September
22, 2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter
© Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
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| Display Garden at Suncrest - Lapeer Mi. |
Tomorrow is the official
start of fall, the autumn equinox where the hours of daylight and darkness are
roughly even. In earlier European
history there was always a celebration of harvest called Harvest Home around
the time of the autumn equinox. In many place it was a time when the farm
workers finally got paid for a year’s work.
Imagine working all year for that one paycheck.
While some North American
crops like wheat have already been harvested, many won’t be harvested for
another few weeks. Our farmers are still
pretty busy. Maybe that’s why our autumn
celebrations tend to occur later in October and at Thanksgiving.
The trees are definitely
turning colors. It looks like it may be
a nice year for autumn color. Trees
respond to the shortening of daylight hours and cooler temperatures and produce
“hormones” that signal leaves to first change color, then fall off. It’s a beautiful time of year but also a
little sad because all of us old northerners know what’s coming next.
I’m not a person who likes
to re-arrange and change my household furnishings and décor often but as autumn
comes I always have to re-arrange things so that I can bring my plants
inside. It always looks so nice, if a
bit crowded when I have all my potted plants back inside. I like the jungle effect.
But each year some plants
get bigger, requiring a bigger pot and taking more space. And of course I add things every year
too. My window space is not enough to
give each plant its needed light so I have added several grow lights here and
there. This year a big cage of parakeets
is also sharing living room space. I
keep canaries in my home office. So my
winter indoors is filled with green and flowering plants and birds singing and
chirping. It makes winter much more
bearable. You should try it.
This week I decided to focus
on drying things since it is the harvest season.
All things dried and beautiful
This is the time to gather
and dry things, like herbs, seeds and flowers.
The warm, dry sunny days will soon be over. Chose a stretch of warm sunny weather, like
we are having this week, to harvest things you want to dry. Most things should be harvested before frost,
although a few things can still be harvested after a frost or even a freeze. Besides food, you may want to dry some flowers
or collect interesting seed heads to use as decorations.
Drying is a very old method
of preserving food. Even meat and fleshy
fruits like pumpkins and apples were dried to preserve them. In earlier times the
sun and sometimes fire or smoke were used to dry foods and decorations. We now have some other methods of drying food
and decorations but the sun and a warm spot by the fire are still good choices
too.
Herb drying
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| Culinary sage. |
Herbs can be dried in a
number of ways. You can hang small
bunches of herbs in a warm, dry, dark place.
You can place them in a paper bag and leave them in your car, sitting in
the sun. You can dry herbs in a dehydrator
if it has a low setting. You can also
dry some herbs on trays in the sun, although herbs retain their flavors better
if dried in the dark.
You can dry herbs in the
microwave if you use caution. Place
small amounts of a leafy herb on a paper plate, cover with a paper towel to
absorb moisture. Microwave in short time
spans, 30 seconds at a time, checking between each burst of microwaving. When they are dry and crispy they are
done. Don’t microwave too long or you’ll
start a fire or scorch the herbs.
Herbs can also be dried by
immersing them in salt or sugar. This
works best if leaves are removed from stems.
Put a layer of salt or sugar in a container then a layer of herbs, a layer
of salt or sugar and so on. Put the
herbs in a single layer without crowding them.
Use salt to preserve herbs you use in meat dishes, soups and stews. Use sugar to preserve herbs that might be
used in baking or desserts like lavender.
You can shift the dried
herbs out of the salt or sugar and store them separately. Save the salt or sugar because it will taste
and smell like the herbs dried in it and can be used in cooking. You can also crumble the herbs and leave them
in the salt or sugar and use that in cooking.
Seed drying
You may want to dry seeds to
save and plant next year or to use in cooking. It’s always best to let seeds
remain on the plant as long as possible.
If you must cut seed pods/heads before they are brown and ripe place them
in paper bags in small bunches and let them dry further in a warm, dry
location. Once seed pods open or seed heads are very dry you can remove the
individual seeds from them. The seeds
usually require a bit more drying before storage.
