Hi
Gardeners
It’s a beautiful spring day here, temps in the low 60’s
and sunny. Last week we had some really
warm weather – 82 degrees on Saturday and things are popping into bloom like
crazy. The crocus are just about gone,
the daffodils are in full bloom.
Hyacinths, windflowers and corydalis are in bloom. Bloodroot and some early tulips are just
starting to bloom. My apricot is in bloom
and the apple tree buds are showing pink. The dandelions, purple deadnettle and
violets are blooming.
My lettuce is coming up. The rhubarb is just about ready to harvest. I
picked a pocket full of chickweed and dandelion greens for my house birds, they
love early spring greens. I spent the
weekend planting more seeds in pots and moving sprouted seeds into my little
greenhouse. I potted up the dahlia
tubers from last year to get them growing and I noticed my begonia pots are
beginning to sprout too.
I bought pansies this week, I love pansies and it’s
hard for me to choose which ones I want.
I ended up making myself limit my choices to one flat. I now have several pots of pansies around for
color and I made some pansy planters up for Easter gifts too. I found one petunia at the greenhouse I had
to buy, even though it’s too early to plant it outside. It’s the petunia ‘Night Skies’ which is deep
blue sprinkled with white - like stars on a clear night. It’s in my greenhouse now.
Many trees are blooming now and there’s lots of pollen in
the air. Some trees are leafing out, there’s a thin haze of green and yellow
when I look toward my woods. My husband
did our first lawn mowing of the back yard yesterday. Mosquitoes are out too; see the article below
for more mosquito information. I still
haven’t seen the hummingbirds or orioles but I expect them any day.
I am not seeing any bees. That’s a bit worrisome. I have seen some active hornets. Did you know that bees feed on the same
flowers for the whole day based on the one they started on first in the morning? I think maybe as the fruit trees start to
bloom there will be more bees around. I’ve
seen cabbage butterflies out and about and the small brown skippers.
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| Corydalis |
Taking
care of Easter gift plants
Did you get a plant for Easter? Chances are good it was an Easter lily, the
most popular gift plant at Easter but other favorites at this time of year
include spring flowering bulbs like hyacinths, hydrangeas, miniature roses, florist's cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum cultivars), florist's gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa) and florist's
cineraria (Senecio x hybridus,
formerly Pericallis), and azaleas.
If you are a gardener you probably want to know how to
keep these gifts alive beyond the holiday.
The good news is that with the right care some of these plants can last
a long time.
The
Easter lily
Easter Lilies are the fourth largest potted plant in
terms of wholesale value each year. Michigan is the number one producer of
potted Easter Lilies in the United States. About 55 Michigan growers produce all
the Easter lilies sold here, worth about two million dollars each year. (The bulbs are produced on the west coast.)
And it isn't an easy job to have the lilies in bloom for Easter. Easter comes
at different times each year. It's always the first Sunday after the spring
equinox, which can be anywhere from March 22 to late April.
A small area on the border of Oregon and California,
within sight of the Pacific Ocean, is where virtually all of the Easter lily
bulbs that are used for potted flowers are now produced. The bulbs are usually
sent to other areas to be potted up and forced into bloom.
It can take three to four years for a bulblet, (baby
bulb) to produce flowers. Each fall the Pacific coast growers dig up their
fields and sort the bulbs by size. Mature lilies produce new bulblets every
summer, which are loosely connected to the "mother" bulb. These new
bulbs are removed and replanted as are the bulbs in the field that are not
large enough to bloom. The blooming size bulbs are cleaned and packaged for
shipment to nurseries where they will be forced to bloom in time for Easter.
The bulbs must be kept chilled for at least six weeks or until the grower is
ready to start the forcing process.
Lilies are only in bloom for a period of one to two
weeks so growers have to be quite knowledgeable about manipulating the bloom
time. It's done by regulating the length of day and night and the temperatures
the plants are growing in. Growers actually prefer the early Easters, because
as the days get longer and the temperatures higher, it's harder to keep the
plants from blooming too early. Growers count the number of leaves on a plant
and note how they are expanding to get an idea when the plants will bloom. If
it looks like the plants are progressing too fast, the temperature and lights
have to be adjusted. Once the flower buds are visible, the plant will be in
bloom in about 30 days.
Of course Easter isn't the normal time that these
lilies should bloom. In my zone 5 garden the Longiflorum lily blooms in late June or early July. If you receive
an Easter lily as a gift and want to try to move it to your garden in the
spring, here’s what to do. When the blooms open, carefully cut off the stamens,
the little dangling things covered in yellow pollen. This prolongs the bloom
and keeps the pollen from staining the flower and your clothes. As each flower
dies cut it off.
