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Tuesday, August 30, 2016

August 30, 2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter

 © Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.


Hi Gardeners

Summer is ending; you can feel it in the softening of the light, the quickening of twilight and hear it in the song of crickets.  I am starting to evaluate the season and plan for next year.  Each garden year is different, some things are more successful in some years, some less.  Gardens follow succession steps just as other ecosystems do.  Trees grow, plants mature and die, and new species are introduced.  Since it’s a garden, whether we use native plants exclusively or not, we need to be mindful of how we guide that succession.  The best way to do this is thoughtful reflection at the end of each season.  And take notes- lots of notes!

In my garden some annuals are going strong, but in general it was not the best year for them.  Many of my petunias and calibrachoas  are done for the year, hastened to their death by the heat and dryness. On the other hand the tuberous begonias are thriving and gorgeous. My woodland nicotiana is finally starting to bloom, but it’s only 3 feet high instead of 6 feet high like last year.  The sweet autumn clematis is beginning to bloom; it seems to be normally vigorous.   My dinner plate dahlias also remained short this year, and they are late, just starting to bloom.

In the vegetable garden I am pulling out the sweet corn stalks, it’s done now.  The tomatoes are rapidly succumbing to fungal disease, but I am still getting plenty.  Cucumbers are still producing.  I am being overrun with gourds and there is one nice big pumpkin, but the melons were disappointing this year.  The melons and cukes have symptoms suggesting downy mildew now, so they may not last much longer.  The cabbage is all ready to harvest and this week I’ll be making more freezer coleslaw- the recipe is further down in this blog.

Our delicious apples are almost ripe and we are getting some ripe grapes but both apples and grapes are small this year.  I am still getting a handful of black berries every few days. 

I was very bad and ordered a new hibiscus from Logee’s this week.  It’s a rare white one (Hibiscus arnottianus) which has a light fragrance that’s seldom offered.  I’ll find room for it inside somewhere. 

The bulb catalogs are arriving in force now.  I have 75 lily bulbs already ordered but I will be ordering more tulips and maybe some other things soon.  I don’t think you can have enough bulbs in the garden.  If you want flowers in the early spring now is the time to order your bulbs.

By the way Scott Knust from Old House Gardens is retiring next May after 24 years of providing gardeners with heirloom bulbs of many types.  The company, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will continue to offer bulbs however.  Many of you Michigan gardeners- and some from other places- may have heard Scott speak at one time or another. He’s an excellent speaker and I wish to thank him for his many years of educating people on the value and beauty of those heirloom bulbs.  I have some of those bulbs in my garden.  Want to check out the bulbs offered?  Go to http://www.oldhousegardens.com

The glad 'Atom' an heirloom.


You may notice some differences in the formatting of this blog this week.  I have to use a different browser because for some reason Goggle Chrome, which works best with many programs like this blog, is refusing to perform for me.  The pages keep becoming unresponsive and freezing.  I have tried all the usual fixes, uninstall and re-install, deleting cookies and unused extensions and so forth to no avail.  If any of you are computer geeks and know why this is happening and how to fix it, please let me know.

Growing Brugmansia

You will see the beautiful Angel’s Trumpets advertised in many garden catalogs. The plants have pretty trumpet or funnel shaped flowers that are often have a light, sweet fragrance.  In the north these plants are excellent tub plants for decks and patios.  It can be tricky to overwinter them but you will be rewarded with larger and more beautiful plants each year.  A flower loaded Brugmansia is a traffic stopper.
Two year old brugmansia

Brugmansia are plants belonging to the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, the same family that tomatoes and potatoes come from.  Modern botanists generally regard Brugmansia as having 9 species. Brugmansia originate in South and Central America, although they can come from many different climates in those countries.  There are literally hundreds of named varieties of Brugmansia with many hybrids between the species. 

Brugmansia species are semi-woody perennials, forming bush or small tree shapes.  In the wild some species are 30 or more feet high.  They have long oval leaves, sometimes toothed, that can get quite large. Brugmansia foliage tends to be a dark green and there are Brugmansias with variegated foliage.

The trumpet shaped flowers of Brugmansia typically dangle downward although some face out horizontally. They can be a foot long, sometimes longer.  Brugmansia flowers come in a wide range of colors from white to peach, rose, pink, lavender orange and recently red. They often change color as they age. There are many double flowered Brugmansia varieties.

