Hi Gardeners
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| Have a great Thanksgiving like this turkey |
You may be wondering why I
didn’t post my usual weekly blog on the 14th and why this blog is
late. It’s a combination of two things,
me almost dying and my computer actually dying.
I suffered a pulmonary embolism and spent a few days in the
hospital. I am doing much better, but I
came home to find that without me my computer had withered and died. I am writing this on an old laptop, so it
isn’t as long as usual and there may be fewer pictures than normal.
I think of myself as a person
who plans for emergencies so it was a bit disconcerting to find that when a
trip to the ER turned into a hospital stay I wasn’t as prepared as I thought. I
was out of chicken feed and my houseplants were due to be watered. My husband
is in a wheelchair, there are things he can’t do, and I don’t like leaving him
alone a long time. With the help of our
sons’ things managed to get accomplished but it taught me a lesson. Always have an extra bag of chicken feed on
hand and leave directions on houseplant care somewhere, (along with device
passwords, directions for feeding the pets and chickens and leaving the husband
with some cash money to send with people on errands).
Luckily the outside work has dwindled
to almost nothing this time of year. We
have had a lot of cold weather and there is nothing left blooming in the
garden. There’s hardly anything with leaves left in the garden. However some of the roses and the snapdragons
are still green. I was able to get some
nice fresh sage picked today for my turkey on Thanksgiving. Fresh sage has a slightly different taste
than dried sage, a slightly citrus note.
I’ll chop it and add it to the chicken broth I baste the turkey with.
Inside I still have many
things in bloom, hibiscus, fuchsia, Christmas cacti, the bidens basket and
several streptocarpus. Everything survived a few extra days without water.
While waiting for a prescription I found a color of Christmas cactus I didn’t
have so I treated myself to a new plant.
There’s barely room to squeeze anything else into this house but I
managed.
Hopefully my regular computer
will be repaired or replaced soon and my blogs will once again be posted on
Tuesdays. I hope everyone has a
wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and finds much to give thanks for. I know I am feeling very thankful.
Growing herbs on the window sill
If you are a cook you know
that the best tasting herbs are fresh ones, plucked right from the plant just
before using. But if you live in a spot
where herbs aren’t available in the garden during the winter your source of
fresh herbs is limited to what you can purchase in a store- and those herbs are
never the same as fresh picked. The good
news is that some herbs can be grown indoors during the winter either on a
sunny window sill or under grow light.
Not every herb is a candidate
for indoor growing and the conditions in your home will also limit what you can
grow. If you have a cool (45-60ºF) but
very sunny spot you will have success with more types of herbs. All common herbs need good strong light so if
you don’t have a south facing window (and it doesn’t have to be a kitchen
window) you may need to supplement your light with a grow light. A few herbs may grow well on a west facing
window sill.
Some herbs are perennials and
they can be grown in pots that are set outside in the summer and returned to
the house in the fall each year. Most
perennial herbs do best in that cooler, sunnier environment mentioned
above. They will rest during the winter
for a few months but can still furnish you with fresh herbs for cooking. A sunny unheated porch or sunroom or an
unused room where the heat is turned down are excellent places for most
perennial herbs.
If you don’t have a sunny
window sill you can use a grow light to keep your herbs healthy. It will need to be about 18 inches above the
top of your herbs. Temperature is still
important; some herbs need cool winter temperatures, others like warmer
temperatures that are similar to the ones we are comfortable in.
Herb varieties for indoors
Chives are one of the easiest
herbs to grow on a window sill. They can
do well on a south or west facing window sill.
Chives can be started from seed in late summer for indoor use or you can
dig a clump from the garden in fall and pot it.
Chives are sometimes sold in pots in the produce section of stores
too. You can put chives outside in the
summer in the pot or plant it in the ground as it is a perennial and it can
survive winter outside in most areas of the country. Chives grow best in cool conditions but will
do all right in warmer rooms.
Don’t over water chives inside;
let them dry a bit between watering. In
March you can fertilize the pot of chives lightly to promote flowering. You can snip the chive leaves off for cooking
at any time but try to remove less than a third of the plant at a time. Chive’s purple flowers are also edible.
