© Kim Willis - no
parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.
Hi
Gardeners
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| Want these? Plant now. |
It was down to freezing last night and the frost was
heavy this morning but the hose to the barn still ran when I got out
there. The farmers are taking off the
corn and soybeans and the grain trucks are rumbling down the road. Gizmo and I took a walk and noted all the
deer tracks crossing the road to the harvested corn field. There’s usually lots of spilled grain. As little as he is Gizmo tracks deer with
gusto.
I am still seeing buzzards, when they leave I know
winter is really here. Blue Jays are
really numerous this year. I watch them
at the feeders filling their crops with sunflower seed and flying off. They can empty a feeder quickly. I saw a Bald Eagle yesterday soaring
around. I don’t know if he was on his
way south or looking to winter nearby.
I still have a few things in bloom outside, mums,
sedum, some annuals but I expect that will end soon. This year I have had
repeat bloom on irises and clematis and the roses are blooming nicely again. I do have many things in bloom inside,
begonias, cannas, and geraniums on the porch, hibiscus, mandevilla, peace lily,
pomegranate, streptocarpus and bouvardia in the main house. I brought the
begonia “Sparks Will Fly”, one of the new hybrids, inside and it’s still
blooming too.
I have the last of my bulbs here now to be
planted. Last week I planted some 250
bulbs, the week before about 200. There
are 20 lilies of various types, some eremurus and corydalis that came yesterday
left to be planted. I am hoping the rains
hold off tomorrow so I can get it done.
If you haven’t bought and planted bulbs yet now’s the time. Many companies are having clearance
sales. You can plant bulbs up until the
ground freezes although it is better to get them in a little earlier.
It can be really interesting fitting those last few
bulbs into the flower beds. I resort to
looking at pictures of the beds from last spring to see where bare spots might
be and hoping my planting notations from this fall will help me keep from
planting these last bulbs on top of earlier planted ones. But it will be wonderful next spring and
summer to see all the new varieties.
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| Have a great Halloween |
Help
Save the Venus Flytrap
The Venus Flytrap, (Dionaea muscipula), is a unique
plant even among the small subset of carnivorous plants. The “snap trap” method of capturing insects
evolved only once in the history of life on earth and is currently shared by
only one other genus of related plants.
The Venus Flytrap itself is native only to the coastal bogs of North and
South Carolina, USA, specifically within 60 miles of Wilmington, North
Carolina. (There are small naturalized populations in Florida and in Washington
State.) Unfortunately the Venus Flytraps
populations are less than 95% of what they once were.
The Venus Flytrap amazes laypeople and scientists alike
because it can snap shut its leafy traps in about 1/10th of a
second. But it’s not just the swift movement
that intrigues scientists; it’s the extremely complicated system of triggering
that movement and initiating digestion of prey that keeps scientists studying
it. And even though it’s been studied for
hundreds of years now, we are still not absolutely sure how the whole process
works.
Venus Flytraps evolved from plants that trapped small
insects with sticky pads and tentacles and then slowly dissolved them and
absorbed the nutrients. Carnivorous
plants generally grow in nutrient poor areas and need the nutrients from
animals to supply them with nitrogen and phosphorus.
While the name suggests it prefers flies, research
shows that ants, beetles and spiders, are the biggest part of the Venus
Flytraps natural diet. Flying insects
comprise only about 5% of the plants diet.
When a beetle walks across the fleshy red pads of a Venus Flytrap leaf
it may encounter one of the 3 “trigger” hairs on the leaf. One touch of a hair will not trigger the trap
but if the beetle touches two hairs or one hair twice within a few seconds the
trap will snap closed. Requiring two touches keeps the plant from wasting
energy on specks of dust or raindrops. The mechanisms of how the trap is closed
so quickly are still being studied with several theories on the matter.
Along the edge of the Venus Flytrap leaf are tooth like
projections that interlock along the edge, loosely at first. Small insects may be able to squeeze through
those teeth and if they do the trap will reopen in about a day. If the insect
is larger and struggles while it touches hairs 5 times the digestive process will
be triggered. The edges of the leaf will hermetically seal, smothering the
insect and the now stomach-like pouch will fill with digestive fluids produced
by glands along the leaf. These
digestive fluids are thought to have evolved from jasmonic acid, which many plants
used as a defensive against insects eating them.
