July 7,
2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hello Gardeners
Hydrangeas |
I am quite
pleased with the rain we are getting today.
It’s a nice soaker and we needed it.
I know some of you reading this didn’t need more rain- but our area was
getting quite dry. A few miles can make
quite a difference in the amount of rainfall you get. And the rain will wash some of that smoke
from those Canadian wildfires out of the sky.
That haze we had the last few days wasn’t all from fireworks being set
off and what we were breathing in wasn’t exactly healthy. Washed air is a good thing.
The water hyacinths
in my new little pond are blooming. They
progress quickly from bud to bloom; buds were only noticeable two days
ago. I have some beautiful Asiatic
lilies in bloom although they are not the color I thought they would be. They are called “Dutch Red” but are really a kind of smoky pink. I planted them where a lot of orange and
scarlet flowers are blooming and it’s a bit of a clash but they sure are
pretty.
White cleome |
Lots of white
flowers are blooming in my garden now.
Yucca, hydrangeas, yarrow, elderberries, cleome, begonias and lobelia to
name a few. But I have plenty of color
too, lots of day lilies and bee balm, rudbeckia, lavender, roses, buddleia,
hollyhocks, and so on. Annuals are
looking good this time of year too. We
have more tomatoes ripening and I expect to get cucumbers this week- we have
tiny ones. I have some scarlet runner
beans blooming, more for the hummingbirds than for eating.
According to
some internet rumors today is the day a meteor is supposed to crash into the
earth, causing widespread damage and panic, causing chaos and collapse of our
society. I probably should be cleaning a
gun or something. But I think I will
still be here next week to write another newsletter.
July almanac
This month’s
full moon is called the buck moon or hay moon, depending on whether you are a
farmer or hunter I guess. It’s called
buck moon because the buck’s antlers begin to show this month. Hay has already been cut at least once around
here as it normally has been – so I don’t get that name. The first full moon in July this year was the 1st and we have a second
one this year on the 31st so I guess one can be buck moon and one can
be hay moon.
This month’s
flower is the sunflower- very appropriate and the birthstone is the ruby.
It’s National
Blueberry, Eggplant, Lettuce, Mango, Melon, Nectarine and Garlic month as well
as National Hotdog and Vanilla Ice Cream month.
Why isn’t it National Cherry month?
And for those secret bare naked gardeners out there the second week of
July is nude recreation week. Have fun.
If all goes
well the first space ship to orbit Pluto will arrive July 14th. Exciting pictures may be sent back to
earth. The ship was launched in January
2006. There are the Delta Aquarids meteor showers on July 28-29th. Best viewing will be after midnight but the
moon will be nearly full and they may not show up well.
The dangers of St. John’s Wort
I had an
elderly gentleman stop by my house to show me a plant he had collected to ask
if it was St. Johns Wort. It was. He then proceeded to tell me he was going to
dry it and make an herbal tea with it to help his depression. He also confided that he was taking prescription
anti-depressants, pain killers and several other medications for a host of
ailments. I advised him not to use the
St. John’s Wort.
Just because
something is “natural” or an herb does not make it safe. St. John’s Wort often causes serious side
effects even in people who do not take other prescription drugs. It can
cause sun sensitivity and bad sunburns, rash, severe high blood pressure, restlessness and
anxiety, racing heart, nausea, diarrhea and other problems.
Mixing St.
John’s Wort with prescription anti-depressants and other medications is a
recipe for disaster. There are so many
drug interactions with St. Johns’s Wort that can be serious or fatal that it
should never be used when you are taking any
prescription meds. It can cause birth
control medications to fail, which is a serious side effect. St. Johns Wort causes the body to speed up the
elimination of many drugs, making them ineffective and also interacts with
liver, heart and blood pressure medications to cause serious, even deadly
consequences. It should never be used
with prescription medications for depression as this can cause heart and blood
pressure problems. St. Johns’s Wort should never be used by
pregnant or nursing women.
