Tuesday, October 30, 2018

October 30, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog


Hi Gardeners

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”
– John Burrows

Fall is almost over.  The calendar tells us fall ends with the December solstice but for most of us November signifies the best of fall has passed.  Sure there’s still Thanksgiving and there may be warm days still ahead but the trees are mostly bare by November and the skies often gray and the feel is less autumn than winter.

In my garden a few plants still hang on, blooming despite the cold.  There are mums, some durable petunias and calibrachoa, violas and even a few garden phlox.  But the hosta are big messy piles of yellow leaves, the ferns are brown and crispy, and dead stalks abound.

I have almost all of my bulbs planted, I still have some narcissus to get planted.  Some of the dahlias are dug some still need digging.  I did some drastic pruning of a wisteria and lots of pick up and clean up so I hope we get some decent weather this week.

I got a wonderful card from a neighbor this week.  She wrote to thank me for my garden.  She told me she doesn’t get out much and when she does she loves to look at my garden as she passes to see what’s blooming.  Looking at the flowers lift her spirits.  It lifted my spirits to have someone appreciate my work, although I would probably garden even if no one ever saw the garden. I invited the neighbor to stop and visit the garden in the spring if she could.  If you see a garden that makes you happy let the gardener know.  I guarantee they’ll appreciate your words.

This week’s blog has shorter topics and I’ve added some quotes about autumn just for fun between topics.  I hope you enjoy.



“A moral character is attached to autumnal scenes; the leaves falling like our years, the flowers fading like our hours, the clouds fleeting like our illusions, the light diminishing like our intelligence, the sun growing colder like our affections, the rivers becoming frozen like our lives--all bear secret relations to our destinies.”
-          ― François-René de Chateaubriand, Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe


Saving the mums

Gardeners buy Chrysanthemums in the fall to pop into beds where annuals have fizzled or have been killed by frost.  They are very affordable and create a vibrant look in the late fall garden. There is nothing wrong with using mums as annuals, and not worrying if they will survive the winter. Even if the tag says hardy mum, many of the mums you buy in full bloom in the fall will not survive winter and bloom next year.  So, don’t feel bad if you just let them go.

If you want to give it a try, however, plant the potted mums directly into the soil as soon as you can. Keep them watered well until the ground freezes. When the flowers are done trim the stems to about half their length and mulch the plants heavily.  In the spring remove the mulch when the weather warms very carefully.  Don’t remove the dead stems until you see a flush of new green growth at the stem base.  Then carefully cut off dead stems, don’t yank at the stem.  It’s very easy to dislodge the new growth with old stems.

Mums can also be overwintered inside for the first winter- so you can plant them out in the spring and get them acclimated before the following winter. To do this you need a cool spot inside with good strong light.  Keep the mums outside until a good snow is expected or temperatures are expected to fall below 20 degrees.  Make sure to keep watering potted mums if fall is dry.

When you bring the mums inside cut them back to about 6 inches.  A cool basement with grow lights, an unheated porch with southern facing windows, or an unheated greenhouse would be ideal.  Temperatures should stay above freezing but not get above 60 degrees.  Let the mums get slightly dry between watering but try not to let them get wilted.   Most potted mums should stay green through winter this way. 

As the days get longer- about March- you can bring the mums into a warmer area with strong light and you should see new growth beginning.  As soon as the danger of frost has passed plant them in a sunny spot in the garden.  Keeping them in pots for the spring and summer isn’t a good idea. While frost hardy in fall, the mums kept inside overwinter will be killed by frost in the spring because they haven’t acclimated. 

Most of the mums held inside will do well for the second fall.  But they may not survive winter, depending on your climate and the variety of mum you have.  Don’t try bringing them inside for the second winter, that rarely works.



