© Kim Willis - no
parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.
Hi
Gardeners
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| Dahlia |
We had a light patchy frost early yesterday morning but
it does not seem to have had much effect on the garden. Temps hovered near freezing Sunday night but
must not have dropped there for too long. The pepper plants look a bit wilted
but it’s hard to tell if that’s from the dryness or cold. Despite brief showers over the weekend the
ground is very dry again here. I have
decided not to do any watering of annuals or veggies now, but might have to
water some perennials.
I have lugged the last of the plants I want to
overwinter inside. My porch is now
stuffed as well as all other window in the house. Despite what it signifies, I am hoping the leaves
fall off the walnut and catalpa trees in the front soon, so I get more light in
the windows. They don’t have pretty fall
color anyway. The other trees are just
starting to get good color around here. I am thinking that it might not be a
good year for fall color.
The sweet autumn clematis has finished blooming but I
got a few surprise blooms on the clematis by the barn. It normally blooms in early summer. Some
annuals are still blooming, the Maximillian sunflower and Jerusalem artichokes are
blooming, mums are blooming and even my dahlias are still blooming. Last year the killing frost came October 10,
looks like we’ll beat that this year. No
frost in sight for a few days anyway.
I picked another 5 gallon bucket of gourds and could
probably pick a third bucket. I planted
4 mixed gourd plants this spring and then some came up in the compost pile and
other places from seed. I imagine next
year there will be gourds everywhere.
You’ll find an article below on drying gourds.
How
to plant flower seeds in the fall
You may think the planting season is over when the
leaves fall off the trees but there are some common garden flowers that drop
their seeds in the fall. Those seeds
need a period of cold to germinate and may need the freezing and thawing cycle
to crack a hard seed coat and allow moisture in for germination. You may have some of the garden plants that
require these conditions in your garden and they will self- seed for you if
left alone. If you don’t have the plants
and want them in your garden now may be the time, before the ground freezes
solid, to sow some of those seeds.
Seeds that can be sown in the fall include: Bachelor's
Button, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Echinacea, Flax, Larkspur, Moss Rose, Marigolds,
Milkweeds, Morning glory, Nasturtium, Pansy, Poppy, Strawflower, Sweet pea,
Verbena, Viola and Zinnia. Buy the seeds
or collect dry seeds from friend’s plants if you don’t have them. Some of these may also be planted in early
spring. Some wildflower and grass seed
may also be suggested for fall planting.
Check the label, plant description or a reference. Chances are if nature drops the seed in late
fall it likes fall planting.
When you are collecting seed from the garden remember
that seeds from hybrids like most marigolds and zinnias you purchased in a
garden center last spring will not come true from seed. That is they will probably not look like
their parent. But that said they are
often just as pretty although you may get a range of sizes and colors. And you could get something unusual and exciting
if you experiment.
What
to do
Clear a spot in the garden of vegetation and loosen the
soil. Sprinkle the seeds over the area.
You may want to sprinkle them thickly as some will not germinate. You can thin in the spring. Very small seeds like poppy seed should not
be covered but press them against the soil.
Larger seeds like morning glory seed should have a loose layer of soil
about a half inch thick placed over them.
Don’t water the seeds; it tends to wash them into clumps or away from
your prepared area. Nature should take
care of the watering for you.
You can apply a very thin layer of mulch such as pine
needles or chopped straw but don’t use leaves or anything that mats over the
seeds and don’t make the mulch deeper than a half inch. (Poppies, larkspur and moss rose will germinate
better if not mulched.) Make sure to mark the spots where you sow the
seeds. Some may wait until warmer
weather to emerge so don’t be in a big hurry in the spring to plant over them,
thinking they didn’t sprout. If you have
trouble with birds pecking at your seeds cover the area with netting.
It’s not too late to plant the seeds until the ground
freezes solid. After all nature will
still be dropping them, even after the snow falls in some cases. It’s an easy, inexpensive and effective way
to get more plants into your garden.
