These
weekly garden notes are written by Kim Willis, unless another author is noted,
and the opinions expressed in these notes are her opinions and do not represent
any other individual, group or organizations opinions.
Hi Gardeners
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| Redneck container garden. |
I have heard and seen the Red Winged Blackbirds so spring
must be coming- although when I look outside today with the snow floating down,
you sure can’t tell it. The snow is slowly
melting though, and I am a little anxious about the plants now exposed. It’s amazing how some areas are down to soil
and others have 5 foot snow banks.
It’s supposed to get to 50 this weekend and it almost
makes me feel giddy. Of course it’s
going to rain, which will make it a real mess- but hey 50! I’m hoping to get out and check out the whole
property. Many people are telling me
about terrible girdling and damage to plants and trees done by rabbits and
voles. Last summer I removed some tree
shelters from some young trees that had been protected for a few years and I
hope I don’t regret that.
The greenhouses and garden shops are opening everywhere. I don’t know if I’m ready to buy yet but I am
sure ready to wander around in a warm sunny area filled with plants!
Want to
order chicks?
I am going to be ordering some ISA brown pullet chicks (baby
hens) at the beginning of April. They
will be delivered at the beginning of May ( 5th -6th ). ISA browns are the best layers of large brown
eggs that there is. They do great free
ranging and are calm and friendly. They are a proprietary hybrid which a lot of
hatcheries can’t sell. I am ordering from Townline Hatchery one of
the few places which can sell them. If
you want a few chicks share the order with me and a couple other people and
save on shipping. Cost will be $2.80
each – maybe less if several more people order so I can increase the number
ordered for a discount. The chicks will
be vaccinated. You will need to pick
them up from me. I am only ordering ISA
pullets and Cornish x Rock meat type chicks ($2.66 ea.) at this time but if you want 12 or more of
another breed let me know and I will see what I can do. Send me an email for more information.
Maple syrup
and tapping black walnut trees
I guess as they say, any publicity is good
publicity. There was a woman on the
local morning show this morning who was talking about maple syrup- supposedly
an expert- who sure didn’t know what she was talking about. She said March was maple syrup month because
that was the only month maple syrup could be made. I got news for her. Many years a lot of maple syrup gets made in February
and this year I bet we will be making some in April. (Maybe
May at the way this weather is going.)
This year maple syrup season has been very slow and not
too productive. I was talking to several
people who make maple syrup in the area and there are several problems this
year. One is of course the weather,
which hasn’t been right for sap flow except for a few odd days. Then there is the problem of getting to the
trees to tap them through snow drifts and lots of broken branches from our ice
storm. And the storm damage from early
winter is another problem. Damaged trees
lose a lot of sap through broken limbs and if a tree had a lot of damage it
shouldn’t be tapped because it will need all the remaining sap to repair itself.
Maple trees are tapped for syrup in late winter/early
spring whenever there are sunny days where the temperatures rises above
freezing to about 40-45 degrees but drops down below freezing at night. On a mild day sap stored in the trees roots
rises through the phloem tubes to the buds of the tree. Cold nights halt the flow. Once the buds get swollen and ready to open
the sap flow is pretty much done. Depending on weather this can take just a few
days or be stretched out over weeks.
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| Pouring hot maple syrup on snow to make candy. en.wikipedia.org |
People tap into the trees cambium layer and collect the
sap that seeps out. The sap is a mixture
of water and sugar. It has to be boiled and the water evaporated
off to become syrup. If you boil it
until almost all the water is gone it becomes maple sugar. Different types of trees and even individual
trees have sap of varying sugar percentage.
Here’s something a lot of people don’t know. While maple trees, particularly sugar maples,
offer a sap high in sugar that makes distinctive tasting syrup, many other
trees can be tapped for their sap and the sap made into syrup. In Alaska they make syrup from spruce trees,
in some states syrup from birch is made.
Birch syrup is made after maple syrup in some places because the sap
flow starts later.
Recently two universities- University of Kansas and
Cornell University did some research on making syrup from black walnut
trees. A few people have been making it
for years and the universities wanted to see if consumers liked it and if it
could be profitable to make. The
research found that most people liked the taste of black walnut syrup; it’s
lighter in color and has a slightly nutty taste along with the sweetness. It’s a bit more time consuming to make as black
walnut sap has more water than maple sap.
The same equipment
and procedures that are used to make maple syrup are used to make black walnut
syrup. It’s collected at the same time
too. The bottled syrup is being offered
in a few places now but it sells for about twice the cost of maple syrup. The two universities say there is no reason
that black walnut syrup couldn’t become a profitable niche product. By the way- it’s totally safe to eat black
walnut syrup. And the new Farm Bill
extends crop incentives to maple syrup production and probably to syrup
production of any type.