Brugmansia flowers are not self – fertile and they do not come true from seed.  When breeders find a Brugmansia plant they like they propagate it by cuttings.   Brugmansia seed pods look like a bean pod with a corky covering in some species.  Brugmansia seed rarely survives a cold winter, so it seldom spreads on its own.

Culture of Brugmansia

Brugmansia are usually purchased as rooted cuttings.  Most catalogs show large plants loaded with beautiful flowers but be aware that it can take two years for that little potted plant to get to blooming size and many years before it makes a large plant.  Some plants started indoors early will flower the first year.

Brugmansia are generally kept as tub plants and overwintered inside.  Temperatures must be kept above 40 degrees F.  In zone 8 and above they can be planted directly in the garden.  (Some zone 7 gardeners have had success overwintering Brugmansia outside.  The plants die to the ground and then are heavily mulched.)

For tub plants use a non-soil potting medium and do not plant the cutting in too large of a pot, let it nearly fill the pot with roots, then transplant to a larger pot.  Indoors the plants should be in as bright of light as possible, preferably a greenhouse or sun room.  Watering should be reduced if the leaves drop, as many plants shed leaves indoors.  If the light level is too low or the room cool some plants will go semi-dormant.  Some people actually prefer to let plants go semi-dormant for the winter.

Plants are moved outside after all danger of frost has passed and the nights are reliably warm.  Brugmansia prefers a dappled or partly shaded area when outdoors.  They will quickly respond to bright warm conditions and grow larger each year.

Brugmansia likes moist, well drained potting medium and should be fertilized with a dilute flower fertilizer every other watering or have a slow release flowering plant fertilizer worked into the planting medium.  Evenly watered, well fertilized plants in warm conditions and good light usually bloom almost continually once they start blooming.

Toxicity of Brugmansia

All parts of the Brugmansia are extremely poisonous.  Brugmansia contains 3 poisons, atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine.  Indigenous peoples used the plants various parts in religious and divination ceremonies.   The plant parts often cause hallucinogenic symptoms or loss of conscious control of the body.  They can also cause respiratory failure or heart problems.

Any person or animal that has ingested any amount of Brugmansia should be immediately taken to a hospital.   A drug called physostigmine can counter the effects of Brugmansia poisoning if given promptly.  Cardiac and respiratory support may be needed and the stomach will be pumped.  The patient may need restraints to prevent harm to him/her self.

Despite being poisonous, brugmansia are wonderful tropical plants that deserve a place on the porch or patio of the adult plant lover.


Fall Grass Planting

Not everyone is a “lawn” person.  But if you like a nice lawn fall is an excellent time to plant grass seed or lay sod for a new or improved lawn.  Grass germinates and grows well in the cooler, wetter fall weather.  Grass needs about 6 weeks to grow before the ground freezes, but can survive frost and light snow without a problem.   In zones 5-6 that means you can plant grass seed or lay sod from early September to mid- October.

New Lawn

If you want to totally renovate your lawn or you are starting a new lawn you will need to do some basic prep work.  If you are working with subsoil left after new construction you’ll need to purchase some topsoil.   About 6 inches of topsoil would be ideal but don’t use less than 3 inches.  Smooth the topsoil down evenly over your subsoil and try to avoid making hollows or raised areas.  Make sure any debris left from construction is removed.

If the area you are going to seed or sod is hard packed soil, till the soil to a depth of 6-8 inches, even if you intend to put down topsoil.  You can work topsoil, compost or peat into the existing soil but do not mix sand into clay soil hoping to improve it.  Instead you will create cement.

If you are going to totally renovate a lawn and there is existing vegetation in place you are going to need to remove it.  The easiest way is to do this is to use glyposphate (one brand name is Round-Up®) according to label directions.  Wait about a week and rake off the dead vegetation.  Then till the soil to about 8 inches deep, rake and smooth.  If you used the glyphosphate properly you should be able to seed within a week.

If you are a non-chemical person you will need to remove the old grass and weeds with a shovel and some sweat labor. Using a slicing motion under the grass roots and lifting off chunks of old sod is a good method.  Some deep rooted weeds will need to be dug out.   All this discarded vegetation can go in the compost pile.

