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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

June 14, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

June 14, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter    © Kim Willis


Hi Gardeners
Mock orange flowers

Remember when I was complaining about too much rain?  Well now I am complaining there’s been too little.  Where I am the ground is dry and powdery.  The grass is starting to dry.  There is a pretty good chance of rain tomorrow, especially tomorrow night, although it could be accompanied by hail and severe storms.  I have already had hail damage once this year.  There’s a slight chance of rain tonight too.

A walk around the garden this morning found the mock orange in full bloom and some Asiatic lilies beginning to bloom.  I have some new varieties of lilies this year I am anxious to see bloom.  The tall red shrub rose I have is starting to bloom.  I think it came from the rootstock of another rose that failed, but it’s pretty.  The multiflora “wild” rose is blooming too.  It may be on the invasive non-native list but it sure is pretty, smells good and the bees love it.  The hostas are huge this year and some of mine are already starting to bloom.  The canna in my water garden is also blooming.

I harvested a nice bowl of strawberries this week and will get another tonight I hope.  I am competing for them with all kinds of other things.  We also had two small early girl tomatoes this week and more are ripening.  I have a lot of small blueberries on one short little bush not ripe yet of course, and the grapes look like they are going to have a good crop this year.  Our cherries are ripening too, but the crop is sparse and I doubt the birds will leave me any.

I noticed a rose chafer beetle this morning.  Those buggers are out so be prepared. They eat a lot of things besides roses.   Some people have told me they are seeing damage from Japanese beetles already.  I am seeing Viceroy butterflies and little Copper butterflies but still no Monarchs.

This week the main topic of the newsletter may seem a little odd to readers.  It developed because I took my elderly mother to a funeral home this past week to pre-plan funerals for her and dad.  I was shocked by the cost involved, and my mother selected modestly priced things and already had burial plots purchased.  I was also a little perturbed by some of the things mom was told, like a vault was required because it might be necessary to move the coffin in some future event and it would collapse and decompose without a vault.   When I suggested that was what was supposed to happen to coffins, the saleswoman and my mom both looked at me blankly.

Anyway I decided to do some research on what is and isn’t required for a funeral and burial here in Michigan and start thinking about how I would like to be buried.  It was interesting and I decided to share that information.  Mom has chosen what she wants for her and dad and I respect her wishes.  But I have a different take on what kind of burial is appropriate for me in accordance to my philosophy on life.  Maybe what I learned could help you make some decisions or nudge you into your own research.

And for those who don’t want to think about burial enjoy the information below on strawberries.

A gardener’s guide to planning burial

Gardeners are probably more tuned into the cycle of life than people that don’t garden.  Gardeners know that every living thing returns to the soil after it ceases to live where it then decomposes and supports new life.  Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  So what do you, as a gardener, want to have done with your body when you die?   Do you want to have a modern funeral with embalming, tightly sealed casket and vault or a natural, simple alternative that returns your body quickly to nature’s cycle?   While most people don’t like thinking about their own death it’s important to make some decisions what you want done with your body after the inevitable happens.

Baby boomers and the generations that come after them are more likely to consider how their death and burial will affect the ecology and environment.  As the generations more attuned to considering the environment in relationship to themselves age, more and more people are choosing more natural burials.   The modern method of burying our dead has also become outrageously expensive.  More people would rather spend their money on doing things while they are living or don’t want to burden relatives with the high cost associated with modern traditional burial practices.  The funeral industry has picked up on this trend and it has actually become easier to find places to have “green” burials.  And about 40% of people now choose to be cremated rather than buried.

As a gardener you may be pleased to think that your body decomposing will help continue the cycle of life on earth.  You may want your remains to nourish microbes and feed plants.  Above you a mighty oak may grow or a sweetly scented rose.  The things you took from the land are rightfully returned to it.  You are one with the land again.  Being knowledgeable about burial practices will help you choose a peaceful, nourishing, righteous end to your brief span on earth.

Modern conventional funerals

In a modern, conventional funeral a body is moved to a funeral home soon after death and prepared for burial.  This will include embalming fluids, elaborate make up and posing strategies, a casket, now often made of metal or heavily varnished and treated wood and a vault. Vaults are cement or metal boxes that hold the coffin and that don’t break down over time.  They aren’t required by any state or federal law, but almost all cemeteries now do require them.   It will also require the purchase of a plot of land within a cemetery or in some areas a spot in a mausoleum.   A modestly priced modern funeral easily costs $10,000 today.

Vaults keep the ground from sinking in as a coffin collapses either because of natural decomposition or heavy machinery overhead.  It makes the maintenance of the cemetery grounds easier, although funeral planners will often sell it as “protection” for the remains.  In some places a grave liner is allowed.  This is a vault with no bottom.  This is slightly more environmentally friendly than a vault.   Vaults effectively keep decomposed remains and coffins from being returned to usefulness in the environment as do tightly sealed coffins made of various metals or now even plastics. 