“But frost, like the crystallized dreams of autumn, began to coat the clearing with its sugar glaze.”
― Victoria Logue, Redemption

Prune carefully in fall

Don’t prune woody plants until they have gone dormant, as pruning may encourage new growth that will expend some of the plants reserves it has stored for winter.  This new growth generally will not harden off enough before winter to survive and is wasted effort for the plant.  Also, buds will have formed for some spring and early summer flowering plants and pruning now will leave you without flowers next year.
Plants also experience winter die back from the tip toward the center of the plant.  The dead wood at the tip offers some protection for living tissue farther down. The more you can leave, the more living tissue may survive until spring. 
If you are going to cover roses with cones for winter protection only prune them back far enough so that the cone will fit. Never put on the plant covers until the ground is frozen and day temperatures are below 40 degrees.
Carefully trim off semi-woody perennial plants like chrysanthemums, to about 6 inches above ground to avoid damage to buds growing near stem bases. These plants may actually survive better if you do not trim them until spring.
Leave lavender, rosemary, sage, and creeping sedums alone.  Also leave shrub and landscape roses to be pruned in the spring.  You can cut buddleias right to the ground as they bloom better and look nicer when they come back from the roots. Just mark the spot so you know where they are.
  “The magic of autumn has seized the countryside; now that the sun isn't ripening anything it shines for the sake of the golden age; for the sake of Eden; to please the moon for all I know.”
― Elizabeth Coatsworth, Personal Geography: Almost an Autobiography


Do Houseplants Really Clean Indoor Air?
The answer to this question is complicated.  It turns out that the answer is yes but not very well.  New research has given us some insights as to what plants actually can do to clean air and the benefit may not be as great as what many of us, including myself, were led to believe.
Back in 1989 some studies were done on using houseplants to clean the air in space capsules. Those studies found that in that closed environment some plants did do a pretty good job of removing pollutants from the air.  One researcher, B.C. “Bill” Wolverton, wrote a lot of articles and a book How to grow fresh air: 50 houseplants that purify your home or office (1996) that were used for decades to support the idea that houseplants were effective in removing indoor pollutants.  The problem was that using houseplants to clean the air was never properly tested in the real world of homes and offices.
In the past decade much more research has been done on using plants for cleaning indoor air in a typical home or office setting.  The results suggest that using houseplants as we commonly do now, has little benefit for cleaning the air of pollutants.  It’s not that plants don’t take up harmful particulates and gases in the air and either transform them into harmless substances or retain particulates in their tissues, they do perform those tasks.  But even a lot of plants in the home or office (680 plants in 1500 sq. feet made a small measurable difference) can’t substantially alter air quality.  
The work plants do to filter air is accidental, a byproduct of their need to obtain oxygen and carbon dioxide and then get rid of wastes. It takes time for a plant to process what it takes in and plants just can’t pull enough air through them fast enough to do a good job removing pollutants. Even with the help of microbes in the potting medium it’s just not enough in home and office settings to make much difference in air quality. Some species of plants are more efficient at removing different types of toxins than others, but even the most efficient ones can’t help much. 
Researchers also found that in a few instances, plants and their pots actually contributed to air pollution. That’s because many plants are treated with pesticides which can volatize and some containers made of plastic and foam products may produce pollutants of their own.  
There are researchers who are working with plants and technology to produce green air cleaning systems that really do work.  Many of these involve plants in charcoal or lava rock based hydroponic systems that have a fan that pulls air through the area.  Some larger systems with vertical rock walls of porous materials like lava rock are being used. The walls are planted with mosses and ferns and air is drawn through them to clean it.
As long as you don’t rely on houseplants to clean up really toxic air there’s no reason why they can’t be used in many situations as a supplement to mechanical air cleaners. Every little bit of pollution removed is good.  There is also good science-based information that reports that having plants in the environment makes people feel happier and healthier.
Every home and office needs houseplants.  Don’t let the idea that they can’t really clean the air keep you from having them.
Some references to check.


Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves.” – Humbert Wolfe

Walnuts and Alzheimers

In some areas walnuts are abundant in fall. You might want to harvest those nuts.  The Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR), (2014) fed mice the human equivalent of 1-1.5 ounces a day of walnuts.  They found the brains of the mice were protected from oxidative stress and inflammation that leads to formation of amyloid plagues that cause the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.  Mice with brain damage showed an improvement in memory, less anxiety and improved learning skills when fed walnuts. 
Researchers believe it’s the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) content of walnuts that causes the benefit.  Someday that nutrient may be available as a supplement but there may be other compounds in walnuts that contribute to the healthy effect they have.  It’s not hard to include an ounce or two of walnuts in the daily diet, either black or English walnuts.  It may be well worth it if it prevents Alzheimer’s. 
“Autumn is the very soul of metamorphosis, a time when the world is poised at the door of winter—which is the door of death—but has not yet fallen. It is a world of contradictions: a time of harvest and plenty but also of cold and hardship. Here we dwell in the midst of life, but we know most keenly that all things must pass away and shrivel. Autumn turns the world from one thing into another. The year is seasoned and wise but not yet decrepit or senile. If you wrote a letter of requisition, you could ask for no better place to practice alchemy.”
― Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making


Earthworms are an invasive species

You may have never seen an Ovenbird, a sparrow sized warbler that used to be common in Northeastern forests.  And most of us who are of a certain age remember when forest floors generally had drifts of trillium, sarsaparilla and Solomon’s seal.   Deer are responsible for loss of some plant species but studies at several Northeastern and Midwest Universities have found another culprit – the earthworm.

Earthworms are not native to North America.  They were brought here from Europe and Asia, all 16 species of them.  They arrived with the first farmers and slowly spread across the country.  Two species, the night crawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) and redworms,( Lumbricus rubellus) are mostly responsible for making  drastic changes in forest ecology across the country and may even be responsible for  increasing global warming .

Before the arrival of earthworms deciduous forests in the northern and eastern states always had a deep “duff” layer of leaves and other slowly decaying vegetation.  The decomposition of the duff was done by various species of fungus.  The deep fluffy forest duff was the nesting spot for birds like the ovenbird and home to salamanders, frogs, and other reptiles and amphibians.  

Many forest understory plants germinated their seeds in the duff and it protected their crowns in the winter.  The forest duff was a rich and diverse community of small organisms like insects and snails which were eaten by larger things like reptiles, mice and birds, which in turn were fed upon by even larger creatures.  Then in some forests, earthworms arrived.

As most gardeners know earthworms quickly eat vegetation that falls to the ground.  In agricultural setting earthworms are beneficial, breaking down compost, aerating the soil and enriching it with their droppings.  But when the forest duff quickly disappears so does the community of plants and animals that depended on it. The forest landscape has changed forever, since it’s almost impossible to rid an area of worms once they arrive.

Trees sequester carbon in their wood and leaves.  When those leaves remain on the forest floor for a long time so does the carbon, keeping it out of our atmosphere.  Worms, in the process of eating and digesting the leaves, release carbon into the air.  Since they also pull leaves underground before eating them and cause the soil to form aggregates that do trap carbon, researchers aren’t sure how great the loss of carbon sequestration is.   Research is ongoing in the northern forests of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont and other places where there are still some places free of earthworms to compare with places that have worms.

Earthworms have caused the decline of Ovenbirds (and perhaps other birds), many species of salamanders and other reptiles and amphibians as well as several species of plants, including sugar maples, which like the forest duff to germinate and grow in.  Some state and national forest areas prohibit the use of worms as fish bait or bringing any potted plants into these areas in an effort to exclude earthworms. 

Any forest that has regenerated from farmed land has earthworms in the soil.  Because earthworm eggs can be transported in the treads of boots and machinery even areas that were never farmed or gardened often get earthworms.  When people move close to old growth forests and bring in plants for the landscape or start a garden they almost always contaminate the soil with worms.  We probably have to accept that the forest ecology that existed before European farmers arrived in North America will probably cease to exist at some point.  The lowly earthworm has forever changed the land.