Drying
Gourds
Fall is a wonderful time to think ahead and dry some
gourds for winter craft projects. You
may have grown gourds in your garden, but if you didn’t, gourds are often found
at farm markets in the fall. Gourds come
in all sizes and colors. The small, colorful
ones require little more than drying to turn them into decorations, but the
larger plain ones can be painted and cut and turned into several crafty items,
including bird houses.
Pick your decorative gourds before a hard freeze. You
can leave them in the garden until then; it is really better for them to dry in
the vine. Light frosts are fine, they
will continue to dry after them, but freezing may turn them black or mushy.
Let the gourds dry in a sunny location a few
hours. Then brush off all surface dirt.
Mix a solution of 1 part household bleach to 3 parts water and use this
solution to dip rags or paper towels in and clean the gourds surface. Then
allow to air dry. This helps prevent mold.
You could also use some of the handy “wet wipes” with bleach to clean
the gourds.
Then dry the gourds in a warm, dark place with good air
circulation, until you can hear the seeds rattle inside. The drying process takes from 2-4 months
depending on the gourd and the conditions of the drying area. You cannot hurry gourds by drying them in the
oven or microwave unfortunately.
Don’t worry if you want the gourds for a fall display
this year. They can continue to dry
where they are displayed as long as they are not subjected to freezing or
moisture and aren’t piled too deeply. If
you have gourds layered in a basket for example, you may want to rotate them
from time to time. Gourds that you
intend to keep for a long time can be sprayed with craft sealing finishes,
varnish or wax after they are thoroughly dry.
If you are using larger gourds for crafts wait until
they are completely dry and you can hear those seeds rattling before cutting
them or painting them. A drill with a
small bit is good for starting holes. Gentle use of a saw or drill is required
to keep the gourd from shattering. If
you are making a bird house or something with a large opening, shake the seeds
out.
Gourds can be painted with any acrylic craft
paint. If they will be outside they
should be covered with a waterproof sealer after the paint dries. Gourds that
are to be left in a natural color should be sprayed with a sealer also. If the bird houses are just decorations use
black paint to fake a hole. If they are
for actual use as bird houses research what size hole the bird species you want
to attract likes in a house and use that size hole.
Painted gourds can also have holes cut in them and
small plastic containers set inside to hold flower arrangements, candy or small
snacks. Make a child’s rattle by
drilling a small hole and inserting small jingle bells or beads, then seal the
hole with a bit of putty and paint over it.
Children enjoy decorating gourds with paint and small glue on
decorations such as macaroni shaped as letters, brightly colored beans and
seeds and feathers.
Storing
tender bulbs
We’ve had some frost and freezing weather this week
here in zone 5. If you haven’t done it
already it’s time to get out there and dig up the tender bulbs before another
winter hits. Before the ground freezes most
of those bulbs can be dug and saved until spring and then replanted to bloom
again. Tender bulbs include dahlias,
cannas, calla lilies, pineapple lilies, tuberous begonias, gladiolus and
others.
If you are lucky, you’ll find your bulbs have
multiplied and you’ll have more bulbs to plant next year or share with
friends. But first you need to get them
safely through the winter. Different
types of bulbs require different care. Here
are some tips on how to keep them from drying up or molding in storage.
Tuberous
begonias, callas and pineapple lilies
Pineapple lilies (Eucomis), callas and tuberous
begonias do best if they are put in pots and sunk in the ground in the
spring. Then after the foliage dies but
before a hard freeze, the whole pot should be lifted and brought inside. If the
bulbs were planted in the ground carefully dig them and plant them in pots of
good potting soil. Don’t cut foliage
off, let it die naturally. Store pots in
a just above freezing location in either a dark or dimly lit location. Check the pots from time to time and add a
little water if they feel dry.
Tuberous begonias in pots or hanging baskets can also
be brought inside before a frost, while still in bloom and in a bright window
they will bloom for a few more weeks.
After Thanksgiving however, they should be encouraged to go dormant and
rest by withholding water and putting the pot in a cold but above freezing
spot.
About March the pots should be brought into a warmer,
sunny location and regular watering resumed once the foliage begins growing
again. Fertilize at half strength. You
can divide and repot them once shoots are showing if desired. Place outside after danger of frost has
passed.