The best way to dry a small
amount of seeds is to spread them in a single layer in the sun or in a warm
dark location. If the seeds are fleshy
or still wet put them on a piece of screen instead of paper so they won’t stick
to the paper as they dry. Protect drying
seeds from birds and animals. You can
dry seeds in a dehydrator too. Don’t use
high heat on any seeds you are saving to plant or you will damage the plant
embryo. Certainly you won’t want to
microwave these.
Large seeds like beans, nuts
and acorns can be stored in baskets or other containers to dry. Containers that
allow airflow like wicker baskets or crates with gaps are best. It will take longer to dry these. Remove the hulls from walnuts and hickories before
storage. When dry nutmeats will be firm
and dry in texture, not milky or soft.
Drying fruits and vegetables
A modern dehydrator works
wonders on these. However the older
methods still work too. Wash and inspect
the fruits and vegetables first. Cut out bad areas, and discard produce that’s mushy
or moldy. Slice fruits and vegetables thinly
and remove seeds. Some people peel
things like carrots and apples before drying them, others do not. Always wash produce even if you peel it,
because bacteria will contaminate the product as you peel it if it’s dirty.
If you don’t use a
dehydrator the fruits and vegetables can be strung on string or wire and
allowed to dry in a warm, protected place.
Or they can be spread on a screen in the sun and covered with a layer of
cheesecloth to keep insects away. Juicy
fruits like apples and raspberries need to be inspected frequently and any moldy
fruits removed. It sometimes helps to
turn these over part way through drying.
Drying without a dehydrator will take several days, depending on the
conditions and what is being dried.
If you have an oven that has
a low heat (below 200 degrees F.) or warming setting you can dry fruits and vegetables
in it. They should be sliced thin and
arranged in a single layer on trays. Never
leave the home or go to bed while they are drying in the oven. It can take 12 hours or more to dry things
this way so plan accordingly.
When food is thoroughly dried
it should be stored in clean glass containers with tight lids. Canning jars work well. Food grade plastic containers can also be
used.
Drying flowers and decorative seedpods or seedheads
Flowers need more care to
dry than herbs if you want them to look good.
Some flowers like statice, baby’s breath and strawflowers will dry naturally
and keep their shape and color pretty well.
These you can gather in loose bunches and hang in a dry warm area to
dry. Your car trunk works well on these
too. It creates a nice hot dark area to
dry flowers without bleaching the color out.
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| Hydrangea flowers dry nicely for arrangements. |
You can stand flower heads
or seed pods of things like Japanese lanterns, money plant, hydrangeas, grass
seedheads, cattails and so on in containers in a warm dark place like a closet
or attic until they dry. Don’t crowd them. Or hang them in loose bunches.
Other flowers like roses and
daisies can be dried in something like silica gel or borax. This is a time consuming and delicate process
but it preserves the color and shape of the flowers. You can find the products in craft stores and
they will have directions on how to use them.
You can also press flowers
and dry them for use in crafts. If you
have a large heavy book like a family bible or old encyclopedias a few flowers
can be pressed and dried in the pages. Or you can build or buy a flower press. These flowers will be flattened and will
probably lose some of their natural color.
Basically to press dry
flowers you place flowers between two sheets of white tissue paper and then
weigh them down. This can be in the
pages of a book or under a stack of books or in a flower press. Small flowers with single layers of petals
work best. Don’t use newspaper or colored
paper to wrap the flowers in as it may leave ink colors on the flowers. It will take a month or more to dry the
flowers.
Other things to dry for potpourri
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| Dried rose hips look pretty in potpourri |
Potpourri is a mixture of
dry things which smell nice and have visual appeal. If you like to make
potpourri you may want to dry things like orange and lemon rinds, small
pinecones, bay leaves, rose petals, rose hips, sweet grass, lavender buds,
small pieces of aromatic barks and other things you collect that might add
scent or visual appeal to a potpourri mixture.
