April 26,
2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis
Hi Gardeners
I’m sitting here chilly but looking out at green grass and flowers. We got about 8/10s of an inch of rain last
night as storms passed over. Once again Tuesday is weather change day. I spent yesterday doing some transplanting and
weeding but today I’m staying inside writing.
Spring is progressing nicely, early tulips are in bloom here, anemones,
hyacinths, Spanish bluebells, daffodils, pansies, the apricot, the honeybells,
and I can see color on the lilacs, redbuds and apple buds. Once our weather warms up a bit again lots of
things will burst into bloom and leaf. I even saw small buds on the
strawberries I weeded this weekend.
I was cleaning weeds out of the vegetable beds to prepare them for
planting and came upon a patch of strawberries where I had tomatoes last
year. My strawberry bed is about 100
feet away across the lawn so they didn’t spread from there. I am guessing they came up from seed either
from birds or where I spilled some of a harvest last year. There were 16 plants there though, of pretty
good size. I had just transplanted a
bunch of strawberries that came up in the aisle near the main strawberry bed
and I knew that bed was full. So I
planted some of the volunteers in a bed in the back of the veggie garden and I
potted some up to donate to the Lapeer hort club plant sale May 7th. So
if you stop by you may be able to buy some mystery strawberries.
I potted up all my cannas, dahlias, and glads last week because they are
starting to sprout. It looks like
everything survived winter pretty well.
My tuberous begonias I leave in the pots they grew in over the winter
and store them inside. I began watering the pots again about a month ago. They are all coming along nicely. I am constantly shifting things around to
make room in the windowsills.
I am longing to go back to the greenhouses and purchase plants but experience
has taught me it’s too early. Let the
greenhouse care for them a bit longer. I
have my little unheated greenhouse pretty full of seedlings, cuttings and
divisions and I have some plants on order yet to arrive so I need to be patient. But it’s almost May, the planting month.
I thought I heard orioles last week so I have my jelly feeder out but I
haven’t seen either orioles or hummingbirds yet. Saw a hummer May 3 last year. I have seen birds picking up dog hair in the yard
so I know some of them are building nests.
Those wild
spring greens
Back several generations ago people were running out of stored food as
spring approached and the gardens hadn’t started to produce yet. They hadn’t
had fresh food in months and out of season foods weren’t sold in local stores.
They may have been a little anemic and short on Vitamin C. They scoured the fields and yards for anything
edible not because they liked the taste of it, but because they needed it. It’s hard to imagine people eating some of
the bitter, sour, tough, or bland plants they ate in spring just because they
liked the taste. But if you cook
something to a soft state and add butter or bacon grease and seasonings it can
taste better, especially if you are hungry.
If you are hungry you might even cook some plants in several changes of
water so that they are safe to eat. If you are really hungry you even eat some
of those plants raw, although salads weren’t on the menu of our early ancestors
that often. Even in the early 1900’s
people rarely ate salads.
As with many “sustenance” foods some people did develop a taste for
certain “greens” and wanted to eat them even when they didn’t need to. Nostalgia can make things taste better. For
some it seems close to a religious experience to eat certain plants. It’s also become kind of a status symbol to
say you eat weeds or forage for food. You are the mighty forager, the person somehow
saving the environment by eating weeds, the person eating what nature provides
because nature somehow knows what’s best for you, the survivor of all kinds of
imagined disasters because you know how to forage. And don’t forget it’s free!
The truth is “weeds” or “wild” plants are actually in the eye – or
traditions- of the beholder. One persons weed is another’s garden plant. Many “weeds” were brought here as garden plants
and escaped. You can grow garden plants
that are every bit as healthy as “wild” plants and even buy “greens” that are
healthy and taste just the same or better than weeds. And most people today
don’t need to eat weeds to survive another few weeks.
The incessant cry of “can you eat it?” when people observe or hear about
a new plant is annoying and alarming. A plant has value whether it’s edible or
medicinal or not. Foraged plants are not any healthier than garden grown plants,
and in some cases much less healthy. Eat common weeds if you want, but leave
rare and unusual plants alone. People foraging when they don’t need sustenance
and don’t know how to do it sustainably can disrupt the environment and
sometimes endanger species of plants. And just because you could eat it, and it’s
“free” and in front of you doesn’t mean you should eat it.