Cannas
and dahlias
Dahlias are one of the harder bulbs to over winter
successfully although they often multiply tremendously. Cannas are a bit
easier, they don’t seem to dry out as easily.
When frost has killed the tops but before the ground freezes carefully
dig cannas and dahlias. Try not to cut through tubers or break them off. Trim off any dead foliage but be careful not
to cut the main stem too close at this point.
Leave the clump together and divide in spring if possible.
Place the clump in a paper bag or open bucket and cover
with lightly moistened sphagnum peat, coarse sawdust, or wood shavings. I
actually use a combination of dry soil and wood shavings. Don’t use plastic
bags, which encourage rot and mold. Store the containers in a cool dark
location where they won’t freeze. Make
it a point to check the dahlia and canna bulbs each month and moisten the
medium they are stored in if they look like they are shriveling. If mold is seen, remove them from the medium
they were stored in and replace it with drier medium.
In late March the dahlias can be taken out and
examined. Leave them in a bright area
for a week or so and see if you can see tiny buds, which generally look
reddish, around the old stem. You can
carefully cut apart the clumps near the top, making sure each group of tubers
has at least one bud from the stem area.
Plant the tuber clusters in good potting soil and get them started
growing in a sunny warm area. Plant
outside after frost.
Cannas will generally be showing buds on tubers around
late March also. You can set them in a
bright area with tops of the tubers exposed and buds will become more visible. Each tuber that has a bud can become another
plant. Pot them in good potting soil to
get an early start on blooming. Put
outside after any frost danger has passed.
Gladiolus
Gladiolus corms are fairly easy to over winter. Any time after the tops have died back, but
before a freeze, they should be dug up.
They cling tightly to their old stems; don’t break off the stems,
carefully cut them off to avoid damage to the older, main corm (bulb).
You will generally find one large firm looking glad corm
with a shriveled corm below it and sometimes dozens of tiny corms or several
medium sized one. These smaller corms
can be saved and will bloom in a few years.
The shriveled corm on the base of the large corm can be carefully
removed.
Let the corms sit in a sunny place where they can’t
freeze for a few days to cure them. Then
gently brush off dirt and store them in a bag of wood shavings. It’s best to sort out the small corms so they
can be planted in pots or a nursery bed in the spring. Store the corms in a dark, dry place until
spring. They can be started inside, but
most are planted directly in the ground after frost has passed.
Rain
lilies, peacock lilies, freesia and other tender bulbs
If you have other types of bulbs that aren’t quite hardy
in your area you may want to store them over winter. If these bulbs are in the ground wait until a
frost kills the tops but before the ground freezes and then dig them up. Store them like glad bulbs. If they are in pots you can bring the pot
into an area that stays above freezing. Stop
watering if they have gone dormant. In
the early spring resume watering and move them to a bright, warmer
location. After the danger of frost has
passed they can be put back outside.
Make sure all your bulbs are stored where mice and
other critters can’t make a meal of them.
Metal trash cans can be a good option for bulbs that aren’t left in
pots.
Barberries-
friend or foe?
Barberries (Berberis sp.) are a great landscape plant
that has often gotten bad press from both environmentalists with that native
plant phobia and from farmers, who see it as an alternate host to a serious
wheat disease. But you can have the good
landscape qualities and great fall color of barberries without feeling guilt
for farmers or worrying about it “invading” the environment.
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| Spring barberry color |
There are 450 species of barberry in the world. Botanists have now added the former Mahonia
species to the barberry family also. Many
species of barberry can become infected with wheat rust. But the usual culprit here is Common Barberry,
Berberis vulgari, a species native to
northern Europe, China and Asia.
The earliest colonists brought common barberry here for
herbal use. In the 1700’s it became
known that barberry harbored wheat rust and the race was on to eliminate
it. An eradication program was carried
out by the US government that was only recently turned over to the individual
states. Most states that grow wheat prohibit
the growing of Common Barberry.
However it’s been found that the most frequent barberry
species in ornamental use in this country, Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii), does not carry the wheat rust
fungus and is safe for planting anywhere. Japanese barberry does have the
ability to cross with other types of barberry and some of those hybrids are
able to carry the fungus. For that
reason all ornamental varieties of barberry must be tested by APHIS for their
rust resistance before they are allowed to be sold. If you purchase a barberry variety from a
reputable nursery you should not worry you are growing an illegal plant or
harming wheat farmers.
