2017

Celebrity ripening nicely.