June 9,
2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hello Gardeners
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| Tiger Swallowtail on Million Bells. |
Have you ever
noticed how happy and healthy plants look after a warm gentle rain? Sure the peonies may look a little droopy and
lose their petals but most plants just seem to be smiling after a nice rain. I smile too, because I am not spending as
much time watering.
Our weather
looks like it will be a bit unsettled this week with warmer and cooler weather
alternating with each other and frequent chances of rain. I got about 3/10 inch of rain so far. The grass is growing like crazy and the corn
is just popping up.
I had a few
ripe strawberries from the garden this week.
The crop is poor, probably weather related, but the berries I got were
very sweet and juicy. The oriental
poppies, babtisia and peonies are in bloom.
The delicate adlumina fungosa vine or climbing bleeding hearts is in
bloom. This is a plant native to the
Allegany Mountains that I planted a few years ago. It was supposed to be a bi-annual and I
thought it would disappear after it bloomed but the plant has persisted and
spread, perhaps by seed. The lacy leaves
and small pink flowers are quite pretty.
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| Climbing Bleeding Heart, Adlumina fungosa |
I set up a
small water garden in an old horse trough this week to show off the small solar
pump I told you about last week. I
bought a water lily for it and I was amazed by how fast the lily grew in just a
few days. This is a hardy water lily but
it won’t survive the winter in that little water feature. Does anyone have any tips to share about
overwintering water lilies when a small water feature would freeze solid? Can they be overwintered inside?
Bird Flu
This is not entirely garden related
but many gardeners have poultry or feed wild birds.
The “bird flu” has reached Michigan and while
there have been no human cases of the disease in the US there is always the
slight risk of human cases, which can be deadly. This strain of Avian flu is also very deadly
to domestic flocks of chickens, ducks and turkeys and has caused tremendous
losses of birds in other states. The
H5N2 virus strain was found in baby Canada geese in Macomb County. Twenty one states have had outbreaks of the
disease and millions of domestic birds have died from the disease or have had
to be slaughtered.
It’s really important
to keep wild birds, especially wild ducks, geese and turkeys, and your own
poultry out of the garden this year as bird feces can spread the disease. Also be careful handling wild bird feeders,
remove nests from porches and other places close to homes and scrub anything contaminated
with bird poop. You may want to use
gloves when filling feeders and bird baths.
Don’t feed wild waterfowl and discourage them from using your property. Wash your hands well after handling anything
bird related.
Keep domestic
poultry out of the house, yes, people have started keeping chickens and ducks
as house pets. Make sure children are supervised around poultry- they should
not be putting their mouths or faces (kissing and snuggling) on them or on
equipment used with poultry. In other countries where human cases of Avian flu
have developed it is generally where poultry were kept in homes or workers in
poultry industries. Baby wild birds
should be sent to wildlife rehab centers and not kept as pets.
It is safe to
eat eggs and meat from healthy appearing birds if the eggs and meat are
properly cooked and stored. Don’t use
eggs from sick birds or eat birds that appeared ill before slaughter.
Any sick domestic
birds should be immediately quarantined away from all other birds. If you
rescue sick wild birds wear gloves.
Symptoms of avian flu are the same as many poultry diseases and include droopy,
sleepy behavior, neurological signs like drooped wings or difficulty walking, diarrhea,
nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing, no appetite and no egg laying. Often the only symptom noticed is rapid death
of several birds. Wild birds may seem unusually
tame and easy to capture. Canada geese
who appear ill are particularly suspect in Michigan.
The virus can
be spread through nasal discharges, and other body fluids as well as feces and
the virus can be carried on shoes and clothing and equipment from one poultry
owners place to another or from a wildlife area to your domestic flock. To protect your own flock stay away from all
other flocks and areas frequented by wild waterfowl, such as the golf course
pond.
All poultry
exhibits, including 4-H poultry shows, are now prohibited in Michigan. Bird swaps/ large sales are now prohibited. You may still deliver your own birds to a
slaughter facility for processing. Personal sales of poultry are not restricted
yet, but it is very unwise to buy and sell birds at this time. This disease is a serious threat to the
poultry industry and will affect the economy. Hundreds of workers have already
been laid off and the cost of eggs and poultry products is going to rise. Back yard and pet poultry owners should do
their part to keep the disease under control.
If the disease infects humans lives could be lost.
Gardeners
with poultry should report any sudden deaths of more than one bird or
widespread illness in their flock.
People may also want to report any dead wild waterfowl, especially
Canada geese, which seem to be the prime carriers of the disease. If you notice 3 or more dead wild
birds in the same area you
should report them to the state Department of Natural Resources at
517-336-5030.