Most of these things can simply be left in a warm dry place to dry. To keep colors nice, dry potpourri
ingredients out of strong light.
Most potpourri making
instructions call for using a fixative – generally orris root, which can be
found in craft stores or on line. But
you don’t absolutely need a fixative if you keep each potpourri mixture for only
a short time- say a month or two and replenish it. Store your dry ingredients in tightly closed
containers until you use them. Tossing
your decorative ingredients with a couple teaspoons of cinnamon can work as a
fixative if you like the cinnamon smell.
You can also use spice mixes like apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
as a fixative and for their scent.
To make potpourri smell nice
use essential oils sprinkled on things like small pinecones, pieces of bark or
other porous items that you include in your mixture. Even a few wood shavings sprinkled with
essential oils can be mixed into potpourri.
The essential oils will give you a wider range of scents and the scent
will last longer than some natural ingredients.
Kitchen ingredients like vanilla or lemon extract can also be used to
soak or dip potpourri items into.
Using dried beans
There are many beautiful
colored dry beans or peas on the market or maybe you grew some unique beans
this year. These dry beans can be
layered in pretty glass jars for attractive decorative accents. If the
container was clean and it’s kept dry and covered the beans could be cooked
later. Or dried beans can be placed in shallow
containers to hold the stems of dry flowers.
Dried beans have also been
turned into jewelry and used to make colorful artistic collages. Children often enjoy playing with a jar of
colorful dried beans- gluing them on paper to make pictures or on jars or boxes
for gifts. Just make sure they don’t stick them up their nose!
Making Raisins
Raisins are simply dried
grapes, but there is a trick to making good raisins. Turning grapes into raisins is a great way to
preserve grapes, other than making jelly or wine. Raisins are a nutritious healthy snack,
especially if you make your own. This recipe
is adapted from my book –Knacks Canning,
Preserving & Pickling.
Here’s what you need;
• 6 pounds grapes, any color, seedless are best, fully ripe and
sweet
• 1½ cups water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup mild, light honey
• Food dehydrator
• Storage bags or jars to hold about 3 cups of raisins
Directions: Wash grapes. If the grapes
have seeds, cut in half and remove seeds.
Bring water to boil and stir
in sugar to dissolve. Cool to barely warm, add honey, and stir well.
Soak grapes in honey mix for
5 minutes. Drain. Arrange grapes on dehydrator trays.
Follow dehydrator directions
for drying. Expect 15-20 hours drying time. Store dried grapes in tightly
sealed containers.
About The Honey Dip
Choose honey that is light
colored and mild flavored for this dip. It must be real honey- the bottle
should say pure honey and it should not contain corn syrup. Pasteurized honey
can work but raw honey is better. Make
sure the sugar water is cool before adding honey.
All honey could be substituted
for sugar but the raisins will have a strong honey flavor.
This recipe makes about 2
cups of honey dip. You may need to double the amount to cover all the grapes.
Let the excess honey dip drip
off the grapes before arranging them on dehydrator trays.
An alternative to the honey dip- lower calorie
Some people don’t like honey;
others may wish to reduce the calories of the raisins a bit. So here’s another treatment for grapes before
turning them into raisins.
Bring water to a boil. Dip
the grapes in a colander into the boiling water for 30 seconds, and then
quickly plunge into ice water. Drain. Add 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid (canning
supplies), or 6 crushed, plain, 500 mg. Vitamin C tablets to each two cups of water; stir to
dissolve. You need enough to cover the grapes. Soak grapes for 5 minutes, then
drain and begin drying process.
Storing Your Raisins
Make sure raisins are
perfectly dry before storing. Package the raisins in small quantities. If some
mold, only that package will need to be discarded.
