Hi Gardeners
 |
| Goldenrod |
The grass is getting a bit crunchy around here. We had a brief rain last night of about 1/10
inch but it’s not really enough. The
rainfall pattern around Michigan has been really odd this year, with some
people getting too much rain and others not enough. I was 10 miles from home last Friday and it rained
hard for an hour, but at my house nothing.
Saturday on a 2 hour trip to our son’s house we drove in and out of
heavy rain several times. But our house
got only sprinkles.
I water what I can reach with a hose, but you know that
watering never equals a good soaking rain.
My pumpkin patch is out of reach of my hose so it’s looking especially
dry and sad. A bullfrog has moved into
my small water feature in the yard to join the 3 small leopard frogs that were
there, his former home may have dried up. Those smaller frogs better watch out, though
he may be there for them. Hopefully we
have a good rain coming Thursday.
Despite the dry conditions I have crocosmia and my
anemone coming into bloom. I have a mum
blooming too. Phlox, black-eyed susans,
coneflowers beebalm and roses are still in bloom. The cutting garden flowers are doing very
well, attracting tons of butterflies and bees right now.
The petunias are starting to look straggly and need to
be cut back. I debate on this every
year, should I or shouldn’t I cut them back.
I’ll miss a couple weeks of bloom and our frost free season won’t last
that much longer but some of them aren’t that attractive now anyway. We’ll see.
I will be harvesting cabbage this week. Our sweet corn harvest is about done. We are getting lots of tomatoes, cukes and
peppers right now and I made several quarts of pickles this week. The blackberry harvest is large this year, I
will be freezing those this week for winter cobblers.
In the fields goldenrod is beginning to bloom. Here’s a reminder- goldenrod does not cause
your seasonal allergies. Its pollen is
heavy and doesn’t travel well on the wind.
Ragweed is also blooming now, although most won’t notice its plain Jane
flowers and it’s the cause of allergic symptoms for many people this time of
year. Stinging nettle pollen is also allergenic
and it’s shedding pollen now too.
Goldenrod is very beneficial for pollinators and it’s a pretty plant so
leave it alone please.
Reminder-
the solar eclipse is next Monday, August 21st . Take time out of your day to go outside and
observe, at least a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the US and being
out there observing it is better than watching it on TV. Those of you in the path of totality or able
to travel to the path will get a once in the lifetime experience (usually) and definitely
should be out there. Remember you cannot
look directly at the sun unless it’s totally eclipsed or you will damage your
eyes. Camera lenses may also be damaged.
Lovely
Lavender
 |
| lavender |
No garden should be without lavender. Lavender’s lovely purple flowers and crisp,
clean aroma soothe the eye, delight the nose, and calm the spirit. Lavender thrives in hot, dry places where
other plants droop and requires little care when established. The silver foliage of most lavenders blends
well in the mixed border. If you have
any sunny spots in your garden you must fill them with lavender.
The Latin name Lavandula means “to wash.” The Romans
used lavender in their bath water and to wash clothing and linins. In the Middle ages washing ones body with
anything was pretty much abandoned, but the use of lavender to scent perfumes
and strew about rooms to cover up odors was continued. Even today the use of lavender in perfumes,
soaps and other cosmetics continues to be popular. When asked to describe the scent of lavender
most people use words like clean, fresh, or pine- like. The different species of Lavender also have a
slight difference in smell. The scent of
lavender is most heavy from the flowers but the leaves of lavender are also
aromatic.
In the garden lavender is often used as an edging to
walks and patios where brushing against it releases the heavenly scent. It is
also good for sunny mixed borders.
