September 20, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter
© Kim Willis - no
parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.
Hi
Gardeners
This week on Thursday we have the official start of
fall, the autumn equinox. It seems like
summer flew by and with temperatures 10 degrees above normal it’s hard to get
into fall mode. Through the rest of the
month it does not look like we will have a frost here in Lower Michigan,
although knowing Michigan that could change.
The average first frost for most of us occurs in early October. Some readers may have already had that first
frost. It’s time to get busy.
The sun is going down earlier and earlier, as I’m sure
you have noticed. One of the last places
it hits in the evening here is the top of our propane tank. On cool nights the cats all climb up and sit
on top of the tank. I was sitting
watching them one night and noticed them watching something behind them on some
plants. I got closer and saw that the
grasshoppers were also climbing up to bask in the last bit of sun on the plants
behind the tank. All creatures love that
sun.
I will be repotting houseplants this week. Some will be brought inside so I don’t have
to do everything in one day when a frost is announced. I am ordering a large LED grow light that
will give me about 6 more feet of good light for my plant collection. The price of those lights is very affordable
now if you do comparison shopping on line.
And they are cheap to operate, much cheaper than the old light bulbs.
I missed the blooming of my first moonflower last
week. I saw the bud but forgot to come
back out after dark to see it open. I
have another bud about to open and I hope I remember to go out tonight and see
it open. You can actually see moonflowers
open up if you time it right. They have a wonderful scent but they only last
the one night.
The last flowers to bloom every year in my garden are
now blooming, the Maximillian sunflowers, toad flowers and the fall blooming
bulb colchicum. Maximillian sunflowers
are a native plant and perennial. Other
things are still in bloom, woodland nicotiana, mums and asters, sweet autumn
clematis, morning glories, the re-blooming iris, phlox, landscape roses,
buddleia, even some hostas.
The veggie garden is about done; although I am still
getting some tomatoes and down under the gourd vines I know there are some
onions left. Cucumbers are still
producing too, which is unusual. The
gourds have taken over. I will literally
have hundreds of them. We also have a few
nice sized pumpkins.
Last night at the Lapeer Horticulture Society meeting I
listened as people talked about what did well and didn’t do well in their
gardens this year. It’s amazing how
different our gardens perform in the same year being less than 100 miles,
probably less than 50 miles apart. My
melons and sweet corn did not perform well and our apples and grapes are
small. Yet other people reported big
melons and good corn and luscious apples.
My cucumbers and tomatoes did well; others had bad luck with them. Even those who grow just flowers reported a
good year with this and a bad year with that.
Every year is different.
 |
| Grasshopper in the sun. |
One thing I noticed is that gardeners are all about
hope and optimism. We all hope and are optimistic that our gardens will do well
next year. Even though we know winter is coming we are all looking forward to
what we will be planting next year, we’ve learned from our mistakes, accepted
natures blows, and are eager to try again.
Gardeners are great people.
50
Shades of Gray (in botanical Latin)
I was reviewing some botanical Latin the other day and
came upon something interesting. Did you
know that there are at least 50 shades (names) of gray in botanical Latin? And
we are not talking methods of gardening or ethical implications of plants but
actual names for shades of gray.
One of the reasons gardeners should learn a little
about botanical Latin is that Latin or scientific names are very
descriptive. They can often give you
hints of what the plant species looks like.
When I say very descriptive I mean minutely descriptive. Latin color names often describe shades and
tints and you’ll notice in the list of words describing gray (or grey) color in
plants that some names refer to the color of animals like the dove or elephant
to describe the shade of gray.
Some of us may never have seen a wood louse so we would
have a hard time picturing in our mind the shade of gray they are. But most of
us have seen the color of the iris of our eyes or the gray of smoke or
lead. By the way you’ll notice I spelled
the English word for this color two ways, gray and grey. Both are correct. Isn’t gray fascinating?
 |
| Lambs ear, a gray or hoary plant. |
Keep in mind that the color of the plant may not have
figured into the naming of it. Some
plants are named for who found them, where they grow, the shape they grow, what
qualities or uses they have or for other things. Color names may have suffixes
or prefixes added to them to clarify the description also. The descriptive name
for a color would usually be in the second half of the species name. Gray may
not be common in flowers, but leaves and stems may have shades of gray. Scientific (Latin) names for animals also use
these color terms.