While blooming, the plant should be in bright light but
not direct sunlight. Blooms will last longer if the plant is kept at cool
temperatures, 60-65 degrees would be nice. Keep the plant watered but don't
over water. You may have to remove decorative foil pot covers so it can drain.
Keep the plant out of cold drafts and away from heat ducts, which will dry it
out. When the plant is done blooming, move it to a sunny window. Do not remove
any leaves unless they yellow and die. The leaves are producing food so the
plant can produce new buds for next year.
As soon as the danger of frost has passed you can
remove the lily from the pot and plant it in the garden. Choose a spot in full
sun with good drainage. It is natural for the plant to die back now, but keep
it watered and new shoots may come up.
The lily will probably not bloom again this year, but
should bloom next summer if it survives winter. The Easter, or Madonna lily as
it is sometimes called, is marginally hardy in zone 5, and does well in zones 6
-7. It should be mulched well to survive winter. If you don't have luck saving
your gift plants you can buy bulbs that haven't been forced to bloom, and those
may do better for you.
Spring
flowering bulbs
Pots of hyacinths, tulips and daffodils are also
popular gifts at Easter. When Easter is
in late April these plants are often in bloom outside too. Bulbs forced into bloom in pots may not
survive as well as those bulbs purchased and planted in the fall but it’s worth
the try for many gardeners. You will
need to be able to plant them outside; they won’t bloom again if kept in a pot
inside.
Set the blooming pot of bulbs in a cooler spot inside,
in good light but not direct sunlight.
Be careful not to over water, remove any foil pot covers so the pot can
drain. As flowers die cut them off. Move
the pots outside as soon as you are through enjoying them.
As soon as the blooms have died or even while they are
still blooming the plants should be moved to the garden. As long as there’s no snow on the ground and
you can dig a hole for the bulbs they are good to go. They will survive light frosts, but any
flowers left may wilt if there’s a freeze.
Find a sunny spot and remove the bulbs from the pot. Unless
the leaves are completely yellow and dried up don’t remove them. You can separate the bulbs, there are
generally several in the pot, or leave the root ball intact. Dig a hole so that bulbs are at the same soil
level they were in the pot, don’t bury the leaf stems. This may not be the depth the bulbs should be
planted if you were planting them in the fall but don’t worry. Plant the bulbs. Don’t fertilize at this
time.
Let any leaves on the bulbs yellow and die naturally
before removing them. Spring blooming
bulbs like their dormant time to be on the dry side so there is no need to
water bulbs after the leaves die. Fertilize
with a general purpose slow release fertilizer next spring when the bulbs start
to emerge from the soil.
Bulbs will not bloom again this year but if you are
lucky you’ll get blooms next year in spring.
Some forced bulbs will not recover.
Of course for spring flowering bulbs like these to bloom your area must
have a cold winter period, with temperatures below 40 degrees for about 3
months.
Hydrangeas
The hydrangeas sold in pots for Easter may not be hardy
varieties for your area and pots are rarely labeled with hardiness information. These are varieties selected for pot culture
and they rarely make large plants in the garden. However many gardeners will want to try and
keep the plants alive.
Like other gift plants keep them in a cool, bright
location inside while they are blooming and don’t over water. Remove the foil pot covers that limit drainage. When they have finished blooming cut off the
dead flowers and move them to the sunniest window you have, unless you are
ready to put them outside.
Most of these hydrangeas can’t be kept as houseplants that
will bloom again. You’ll need to move
them to the garden and try your luck there.
Wait until after the last frost in your area to move them outside. Plant them in a sunny spot at the same soil
level they were in the pot. Fertilize
lightly with a slow release fertilizer after planting and water if it’s dry
until the plants are well established.
You’ll know the plants are getting established if new growth begins. The plants will not bloom again this year.
Mulch these hydrangeas heavily the first winter. If you are lucky they will return the next
spring. They may not bloom the second
year either as they adjust to outside conditions. When they do bloom they may not be the same
color the Easter blooms were, depending on the variety and your soil pH.
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| Azalea |
Azaleas
Azaleas sold at Easter are like the hydrangeas,
varieties developed for pot culture.
However these plants can be kept inside as houseplants if you like and
may bloom again inside the next year.
Generally they won’t have as many flowers the next year. If you are in zone 7 or higher you can also
plant them in the garden. In lower zones
they may or may not be hardy outside.