There are always people who use their mouths for exploring. This could
get you in serious trouble or kill you when it comes to eating plants so never
eat anything unless you absolutely know what it is and that it’s harmless. Even a small taste of some plants could make
you very, very sorry. Once you can
identify plants that are safe to eat you can decide whether it’s worth it to
eat them or if you should leave them alone.
Don’t pick or gather plants before you know if you are going to consume
them except for a small sample to use for identification. Then if you gather, use what you gather. Learn how to forage responsibly, so you don’t
destroy populations of plants.
I just read a post on line about a man who liked to eat trout lilies as
he hiked. He was hiking on public land.
He wasn’t lost and starving. If everyone did this there would be no wildflowers
for people to see after the first few moochers passed through. And the pollinators are denied their food and
possibly the plants are denied the ability to reproduce their population. If
you are starving, (not hungry because you forgot your trail mix), eat, if you
need medicine, use, but don’t do it just to do it. Use some common sense and consideration.
Please don’t forage for plants in the wild unless it’s on your own
property or somewhere you have permission to forage. Most state and federal lands have some
restrictions on foraging, in most places things like berries and mushrooms are
fine in personal use amounts but you can’t pick wildflowers or certain other
plants for eating. It’s not fair and generally not legal to collect plants (like
ramps) for resale or use in restaurants. Even on your own property you
shouldn’t pick and consume endangered plants and it could even be illegal.
Weeds (wild
plants) you can sensibly eat
There are weeds you can eat if you like the taste and if they are on your
property that won’t be a loss to the
environment and your consumption of them may even be admirable. Instead of pulling some unwanted plants from
the garden and lawn and discarding them you may want to eat them. If you can’t
plant garden greens or buy them at the farmers market it may make more sense to
eat weeds rather than greens shipped in from long distances.
Weeds aren’t always better for you than common garden plants and if you don’t
like the taste don’t feel guilty about not eating them. Most plants eaten as greens fall into one of
these groups, green tasting and bland, bitter, or sour. Many are
indistinguishable in taste if you can’t see them. Technically most would be
better for you if eaten fresh, but many of them need to be softened by cooking or
have their flavor disguised with seasonings to be edible. Never eat any weeds that have been treated
with pesticides and always wash before using.
Here are a few common weeds you can eat safely and without guilt.
Dandelions are eaten in salads when very young and as cooked
greens when older. Flowers are turned
into wine and there are many purported medicinal uses. If you are new to foraging and munching weeds
this is probably one to start with as most people can id it. Dandelions are in
the bitter category. It’s so numerous you won’t cause a decline no matter how
much you eat but you may be depriving pollinators of an early food source if
you consume flowers.
 |
| Garlic mustard. wikimedia commons |
Garlic mustard, (Alliaria petiolate)
is one of those hated “invasive” plants that was actually brought here
because in some places it’s a garden plant and someone was nostalgic for
it. It’s eaten fresh and used as a
seasoning and supposedly has a garlicy, sour taste. It’s one of the oldest
seasoning plants known. Eat as much as
you want because it really hasn’t established its place in the North American
ecology yet and its loss won’t be missed.
Chickweed, (Stellaria media) is eaten as a fresh
salad green. It’s bland, soft, and tastes “green” but if you feel you need
something green go for it. It will
probably give you a bit of Vitamin C.
There are several types of chickweed but common chickweed doesn’t have
hairy stems and leaves and may make the better edible.
 |
| Chickweed |
Purslane-(Portulaca oleracea) has fleshy
plump leaves on sprawling stems and is a common spring weed. It could be eaten fresh or cooked and falls
into the bland and green tasting category.
Eat it when it’s young and more tender.
 |
| Purslane |
Yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)
looks like a clover in leaf and has a small yellow flower. You can eat the leaves and flowers in salads
or cook it. It supposedly has a sour
taste. It’s often called pickleplant. (Some people describe sour as tangy.) It’s
common in lawns and along roads.
 |
| Wood sorrel |
Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum
cuspidatum,) is another plant people will praise you for eating as
it’s a much hated “invasive.” The young
shoots are eaten, generally steamed or boiled.