And make no doubt about it, vaults and sealed coffins, even embalming fluid, do not keep the body from decomposing, if that is the goal.   Embalming fluid, which is composed of dangerous, toxic chemicals that pollute the soil when they leach into it, keeps the body preserved only for a short time.  In sealed coffins and vaults the body still decomposes because bacteria are always present, only it does so in a nasty, wet, and fast manner, without any benefit to soil microbes and animal and plant decomposers.  In natural, soil contact decomposition many things benefit from the body and coffin materials as they break down in a slow, natural manner.  Contact with the soil is the natural and desirable way for a body to decompose.

A conventional modern funeral is not environmentally friendly, can cause actual environmental damage, does not allow the natural processes of nature and is very expensive.  There are some things you may be able to negotiate that can reduce costs and may help the environmental impact.  Opt for a grave liner instead of a vault or no vault if you can find a cemetery that will allow that.  Use a decomposable coffin, by law you are allowed to build your own coffin or buy one from any merchant.  Choose coffins without metal handles or decorations.  Choose not to be embalmed; it is not legally required unless the body is to be transported after 48 hours from death.

Cremation

Cremation is the second most environmentally friendly method of dealing with death and probably the least expensive.  About 40% of people in Michigan chose cremation as the final disposition of a body.  The practice is common enough that most funeral homes can handle it and while pre-planning is always a good thing cremation can occur easily without it.  Cremation must take place in a licensed facility.  And Michigan is one of the few states that legally require that a licensed mortician (funeral director) be involved with every death. A hospital or morgue will release a body only to a licensed mortician. Death certificates are not issued without a mortician’s signature. This will cost you; costs vary but expect a minimum of $2,000.

Cremation uses a lot of oil based energy in the many hours at high temperatures required for cremation.  It also releases certain chemicals into the atmosphere, depending on the body that can include mercury and lead plus numerous other substances our bodies accumulate over time.  Cremation destroys most of the value a body has for replenishing soil nutrients.  But it conserves land, and resources needed for coffins and so on.  As far as expenses go, it depends on what services a person wants in addition to the cremation.  There is a fee for cremation.  That usually includes a cardboard or plastic container for the remains.  The cost of an urn or other container, if wanted, can be considerable or simple and inexpensive.  You can hold visitation in a rented coffin if wanted.  However, cremation generally costs about half of what a conventional funeral will cost.

When cremation is finished the remains do not look like ashes.  Instead they are unburned chunks of bone, teeth, tooth fillings and medical implants.  A magnet is used to remove any metal and then the remains are pulverized to a fine powder.  It is legal to scatter ashes on any private property, (with permission if it isn’t yours) and many public areas like parks also allow it.  Some require a permit.  You can dispose of ashes in the Great Lakes, as long as any container is bio-degradable if it’s thrown in with the ashes.  Ashes must be deposited 3 miles off shore on the ocean.  You cannot drop ashes from the air legally.

A new concept in many modern cemeteries is a scattering garden.  For a fee people are allowed to scatter ashes in a beautiful garden and rake them into the soil.   Most also have a monument where name plagues for those whose ashes were scattered can be added.  You may also buy one plot and bury several sets of ashes in it in many cemeteries.

Cremation ashes are not good for plants

You may think that cremation ashes will act as fertilizer and help plants grow, but this is not true.  Carbon, nitrogen, and all the usable nutrients for plant growth are burned away, disappearing into the atmosphere.  Cremation ashes are primarily tri-calcium phosphate with small amounts of other minerals and salts unique to each body. Every set of ashes is different depending on the person’s diet and occupation and exposure to heavy metals and chemicals.  The ashes are sterile and don’t transmit disease.  But they could harm plants if too much is applied in one spot.  That is why you should never dump cremation ashes in a hole and plant a tree on top of them.  But scattered around a garden and lightly raked into the soil the ashes will not harm anything.

There are companies out there that will take cremation ashes and mix them with other things into the proper ratio for plant growth and adjust the pH.  This requires some analysis of the ashes.  They then combine the mixed ashes with a tree, rose or other plant for you to plant as a package.  You will probably not have good results if you try and mix ashes with potting soil so the best way to return “dust to dust” is to widely scatter cremation ashes.


Green funerals

A “green” burial is the most environmentally responsible way of burial.  It is less expensive than a conventional funeral and can be less expensive than cremation if carefully planned.   In a green funeral bodies are not embalmed, except in some cases with natural herbal products.  Embalming is not a legal requirement unless bodies are moved on public transportation such as a plane or train.  Some places also have laws on how long a body can be stored before burial without embalming or refrigeration. If you are thinking about a green funeral and a body must be transported some distance for burial you must carefully research what the requirements will be, what permits are needed and how you will accomplish the transportation well before the need arises.

In a green funeral the body is buried in a decomposable shroud (cloth wrappings) or simple, untreated wood box, or a coffin made of other materials like wicker that readily decompose.  You can build your own coffin, or buy one from a place other than a funeral home.  Beautiful handcrafted shrouds are also available.