Like most gift plants remove the foil pot covers from
the azaleas and make sure the pot drains well. Keep in a cool location while blooming. If you are going to keep the plant inside move
it to the sunniest place you have, preferably a south facing window when it’s
done blooming. Trim off dead
flowers.
Inside let azalea pots dry just a little between
watering unless in bloom, when they should be kept moist. Fertilize with a water soluble acidic
fertilizer once a month February through October. You may want to transplant the azalea into a
larger pot in the fall if it has grown well over the summer. If you can arrange it the azalea will do
better with an outside vacation during the frost free months. For this the plant should be in a lightly shaded
or semi-shaded place. Check pots outside
frequently and don’t let them dry out too much.
Bring inside before a hard frost.
With enough sunlight and adequate fertilizer the indoor
azalea may bloom again the next spring, although it may not be at Easter time. I have known people to have these azalea
plants bloom for them for many years.
Cool winter nights, around 55 degrees, seem to help with re-bloom. Keep plants moist and humidity high while plants
are in bud and bloom.
Those in zone 7 and higher can plant the Easter azalea
outside after the last frost. They generally prefer lightly shaded or
semi-shaded locations, with humus rich soil. Fertilize with an acidic fertilizer if your
soil isn’t naturally acidic. Keep the
plant well-watered during the first year.
The florist azaleas may not perform as well outside as varieties bred
for the garden but some people have good luck with them.
Miniature
roses
Miniature roses are often sold in the spring as
blooming plants. Once again there are
many varieties but many of the small roses are quite hardy and can be planted
outside. They can also be kept as
houseplants although that isn’t as easy as growing them outside.
While blooming keep them in a bright but cool location inside. Trim off flowers as they fade. Remove foil pot covers so the pot drains well
and keep plants evenly moist while blooming.
Move them to the sunniest spot you have, preferably a south window when
you are through using them as a decoration.
Miniature roses can be successfully kept as houseplants
but care can be a bit tricky. They need
supplemental light in most homes during the winter. They like high humidity and temperatures
between 55 at night and about 70 degrees F. in the day. From August through October they should get a
water soluble fertilizer once a month, from February through August use a
fertilizer for blooming plants every other week to encourage bloom.
Let soil dry slightly between watering. Mist when humidity is low. Rose plants inside are prone to spider mites,
aphids and other pests. Check the plants
frequently and treat them as soon as pests are noticed. Insecticidal soap sprays or a systemic rose
care product can be used.
If you have the right place the miniature rose can be
planted outside. Large containers, rock
gardens or places where they won’t be lost among larger plants should be considered. They should be planted in full sun and
treated like larger roses. Prune to
shape, fertilize and water regularly. Depending
on the variety you may get flowers most of the summer.
Mulch the roses heavily for winter in colder
zones. Most of these roses are hardy and
many are grown on their own roots. They will
often return for many years.
I treat my mini roses somewhere between houseplant and
outdoor plants. I keep them in pots and
leave them outside until the fall when leaves have dropped and the plant is
dormant. I then bring them inside to an
unheated area which stays cool but above freezing. They stay dormant until the sun starts
heating the room up in February, and then begin growth again. I put them back outside in late April here,
when light frosts may still happen but no hard freezes. They bloom freely and grow well with this
treatment.
Cyclamen
(florists)
These cyclamen’s are not the hardy ones for the garden
and for most people it’s probably better to discard them after they finish
their blooming period, which can be a long period if they have the right
conditions. The plants need a dormant
period to re-bloom and be healthy and that is hard to get right on these types
of cyclamen.
While blooming they need bright light, temperatures
between 55-70 degrees F. and to be kept moist.
Shortly after blooming has stopped the leaves will begin to die
back. Stop watering the pot and take it
to a dim place, and turn it on its side.
After the leaves have dried up put the whole pot away somewhere until
early fall. It doesn’t need to be cold,
just in a dimly lit dry spot.
Put a reminder on your calendar to take the pot out of storage
in early fall – around September. Repot
the tuber in fresh potting soil, water it well and put it in bright light. When you see leaves emerge begin fertilizing
with a flowering plant fertilizer every other week. If you are successful you’ll get blooms again
in spring- around March.
Gloxina
If you can keep African Violets alive you can probably
keep a gift gloxinia alive as a houseplant.
Like the cyclamen however these do need a dormant period. They are a bit temperamental but plant lovers
do manage to keep them going.