Even though it’s common barberry that spreads into the
natural landscape many environmentalists would like you to give up growing any
barberries. But Japanese barberries are
an excellent ornamental shrub with beautiful fall color and if you have a place
for it in your landscape don’t hesitate to buy them. I would advise you not to transplant
barberries you find in the wild to your garden or to grow them from seed if common
barberry is found near you. But if you
purchase them from a reputable nursery you should be fine.
Identifying
barberries
Both common and Japanese barberry have prickly stems,
small oval leaves and orange red berries.
However common barberry has small prickles on the leaf edges. The berries of common barberry hang in large
clusters, while the berries of Japanese barberry are single or in pairs. The roots of common barberry are a bright
yellow, hence a common name of yellowroot. Japanese barberry roots are more of
a creamy white.
Barberries bloom in mid-spring. The tiny dangling, cup shaped, creamy white
flowers are tinged with pink as they age and are attractive to bees. The flowers turn into elongated red orange
berries in the fall that are loved by birds.
The normal leaf color of barberries is green, sometimes
a bit coppery in early spring. This
changes to blazing orange-red in the fall.
Ornamental Japanese barberries however, come in many summer leaf colors,
from chartreuse to golden to deep purple. Variegated leaf varieties are also
available. Common and Japanese barberry are deciduous, they drop their leaves
in the fall after the color show.
Uses
and cultivation
Japanese barberry makes an excellent hedge that is
pretty and deer proof. It takes pruning
well and although some plants could reach 6 feet high and wide it can be kept
pruned to a much smaller size. Dwarf
varieties exist for smaller places and varieties with a narrow columnar
structure or low ground hugging forms are also available.
Japanese barberries with their thorny stems are often
used as foundation plantings around doors and windows to keep prowlers from
hiding in them. Because of the many beautiful foliage colors that have been
developed they are used for focal points of color in the landscape and for fall
color they are outstanding.
Japanese barberry will grow in almost any soil although
they don’t like really dry spots. They
are hardy from zones 4-9 and will grow in full sun and partial shade. They will require some pruning to shape them and
restrain their size in many cases and every few years the oldest woodiest stems
should be removed to keep the plant full and vibrant looking.
Some varieties with colored foliage will grow stems
that have reverted back to the normal green color. You should keep these trimmed off as they are
generally more vigorous and will soon dominate the plant.
If Japanese barberries are neglected and grow into
huge, prickly messes you can cut them back hard to about a foot from the ground
and they will recover and become pretty again. They have few pests and diseases
and require little care other than the occasional pruning and watering when it’s
been really dry.
Propagation of Japanese barberries is either by seed or
cutting. As mentioned above don’t start
them from seed if common barberry could be nearby as bees could have cross
pollinated them and the resulting progeny could carry wheat rust fungus. They do not come true from seed so seedlings
could have any leaf color or form. Seeds need cold stratification to germinate.
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| Fall barberry color |
Cuttings can be taken in late summer of semi-soft wood
for rooting. This will ensure you get new plants just like the one you took the
cutting from.
Some varieties of Japanese barberry include ‘Rose Glow’, with purple spring color turning into variegated
pink and white foliage for summer, but not great fall color, ‘B. atropurpurea’ has red- purple summer color with deep orange-red
fall color, ‘B. Aurea’ has golden,
very round leaves in spring, ringed with red in the summer and turning to flame
red in fall, it needs part shade for
best color.
‘Red
Chief ‘ has red-purple stems and small round, purple red foliage
with orange red fall color. The stems remain colorful through winter. ‘Kobold’ is a dwarf 1 ½ foot high by 3 feet
wide, with small green leaves and good orange fall color. ‘Halmonds Pillar’ has a narrow
upright form with wine red color.
Edible
and medicinal qualities of barberry
For those of you who want to eat every plant you grow
the good news is that the ripe berries can be eaten raw or turned into jelly.