Spot Renovation

Sometimes only parts of the lawn need repair.  Remove any weed patches with glyphosphate or your shovel.  Fill holes and level high or low spots then till the soil in the bare areas, rake and smooth.  You may have to till small areas by hand.

Seeding

In the north the best grass seed to use for mostly sunny areas is some variety of Kentucky Bluegrass.  If the area you intend to seed is shady a mixture of various Fescue grass varieties would be better.  Don’t use a seed mixture with a high percentage of annual or perennial rye in it.  This will green up fast and is cheap, but the annual rye won’t be back next spring and the perennial rye will look coarse and unattractive. 

Spread the seed evenly over the ground and don’t skimp. The package will tell you how much square footage it will cover.  Measure your lawn and figure the square footage before shopping for seed so that you will know the proper amount to buy.  If you have a large area to seed you may want to use a spreader.

Seed may be rolled with a light weight roller to get it in contact with the soil, or just lightly covered with topsoil or mulch.  In small renovation spots you can lightly rake seed into the soil. If you experience a lot of heavy rain in the fall that could wash seed away, you may want to apply a mulch of straw or other organic material, especially on a slope. 

Laying Sod

Almost all sod sold in northern states will be Kentucky Bluegrass and sod works best on sunny lawns.  In some cases you can do the prep work to save money and have professionals lay the sod.   Some people may want to do all the work to save money.  Keep sod in the shade and moist while you are waiting to lay it and try to lay it the same day you purchase it. 

Carry sod rolls carefully to the new lawn site and unroll them where they are to lay, with the green side up of course. Butt the edges of the sod rolls together as closely as you can but do not overlap the edges.  Sod is generally rolled with a lawn roller after it’s laid to get it in contact with the soil.  You can cut sod with a sharp shovel or knife and fit pieces into odd shaped areas. Sod does not require mulch.


Care of new lawns

After planting your grass seed you will need to water it if fall doesn’t give you rain or snow.  Until it is up and growing the soil surface should remain moist.  That could mean watering every day.  After the grass is up and growing it needs at least an inch of moisture a week.  In sandy soil that drains quickly, 2 inches may be better.  

Sod will need watering daily also if it is warm and dry.  You can cut back watering to an inch a week in two or three applications after the first two weeks if the weather is cool.

Do not fertilize new seedlings or new sod this fall, wait until spring.  If the lawn grows more than 3 inches before winter you can cut it back to 3 inches, otherwise do not mow until spring.  While it’s better to mulch tree leaves into an established lawn, keep fall leaves off new lawns by gentle raking so new seedlings won’t be smothered or sod dislodged by mulching mowers.

Don’t let your kids explore with their mouth

I was at a MG booth at our county fair many years ago when a man approached with a tow headed boy whose head just came to the top of the table. 

“I’d like to know if these red berries I see along the road are safe to eat”  he said.

“Okay”, I replied, “Do you have a sample?”

“Naw,” he said, “didn’t bring one.  They’re little red berries.  I had him eat some”, he said nudging the boy, “and he didn’t get sick or nothing.  I want to know if I can make wine with them.”

The man then went on and explained that he didn’t allow the boy to drink pop or milk because those weren’t safe.  His family only drank cider, beer and wine he made himself.  Even the kids.

We had a discussion about the berries where I determined they weren’t raspberries from his description, but I wasn’t sure what they could be- maybe elderberries or pokeberries.  I urged him to bring me a sample into the office the next day.  I then warned him about allowing his kids to taste things that he didn’t recognize as safe.  He shrugged:
“Kids always explore with their mouths, ain’t hurt none of them yet.”

He never appeared with a sample at the office. Hopefully he changed his mind about making wine from unknown berries.  For a person who mistrusted the safety of pop and milk for his kids he sure didn’t seem to care if they died from some berry plucked from along the road.

Please don’t encourage your kids to taste things they find outside.  Far too often adults encourage kids to taste things they pluck from around them without explaining to the kids that they know the plant well and giving them a lesson on how to identify the plant again.  We are not talking about the garden, where you allow a child to pick a ripe tomato or eat a tiny carrot.  We are talking about hiking and camping and going on walks to the neighboring woods.  Some people are eager to share information about edible wild plants but there’s a certain danger when children don’t quite understand how to identify safe and unsafe plants. 