There are several species of lavender from which most
garden varieties were bred. The species also cross freely, producing many
hybrids. The hardiest varieties are
produced from English lavender, Lavandula angustifolia and include ‘Hidcote’- silver foliage, deep purple
flowers, ‘Hidcote Pink’- a light pink
flower, ‘Munstead’- blue flowers,
very fragrant, ‘Provence’- larger
leaves, extremely fragrant, ‘Twickel
Purple’- rosy purple, ‘Grosso’-
deep purple and heavy in perfume oils, ‘Blue
Cushion’- blue flowers on a dwarf, rounded plant, ‘Goldberg’- leaves edged
with gold and deep blue flowers. English lavender varieties vary in zone
hardiness, but some are hardy to zone 5.
Spanish or French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) has a strange looking tufted flower. It grows best in warm, dry areas. Most
varieties of Spanish lavender are only reliably hardy to zone 8. The variety ‘Kew Red’ has fuchsia colored flowers. ‘Silver
Anouk’ is the hardiest variety, possibly to zone 5 and has deep purple
flowers and silver foliage.
 |
| Spanish lavender |
Lavandula
dentate has broader toothed foliage with a wooly look. It also
goes by the common name of French lavender.
It is only winter hardy to zone 8.
The flowers look like compressed wands or tiny purple cattails. They have a slightly different scent than Lavandula angustifolia varieties.
Lavandula
latifolia is also known as Portuguese lavender or broad leaved
lavender. The leaves are coarse and have
a high oil content. The flowers are pale
purple and have a strong scent that is more medicinal than pleasant to my nose
than English lavender. It’s hardy to
zone 6.
Lavandin, or the name Lavandula.
x intermedia, usually refers to crosses of lavender species. These vary widely in looks, smell and
hardiness.
Most Lavender varieties have small, narrow leaves, of a
gray green color. Some varieties have
wider, toothed leaves and some have feathery, fern-like leaves. There are varieties of lavender that have variegated
foliage.
The flowers of lavender arise on long stems and consist
of whorls of tiny flowers. Flower
colors range from deep purple to paler blues and shades of violet, pink and
white. The flowers have many scent and
nectar glands and are very attractive to bees and butterflies. If you want fragrance be aware that some
varieties produce very little scent.
Growing
Lavender
Lavender is usually propagated by cuttings or layering
and gardeners will want to start with plants for most varieties. Determined gardeners can start lavender seed
although the germination rate for seeds is low and slow. ‘Lady’
is the best lavender variety to try growing from seed as its germination rate
is higher and it will bloom the first year from seed.
In zones 5 and lower you may need to experiment with
different varieties of lavender as some do better in some sites than
others. Check the zone requirements
before purchase, not all lavenders are hardy to the same zone. In zone 5-6 lavender survives best when it is
protected from winter winds, by fences, buildings or other plants. Do not cover lavender with mulch in winter
however, as it tends to rot the plant.
Leave plenty of room around lavender plants to increase
airflow in the summer. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean areas, and likes
sunny, dry conditions. Wet winters and
high summer humidity can cause problems for the plant.
Lavender prefers loose, well-drained soil. It does well in soils with low fertility; a
soil on the “lean” side produces more flowers and a stronger fragrance.
Fertilizing lavender is generally unnecessary.
Although lavender requires little water when
established, new plants should receive regular watering. Lavender rarely suffers from disease and has
no important insect pests.
Lavender can make a large shrubby bush in ideal
conditions. It is semi-evergreen, with
the leaves persisting through winter. It
is hard to tell in the spring what parts were winter killed and pruning should
be delayed until new leaves begin sprouting on the branches. Once you can tell what has survived you can
make decisions on what needs to be pruned.
Prune off dead wood and if you want to shape or shorten lavender, late
spring is the time to do it. If your
lavender plant has become very dense and woody you may wish to shear off about
half of the plant to promote fresh growth.
After about 5 years many lavender plants look very straggly and need to
be replaced.
You can harvest lavender flowers at any stage, but
flowers that are left on the plant should be removed when they have finished
blooming. These are still very fragrant
and can be used to scent potpourri.