I got a little excited when I read about black walnut
syrup because we have a lot of the trees on our property which until this point
I considered were pretty much a nuisance.
I am seriously considering tapping them.
Maybe I’ll make just a tiny bit of syrup to see how it tastes.
If you are considering making syrup from the sap of any
trees do it outside. The steam produced
from boiling sap leaves a sticky residue on walls and ceilings. You use a candy thermometer in the sap and
try to keep it boiling at around 219 degrees.
Wide stainless steel pots that allow more surface room for steam to
escape from the syrup are best. People
use turkey fryers now to make syrup- that seems like an excellent use for
them. Electric or gas sources of heat
are much easier to adjust than old fashioned wood fires. Grills and camp stoves work well. Sap needs to be stirred, especially as it
nears the syrup point so you will need to be close by while the sap is boiling.
Chocolate is
loved by gut microbes
Here’s another reason to like chocolate. The good microbes in your gut, the ones that
boost your immune system and keep your bowels working correctly love the flavonoids
of dark chocolate. They feast on
chocolate and ferment it, producing anti-inflammatory compounds that circulate
in your blood and help protect your heart.
Cocoa powder contains the compounds catechin and
epicatechin and a small amount of fiber.
When it reaches the large intestine good microbes like Bifid bacterium
jump on it and in the process of “eating” it turn it into small particles of polyphenolic
polymers, which circulate in the blood, reducing inflammation and the chances
of stroke and heart attacks. Chocolate
also boosts the population of good microbes which allows them to “overpower”
bad microbes like E. coli that cause many intestinal ailments. Dark chocolate is definitely a health food. Everyone should eat a few pieces every day.
This new research was done by Louisiana State College of
Agriculture and reported at the 247th National Meeting & Exposition of the
American Chemical Society (ACS).
Help the
monarchs survive
Researchers and naturalists are very worried about the future
of the monarch butterfly. Their numbers
have been falling each year but this year the numbers of butterflies
overwintering in Mexico has fallen to alarming lows. Ten years ago Monarchs covered about 45 acres
of land in their Mexican winter home, where they mostly rest in trees. This year monarchs covered only about 1.6
acres of land.
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| Monarch on Butterfly bush. |
As they work their way north this year the unusual cold
weather, drought and loss of habitat are going to whittle down the returning
flock. Monarchs usually stop somewhere in
the southwest to reproduce and then the new generation proceeds to more
northerly areas, where they reproduce the generation that will return to
Mexico. The first wave of butterflies
comes through Texas which has had a drought and numerous wildfires that have
drastically reduced milkweed for reproduction and flowering plants the adults
need.
There’s an effort in the southwest to plant milkweed and
preserve areas which monarchs like to help restore populations. We need to take up the cause here for the
survivors who make it through, so they can successfully reproduce the
generation that will return to Mexico.
You can do so by planting ornamental milkweeds in the garden , but most
importantly by allowing native milkweeds to grow, even though they might not be
as pretty as some cultivated types. The
Queen butterfly, rare in Michigan, also requires milkweed for reproduction.
Consider not mowing that whole acre in front of the house
and let some of it revert to native plants.
Do one mowing very early in the spring to keep shrub growth down then
don’t mow so milkweed can grow. Milkweed
is not good for cows and horses to eat but they seldom touch it so leaving some
in pastures shouldn’t hurt unless your animals are hungry. Allow a few common milkweed plants to grow in
the back of the flower border or in a corner of the yard.
Milkweed is a perennial plant. You can dig up plants and transplant them but
they have extensive root systems and transplanting young plants is
easiest. You can harvest the distinctive
seed pods and scatter the fluffy seeds over your property to start plants from
seed. While greenhouses offer some
ornamental varieties of milkweed, some non-native- that do attract butterflies
I have rarely seen monarch egg clusters on them. Instead monarchs seem to prefer the common
milkweed Asclepias syriaca or swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnate. The Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa is a
pretty decent garden plant that also attracts monarchs.
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| Asclepias incarnate. |
It’s also important to leave some favorite nectar sources
for Monarchs growing so that they can fuel up for their journey south. Goldenrod, thistles and Joe Pye Weed are all
late summer nectar sources Monarchs love.
Another way to help all butterflies is to reduce
pesticide use on your property. Lawn
pesticides are especially hard on milkweeds which are broad leaved plants and
insecticides can kill butterflies on contact or when they sip nectar from
plants treated with systemic pesticides.