Venus Fly traps can digest an insect of about half the
size of their leaf pads, smaller leaves “eat” smaller insects. The process can take a week. The plant will keep producing digestive
fluids until it can no longer “taste” proteins then the digestive process
ceases and the trap will open allowing the chitin shell of its prey to blow
off. Each trap is only good for 3-4
insect meals then the leaf will die and the plant will replace it.
The green part of Venus Flytraps leaves and stems does
actually contain chlorophyll and they produce sugars from photosynthesis just
like other plants. They have a root
system but it mainly functions to absorb water and anchor the plant because
minerals and other nutrients are scarce in its boggy environment.
Venus Flytaps are subtropical and while they don’t survive
temps below 20 degrees they do need a winter rest period of about 3 months.
This requires cooler temperatures with nights around 45 degrees and less
daylight. Most of the leaves are shed in
the winter and the plant puts out small new leaves in the spring which enlarge
as the season warms up. The limit of
leaves/traps that a plant has at any time is seven. When more leaves are seen it means the plant
is producing “daughter” plants.
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| Venus Flytrap flower. Wikimedia commons. |
In the summer Venus Flytraps put out a long flower
stalk with several white flowers. The
flowers turn into clusters of round black seeds. Plants reproduce from seeds, which can take
5-6 years to produce a mature plant and they reproduce by clonal spread-
producing new plants along the rhizomous root.
In cultivation they are pretty easily reproduced by tissue culture. Several cultivars have been developed from
natural mutations.
Once numerous, it is estimated that only about 33,000 Venus
Flytraps remain in their native habitat in several scattered locations. Many of these locations are on government or
Nature Conservancy property but some populations remain vulnerable. A viable
population should consist of at least a thousand individuals, and it’s thought
that only 9 such populations remain.
Populations have dwindled because of habitat destruction, climate change
and over “harvesting” of the plants from the wild.
Because of its unusual habits the Venus Flytrap is
highly sought after as a houseplant. It’s thought that there are more Venus
Flytraps in homes than in the wild. Often the plants offered for sale are “harvested”
from the wild. The sad thing is that
most of the plants purchased have short life spans in homes because people do
not get correct information on caring for them, or if they do, they lose
interest and don’t follow the directions.
What
you can do to help preserve Venus Flytraps in the wild
In 2014 North Carolina listed the Venus Flytrap as
protected in the state and instituted some large fines for collecting plants
from the wild or possessing wild collected plants. However a loophole remains that allows plants
to be collected on your own property or property where you have permission to
collect and those plants can be legally sold.
Unscrupulous dealers are still selling wild collected plants, claiming
that they buy them from people collecting on their own property. This is
doubtful but it’s hard to monitor the bog areas where the plants grow. These
are often the Venus Flytraps you see offered in plastic domed pots in grocery
stores.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has instituted an
online petition to expedite the listing of the Venus Flytrap on the Federal
Endangered species list. It was being considered, and is now a “species of
concern” but normally the process takes a lot of years and a smaller, more
critical population. Listing it as a
Federally Endangered species now will limit Venus Flytrap sales to plants that
can be verified as grown in cultivation and will also allow new areas where the
plants are still growing in the wild to receive Federal protection. You can sign this petition and read the whole
petition letter at;
The petition has already been signed by a number of
conservation groups and botanists as well as people like you and me. Because the Venus Flytrap is so unique and
native to such a small area I urge you to add your name to the petition. It is truly a marvel of evolution and
deserves special protection.
There are other things you can do. If you purchase a Venus Flytrap plant make
sure it’s from cultivated stock. The
plant is tissue propagated easily and those plants are about equal in price to
wild collected plants. They are also started
from divisions and seed. Named cultivars
are always from cultivated plants. Good
nurseries will say where their stock comes from. Here are a few sources of cultivated
plants.
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| Venus Flytrap seeds. Wikimedia commons |
There are no scientifically proven herbal/medical uses
for Venus Flytrap although some herbals still mention it. Do not use endangered species such as Venus
Flytrap for herbal remedies. There is a
commercial concoction named "Carnivora", which is promoted to cure
cancer but the American Cancer Society has said it has no value for cancer
patients. Please don’t buy this product
or others using Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). These products are produced from wild
collected plants.