The green burial is done in a cemetery designated for green burials and no vaults or grave liners are used. Most of these cemeteries are kept as natural areas, no formal plantings and no headstones are allowed. (Some places allow a small marker.)   Some are mowed, most are not.  There the body will be naturally and peacefully returned to the earth and benefit many living things.  There are several of these cemeteries now in Michigan and across the United States.  Some are adjacent to conventional cemeteries.

Burying someone on private land is allowed in many places but there are regulations on how much property one must have and the distance the grave must be from other homes.  You won’t be able to bury someone in a suburban backyard.  In Michigan you must establish a family burial plot, which must be less than one acre in size.  It must be surveyed and recorded at the register of deeds as a family burial plot.  While this will cost you, the good news is that piece of land will not be taxed.  If you want to have a green burial on your own property you must research the regulations, and get any necessary permits and survey work done well before the need arises.

A green funeral is less expensive than conventional funerals but it does have costs.  Once again in Michigan you will need to hire the services of a licensed mortician.  A burial plot must be purchased or a survey paid for.  Coffins or shrouds are needed.  You may need to pay for transport from a morgue or hospital.  You can transport the body in your own vehicle if certain conditions are followed but many people will not be able to do that.  

You are free to clean and dress the body at home and to hold visitation at a place of your choosing.  But you may be required to use herbal embalming or refrigeration of the body if it will be held more than 48 hours before burial or if it will be transported somewhere for burial. The use of dry ice or refrigeration can temporarily preserve a body. Some funeral homes have refrigeration units for bodies because some religions forbid embalming also.  You may be able to store a body there for a short time or even hold visitation sessions there.  But you will pay for the services.

A green funeral must be planned in advance.  Not all morticians will handle green funerals; you must find someone who is sympathetic to your needs.  In green funerals time is of the essence, you must know where the burial will take place, have the coffin or shroud ready and every detail worked out in advance.  It cannot be stressed enough that pre-planning is needed if you intend to have a green burial.

If you are a person who considers yourself a humble part of a greater web of life you will want to consider green burial.  Imagine yourself being washed and anointed with sweet smelling herbs, then wrapped in a beautiful piece of cloth you have chosen.  Then you are lovingly lowered into the earth and a mound of flowers heaped on your grave by your loved ones.  There you will nourish the grass that waves above you and become one with the roots of the tree that shades you. Gone, but still part of life. 

A note about herbal embalming

The herbal or natural embalming that was referred to in the Gardeners Guide to Burial refers to products on the market that are proprietary and the ingredients, while guaranteed to be environmentally safe, are not totally disclosed.  They need to be used by professionals and flushed through the veins like regular formaldehyde based embalming fluids.

When one cares for the body at home it is usually washed well with soap and water and a mild bleach solution to kill most surface bacteria should be used on all body surfaces.  Herbs like oil of myrrh, aloe, cinnamon and cassia may be rubbed on the body to help prevent decay.  These herbs were also used in the Egyptian mummification process.  That process involved removing internal organs and the brain and took about 4 months.  Herbs and washing will only preserve the body for a few days at the most and green burials should be carried out quickly.

Some green cemeteries in Michigan
Ridgeview Memorial Gardens,5151 8th Avenue SW, Grandville, 616/249-8439 http://ridgeviewmemorialgardens.com
Peninsula Township Cemetery, Traverse City,  231/223-7321, www.peninsulatownship.com
Mount Carmel Cemetery, Ninth Street and Ford Ave. ,Wyandotte 734/285-1722
The Preserve at All Saints Cemetery,4401 Nelsey Road, Waterford, 800/989-9633 www.michigannaturalburial.com  This also has a scattering garden.
Marble Park Cemetery, 520 W. Main St., Milan 734/439-5660 www.marbleparkcemetery.com
Eagle Harbor Cemetery, Eagle Harbor Township Office, 321 Centre Street, Eagle Harbor 906/289-4407
Hebrew Memorial Gardens Nature Preserve Cemetery, Roseville
Upland Hills Farm - Addison Township is in the process of creating a green cemetery.

More about family cemeteries

As a child I remember playing in the backyard of my great grandmother’s small urban yard under the lilacs along the back fence.  I found a small stone marker with a baby’s name, birth and death dates on it.  I ran inside to excitedly tell my great grandmother about my find.  She explained to me that it was a baby that my grandmother had which died at 3 months of age. The baby died of natural causes; it had spinal bifida I believe.  My grandmother was living in a rented home at the time, it was during the depression and they had no money and so the baby was buried in her mother-in- laws back yard.  My grandfather etched the stone on the grave himself.  I am sure that the authorities didn’t know about this burial but I am sure that similar burials took place in many places at many times.

I had a strong desire to dig the little grave up- yes I was a curious child.  But I think my great grandmother may have anticipated this and warned me sternly about staying away from the grave.  Later as an adult I went to the home of a lady who requested my assistance for a horticultural issue and there I saw only a few feet from the back door a large, tall tombstone that looked quite old nestled in a garden.  At first I thought it was some sort of odd garden decoration but the lady of the house explained to me that it was an actual tombstone and the woman whose name was inscribed on it was buried there in the late 1800’s.