“AUTUMNAL

Pale amber sunlight falls across
The reddening October trees,
That hardly sway before a breeze
As soft as summer: summer's loss
Seems little, dear! on days like these.

Let misty autumn be our part!
The twilight of the year is sweet:
Where shadow and the darkness meet
Our love, a twilight of the heart
Eludes a little time's deceit.

Are we not better and at home
In dreamful Autumn, we who deem
No harvest joy is worth a dream?
A little while and night shall come,
A little while, then, let us dream.

Beyond the pearled horizons lie
Winter and night: awaiting these
We garner this poor hour of ease,
Until love turn from us and die
Beneath the drear November trees.”
― Ernest Dowson, The Poems and Prose of Ernest Dowson

Nippon daisy- Nipponanthemum nipponicum

A wonderful plant for extending the blooming season in the garden is the Nippon daisy, also called the Montauk daisy.  This underused plant is a close cousin to chrysanthemums and sometimes sold along side of them.  As the name suggests it has large white daisy like flowers with a yellow or greenish yellow center.

The Nippon daisy is native to Japan.  It’s a perennial and hardy from zones 5-9.  It’s an easy-care perennial and starts blooming late, from August to October and stays in bloom for many weeks. 

Nippon daisy

The plant has thick fleshy leaves similar to sedum, they are oval, dark green with a toothed margin and attached alternately to thick stems. As they grow the lower part of the stem may lose its leaves. Nippon daisy forms a clump, growing up to 3 feet tall.

Flowers appear on long stems in late summer extending into fall. They are white and about 3 inches across.  Most Nippon daisies have yellow centers, but some have purple or reddish centers.  They attract butterflies and are a good nectar plant for late summer and fall.  They also make great, long lasting cut flowers.

Growing Nippon daisies

Gardeners will want to start with plants. Plant Nippon daisies in full sun. Plants in less than full sun may develop floppy stems. They aren’t fussy about soil but like a well-drained area and may develop stem rot in wet conditions.  Once established they handle drought well.

Nippon daisies have few pests, leaf miners are an occasional threat.  There are occasional cases of leaf spot diseases but in general the plants are easy to grow.  Another bonus is that deer generally avoid them. 

Deadhead plants after they quit blooming in the fall but don’t cut back severely until spring.  When new shoots emerge carefully cut off old stems.

Cutting back Nippon daisy stems to about half in early summer will delay bloom to later in the fall and promote a bushier more compact plant.

Nippon daisies can be propagated by dividing plants every 3-5 years in early spring.  They can also be propagated from cuttings taken in late spring-early summer.

Nippon daisies look better with smaller perennials in front of them, to hide the bare parts of the stem.  They are great companions for mums, asters, toad lilies and anemones.

Toxicity and medical uses

The ASPCA lists this plant as toxic to pets.  I found in my references that it is considered to be mildly toxic, causing vomiting and diarrhea if eaten but not considered to be life threatening.  There are cases of people getting rashes from handling the plants, but any plant can cause a allergic reaction in some individuals.

I found no herbal uses of Nippon daisy but I am sure somewhere someone has ascribed some magical quality to it.  I would be very careful ingesting it.

A mournful song, a gray day
Leaves tossed down like a discarded dress
rumpled on the floor, tattered
a cold wind, stinging sleet
Autumn slinking into winter
-          Kim Willis

Fall casserole

Here’s something different but easy to prepare for a cold fall evening.  You may want to save the recipe for after Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

1 (8.5 oz.) corn muffin or cornbread mix (Jiffy or similar)
1 egg
1/3 cup cream or milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup canned pumpkin, (not pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon mustard- Grey Poupon or other good mustard is best
½ lb. thinly sliced cooked turkey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a large casserole dish.
Mix together the corn muffin mix, egg, milk, butter, canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice mix just until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and bake for about 15 min.  Top should be lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Mix together the mustard and cranberry sauce, heat until just bubby, you can use the microwave.

Place the sliced turkey evenly over the baked corn mix.