Since plants
have different concentrations of active ingredients when growing in different
places and locations, and since the way herbal medications are prepared can
affect the amounts of active ingredients using a standardized, commercial
preparation of dangerous herbs like St. Johns Wort is probably safer than
mixing up your own brew.
In a study
published this month in the journal, Clinical
and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, St. Johns Wort had as many
adverse reactions reported as the most common prescription anti-depressants,
proving it is not safer. Because deaths
have occurred when St. Johns Wort is used with other medications some countries
have banned the sale of it. Since
scientific studies of St. Johns Wort has found it has only modest effect on
depression and little other medicinal value you may want to skip this herbal
remedy altogether.
The garden in your gut
A gardener is
someone who tends an ecosystem to make it perform in a certain way. Your body has a whole garden inside it,
composed of hundreds of species, an ecosystem of microbes that perform astonishingly
complex things for our bodies. The research into the gut garden is new and
fascinating. It is becoming obvious that
the garden within us is extremely important to our health. Modern researchers are saying that our gut,
with its garden of microbes is at least as important as our brain.
I try to read
at least one “educational” book each month, learning about something new. I just finished “Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ” by Giulia Enders. It’s a well written, easy to understand book
about the gut and what it does for us. It
covers a lot of things- like what’s the best way to sit to have a bowel
movement. But what interested me was
some of the new research on what the gut garden does for our health.
Your gut may
actually influence your moods, thinking, and health just by what types of
microbes you are tending in it. You tend
your microbe garden primarily with what you eat; although you are bound to pick
up microbes from your environment. Your
mother confers precious microbe garden “seeds” when she gives birth to you. But
you can work with what you are given and improve your gut garden.
Different
microbes prefer different “foods” and cause different reactions in the body.
Prebiotics are substances you eat that
contain things that beneficial microbes like. They are substances in foods that enter the
gut after food digestion and that certain microbes use to perform beneficial
tasks, like synthesizing vitamins and making hormones. Onions, garlic, leeks, sunflower seeds, and Jerusalem
artichokes are some foods that provide good prebiotics to the gut. Probiotics are actual beneficial microbe cultures
you eat, like in yogurt, which then may transfer to your gut.
Jerusalem Artichokes are considered to be prebiotics. |
There is too
much information to go into in this newsletter but I highly recommend people
learn more about gut microbes and the garden within you. This book is a start but we are learning more
every year about our internal gut biome so keep looking for new
information. Learning how to tend the
gut garden may one day cure problems like obesity, diabetes, cancer, neurological
diseases, depression, autism, and other mental diseases.
Another reason to give up bread and
pasta- back to that gut garden
New research
published in Food Research International
explains how digesting wheat products like bread and pasta leaves behind
particles called exorphins A5 and C5- prebiotics- that enter the intestinal gut
garden and feed what we believe to be undesirable microbes that some people
have. This results in what is known as gluten
sensitivity, (not gluten intolerance).
This condition affects many more people than gluten intolerance, which
affects less than 1% of the world’s population. Gluten intolerance is more serious than gluten
sensitivity and involves an allergic reaction to gluten. Gluten sensitivity produces symptoms of
tiredness, “slow” thinking, decreased pain tolerance, mild digestive problems
and a general “unhealthy” feeling for some people and they feel better when
they give up grain products. These people may tolerate small amounts of
gluten.
But the
exorphins A5 and C5 may do more than make you feel tired. They are also found in large quantities in
people with schizophrenia, autism and many neurological diseases. It could be
possible that bad “weeds” in the gut garden are using these prebiotics to cause
these health problems. Research is continuing. Giving up grains may not cure these diseases
entirely but if the gut microbes which are suspected of contributing to or
causing these problems have less to eat; they will have less successful
colonies in the gut, and will have less opportunity to affect your physical and
mental health.