Herbal
and other uses of lavender
The dried flowers of lavender are placed in drawers and
closets to repel insects and scent the material. The scent of lavender is said to repel
flies. Lavender is used in aromatherapy,
the scent is calming. The oil and dried herb are used in many cosmetic
preparations, including soaps and perfumes. Lavender is used to make lemonade and flavor
ice cream and sometimes used to flavor pastry and sweets.
Lavender essential oil is used as an abortifacient,
antibiotic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative and emmenagogue. Externally it’s used for wounds, infections,
insect stings, and burns. It’s a
traditional remedy for headache, the oil is rubbed on the forehead. It’s taken internally for digestive problems
and to induce menstruation.
Cautions: Lavender oil shouldn’t be rubbed on young
boy’s skin. It has some hormonal actions
and may cause breast enlargement. (Women
rub away.) Pregnant women should be very
careful using lavender as it may cause abortion. It’s recommended that lavender not be used
for 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery because of its effect on the nervous
system. Lavender taken internally can
cause constipation.
Don’t be afraid to try lavender in your garden even if
your conditions seem less than ideal.
Lavender is tough and adapts to many sites. If you don’t succeed the first time try
again. And lavender is just one of
those plants a gardener needs to grow to call his or her self a gardener.
Herbal
terminology
In the above article on lavender I mentioned some terms
you may be unfamiliar with when I wrote about herbal uses of lavender. I try to explain or use simpler language when
discussing medicinal uses of plants but it’s sometimes faster to use one term
rather than a descriptive phrase. In
this article I am going to give definitions of some of those terms so when you
are reading this and other articles you’ll know what I mean.
Next week I’ll define some other herbal terms, such as tincture,
which are used to process herbs into medicines.
Abortifacient, - to cause abortion, empty the uterus
Analgesic- pain reliever
Antioxidant- are substances found in foods that inhibit
the formation of “free radicals” which are known to cause cancer and
inflammation. Although they are assumed to be good for us, there is a lot of
debate in the science community whether trying to get more of them from
supplementation is actually helpful.
Antibiotic- kills/inhibits bacteria
Antihelmintic- kills intestinal worms
Antipyretic – prevent or ease fever
Antiseptic, - cleaning, bacterial destruction and pain
relieving
Antispasmodic, eases cramping, generally referring to
the bowels, uterus
Antiviral- kills viruses
Aperient- mild laxative
Aromatic- the smell alone causes medical action, clearing
sinuses, chest congestion and so on- think of Vicks vapo-rub or smelling salts
Cathartic- strong laxative
Carminative – to relieve gas in the digestive system
Demulcent- coats and soothes, oily
Diaphoretic- promotes sweating by dilating blood
vessels
Diuretic- causes urination
Emetic- induces vomiting
Emmenagogue- helps start menstruation
Emollient- softens skin
Expectorant- cause the expelling of phlegm (snot,
mucous)
Febrifuges- ease fever
Nervine- reduces nervousness and anxiety
Purgative- strong laxative
Rubefacient- something that increases blood
flow/circulation
Styptic- stops bleeding
Tonic- a general term for something that makes one feel
better, increases immunity, invigorates or stimulates.
Vermifuge- kills and expels worms.
Are
you illegally trading or selling plants?
If you belong to any plant groups on social media or if
you shop on line you have seen people offering to trade, sell or give plants,
cuttings and seeds to other people. This
seems like a wonderful way to get plants especially if you are getting them
free or trading for some of your own plants.
But if you do this are you breaking the law?
The answer is – you may be breaking the law, depending
on what plant, plant part or seed you are sending or receiving, whether you are
a licensed and inspected nursey or not, and how you package the plant or plant
part for shipping. Now I know some of
you are saying “ I don’t care about the
law” or “they won’t care about me shipping this plant to my friend, it’s a
gift.” If you don’t care about laws then you accept
the fact you may be punished for breaking them.
And somebody just may care about the little cutting you sent to a friend,
depending on what it is.
There are reasons why we have rules about buying,
selling, trading, giving away and transporting plants. The most important one is to prevent insects
and diseases from entering an area that could seriously harm existing plants or
humans and other animals. Some plants may have the potential to rapidly spread
and become a pest. Some plants may be poisonous. And rules and regulations also help prevent fraud
by sellers of plants.