It’s in the bland and green category.
 |
| Japanese knotweed |
Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)
also called goosefoot, comes up everywhere in gardens and waste
places. When young it is boiled and
eaten like spinach and is mildly bitter like spinach.
 |
| Lambsquarters |
Broadleaf plantain, (Plantago major)
a very common lawn weed, is eaten by cooking the new, young leaves. It’s
in the spinach tasting category. If it
gets very big it’s too tough and fibrous to be good. Other types of plantain are safe to eat but
said to be too tough and fibrous.
 |
| Broadleaf plantain |
There are lots of other weeds that people consider to be edible. Some weeds considered edible but that have
some big drawbacks are pokeweed and stinging nettles. While pokeweed is sung
about and revered in some circles it’s a plant that requires several changes of
water during its cooking to make it safe to eat. If you like plants that could kill you and at
the least are a strong laxative, then go ahead and eat it. Stinging nettles lose their sting when cooked
but can really make you sorry when you gather them to cook. The flavor is
unremarkable and there are so many easier plants to deal with that I can’t
imagine why people bother.
Five best
annual flowers to grow from seed
Annual flowers live for one year.
Many modern gardeners don’t want to bother with the ones that generally
are started from seed, but instead buy things like petunias to fill in spots in
the garden that need color. You can buy
some of the annual flowers on this list in garden stores in the spring too, but
these plants are easy to start from seed and provide an economical way to fill
up those bare garden areas. All of these
plants in the list can be sown directly in the garden where you want them to
grow. They grow quickly and will bloom
in only a few weeks. All of these plants
prefer full sun locations.
Calendula
This lovely flower will get you started in the spring as it can be sown
outside very early and likes to bloom when things are still cool. If you are lucky you’ll also get an encore
performance in the fall.
 |
| calendula |
Calendula comes in shades of yellow, orange, and sometimes pink. The flowers are daisy-like. Plants grow about 18 inches tall, with a
sprawling habit. Calendula flowers are
edible and were once used to color butter as the petals lend a yellow dye to
food products. Cheerful and pretty they are liked by bees and butterflies also.
You can plant the seeds of calendula where they are to grow as soon as
the soil is thawed and workable. Or you
can start the seeds inside about 8 weeks before your average last frost and put
the plants out when the soil is thawed and workable, and only light frosts are
predicted – about a month from your predicted last frost chance.
Calendula may go dormant and stop blooming if the weather gets hot and
dry. You can either remove the plants to
make way for summer bloomers or let them sulk until fall when they will spring
back and keep blooming until a hard freeze.
Cleome
Cleome is often called spider flower.
This tall and graceful flower looks good in masses at the back of flower
beds. It lends an airy elegance to large
pots also. The foliage is attactive and
the flowers are arranged in circular clusters.
Each flower has a long slender tendril which accounts for the spider
name. Cleome comes in white, lavender,
purple and pink shades.
Sow cleome seeds where they are to grow after the soil has warmed – about
2 weeks before your last predicted frost. Or start plants inside 4-6 weeks
before the last frost. Cleome shoots up
quickly and in good soil can get 4 feet high or more. The plants begin blooming about 6 weeks
after they sprout and will bloom continuously until frost. One thing about cleome that puts some people
off is the smell of the foliage, which many describe as cat pee smell. It’s only notable if you brush or crush the
foliage and you won’t smell it if you are just admiring the tall, beautiful
flowers.
 |
| Cleome |
Cleome plants are prolific seeders and from one planting of cleome you
may have plants for many years, without having to plant them again! If you don’t want them to re-seed themselves
you can cut the narrow seed pods off as they form. Don’t cut the bloom stalk as the plant keeps
getting taller and putting out more flowers at the top.
Cosmos
 |
| Cosmos |
Cosmos is a versatile and lovely garden flower and makes a great cut
flower too. The foliage of the 3-4 feet
tall plants is light and ferny looking.
The flowers are daisy-like and come in just about any color from white
to scarlet except true blue. There are varieties with double flowers and
flowers that have rolled, quill style petals.
Cosmos looks good in the back of the border and coming up through other
tall flowers. In good soil the plants
can be a little floppy and benefit from stakes or being supported by other
plants.