Use glass or food grade plastic
containers with tight lids for storage. Recycled food containers are fine if
they are washed with hot water and soap and dried.
Raisins may also be packaged
with a vacuum type food bags. Store all
containers out of direct sunlight.
Uses for dried sweet woodruff
 |
| Sweet woodruff |
Sweet woodruff is a plant
that grows well in shady areas as a groundcover. The flowers are used to flavor wine in the
spring. But sweet woodruff can also be
used to help keep moths off stored clothes and linens while leaving them with a
pleasant scent. Simply dry the foliage
of sweet woodruff for a few days and then place in in your drawers and closets
among the clothes.
If someone in your family
has smelly shoes or boots dry lots of sweet woodruff foliage and pack the
smelly shoes or boots with it for a few days.
You can powder the dried sweet woodruff foliage in a food processor and
use it as a foot or shoe powder also.
Uses for dried hops
Hop cones or flower heads
are most commonly used for beer making.
Some people don’t make beer even though they have a hop plant or two or they
have more hop cones then they need for beer.
There are other uses for those hop cones though.
Hops (Humulus lupulus),are
closely related to marihuana and they also produce aromatic oils in their buds
and to some extent their foliage. While
hops won’t get you high the hop cones will make you sleepy if you sniff them
because the aromatic oils contain a mild sedative. Hop pillows are made for those who have
trouble sleeping and they are also said to produce pleasant dreams.
To make a hop sleep aid you
can simply enclose hop cones in a small cheesecloth or thin cotton bag and
sleep with the bag close to your nose.
Or you can make a more elaborate pillow using hop cones and other herbs
like lavender packed with cotton, goose down, spun fibers or shredded foam to
make a pillow you actually sleep on. Be
aware that these pillows will lose their potency over time and can’t be
washed. That’s why the packets seem more
practical. Make several, store the
unused ones in a closed jar and replace the packet on the bed every few weeks.
Dried hops also have
medicinal uses. Made into a tea with
other herbs or sugar to disguise the bitter taste hop tea can be used for
indigestion. Hop tea has antiseptic properties and can also be used for bladder
infections and as a skin wash for wounds.
The tea is also used as a sedative and to calm the nerves. Sometimes hop cones are steeped in warm wine
or sherry for the calming and sedative effects also.
Dried cleavers seeds
Clevers (Galium aparine)- are
a common weed found nearly everywhere.
They are also called bedstraw, or goose grass. The plants are sprawling,
floppy things. The stems of cleavers are
have tiny prickles and are square. The leaves are small and narrow and occur in
whorls around the stem.
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| Clever plant- en.wikipedia. |
 |
| Clevers seed pods. en.wikipedia.com |
Clever flowers are
inconspicuous greenish things. The tiny
round two compartment seeds that form have little bristles that cling to fur or
clothes much like a bur. If you like
natural foraging or want to be prepared for all emergency situations that come
up you might want to collect the tiny seeds of clevers when you find them.
Clevers is usually found in moist, partially shaded areas.
Clever seeds can be used as
a coffee substitute. The small seeds are
washed and rubbed to remove the sticky green pod and then the black hard seeds
are spread on a cookie sheet and toasted at 350 degrees F for about 30
minutes. The roasted seeds can then be
ground and brewed like coffee.
You can use any left over,
cooled cleavers coffee or brew up an especially strong batch as a deodorant. Simply soak a cotton ball in it and rub under
your arms. You can also use it to wash
smelly feet. Clevers coffee or tea is
also said to be good for skin problems like rashes and minor wounds and softens
the hands if soaked in it.
Growing
Diascia (Nope not dried)
Diascia, sometimes known as Twinspur, is a newcomer to
the bedding plant world. This beautiful flowering plant was virtually unheard
of a few years ago, but diascia has much to offer and is easy to grow. Diascia
is an excellent bedding, container or basket plant. It is also a good, low
growing bedding plant to use in rock gardens and spilling over retaining walls.
 |
| Diascia |
Diascia came to us from South Africa, where over 70
species exist. It is a close relative to the snapdragon. Recently plant
breeders began working with diascia, crossing several species to produce
wonderful varieties for your garden.
