December 9, 2014 Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

December 9, 2014 Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis

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

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

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

Aroostock National Refuge.  Photo by Sharon Wallace

Hi Gardeners

Well the regular Tuesday weather pattern is upon us.  It’s ugly and gloomy out there. I am hoping the average to above average temperatures just keep coming.  I really don’t care if it snows for Christmas or not, even though I know it helps protect some plants.

I dragged an old artificial Christmas tree out on our deck and decorated it with a string of lights and red silk poinsettias.  I see that outside Christmas trees on porches and decks are getting common.  We have a small tree inside but I like the outside tree better.  Next year maybe I will cut a real one for the deck.

While I enjoy a little outside lighting for the holidays I think this trend of lighting up your house until it can be seen from space is awful.  I can’t imagine living next to a home like this.  What an awful waste of energy, one our aging electrical grid struggles to carry.  It’s selfish and displays a real lack of sensibility.  How much better it would be if the people who spend thousands on light sets and electricity would spend that money on seeing that everyone had a warm meal and a warm place to sleep through the holidays. 

Even cities are doing this- I drove through Rochester recently and they were densely covering the storefronts with lights, millions of lights. That place could definitely be seen from space at night.  Couldn’t that money be better spent on a more practical use in the city?  I realize that city is fairly wealthy but they must also have roads to fix, homeless to feed, (maybe they chase the homeless out), trees to plant, parks to mow, schools to support and so on?  If I lived there I would be asking for a tax cut since they obviously have money to burn.   

I was just outside to chase a duck out of the backyard before my dogs saw it and I saw that the white pine was shedding its cones.  I collected as many as I could carry and brought them inside for that lovely pine smell.  I’ll have to take a basket out and collect some more.   Pine cones are great for so many crafts.  The white pine ones are long and slim but we have other pines around with different pretty cones.

I am getting ready to make some soap from hemp oil for Christmas gifts.  I want to shock some of the recipients by telling them its marijuana soap – although there is no “drug” constituents in this hemp oil.  I wish I could include some actual dried pot leaves suspended in clear soap but that would be asking for trouble I think.  If you are still looking for a gift for a gardener this issue is for you.  The gift suggestion list got so long I made it the entire subject of the newsletter.

Some great gifts for gardeners

I know this subject is over used at this time of the year but then there are a lot of people out there wondering just what to buy for their gardening spouse, relative or friend this holiday season.  I thought that I might as well add my two cents to the information flow and it gave me a good reason to browse through many garden catalogs and websites.

Because of the wonders of modern transportation it’s not too late to order by phone or on line if you do it soon, and you will still get these gifts before the holidays.

The gift of self sufficiency

Do you know a gardener who is also into the self sufficient, country lifestyle?  Do they store old issues of the Mother Earth News Magazine, the premier source for that information?   Then they’ll love the new archives USB drives that ME News is advertising this Christmas.  You can get every issue of the ME News from their first issue in 1970 through 2013 on a small flash drive that’s thousands of times easier to store than 44 years of old paper issues. 

There are two formats offered, one is for traditional desk top computer use which has a great search feature that allows you to search for any topic through the entire archives.  The other format is for use on all devices like phones, e-readers, tablets etc.  It too has a search function but you must search by year on this format.  Either USB flash drive costs only $25.

You can get the flash drives by going to www.MotherEarthNews.com/shopping/    Use the promo code MMECWEC2 to get the sale price.  Or you can call 1-800-234-3368

The gift of poop

This gift could be a gag gift or a good gift, depending on your gardener’s frame of mind.  How about an exotic manure medley?  Pinetree offers 2 qt.’s worm casts, 1 lb. bat guano, 1 lb. fossilized seabird guano, and gardeners soap in a canvas bag for only $22.95.  Go to www.Superseeds.com  or call 1-207-926-3400 to order this.

Many other places also sell exotic manures and even pots made from manure.  If your gardener is into organic gardening a gift of poop can make good sense.

The gift of soap for after the gift of poop – or just because it’s nice

White Bat Flower - Logees

Coleen French is a wonderful Michigan herbalist and a wonderful soap maker. She carries a full line of handmade soaps (as well as essential oils, hand lotions and medicinal salves).  This month’s special soap is OATMEAL, MILK AND HONEY.  It has a luscious scent as well as being good for the skin.  It’s only $3.50 this month.  Scented handmade soaps are great small gifts or stocking stuffers.

Email coleenfrench@yahoo.com   to order soap or have her send you her email newsletter listing all of the wonderful soaps and other items she makes. 

If your gardener also likes crafts that can use herbs and flowers from the garden a soap making kit might be a good gift.  Soap making kits and supplies are available from many garden and craft stores.