While blooming the gloxinia needs bright light and a minimum
of 60 degrees F. Water with warm water
and keep it off the leaves. Keep the
soil moist while in bloom. Keep humidity high. It will bloom for several weeks.
After blooming has finished, reduce watering allowing
the plant to dry out a little between watering.
The leaves will begin to yellow and die.
When leaves have died, move the plant to a dry, dim spot, 50 degree
temperatures would be ideal. In early
fall, repot the tuber in fresh soil, begin regular watering and fertilize every
other week with blooming plant fertilizer. The plant should be in bright light,
east windows are ideal. South windows may burn the foliage. If you are lucky you’ll get blooms in spring.
These plants generally don’t do well outside and summer
is their dormancy period.
Cineraria
Cineraria have masses of daisy like flowers and will
bloom for a month or more in the right conditions. Unfortunately these plants can’t be kept for
another year as they are annuals. When
the plant starts dying it’s time for the compost heap.
To keep them blooming for the longest period they need
to be kept in cool temperatures, 45-60 degrees F is optimal and not likely in
many homes. Therefore bloom period is
generally shorter. Keep them in bright light but out of direct sunlight. Keep
the soil moist, but make sure it drains well, waterlogged plants quickly
die. Trim off flowers as they fade. Enjoy the plant while it blooms – which can
be 6 weeks- and then let it go.
Mosquito
plant myths
I am once again seeing articles being posted that tell
you there are plants that you can set on your patio or porch or plant in your
garden that will repel mosquitoes. This
is the time of year when mosquitoes are bothersome and it’s tempting to think
there’s some simple solution to keeping them away.
But here’s the plain truth. There are no plants that you can just sit on the patio or plant
around the house that will effectively repel mosquitoes, despite all those
advertising claims. No objective studies
have ever found a plant that will do that. NONE! No plant repels mosquitoes
just by sitting near you.
The citrosa plant (Pelargonium
citrosum ‘van Leenii’) sometimes advertised as Mosquito plant, Mosquito
Shoo, and other assorted names, is useless as a mosquito repellant. Thousands of these plants are sold each year,
even though they don’t work and don’t even have a pretty flower or form to
redeem them. This plant is actually a scented leaved geranium and it does have
a very small amount of citronellol (a repellant) in it just as many other
plants do. But you would have to crush the leaves and rub them on your skin for
it to have even the most fleeting effect.
Common Lemon Balm has 3-4 hundred percent more
citronellol than Citrosa, but don’t
expect it to repel mosquitoes. Besides
Lemon Balm and Citrosa, these plants
are often claimed to be mosquito repellants; lemon grass, lavender, catnip,
rosemary, basil, marigolds, geraniums, garlic, pennyroyal and assorted other
things, generally anything that has a strong smell. In fact if you do an on line search for plants
that repel mosquitoes you’ll get lists of anywhere from 6- 31 plants. But not
one of these will repel mosquitoes simply by having a plant near you.
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| Lemon balm |
What
does work
Some plants do have chemical ingredients that when
extracted and applied to the skin do have mosquito repellant properties. However, homemade concoctions of oils and
plant extracts are sometimes more dangerous than commercial products and many
are ineffective as well. A chemical
found in mints for example, is effective as an insect repellant but some
studies have found kidney damage and genetic damage when it is used. Many plant extracts will cause severe skin
irritation when applied to the skin and since these products may be absorbed
into the body great caution should be used when mixing homemade remedies and
applying them to the skin.
Plant sources for mosquito repellants are being tested
and studied for safety and effectiveness by many researchers. Most of these studies are able to isolate
beneficial compounds from those with side effects, which home producers of herbal
repellants aren’t able to do. They then
undergo rigorous testing to determine safety.
For example C10, a chemical found in celery seed has shown promise as a
mosquito repellant. But you can’t use
celery seed in a home remedy in any way that’s been proven effective.
Citronellol is found in several plants and has some
repellant properties. The problem with
using citronellol as an insect repellent is that it must be used in a very
strong concentration and the effect wears off quickly. Citronellol is only effective if applied to
the skin. That causes another problem,
many people are allergic to strong concentrations or their skin becomes
irritated. Ctironellol is absorbed through the skin and some studies are linking
exposure to the chemical to liver damage and cancer.
Commercially made natural products with oil of lemon
eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) such as Repel are fairly effective
and relatively safe. Bite
Blocker, a commercial preparation containing glycerin, lecithin, vanillin, oils
of coconut, geranium, and 2% soybean oil can, according to CDC studies, provide
protection similar to a low dose of DEET for several hours.