The jelly will not have a particularly pleasant taste but it is edible. The
fruit is also used in lemonade like drink.
Dried young leaves are sometimes used as tea.
Medicinal qualities of Japanese barberry are somewhat
unclear as most herbals reference the common barberry. The common barberry should not be grown
because it spreads a deadly wheat disease and is illegal in most places. However it can be assumed that Japanese barberry
might be used in similar folk remedies.
Both varieties contain berberine, the compound linked to most medicinal
qualities.
Berberine is being studied for its possible beneficial
effect on blood pressure by causing a dilatation of the blood vessels. It’s also known to lower blood sugar. Some researchers are studying its antibacterial
and antioxidant effects.
Folk medicine uses it for diarrhea, (ripe berries)
complaints of the digestive system like heartburn, liver problems, kidney and
bladder infections (root bark) and externally on rashes, minor cuts and so on. It is considered a bitter tonic. Once again, most folk remedies used common
barberry.
Pregnant women should not use barberry products as it
can cause uterine contractions. People on prescription medicines for diabetes,
high blood pressure, and liver disease should not use barberry as it interferes
with these medications. If you use any
prescription medicines consult a doctor before using herbal preparations. Overdoses of barberry concoctions are said to
cause vomiting, heart palpitations, seizures and other neurological problems.
Pumpkin
preservation
Its fall and pumpkins are available locally. Most of the pumpkins on the market are going
to be turned into Jack O’ Lanterns but there are some good recipes that utilize
pumpkins and they are not all pie recipes.
Pumpkin is used in a variety of dishes from soups to desserts. It’s tasty and good for you too. Even the
typical spices used to flavor pumpkin have health benefits. Why not turn some of the pumpkins you grew or
bought at the market into some delightful dishes?
While pie type pumpkins are best for cooking, any
pumpkin can be cooked. This article will give you the scoop on cooking, caning
and freezing fresh pumpkins. Winter
squashes can also be cooked, canned and frozen exactly like pumpkin.
Preparing
pumpkin
Here’s how to prepare a pumpkin for fresh use in a
recipe.
·
Select ripe, firm pumpkins. Do not use pumpkins that have been frosted or
frozen.
·
Wash the pumpkin well under clean, running
water.
·
Cut the pumpkin in half.
·
Scoop out the stringy goop and seeds in the
center of the pumpkin. Save the seeds
for roasting if you want.
·
Scrape the inner side of the pumpkin with
the blade of a spoon until all the stringy matter is gone.
·
Cut the pumpkin into 1 inch chunks unless
you are roasting or grilling it. In
those cases cut it into 3-4 inch chunks.
·
Stand each chunk on end and slice off the
rind or skin with a sharp knife. There
is a color change between the hard rind and the fleshy part. Discard the rind.
·
Proceed with your recipe directions or see
cooking tips below.
Cooking
fresh pumpkin
There are two main ways to cook a fresh pumpkin. You can place chunks of prepared pumpkin
flesh in a pan with enough water to cover them and cook on low heat until it is
softened. Drain off the cooking water.
For most recipes you will then mash the pumpkin with a potato masher,
blender or even a spoon. In some soup
recipes the pumpkin chunks will be cooked in other fluids.
You can also bake or grill larger pumpkin pieces. Lightly spray the grill or a cookie sheet
with olive oil or a butter spray. Place the pumpkin pieces on it. Bake at 325º or grill on medium heat until
the pumpkin is softened. Occasionally
halved or quartered, cleaned pumpkins are baked. Consult your recipe but generally baked and
grilled pumpkin is also mashed or pureed.
Canning
pumpkin
The easiest way to have cooked pumpkin on hand for
recipes is to can it. This allows you
the convenience of having cooked pumpkin for recipes throughout the year. You will need a pressure canner to can
pumpkin. When you can pumpkin at home
you are making good use of a local and seasonal food source.
It is not safe to can mashed pumpkin as its too dense
to allow proper heating in the center of jar.
Leave the mashing to when you open the can to use it. It will be soft and easy to mash. Also add spices just before using the pumpkin
for best flavor.
·
You will need 18-20 pounds of whole pumpkin
to can 7 quarts of pumpkin.