If your own
poultry show signs of severe illness or have sudden deaths, contact the
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at 800-292-3939.
If you or
your family develop a flu-like illness and you raise poultry, contact your
doctor and tell him you have poultry.
Eating a salad?- add eggs for top
absorption of nutrients
After telling you eggs may be more
expensive this year here’s the latest good nutrition advice.
A Purdue University
study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms the
research that adding fat to any salad of raw vegetables increases the absorption
of nutrients from the vegetables. In
this study research found that cooked eggs added to salad caused almost 4 times
more nutrient absorption than eating a salad without eggs. Eggs also add vitamins and nutrients humans
are often deficient in and that are not found in many other foods. The egg yolk must be consumed for the benefit
to be captured.
While eggs do
contain fat and cholesterol recent research has proven egg consumption does not
cause a rise in blood cholesterol. Eggs
have only 70 calories per large egg, about half the calories in a serving of
the average salad dressing. The research
suggests adding an egg to each salad with a small amount of other fat, such as
dressing, will optimize the nutrition of that salad.
Marijuana may be natural remedy for
intestinal worms
As
legalization of marijuana looms on the doorstep, (according to many political
experts), here’s one more reason to smoke it or consume it. Researchers found that people in
hunter-gather tribes who smoked marijuana had fewer intestinal worms.
Intestinal worms are frequently found in primitive conditions and can be a
health hazard.
In labs marijuana kills intestinal parasites. So
researchers decided to test a tribe they knew frequently smoked weed to check
their parasite load. (What a fun job,
testing wormy poop.) They found that
men in the Aka tribe- a group of hunter-gatherers in the Congo basin of Africa
who are still quite primitive- who smoked marijuana had fewer intestinal worms
than those that didn’t.
The research
was conducted by Ed Hagen, a Washington State University anthropologist. He states that the Aka men do not smoke marijuana for the purpose of eliminating worms; rather they smoke it to get
high rather than as a medicinal plant.
But since animals instinctively seek out plants that benefit their
health he suggests the men may subconsciously know the plant benefits
them. Hmm- is your subconscious
demanding pot today?
Growing Parsley
Parsley is often used to decorate plates and
make the meal look more attractive. But
a wise person might want to pick up that piece of parsley and eat it. Not only is parsley high in vitamins C, A, and
K, it is also a good source of iron and folate.
That sprig of parsley can also freshen your breath and aid in digesting
your meal. Researchers are also
studying parsley’s ability to remove carcinogens from the body and to stop
tumor growth.
In some parts
of the world parsley has always been more than a garnish. In southern Europe and in western Asia,
parsley is a part of many regional dishes such as hummus and tabbouleh. The roots of one form of parsley, Hamburg
parsley, are used to flavor soups and stews.
You can grow this wonderful plant quite easily in the garden.
Parsley is a
native of southern Europe. It is a
bi-annual plant. In the first year that
you plant parsley you will get plenty of foliage for tasty dishes and garnishes
and in the second year parsley will go quickly to seed and produce white, lacy
flowers similar to Queen Anne’s Lace or carrot flowers.
Parsley
cultivation
Parsley is
rather slow and difficult to start from seed so gardeners may want to buy
plants at a local nursery. If you want
to try to grow your own parsley from seed, start about 12 weeks before your
last frost. Parsley seed will germinate
best if it is stratified. This means
putting the parsley seed on a moistened paper towel in a plastic bag and
putting it in the crisper of your refrigerator for a week or two. Then remove the seed and plant in sterile
potting mix. Germination can take up to
four weeks so be patient. Transplant
your seedlings outside in late spring, they can be planted outside before the
last frost but after the danger of freezing has past. Gardeners can also sow parsley seed outdoors
in the very early spring, when the soil is thawed but still cold. Or if you live in a mild winter climate you
can sow parsley seed where it is to grow in the late fall. Once you have parsley growing in your garden,
leave a plant or two for the second year, when it will produce seed and reseed
itself without worry on your part.
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| Flat leaf parsley. Wikimedia Commons |
Plant your
parsley seedlings in full sun in well-drained soil. Don’t over water; parsley is another plant
that came from a dry Mediterranean climate.
It seldom needs fertilizer, if the leaves seem yellowish, a little slow
release, high nitrogen fertilizer may be beneficial. If you don’t want parsley to come back in the
same place the next year, make sure you pull out remaining plants in the
fall. In the second year you may harvest
a little foliage but the plant will go quickly to seed and then die.