In
case you want your own Venus Flytrap
If you are intrigued by Venus Flytraps and buy yours
from a reputable dealer who cultivates the plants in “captivity” here are some
tips for growing them. They are not easy
plants to grow so think before you buy.
Venus Flytraps don’t eat dead bugs, and they don’t trap
small insects like fruit flies in the house. They cannot be fed things like
hamburger. Constantly triggering the
traps as children are prone to do, weakens the plant and eventually kills it.
While the plant will survive for a while without live feeding, it eventually
suffers from nutrient deficiencies.
Briefly, Venus Flytraps in cultivation require bright
light-full sun is preferred but artificial lights a few inches above the plants
will work. They must be potted in a deep
pot- 5-6 inches deep. The preferred
potting medium is peat or sphagnum moss mixed with perlite. No potting soil or any medium mixed with
fertilizer should be used. No fertilizer
is ever used- it will quickly kill the plants.
Plants must be watered with clean rain water or
distilled water. Minerals or chemicals
in water quickly kill them. The plant
likes to have 2/3 of the root system in very damp or submerged conditions but
the upper third of the roots must not be submerged or kept too wet. This is
usually accomplished by setting the pot in a bowl or other container so water covers
2/3 of the pot length.
In spring and summer temperatures should be warm but in
winter the plants need a dormant period where temperatures fall to about 45
degrees F at night. Homes that set night
temps to about 55F and keep day temps below 70 degrees F are usually fine
though. Plants should be brought inside
before the first frost and taken out after the last frost.
Flower stalks should be cut off cultivated plants. Dead leaves will occur in fall and periodically
through the growing season. They should
only be cut when they are completely black and dead as the plants reabsorb the
nutrients in them.
If plants are outside they will generally trap their
own insects. Inside live beetles,
spiders, large flies or small crickets or grasshoppers can be placed on leaves.
Some people use dead insects and move them around with a toothpick or something
to stimulate the trap closing. Never use
cold frozen insects. Feeding once or twice
a month is probably good enough in the growing season but once a week is
better. In winter they can go a month or
two without eating. If you can’t handle insects the Venus Flytrap isn’t for
you.
Pumpkins
and Jack O Lanterns
Nothing says autumn like the sight of a pumpkin or the
smell of pumpkin pie. When English settlers came to the New World they found
Native Americans growing a variety of pumpkins and squash. Pumpkins were easy
to grow and stored well so they were a favorite of pioneers. In the fall many acres of pumpkins can still
be seen across the land. Today most of the pumpkins you see in the fields are
for fall decorations and Jack- O -Lanterns, although Americans still like their
pumpkin pie.
Early pumpkins did not look like the smooth, bright
orange fruits piled outside every store in the fall. They were flatter and
heavily ridged. The color was more of a pinkish orange or red. If you look at
the illustrations in an early copy of Cinderella, you can get an idea of what
early pumpkins looked like. True pumpkins and winter squash are often very
similar and can cross breed. The astoundingly huge pumpkins grown for
competition are really squash. They are generally large blobs of pale yellow
instead of the round orange globes favored for seasonal decorations. A winning
pumpkin may weigh over 1500 pounds.
There’s been a fuss on TV and other media the last few
weeks about squash being substituted for “real” pumpkin in canned and frozen
products. The truth is this has been
going on for some time. Some winter
squash and pumpkins are nearly identical genetically and identical in flavor. Many
farms growing “pumpkins” for canning are actually growing squash. And it’s ok- really.
Before they even began growing corn Native Americans
were growing pumpkins, both for storage vessels and for food. Native peoples in the more northern areas of
the continent tended to grow what became modern pumpkins and in western and
more southern areas of the continent they grew plants that were closer to the
squash and gourds that we know today.
However squash, gourds and pumpkins are closely related and can
interbreed and in early history there was probably a wide variety of shapes,
colors and sizes. The earliest pumpkins
were shaped more like gourds, with a “handle” or were pear shaped. They came in a variety of colors. The skin was tough and there was less fleshy
matter than there is in modern pumpkins.
Native Americans used every part of a pumpkin. They were hollowed out, dried and used to
hold seeds and other foods, even to carry water. Some were elaborately decorated. Pumpkins were used in soups and stews. The
flesh of pumpkins was cut into strips and dried over open fires for
storage. Dried pumpkin could be pounded
into a form of flour. Young green
pumpkins were eaten like we eat zucchini. Seeds were dried and used for food
and medicine. Pumpkin flowers were also
eaten. Even the leaves were used in some
areas as a cooked green.