Mustard and watercress are
herbs that are sometimes grown to sprinkle on salads and other dishes for a
tangy zip of taste. Mustard and
watercress are grown from seeds. The seeds can be mixed together or sown
separately. You harvest these plants
while they are young and tender so you need to make several sowings each
winter. Simply fill shallow trays with a
good potting medium that has been well moistened, sprinkle on the seeds and
press down lightly so they have contact with the soil. Cover the tray with a plastic bag and place
it in a warm spot until the plants sprout.
After the seeds sprout remove the bag and put the trays in a sunny
window or under grow lights.
Mustard and watercress prefer
cooler, sunny areas. Keep them moist but
not sitting in water. Trim or pinch off
leaves when the plants have several sets of them. You can also pull the whole plant and trim
off the roots before using. Start a new
batch of seeds about 2 weeks after the first one sprouted so you will have a
continuous supply. Discard the first
batch as the new one gets ready to harvest.
These plants do not do well indoors when they get larger and can’t be
transplanted outside with good results.
Rosemary is a delightful
evergreen, perennial herb. In planting zones 6 and higher it is hardy outside
in the garden through the winter. In
some mild dry winter climates you could harvest it from the garden all
winter. However, for those gardeners who
live in zone 5 and lower and those who have snowy wet winters you will need to
pot a plant and bring it inside for the winter.
Rosemary is often sold around Christmas in pots sheared to look like a
small evergreen tree.
Rosemary needs a cool, sunny
place to do well indoors. Let it dry out
between watering. You can place the pots
outside in the summer and keep your plant for many years. It will often bloom indoors in late spring or
even in the fall just after you bring it in.
Repot the plant each spring before you put it in the garden, give a
light dose of fertilizer and watch it get bigger each year.
Snip or pinch off young leave
tips from your rosemary and never remove more than a few sprigs at a time. Rosemary is used to flavor meat dishes, soups
and stews and sprinkled on bread dough before baking.
Thyme is another perennial
herb that can be grown in a pot in a cool, sunny area inside for winter
harvests and placed back in the garden each spring. Make sure to get a culinary type of thyme,
there are dozens of ornamental varieties.
Let it dry between watering and keep it trimmed fairly short
inside. Harvest young leaves or whole
tender shoots. Thyme is used on meats
and in soups and stews.
Bay and lemon verbena are
tender perennials that form shrubs or small trees in warm climates. In planting zones 8 and lower, they need to
be potted and placed outside only after the danger of frost has passed. These two make pretty houseplants and prefer
warmer sunny rooms. Leaves are plucked
off and used as needed.
Basil is sometimes grown
inside. However, it is somewhat finicky and prone to disease. It is started from seed. It likes warm, sunny conditions and should
be kept evenly moist.
Parsley also does better
outside but may do fairly well in a cool, sunny place inside. It is slow to germinate so start seeds in
late summer in pots for indoor use.
Discard these plants in the spring.
Sage and oregano have been
grown in the house but don’t always do well.
They need a cool but sunny spot and to dry out between watering. Make sure to get culinary (cooking) types of
sage or oregano. Start with small
seedling plants in the fall. You can
transplant these into the garden in the spring but start with new young plants
every fall for indoor use as younger plants adjust better to indoor conditions.
Mints of various flavors will
grow satisfactorily in the house. As
with sage and oregano start with young potted plants each fall. They can be grown in hanging baskets. Cool, sunny conditions are best and keep them
pruned or pinched back to prevent them from getting straggly. Let them dry between watering. They can be transplanted to the garden in the
spring.
If you have other herbs that
you favor in cooking you can always try to grow them inside. Even if they survive only part of the winter
you will have extended your fresh herb availability. Some medicinal herbs, such as catnip and
chamomile can also be grown inside but results vary as many of these prefer a
cold winter rest.
Japanese Maples
Japanese maples are popular with gardeners and will make
an interesting addition to any partly or lightly shaded garden. They dislike full sun situations, but some
varieties can take the sun if kept moist. Japanese maples are grown for their
lovely leaf colors, shape and interesting bark. These versatile trees can be also be grown
in containers, or as bonsai plants.
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| Japanese maple |
Japanese maples, Acer
palmatum, come from Japan, from the temperate mountainous regions of the
country, where they have been cultivated for hundreds of years. A few sub-species also come from China and
Korea.