Pour the mustard-cranberry sauce over the top and smooth out.
Serve warm.

“But you can't plead with autumn. No. The midnight wind stalked through the woods, hooted to frighten you, swept everything away for the approaching winter, whirled the leaves. ("The North")”
― Yevgeny Zamyatin, We

Have a safe and fun Halloween

Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

And So On….

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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 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


Tuesday, October 23, 2018

October 23, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog


Hi Gardeners

They say you can smell the change in seasons. In spring microbes in the soil become active, producing a distinctive earthy odor that is supposed to be a cure for depression. The smell of mown grass, strawberries, violets and lilacs also invokes spring. In summer there’s the vanilla like smell of mown drying hay, ozone from thunderstorms, roses, raspberries, melons and peaches.
Fall brings the dying breath of leaves – it’s a real thing- gasses are being released as leaves die and fall off trees, mold and decay, burning leaves, pumpkins and apples. Winter brings the smell of snow- hard to describe but I think most of you have smelled it, woodsmoke, wet wool and cut evergreens.
I’m smelling fall still, but winter does not seem far off on some mornings.  We have had several nights with many hours below freezing and most of the garden plants have now died or gone dormant. I’m surprised that a few calibrachoa and petunias have managed to survive.  The garden mums and landscape roses are still blooming too.  I found some violas had popped up and were blooming.
Flocks of red winged blackbirds were migrating through this week, making for some noisy days as they emptied the feeders.  Our resident red winged blackbirds had already left, these must have been from somewhere further north. Chickadees and nuthatches are now prominent birds at the feeders.
I’m still planting bulbs.  It’s becoming hard to find a bit of ground where I don’t dig down and find another bulb already there. I don’t want to totally fill up the new garden area I developed this past spring because I will be transplanting more roses and perennials into it early next spring.  I’ve dug the dahlias from the new area because of planting bulbs there, but I still have dahlias to dig in my older beds.
I have things to trim back and things to be put away for winter.  We painted the porch, but it needs some touch ups.  I need to empty and clean the birdbath and the little water features. I’m still moving plants around inside to find the best place for them and repotting a few things. Fall is as busy as spring for me.
Last week while doing some research for the article on nutmeg I wrote in the blog, I came upon a lot of interesting information on the Netherlands and their surprisingly innovative and productive agricultural system. I wrote an article on this topic for this week’s blog.  It’s a long article but I hope you’ll find it interesting and be amazed at how the Netherlands impacts the gardening world.
Houseplants dropping leaves
If you brought your houseplants back inside after a summer vacation outside, you may be dismayed that some of them are turning yellow and all the leaves are falling off.  Don’t be alarmed.  It’s a good bet that it’s a harmless and normal condition.
When plants are put outside in the spring their leaves must adjust to stronger light and UV conditions.  Some plants will actually sunburn if they are exposed to full sunlight too quickly.  The sunniest window and most grow lights are never as strong as the sun outside.  Some of these plants will drop their leaves then and replace them, but the spring move outside leaf drop is not nearly as noticeable as the fall move inside leaf drop.
Plant leaves outside need a thicker epidermal layer to protect tissues inside the leaf and to help conserve moisture.  They can put more chloroplasts to work making food as energy is abundant and so they activate them.  The plant has resources to add more leaves and grow leaves larger.