Native Americans introduced pumpkins and squash to
early European settlers and they became an important winter food staple. A common way to prepare pumpkin was to open
the top and fill the cavity with milk, and eggs and sugar if available and then
bury the pumpkin in the coals of the fire to cook. The inside turned to custard like consistency
which was scooped out and eaten. Later
when there was wheat to make flour, this pumpkin custard turned into pumpkin
pies. Pumpkins were also used in soups
and as a roasted vegetable. Beer was even made from pumpkins, usually sweetened
and flavored with maple sugar or syrup.
It is said that Columbus brought pumpkin seeds to
Europe, that may or may not be true but some early explorer certainly did
introduce pumpkins and squash to Europe.
At first pumpkins were mainly used for animal food. Somehow, in Europe pumpkins became entwined
with the supernatural and many legends and fairytales include pumpkins.
Pumpkins are now grown and eaten in most areas of the
world, although North America still grows far more pumpkins than any other
country. The top pumpkin producing state
is Illinois, where the factory that produces Libby canned pumpkin is located in
Morton. Close to 2 billion pounds of
pumpkins are produced in the US each year.
In some parts of Europe oil is pressed from pumpkin
seeds and used for cooking. Pumpkin seed
oil is a reddish green and strongly flavored, but favored for some ethnic
cuisines. Pumpkin seeds are called
pepitas and are a popular healthy snack in many countries. Varieties of pumpkins whose seeds have no
hulls are often grown for this purpose but all pumpkin seeds can be roasted and
eaten.
Roasting
pumpkin seeds
Sure they make nice decorations but pumpkins have seeds
which make an excellent tasty and nutritious snack. Clean the seeds out of one
or more pumpkins and try to remove as much of the orange “goop” as
possible. Place the seeds in a colander
and wash with cold water.
Drain and spread the seeds on a foil covered cookie
sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly spray the seeds with
cooking spray or toss with a bit of olive oil, and salt to your taste. Put the cookie sheets in an oven set at 325
degrees and roast for about 20 minutes.
Stir occasionally and keep checking on them, don’t let them get too
brown. After roasting they can be stored
in sealed containers.
For spicy pumpkin seeds try this recipe. Mix 1 ½ tablespoons butter, ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/8 teaspoon garlic
powder and 2 teaspoons of Worchester sauce in a bowl and toss the seeds in it
before roasting. It will coat 2-3 cups
of seeds.
Garlic salt, red pepper, parmesan cheese, and cinnamon
are all good seasonings to try on pumpkin seeds. There are various flavored popcorn seasonings
on the market, caramel, cheddar, ranch and so on, that can be sprinkled on the
pumpkin seeds also.
Pumpkin
medicinal uses
Pumpkin seeds have long been used to get rid of
intestinal worms like pin worms and tapeworms and there is some scientific
evidence suggesting they do kill internal parasites. In this use the raw seeds are hulled and
eaten or made into a paste with honey and eaten.
Pumpkin seeds have long been a traditional way to treat
prostate swelling and inflammation and medical research does support this
claim. Raw or roasted seeds are eaten
for this use. Pumpkin seed oil is also
being evaluated for this use. Pumpkin seeds are also a mild diuretic and are
used in traditional medicine to treat kidney and bladder problems.
Traditional medicine has used pumpkin extracts to lower
blood sugar and recent studies have found that the extract does increase blood
insulin levels. Also pumpkin extracts,
pumpkin seed oil and pumpkin seeds are being studied in the treatment of
several forms of cancer. They are high
in antioxidants. Several studies have
shown that those who eat pumpkin seeds frequently have lower incidences of breast,
prostate, lung, gastric and colorectal cancer.
The leaves of pumpkins can be steeped in hot water and
used for fevers. In Eastern medicine
pumpkin is used for mental problems.
Recent research has shown that pumpkin seeds have high levels of tryptophan,
which can relieve depression.
Pumpkin has a lot of fiber and has long been used as a
safe, gentle laxative.
A puree of pumpkin pulp soothes and softens skin and is
used for pimples and minor skin irritations.
Peter
pumpkin eater would love these recipes!