Cosmos is sown where it is to grow when the soil is warm, about 2 weeks
before your last predicted frost. Or
like the other flowers mentioned you can start it inside about 6 weeks before
the last frost. They will start blooming
about 6 weeks after sprouting and bloom until a hard frost. Cosmos will
sometimes come back from seed in the area you planted it also.
Marigolds
Marigolds are common at garden centers in the spring but this plant is so
easy to grow from seed it’s often used as a children’s garden project. If you
want lots of marigolds the economical way to grow them is from seed. By
choosing seed you can often grow varieties you won’t find as plants in
stores. Plant the seeds where you want
them to grow around the time of your last predicted frost or inside 6 weeks
earlier. The small varieties may be in
bloom only a month after planting and the larger varieties take 6-8 weeks. Marigolds bloom all summer until a hard
frost.
There are tall, short and intermediate varieties of marigolds. There are double and single flowered
varieties and small one inch flowers and huge fluffy 6 inch flowers. Marigolds come in shades of yellow, orange and
red. There are some marigolds now that
are a very pale yellow that looks white.
Marigolds are used as short border edging plants, in containers, and as
tall garden plants for color. It’s very
common to plant marigolds among garden vegetables for a bit of color, to
attract pollinators and some people believe the marigolds deter harmful
insects, although there’s little proof of that. The roots of some of the
“African” type marigolds are said to repel nematodes, little soil creatures
that harm plant roots.
 |
| Marigolds |
Like cleome, marigold foliage also has a scent that some people find
unpleasant, but once again it needs to be brushed against or broken to
smell. Some people actually like the
smell of marigolds. There are varieties
of marigolds that have been developed to be almost scentless.
Zinnias
Every respectable gardener used to plant zinnias in the garden for garden
color and to use as cut flowers. They
were often exhibited at state fairs. Now
gardeners seem to have forgotten these beauties. Zinnias do have the unfortunate predilection
for getting powdery mildew, a white powdery fungal disease of the foliage that
makes the plants look bad. However many
powdery mildew resistance varieties now exist.
When not crowded and grown in sunny, drier areas with good air
circulation zinnias will bloom their heads off for you and make a wonderful
garden plant.
 |
| Zinnias |
Zinnias have daisy-like flowers and come in all colors and color mixtures
except true blue. There are small flowered plants, and plants with 6 inch or
larger blooms. There are short,
sprawling type zinnias, compact uprights and tall stately zinnias. Plant zinnias where you want them to grow
after the last frost or 6-8 weeks before the last frost inside. Small flowered
zinnias begin blooming in about 6 weeks, larger ones start in mid-summer and
bloom until frost. Keep the dead flowers
picked off zinnias to encourage prolific blooming.
All of the above annual plants need to be spaced about 6-8 inches apart
for small varieties and 8 -12 inches apart for larger plants. They should be
watered if it’s dry for a week or so.
And they benefit from a good flowering formula, slow release fertilizer
worked into the soil at planting time. Annual
flowers are great for kids to grow as they bloom quickly and for long periods
of time. Your garden will look great
this summer if you mix some of these popular annuals into it.
Toads in the
garden
If you are of a certain age you’ll probably remember when after a rain
toads covered the lawn, sidewalks and roads in the spring and summer, hopping
everywhere. Toads were once numerous and
common but sadly they have decreased vastly in number and are no longer
common. In some areas they are still
around in small numbers but in others toads are rarely seen.
The US Geological survey reported that amphibians are declining in the US
at the rate of 3.7 percent each year.
That’s an average, some species are declining much faster and in some
areas the decline of all species of frogs, toads and salamanders is much more
than that. Almost unnoticed frogs and
toads are slipping away. At the rate of
decline we have now frogs and toads will be extremely rare in 20 years.
The reason frogs and toads are declining is complicated. Habitat loss is one factor, but even in
protected and pretty pristine environments the numbers of frogs and toads are
slipping. Water contamination is another
factor, some studies have indicated that it’s not only pesticides that wash off
lawns and farm fields into the water shed but contamination of water by
medications humans use and secrete in their urine, such as hormones and
antibiotics that affect them. Frogs and toads spend the early part of their
lives as tadpoles in water and need access to water throughout their lives.
 |
| Common toad |
Climate change is another factor.
There have been droughts in many areas and when there is no water in the
spring frogs and toads can’t reproduce.