To keep from getting bitten the CDC suggests using
these products on your body and clothing; products with DEET including Off!,
Cutter, Sawyer, and Ultrathon brands.
Deet is the most studied insecticide in the world and has been used for
over 40 years. It is a synthetic
chemical product but if label directions are followed it is extremely
safe.
Some other recommended mosquito repellants are products
with Picaridin, also known as KBR 3023, such as Bayrepel, and Icaridin, Cutter
Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus. Products with IR3535 such as Skin So
Soft Bug Guard Plus, (another formula), Expedition, and SkinSmart are also
good.
Interestingly one research project found that using
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell perfume repelled mosquitoes. The ingredients are secret, so we don’t know
what causes the effect. However you would
have to apply it all over your exposed skin and it’s expensive.
Candles
and other devices
Even burning the plants in a candle or as incense has
little effect. Most studies find that
burning a plain candle is just as effective as burning a citronella one. Most citronella products you buy at the store
are so diluted that they contain almost no active ingredient. It is a waste of money to buy citronella oil
or candles to burn unless you just like the smell. No other products you burn to make smoke are
any more effective.
Other things that do not work to control mosquitoes are
ultrasonic devices and light traps. Some
traps using carbon dioxide and pheromones show promise but are expensive and
each trap appeals to different species of the hundreds of mosquito species in
the US. They haven’t been very effective
on many species of mosquitoes that are most likely to carry diseases.
Because preventing mosquito bites is so important and a
matter of public health I would like to see ads and articles claiming there are
plants you can sit on your porch or deck or plant in the garden that repel
mosquitoes be made illegal unless they can provide scientific, documented proof
of the claim. Be an educated and informed
gardener and don’t fall for these mosquito plant myths. Be a careful and safe gardener and wear
repellant to prevent mosquito bites.
More information, references
Growing
the Trout lily in home gardens
The beautiful Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum, is found in dappled sunlight in moist woodlands
and throughout the north eastern states in the early spring. (The USDA plant database does not list them
as growing in Michigan, although the photo used here is from a wild stand found
not far from my home. I have seen them
in several other locations too.) Trout
lilies are close relatives of the Dogtooth Violet, which is very similar except
the Trout Lily has a yellow flower and the Dogtooth Violet flower is white.
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| Trout lily |
The Trout lily is named for its leaves. Some fanciful person thought the leaves
looked like the coloring of a trout. The
blade-shaped leaves are silvery green on top, with mottling of purple and
brown. Leaves may be held pointed
upwards or spread out along the ground.
The Trout Lily plant consists of only a few leaves, usually just two,
which can persist through much of the summer in the forest undergrowth. Plants grow to about a foot high in good
locations.
Trout Lilies have a single tiny 3/4- 1 inch nodding
yellow flower on a leafless stalk rising a few inches above the leaves in early
spring. The flowers are like tiny tiger
lily flowers, with the petals-tepals swept backward and the flower facing
downward. The backside of the petals is
reddish. Some flowers are speckled with
orange or brown near the center. The
flowers close at night and are pollinated by ants.
Garden
culture
Trout lilies make good plants for shaded or woodland
gardens. You can find sources to
purchase Trout lilies and they should always be purchased rather than collected
from the wild. Trout lilies arise from a
small corm, a bulb-like structure. New
corms grow from seeds or as off shoots from older corms. It can take 6-7 years for a corm to mature
enough to produce a flower shoot when grown from seed, slightly less time to
blooming from small corms.
When you are purchasing Trout lily corms try to buy from
companies that list the age of the corm.
Pink and lavender flowered non- native species of Erythronium are often
listed for sale more frequently than the native species. The corms should be planted as soon as you
receive them, as they deteriorate rapidly.
Plant Trout lilies in a shaded location, preferably
under the shade of deciduous trees where they will get some sunlight as they
emerge in the spring. They like a rich,
organic soil so add compost before planting.
Plant the corms 4-5 inches deep.
Keep them moist, especially in spring.
Leaves may disappear in the heat of the summer, so mark the location so
you won’t overplant on top of them.
Mulching with shredded leaves is an excellent soil conditioner for Trout
lilies. Trout lilies in a good location will form a slow spreading
groundcover. Large clumps can be gently
divided a few weeks after blooming with divisions immediately replanted.
Trout lily seeds can be collected about 6 weeks after
the flower has faded. The pod is oval
shaped and light green to tan. The pod
should be starting to split when collected for seed. You must plant the seeds
immediately in a moist, humus rich potting mix as they do not store well. They will not germinate until next spring as
they need a period of cold stratification.