Hibiscus and brugsmansia often drop leaves when
moved inside.
When we move plants back inside to lower and less intense light levels they immediately sense that they need to change the type of leaves they have so that they better suit the conditions. They don’t need that thick epidermal layer and they can’t support so many chloroplasts or maybe even so many leaves with less light.
Hormones cause an abscission layer to form where the leaf joins the stem and food and water are cut off from the leaf, which turns yellow or brown and falls off. At the same time the plant generally begins forming new leaf buds along the stem. The new leaves will be more suited to the new light conditions.
Some plants do this more dramatically than others, hibiscus and ficus are two notable species. These plants lose most of their leaves quite rapidly and cause alarm for their caretakers.  Other plants are subtler, replacing leaves gradually.  Some plant species also seem to be little affected by changing light levels. 
Other things can cause yellowing and leaf drop in plants. Exposure to frost or just too much cold for the species can do it. In this case leaves usually appear wilted and blackened more than yellow. If a plant is deciduous the shorter day length may prompt leaf drop.  Over or under watering and disease are two other possibilities.
If the plant owner notices yellowing and leaf drop, they should check the pot to see if it’s too wet or too dry. Plants may need watering more or less often than they did outside, depending on inside conditions. Then check the plant stems for signs of new leaf buds forming and to see if they feel pliable.  If it’s soon after they were moved back inside, and you see new leaves forming and the stems will bend without breaking, chances are pretty good everything will be all right.  Make sure to correct your watering practices if needed.
Plants that bloom all winter, like hibiscus, may need some fertilizer to keep them healthy and blooming all winter indoors. Use a fertilizer for blooming houseplants according to the label directions.  Do not use Epsom salts on indoor plants – (or any plants)- this can actually cause yellowing and leaf drop due to salt burn.
A month after the plants are back inside the problem in those drama queen plants should have mostly corrected itself.  The plant should have new leaves and look healthy again. If not the plant owner should examine their watering practices, the light level, (if the plants are getting too little light they may not put out many new leaves), and then get the plants diagnosed for disease.
Tips for carving a pumpkin

It’s that time of year, pumpkins are everywhere, and you may be considering turning one or two of them into Jack O Lanterns.  Here’s some tips to make that easier.

Larger pumpkins are easier to clean out and you want to chose a pumpkin with a sturdy stem for a handle.  Pumpkins with longer stems tend to last longer.
Not all pumpkins are orange anymore. Lighter colored pumpkins are said to be easier to carve, they tend to have thinner skin, but they will not last as long as the orange thick skinned ones. 
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. You can use green pumpkins if you want for decorations.


Don’t carve your pumpkin too long before you want to display it, a week tops.  Keep it outside in the shade or in a cool spot until you do carve it.  Pumpkins should also be kept from freezing.  They can turn to mush if they freeze solid.
If you are going to carve the pumpkin don’t wash the outside until just before beginning.  Just wipe soil off with a dry rag.
Instead of cutting the top of the pumpkin off consider cutting a hole to clean it out on the bottom of the pumpkin. Most pumpkins sit on a flat surface for display anyway.  The hole can be larger, and you don’t have to worry about the top falling inside the pumpkin.
If you do open the pumpkin at the top and 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.
A kitchen spoon makes a good cleaning and scraping utensil. After cleaning out the “guts” (save the seeds), scrape the “meat” away down to about one inch thick.  
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 to carve use a serrated pumpkin carving knife (sold in most stores that carry Halloween decorations) or use a serrated steak knife for best results.  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 tablespoon 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.
Some people opt to paint the pumpkin instead of carving 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 make a face on the pumpkin. If you can’t find black duct tape color a darker shade of tape with black marker.  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.
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. 
Solar lights are an even better option. Many have a separate solar panel attached by a cord to the string or fixture.  That panel can be placed off the porch or deck into the sunlight.  Stuff solar light strings inside or leave the top of a solar stake light outside and the globe part inside.
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. 
You may want to bring your pumpkin inside at night. Besides human vandals, deer, wild pigs, and squirrels may destroy your creation.
Alternates to a Jack O Lantern for using pumpkins is to hollow them out, insert a jar filled with water for a floral arrangement, dry flowers can also be used.  Insert a plastic liner or bowl and you can use the pumpkin to hold treats.  Small pumpkins can be hollowed out and used to serve soup.  
Votive candles can be placed inside small pumpkins for table top decor. Carve a scene or random shapes into the pumpkin. White pumpkins can be coated with glitter for a different look. 
Dispose of your pumpkin responsibly.  Chickens and most farm animals will devour them, you could put them out for the deer. They’ll also eat the goop you clean out of a pumpkin. Pumpkins can be composted but if seeds are left in the pumpkin they may sprout next year. That’s another reason not to toss them in the garden or lawn.
Roasting pumpkin seeds

Pumpkins make nice decorations, but they also 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.

