December 3, 2013 Kim's weekly garden newsletter

December 3, 2013 - Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

http://www.examiner.com/gardening-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

http://www.examiner.com/country-living-in-detroit/kimberley-willis

These weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted, and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent any other individual, group or organizations opinions.

Hi Gardeners

Another gloomy winter day is on tap.  It can’t decide whether it wants to rain or snow.  It’s supposed to warm up for a day or two then get really cold again.  The National weather service has issued their early winter prediction and they are predicting that December will continue to be colder than normal but due to an expected shift in the jet stream, ocean oscillations and all that mumble –jumble we will have a nice, warmer than normal January.  February we will be back to normal winter weather.  That’s close to the Old Farmer’s Almanac predictions so let’s hope for them to be right.

The switch on our water pump was out (it was fixed today) so we had cold weather as well as no water which isn’t fun.  My hose to the barn had been running every afternoon so I hadn’t stored a lot of water out there. Try telling a whole bunch of ducks they have to share a half gallon of water. But they are happy now.  And I have sharpened my emergency water management skills.

I have nothing blooming outside anymore- even the violas and snapdragons are dead.  But inside my amaryllis has put out two nice fat shoots and I may have blooms by Christmas.  My Christmas cacti also have buds.  I do have geraniums still in bloom on the porch and a streptocarpus is in bloom so I have some flowers to enjoy.

The birds have started to return to my feeder but some former species still seem to be absent, one of them oddly enough is the English sparrow.  I am seeing a lot of chick a dees and nuthatches.  But what is really strange is that I have been seeing huge flocks of Canada geese heading north instead of south.  My brother in law seems to think they are headed to the Saginaw bay where the water isn’t frozen. That may be true.  Instinct tells the geese to fly south in the winter so what would tell them that if they fly north they’ll find open water though?  It’s a mystery.

Time’s pest animal article

You have heard me talk about the over population of deer and other animals and this weeks Time magazine has an excellent article on the subject.  It’s not only deer but black bear, raccoons, beavers, wolves, cougars, wild turkeys, Canada geese, wild hogs and alligators that have become a problem. 

One part of the article talked about New Jersey’s problems with black bears.  The black bear population in NJ jumped from about 70 bears in the 70’s to over 3,500 today.  New Jersey is the most densely populated area in the US and the bears are roaming freely among the human population in suburbs and even cities.  Unfortunately human and bear or bear and pet encounters don’t always end happily.  So in 2010 over much protest by animal rights people a black bear hunt was established.  The hunt has reduced bear populations by about 20% but it may not be enough.

And it’s not that animals have to move into human territories because their habitat is gone. Contrary to what most people believe there is actually more forested and “natural” land available for animals than there was 50 years ago. Certain animals have moved into human territory because it’s easier to live there and their populations have boomed.  In their natural environment nature would handle the over- population problem by starvation, disease and a proliferation of predators but in the human environment with artificial food sources natural controls don’t function properly.

Many of today’s nuisance animals were once endangered animals that we protected but which suddenly adapted and had population surges.  There are some species that have higher numbers now than they had before European settlement.  The article lays some of the blame on Disney- starting with the movie Bambi- which gave people who had essentially moved away from nature an unrealistic, uneducated and overly sentimental view of nature.

We don’t need to return to the past where animals were hunted to extinction and predators were killed just because they were there.  But we can’t manage wildlife problems with a fairy tale view of the problem.  Instead of Disney movies directing our wildlife management we need to trust decades of wildlife research and observation of the way nature really works to guide us.  Please read the article if you are interested.

Go nuts for your health

Research results published in the New England Journal of Medicine report that people who eat a handful of nuts each day- (about 1-2 ounces) are 20 % less likely to die from any cause that people who didn’t eat nuts.  (Now when I hear those statistic’s I have to wonder if there are some people out there who could live forever if they just keep eating nuts.  The study followed people for 30 years so I guess it’s better to say that compared to a person who doesn’t eat nuts the nutty person is more likely to have a long life.)

Over a 30 year period the people who ate nuts reduced their risk for heart attacks and strokes by 29% over people who didn’t eat nuts.  And the risk for all types of cancer was reduced by 11%.  Another study published in July found that daily nut consumption dropped your risk of cardiovascular problems by 55% and your risk of cancer by 40%. Furthermore people who eat nuts weigh less than people who don’t eat nuts.  Other research studies have linked eating nuts to a lower risk of diabetes, gallstones and diverticulitis.  Nut consumption has been linked to lower blood cholesterol, even though nuts contain fats.

In this latest research all types of nuts were found to be effective, both peanuts and tree nuts.  However a study published in Bio- Med Central's open access journal BMC Medicine in July 2013 found that walnuts had the highest amount of beneficial alpha-linoleic acid and phytochemicals.  Since different types of nuts have slightly different vitamins and minerals it could be wise to eat a variety of nuts.

A great Christmas present this year might be a large can of nuts.

Why not use house plants for holiday decorating

Combine your love of gardening with holiday decorating by using live potted plants as part of the decorations.  Forget the difficult to save poinsettias and use plants meant to survive in the house for holiday decorating.  You’ll love the results. You can use nice potted plants that you have around the house or use holiday decorating as an excuse to buy more exotic house plants.   Potted plants also make great office decorations and gifts. 

Common houseplants like Boston Ivy, palms, ribbon plant, ferns, philodendron, spider plants, Norfolk Island Pine and Jade plants make excellent decorations in pretty pots with ribbons.   Pots of the herb rosemary make excellent holiday plants, fragrant when brushed.  Sometimes you can find them sheared into a Christmas tree shape. 