The current owner had purchased the old farmhouse as a fixer upper many years earlier.  When cleaning up the property they found the tombstone laying on the ground buried in weeds.  They did some research and found that indeed, the person had lived in the home at one point and was buried there.   It had once been a bit farther from the house, but the house had a large addition put on that brought it closer to the old grave.  The current owner thoughtfully and respectfully cleaned up the tombstone and kept a garden around it.  They believed other family members were buried nearby, but the graves couldn’t be located.

Family burial grounds are not uncommon and even today some people still develop family burial grounds.  In a family burial ground you have control over what is done to and around the graves and who is buried there.  Many family cemeteries are located close to living relatives who visit and care for the graves.  It can save you money on a burial plot in a public cemetery but there are many things to consider before developing your own cemetery.

While Michigan law allows private family cemeteries of less than 1 acre, it also allows each municipality to develop ordinances concerning them.   In rural areas it is the township that sets the zoning and regulations involving family burial grounds.  No cities or incorporated villages allow family cemeteries.   If you are considering a family cemetery you must first inquire with your township as to what the zoning and regulations are for cemeteries.  Some townships will have zoning restrictions against family cemeteries.

If you meet the zoning regulations and can comply with other restrictions such as the distance from a well or dwellings that are required by your township you can proceed with planning a family cemetery.  You will need to hire a surveyor who will measure and map the planned cemetery.  You will then have a deed drawn up and recorded at the county register of deeds.  Once the deed is recorded that piece of land cannot be used for any other purpose and it will become tax exempt.  It cannot be forfeited for a tax sale on the rest of the property nor can it be seized to pay debts.

You need to think carefully about establishing a family cemetery.  Is it likely that the property adjacent to the cemetery will remain in family hands for a long period of time?  If you are considering selling the property when you retire or believe your heirs will sell it after you die there is little sense in establishing the cemetery.  It’s horrifying to think that a cemetery that’s sold with other property may be used as a dirt bike track in the future.

The property will not be allowed to be farmed, have a wind turbine on it, or have a house or barn on it or used for anything other than burial.  It may affect your ability to sell the property connected to it.   The cemetery can be sold, but few buyers will probably be found.  It can be sold with adjacent property or separately.  If the rest of the property adjacent to the cemetery is abandoned, or lost to tax sale and the cemetery is not maintained and seems abandoned, the township, after notifying any interested parties of their intention, may claim the cemetery and do with it what it wills.  If no burials have taken place on the property the cemetery designation may be removed by another survey and filing a revised deed.

Things like who will maintain the cemetery after the founder’s death need to be planned for.   Who will inherit the cemetery if the other land is split among heirs?   When considering the site for a cemetery make sure it has road access or that an access road is constructed and included in the cemetery deed.  A land locked cemetery has little value if the surrounding property is owned by someone else, who could restrict access to it.  The cemetery should be constructed on high, dry land that doesn’t flood.  Heavily wooded sites may be pretty, but they will restrict burials.  The cemetery should be fenced and posted against trespassing to limit malicious destruction or damage from livestock.

If you have a suitable site and zoning allows it a family cemetery could be a lovely option for your family.  It saves money and allows people much flexibility as to how they want to be buried and the grounds maintained.    Some regulations on burial must still be followed and in Michigan a licensed mortician will need to be present at burial to record the final disposition of the body.

An alternative to a family cemetery would be a family scattering garden, where ashes from cremation or cremation urns could be buried.   This can be done on any private property, without worrying about zoning. You could use the garden on your city lot, but read about the effect of ashes on plants in an article above.  You will not get a tax break though unless the land also meets the requirements for a family cemetery and is recorded as such.   Ashes or urns do not need to have a mortician present when scattered or buried.

For some people a family cemetery is about keeping their loved ones final resting place close and lovingly cared for.  For others it’s about frugality and independence or a desire to be at one with the land you love.  Whatever the reason  a family cemetery can be a wonderful option to a public one.

Flowers for a funeral

Except for Orthodox Jewish, Eastern and Greek Orthodox families, flowers will usually be found at funerals and gravesites.  The practice of surrounding a body with flowers is ancient, and was probably once done to improve the smell of a room filled with unwashed people and a dead body.  But flowers can lift the spirits of those in mourning and provide relief from the starkness of death.  Many people let a florist choose what to use in an arrangement but if you are pre-planning your funeral or that of a loved one why not have what you want?

People often say the smell of lilies reminds them of funerals and they are one of the most ancient and still most used flowers for funerals.  It may be because of that strong scent.  Chrysanthemums are also a symbol of funerals in many European and Asian countries and seldom used for other purposes.  Roses, another strongly scented flower are also very popular.  Other common flowers used at funerals are gladiolus, orchids, and carnations.  Any flowers in season like tulips or hydrangeas are also common.