Diascia has small, slightly oval leaves of dark green.
Some varieties are upright and some produce trailing type plants. Modern
varieties range from about 6 inches to a foot high and can spread to 18 inches
wide.
Each tiny diascia flower is a marvel. They are small,
about a half-inch or so across, and come in a wide range of colors from pastel
apricots, corals, and plums, to magenta and wine red shades and the plants
bloom quite freely. There is one large petal on top. There is a petal on each
side; each has a projection to the back that looks like a hollow horn, or
spur-, which gives diascia the common name of Twinspur. And there is a larger
split petal on the bottom.
The bottom petal on the diascia flower has a small
depression, shiny and yellow in most colors, right under the diascia flower’s
sexual organs. It reminds one of an oval swimming pool set in the plush petal.
The spurs and the pool contain nectar glands to attract pollinators. The
diascia is self-infertile, and needs to have pollen from another plant to set
seed.
Diascia is actually a short-lived perennial, but is
often treated as an annual. The hardiness of the plants is yet to be fully
determined. In Michigan plants bloom outside until Thanksgiving in zone 5
gardens, through several light frosts. When a hard freeze threatens, bring them
into an unheated but above freezing place, where they go semi-dormant. They
revive in the spring, put on a flush of growth and go back to flowering. Or you
can simply let them perish like annuals.
Diascia seed is seldom offered for sale. If you do find
some, sow the seed 6-8 weeks before your last frost indoors. It needs light to
germinate so just press seeds lightly into sterile medium. Keep moist and
germination should take place in about 20 days. Most diascia is started from
cuttings and gardeners will find several types and many colors on sale in
nurseries now.
Diascia likes cool weather and blooms best in spring
and fall. Plant diascia outside after danger of frost is over, although hardy
in the fall spring plants have been in a greenhouse and haven’t adapted. Plants
grown in greenhouses and then set outside without a period of hardening off
will be killed by frost. They will bloom all summer if conditions are cool;
otherwise bloom may slow down or cease until cooler weather. In fall they will
bloom for a long time, adding color after most colorful flowers are gone.
Plant diascia in sun or partial shade. While diascia
will need some fertilization, especially in containers and baskets, use a light
hand, as too much fertilization will produce more foliage than flowers. Use a
low nitrogen fertilizer. Keep diascia moist, but don’t over water, as it
quickly succumbs to wet feet. Pinching or cutting the plants back if they get
lanky will encourage full plants and more bloom.
Some varieties of diascia
Several series are being marketed. Sunchimes, Flying Colors, Wink, and Whisper series all come in
several colors. Slightly older varieties include Hopley’s Apricot, Rubyfields, Little Charmer and Twinkler.
Why
not join a garden club? Lapeer Area Horticulture Society welcomes you
If you like gardening of any kind and like to talk to
other gardeners face to face why not join a garden club? The Lapeer Area Horticulture Society welcomes
new members from anywhere in Michigan.
They meet in the Lapeer area every third Monday at 6:30 pm in various
locations. At the meetings members
generally hear a short educational presentation, or participate in activities
like plant or seed swaps.
You’ll get a chance to network with gardeners of all
sorts and of all degrees of expertise. The
Lapeer Area Horticulture Society doesn’t require you to take classes or perform
volunteer work to join and dues are only $20.00 per year. All gardeners new or
experienced are invited to join. The
club has been in operation since 1982. If you are interested in becoming a
member please contact Julie Schroder 810-728-2269, or email julie.nascar@netzero.net
People can’t be dried to preserve
them- stay hydrated.
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.
Do you have plants or
seeds you would like to swap or share?
Post them here by emailing me.
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
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 nature 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
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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