The seedlings look almost grass like when they appear and will take
several years to bloom.
Trout lilies are listed as both edible and
medicinal. Both leaves and corms are
said to be edible although no one should be harvesting them for food, as they
are becoming scarce. Besides the
medicinal qualities attributed to the Trout lily are said to be emetic- which
means they make you throw up. So there
are two good reasons not to eat them.
Trout lilies, like many woodland wildflowers, suffer
greatly from deer browsing in our deer devastated woodlands. Obviously deer don’t get sick from eating
them. They are more likely now to be
found on wooded roadside ditches where deer don’t stop to graze. Trout lilies are a protected plant and should
not be picked or removed from their natural homes if you do come across them.
If they are left alone Trout lilies are long lived and
colonies can be as old as the deciduous trees sheltering them. The flower show is short-lived however and
requires a walk in the woods or garden in the very early spring to enjoy
it. Good companions in the home garden
are cyclamen, hellebores, trillium, bloodroot, toad lilies, pulmonaria, violets
and violas.
Redneck
gardening tips with pop and water bottles
Gardeners may want to raid their redneck savings
account (those of you in states with bottle deposits) and use some of those
plastic pop and water bottles in the garden.
Here are some tips for using them.
Cover plants to keep them warm with plastic 2 liter
bottles. Cut the bottom off, remove the
cap and place over a plant. The open top
helps keep the plant from getting too hot, but in sunny warm weather you may
need to remove them until evening so the plants don’t cook.
Use the bottoms you cut off as saucers for potted plants.
You can also fill 2 liter bottles with water and
surround a plant with them to aid growth in cool weather. The water heats up in the sun and heat is
released at night. You can further
protect plants from the cold by throwing something over the bottle circle at
night. To keep the plants from falling
over on a plant, wind a piece of twine around the bottle tops, binding the
group together. If you dye the water in
the bottles red with food color the red light reflected helps tomato plants
become stocky and vigorous.
To make trickle waterers for plants melt tiny holes in
the bottom of bottles. Use a small nail
or ice pick heated in a flame to quickly melt holes in plastic or you can use a
drill. Holes need to be tiny, about 3-4
to a bottle. Fill the bottle with water,
screw on the top tightly and set near the plant you need to keep watered.
Cut around bottles with scissors or a knife to make
round plastic cut worm collars. Small
water bottles are good for this. Make each round piece about 2 inches
wide. Place them over small plants to
keep cutworms from cutting the stems off.
Cut a bottle half way around, spread it and insert a
ball of twine or string. Thread one end
out the top of the bottle. Tape the cut
shut and you have a twine dispenser.
If you have a large pot that’s too heavy to move when
filled with soil use plastic bottles in the bottom of the pot to take up
space. Leaving the tops on makes the
bottles less likely to be crushed and keeps soil levels from sagging.
Calico
Casserole
Here’s a quick spring meal that uses some of those abundant
hard boiled eggs we have around Easter.
Ingredients
8 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces
10 oz. package of frozen mixed vegetables
6 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups bread crumbs
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 cups milk or cream
1 tablespoon mustard
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup finely diced ham ( or cooked crumbled bacon)
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
Directions
Place spaghetti in boiling water and cook until
soft. Drain.
Defrost frozen vegetables in microwave or in a little
heated water until slightly softened and warm.
Melt butter over low heat. Remove 2 tablespoons of the butter to a bowl.
Toss the bread crumbs with the butter in the bowl and
set aside.
In the pan with the rest of the butter add the flour
and salt. Cook stirring constantly until
it bubbles. Then stir in milk and
mustard.
Cook and stir the milk mixture until it thickens and is
bubbling. Add 2 cups of the cheese and
stir until it’s melted. Turn off heat.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the cheese sauce and stir
until well blended. Spread half of the spaghetti
mixture into a 2 quart shallow baking dish.
Arrange egg slices on top of the spaghetti and sprinkle
with diced ham. Cover with the rest of
the spaghetti mix.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then sprinkle on
buttered bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes until
bubbly and lightly browned on top. Serve
warm.
It’s
spring when you hear the music of mowers and smell the cut grass.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used
without permission.
And
So On….
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
Find
Michigan garden events/classes here:
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
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. Contact me at KimWillis151@gmail.com
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
The
information in this newsletter is copyrighted.
Feel free to share the blog link but if you wish to reprint anything you
find on this blog site please ask for permission. This includes photos with my name on them.
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