Growing and using elderberries
Elderberries
are used for food, herbal remedies and as an ornamental plant. With the current interest in plants that are
both ornamental and edible, elderberries have much to offer the gardener. Folklore is filled with references to elders,
depending on the culture and the century they were either the witch’s friend or
her mortal enemy. There are native species of elderberries in Europe, North America
and Asia.
Elderberry flower |
There is a
lot of confusion about the classification of elderberries. While the European elder is classified as
Sambuccus nigra, North American black elderberries are said to be a sub-species
by some botanists Sambuccus nigra ( S. nigra ssp Canadensis); and by others as
a separate species Sambuccus canadensis.
While the leaves, flowers and berries are very similar the plants have
different growth characteristics.
American elders are more bush-like than European elders and sucker
readily. European elders look more like
a small tree and rarely sucker. There is
a lot of variation even in North American wild plants however, as you can see
by driving around the countryside and observing roadside elderberries.
Black
elderberries, as the two species above are informally called, are the
elderberries that we eat and make into herbal remedies. Other species of elderberry exist and some of
those have been turned into the many forms of ornamental elderberries that are
available for the garden. These also
have berries but not all elderberries are edible for humans, the birds however
enjoy all of them.
What elderberries look like
Elderberries
have compound leaves with 5-7 leaflets with serrated edges. In some ornamental varieties the leaves are
very finely cut and look like fern fronds or the leaves of Japanese
Maples. In North America native
elderberries are a multi-stemmed bush that can get to 20 feet in height. European elderberries have a more tree like
appearance. Ornamental elderberries or
sambuccus have varying forms, there are even dwarfed varieties. The plants leaf out very early in the
spring. In June they are covered with
flat lacy umbels of white or pink flowers with a lemony scent and are loved by
bees and butterflies. The flowers usually turn into clusters of blue-black berries, but some species and some
ornamental selections have berries of other colors.
Wild elderberries are blooming now. |
Berries,
flowers, leaves and roots are all used for herbal remedies but it is the
berries that probably get the most use.
The plants are part of traditional medicines for both Europeans and
Native Americans. In Europe berries and flowers are turned into wine, and
jellies and pies are made from the berries. There is increasing interest in the
US in using the berries in a number of food and medicinal products. It is important to know that raw elderberries
are poisonous. Chemicals in them are
converted to cyanide in the human body and can make someone very ill or even
cause death. Cooked well however, they
are safe to eat and delicious as well as very nutritious. Elderberry flowers
are sometimes dipped in batter and fried.
Health benefits of elderberries
Recently
elderberries have been extensively studied as alternative medicinal plants and
a lot of data is supporting claims of medicinal value. Of course we are all aware now of the value
of anthocyanins, those pigments in plants which have antioxidant qualities and
support healthy immune systems as well as eliminating free radicals that cause
cell death. Elderberries are also
sources of vitamins A and C and a good source of calcium, iron and vitamin B6.
They also contain sterols, tannins, and essential oils.
Elderberry
plant parts have stimulatory effects on the respiratory and circulatory system,
diuretic properties and when used topically have anti-inflammatory
actions. They are used in digestive
complaints for both diarrhea and constipation.
Currently they are being sold as a remedy for the symptoms of colds and
flu. (They do not cure colds or flu,
they make you more comfortable).
Elderberry extract, teas, or lozenges are used to ease sinus congestion,
sore throat and other cold and flu symptoms and the medical community supports
this use.
Research is
ongoing to see if chemicals derived from elderberries can lower cholesterol and
inhibit tumor formation as well as help in several other medical
conditions.
Elderberry varieties
If you want
to grow elderberries for the berries several cultivars have been developed that
have superior fruit production. You can
find them in many garden catalogs. ‘York’, ‘Adams’, ‘Kent’, ‘Johns’ and ‘Nova’ are some varieties. Like many fruits elderberries will produce
much better if two different varieties are planted fairly close together for
proper pollination.
Elderberries
are being developed for beautiful ornamental plants both by selection and by
crossing several species of elderberries.