Here are some pumpkin recipes for those of you who
would rather eat pumpkin than carve it. To prepare raw pumpkin for use in a recipe:
wash the outside of a pumpkin and clean out the seeds and “goop” inside. Cut the pumpkin in chunks. Scrape any stringy
matter off. Place the pumpkin chunks on
their side and slice off the rind (skin).
Rinse well under running water.
Place the chunks in a pan and cover with water. Cover the pan and simmer
until the pumpkin is soft. Drain in
colander, and then mash the pumpkin smooth. Freeze what you don’t use.
You can also buy canned pumpkin or use some you have
canned. Buy plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling for these recipes. If a recipe calls for less than a full can of
pumpkin you can freeze the remainder.
Pumpkin is high in amino acids and vitamins B, C, D, E
and K. It also contains minerals like
calcium, copper, potassium and phosphorus.
Pumpkin contains healthy antioxidants and flavonoid compounds such as
carotenes. It’s low in fat and proteins
but high in carbohydrates. It has lots of dietary fiber. Even the spices used to flavor pumpkin dishes
are great for your health.
Pumpkin
Fudge Bars
Cookie Base:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup butter, softened
Fudge top:
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) evaporated Milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 & 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Butterscotch flavored
morsels
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
First make the cookie base. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 x 10 or equivalent pan with
foil.
Mix all the cookie ingredients except the butter in a
bowl until well blended. Cut in the
butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
Pat the mixture down evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake
until slightly brown, about 15 minutes.
Let cool.
Now make the fudge part. Combine the butter, evaporated milk, sugar,
pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil,
stirring constantly, over medium heat. Boil, and stir constantly, for 8 to 10
minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in the marshmallows, butterscotch morsels and
vanilla with ½ cup of the nuts. Stir
until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is well blended. Pour the fudge mix over the cookie base and
refrigerate until firm. Cut into
bars. Makes about 48 bars.
Pumpkin
Dip
Here’s a sweet dip you can serve in a hollowed out
pumpkin! Use the dip with cookies, apple
wedges, crackers or even veggies.
1 can, (15 oz. or 2 cups) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie
filling)
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.)
JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding (you can use the new pumpkin spice flavor
too or use sugar free vanilla instant pudding)
1 tsp. pumpkin
pie spice
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
Blend all the ingredients except the cool whip in a
large bowl with electric mixer. Blend in
the cool whip by hand. Refrigerate one
hour to thicken. Serve cold.
Pumpkin
and apple soup
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| NorthWest EDU |
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 firm apples, peeled and diced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
6 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 cans (15 oz. each or 4 cups) pumpkin puree (not pie
filling)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Put the olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the onions and apples, cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden.
Pour in the stock, cider, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil, boil 1 minute. Pour in the pumpkin puree and use a whisk or
immersion blender to blend until smooth.
Add the cream and sugar and stir until the sugar is
dissolved. Turn down heat to simmer and
simmer about 10 minutes. Makes about 6
servings.
Carving
the perfect pumpkin
Long before pumpkins were turned into scary decorations,
Europeans were hollowing out turnips and gourds as candle holders for “Hallows”
Eve. When the tradition was carried to
the new world it was found that pumpkins make an excellent substitute for
turnips. If you are going to carve a
pumpkin for Halloween this year here are some tips.
Larger pumpkins are easier to clean out and you want a
pumpkin with a sturdy stem for a handle.
Pumpkins with longer stems tend to last longer. Lighter colored pumpkins are said to be
easier to carve but they will not last as long.
Pumpkins don’t change color after they are picked so whatever color your
pumpkin is when you buy or pick it, that’s the color it will be when you carve
it. Don’t carve your pumpkin too long
before you want to display it. Keep it
outside in the shade or in a cool place until you do carve it. Pumpkins should be kept from freezing. They can turn to mush if they freeze solid.
Wash the outside just before beginning. Carefully cut a round area around the
stem. It should be large enough to get
your hand inside. The hole can’t be
enlarged after you remove the top because the lid will not fit when you are
done. If the top does tend to fall
inside, add a small piece of cardboard to the back of the lid’s rim held in
place with a toothpick. This will wedge
it in place.
Clean off the underside of the “top” and set it
aside. After cleaning out the “guts”
(save the seeds), scrape the “meat” away down to about one inch thick. A kitchen spoon makes a good cleaning and
scraping utensil. Slicing off a spot on
the outside of the bottom may make the pumpkin sit level.