Monarchs are iconic butterflies; even school children can
identify them. It would be a shame if we
lost this species but a concerted effort by humans and a little bit of luck with
the weather may keep them from disappearing.
Frozen in
time- 1,500 year old moss is brought back to life.
As more Antarctic land area is uncovered by the warming climate
scientists are racing to uncover new insights into life there in earlier ages. One expedition by the British Antarctic
Survey cut slices of frozen moss from deep within a bank of recently exposed
tundra and took it back to the lab. In
isolated containers they exposed the moss to the typical warmth and light
conditions that it would have grown in at one time. In just a few weeks, the moss, carbon dated
to at least 1,530 years old began to grow.
The moss was also estimated to be several decades old before it was buried
and frozen.
The mosses were very similar to mosses growing currently
in more hospitable regions of the Antarctic.
It proves that some forms of life can survive for very long times of
unsuitable climate before resuming growth and re-colonization after climate
changes for the better.
Life can exist in amazing places. This research caught my
eye because I had just discovered the existence of some islands called the
French Antarctic Islands which are just north of Antarctica. I was looking at satellite images around
where the Malaysian plane went down and wandered a bit farther south and saw
the green and browns of a land mass.
These islands have the climate of Greenland or Iceland and there are
buildings and even a sheep farm. About
150 researchers live on various scattered islands manning radar installations and
other scientific projects. There’s even
a small hospital and a pub.
The actual photos I saw on line show green mossy, shrubby
covered land along some gorgeous rocky bays and coves with white glacier
covered mountains in the distance. Satellite
photos show little deep blue lakes inland which I read had trout introduced
into them that were doing well. Seals
and penguins have large breeding areas on the shores and introduced sheep and
reindeer graze inland. As the climate warms this might be just the
place to move to!
Trout lily
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| Trout Lily. |
The beautiful Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum, is
found in dappled sunlight in moist Michigan 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.
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.
Growing trout lilies in the garden
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. Here are some sources for Trout lilies;
www.mzbulb.com ( cultivated species)
http://www.easytogrowbulbs.com/ cultivated species
http://www.bluffviewnursery.org/ ( native stock)
http://www.easternplant.com/ ( native
stock)
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 Michigan 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.
Get out your garden hat and sunscreen!
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
More Information
While harsh winter wreaks havoc on
Michigan greenhouses, growers remain optimistic for spring sales.
Posted on March 17, 2014 by Heidi Wollaeger, Michigan State University
Extension
he almost record-breaking snowfall and subzero temperatures
have been wreaking havoc on Michigan greenhouse businesses and those throughout
the Midwest who are currently in the spring production rush. Michigan, the
third largest producer of floriculture crops in the United States, has an
industry grossing $400 million in sales in 2012 according to the USDA National
Agriculture Statistics Service. The height of spring production season, from
January through June, includes some of the coldest months of year. Greenhouse
growers are no strangers to Michigan winters, but this winter has been
particularly difficult. Challenges faced by greenhouse growers include damaged
greenhouse structures from heavy snow loads, high heating bills, increase in
labor to remove snow, chilling or freezing damage on vegetative cuttings, and
disruptions in production shipping and scheduling.
Numerous greenhouse structures have been damaged as a result
of the heavy snow throughout Michigan. Michigan State University Extension
surveyed greenhouse growers throughout the state and 36 producers responded
with their experiences from this winter. Of those who responded, 49 percent of
greenhouse operations reported having structural damage due to snow load,
including more than 14 acres of greenhouses. Some owners avoided heavy snow
damage by heating their greenhouses to at least 50 degrees to melt the snow.
Their reported increases in heating costs ranged from none to 300 percent. The
variation can be contributed to many factors including whether the producers
had a contract for a fixed price for natural gas and how much greenhouse owners
heated their structures to melt the snow.
While some plants are grown from seed, others are shipped to
growers as plugs, liners or unrooted cuttings. Shipping the young plants has
been challenging for suppliers as a result of the extremely cold temperatures.
Sixty-five percent of growers reported receiving a shipment of cuttings with
either chilling injury (sub-lethal damage) or freezing injury. While suppliers
have been diligently replacing the losses, they have also been forced to delay
shipping product for sometimes extended periods to prevent further losses. The
unavoidable delays in the shipments of plant materials have altered production
timing of crops. Ornamental plant producers often have tight scheduling and 53
percent of growers who responded reported that their scheduling has been
disrupted by the extreme cold.
