Henry Ford famously said, “You can have any colour, as long as it’s black”. Little did he know just how in vogue black would become in all aspects of design, including gardening. It never seems to go out of style. Black may not be the first colour you think of when gardening, but it is perfect to add depth and little drama. Black is bold and makes a strong statement. It looks super sophisticated and makes other colours around it pop.

Here is a list of black and purple-black plants to have fun with in the garden:

• Ficus Robusta Burgundy is a popular indoor air-filtering plant with large glossy, dark leaves and is easy to grow.
• Colocasia ‘Black Magic’, or black elephant’s ear, has very large, dramatic leaves and is well suited to a shady spot in the garden.
• Petunia ‘Black Velvet’ is an eye-catcher and looks great in the garden for both pots and hanging baskets in the sun. It is the new darling in a trend towards black-flowered plants.
• Ophiopogon ‘Black Dragon’ is a stunning black strappy grass-like perennial that looks better and better the denser the foliage becomes with age. It produces dainty flowers of pale violet with shiny blackberries. Popular for mass planting contrast or in a mixed contemporary container.

Tip: Black dragon looks amazing when planted next to the light grey leaf of Stachys byzantine or lamb’s ear.

• Ipomoea batatas, or coral bells, is of the ornamental sweet potato family. They have beautifully shaped leaves and can be stunningly paired with the lime green or pinkish version of the same plant. They look stunning when trailing or tumbling over objects and grow well in a dry shady spot.
• Heuchera, or coral bells, have deep red and purple options. Their attractive large leaves and oomph to the surroundings.

Often referred to as the king of vegetables, eggplants are a hearty vegetable that does not only boast a delicious taste but are packed with health benefits from providing antioxidants to promoting blood sugar control. Here is an eggplant recipe to add to your snack platter.

Ingredients:

• 1 Eggplant
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari
• 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
• `/4 Cup Apple Juice

…okay so it’s not truly raw

For 100% raw:

• Replace the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Replace the brown sugar with 2 tablespoons Raw Agave
• Skip liquid smoke (you won’t get that smokey flavour that is oh so good though)

We prefer buying a skinnier, purple eggplant type of variety – like the Long Purple eggplant. But if you have a regular old fat dude (Diamond or Black Beauty), don’t worry, slice him in half, and then slice the half into long thin bacon-like slices.

Step 1:

Remove and discard the green top. Then very thinly and evenly slice into bacon-like strips. A mandoline slicer would be great if you have one!

Step 2:

Mix up your marinade in a large bowl and toss the eggplant in, to coat.

Let it soak for around 30 minutes.

Step 3:

Layout the slices on your dehydrator sheets, making sure the slices don’t touch or overlap. 

Dehydrate overnight, or around 12-20 hours. The longer you dehydrate it, the crispier, it gets.

Bon Appetegan!

* store in sealed container in fridge *

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