Exotic houseplants  

Every gardener needs an indoor garden and indoor plants don’t need to be boring.  Why not surprise your gardener with a White Bat Flower, Tropical Pitcher Plant, a deliciously scented Jasmine, a Coconut Orchid or a Papaya or Cacao (chocolate) tree?   All of these and much more are available from Logee’s  at www.logees.com  

Indoor wall garden

Hanging gardens that make use of vertical space are now quite popular.  The Williams-Sonoma company is featuring a beautiful blackboard wall garden that can be mounted on any wall and has ten planting pots in a frame that is also a chalkboard so you can write the names of the plants beside them or you can write yourself notes.  The unit has an irrigation system that distributes water evenly and collects runoff water at the bottom for no mess watering.  The company suggests growing herbs in them but they could be used for a variety of plants.

 

Chalkboard wall planter- Williams Sonoma

These wall units are handmade in an Amish community in Goshen Indiana so you are supporting American workers.  They cost $144.95 and are available at http://www.williams-sonoma.com/

Terrarium or fairy dish gardens

Terrariums and miniature gardens are very popular right now and they are a good way to garden in cold winter months.  You can make one for a gift or give someone the supplies to make their own.  Everything from miniature figurines and lights to tiny ponds and bonsai plants are available for these mini gardens.  A repurposed glass container can make an excellent terrarium but you can also buy beautiful containers to use. 

Many local garden and craft stores carry miniature garden supplies now but you can also get them online. Try some of the catalogs on the resource list near the end of this article.

Exotic bird houses and other garden bird supplies

Gardeners love birds.  Here’s something a bit different from the average bird house – felt birdhouses made by Himalayan and Tibetan artisans.  These bird houses are for small birds and include a hemp rope hanger.  The felt is said to repel water and dry out quickly.  They are $24.95 and available from Pinetree. Go to www.Superseeds.com  or call 1-207-926-3400 to order this.

There are many other wild bird based gifts out there.  Bird houses, bird feeders, heated birdbaths, and hummingbird feeders are available from many places, including local stores.  If you are handy your gardener may enjoy birdhouses or feeders that you have built yourself.  A gift of good binoculars and bird identification books could also please the gardener. 

Bee supplies

Attracting native bees to the garden is good for the environment and fun for gardeners.  A wide variety of mason bee homes are available in catalogs and stores.  These bee homes are also easy to make, look at some in catalogs for ideas. 

If your gardener is thinking about an actual honey bee hive you could buy him or her supplies for that endeavor. Protective clothing, hive frames and bee keeping how to books are good places to start.  You won’t be able to purchase bees in the winter but you may be able to purchase a gift certificate for them.

Fresh from the garden cooking gadgets

Handy tools that help gardeners make good use of their harvest are always appreciated.  Apple peelers, cherry pitters, canning supplies such as a pressure canner, food dehydrators and many more garden produce prep tools are available to give as gifts. 

Herb stripper- Gardeners Supply

One tiny food prep gadget that I love is an item called Chef'n Zipstrip™ Herb Stripper.  You place the stems of fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme in graduated holes and pull them through.  The leaves are stripped off and drop into a pretty measuring cup.  It saves loads of time preparing fresh herbs and the best thing is it only costs $7.95!  What a great stocking stuffer.  You can get this from Gardeners Supply Company which also has many other garden gifts below $20.00   http://www.gardeners.com/

If you can afford something a little more expensive and want something different why not buy your gardener a seed oil press?  They can make their own cooking oils from home grown sunflowers, pumpkin seeds or other seeds, or make nut butters from this device.  It’s $160.00 from Territorial Seed.  www.territorialseed

Garden tools

Cobrahead tool.

If you are going to give garden tools as a gift choose quality ones and know what your gardener actually needs. One of the best garden tools I ever bought was a cobra head weeder.  They don’t look like much but if you want to carry just one tool around with you for weeding and planting this is the one.  They have a small finger nail shaped blade on a long, curved handle.  You can reach between plants and use the side of the blade to scrape off weeds, dig under weeds and pop them up or use the blade to dig furrows or holes for planting. They can be used by left handed gardeners as easy they can be used by right handed gardeners.

Cobra head weeders are made in America and are very sturdy; I have used mine for many years.  They are available in some catalogs but you get a better price if you go to the company direct.  There is also a long handled version available. The hand model is $24.95 and includes free shipping. http://www.cobrahead.com/ 

Rain gauges, soil thermometers, weather devices

Gardeners like to know all about the weather and a gift of a nice rain gauge or outdoor thermometer won’t set you back too much.  An indoor-outdoor remote wireless weather station is an even better gift and you can find them under $100.00. You may also want to consider a weather radio for a gift, one that comes on automatically with severe weather warnings could be a life saver.