There is a symbolic language of flowers that still may have some cultural preference.  White flowers are almost always appropriate.  They are considered a symbol of purity, spiritual enlightenment, humility and restored innocence.   A person who is very close to the deceased may send them red flowers, particularly red roses as a sign they loved, admired and respected the person.  Red roses are typically sent to men and their more feminine cousin, pink roses to women.  Yellow and purple roses/flowers are often sent by less intimate friends to indicate sympathy and respect.  Lavender and purple flowers are often sent to grandparents and other elderly peoples funerals and they symbolize the respect for wisdom that comes with age.

If you are planning your own funeral you may not have much control over what flowers people will send.  But you can choose flowers you love and request that they be used in certain places, like in a casket drape or grave cover.  Or you can choose that no flowers be sent, as some people do, and ask a donation to a charity be made in your name instead.  You may wish to have a tree or other plant be planted in a public place as a memorial. 

You could ask that only living, potted plants be sent to your funeral- that is if there will be people who would appreciate taking them.  Maybe potted plants could be donated to a nursing home or school if you don’t think your mourners will want them. Common potted plants sent to funerals include orchids, peace lilies and ferns but you could suggest anything.  If you are a prickly soul maybe you’ll want only cacti at your funeral.

If you are planning a green funeral be aware that green cemeteries won’t allow vases, metal framed wreaths and non-biodegradable items attached to flowers.   In green, natural ceremonies flowers are most often thrown into the grave and are often wild flowers or less traditional flowers.   If you are planted in a family burial plot you have many options.  You can nourish roses, a fruit tree, wildflowers or whatever your heart desires and your family is willing to maintain.

Searching cemeteries for heirloom plants

Hundreds of small, old cemeteries, some private, some public, dot Michigan’s rural areas. Some are abandoned, some still well cared for.   Larger, older cemeteries exist in many cities.  Many cemeteries, both modern and ancient, have beautiful grounds and plantings that any gardener would enjoy strolling through.  But people who hunt for old, heirloom varieties of plants often explore cemeteries looking for that centuries old plant variety that has faded away in commerce but deserves to be preserved.  When groups come in to restore old cemeteries they are advised to hire a horticulture expert to find and catalog rare, heritage plants so they aren’t destroyed in the clean-up.  And original landscaping is often preserved when historic cemeteries are restored.

Heirloom rose
In modern cemeteries one is seldom allowed to plant directly on a grave because it interferes with maintenance done with modern machinery.  But in earlier times it was common for people to plant things at gravesites, a piece of rose that mother loved, a clump of blue iris for father, delicate baby’s breath on a child’s grave, poppies on a veterans grave.  There was generally a caretaker at small public cemeteries who weeded, pruned and watered these grave plantings as well as mowing the lawn.  Families came to visit gravesites frequently, making an outing, even a picnic out of it and they also cared for the plants on the graves.  Some of these plants have managed to survive for a century or more, even if the caretaker is gone and the families no longer visit.

Even if the cemetery is being managed with a quick pass of a mower every week or so, rare plants can be found tucked along fences and between tombstones where the mower can’t reach them.   In every season new things wait to be discovered.  If you enjoy botanical history, or history in general, and heirloom plants your stroll through a cemetery will take on new meaning.

Common plants found in cemeteries include weeping willows and cedar trees, which have symbolic meaning as well as old roses, iris, lilacs, poppies, daylilies, other types of lilies, daffodils, tulips, and peonies.  But all kinds of plants have been discovered tucked away in cemeteries.  Botanical historians can even track the ancestral origins of people buried in the cemetery by noting the plants adorning their grave. 

If you think you have discovered some botanical treasure in a cemetery don’t pull out the shovel.  Document it with pictures, and carefully note its location. You may want to research the plant and its varieties with people who specialize in antique, heirloom plants.   Then if you want to get a piece of the plant or start from it you need to find out who owns the cemetery and ask permission.  Removing it is not fair to those who planted it so lovingly long ago.  You are disturbing both history and memories.

To find out who owns a local cemetery, if it’s not obvious, you can check with the county register of deeds.  Even family cemeteries are required to be registered.  Abandoned family or private cemeteries become the property of the township or city/village they are located in. There are situations when a whole cemetery is being moved, the graves relocated, and if that is the case you may ask those in charge whether plants are also being transferred and if they are not, if you may have them.  There are also new owners of cemeteries who want to remove all vegetation so that markers and graves are more easily found or maintenance is easier.  They will generally agree to your removing the plants and while it is sad to part them from the graves, it will save the plant.

Once you have rescued an old variety of plant make sure to record where you found it, the name of the person on the headstone if it was near one and other pertinent information.   The date of death on a tombstone will help place the age of the plant and the era the variety came from.   Some plants are, of course, descendants of the original plants placed on the gravesite, not the original plant.  Plants along fences and common areas will probably date to soon after the cemetery was established.   That date will be found in the deed information.

For more information on restoring old cemeteries, along with their landscapes you may be interested in this guidebook, available on line: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_shpo_Cemetery_Guide_105082_7.pdf


Growing strawberries in the home garden


Strawberries are a fruit most homeowners can grow. Strawberries are not only luscious and juicy sweet but they are healthy foods.  A cup of strawberries has only 45 calories and no fat and all of the day’s requirement for Vitamin C.  They are packed with antioxidants and other vitamins also.  They are easy to prepare for fresh use and the homeowner has a variety of ways to store excess fruit.