Children should be warned never to eat something that they aren’t absolutely sure they know the identity of and to ask an adult if it’s ok first.  Some kids still roam unattended outside and they do sometimes explore with their mouth, especially if they see adults doing it.  There are some plants that a child could come upon that could have serious or fatal consequences.

It’s wonderful to teach your child about survival foods, edible wild plants, medicinal plants and the like if you yourself are sure you can identify those plants and you stress to the child not to experiment with things they aren’t sure they can identify. Remind them that birds and other animals may eat things that humans cannot eat safely.  And this includes plants in the yard and along the roads.  Here’s another cautionary tale.

I had a woman appear at my office with a paper towel full of mushrooms, frantic for my help.  I had a rule that I didn’t identify mushrooms as safe to eat or not to homeowners because identification of mushrooms can be tricky and the consequences of a mistake deadly.  I referred them to MSU’s plant lab if they really needed to know, which was not the instant answer they often wanted.  But when I heard this woman’s story I quickly took a look at the mushrooms and decided to help. 

The woman and her husband frequently hunted wild mushrooms such as morels, and cooked them at home.  The children liked the mushrooms and heard how much the parents valued them.  They decided to do some mushroom hunting of their own.

For about 2 weeks the boys had been fine at bedtime but woke up at night several times a week with severe stomach pains and vomiting. By morning they felt fine. They had been taken to a doctor who thought they might have a stomach virus.  But one night the father dragged a bedspread outside that had been vomited on. In the morning as the woman was picking it up to clean she noticed pieces of mushrooms in the mess and knew the boys hadn’t recently been served mushrooms with their meals.

She woke up the eldest boy and questioned him.  He explained that he and his brother hunted mushrooms in the yard while they played after they came home from daycare each day.  He led his mother around the yard and showed her several mushroom patches they had sampled, even telling her which ones tasted good and which didn’t.  And here she was with a towel full of mushrooms asking me to help her ID them. (Fresh samples)  She had called her doctor first, and he told her to get them identified.  The boys were as usual feeling fine that morning so the doctor wasn’t overly concerned.
Keep children from tasting mushrooms

When I took a look at the mushrooms, I was immediately concerned.  I knew mushroom identification wasn’t my strong suit, but some of the mushrooms in the collection sure looked like deadly amanita species to me.  Amanita mushrooms don’t cause symptoms immediately after you eat them, the problems come several hours later.  Then after a few hours the symptoms often disappear.  But all is not well; the poison in the mushrooms is affecting the liver and kidneys silently.

I took a picture of the mushrooms and emailed it to a mycologist (mushroom specialist) at MSU after calling and explaining the situation. In a short time a state trooper was dispatched to bring the samples to MSU and our worst fears were confirmed- the boys had consumed amanita mushrooms, probably on several occasions.  The boy’s doctor was notified and the boys were sent for testing and treatment that probably saved their lives. 

I tell this story because I hear and read so many stories about people introducing their kids to wild foods and then having similar problems occur. And even when you don’t point out things for kids to taste they get curious and try things on their own.  A child doesn’t have to go far to find something poisonous to taste.  Our yards are full of plants that can cause problems.  In the sidebar to this blog is a page with poisonous plant articles.  In one article there is a list of common garden plants that can cause problems.  If you have children and pets it’s a good idea to read it. 

You probably won’t need or want to exclude every plant with toxic qualities from the landscape.   If you did you’d have few plant choices left.  But you may want to exclude some of the most poisonous or things that have tempting fruits or berries.  

You know your child better than anyone else.  When children reach the age of 5 or 6 they can generally be trusted not to eat things they find outside, especially if you have explained some things may be dangerous.  (If there’s a certain plant you want them to avoid just tell them it will make them throw up and have diarrhea.  Most kids want to avoid that at all costs.)   But some children have learning disabilities, behavior problems or are just too ornery or too curious for their own good.   And kids do things on dares or are bullied into doing things they don’t want to do.  Pets are a whole different scenario- telling them they might vomit usually doesn’t work.

Now I am not suggesting that no one should introduce their children to wild foods and tasty weeds.  It’s wonderful to teach children about these things.  But you must be very, very careful to stress that they don’t experiment on their own.   And set a good example.  Don’t taste plants you can’t identify.  Don’t make up batches of medicinal teas or tonics for children unless you are an experienced herbalist.  Children’s bodies may not tolerate the doses adult bodies can handle.