When sold for ornamental use they are usually referred to as Sambuccus. The varieties ‘Black Beauty’, ‘ Thundercloud’ and ‘Black Lace’ have delicate divided leaves of a dark maroon black as
well as pink flowers. They are often
used as a substitute for Japanese Maple as they are hardier and will grow well
in the sun. The dark leaved sambuccus
are wonderful combined with golden or chartreuse leaved plants.
There is a
variegated green and white leaved Sambuccus known as ‘Pulverulenta'
but it’s often just sold as ‘variegated’.
‘Madonna’ and Aureomarginata'
are Sambuccus with golden variegation of the leaves. ‘Frances’ has leaves variegated with light green, cream and yellow,
with purple berries. 'Maxima' has very large flower heads of
white with rosy-purple stalks that remain after the flowers drop. ‘Goldbeere’ has light green foliage and
golden berries. Selections of
Red-berried elder, Sambucus racemosa, have produced the beautiful golden
foliaged plants 'Sutherland Gold' and ‘Golden
Locks’ which have red berries.
Sambucus
caerulea- blue elder- has white flowers and powder blue berries and is hardy to
zone 5. There are some dwarf varieties
on the market 'Tenuifolia' is one
with fine fern-like leaves and a mounding habit. It is important to remember that while some
ornamental Sambuccus have edible fruit (if cooked) some do not. Most varieties which have black fruit are
edible, ‘Goldbeere’ fruit is said to
be edible also, but pay attention to the description of the plant which should
state whether the fruit is edible.
Growing elderberries
Elderberries
will grow in a sunny location in almost any soil, although they prefer a rich
soil with a slightly acidic pH. They
will also do well in part shade or dappled shade. Fruit production is heaviest in full
sun. While they need good moisture,
especially in the first year of establishment, elderberries do not thrive in
poorly drained areas. They have shallow
roots and you need to be careful weeding and working around them not to destroy
roots. Mulching around the plants is a
good idea. Fertilizing with some 10-10-10
formula fertilizer each spring as they green up, about ½ pound to a mature
plant, will increase plant vigor and berry production. Elderberries have few
insect pests or diseases. They may be
eaten by deer but are not a favorite plant.
Young
ornamental elderberries benefit from pinching back the growing tips of each
shoot several times each season which will make the plant fuller and more
attractive in shape. All elderberry plants need some selective pruning to
remove the oldest wood and keep the shape and size of the plant in bounds.
Elderberries being managed for fruit production need to more extensively pruned
to keep younger, more productive stems in the majority.
Even “wild”
elderberries are attractive if you have room for a large bush and are very good
at drawing bees, butterflies and birds to your property. Elderberries are easy to start from hardwood
cuttings so you may want to take a winter walk before they break dormancy and
collect some cuttings to start your own elderberry patch.
Elderberry syrup
You’ll need 4
– 16 oz. canning jars and lids and a water bath canner for this recipe. Use this syrup when you feel a cold coming on
or sore throat, its pleasant tasting and can be diluted with cold water for a
drink or consume it by the tablespoon.
You need 1
quart of elderberry juice for the syrup.
To get it pick ripe elderberries – probably a large bucket full. You can use cultivated or wild elderberries. Clean and wash the berries carefully, remove
all pieces of stem, green berries and leaves as these are poisonous.
Place your
clean berries in a large pot and smash them until you get some juice. Using low heat let the pot come to a simmer
while you keep mashing the berries.
After 5 minutes pour the contents of the pot into a jelly bag, (muslin
or cheesecloth bag). You can use a thin,
clean pillowcase or even a t-shirt as a substitute. (It will turn permanently
purple.) You suspend the bag over a container to collect the juice. Leave it
drip for 30 minutes to an hour until you get the juice you need. Measure out 1 quart. DO NOT consume the juice raw! It will make
you sick.