The Japanese took the genetically diverse Japanese maple
and turned it into hundreds of different forms. While some older cultivars have disappeared
from the market new cultivars are always being introduced. Japanese maples are excellent plants for
collectors with deep pockets, as there are nearly 1000 varieties
available. The average gardener can find
a number of good varieties at reasonable prices, but some are still a bit expensive.
Description
There is much variation in Japanese maple species and
varieties. Most are small trees or
shrubs in form. There are weeping
varieties, upright forms, dome shaped forms, multi-trunk and single trunk
forms. The leaves are generally lobed, many have lobes that are deeply or
completely divided except at the base.
The lobes can also be divided until the leaf takes on a lacy, fern like
appearance. Japanese Maples lose their
leaves in the winter.
Color of the leaves is also extremely variable. Gardeners seem to prefer red and purple
shades, but there are golden, cream, and variegated leaves as well as all
shades of green. Some have leaves that
take on a different color each season.
Trunk color also varies from brown, to red to golden or green.
Japanese maples have typical maple seed pods although the
size and color can vary here too. It’s
called a samara, two winged seeds joined at one end, like an upside-down v.
The names of cultivars are often confused in the nursery
or garden store and if you are looking for a particular type of Japanese maple
it’s always wise to see it when it is leafed out, so you know what you are
getting.
Finding the right place
Japanese Maples come from moderate climate zones. Most varieties will not do well in zone 4 or
lower or in zone 8 and above. They
dislike extreme winter temperatures but need at least several weeks of
temperature below 45 degrees to do well.
If they do not get a dormant season they will decline after a few
years. Always check the zone rating
before buying and be careful with new varieties just coming on the market whose
hardiness may not be known.
Most Japanese maples should be planted in light shade, or
dappled shade. They are under-story
trees in their native habitat. Some Japanese
maple varieties tolerate more sun if they can be kept evenly moist. They do well under deciduous trees that allow
filtered light to reach the Japanese maple or on the north sides of buildings.
Japanese maples prefer deep, loose soil rich in organic
matter. They have relatively weak root
systems and suffer in compacted soil or heavy clay. They also need to be kept moist, so sandy
soil is not the best location. They do
not grow well where the soil is always wet however.
Planting and care
Proper planting is one of the best ways to keep a
Japanese maple thriving. Plant Japanese maples in the spring or in the fall
about six weeks before the ground freezes.
Avoid planting in the heat of summer.
Always remove anything around the tree roots such as burlap, peat pots,
cages, strings and wires before planting. Check the root system by gently
washing away any soil covering the roots and look for circling roots. Circling roots should be trimmed at the point
where they begin to curve. Loosen and
spread out the roots if they form a tangled mass.
Find the top lateral (or sideways growing) root. The tree should be planted so that this root
is just a couple inches below the soil surface.
Trees that are left in burlap balls have often had this root buried
deeply and if you leave soil and burlap on the root system you won’t plant the
tree at a good depth. Trees need a root
flare, a widened area, at their above ground base to develop trunk strength and
grow properly.
Do not use fertilizer in the planting hole or amend the
soil you back fill the hole with. Always
refill a hole with the soil taken out of it, no matter how terrible you think
your soil is. Research has shown this is
the best way to achieve quick root establishment and get a tree off to a good
start. Don’t let salespeople talk you
into a bag of peat or topsoil to add to the hole. After planting, you can work some compost and
a small amount of slow release fertilizer into the soil around the tree if you wish.
Japanese maples should be mulched with organic matter,
bark chips work well, after planting. Don’t
mound the mulch up like a volcano and keep it from touching the tree trunk. The
trunks should be protected with tree wrap or a wire screen. A trunk that will receive the south or west
sun on it in winter should be protected with white tree wrap or shaded in some
other manner to prevent frost cracking.
Keep the tree well-watered as it establishes the root
system. If planted in the fall you may want to consider burlap, a tree tube or
another type of protective screen for the first winter to keep it from drying
out in the winter wind.
Each spring, fertilize Japanese maples with a slow
release fertilizer. Japanese maples,
like other maples, may suffer from iron or manganese deficiencies. The symptoms are pale or yellowing leaves,
sometimes with darker veins. Don’t
confuse this with color variations of some Japanese maple selections. Have the
soil tested and apply remedial nutrients if needed.