Choosing
varieties
There are two
main types of parsley foliage, one is a very lacy, ferny, curly type commonly
sold as “moss” leaved or curled leaf parsley.
The other type has broader, flat leaves, similar to celery leaves, and
is sold as flat-leaved parsley. Hamburg parsley has the flat type of leaves and
a swollen root that is used in cooking. Curled leaf is the preferred type for
garnish and either type is good for use in recipes. Varieties of flat leaved
parsley include “Titan” and “Italian Dark Green” and varieties of curled leaf
parsley include “Forest Green”, “Krausa” and “Starke”. Varieties of parsley grown for their roots
include “Hamburg” and “Bartowich Long”.
Using
parsley
You can begin
cutting parsley leaves after the plant has grown enough so that you don’t have
to harvest more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. Parsley root can be harvested as soon as the
roots are large enough. The harvested
leaves will grow back, but when you harvest roots you generally destroy the
plant.
Fresh parsley
sprigs are used to make meals look more appealing. Finely chopped parsley is used in many
Mid-eastern and Asian dishes and is often sprinkled on fish in European
countries. The leaves of parsley may be
added to any salad to add taste and vitamins.
Parsley root is scrubbed and cubed and cooked in soup or stew like
potatoes or turnips, although the flavor is not like either. Parsley is best used fresh, although dried
parsley is sometimes available. Parsley
can be chopped and frozen in water for use in winter cooking.
Cautions
Parsley
should always be harvested from the garden and not gathered from the wild or
unknown gardens. There are several very
poisonous plants, including poison hemlock, whose leaves look very similar to
parsley. Parsley is a plant that contains oxalates. Oxalates can crystallize when they are
concentrated in body fluids and could possibly form stones in the gall bladder
or kidneys. People who have had kidney
or gallbladder problems should consume only small amounts of parsley.
Japanese Honeysuckle- friend or foe?
Japanese
Honeysuckle, ( Lonicera japonica), is one of those plants that seemed like a
good ornamental for gardeners at first, a fast growing vine with sweetly
scented flowers. It was often sold as
Hall’s Honeysuckle and is still sold by that name in some places. But since its introduction from Asia it has
spread rapidly into the wild, climbing into trees and over shrubs. This honeysuckle can be found at the edges of
most Michigan woods and fields. In a
good location the vine can grow over 30 foot a year. It is a perennial that in mild winters may
remain semi-evergreen.
The leaves of
Japanese honeysuckle are variable, some are nearly round, others more oval and
some are even lobed. They are located in
pairs along the stems and are somewhat hairy on the backs. New stems are reddish, older stems have a
woody bark. The plant likes woodland
edges and fertile, moist soil but is very adaptable and is found throughout
most of the United States. It blooms best in full sun to partial shade but survives
in heavy shade also.
Japanese
honeysuckle flowers are long and tubular, with backswept petals, and bunches of
showy yellow stamens in the center. They
are white when young, aging to a soft yellow. They have a delightful sweet
vanilla scent when in bloom. The flowers
occur in pairs connected by a short stem arising from the junction of a leaf
pair and the stem. Every kid who has
ever wandered the woods knows that they contain a drop of sweet nectar that can
be sucked out of the base if you pull off a flower. Japanese honeysuckle
usually blooms in May and June in Michigan.
The flowers attract bees and hummingbirds.
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| Japanese Honeysuckle. Wikimedia Commons |
Japanese
honeysuckle flowers turn into blue-black berries in the fall, which are a
favorite of birds, which explains their rapid spread. It has some value as a wildlife food. Besides songbirds, deer, hummingbirds, and
most species of bees adore the plant.
Because it
spreads so rapidly by seed and suckering, many states list Lonicera japonica as an invasive species. It can
strangle trees and shrubs in some situations and take over large areas
of ground. Once again a plants worth is in the eyes of the beholder.
There are
several species of honeysuckles, some native, and there are some cultivated
varieties that are more suitable for ornamental gardens. The native species have leaves that are
joined at the edges, with the effect of a stem growing through a leaf. They also have red berries instead of black. Gardeners should think carefully before adding
Lonicera
japonica to the
landscape. If you do add the plant keep
it off trees and shrubs you wish to keep and prune it hard after blooming to
keep it in bounds and limit berry formation.