Downy skullcap - Scutellaria
incana, Dusty Miller-Senecio cineraria, Dusty Miller (2
common names for different plants) -Centaurea cineraria, Black Taro Alocasia plumbea, stock-
Matthiola incana, Hosta
nigrescens , Pink corydalis -Capnoides sempervirens are
some examples of plants with the Latin for gray in their names.
Here are the 50 shades of gray.
1.
Cinereus ash gray
2. Cineraceus lighter ash gray
3. cinerascens becoming ash gray
4. griseus, pearl gray
5. griseolus, med tint pearl gray
6. grisellus pearl gray lighter
7. lixivius as above with touch of
brown
8. caesius blue grey of the iris of the
eye
9. caesiellus lighter blue grey
10.
liveus
dull shade of iris gray
11.
livius-dusky
shade of iris gray
12.
lividus-
darker shade of iris- blue gray
13.
lividulus duller shade of iris grey
14.
schistaceus
slate gray close to blue
15.
plumbeus
lead color- metallic
16.
molybdus
lead gray tint
17.
molybdinus
lead gray tint
18.
fumosus,
smoky gray
19.
fumeus,
smokey gray tint
20.
fuligineus,
fuliginosus, smokey gray tint
21.
argenteus
- silvery
22.
murinus
– mouse color gray with a hint of red
23.
canus,
hoary
24.
incanus,
incana- hoary white hairs over green
25.
canescens
rather hoary
26.
spodochrous
grey in general
27.
columbianus
dove gray
28.
palumbinus dove grey tint
29.
ardesiacus
dark slate
30.
schistaceus
dark slate
31.
tylicolor wood louse gray
32.
oniscus
lighter wood louse gray
33.
elephines
elephant gray
34.
elpehinus
elephant gray tint
35.
chalybeus
steel gray
36.
subustulatus steel gray
37.
murinus
mouse color
38.
myochrous
mouse color tint
39.
atroschistaceus
very dark gray
40.
capnodes
sooty gray
41.
capnoides
sooty gray tint
42.
subfuscus
sooty
43.
subaquilus
sooty
44.
elbidus
sad gray
45.
nigrescens
gray turning black
46.
nigricans
gray turning black
47.
tephreus
becoming gray
48.
tephrus
becoming smoky gray
49.
cretaceo-pallidus
becoming light gray
50.
leucophaeus
white gray
Why you need houseplants
In the seventies having
your house full of plants was the “in” thing. In the garden shop I managed we
had 2 long “islands” full of houseplants and two long aisles devoted to plant
supplies. There was a whole section for
macramé holders. I remember one fun
announcement we were making over the PA that houseplants would make you happy
and gay. Try that now! Many new types of
houseplants were being introduced to feed the public interest. While the interest in house plants has waned
a little, there is still good reason to have plants in the home and office.
Several studies have proven
that people prefer rooms with plants over rooms without them, that they feel
calmer and happier. Studies of hospital
patients have found that patients report less pain and are able to go home
sooner if the room has plants. Malls,
hotels, casinos, medical buildings, office buildings and other large buildings
usually feature some kind of indoor landscaping, because of the stress reducing
and mood lifting qualities plants have, as well as their beauty.
Our indoor air is filled
with pollutants. Gasses volatize off
wood products, paint, inks, plastics and other things and fill the air with
toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. Smoking, cooking and burning candles release
toxins and tiny particles into the air that irritate the lungs. Newer, airtight homes are very prone to
“sick air” from all the toxins swirling around inside with few drafts to
provide clean, fresh air.
Plants pull that polluted
air through them, using carbon dioxide to make food, neutralizing toxic
chemicals and releasing pure oxygen into the air. Microscopic particles floating in the air are
stored in the plants vacuoles, tiny water filled sacs in plant cells, until the
plant dies, removing them from the air you breathe. The soil in the plants pot also absorbs and
holds toxic chemicals in the air.
NASA thinks so highly of
the plants ability to clean the air that they placed plants on space
missions. The common spider plant was
found to be an excellent air cleaner.
Other good air cleaners are chrysanthemums, peace lilies, philodendron,
pothos, dracaena and snake plants. All
houseplants though, will help clean the air.
There is a houseplant to
suit every room condition. Even offices
without windows can have plants if they are well lit. While just the green foliage of plants is
soothing there are houseplants that light up your world with flowers. Plants make excellent hobbies for people
confined inside during the long winters.