You can draw your proposed cuts on the pumpkin with a
marker. Some people use patterns that
you can buy in craft stores to trace a face on the pumpkin. Use your imagination and be creative. Instead of a face you can carve a scene or a
series of stars or other small openings that will glow when lit from
inside. Your name or address could also
be carved into the pumpkin.
Once you have decided what to carve use a serrated
pumpkin carving knife (sold in most stores that carry Halloween decorations),
or use a serrated steak knife or any sharp kitchen knife. Be careful that you don’t add real blood to
the scary face by cutting yourself. Parents
may want to let kids draw a face or design and then cut it out for them.
After cleaning and carving, soak the pumpkin in a mix
of 1 teaspoon of bleach to a gallon of water for a few minutes. Pat dry inside and out, or dry carefully with
a hair dryer, and then coat your carving cuts with a thin layer of petroleum
jelly.
Options
to carving
Some people opt to paint the pumpkin instead of carve
it. Most acrylic craft paints will work
and are non-toxic. The pumpkin could be
rinsed off after Halloween and used to make pie.
Black duct tape can be used to tape a face on the pumpkin. If you can’t find black duct tape you can color
regular tape with black marker. Cut the
tape into shapes that make a scary or happy face and apply to a dry
pumpkin. Note: electrical tape won’t
stick to pumpkins.
Another alternative to carving a pumpkin is to pin
things like buttons, felt shapes, flowers or seed pods to the pumpkin. You can still find straight pins in the
sewing notions section of stores and toothpicks can even be used. Kids enjoy this sort of pumpkin decorating
almost as much as carving one and there is much less mess.
Lighting
your carved creation
Using a battery powered light instead of a candle makes
the Jack O Lantern last longer. Small twinkling Christmas lights can be stuffed
inside, a battery powered string works great.
If you do use a candle, you can coat the inside of the lid with
cinnamon, cloves or other spices for a delightfully scented pumpkin.
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| Solar lit Jack O Lantern |
Want a new, environmentally friendly and safe way to
light up your Jack O Lantern? Use solar
lights. Solar lights use no electricity, and are perfectly safe, they won’t
start fires or burn anything and because there is no heat with the light the
pumpkin stays fresh longer. They turn on
automatically when it’s dark and most solar lights will last many hours after a
sunny day and will even come on for a while after a not so sunny day. And they
can be reused year after year.
The simple inexpensive stake type solar light used to
light paths make an excellent pumpkin light. Or you can buy strands of tiny solar lights or
solar flood lights that have a panel you place in the sun and the lights can be
6-10 feet away. Wind the string type
lights around a glass jar you insert in the pumpkin or just stuff them inside.
For the stake type of light, measure the top, light
collecting part of your solar light and cut the hole in the pumpkin so the
light will fit snugly inside the hole with just the top exposed. (You’ll need to clean out the pumpkin “guts”
first before you fit the light inside.)
If you can’t get your hands inside to clean the pumpkin out with a small
hole, you can make the hole bigger, and then use wood skewers or stiff wire
across the opening to support the light.
Or find a glass jar that supports the stake light with the light top sticking
just above the opening in the pumpkin. On a taller pumpkin the light can be
left on its stake but for shorter pumpkins you may have to remove the stake
from the light. Carve a face in your
pumpkin as usual.
The pumpkin must be sitting in the sun during the day
so the solar panel can collect light energy.
And most solar stake type lights can’t be entirely inside the pumpkin at
night. The sensor turns the light on
when it’s dark, so they do come on as darkness falls but they turn off quickly
because the light in an enclosed space causes the sensor to turn the light
off. The sensor part of the light must
be outside the pumpkin, in the dark, at night.
Using a string of lights or flood light with a separate collecting panel
you place a distance from the pumpkin works well.
Uses
for left over pumpkins
Other than Halloween decorations pumpkins make great
seasonal décor inside or out. Uncut
pumpkins will last a long time if they don’t freeze or get too hot. Different colors and shapes of pumpkins can
be grouped together, maybe on a straw bale or in a wicker basket.