Keep the tree mulched and the trunk protected from animal
and weed wacker/mower damage. Japanese
maples often leaf out very early in the spring and these leaves are susceptible
to frost damage. If the tree is small
you can cover it with a protective sheet when frost threatens. Most frost nipped leaves will drop off but a
healthy tree will replace the leaves.
Keep Japanese maples well-watered until the ground
freezes. The edges of the leaves may
brown and curl in hot, dry weather even if the tree is well watered. This is called leaf scorch. It’s more likely
to happen with some varieties than others and with trees in more sun. As the tree establishes itself this should
become less frequent. If it doesn’t you
may need to move the tree.
Aphids can become a problem with young Japanese
maples. A strong rinsing of plain water
or an application of insecticidal soap (not a dish soap concoction!) may
help. You may also need to apply an insecticide
that’s lists control of aphids on its label.
Pruning Japanese Maples
Japanese maples vary by cultivar as to the rate of growth
and the ultimate size the tree will obtain.
However, they do grow, so plan for a larger tree when planting them. Most grow to about 20 feet high and wide at
maturity. They are easily pruned to the shape you desire. The Japanese way to prune is to thin out the
canopy so the structure of the branches can be seen. The way you want the tree to look will
determine how you want to prune it.
Prune Japanese maples in late winter, just before the
buds begin to swell. Prune a little
each year; never remove more than twenty percent of the tree. In general, remove dead branches and branches
that obstruct vision or protrude into paths and then work on shaping. Prune branches that cross each other and rub
and ones that grow inward. Examine the
tree carefully and take off what think will give you the height and shape you
desire.
Cut the branches just above a bud or back to the branch
collar against the trunk. Use sharp,
clean pruning shears or a saw. If your
Japanese maple must be cut during the growing season you may want to treat
large cut surfaces with an antimicrobial pruning sealer, especially if it is a
rare and expensive variety. Normally it isn’t recommended to seal pruning
wounds, but in this case it may be helpful.
A healthy Japanese maple is an asset to most garden
settings but don’t try to force a tree into an unsuitable environment. Do your homework and carefully select a
variety of Japanese maple that best suits your zone and growing
conditions. Once established the tree
could live for hundreds of years and bring joy to many generations.
Decorating with live plants for the
holidays
Combine
your love of gardening with holiday decorating by using live potted plants as
part of the decorations. You can use
nice potted plants that you have around the house or use holiday decorating as
an excuse to buy more exotic house plants.
Potted plants also make great office decorations and gifts.
Many
stores feature gift plants such as mums, poinsettias and Christmas cacti around
the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, but these aren’t the only plants that
can be used as decorations. With a little
imagination a beautiful plant can become the center focus of holiday decorating
and remain after the holidays to lift the spirits all through winter.
Almost
any green plant can be made festive by adding a brightly colored pot, a bow or
even tiny decorations. For Thanksgiving
you’ll want to decorate with harvest colors but after Thanksgiving the same
plant can be re-decorated with Christmas colors, and the palette of colors used
at Christmas has expanded in recent years from red and green to many other
color combinations.
Common
houseplants like Boston ivy, palms, ribbon plant, ferns, philodendron, spider
plants, Norfolk Island pine and jade plants make excellent decorations in
pretty pots with ribbons. Pots of the
herb rosemary make excellent holiday plants, fragrant when brushed. Sometimes you can find them sheared into a
Christmas tree shape.
A
less common plant called Frosty Fern is available only near the holidays. This lovely plant looks like the tips of its
fronds are frosted white. Frosty Fern, Selaginiela Krausianna Variegatus is a
club moss, a fern relative. It tolerates
the low light decorative plants are often subjected to and looks lovely in a
red pot. Rabbits Foot fern is also a
good decorating choice.
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| Frosty fern |
Other
great choices for exotic potted plant decorations include blooming orchids,
gardenias, tropical hibiscus, and potted citrus or pomegranate trees. Miniature roses can often be found in
stores. These tiny roses can bloom all
winter in a sunny window.
Check
any store that sells houseplants for an endless variety that could become
holiday decorations or gifts. The
nursery that sold you plants in the summer may sell houseplants and exotic
tropicals in winter.