Despite the many challenges, growers remain optimistic that
when spring finally comes, consumers will be excited to buy plants to beautify
their gardens and homes. As many people throughout Michigan have grown tired of
the relentless winter, there is no question that spring will be especially
enjoyable this year.
This article was published by Michigan State University
Extension.
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.
Master Gardeners if you belong to an
association that approves your hours please check with that association before
assuming a class or work day will count as credit.
Do you
have plants or seeds you would like to swap or share? Post them here by emailing me at kimwillis151@gmail.com
New-Growing
and Cooking with Herbs- April 5, 2014 10 am – 1 pm Heavenly Scent Herb Farm, 13730 White
Lake Road, Fenton, Michigan.
Steve Mathews will
give you tips on growing and cooking with a wide variety of herbs. There will be lots of taste testing. Reservation required, $28.75, call
810-629-9208
New-
Come Hang with Steve- April 12, 2014 10:30 am – noon. Heavenly Scent Herb Farm, 13730 White
Lake Road, Fenton, Michigan.
Learn all about
hanging baskets, window boxes and cascading containers in this class. It’s free, no registration required.
New-
Detroit Garden Works Spring Fair – April 12- 9-5 pm, April 13 – noon to 4
pm. 1794 Pontiac Drive, Sylvan Lake,
Michigan
Local growers will
be offering plants, garden art and supplies.
Snacks and drinks provided, free admission. Detroit Garden Works was named in 2004 one of
the top 25 garden stores in America by Garden Design Magazine, we are equally
as pleased to be included in The Garden 50: 50 favorite products, projects and
places inspired by the world of gardening in the March 2011 issue of Martha
Stewart Living Magazine. (248) 335-8089.
The Sensual Garden of the Night -Wed,
April 9, 12am –2:30 pm at Big Beaver United Methodist Church, 3753 John R Road,
Troy.
Troy Garden club
presents a session on planting a garden that will be beautiful at night and
appeal to the senses. $7 includes lunch.
Gardening in Containers & Raised
Beds Saturday, April
12 at 10 a.m. All English Gardens stores
Just about anything
can be grown in a container. We’ll share tips and information to make you
successful when growing plants and vegetables in containers and raised beds. Free. Click
here for a store near you. http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
Woodland Wildflower Workday Friday, April 4, 1:00 pm Seven Ponds
Nature Center, 3854 Crawford Road Dryden, MI
(810) 796-3200
Come help us ready
the Woodland Wildflower Area for the beautiful array of blossoms that will be
coming our way soon. Fulfill Master Gardener Hours.
Botanical Easter Eggs- Sunday, April 13, 2:00 pm- Seven Ponds Nature Center, 3854
Crawford Road Dryden, MI (810) 796-3200
Sign up to learn
this old-fashioned way of coloring Easter eggs. Wrapped in flowers and leaves
and soaked in a natural dye, these beautiful eggs are sure to become a yearly
tradition in your house. Pre-registration is required. Ages 12 and up. Fee:
$5.00 ($2.00 members).
Vertical Gardening- Bringing Walls to Life – Friday, March 28 – 10 am Meadowbrook Hall, Rochester, Mi
Learn all about the
history and art of planting on walls and vertical surfaces. Meadowbrook Garden Club. $5 Call 248-364-6210 for more info.
Shiawassee Master Gardeners Plant sale Monday March 31- 10 am -2pm 1534
N. Hickory Rd, Owosso Mi.
Perennial Gardening Day- SATURDAY March 29TH (2 classes) Telly’ s Greenhouse-Pontiac 559 Orchard Lake
Rd. (248) 724-2300
To register, please call (248) 689-8735
New Perennials for
2014- 1:30 pm and Flowers in the Shady Perennial bed- 3
pm
Tea Time and Tannins- Sunday, March 30, 2:00 pm- Seven
Ponds Nature Center, 3854
Crawford Road, Dryden, MI
Try out some
natural teas and munch on a scone before we explore the uses of tannins in
nature on a walk. Please call to pre-register. (810) 796-3200
Gifts from the Herb Garden, April 5,
2014, SMITH FLORAL, 1124
E. Mount Hope Ave, Lansing, MI from 10am until noon.
Coleen French will be
showing you how to make Layered Fragrant Bath Salts, Personal Perfumes, Herbal
Dryer Sachets, Room Sprays, Car Fresheners, and More! Recipes and handouts
included. $10 per class, pre-registration is REQUIRED. Sign up by calling
484-5327 or 484-6085 or stop in and register in person.
“Gardening and All That Jazz!”