A pumpkin can be hollowed out to hold a glass or metal
container in which a mum or dry floral arrangement could be placed. It could
also be filled with dry corn to hold things like cattails, turkey feathers and
dried grasses. Inside as a table
decoration, small green plants or other flowers could be inserted. Halloween candy or other treats can be
served from a pumpkin lined with a plastic bowl. Votive candles can be placed inside small
pumpkins for table tops. Don’t carve a scary face on these table toppers;
instead carve a scene or random shapes into the pumpkin. White pumpkins can be
coated with glitter for a different look.
Left over pumpkins can become great food for wildlife
and livestock. Chickens love pumpkins
and placing a whole one in the coop is great for relieving boredom while
providing a healthy treat. Cows, goats,
sheep, pigs and even horses love pumpkins but introduce them in small amounts
so you don’t make the animals sick.
Split a pumpkin in half and leave the halves near your
bird feeder. Many birds enjoy the seeds
as well as the flesh of the pumpkin.
Deer love pumpkins and they can be used in bait piles.
Of course pumpkins make great people food too. Last week’s newsletter had canning and
preserving directions.
If you have no animals to feed and no longer need
harvest decorations you can compost the pumpkins. But be careful, if they still have seeds
inside and you toss them in the flower bed, on the lawn or compost pile, you
may get pumpkin vines growing there next year!
Preserving
and drying flowers
While flowers can be dried at any time of the year, gardeners
usually start to think of dried flower arrangements in the fall, when they know
that winter is soon going to put an end to fresh bouquets from the garden. In autumn there is a wealth of flowers and
foliage that can simply be gathered from the wild and allowed to air dry. But if you truly enjoy working with dried
flower crafts you’ll want to extend the drying season to spring and summer too.
There are three major ways to dry flowers, air drying,
borax-cornmeal, and glycerin. Some
flowers dry best with one method, others can be dried in many ways and some
flowers don’t dry well at all. Some seed
pods and dried flowers can be gathered from nature already dried. Fall is a great time to keep your eye open
for these treasures. Nuts and pinecones
and certain berries can also be used in dried arrangements.
For any method of drying choose newly opened flowers,
(and maybe some buds) after the dew has dried on a sunny day. Examine collected flowers and foliage
carefully for any insects they may be hiding. Look for flowers without insect
damage or disease spots. Make sure you are ready to dry the flowers before
picking them; they won’t dry well if you keep them in vase of water for days or
allow them to wilt.
Flowers that generally don’t do well in any form of
drying are poppies, morning glory, lilies, tulips, and fruit tree blossoms.
Air
drying
To air dry flowers you need a warm, dry dark
location. Sunny areas will bleach out
the flowers colors. An attic, warm
closet, unused shed or even the trunk of a car can be used. You can also enclose flowers to be dried in
brown grocery bags and place them in a cars interior that is sitting in the
sun. (This works great for culinary herbs
too.)
 |
| Statice air dries well |
Flowers that air dry well are small, airy types and
those with a single row of petals.
Baby’s breath, everlastings, wild asters, statice, sages, salvias, coral
bells, lavender, amaranths, strawflowers, larkspur, yarrow, Bells of Ireland,
heather, Russian sage, and candytuft are examples. The seed pods of money plant, Japanese
lanterns, milkweeds, teasel, Queen Annes Lace, hydrangeas, clematis, and
cattails as well as all kinds of ornamental and wild grasses can be air
dried. Phragmites, which grows in many
Michigan ditches, has feathery seed heads similar to pampas grass that dry
well.
Bundle small flowers like statice and everlastings in
groups of 10-15 stems secured with a rubber band and hang upside down in your
drying area. Larger seed pods like
hydrangeas and grasses can be stood in jars or cans filled with dry white rice,
making sure they are not too crowded for good air flow. It will take 3 days to 2 weeks for most
flowers and seed pods to dry. A fan set
to blow a gentle stream of air through the room can aid drying.
Borax
and cornmeal drying
Flowers that have thicker petals or layers of petals
can be dried in a mixture of cornmeal and borax. Borax can often be found in the laundry
section of stores, or in a hardware store.
Use white cornmeal for best results.
Mix equal amounts of cornmeal and borax and for every 4 cups of the mix
add 3 tablespoons of non-iodized salt.
Stir this all together well.
After use the mixture should be discarded where birds and pets won’t eat
it. Don’t add it to the compost pile.