They die for lack of water later in the season also. Warm winter spells induce frogs and toads to
lay eggs only to have cold snaps freeze the tadpoles, or even kill them. The seasonal cycles of insects have changed
and that also affects the animals who consume them.
The toad most often seen in the upper northeast is the American toad, Bufo americanus, although in some areas
the Common toad or Woodhouse toad, Bufo
woodhousei is still found. The
American toad ranges from 2-5 inches long as an adult. The color is variable from brown to tan-orange,
with darker spots. In the darker spots
are 1-2 raised spots or warts. It has bulging eyes, a raised line in an L shape
behind each eye called the cranial crest and two kidney shaped lumps behind the
eyes called paratoid glands.
The toads belly is a lighter gray-white color and the skin under the chin
can inflate in males as they sing for mates in the spring. The outer skin looks
and feels rough and is not slimy. Toads
do not have webbed toes. The Common toad
is darker than the American toad and has a distinct light colored line running
down the back. It usually has 3 or more
warts within each dark spot on its body.
Toads spend the winter buried in moist soil or under rocks and logs hibernating. When spring arrives they emerge and look for
a body of water to congregate by and mate. Hundreds of toads may gather in a
good spot and they sometimes travel long distances to reach them. The males sing to attract females and the
couple mates in shallow water. The
female releases a string of eggs as they mate which are fertilized by the
male.
In a few days the eggs hatch into tadpoles which eat vegetation such as
algae as they grow. The tadpoles slowly lose their tails, gain legs and
eventually crawl out of the pond as teeny, tiny toads which then disperse
through the area. The adult parents have long gone back to dry land where each
lives a solitary life outside of breeding season. Toads can live many, many years
and like to remain in the same general area if it can support them. A large fat toad is generally 5 years or so
old.
Toads don’t need as much water as frogs and are often far from water as
adults. They do appreciate shallow
puddles and plant sprinklers when the weather is hot. Most of the day they rest out of the sun,
although they can be seen hunting in the day in cooler cloudy weather. They are most active at night, they eat slugs
and snails and a wide variety of insects in the garden. After a rain they come
out to look for earthworms and other things washed up by the rain. Toads have been seen eating soft, ripe fruit
on the ground and also moist pet food in dishes left outside.
The toad catches insects by quickly unfurling its long tongue, grabbing
the insect and rolling the tongue back into its mouth. They also stalk their prey, slowly moving up
on it and grabbing it. A few toads in
the garden can do a great deal to keep pests down. A toad generally moves by hopping but it can
also move in a slow, awkward “walking” motion, especially when stalking
something.
Toads have glands which secrete a very nasty tasting fluid if a predator
grabs them. This comes from those “warts”
and the parotoid glands behind the eyes. This fluid is toxic and animals like
dogs will get very sick if they try to eat a toad. Usually one experience with a toad will keep
them from trying again. Toads will also
pee on someone if they feel threatened and are picked up. Neither the gland
fluid or the pee will cause warts on humans however, that’s an old wives tale.
Toads are great helpers to the gardener and should always be protected. Teach
children to respect them. A toad makes a
good pet although children should not be encouraged to keep them anymore because
they are scarce. A toad can seem to recognize certain people and some enjoy a
light scratching or tickling along their sides once they get familiar with you.
They will close their eyes and lean towards your finger in bliss. Toads have
been taught to take food from people’s hands also.
Encourage toads to take up residence in your garden. Build toad
houses. A half buried clay pot, small
piles of loose rock to form caves, even plastic margarine tubs half buried in
loose soil or leaf litter can provide a home for a toad. Kids love to construct toad houses. Leave a shallow dish of water out when you
know toads are around. Watch for toads when mowing and weed whacking. Allow a
few spots at the lawn and garden edges to grow a bit longer and wilder to attract
insects and provide a shady hunting ground.
If you dig up a toad by accident when it’s hibernating quickly re-bury
it.
As a gardener you should try to do your part to save the toads. As a
garden helper they are invaluable.
Growing
cabbage
Do you grow cabbage? It’s an easy
crop to grow but fewer gardeners are growing cabbage lately. If you enjoy coleslaw, sauerkraut, cabbage
soup, or stuffed cabbage you can grow your own.