Herbal uses of Japanese
Honeysuckle
Lonicera
japonica is used in Chinese herbal medicine for coughs, fever, headache and
other “flu” symptoms. The flowers are
dried and used as tea. (A tea from young green stems of honeysuckle is also
used in some cases, but it has weaker properties than the flowers.) Modern herbalists also use the tea for
digestive problems. Honeysuckle flower
extracts are used in cosmetics for their supposedly anti - aging effects on
skin. Recent research has shown that
honeysuckle extract can also block the suns UV rays and can be used in natural sun
blocking creams. Other research has found
honeysuckle extract has anti-inflammatory properties and aids in wound
repair.
Be careful
gathering Lonicera japonica honeysuckle
for medicinal uses and make sure you have correctly identified it. Some species of honeysuckle are poisonous.
Keep the umbrella handy this week
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
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.
Here’s a seed/plant
sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area
Free Garden tour by Michigan Hosta
Society, Saturday June 13th, 9 am – 5pm.
Take a self-guided
tour through 5 beautiful gardens, public welcome and it’s free! There will be refreshments at some gardens
and vendors will be offering items for sale and demonstrations. To
get more info and a map go to http://easternmichiganhostasociety.blogspot.com/
Here’s a link to
classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road, North
Branch. Now open.
Here’s a link to
classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a link to
programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in Michigan.
Here’s a link to
classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now combined
with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a link to
classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston and
Brighton locations
Here’s a link to
events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann Arbor,
Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden
Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a link to all
the spring programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in Dryden,
Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a link to
events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Back Track To Nature offers the
following programs to inspire you and deepen your relationship with
nature! In partnership with the Lapeer Land Conservancy and Seven Ponds Nature
Center these programs are a perfect way for families and adults to enjoy the
outdoors.
JUNE 2015
Wild Springtime Tea Party
Saturday, June 13,
2015 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Cassie M owner of
Hilltop Barn will guide us through field and forest to show us how to identify
native plants and brew up some tasty teas and learn the how wild edibles are
beneficial to your overall health. Please contact Karen Page at 810-969-1023 to
register, children 17 and younger must be accompanied by a registered adult. No
admittance fee and donations accepted. Please park in the designated parking
area.
Living with Less: Talk and Tour of
the Tibbits Nature Sanctuary
Saturday, June 13,
2015 1:00PM to 3:00PM
4107 Columbiaville
Road, Columbiaville, Michigan 48421 Rewire your brain to repurpose, reuse,
recycle, harvest rainwater and grow your own foods, begin a new lifestyle
recreated by living with less, Tibbits Nature Sanctuary owner Clark Tibbits
will share his successful experiences creating a life long choice to live on
less. A step you can make toward a living with less can be as simple as adding
a rain barrel and a square foot garden to your home landscape. Back Track To Nature
owner Karen Page, will demonstrate how to harvest rainwater and grow your own
food in a small spaces. Please call
810-969-1023 to register, children under 17 must be accompanied by a registered
adult. Follow the signs and park in the designated parking area.
The History of the Land -
Introduction to Wetland Restoration
Monday, June 15,
2015 9:00AM to 11:00AM
and 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Entrance and parking
is located across from 4090 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan. In
this History of the Land Series we will explore, observe and study the wetlands
and learn about rich and exciting varieties of wildlife and plants, focusing on
water lilies, Today, this wetland is cared for by the Lapeer Land Conservancy
but it could have been in the backyard of the famous painter Monet who in 1890
developed his own outside studio where water lilies influenced his paintings.
Cost is $3.00 per person, children 12 and under are free. Dress for the weather. Groups of 5 or more
please call Karen at 810-969-1023 at least 3 days before to reserve your spot.
Change of the Season – A Guided
Nature Walk
Saturday, June 27,
2015 9:30AM to 11:30AM and
3:30PM to 5:30PM
Entrance and parking
is located across from 4090
Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan Join us for a guided nature walk on
the trials of the Hilton and Marjorie Tibbits Nature Sanctuary a Lapeer Land
Conservancy property. Bring water bottle, binoculars, camera and field guides.
Dress for the weather. This is a walking tour on uneven terrain. No Admittance
fee. Groups of 5 or more please call 810-969-1023 at least 3 days prior to this
walk.
Learn in the Garden Tour - Planting,
Composting and Water Harvesting
Monday, June 29,
2015 9:30AM to 11:30AM
and 3:30PM to 5:30PM
In this tried and
true garden tour you will learn basic techniques, of planting, composting and
water harvesting to promote sustainability and keep your own garden growing in
abundance. This farm and garden tour will be held at Three Roods Farm at 4821
One Acre Drive, Columbiaville Michigan. Dress for the weather. Class size is
limited to 15, children 17 and under must be accompanied by a registered adult.
No admittance fee. Call 810-969-1023 to reserve your spot.
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.
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
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