So let’s go on to another topic in a similar vein. 

Is Pokeweed poisonous?  (This week’s weed)

Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana), is an interesting plant because it is sometimes eaten and very poisonous.  It is a native North American plant with ornamental qualities and a role in natural ecosystems.  It can be found both in gardens and along roadsides and in fields.  Some other common names for the plant include Ink Plant, Pokeberry and American Cancer root.

Pokeweed
Recently there have been many social media mentions of pokeweed as a treatment for arthritis and cancer, among other things.  These may have been uses for the plant in previous times but modern research has found no benefit in controlled trials.  Old folk remedies sometimes worked, but a great many did not.  There was no way to tell in earlier times if the victim died from the disease or its supposed cure. Or if he or she recovered that it was in spite of the cure administered instead of because of it.  

Most reputable herbalists and all medical sources classify pokeweed as harmful/poisonous.  There are a number of chemicals produced by the plant that are toxic.  You can get the full list of those here: https://www.drugs.com/npp/pokeweed.html    
The American Association of Poison Control Centers lists Pokeweed in the top 5 list of poisonings caused by plants.

If a plant can cure something it has to be toxic on some level and a cure versus death by poisoning often depends on a very fine line of dosage strength or method of administering a dose.  Even aspirin can kill or cause severe injury if you take too much.  It’s too fine of a line in the case of pokeweed.  In research chemicals are often isolated from the whole plant in order to try and remove dangerous chemicals from those that might be helpful.  And in the case of pokeweed even that process has been fraught with problems, most compounds that even showed promise proved too toxic to be safely used.

Some people claim the ripe berries are not harmful if cooked.  That claim has generally been discredited with several poisonings reported from pies made with the berries.  It has been claimed that an adult can eat 10 uncooked berries without harm, but that report never says what happens when you eat the 11th berry.  CDC and poison control centers have several documented cases where children were poisoned with just a few berries.  There are undoubtedly many cases of mild poisoning that have occurred without being reported.

The roots and mature leaves and stems of pokeweed are extremely poisonous.  Powdered concoctions of these are used as herbal remedies but without extreme care these can have serious or fatal consequences.  Even handling mature plants and getting plant sap on the skin can cause poisoning.

And while poke salad is a southern tradition there’s evidence that even that practice has risks.  People desperate for something to eat in early spring learned that if you boiled the young leaves of pokeweed for 5 minutes, then poured off the water rinsed the leaves, and then boiled them again for 5 minutes you could eat the slimy mess.  That tradition still has its followers, even though safer greens are now usually available.

For this “salad” practice to be safe the leaves have to be picked very young, before they have picked up a reddish tinge.  All parts of the pokeweed plant are poisonous; the poison is just less concentrated in young leaves.   If done incorrectly or the plants gathered are unusually toxic due to weather or soil conditions problems can result.  One such poisoning was documented by the FDA.  (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/detail.cfm?id=4830)

In this case a day camp in New Jersey decided to cook some pokeweed for campers to sample.  They followed the boil, rinse and re-boil practice.  Between 30 minutes and 5 hours after eating the pokeweed 20 of the 46 people who tasted the pokeweed became ill, 18 had to be treated in emergency rooms and 4 were hospitalized.  Most of the ill people had eaten more than a teaspoon of the poke weed and those who didn’t become ill had barely tasted it.  The CDC did extensive workups on all the food served to exclude other causes of illness.

What happens in pokeweed poisoning?

When raw plant parts are ingested there is generally a burning sensation in the mouth. That’s a warning not to eat more. Usually mild poisoning results in vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea.  Since in earlier times purges were considered to be good for the body people experiencing these symptoms might not classify it as poisoning, just a good spring purge.

But larger doses of the various toxins in pokeweed result in severe projectile vomiting, profuse bloody diarrhea, severe dehydration, excruciating pain in the stomach, weakness, severe headache, muscle spasms, convulsions, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and difficulty in breathing or respiratory failure.  Pregnant women may abort, poisoning causes uterine contractions and bleeding.   It is also thought that pregnant woman who survive may have babies with deformities or medical issues.