1 quart of
elderberry juice
4 cups of
white sugar
The juice of
2 lemons, freshly squeezed
15 whole
cloves
Sterilize
your canning jars and lids and keep them hot.
Fill the water bath canner and get it started heating. I am assuming you know a little about water
bath canning. If you don’t, consult a
canning book.
Combine all
the recipe ingredients in a large pot. Heat and stir until sugar is
dissolved. Then bring to boiling and
boil for 10 minutes. The juice should
look thickened. Strain out the cloves.
Ladle the hot
syrup into the canning jars. Leave ¼
inch at the top of the jars. Wipe the
rims and screw on the lids. Process jars
in the water bath canner for 10 minutes.
Remove jars; let cool, check for sealing. When you open a jar store the remainder in
the refrigerator.
Preventing Blossom End Rot in tomatoes
In July home
gardens begin producing those luscious ripe tomatoes everyone craves. But tomatoes can be tricky little devils when
it comes to getting them to produce perfect fruit. One of the problems home gardeners may face
is blossom end rot. This is a gray-
black, leathery looking sunken area at the bottom of the tomato. It can be cut off and the tomato is safe to
eat but not to can. But many people feel
the rotted area affects fruit taste.
Tomato end
rot is caused by a number of factors but they all boil down to not getting
enough water to tomato fruits. This can
be because of genetics; some varieties have less efficient root systems, it can
be because the roots were restricted by a small container or root damage
occurred. Usually though, the cause of
tomato end rot is simply not enough water.
Calcium
deficiency is often cited as a reason for blossom end rot but most soils are
not deficient in calcium, plants just need lots of water to access the
mineral. It doesn’t hurt to use a
liquid fertilizer for tomatoes which contains extra calcium if you follow label
directions. But your plants still may
need additional water.
Blossom end rot. www.flickr.com |
In July and
August tomato plants are growing quickly while trying to also support lots of
fruit. In hot, dry weather the plant
loses water rapidly from its leaves in transpiration/ evaporation and in an
effort to cool the plant and maintain turgor the tomato plant pulls water from
developing fruit to send to the leaves and stems. It can always make more fruit when conditions
improve. This results in the sunken,
cell damaged area at the bottom of tomato fruits.
To prevent
tomato end rot make sure your tomato plants have plenty of water. They need an inch or more a week, on a
regular schedule, perhaps divided into 2 or 3 waterings. Plants should never be allowed to wilt, but
damage to fruit can show up even before the plant wilts. Put up a rain gauge and when there hasn’t
been an inch of rain in seven days use supplemental watering. Water plants
deeply, the first two inches of soil should be moist. A large tomato plant with fruit can usually
absorb 2 gallons of water if it has been dry.
If your plants wilt – water right away. Water tomato plants at their
base and well before dark to help prevent fungal disease.
Tomato plants
in containers may need watering once a day – even twice a day. And the containers should be large enough to
support a good root system.
This weeks weed- Venice Mallow (Hibiscus triomum)
Venice Mallow |
If you are up
early in the morning you may get to see this pretty weed that is a cousin to
our garden hibiscus. The pretty flowers of Venice Mallow are open for only an
hour or so each morning, hence the common name, Flower- of -an- Hour. The 1½ -
2 ½ inch flowers are white to pale yellow with purple markings at the base of
the flower surrounding the bright yellow stamens. The flowers leave behind a
small, green striped balloon-like seed pod.
The leaves of
Venice Mallow are shaped a lot like watermelon leaves. They are long, deeply
scalloped, 3 leaflet leaves joined at the base. The leaves, paired with the
plump striped seed pod, often lead people to believe they are watermelon plants
and they are left in the garden rather than pulled.
Venice Mallow
blooms from late July until frost. The plant can grow upright or sprawl along
the ground like a small vine. It grows at the edges of gardens and field crops
with moderately fertile soil in full sun. Venice Mallow is an annual and
spreads by seeds.
Go dance in the rain and embrace its
beauty. Without rain there could be no
life.