Flowers suitable to dry this way include, asters,
daisies, sages, delphinium, marigolds, roses, pansies, violas, violets,
snapdragons, stock, sweet william, zinnias, dahlias, mums, dianthus, diascia,
carnations, gerbera daisies, Echinacea, verbena, cosmos, calendula, and
peonies. Varieties of flowers like roses
and dahlias with fewer rows of petals dry better than very full doubled
varieties. When flowers dry in borax
they tend to darken. Deep reds and blues
may turn out almost black. White flowers
may turn yellow or tan.
In addition to flowers, foliage with thin leaves can
also be dried in borax or silica. Things
like autumn olive, Russian olive, sprays of rose leaves, lilac leaves, purple
leaved plums, coleus, rex begonia, weigelia, long grass leaves, and other thin
leaved plants can add to arrangements. Thick waxy leaves will not dry well.
You need shallow boxes or trays which will hold just
enough of the mix to totally cover the flowers.
Remove all leaves from the flower stem and cut stems to about 6 inches.
Place a small amount of the mix on the bottom of the tray and arrange flowers
so they do not touch. Flowers can face down or if spike types, be laid on their
sides. Gently sift more mixture over the
flowers until they are totally covered, it is desirable for the mix to sift
between flower petal layers. Stems can
stick out of the mixture. Place trays in
a dry, warm, dark location. Do not cover
trays. It will take about 3 weeks for
the flowers to dry. Remove flowers from
the borax mixture by brushing it off the flowers gently.
Silica
drying
Flowers can be dried in silica beads in the same way as
flowers dried in borax. They will keep
their colors better, although they do darken a little, dry in about a week and
the silica beads can be re-used. Silica
gel beads can be found in craft stores.
The same flowers that are good for borax drying work well with silica
and some that don’t dry in borax will do so in silica, you can try almost any flower to see what
happens.
Flowers that are dried in silica generally need the
stems removed first. Wires are inserted
to replace the stems. In flowers with
thin backs a piece of floral wire is poked from the back through the flower, a
small hook is bent in it and the wire pulled down until the hook is hidden in
the flower. In flowers with thick backs
the wire can be poked sideways through the back of the flower, and then bent
downward.
The containers for drying flowers in silica must have
tight fitting lids to keep air out.
Plastic storage containers or coffee cans with snap on lids can be
used. The wire stems can be bent double
to make the lids fit. (If the wires
aren’t long enough for arranging dried flowers an additional wire can be taped
on later). Arrange the flowers and add
the silica beads as described for borax drying.
When the silica beads turn pinkish they need to be
dried in an oven at 250 degrees in a shallow layer. In about an hour the silica beds will be
clear blue again and ready for re-use. Flowers in silica gel can also be dried
in the microwave- without wires of course.
It will only take 1-3 minutes but the stem-less flowers can be tricky to
arrange. Keep a close eye on them so
they don’t start a fire.
Storage
Keep dried flowers in zip-closed bags, stapled closed
paper bags, or storage containers in a dark, dry place. Make sure that insects and rodents can’t get
to them. Use them within a year. Dried flowers can be sprayed with hairspray
or clear craft coatings to keep them looking nice longer.
Your finished arrangements won’t keep forever without
getting dusty and tired looking. Make new
arrangements when they start to look faded and dingy. During the long winter your home will still
be graced by flowers.
Nature off to sleep, bright clothes
in a heap
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes, free items and sales
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 Muscovy
ducklings, black laced, about 4 months old, you must buy at least 2, unless you
have other ducks. $5 each. Message me at
kimwillis151@gmail.com for more info. Muscovy are flying ducks, large sized and make
good meat ducks. They do not quack- and
are very quiet. I also have 3 and 4 year
old hens for sale, a variety of breeds.
Some are still laying. $3.00 each
I have 5-6 large size,
young roosters I will give away free.
They are Rhode Island Red and some are a cross of Australorp and “Easter
egg” chickens. Shoot me an email for
more information Kimwillis151@gmail.com
Fundamentals of Growing & Caring for Dahlias, Friday, Oct 28, 2016, 10am, Meadow Brook Hall, 350, Mansion Dr., Rochester, MI
Dr. Keith Berven will talk about
growing dahlias. Sponsored by the
Meadowbrook Garden club. Guests welcome,
$5.
For more information please contact 248‑364‑6210, or www.meadowbrookhall.org.
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