·
Clean and prepare pumpkin as outlined in
the beginning of the article.
·
Clean 7 quart jars, rims and lids in hot
water and keep warm.
·
Place the pumpkin chunks in a large pot and
add water to cover them.
·
Bring the pot to a boil and then boil for 3
minutes. The pieces should still feel
firm. Save the cooking water and keep it hot.
·
With tongs remove chunks of pumpkin and
pack your jars with them to 1 inch from the top. Do not mash the pumpkin.
·
Ladle the hot, saved cooking water over the
pumpkin pieces, leave one inch of space at the top.
·
Run a bubble stick through the jars to
remove bubbles, wipe the rim and add the lid and screw band.
·
Place the jars in a pressure canner and
process for 90 minutes. Set pressure on
a dial gauge at 11 pounds at up to 2,000 feet altitude, 2000-4000 feet at 12
pounds, 4000-6000 at 13 pounds and above 6000 feet altitude at 14 pounds. For weighted gauges set them at 10 pounds up
to 2000 feet altitude and 15 pounds above 2,000 feet altitude.
·
Remove jars and allow them to cool. Check seals and label before storage.
Freezing
pumpkin
You can freeze chunks of pumpkin that have been
blanched and finish cooking them later or you can cook, mash and season pumpkin
before freezing. To blanch pumpkin cut
it into chunks, and place the chunks in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain the pumpkin pieces and freeze in
freezer bags or containers.
To freeze mashed pumpkin cook the pumpkin as described
earlier in the article. Mash the pumpkin
and put it in freezer bags or containers to freeze. You can season the pumpkin before freezing
but not seasoning it before freezing allows you more flexibility later when you
use it.
Now that you have some canned or frozen pumpkin to work
with you can experiment with all of the great pumpkin recipes and surprise
someone you love.
Columbus
Day should not be celebrated
Here’s
my little rant on how I feel about Columbus Day which we celebrated
yesterday.
It’s interesting that Columbus is celebrated here as
being the discoverer of the Americas, when in 1507 a book was published in
Europe giving that honor to Amerigo Vespucci, the man whose name was given to
the two continents. Historians in that
time believed that Vespucci had explored the coast of America before Columbus. In 1492 Columbus discovered some islands off
the coast, Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, not the mainland. He did return 3 times and probably explored
the coast of Florida. Interestingly what
Columbus was looking for was herbs and spices, as well as gold. He didn’t find any gold but he brought
several food crops back with him, coconuts, potatoes, corn and other things.
And we can’t forget there was an actual Viking
settlement on Greenland around 1000AD and that the Vikings recorded sailing
along the northern coast of North America and exploring rivers inland. And to give credit where it’s really due,
people from northeast Asia crossed the
land bridge from Siberia into North America some 12,000 years ago. From several waves of human migration both
North and South America were settled from tip to tip and west to east long
before Europeans arrived.
In the 100+ years between Vespucci’s exploration and
the settlement at Plymouth Rock, numerous explorers from many countries
travelled across both North and South America.
They did not find continents devoid of humans, rather these explorers
described huge cities, we know some indigenous cities in the early 1500’s had
15,000 or more people, cities both here and in South America. They also described numerous smaller cities
or villages of people spread across the lands.
The people of North and South America had a number of
cultures and languages. They knew of
each other and trade between cultures was frequent. Some cultures were nomadic, following game
and moving with the season, others were agricultural and settled permanently. They
wove and made pottery, mined metals and made intricate jewelry, turned maple
syrup into sugar, which became a trade commodity, gathered wild foods, fished,
and also farmed enough food to feed large populations.
Cabeza de Vaca, an explorer from Spain in 1527
described a city in what is now Arizona, of Pueblo people, who he said, had
cotton blankets finer than those at home, permanent homes and great stocks of
grain. French explorers in the north
described large settlements of native people farming land and managing fruit
and nut orchards along the St. Lawrence river and down along the Mississippi
river. They described large, well-tended
farm fields covering many acres. (The
French settlement of Quebec and its fort were built in 1608, well before the
Plymouth Rock colony struggled to take hold.)