Other gadgets that gardeners who like to be precise can use are soil thermometers, soil moisture meters and soil pH testers. 

Garden Books and Magazines

Of course these are always great gifts, especially if you know your gardener and what type of gardening they like to do.  It also helps to know what kind of garden books their library already contains and whether they like pretty pictures or are more interested in factual information.

Here are a few gardening books I recommend.  The Unexpected Houseplant –220 extraordinary choices for every spot in your home by Tovah Martin, The Well Tended Perennial Garden, Tracy DiSabeto-Aust, Caring for Perennials- Janet Macunovich, Family Herbal- Rosemary Gladstar, Vegetable Gardeners Bible, Edward C. Smith  However there are tons of garden books available.  Search Amazon on line or a good bookstore for new books or especially beautiful ones.

A subscription to a garden magazine is also a great gift for a gardener.  Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Organic Gardening, Country Gardens, The English Garden, and Garden Gate are some good gardening magazines.

Seed starting supplies

Right after the holidays some gardeners want to begin seed starting.  Help your gardener by purchasing some supplies for them.  There are complete seed starting shelves and grow light systems but you can also buy supplies separately.  The new LED grow lights are an excellent gift. 

Heat mats, cell trays, biodegradable pots and seed starting soil are other choices.  See the resource catalog list to start shopping or go to local stores.  Hydro-grow stores are springing up all over to cater to a certain growing crowd but they also carry many interesting seed starting and indoor plant supplies.

Garden art, windmills, spinners and so on

Zombie statue- Gardeners Supply

There are some beautiful examples of garden art and there are some tacky ones, and one man’s tacky is another woman’s beautiful if you know what I mean.  You have to know your gardener and their garden to successfully pick gifts from this category.  In general stay away from cutesy plastic garden figures.  Gazing balls are also a dying trend.  Don’t buy religious statues unless you know for certain they will be appreciated.

One of the maybe kind of tacky ones but fun that I have seen is the life size zombie coming out of the ground.  This realistically scary resin sculpture is sold by Gardeners Supply and is a rather expensive scare at $129.95.  http://www.gardeners.com/

The new optical illusion spinners are mesmerizing and some are quite beautiful.  You can see a good selection and even watch videos of them in action at http://www.windandweather.com/gifts-for-gardeners/

 

 Spinner- Wind and Weather

Gift certificates

If all else fails there is always the gift certificate.  You can purchase one for a local store or get one from a catalog garden shop.  Make sure the catalog or store sells things your gardener is interested in as some specialize in certain areas such as vegetables, perennial flowers, fruiting plants, and so on.

Resource list for garden catalogs

http://rareseeds.com/requestcatalog  (Bakers Creek Heirloom seeds)

http://parkseed.com/catalogrequestpopup.aspx - seeds, perennials

http://www.forestfarm.com/catalog.php  trees, some perennials

http://springhillnursery.com/catalog_request_qas.asp  flowers

https://www.plantdelights.com/inforequest.asp  many unusual plants

http://www.waysidegardens.com/   perennials, some trees, shrubs

http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/cgi-local/cataloguerequest.pl flowers, some trees, shrubs

http://www.burpee.com/about/catalogrequest.jsp  flower and vegetable seeds

http://www.richters.com/show.cgi?page=./requst2.html&cart_id=6454852.30086 herbs

http://www.millernurseries.com/signup.php  fruit

http://www.egardenersplace.com/catalog/catalogrequest14j.asp    At this location you can check boxes to receive catalogs from these companies; Edmunds roses, Vermont bean, McClure and Zimmerman, Jung, Shumways, Roots and Rhizomes, Totally Tomatoes

https://www.musserforests.com/catalogrequest.html  trees

http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/catalog_request.html - perennials

http://www.harrisseeds.com/storefront/PGCatalogRequest.aspx - vegetable and flower seed

http://www.botanicalinterests.com/heirloom-seeds-catalogs - heirloom seeds

https://www.tomatogrowers.com/inforequest.asp - tomatoes

http://www.territorialseed.com/catalog_request?gclid=CPf46Kmk7bMCFctcMgodFxkA6g vegetables

http://www.selectseeds.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.cgi/052563.1.066097902712049392 -  bee flowers

http://www.willhiteseed.com/catalog_request.php - melons, vegetables

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Catalog_Requests.html trees, shrubs, rare fruit

http://www.starkbros.com fruit

http://www.jacksonandperkins.com/ roses, perennials

http://www.superseeds.com  vegetables and flower, soap supplies

http://www.logees.com   indoor and unusual food plants

 

I hope you got some inspiration if you are still shopping for that perfect gift for a gardener.  If all else fails buy them chocolate.