Laws about buying and selling plants vary from state to
state and country to country.
Transferring plants from one country to another is much more complex
than transferring plants within the same country and home gardeners and small
nurseries should probably avoid importing (receiving) and exporting (sending)
plants between countries. But every
state in the US also has specific laws prohibiting certain plants being brought
into the state, no matter how they get there.
 |
| Water hyacinth, beautiful but not always legal. |
Every state requires people selling, trading and giving
away plants and plant parts from perennial plants that could survive outside
all year in that state to have a nursery license and plant inspections. There are generally some exemptions from
licensing for annual plants, plants that can’t survive outside through the year
and seeds. Most states don’t want to get
into the business of regulating trades between two gardeners in the state,
small plant swaps, and the occasional trade by mail, but they reserve the right
to do so.
When I inquired about the rules for holding plant swaps
in Michigan I was told they wouldn’t require an inspection and license if the
sale was a one day event and no one brought plants that are prohibited in the
state. (Caution, this is just one official’s interpretation of the law and what’s
generally done.)
Sales of plants for charity may also get a pass, but
the organizers should call and check with the state before having the sale. (I
was given permission one time for a charity sale and denied without an
inspection another time.) Things like
bulbs and plants purchased or donated from a licensed nursery like mums or
poinsettias probably won’t need inspection or a license/permit but check with
your state.
If perennial plants are being sold for profit you need
a nursery license, no matter how few plants or how often you do it. Even if you
are selling annual plants or non-hardy plants on a regular basis you will
probably need a regular business license.
There are certain plants that you can’t sell, trade,
import or give away in every state. The
list varies by the state. In this case it doesn’t matter whether you are giving
the plant to a friend, trading on line, selling the plant or parts of the
plant. If you get caught you’ll be
facing a fine and possibly jail time.
Any plant listed on the federal list of endangered species is also
illegal to sell, trade or give away.
Even with generally accepted plants there may be
restrictions as to where you can buy or get the plant from or send a plant to. You may have seen notations in plant catalogs
saying they can’t ship certain plants to certain states. This is generally because the state the plant
is being shipped from has a disease or insect pest another state does not want
to spread into their state. Violating
these restrictions is not ethical, and often gets you in more trouble than
other violations.
To find out the laws on plant sales and trades and what
plants are prohibited in your state you can go to this site;
You can plug your state name in a search bar and get
your state’s list of prohibited plants and also the regulations in the state
for buying, selling and trading plants. Here’s Michigan’s statement on plant
material shipped into the state:
Any
nursery stock shipped into Michigan must bear a statement or a tag or other
device showing the names and addresses of the consignor or shipper, and the
consignee or person to whom shipped, the general nature of the contents, as
well as labels upon each variety as to the name and grade as approved by
AmericanHort. Such stock shall be in live and vigorous condition and of the
grade specified, together with a certificate of inspection of the proper
official of the state, territory, or country from which it was brought or
shipped. Any nursery stock sold or given
away in this state shall bear an exact copy of the person's valid certificate
of inspection.
For Federal regulations go here;
The
legal way to mail/ship plants
Here’s a summary of the US postal service instructions
on the legal way to use their services for shipping plants whether you are
selling, trading or giving them away.
Fed X and UPS have similar rules.
The package must be marked in legible manner, in a conspicuous
place with the exact identification of the product- meaning in this case live
plants or plant material. If you don’t do this and the postal service suspects
you are sending plant material the package will be opened and you will be fined,
or the contents destroyed. It’s my
understanding that seeds don’t need to be labeled. However some seeds may be prohibited from
entering the country or a state too.
The package must have valid, complete, addresses for
both the sender and receiver.