In zones 4-7, strawberries can be grown as perennial plants and you will get several years of strawberries from one planting.  In very cold areas strawberries are best grown as annual plants. 

How many plants?

If you want the strawberries for fresh use and just a little to freeze or share, 25 plants should be plenty for a small family.  If you want lots of berries to make jam or freeze, you may want to start with 50 plants.  You will be placing the plants about a foot apart so for 25 plants you will need rows about 2 foot wide and 25 foot long or two rows 12 foot by 2 foot etc.  If you find you want more plants you can add more later.

Making the Bed

While you can grow strawberries in fancy strawberry barrels and pyramidal beds, strawberries are best grown right in the garden if you have the room.  You’ll get more berries and have fewer problems when grown in raised rows in the garden.

Choose an area in full sun, where no strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or potatoes have grown for the last four years.  All of these plants share the same soil borne diseases and insect problems.  Don’t choose a wet area or a low spot that will collect cold and frost.  You will need a spot close to water so you can irrigate if it gets dry.

Strawberries like sandy well drained soil.  They will grow in other soils but the soil must be well draining, wet areas cause the roots of strawberries to rot.  Work the soil up well, making sure you have removed all sod pieces.  If you could work up the soil in the fall and again before planting it would also be helpful.

An alternative method to tilling up soil would be to build a raised bed with timbers about a foot high.   This method also works great where the garden soil is heavy clay or poorly draining.

Before planting work some fertilizer into the bed, follow label directions for the amount to use.  You can use a fertilizer designed for strawberries or a slow release 10-10-10 garden fertilizer.

Some Varieties

Strawberries are listed in catalogs as June bearing, everbearing, or short day varieties.   June or spring bearers have the heaviest crops and are the varieties the gardeners in zones 4-6 can plant which will remain as perennials for several years.    Everbearers bear small crops sporadically throughout the year and are also grown by gardeners in zones 4-6.  They can be treated as annuals and replanted each year.   Short day varieties are not good for northern gardeners.

Some good June bearers for the north are Earliglow, Sparkle, Redchief, and Allstar.  Some good everbearing varieties are Ozark Beauty, Quinault, Gem, and also Tribute and Tristar- which are day neutral.

Planting Strawberries

You will either get your strawberries as dormant bare root plants or as potted plants.   Keep the dormant plants in a cool moist place until ready to plant.  Don’t allow the roots to dry out but don’t leave them soaking in water.   Wrap them in moist paper or peat moss. Buy only certified disease free plants.

In the north plant strawberries just before your last frost is expected.  Light frost will not hurt the leaves.  Place your plants about a foot apart in the row.  It is very important to plant the strawberries at just the right depth.  The soil level should cover the roots and be just at the base of the crown, the spot where all the new leaves sprout from in the center of the plant. Water well after planting. 

Mulches and Row Covers

Mulching strawberries is highly recommended as dealing with weeds is one of the hardest parts of growing strawberries.  Plastic mulch is good for cold areas as it helps warm the soil.  Red plastic mulch is sold now and it is said to increase the yield and size of strawberries.  When you use plastic mulch you lay it down on the soil first, then you cut holes in it to plant.

Straw, wood chips, shredded leaves, or other organic mulches can also be used around plants and in the rows to keep down weeds.
Netting can save the berries from birds.




Basic Maintenance

The work is hardest for those of you who want to establish a perennial patch of strawberries using June or everbearing varieties.  You must take all the flowers off the  June bearers the first year and off the everbearers until July.  Heartbreaking isn’t it?    The plants will develop strong roots and will put out runners to fill up your rows.  Keep the rows about 2 foot apart and thin plants so they are about 6 inches apart in the rows. 

Once the temperatures go below 20 degrees you will need to cover your plants with several inches of straw.  You will remove the mulch in early spring, when plants start growing.

In the second year you can pick all the berries you want.  After the June bearing berries have finished, you will mow or clip all the leaves off to just above the crown or growing point and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer.  Water well after trimming.  The plants will re-grow and put out runners which you can allow to fill in any bare areas.  This will need to be repeated each year for 4-5 years before you will rip it all out and start over. Everbearers will be trimmed after frost kills them.  Do not fertilize then.

For those of you who are treating the everbearing strawberries as annual plants the chores are much simpler.  Just allow the plants to grow, bear fruit and then rip them out.  Try to rotate the area where you plant your strawberries each year.

For good berry production the plants must have adequate moisture, and must be watered when it is dry.  If homeowners develop disease problems it is best to rip out the bed and start again in a new area.

Keep ripe berries picked often.  This keeps the plant producing longer.  Strawberries do not ripen after they are picked so pick the red ones!   Don’t wash berries until you are ready to use them and store in a refrigerator.

Preserving the strawberry harvest

It’s June and strawberries are on the farm markets.  If you like to eat local but want strawberries all year round now is the time to preserve Michigan strawberries so you can have delightful strawberry treats in the middle of winter. 