But by the time the Europeans became successfully
established, which they couldn’t have done without the help of the first people
of the land, and moved further inland the First People’s populations had been
drastically reduced. Diseases brought in
by those early explorers, measles, influenza, cholera, and others had swept
through the populations, who had no immunity to them, killing millions. Fields were abandoned, homes crumbled into
dust. When 200 years or so later early
European pioneers began migrating from those initial coastal colonies into what
they thought was unclaimed and untouched wilderness, they were merely seeing
what nature does to heal itself when humans leave. People before them had introduced new
species, changed the soil and topography and managed wildlife hunting. But now those efforts went unseen.
With arrogance and ignorance Europeans began to claim
the land as their own. They thought
there was so much “untouched” land and such abundant game that there was no
reason that they shouldn’t claim it.
When they encountered some remaining First People they usually enslaved
them,( the first true slaves in the nation were Native Americans) moved them
somewhere else or killed them. In fact
they often deliberately used those diseases that had killed thousands of the
First People already, handing out blankets that had been rubbed with small pox
or cholera secretions to weaken and depopulate the First People in an
area. They committed genocide with
superior weapons. Oh there was some
pretense of paying native people for the land, making treaties and such, but
time after time Europeans broke those treaties and cheated native people.
The fact is Europeans overpowered, killed, and pushed
their way onto this continent. It is the
story of conquest repeated through the millennia, across every land and
continent. I often wonder what it would
be like if things had happened differently, if instead of the first people
falling ill to strange diseases, the invading Europeans had instead been felled
by diseases contracted from the first people.
If first people populations had remained large enough would they have
been able to better negotiate or control their fate on this land?
We shouldn’t be celebrating Columbus Day. Columbus was not the first to discover
America. He should never have been
lifted to hero status. He did nothing to
found this country, he didn’t even explore or see much of the country and when
he left he was convinced he had found India.
We can’t say that Columbus was even responsible for the terrible things
that happened to the first people of this land.
In history Columbus should be a minor player.
What would be nice would be to change Columbus Day to
First People or Native American Day and celebrate all the contributions these
people made to our lives. They helped
our European ancestors survive and learn skills they needed here. They
introduced us to many new foods, corn, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, peanuts,
agave, quinoa, arrowroot, sunflower, pineapple, pumpkin, cocoa bean
(chocolate), vanilla, cranberries, cassava, papaya, avocado, turkey, and
muscovy duck to name a few. They also
gave us tobacco, and coca (cocaine), maybe a payback? We developed several medicines from native
remedies. Jerky making and freeze drying
are food preservation techniques from the Americas. Syringes, toboggans and snowshoes are
pre-European Native American inventions.
The Iroquois tribes system of government contributed
greatly to our Constitution, Articles of Confederation and Bill of Rights and
was recognized for that contribution by Congress in 1988. Field and ice hockey, and lacrosse were
Native American sports. The science of
ecology is based on the Native American take on being connected with and
working with nature. Sign language used
today is based on Native American sign language. Our spoken language contains many words from
the languages of First People, including: barbecue, caribou, chipmunk,
woodchuck, hammock, toboggan, skunk, mahogany, hurricane, and moccasin. And of course many place names in North
America are from Native American names.
Native American citizens have contributed like other
citizens by serving honorably to protect our country, as athletes, doctors,
writers, musicians, artists and scholars.
In the US about 2.9 million people identify as Native American and 5.2
million identify as part Native American. (This does not include Alaskan and
Polynesian Native Americans.)
It is time that Columbus Day became First People Day or
Native American Day, instead of honoring a minor European historical person.
For real pictures of Native Americans visit the
National Archives here.
Have
a warm pumpkin spice day!
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
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
New-Lecture
by Fergus Garrett at the Detroit Institute of Arts, Saturday, Oct 15, 2016, 2pm, at
the Detroit Institute of Arts, Danto Lecture Hall, 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit,
MI
Head
Gardener at Christopher Lloyd's Great Dixter presents the Betsy Campbell
lecture at the DIA. The lecture is free with admission to the DIA. DIA box office: 313-833-4005, www.dia.org.
New -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
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