While retail outlets for
houseplants are not as numerous as they were in the seventies houseplants are
still sold in many garden stores and nurseries, often during the winter when
the perennials and annuals are gone. And
of course there are all those on line stores and catalogs to choose from. Houseplants
come in all price ranges but even some large potted plants can be purchased for
less than $20. Beautiful pots and other
accessories turn plants into decorating assets.
All plants will require
some care but most only require a few minutes of time each week. Choosing the
right houseplant for your light and temperature conditions will help assure the
plant will grow and thrive for you with minimal care. Most will only require
water, fertilizing a few times a year and occasional dusting of the leaves.
Even if you keep your home
cool to save energy - 50 -55 degrees there are houseplants that will
thrive. In fact cool air holds more
moisture, which most plants like. Some
plants that like cooler temperatures are English Ivy, geraniums, spider plants,
Cuphea, Yucca, Cast Iron plant, Sansevieria ( snake plant), parlor palm,
Norfolk Island pine, and Tradescantia.
Some cacti will thrive in cool areas in the winter months.
Houseplants are making a
comeback, with many innovations such as low cost grow lights to make caring for
them easier. There’s no good excuse not to make your house a home or your
office more appealing with houseplants.
People and plants belong together, inside and out. Whether it’s an elaborate indoor landscape or
a few pots on the windowsill, plants in the home will make you healthier and
happier.
This week’s weed- Stinging Nettles
Urtica dioica or
stinging nettles is one of those interesting plants that is now found
throughout the world, where it has probably been carried by humans. The plant, or a species of it, was thought to
be native in western North America, but some botanists now believe it was
carried here from its true native origin of northern Europe and Asia by the
first people to cross the land bridge from Siberia to what is now known as
Alaska. The plant was used for its fiber,
and clothing and hunting nets were made from this fiber in early human
history. It also had many herbal uses
and was eaten so the likelihood that it came here with the first people is
good.
While
gardeners and hikers aren’t thrilled to encounter the plant which leaves a
nasty, painful rash when brushed against or pulled, herbalists sing the praises
of stinging nettles. This is another
plant hailed as a miracle cure for whatever ails you. Studies have shown some medicinal value for
the plant.
Description
Stinging
nettles is a tall (3-7 feet) sturdy perennial plant. The leaves are dark green, 1-6 inches long
and heavily toothed on the edges. Leaves
are arranged oppositely on the tough, squared stem. The plants usually aren’t branched.
 |
| Stinging nettles |
Stinging
nettle flowers come in male and female versions on the same plant. They are
small clusters of greenish white and appear in the leaf axils throughout the
summer. The female flowers produce tiny
egg shaped seeds of tan to brown.
Stinging
nettles has both rhizomes and stolons as a root system. These are a bright yellow color which can
help identify the plant. Stinging
nettles reproduces both by seed and spreading rhizomes and it can spread
rapidly in a site it likes. The plants
can be found nearly everywhere but they prefer sunny sites with high
fertility. Farmers believe soil that
grows good nettles is excellent crop soil.
Edible uses
Stinging
nettles have been used as food by many cultures for thousands of years. When cooked they lose their sting and are
very nutritious, although as is the case with most of these cooked greens they
must be gathered and cooked while young and tender.
I
do not like cooked greens but friends tell me the taste of stinging nettles is
much like spinach with a hint of cucumber.
The leaves are high in vitamins A and C, iron, potassium, manganese,
riboflavin
(vitamin B2), pantothenic acid, vitamin K1, tocopherols (vitamin E) lutein,
xanthophyll and calcium. Leaves also
contain about 5% protein.
Stinging
nettles are turned into cordials, beer, made into soup, used as pastry filling,
polenta and pesto in various cultures.
Nettles are sometimes used in cheese making, especially for flavoring Gouda
cheese.
While
animals will not eat fresh nettles they love it when dried as hay and the sting
is gone. It is as nutritious as
alfalfa. Chickens are sometimes fed
dried nettles to improve the yellow color of the egg yolk.
Fiber, dye, and other uses
Stinging
nettles have been used for fiber as long as they have been used for food. Archeology sites have turned up hunting nets
and clothing made from the fiber.
Stinging nettles are being grown as a crop in Europe currently to
produce a specialty fabric similar to linin. The culture of plants and
manufacture of the fiber is much the same as for flax plants. Use of pesticides is not needed for producing
the plant.
Both
the roots and leaves have been used as a yellow dye for thousands of years.