It’s quite easy to preserve strawberries and they are an excellent choice for a beginner in food preservation.  Whether you pick the berries yourself or buy them at the market look for fully red berries right down to the tip.  Strawberries don’t ripen after they are picked.  Avoid berries with soft, mushy gray spots, they are over ripe.   Often medium sized and small berries have a better flavor than the super huge berries.

Do not wash your berries until just before you use them and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to wash and clean them.  Wet berries grow mold in storage or turn mushy.  You can use a finger nail to pop off the green strawberry cap or the small end of a potato peeler or small paring knife.  Wash berries well in cold water, pick through and discard overly green or mushy berries.  Small spots can be cut out of otherwise nice strawberries.

Strawberries are generally preserved by freezing or by being turned into strawberry jam.  You can freeze straw berries now and turn them into jam later.  Strawberries shouldn’t be canned and make only fair candidates for drying.

Freezing strawberries

First wash berries and remove leafy caps.  Whole or halved berries can be placed on a cookie sheet so that they don’t touch, frozen until firm and then placed in freezer bags or containers.  These will be easy to separate and remove a few at a time for use.  When unfrozen they will be softer than fresh berries but still make a good presentation.

To sugar pack strawberries slice cleaned berries and measure how many cups you have.  For every 4 cups of sliced berries add 3/4 cup of sugar.  Toss the sugar and berries gently with a large spoon until most of the sugar has dissolved.  Let berries and sugar stand for 15 minutes then pack into freezer bags or containers.  Never add water to this mix.  The sugar draws fluid out of the berries and makes a nice juice.  Rigid containers need about a 1/2 inch of space left at the top to allow for expansion as the strawberries freeze.

Note:  You can also freeze the strawberry jam made from the recipe below.

Traditional strawberry jam

A candy or jelly thermometer, found in most stores, is advised for jam making.  Don’t double jam recipes, the flavor is better if jam is made in small batches because it doesn’t need to cook as long.

First clean and sterilize 8, 1/2 pint glass canning jars and new lids.  Place the jars into a large kettle of boiling water, making sure they are filled and covered with water and boil for ten minutes. Drop lids in just before the time is up.  Turn off the water but leave jars covered with the hot water until ready to use.  You can also use a dishwasher to sterilize jars if it has a sterilize cycle.  Keep jars in dishwasher until ready to use.

Clean and slice about 16 cups or 4 quarts of fresh berries.  Measure out 8 cups of berries after slicing and place in a large saucepan with 6 cups of white sugar.  You must use this ratio to get a good “gel.”

Crush the strawberries with a potato masher or large spoon until you get lots of juice and stir until most of the sugar is dissolved.  Bring the mixture to a boil slowly, stirring constantly.  Then turn the heat to a medium setting and cook the mixture about 35 minutes, stirring frequently to keep it from sticking to the pan.   Check the mixture often with the candy/jelly thermometer - or leave it in the pan attached to the pan rim with a clip.   Turn off the heat when the temperature reaches 220ºF.

If you don’t have a thermometer cook until the jam is thick and shiny.  Jam gets thicker as it cools.  You can check for the right consistency by placing a spoonful in a freezer and testing in 5 minutes.   If it is as thick as store jam it’s done.  You can turn off the heat under the jam while you are testing.  Bring back just to a boil before filling jars if it’s thick enough.

Don’t overcook jam, it will get grainy and may taste like burnt sugar.  Jam that is too thin can be cooked a bit longer but overcooked jam can’t be fixed.

When the jam is the right consistency/ temperature pour it hot into your sterilized jars.  (Drain out water first).  Fill to 1/4 inch from the jar rim, wipe the rim of the jar and then add the lids, first the flat piece, seal side down, then the screw band.  Tighten screw bands.

Place the jars in a water bath canner.  A water bath canner is a large pot that will hold all the jars with about 2 inches of water over the top of them. This can be the pot you sterilized the jars in.   A rack that holds the jars is advised- it keeps them from knocking together or turning over.   These are found with canning supplies.

The water should be brought to a boil, and then timed for exactly ten minutes. Turn off the heat, lift the jars out with tongs and place on a dishcloth set on a table or counter.  Don’t handle the jars until you hear a ping, or see a depression in the center of the lid, meaning the jar has sealed. 

Label the jars with the contents and a date.  Then store in a dark place where temperatures remain above freezing.

You can avoid all the canning hassle by pouring your jam into freezer containers and freezing it.  It must be stored in the freezer until used.  Thaw before use. All opened jam should be stored in the refrigerator, including canned jam.

Strawberry shortcake waffles

One of the best ways to use up some of those great Michigan strawberries from your garden or from one of southeast Michigan’s wonderful farm markets is to make strawberry shortcake.  Another great way is to put strawberries on waffles.  So why not combine the two?   Break out that waffle maker and don’t worry about heating up the oven on a warm summer day, your waffle maker can make shortcakes quickly while you stay cool. 