Cabbage stores fairly well and our ancestors often stored it through
much of the winter. It was often the
only source of winter greens. Cabbage can provide a lot of food from a small
space and there are varieties that can even be grown in containers.
Cabbage grows best in the cool times of the year and late spring and
early fall are ideal times to grow cabbage.
Chinese cabbage actually does better in the fall. Regular cabbage will withstand light frost
but oriental varieties should be protected from frost. You can start cabbage
early in the spring and harvest it before warm weather plants need more space,
effectively double cropping an area.
Cabbage care
 |
| Young cabbage |
Cabbage needs 5 or more hours of sunlight each day. It’s not fussy about soil, although like most
plants it likes loose, loamy fertile soil. Plant your cabbage in a different
spot in the garden each year. You can start cabbage from seeds inside about 8
weeks before your last frost is predicted or direct sow seeds in the ground
about a month before the last frost. Cabbage can be planted in the ground when
light frosts may still happen although a hard freeze may kill it.
Cabbage either needs to be grown and harvested before the summer heat or
after it. It comes in early, medium and
late maturing varieties. Early and
midseason varieties are generally harvested before the hottest part of
summer. Late season maturing plants
planted in the spring will sit and grow slowly until late summer when they will
then rapidly resume growing. You can also plant a second crop of early maturing
cabbage in mid-summer and it will be ready to harvest in the fall. All cabbage
should be harvested before a freeze.
Cabbage seed starts easily but many gardeners prefer to buy started
plants. Your choice of varieties will be
smaller this way but if you only have room for a few plants it’s an easy way to
go. If you start from seed, add about a month to the length of time to maturity
listed on the package. If you have a small family and don’t make kraut or can
cabbage look for varieties with small heads so you don’t have too much cabbage
at a time. Stagger your planting dates
and choose early, mid and late developers to spread your crop out over a longer
time.
Cabbage likes even, consistent watering.
A general garden fertilizer can be used at planting time. Space small
varieties a foot apart, mid- sized heads 18 inches apart and large headed varieties
2 feet or more apart. Remember early
maturing cabbage can be planted in the same area as something like tomatoes,
which won’t be very large before the cabbage is harvested. Or you can plant early maturing cabbage after
a crop like green beans has been harvested and have it mature before a hard
freeze.
Cabbage doesn’t have many pests, but one pest is the cause of many
peoples dislike of growing their own cabbage and that’s the cabbage worm. Those pretty white butterflies that fly
around in spring and summer lay eggs on cabbage that develop into green caterpillars
that chomp away at the cabbage head and are disgusting to remove before using
the cabbage.
Cabbage worms are fairly easy to prevent.
The exclusion method is safe and doesn’t involve pesticides. When you plant your cabbage into the garden
simply enclose it in netting so that butterflies can’t lay their eggs on the
plants. Small, cheap butterfly nets can
be used; handles removed, and placed over the plants or buy some netting in a
craft store in a light color, cut it into squares, drape it over the plants and
loosely tie around the stem. The lightest weight of woven fabric row cover can
also be used on the plants. Make sure the cabbage heads have room to grow.
Harvesting
Harvest your cabbage when the heads are firm and of mature size but
before they begin to split, which they will do if left too long. Split heads should be used first as they don’t
store well. If more than one head must be harvested and you can’t use it immediately,
pull the whole stem and hang the plants upside down in a cool, dark area, like
an old fashioned root cellar. Or you can
cut the head, clean off some of outer leaves and wrap it tightly in plastic
wrap, then refrigerate. Cabbage can be
canned or fermented but doesn’t freeze well.
A trick to slow splitting and delay harvest is to give a mature cabbage a
half turn in the ground, breaking some roots. This disrupts water uptake and is
helpful in wet weather when cabbage is maturing rapidly.
Some cabbage
varieties
If you enjoy cabbage but don’t have a lot of garden space, don’t
despair. There are several varieties of
cabbage that can grow in container or fit in among other plants. These
varieties are all small and mature quickly.
Each head will make 1-4 servings of cabbage, depending on the size it is
harvested and how well you like cabbage.