Pokeweed poisoning can cause death.  Postmortem findings have included gross lesions caused by severe gastroenteritis; congestion of internal organs; histological lesions, and stomach ulcerations with hemorrhage.  If one suspects pokeweed poisoning medical attention should be immediately sought.  This is especially important in the case of children.

Pokeweed is not a plant for home herbalists to experiment with.  There are many safer herbs and medicinal plants.  There has never been any scientific evidence that pokeweed used as an herbal remedy has cured anything.

Facts about the plant

Pokeweed becomes a large plant, up to 6 feet high, with thick, sturdy reddish stems.  It is a perennial plant that dies to the ground each year and forms progressively larger clumps when it returns.  The leaves are thick, long and oval in shape, larger at the base of the plant, and arranged alternately on the stems.  New spring leaves have red veins and may be tinged with red.  The plant has a big, thick taproot.  The impressive size and color of the stems convince many gardeners to plant it for visual interest.

In the north Poke begins blooming in July.  The small greenish-white flowers are on long spikes at the top and sometimes on smaller side shoots of the plant.  Each flower turns into a green berry that ripens to purple black.  The juice of the Pokeberries is a deep red.  It will stain hands and clothing and was used by early settlers in place of ink. The plants prefer rich soil and grow in full sun or partial shade.

Birds love the berries and spread the seeds far and wide, making purple stains as they go.  As a native plant pokeweed has a place in nature, but gardeners should make an educated decision as to whether they are a candidate for their garden.  Once the plant is in the garden it is often an aggressive spreader.

All parts of the plant are considered poisonous.   The plant juices can be absorbed by the skin and are poisonous.  Wear gloves when handling plants.  Berries are attractive and care should be taken that children don’t eat them.  The plants are poisonous to pets and livestock also, with the exception of berries eaten by birds.

In conclusion pokeweed is a poisonous plant.  Research has confirmed that and a wise person would disregard anecdotal stories about miracle cures and avoid herbal remedies made with it.  People have been eating poke salad for centuries and if that’s your thing, just be really careful how you cook your greens.  Pokeweed shouldn’t be eliminated from all places.  If we did that with all poisonous plants we’d have few natives left.  If you want it in your garden because it’s pretty and you understand its dangers, go for it. 

Freezer Coleslaw

Do you need a way to preserve some of that cabbage growing in your garden?  In my grandfather’s day the whole plant was pulled up and hung by the root in a root cellar.  This actually will keep cabbage edible for a couple of months.  However few of us have root cellars anymore and warm homes don’t always keep cabbage nicely.  You can ferment the cabbage into sauerkraut but not everyone likes it, and it can be a trick to get conditions right to get a good batch.  Cabbage doesn’t normally freeze well so when I tried this recipe I found in an old book I was pleasantly surprised to find it actually stayed crispy.

This recipe is not only crunchy but has a nice sweet-tart flavor that will complement many meals.  It’s a great way to quickly and easily preserve some of that excess cabbage from the garden.  The cabbage will turn translucent like sauerkraut but stays crisp and has a different flavor. Here’s the recipe.

1 medium cabbage, shredded, chopped or sliced
1 carrot, grated, chopped or julienned
1 green pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 cup white vinegar
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups sugar  (Do not use artificial sweeteners)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon canning salt

Wash and prepare the cabbage and carrot as you like them for coleslaw.  Dice the onion and pepper.
In a large bowl toss the cabbage and salt together.  It seems like a little salt for a lot of cabbage but it will work.  Let the cabbage sit 1 hour.

Put the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard and celery seed in a pan and bring the mixture to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute stirring.  Let cool to room temperature.

After an hour pour any moisture formed off the cabbage.  Squeeze the cabbage a bit to get out any excess moisture  and drain off.  Add the onions and pepper and mix well. 

Pour the cooled syrup mix over the cabbage and mix well.  Divide into freezer bags or containers in the portions that best suit your serving needs.  The recipe will make about 4 pint sized containers.

Freeze the coleslaw.  After 2 or 3 days you can try a batch.  Defrost for 8 hours in the refrigerator before serving.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Other ways to preserve cabbage
If you have just the right storage conditions, like the root cellar mentioned above, cabbage can be stored whole for 2-3 months.  Leave the outer leaves and root on.  Hang in a cool 32-40 degree spot that has high humidity, 70-80%.    Keep it away from other vegetables or they may taste like cabbage.  Cabbage tastes stronger after storage.