Gardeners
should consider the use of stinging nettles as good compost material because it
is high in nitrogen and other plant nutrients.
Nettles near the garden also attract many species of beneficial
insects. Just don’t allow them to grow
where you’ll brush into them.
Medicinal uses
Where
do we start? Stinging nettles are used
in folk medicine to cure disorders of the kidneys and urinary tract
as a diuretic, for irritable bladder, to prevent bed wetting, both for diarrhea
and as a laxative, acid reflux, for excess gas, nausea,
colitis and Celiac disease, hemorrhoids, to kill intestinal worms,
strengthening the cardiovascular system, lowering blood pressure, to lower
blood sugar, for hemorrhage, nose bleeds, wounds, colds, influenza, rheumatism,
gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, MS, ALS and sciatica, asthma,
lung
congestion, TB cure, allergies and hayfever, sore throat, gingivitis, rash and
eczema, wart removal, cancer, for regulation of menstruation, to bring on milk
production, to ease menopause symptoms, treatment of Alzheimer’s, to cure
baldness and dandruff, dry oily hair and prevent aging. Whew! You better get you some nettles!
In
folk medicine stinging nettle leaves and flowers are usually dried and taken as
teas, although in some cases the boiled leaves are recommended. Some herbalists also use dried and powdered
root preparations.
Medical
research has found some use for stinging nettles in enlarged prostrate
treatment; it alleviates symptoms but does not reduce prostrate size. The chemicals in stinging nettles may act to
regulate hormones, which is why it may also be able to help in hormonal issues
of women. Additionally the iron and
other nutrient content of nettles may cure deficiencies and improve energy and
health in women.
Some
preliminary studies have found nettles may be useful in alleviating allergy
symptoms. Nettles seem to reduce
histamine production. Also studies have
found that some people with various arthritic diseases do get some relief from
oral use of nettles but although many herbalists swear by self- flagellating
sore joints with nettles to produce those painful welts, which somehow make the
arthritis pain better, no studies have confirmed that practice. The nettles were given along with
anti-steroidal pain relievers like aspirin.
Nettles
are also being studied for diabetes treatment.
They do lower blood sugar in some cases but in other cases a rise in
blood sugar occurs so experimenting at home is not recommended. They are also being studied for lowering
blood pressure, with some evidence there may be an effect.
For
more medical information based on science here are some links.
Cautions
While
often used for urinary tract problems mature leaves of stinging nettles can
contain little grit particles called cystoliths which can cause urinary tract
irritation and possibly kidney damage.
Stinging
nettles should not be used in conjunction with any blood thinner medications,
blood pressure medications or by people known to have low blood pressure, with diabetes
medications or by people with diabetes.
Don’t take nettles if you use other diuretics or lithium. Doctors warn
pregnant women should not take stinging nettles as it may cause uterine
contractions and increased bleeding. It
would be wise to ask a druggist or a doctor if you take any prescription
medications f you should use stinging nettles.
If
handling stinging nettles leaves you in pain try using calamine lotion and/or
any topical medicine for itching and pain.
The pain usually subsides in a few hours to a day. The welts do not spread and aren’t contagious.
Preserving grapes
Michigan is home to hundreds of small vineyards
producing new and exciting wines but many homeowners also have table grapes
growing in their backyard. If you don’t
you can find them at the farmers market near you or you can even collect wild
grapes that grow abundantly in Michigan.
Grapes can be canned or even frozen but both of these
methods leave something to be desired.
The best way to preserve grapes is to make grape juice and can that or
to make grape jelly. One of the easiest
jellies to make, grape jelly is a good beginner project in home food
preservation. But grape jelly starts with grape juice and a bit of warning here
is that you will need at least 24 hours to make grape juice correctly.
Making
grape juice
To make grape juice gather or purchase grapes that are
fully ripe. Any color or kind of grapes
can make grape juice. The color of the juice will be close to the color of the
grapes. For jelly most people prefer blue
or purple grapes. In the northeast
concord grapes are easily grown and they make great jelly and juice.
Wash and sort the grapes, removing any molded, overripe
or unripe grapes and all stems. It takes
a lot of grapes for juice but the amount will vary somewhat with the type of
grapes. For concord type grapes figure
on about 3 pounds of grapes to a pint of juice.