If the package is sent Priority Mail Express™ service (domestic
or international), Priority Mail® service, First-Class Package Service™, or an
international letter package it should have a statement on it giving permission
for the package to be opened and inspected, along with the live plant label. If this permission statement isn’t given and
the postal service wants to inspect the package it will hold the package until
it contacts the sender or until it gets a search warrant. That’s not real good for plant material.
If the package is sent by other forms of mail service
the post office can open it without permission.
Every post office has a list of prohibited plant species for that state
or country. The post office looks at
both federal and state restrictions. They’ll be inspecting for restricted plants
and also for plants that have insects or look diseased. Not every post office has inspectors, the
main postal hubs do and others can call for inspection if needed.
 |
| Zebra grass |
Not every package is inspected. Some sellers have their nursery license
number or state inspection certificates attached to packages, which makes them
less likely to be opened and inspected. Shipments from known large volume sellers
with good records are less likely to be inspected. Shipments that were inspected by US customs
service as they came into the country may not be inspected again. But any package CAN be inspected.
Post offices may have drug sniffing dogs come in too, and
your package might be opened if the dog alerts on it. Packages coming from certain states going to
certain locations may raise more suspicions, a package coming from Colorado to
Joe’s Hydro-Grow Smoke Shop in Michigan for example. (I hope that’s not a real
store.)
Each plant or bundle of plants or cuttings in the
package needs to be labeled with the scientific name of the plant. They need to be packaged in such a way that
they can be easily inspected without harming the plant. This makes inspection quicker and the person
receiving the plant will be happier too. When plants can’t be identified or they appear
to be diseased or have insects, or they are prohibited the sender is usually
contacted and a determination of what will be done is made. Some things may be returned to the sender and
the others destroyed.
For the whole set of rules go to this link;
In short you probably shouldn’t worry if you attend a
plant swap or occasionally swap plants with friends through the mail, although
you could still be breaking the law and face fines. However if you regularly send plants or
cuttings through the mail or sell or trade from your home on a regular basis you
should get a nursery license and educate yourself on prohibited plants in your
state. Houseplants, annuals and seeds will cause you fewer problems but you
should still consult your states list of prohibited plants and seeds. Also look up the list of prohibited plants in
the state where the other party lives if it’s not the same and avoid sending or
receiving those plants.
Maple
leaf tar spot disease
Trees have been on the minds of many gardeners this
year. It seems like our landscape trees
are under assault from all directions. Some
of you may have noticed maple trees are losing leaves early, and many of those
leaves are marked with large black spots, which look like someone splashed
paint or tar on them. The name for this
condition, Maple Leaf Tar Spot disease, actually reflects that. But relax, the
tree will not die from Maple Leaf Tar Spot disease.
 |
| Maple leaf tar spot disease |
Maple Leaf Tar Spot is caused by at least two types of
fungus in the genius Rhytisma. The fungus
over winters on fallen maple leaves. In
the spring during wet weather the fungus sheds spores into the wind, which then
infect maple leaves as they open. The
fungus has been on the leaves all summer, in midsummer yellow spots could have
been seen on maple leaves with close inspection, but its late summer when the
fungal disease really gets noticed. In late summer Maple Leaf Tar Spot Disease
matures into large black spots. If
leaves are heavily infected they usually turn yellow or brown and fall from the
tree early.
Gardeners are usually quite alarmed when the leaves
start falling early and they notice the spots.
However the trees health is not greatly impacted at this point in time,
even if it loses many leaves. Maple Leaf
Tar Spot disease only affects maple trees, including box elder trees, which are
actually in the maple family. It can
affect any type of maple although some species are less susceptible than
others.
There is nothing gardeners can do at this stage to stop
the disease or leaves being shed. The
fungus actually attacked the tree in early spring and any sprays applied now
are useless. Next year fungicide sprays
can be applied in early spring as the maple leaves emerge from the buds. It requires a through spraying from top to
bottom and repeat sprayings every 10-14 days until leaves are mature size. Most homeowners don’t have the capability to
do this for large trees, although you could protect smaller trees. Since Maple Leaf Tar Spot Disease is
primarily a cosmetic problem spraying isn’t recommended, except for those in
the business of selling trees, where looks count.