First prepare the strawberries.  They need to sit at least an hour, overnight is better.  Wash the berries and remove the leafy caps.  Slice or half the strawberries.  For every 2 cups of sliced strawberries add a half cup of sugar and toss the berries in it.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  This will make a light syrup as the sugar draws out the strawberry fluid.  If you like your strawberries sweeter you can add a little more sugar.  Two cups of sliced berries is enough for 3-4 small waffles.  For the recipe below you may need 4-5 cups of sliced berries to cover all the shortcake waffles.

Next you’ll need to prepare your shortcake-waffle batter.  Actually you can use any recipe for plain waffles, the results will be fine.  But this shortcake batter with a touch of lemon is delightful.

Ingredients

                2 cups of baking mix, such as Bisquick® or Krustav®
                1 lightly beaten egg
                3/4 cup milk
                1/2 cup sugar
                2 tablespoons of melted butter
                1/8 teaspoon- (few drops) lemon extract
                pan spray or melted butter for waffle maker

Read your waffle maker instructions again if you don’t remember how to use it!  Then blend all the ingredients, adding milk gradually, add just enough milk until the mixture is thin enough to pour easily.   Spray or coat the waffle maker with oil or butter and add batter.  A gravy ladle makes a great batter spoon.  Smooth batter evenly in waffle imprints.   Just barely cover the bumps in the waffle maker with batter, don’t overfill. 

It generally takes just a minute or two to cook a waffle.  Your waffle maker may have lights or other signals to tell you when the shortcake-waffle is done.  Otherwise cook until lightly brown.  Re-coat the waffle maker with pan spray or melted butter for each batch of waffles.

Remove shortcake-waffles to a plate and top with strawberries and then a dab of whipped cream or ice cream.   Depending on shortcake-waffle size this recipe makes 6-10 shortcake-waffles.

June is so beautiful, make sure to enjoy it.

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

17th Annual Rochester Garden Walk, June 16th - 10am-6pm Rochester, MI.
The Rochester Hills Museum and Rochester Garden Club are sponsoring a garden walk at the Museum & Van Hoosen Farm. Cost is $16. There will be a garden market and herbal program. Call 248-656-4663, or go to www.rochestergardenclub.org for more info.

25th Annual Grosse Pointe Garden Tour Fri, June 24th, and Sat. 25th  10am-4pm, Grosse Pointe Area.
The Grosse Pointe Garden Center, Inc.  is sponsoring tour of 8 beautiful private gardens, cost $20. Enjoy a garden shoppe. Tickets: 313-881-7511, ext. 206.

Genesee County Garden Tour 2016, Sun, June 26, 10am-5pm,
Master Gardener A association, Genesee County is sponsoring a tour through private gardens in Clio and Vienna Twp. www.GCgardentour.weebly.com.

“The Wow Garden Tour" certainly has some wow gardens. We have gardens to match everyone's taste. We have shade gardens, native gardens, country gardens, whimsically decorated gardens, simply pretty gardens. You will enjoy the relaxing country drive. For only $10, you can enjoy this self-guided garden tour. Tickets will be sold at each site and many local businesses. Information and driving directions printed on your ticket.

Buy tickets in advance or day of tour at:
Walker Farms & Greenhouse, 5253 Atherton Road, Burton (East of Center Rd).
Bordine Nursery, 9100 Torrey Road, Grand Blanc (North of Grand Blanc Rd., west of Fenton Rd.)
Willow Cottage Flower and Gift, 202 S Mill St, Clio, MI 48420 (Open Monday- Saturday)
Piechnik Greenhouse,13172 McCumsey Road, Clio
Bridge Park the day of tour (Corner of Linden/ Vienna Rd.)

MSU Extension Grand Ideas Garden Plant Sale June 17, 6 - 8 p.m. and  June 18, 9 a.m. - noon  MSU Extension - Kent County, 775 Ball NE, Grand Rapids, MI
Master Gardener Volunteers will be on hand to help you select plants that solve your gardening problems!  Contact: Rebecca Finneran, finneran@msu.edu

2016 Bee Palooza June 19, 2016 1-4 p.m. MSU Horticulture Gardens, 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI

On Sunday, June 19, 2016 from 1-4 p.m., the MSU Horticulture Gardens will be buzzing with activity, as the Department of Entomology hosts the fifth annual Bee Palooza. For people of all ages, this is a free, fun and educational event organized by volunteers to provide an afternoon of interactive activities centered on understanding the wonderful world of pollinators.

The beautiful gardens will be dotted with displays to demonstrate and explain honey bee colonies, bumble bees, the wild bees of Michigan, plants to support pollinators, and how important bees and other pollinators are for the food supply. Hands-on workshops will show you how to create a native bee hotel, how to make native plant seed “bombs,” and how to identify different pollinators in your garden. Get information for starting your own pollinator garden. Pollinator-themed face painting will be back by popular demand too!

Designed for kids and adults, this event would make a great Father’s Day activity. The MSU Horticulture Gardens are located on the southwest corner of Bogue Street and Wilson Road in East Lansing. For updates and more information visit MSU Bee-Palooza  http://www.beepalooza.org/contact.html

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


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