You will need several quart size or larger jars and a
strainer or colander lined with a coffee filter or two layers of cheese cloth. My grandmother used old t-shirts. You can also use a cloth jelly bag or even an
old thin pillowcase. After the grapes
are clean put them in a large pot and pour boiling water over them until they
are just covered. Simmer them on low
heat until the skins soften and split.
When skins are soft pour the grapes and fluid through
your colander, or strainer over a large bowl.
Some people suspend a jelly bag or pillowcase filled with grapes over a
bowl. You can gently squeeze the bag or
press on the colander/strainer contents.
Let the grapes drain for at least 15 minutes. Warning- grape juice
stains anything it contacts!
Pour the strained juice in clean jars and let it sit in
the refrigerator overnight to settle.
Crystals form in fresh grape juice that can make juice or jelly gritty
feeling. It’s important to let the juice
settle overnight. The next day carefully pour the juice through another filter-
use a clean coffee filter or two layers of fresh cheesecloth or a clean jelly
bag or pillow case. Try to leave most of
the sediment that formed on the bottom behind.
To can the grape juice, sterilize pint, quart, or 1/2
gallon jars depending on your preference. If you want to sweeten the grape
juice, add sugar just before you heat the juice. Note: don’t add sugar if you
are using the juice to make jelly. About
a 1/2 cup sugar per quart is fairly sweet; adjust it to your taste. Do not add artificial sweeteners. Bring the
grape juice to boiling then pour it into the sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4
inch at the top. Wipe rims. Add
lids. Process jars in a water bath
canner for 5 minutes. Half gallon jars
should be processed for 10 minutes.
To
make grape jelly
Follow the steps for juice, but don’t sweeten it.
Sterilize your canning jars and keep them in hot water. Measure out 2 cups of juice for every pint (or
2 half pints) of jelly you want to make into a large pot. Add 1-1/2 cups of sugar per 2 cups of juice
and stir well. Make jelly in small
batches for the best results. Eight cups
of juice should be the largest batch.
Use a jelly or candy thermometer in the pot and bring
the juice-sugar mixture to 230 degrees F on high heat. Turn off the heat. Foam
will form on the top of the juice mixture, quickly skim it off with a spoon and
discard. Pour the jelly into hot canning
jars to within 1/4 inch from the rim, wipe rims and add lids. Process jars for 5 minutes in a water bath
canner.
You could also pour the jelly into freezer containers
and freeze it. It is no longer
recommended that you let the jars seal without processing in the water bath
canner or covering jelly with wax to seal it.
Artificially
sweetened grape jelly
To 3 cups of grape juice add 2 tablespoons of lemon
juice, then sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of unflavored gelatin, stirring
constantly. Bring to a vigorous boil and
boil 1 minute. Turn off heat. Stir in 2
tablespoons of liquid artificial sweetener.
Pour this jelly into sterilized jars and either freeze it or keep it in
the refrigerator until used. Do not
process this jelly in a canner. Because
fruit juice has some natural sugar this jelly isn’t sugar free, but it’s very
low in calories. Each tablespoon of
jelly is about 12 calories.
Freezing
grapes
Grapes can be washed, allowed to air dry and then
frozen. Frozen grapes will be soft when thawed.
They are good in salads or jello molds. Many people just eat them frozen
as a treat.
Making
Raisins
Raisins are simply dried grapes, but there is a trick
to making good raisins. Turning grapes
into raisins is a great way to preserve grapes, other than making jelly or
wine. Raisins are a nutritious healthy
snack, especially if you make your own.
This recipe is adapted from my book –Knacks Canning, Preserving &
Pickling.
Here’s what you need;
• 6 pounds
grapes, any color, seedless are best, fully ripe and sweet
• 1½ cups
water
• 1/2 cup
white sugar
• 1/2 cup
mild, light honey
• Food
dehydrator
• Storage
bags or jars to hold about 3 cups of raisins
Directions:
Wash grapes. If the grapes have seeds, cut in half and
remove seeds.
Bring water to boil and stir in sugar to dissolve. Cool
to barely warm, add honey, and stir well.
Soak grapes in honey mix for 5 minutes. Drain. Arrange
grapes on dehydrator trays.
Follow dehydrator directions for drying. Expect 15-20
hours drying time. Store dried grapes in tightly sealed containers.
About
the honey dip
Choose honey that is light colored and mild flavored
for this dip. It must be real honey- the bottle should say pure honey and it
should not contain corn syrup. Pasteurized honey can work but raw honey is
better. Make sure the sugar water is
cool before adding honey.