What homeowners can do is rake up any maple leaves from
infected trees and remove them from under the tree. This will help prevent the fungus from over
wintering under the tree and infecting leaves in the spring. But since the fungal spores are windborne if
there are other maple trees close by your tree may still become infected.
The infected maple leaves can be composted, shredded
and applied to lawns and gardens where there are no maples, or if your
community allows it, burnt. There is no
worry about the infected leaves being applied under other types of trees or
other types of leaves being under maples. Leaves are valuable for the stored nutrients
they contain and should be returned to the soil.
If your tree was heavily infected it can benefit from
deep watering if you have a dry fall and after a hard freeze the trees can be
fertilized. Root growth takes place for
many weeks after trees shed their leaves and appear dormant. Apply about 3 pounds of a tree fertilizer per
1,000 square feet of root zone. The root zone is measured from the trunk to
about three feet beyond the drip line of the tree, all around the tree. Fertilizers formulated as 18-6-12 or 12-4-4
or something similar is best. For maple
trees look for a fertilizer that contains iron and manganese.
There are many ways to apply fertilizer. Read and follow the label directions for the
fertilizer you purchase. Don’t get
fertilizer on hard surfaces, where it might wash away and contaminate surface
water. Don’t fertilize trees in the fall
before they have shed their leaves and we have had a hard freeze.
Maple trees can get other diseases at the same time
they have Maple Leaf Tar Spot disease and some of these could be more harmful
to the tree. But if your tree looked
good for most of the season and then suddenly developed black spots on the
leaves and early leaf drop you can relax.
Think of it as a bad case of acne for the tree. Your tree will be fine.
Freezer
slaw
Several
people have asked me for the freezer coleslaw recipe I posted in my blog last
year so here it is again. We had this all winter at various times and it’s always
good.
Do you need a way to preserve some of that cabbage
growing in your garden? In my
grandfather’s day the whole plant was pulled up and hung by the root in a root
cellar. That actually will keep cabbage
edible for a couple of months. However
few of us have root cellars anymore and warm homes don’t always keep cabbage
nicely. You can ferment the cabbage into
sauerkraut but not everyone likes it, and it can be a trick to get conditions
right to get a good batch. Cabbage
doesn’t normally freeze well so when I tried this recipe I found in an old book
I was pleasantly surprised to find it actually stayed crispy.
This recipe is not only crunchy out of the freezer but
has a nice sweet-tart flavor that will complement many meals. It’s a great way to quickly and easily
preserve some of that excess cabbage from
the garden. The cabbage will turn
translucent like sauerkraut but stays crisp and has a different flavor. Here’s
the recipe.
1 medium cabbage, shredded, chopped or sliced
1 carrot, grated, chopped or julienned
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups sugar
(Do not use artificial sweeteners)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon canning salt
Wash and prepare the cabbage and carrot as you like
them for coleslaw. Dice the onion and
pepper.
 |
| Freezer coleslaw |
In a large bowl toss the cabbage and salt
together. It seems like a little salt
for a lot of cabbage but it will work.
Let the cabbage sit 1 hour.
Put the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard and celery seed
in a pan and bring the mixture to a boil.
Boil for 1 minute stirring. Let
cool to room temperature.
After an hour pour any moisture formed off the
cabbage. Squeeze the cabbage a bit to
get out any excess moisture and drain
off. Add the onions and pepper and mix
well.
Pour the cooled syrup mix over the cabbage and mix
well. Divide into freezer bags or
containers in the portions that best suit your serving needs. The recipe will make about 4 pint sized
containers.
Freeze the coleslaw.
After 2 or 3 days you can try a batch.
Defrost for 8 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Ah, those lazy, hazy days of summer, enjoy them while you can
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:
(This is the Lapeer County Gardeners
facebook page)
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
No comments:
Post a Comment