A less common plant called Frosty Fern is available only near the holidays.  This lovely plant looks like the tips of its fronds are frosted white.  Frosty Fern, Selaginiela krausianna variegatus is actually a club moss, a fern relative.  It tolerates the low light decorative plants are often subjected to and looks lovely in a red pot.  Rabbits Foot fern is also a good decorating choice.

Other great choices for exotic potted plant decorations include blooming orchids, gardenias, tropical hibiscus, and potted citrus or pomegranate trees.  Miniature roses can often be found in stores.  These tiny roses can bloom all winter in a sunny window.

Almost any green plant can be made festive by adding a brightly colored pot, a bow or even tiny decorations.  Wrap pots in colored foil and tie with a bow.  Or use gift bags with the plant peeking out the top.  Plants will need to be watered so if the item you wrap the plant in could be damaged by water, put the pot in a plastic bag or waterproof container first.

You could add artificial birds, or put tiny elves in the pot. Spray a few twisted branches with fake snow and insert in the pot. Try setting the potted plant in a bowl that’s larger than the pot and filling the bowl with glass Christmas ornaments. 

You can insert a smaller pot into a clear glass vase or jar and totally surround the pot with tiny glass ornaments or even beads in your color scheme.   Plastic confetti, tinsel, or plastic ribbon shreds could also fill the clear container.  There is glittery plastic snow that you scatter on Christmas displays that could fill a container or even dust the top of a pot.

A clever party favor would be to glue a small wood square on the bottom of large glass Christmas balls to make them sit upright. Then remove the top of the ball which is usually a piece of metal held in place with tiny spring wires.  Fill the ball with water and insert starter plants such as a small spider plant, which will grow in water for a while.

Don’t us lights or heavy ornaments on green plants.   Keep them away from candles, heaters and fireplaces or anything that gives off excessive heat.   Don’t use spray on flocking or “snow” on live plants, it will discolor the leaves and may kill the plant.

Take good care of your green decoration and it will survive the holiday.  Try to place the decoration in good light or keep it only a few days in poor light situations.  Water the pots when they are dry.  Keep them out of cold drafts.  Keep brown leaves pulled off and browned tips of leaves trimmed off. When the holidays are over remove fancy coverings and place the plant where it gets the proper lighting for its species.

Winter solstice

The winter solstice, (December 21^st), is one of my favorite days.  It means the longest night is over and we begin the climb out of darkness.  For me it is the beginning of the new year as it was in ancient times.  Before Christianity it was the top holy day of the year for most cultures.  Great care was taken by the astrologers in early times to plot the exact moment of the solstice. And the solstice is truly a moment in time, the exact time the suns axis is tilted the farthest from the earth.  Stonehenge and the pyramids were tools to figure out the solstices and other celestial events. 

Early Christians made the birthday of Christ right after the solstice because people were used to celebrating at this time.  And the winter solstice does symbolize birth, a new beginning.  Most historians place the actual birth of Christ as sometime in the spring.

The older European solstice celebrations usually involve bonfires.  You burn your troubles and fears and wish for good things in the coming year.  Oak logs are the traditional fuel for these fires and acorns and oak branches are "sacrificed" to the fire as wishes are made.  There are however many, many different traditions from various places and cultures in the world to celebrate winter solstice.  Every civilization known has celebrated winter solstice in some way or form.

The time around the solstice, the 21^st-24^th,  is when the ancients believed that man’s mind was most open to spiritual enlightenment and positive life changes. It was a time of meditation and reflection. You were supposed to wish for self- improvement, knowledge, healing of spiritual wounds and the ability to meet personal goals.  It was not a time to wish for material things and if gifts were given it was to the very poor or the gifts were symbolic in nature.  Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone spent three days in meditation and reflection before the great orgy of material things that Christmas has become?

December almanac

December’s full moon is the 17^th.    It goes by the name of Full Cold moon or Long Nights moon. Other celestial events are the annual Geminid meteor shower which has been getting brighter each year and if the weather allows for clear sky viewing the meteors or falling stars should be most visible around the 13^th. -14^th.  Look in the east just after dark for the meteors but they may show up all night.  Peak viewing time is said to be around midnight on the 14^th.  Keep in mind that the moon will be nearly full and this may make the meteors harder to see.

Unfortunately the comet ISON I wrote about last week perished in its trip by the sun.  You can see a great video of it approaching, then curving around the sun and then slowly fading away at http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/03/248202813/comet-ison-is-no-more-nasa-says

Everyone knows that Christmas is December 25 but there are plenty of other highlights to the month.  December 7^th may live in infamy as Pearl Harbor Day but it’s also National Cotton Candy day.  December 12^th is poinsettia day – make sure to buy yours. 

The 13^th is Ice Cream day- why that’s in December I don’t know.  And the 17^th is National Maple Syrup Day – you would think that would be in the spring.  On the 18^th you have your choice of Bake Cookies day or Roast a Suckling Pig day, or do both – yummy.

On the 19^th you should honor Chose an Evergreen day and make sure to observe Go Caroling Day on the 20^th.  The winter solstice is the 21^st.  On Christmas Eve you should remember that it is also Chocolate day.  And the 26^th is Boxing Day.  Boxing day is the traditional day when servants and tradesmen are to receive gifts. It is still a national holiday in many countries including the UK, Canada and Australia. 

December has three birthstones so you’ll have no trouble finding the gem for your gift.  They are turquoise, zircon and tanzanite.  December’s flower is odd- it’s the narcissus.  You would guess poinsettia, but I guess the poinsettia was a fairly recent addition to the floral scene.  An alternate flower is often listed by florists and that’s holly- which really doesn’t have much of a flower so I’m guessing they are substituting sprigs of holly or holly berries in arrangements.

Time to make some peanut brittle- it’s good for you!

Kim

Garden as though you will live forever. William Kent