All honey could be substituted for sugar but the
raisins will have a strong honey flavor.
This recipe makes about 2 cups of honey dip. You may
need to double the amount to cover all the grapes.
Let the excess honey dip drip off the grapes before
arranging them on dehydrator trays.
An
alternative to the honey dip- lower calorie
Some people don’t like honey; others may wish to reduce
the calories of the raisins a bit. So
here’s another treatment for grapes before turning them into raisins.
Bring water to a boil. Dip the grapes in a colander
into the boiling water for 30 seconds, and then quickly plunge into ice water.
Drain. Add 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid (canning supplies), or 6 crushed, plain,
500 mg. Vitamin C tablets to each two
cups of water; stir to dissolve. You need enough to cover the grapes. Soak
grapes for 5 minutes, then drain and begin drying process.
Storing
Your Raisins
Make sure raisins are perfectly dry before storing.
Package the raisins in small quantities. If some mold, only that package will
need to be discarded.
Use glass or food grade plastic containers with tight
lids for storage. Recycled food containers are fine if they are washed with hot
water and soap and dried.
Raisins may also be packaged with a vacuum type food
bags. Store all containers out of direct
sunlight.
Wash your feet and mash those grapes!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Invitation
If you are a gardener
in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural
Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various
places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow
gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are
welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a
meeting for free. Contact
susanmklaffer@yahoo.com
Phone 810-664-8912
For Sale: I have baby parakeets for sale, hatched this
spring $10 each without cage, $20 for bird with small, new cage of assorted
colors. They are not hand fed. Beautiful colors, lutino, (yellow) and shades
of pale green, olive green, and sea green.
Some I can sex now, others are a guess.
You’ll need to bring your own cage if you don’t purchase a cage. Parakeets are active birds that are a lot of
fun to watch. Call at 989-761-7609.
Also for sale Muscovy
ducklings, black laced, about 3 months old, fine to be without mom but you must
buy at least 2, unless you have other ducks.
$5 each. Call the number above.
Muscovy are flying ducks, large sized and make good meat ducks. They do not quack- and are very quiet.
Mary Lou Lafond has a
huge, 5 feet +, Norfolk Island Pine to
give away. You must move it. Norfolk Pines are indoor plants, must be
inside before frost. For more info
contact her at marylafond@frontier.com
2016 Native Plant Sale Oct 1 – 2,
2016 10am-4:30 pm,
Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
The gardens
will be selling native plants grown on the site. For more information
contact mbgna.umich.edu, or call
734-647-7600.
13th Annual Fall Into Spring 2016 -
October 1, 2016, 8 am – 3 pm. Mott Community College Event Center, 1401 E. Court
Street, Flint MI
Master
Gardener Association Genesee County presents:
- A
wonderful way to experience tips and ideas to create a beautiful garden for
next year. A fun-filled and inspirational event full of ideas and guidelines to
benefit any gardener -- from basic to the most experienced.
**Early
Registration is $65.00 by Friday, September 23, 2016.
Registration
AFTER Friday, September 23, 2016 will be $70.00**
The
Speakers:
Janet
Macunivich Professional gardener. garden designer, educator, author, columnist
for Garden A to Z. Her topic: “Low Maintenance Gardening.”
Jan Burns,
Owner, Burns Botanicals, Oxford, MI, will teach us the many ways we can grow
anduse garden herbs in “Herbs: How to Grow and Harvest”
Jan Bills,
Owner/operator Two Women and a HoeTM. Her topic“Dirty Little Secrets”gives us
insight into practical gardening secrets that will make us love, not labor over
our gardens.
George
Papadelis, Owner, Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, author & educator. George
will give us a sneak peek at the new annuals and perennials for 2017.
The Garden
Market: Shop our market of vendors who offer for sale many hand-made or
one-of-a-kind items, including garden stones, garden art, herbal products,
unique gardening supplies & more! *Note: Some vendors take only cash or
checks.
Make checks
payable to: MGAGCM
Mail
registration to:
Genesee
County Master Gardeners
Fall Into
Spring Conference
P.O. Box 34
Flushing,
MI 48433
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area. This link
has a lot of events listed on it.
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Newsletter/blog
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have
the item published in my weekly note if you email me. You must give your full
name and what you say must be polite and not attack any individual. I am very
open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do reserve the right to
publish what I want.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with people and horticulture.
It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and
at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you
know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog
is published have them send their
email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
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