Cabbage can be sliced thin and dried in a food dehydrator but then must be stored in the refrigerator for best keeping and flavor. It is used in cooking.  Cabbage can also be sliced, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, dipped in ice water to cool, drained and frozen.  This cabbage will be soggy when thawed and is used for cooking only.
When you bring a cabbage in from the garden and use part of it wrap the remainder tightly in plastic wrap and store in the crisper of the refrigerator.  You may want to place it in another ziplock type bag because it can give its flavor and smell to other vegetables.

The April 26, 2016 blog has an article on growing cabbage.

Don’t delay, buy tulips today!
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

For Sale:  I have baby parakeets for sale, hatched this spring $10 each without cage, $20 for bird with small, new cage of assorted colors.  They are not hand fed.  Beautiful colors, lutino, (yellow) and shades of pale green, olive green, and sea green.  Some I can sex now, others are a guess.  You’ll need to bring your own cage if you don’t purchase one.  Parakeets are active birds that are a lot of fun to watch.  Call at 989-761-7609.

Also for sale Muscovy ducklings, black laced, about 3 months old, fine to be without mom but you must buy at least 2, unless you have other ducks.  $5 each. Call the number above.  Muscovy are flying ducks, large sized and make good meat ducks.  They do not quack- and are very quiet.

Mary Lou Lafond has a huge, 5 feet +,  Norfolk Island Pine to give away.  You must move it.  Norfolk Pines are indoor plants, must be inside before frost.  For more info contact her at  marylafond@frontier.com




Native Shrubs & Trees- Thursday, Sep 8, 2016 6:30-8:30pm, MSU Tollgate Education Conference Center, 28115 Meadowbrook Rd, Novi, MI

Come discover the usefulness of native woody plants in the landscape. Gardeners wishing to include more natives in their plantings have lots of beautiful options. Natives look good, often require less care, and can be more beneficial to native insects and other creatures than are non-native ornamentals. A component of this class will be a walk around the Tollgate grounds to view some of the plants discussed in the lecture. Mary Wilson has been an MSU Horticulture Educator for 30 years with a focus on environmental horticulture. $25.  For more information   http://tollgate.msu.edu/events.


Southeast Michigan Dahlia Show, Sep 10 – 11, 2016 Orchard Mall, 6337 Orchard Lake Rd, West Bloomfield Township, MI

See hundreds of dahlias on exhibit during the hours the mall is open presented by the Southeast Michigan Dahlia Society. Free.  For more information: judy892@wowway.com.

New- 13th Annual Fall Into Spring 2016 - October 1, 2016, 8 am – 3 pm. Mott Community College Event Center, 1401 E. Court Street, Flint MI

Master Gardener Association Genesee County presents:
- A wonderful way to experience tips and ideas to create a beautiful garden for next year. A fun-filled and inspirational event full of ideas and guidelines to benefit any gardener -- from basic to the most experienced.

**Early Registration is $65.00 by Friday, September 23, 2016.
Registration AFTER Friday, September 23, 2016 will be $70.00**

Registration form is at this link: http://fallintospring.weebly.com/

The Speakers:
Janet Macunivich Professional gardener. garden designer, educator, author, columnist for Garden A to Z. Her topic: “Low Maintenance Gardening.”

Jan Burns, Owner, Burns Botanicals, Oxford, MI, will teach us the many ways we can grow anduse garden herbs in “Herbs: How to Grow and Harvest”

Jan Bills, Owner/operator Two Women and a HoeTM. Her topic“Dirty Little Secrets”gives us insight into practical gardening secrets that will make us love, not labor over our gardens.

George Papadelis, Owner, Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy, author & educator. George will give us a sneak peek at the new annuals and perennials for 2017.

The Garden Market: Shop our market of vendors who offer for sale many hand-made or one-of-a-kind items, including garden stones, garden art, herbal products, unique gardening supplies & more! *Note: Some vendors take only cash or checks.

Make checks payable to: MGAGCM
Mail registration to:
Genesee County Master Gardeners
Fall Into Spring Conference
P.O. Box 34
Flushing, MI 48433

Questions? Call or email Loretta (810) 344-7383 ldellwood@aol.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/blog 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 or you can comment directly on the blog. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly note if you email me. 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 people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com


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