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
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
New- 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.
July 2015
Wild Summer Tea Party with Cassey
Mieslik, Saturday,
July 11, 2015 10am
- 12pm
We will
learn how to create tea with wild mint, try New Jersey tea and sample others with
a light snack of clover corn bread with lavender syrup. Dress for the weather.
$5.00 donation.
History of the Land Series - Intro
to Land Stewardship Saturday, July 11, 2015
1pm to 3pm
In this
history of the land series we will visit a wildlife habitat, alternative lawns and backyard habitats,
learn how to create a land inventory and manage your own properties for
wildlife. Bring water bottle and binoculars. Dress for the weather. This is a
walking tour on uneven terrain. $5.00 donation.
Learn in the Garden Tour - Summertime Gardens Monday,
July 13, 2015 9:00AM to
11:00AM
Join us for
a tour the gardens at Three Roods Farm and learn about growing food without the
use of pesticides, herbicides while relying on the use of beneficial insects, plant
diversity and crop rotation to supply soil nutrients. Three Roods Farm is
located at 4821 Our Acre Drive, Columbiaville Michigan. Dress for the weather. Class size is limited
to 10, $5.00 donation. Call 810-969-1023 to reserve your spot.
Change
of the Season – A Guided Nature Walk Saturday, July 18, 2015 9:30AM to 11:30AM
We will
tour the Hilton and Marjorie Tibbits Nature Sanctuary a Lapeer Land Conservancy
property. Entrance and parking is located across from 4090 Columbiaville Road,
Columbiaville, Michigan. Bring water bottle, binoculars, camera and field
guides. Dress for the weather. Free admission.
History of the Land Series - Intro
to Wetlands Saturday July 18, 2015
1pm to 3pm
This
History of the Land Series will spotlight the Klam Road Wetland. Hilton and Marjorie
Tibbits Nature Sanctuary, a Lapeer Land Conservancy property. Entrance and parking is located across from
4090 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan. Bring water bottle and binoculars.
Dress for the weather. This is a walking tour on uneven terrain. $5.00
donation.
Please call
810-969-1023 3 days prior to the event date to reserve your spot! For all
programs children 17 and younger must be accompanied by a registered adult. Please
park in the designated parking areas! Thank You!
Garden Day 2015, August 1, 2015, 8
a.m. - 4:15 p.m. Veterinary Medical Center / Plant & Soil Sciences Bldg.,
MSU campus, East Lansing, MI
This is
MSU’s horticulture departments annual garden seminar. The public is welcome. Key note speaker is
Rick Darke, a widely published author, photographer, lecturer and consultant
focused on regional landscape design, planning, conservation, and enhancement. You
get a choice of 2 other classes and a closing speaker also.
Cost is
$85.60 for non-2015 Garden members prior to July 24, $95.60 on and after July
25th this includes lunch but not the evening reception.
Please
visit www.hrt.msu.edu/garden-day-2015/ for a full schedule, workshop
descriptions and more. Contact:
Jennifer Sweet, CMP, CTA, at 517-355-5191 ext. 1339 or hgardens@msu.edu.
MSU Plant Trial Field Day, August 4,
2015, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. 1066 Bogue Street, Plant & Soil Sciences Bldg.
(1st floor), East Lansing, MI 48824
Commercial
growers, landscapers and advanced gardeners are invited to this annual event to
learn about some of the superior new plants and how they perform in
mid-Michigan in the MSU Trial Gardens. Plant performance, ornamental
characters, and special needs of plants will be covered. We will also host
presentations on the most recent research on the development and spread of
impatiens downy mildew and up-to-date discussions on the evolving ethics of
American gardeners. For this important and timely topic, Entomologists and
Horticultural Extension Specialists will bring us up-to-date on the latest news
in pollinators, native insects, and pesticides such as neonicotinoids.
The
$42/person registration fee (by July 30) includes morning refreshments, lunch,
parking, trial booklet, and the program.
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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