For Thanksgiving some artificial pumpkins or
even small real gourds could be added to the pot. You can hollow out a small pumpkin and insert
a plant in its pot. A large wicker
basket with several green plants inserted then surrounded by mixed nuts in the
shell, or bittersweet sprays, or artificial leaves in bright colors would be
pretty.
For
Christmas add artificial birds, or put tiny elves in the pot. Spray a few
twisted branches with fake snow and insert in the pot. Try setting the potted
plant in a bowl that’s larger than the pot and filling the bowl with glass
Christmas ornaments. Insert a smaller
pot into a clear glass vase or jar and totally surround the pot with tiny glass
ornaments or even beads in your color scheme.
Plastic confetti, tinsel, or plastic ribbon shreds could also fill the
clear container. There is glittery
plastic snow that you scatter on Christmas displays that could fill a container
or even dust the top of a pot.
A
clever party favor would be to glue a small wood square on the bottom of large
glass Christmas balls to make them sit upright. Then remove the top of the ball
which is usually a piece of metal held in place with tiny spring wires. Fill the ball with water and insert starter
plants such as a small spider plant, which will grow in water for a while.
Wrap
pots in colored foil and tie with a bow.
Or use gift bags with the plant peeking out the top. Plants will need to be watered so if the item
you wrap the plant in could be damaged by water, put the pot in a plastic bag
or waterproof container first.
Take
good care of your green decoration and it will survive the holiday. Try to place the decoration in good light or
keep it only a few days in poor light situations. Water the pots when they are dry. Keep them out of cold drafts. Keep brown leaves pulled off and browned tips
of leaves trimmed off.
Don’t
use lights or heavy ornaments on green plants.
Keep them away from candles and fireplaces or anything that gives off
excessive heat. Don’t use spray on
flocking or “snow” on live plants. When
the holidays are over remove fancy coverings and place the plant where it gets
the proper lighting for its type.
Forget
the difficult to save poinsettias and use plants meant to survive in the house
for holiday decorating. You’ll love the
results.
Weiner schnitzel
Americans tend
to think of Weiner as having to do with hot dogs but Weiner in German
means ‘from Vienna’ or Viennese and the dish is a lightly battered and fried
veal cutlet. If you don’t eat veal you can make this recipe with a pork cutlet
or regular beef. In fact, Weiner
schnitzel is much like chicken fried steak.
Pounding the
meat is important to the recipe, you want a flat thin piece of meat. The pounding helps tenderize the meat
too. Lay a piece of waxed paper over the
meat and pound it with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. Try not to make holes in the meat.
If you are
tired of turkey leftovers Weiner schnitzel will give up something different to
break up the holiday week. It’s a
comfort food prepared at home for many but also served in the finest
restaurants. This recipe will make about
4 servings.
Ingredients
2 eggs
½ cup flour
¼ teaspoon
white pepper (black pepper is also fine)
¼ teaspoon
onion powder
¼ teaspoon
garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup unseasoned
bread crumbs
4 veal cutlets,
pounded to 1/4" thickness
Frying oil
Put the eggs in
a bowl and beat them until fluffy.
Mix the flour
and spices together in another bowl.
Put the bread
crumbs in another bowl. You now have
three bowls of coatings.
Using a fork or
tongs dip a piece of meat into the flour.
Flip it to coat both sides.
Now dip the
coated meat into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides.
Next dip the
coated meat into the bread crumbs, flip to coat the other side.
Repeat these
steps with the other pieces of meat.
Heat about a ½
inch of cooking oil in a large frying pan to 350F. You need enough oil to float the meat pieces,
they shouldn’t sit on the pan bottom.
With a spatula
carefully lower the meat pieces into the hot oil. Watch for grease
spatters. Leave room between the meat
pieces, don’t crowd them in the pan.
Fry the meat
about 3 minutes until it looks golden brown, then flip the pieces gently and
fry 3 more minutes.
Place the
cutlets on a plate with a layer of paper towels to absorb grease for a few
minutes then serve warm.
Wiener
schnitzel is usually served with gravy over it.
A good side dish is German potato salad or mashed potatoes.
Have
a wonderful holiday everyone.
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
©
Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.
And
So On….
Find
Michigan garden events/classes here:
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facebook page)
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Newsletter/blog
information
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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
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Glad you are recovering! Good job on Treat Yourself! with the Christmas Cactus. <3
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