‘Alcosa’ is a savoy cabbage,
meaning it has crinkly leaves. It is
green and makes about a 2 lb. head in around 62 days. ‘Gonzales’
is a green cabbage that makes a 2 lb. head in 60 days. ‘Primero’
is a red cabbage that makes a 1-2 lb. head in 72 days. ‘Parel’
is a deep blue green cabbage that makes about a 2 lb. head in only 50
days. ‘Red Express’ will also grow quickly, making a red, 2 lb. head in
about 55 days. ‘Earliana’ is a fast maturing green cabbage, making a 2 lb. head in
57 days. A 2 lb. head is just a bit
larger than a softball.
Early maturing cabbages are generally smaller than later varieties. Slightly
larger at 3-4 pounds, but an extremely flavorful, gourmet, Italian heirloom
variety is the pointed head, green cabbage ‘Cour
Di Bul’. ‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ and
‘Golden Acres’ are also medium sized, early maturing heads.
If you prefer Oriental types of cabbage ‘Soloist’ is a pointed Chinese cabbage that makes a compact 1-1/2 lb.
head in only 50 days. It is best grown
in the fall. Toy Choi, Ching Chaing
and Bonsai are miniature forms of pak
choi cabbage that will make single servings of greens in 30-40 days. Several plants can grow in a 2 gallon pot.
Good medium and larger late varieties of cabbage include: ‘Excalibur’, ‘Danish Ballhead’, ‘Perfection
Savoy’ (crinkled leaves), ‘Stonehead’,
‘Ruby Perfection’ (red) and ‘Deadon’
(red savoy).
If you enjoy cabbage you’ll enjoy growing it in your garden. Why not plant some this year?
Remember these April
showers are supposed to bring May flowers.
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. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Invitation
If you are a gardener
in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural
Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various
places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow
gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are
welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a
meeting for free. Contact
susanmklaffer@yahoo.com Phone
810-664-8912
Lapeer Area Horticulture Society,
Plant and Garden Sale, May
7, 2016- 8 am - 4 pm at Siciliano's, 1900 North Lapeer Road, Lapeer. A variety of plants and garden items from LHS
members will be for sale. Please stop
and shop.
6th Annual Plant & Flower Sale Fri, May 6, 9 am-5 pm, Culver's, 4963
Interpark Drive North, Lake Orion, Michigan.
Habitat for Humanity-
Oakland County sponsors and benefits from the sale at Culver's. Annuals, perennials, vegetables,
herbs, trees, hanging baskets & more. For more info call 248-338-1843, ext. 303.
Plant Sale Sat, May 7, 10am-2pm, Hidden Lake
Gardens, 6214 Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Offering a wide
selection of plants, including annuals, perennials, hostas & companions,
herbs & more. For more info contact; www.hiddenlakegardens.msu.edu.
South Lyon Plant Exchange Sat, May 7, 9am-11am Witch's Hat
Museum Depot Pk. Area. 300 Dorothy St, South Lyon, MI
Come swap with other
gardeners. More info call 248-437-0154 Sponsored by the 4 Seasons Garden Club.
Project Grow Plant Sale Fri, May 6,through Sunday. Dawn Farm, 6633 Stony Creek in Ann Arbor.
By Project Grow at
Dawn Farm. Wide selection of heirloom tomatoes, basil, sweet & hot peppers.
Advance orders: www.ProjectGrowGardens.org.
44th Annual Spring Plant Sale Tue,
May 10, 10am-7pm, and 10am-2pm,
Wed. May 11, Cranbrook House and
Gardens, 380 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Herbs, tropicals,
perennials, native plants/wildflowers & more. For more information www.housegardens.cranbrook.edu.
New-Kitchen Favorites
Herb Sale Sat, Sun., May 14,-15, 10am-4:30pm, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor.
Herbs, containers
& heirlooms. Herb study group on hand to answer questions. More
information- www.mbgna.umich.edu.
New- Harnessing Mother
Nature’s Workforce—Beneficial Insects Fri, May 20, 9:15 am, Meadow Brook
Hall, 480 S Adams Rd, Rochester, MI
Learn to recognize
& maximize Mother Nature’s natural pest control. Sponsored by MBGC at
Meadow Brook Hall. Cost $5. For more info call 248‑364‑6210, or MBHGCMembers@gmail.com.
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area. This link
has a lot of events listed on it.
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch.
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 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