Time for shopping!

Kim Willis

 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

More Information

Living Christmas trees: Another real tree option

Enjoy holiday memories for years to come with a living tree.

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Jill O’Donnell, Michigan State University Extension, and Bert Cregg, Michigan State University Extension, Departments of Horticulture and Forestry

Live, container-grown Christmas trees provide consumers with a real tree option that can be planted into their landscapes following the holidays. Many types of Christmas trees commonly grown in Michigan also make attractive landscape trees. In order to have the best success with a living Christmas tree, Michigan State University Extension recommends following these guidelines.

Select a tree species that will make a good landscape tree as an attractive Christmas tree. Carefully consider your site and choose species that are well adapted to it. Be sure to allow plenty of room for growth since almost all conifers used as living Christmas trees are fast growing trees. Several types of spruces such as Serbian, black hills, Norway and white spruce, along with Canaan fir, are good choices for most Michigan landscapes. Fraser fir is sometimes sold as a potted living Christmas tree, but it requires sites with good soil drainage or soil pH below 6.0 – conditions that are not typical of most Michigan landscapes.

Remember, your living tree is alive, so treat it like a houseplant and make sure to water it regularly. Place the tree in a cooler area away from heat sources such as fireplaces or furnace outlets to help keep it from drying out. Also bear in mind the tree will lose cold hardiness the longer it is held indoors, which can impact its ability to stand up to cold once you place it back outdoors. Plan on keeping the tree indoors for no more than two weeks.

Many articles on the Internet recommend planting living trees immediately after display or placing them outside and heavily mulching the container to protect the roots. In Michigan and other northern climates, holding trees in a shed or unheated garage and then planting them in the spring is the best solution. Make sure to periodically check the moisture levels and water the plant as needed. Keep the trees in a protected location until spring time and plant them when you would normally plant trees and shrubs in your area.

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.

I have several free roosters, bantam and full sized if anyone is interested.  Also free 5 male Muscovy ducks, young, mostly black feathered.    Excellent eating, less greasy than other duck- taste like beef.  Or great for decorating your pond.     Kimwillis151@gmail.com

A Note to readers- Garden classes will be less frequent during the next few months.

MSU offered a variety of on line seminars for those who were interested in beginning farming topics of various types.  Some of those are now available free to watch at the address below.  Gardeners may be interested in topics like organic pest control.  Get the list of topics and links here.

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/msu_extension_beginning_farmer_webinar_series_continues_online

Meijer Gardens’ 20th annual “Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around The World”, Now through January 4, 2015, 1000 E. Beltline Ave. NE in Grand Rapids, Mi.

This year’s holiday exhibits will include New Year traditions from Japan, Korea, Vietnam and China, including the Japanese kadomatsu, or gate pine. This is a display of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms. There will also be a display from Ghana that includes brilliantly woven kente and printed adinkra cloths.

There will also be more than 40 international trees and displays, a Railway Garden that features model trains running through four indoor garden spaces and more than 30 miniature buildings representing Grand Rapids landmarks.

Admission is $12 for adults, $9 for students and seniors, $6 for ages 5-13, $4 for ages 3-4 and free for museum members and kids 2 and younger. Check out the entire schedule of holiday events at www.meijergardens.org.

Capital Area Master Gardeners - Mixing It Up Garden symposium - January 31, 2015, 8:15-4 pm. MSU Plant and Soil Sciences Building ,1066 Bogue Street East Lansing, MI.

This symposium features a variety of garden classes to lighten the winter blahs.  Registration fee includes lunch.  A garden marketplace will be available for shoppers. Fees are $35 for local club members, $45 for other Master Gardeners, $55 for all others. 

To get a description of classes and register online go to: https://mgacac.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/brochure2014_11-14.pdf

Michigan Great Lakes Expo December 9-11, 2014- Devos Place Conference Center/ Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan

This annual conference is for fruit and vegetable growers and the greenhouse industry but it is open to anyone who wishes to attend and there are numerous educational classes, several bus tours, lots of educational booths and more than 400 vendors.  Many home gardeners enjoy attending as well as those contemplating or operating a farm market, greenhouse or nursery business.

Pre-registering for the event by Nov. 20 will save you about $20 per person.  It’s $75 for the 3 day admission with several discounts also being available for spouses, employees, members of certain groups etc.  It will be $95 if you pay at the door.  Children under 18 are free.  There is also a one day admission for Thursday, Dec 11 of $40.  Admission includes all educational sessions and exhibits but does not include bus tours and the various luncheons and dinners. 

You can get the brochure describing the educational events and tours plus more information and register on line at this link: http://www.glexpo.com/images/2014/GL_Expo_Brochure.pdf

You can also call 734-677-0503 for more information.

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