Saturday, April 26, 2014, 7am to 4:15pm-Oakland Schools Conference
Center, 2111 Pontiac Lake Rd., Waterford, MI.
Speakers include
Allan Armitage "Buying the Right Plants", Stephanie Cohen
"Native Plants", David Perry, Garden Photo Magic" and Stacy
Hirvela "Shrubs, Making your Dream Garden Reality". Sponsored by the Master Gardener Society of
Oakland Co. Jazz concerts at morning check in and lunch.
$70 before March
15, $80 after March 15. Pricing includes
continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and program materials.
Register at. http://www.mgsoc.org/registration.htm
Direct conference registration questions to: Registrar Phone:
248-770-0524 E-mail:
registrarmgsoc@gmail.com
Captivating Combinations How to
Artfully Combine Plants
March 29th 2014, 9 am -noon. Oakland County Executive Office
Conference Center - 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford MI
Stunning plant
combinations are the building blocks of a great garden. Join us to explore the
basics of successfully combining plants, discover how creative plant
combinations can perk up an existing garden or provide the foundation for a new
garden. View many captivating combinations appropriate for a wide variety of
Michigan garden conditions. Carol Lenchek, MSU Extension Educator, Barb
Near, Advanced Master Gardener- Cost: $20 (Includes handouts and snacks) Space
is limited. Advanced Registration Only. Contact:
Linda Smith at 248-858-0887.
Naturalizing the Home Garden: A Native
Garden Design Workshop for Beginners, Monday March 31, 2014- 6pm t0 7:15 pm Cranbrook Institute of Science, 39221
Woodward Ave, Bloomfield Hills
Help improve the
Rouge River by gardening with native plants. Learn how to design a garden with
native wildflowers. The workshop is intended for those with little to no
experience gardening with native plants. Optional Assistance: Experts will be
available to assist a limited number of workshop attendees immediately
following the workshops. Preregistration is required for this one-on-one
session. Participants are encouraged to bring a Google map or sketch of their
yard and photos. Questions? Please call
313.792.9621. to register go to therouge.org
Spice Up Your Garden with Herbs April 9, 2014: Oakland County Executive Office Conference
Center - 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford MI
Come join us to
learn how to use herbs to spice up your garden! Janet Downey will teach you how
to grow and use herbs to flavor your meals. Cost is $15 and advanced
registration is required.
Questions? Call 248-858-0887
Garden Design 1-2-3 May 3, May 17, May 31, June 7,
2014: Oakland County Executive Office
Conference Center - 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd, Waterford MI
This is a 4-week
how to series on garden design. The
workshop will present the basic elements of design used in formal and informal
gardens.
Participants will develop the
necessary skills to layout garden beds and small landscape areas using the
principles of design. There will be
plenty of hands on exercises to help you understand the steps necessary to end
up with a pleasing design for your landscape beds. Questions? Contact Linda Smith at
248-858-0887.
Bring Your Lawn to Life- March 29
Bordines Rochester Hills & Clarkston locations at 10:00 AM Rochester- 1835 S Rochester Rd • (248)
651-9000 or Clarkston 8600 Dixie Hwy • (248) 625-9100 Free
After such a harsh,
cold winter you are probably wondering if you will ever see a blade of green
grass again. Fear not! The warm weather of spring is coming. Let our
lawn care experts give you the tools and knowledge to bring your lawn back to life. We will cover fertilization, watering, insect
and disease control and even how to keep those pesky Moles away! You will leave with all the information you
need to have the greenest lawn on the block!
Spring Into Gardening Sat., March 29 Sat., March 29 Knights
of Columbus Hall Knights of Columbus Hall 1038 S. Van Dyke (M- 1038 S. Van Dyke
(M-53), Bad Axe, MI
Day-long gardening
classes including a catered lunch, Goodie bag and door prizes Also includes
Free admission to Yard & Garden Expo.
$50 registration/person ($60 after March 1) For details on this seminar you need to request
a flyer from Marie at 989-859-1294
How & When to Prune Trees &
Shrubs Saturday, March 29
at 1 p.m. All English Gardens stores- Free
Keep the garden
healthy by regularly dividing perennials and pruning trees and shrubs. We’ll
tell you what needs to be done and when. Plus, we’ll show you how to do it. Click
here for a store near you. http://www.englishgardens.com/shop-online/workshops.html
Newsletter 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. Please state that you want to have the item
published in my weekly notes. 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.
Once again the opinions in this newsletter are mine and I
do not represent any organization or business. I do not make any income from
this newsletter. 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
local people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If
at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you
know anyone who would like to receive these emails have them send their email
address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