How the Netherlands is changing horticulture

If you have been planting bulbs this fall the chances are very high that those bulbs came from the Netherlands. The Netherlands grows about 75% of the flower bulbs sold in the world and another 20% or so grown elsewhere pass through the Netherlands on their way to other places. Many other plants sold bareroot including ornamental trees, will also come from the Netherlands. (Many US and European companies repackage and sell those products, so you may not guess where they originated from.)

And if you buy flower or vegetable seeds chances are also very good that those seeds originated in the Netherlands.  The Netherlands leads the world in seed production, with about $1.7 billion worth of exports in 2016. They produce no GMO seeds, where genes of other species are inserted in plants.  However, they are pioneers in using new genetic technology to identify favorable traits in plants like disease resistance and hardiness. They then use old fashioned selective breeding to make improved varieties. 
 
The Dutch also lead the world in the export of potted plants, both houseplants and gift plants, and cut flowers. The world’s largest flower and plant market is the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, which is near Amsterdam. The building is the largest in the world, covering 128 acres. Every day millions of flowers and plant products pass through the auction going to all parts of the globe. (If you would like to read more about this fascinating market read the book Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart, read a book review in this blog; http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/2018/04/april-3-2018-kims-weekly-garden-blog.html )

Aerial view of Aalsmeer, the worlds largest flower auction

And if those statistics don’t impress you consider this. The Netherlands is a tiny country, 270 times smaller than the US, and one of the most densely populated countries in the world.  Yet it also is second only to the US in the export of fresh vegetables. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are top crops and are estimated to represent 1/3 of the global market for those crops.  That’s after the Dutch feed the 17 million plus people in their own country.

How did the Netherlands become the powerhouse of plant production? Today this small country is considered to have the most innovative and productive agricultural practices in the world. They weren’t always a leader in agricultural production though. You need to know a little about the history of the Netherlands to understand how they evolved into the country they are today.

Brief History of the Netherlands

Netherlands, sometimes referred to as Holland, is a country on the shores of the North Sea, with Germany on their East boundary and Belgium below them.  Most of the country is a river delta, where three major European rivers, the Rhine (Rijn), the Meuse (Maas) and the Scheldt (Schelde), empty into the North Sea.  It was inhabited early in mans history, there is evidence the Neanderthal lived there 250,000 years ago.  Nomadic hunters, fishermen, and some pastoral early people lived in the land at various times, but the population was sparse.

Bog iron was the first widely traded product from the Netherlands, and ironworkers who traveled around Europe fashioning weapons and other things were the first Netherlands craftspeople.  By 1100 AD people were developing more agricultural lands by digging drainage canals and building dikes and windmills to pump water.  Cities began to be form. By 1400 AD shipping and trading began to dominate Netherland culture.  The trading began partly to feed the burgeoning population because the land available couldn’t feed them with the agricultural practices of the time.

Amsterdam was the largest port in the world until modern times.  It’s still one of the largest. The Dutch people proved to be very adept at sailing and trading. They quickly became masters of the sea and controlled most of the European trade in commodities. The streets around the port were a vast marketplace where people from around the world came to pick up both common and exotic goods.

The Dutch were innovators.  When searching for food products and spices (see the nutmeg article in last weeks blog) they were quick to realize that other things, like tulip bulbs from Turkey, could also be profitable. They were experts at adding value to products, such as rolling tobacco into easily smoked cigarettes in a fancy box or grinding and processing cacao beans into a powder that could be used in cooking and in drinks.

The Dutch were also good at salesmanship, they convinced buyers they needed items and showed them how spices, exotic fruits and vegetables, and other products could be used.  They invented ways to preserve and transport fragile and degradable products.  They also started colonies in other places to grow or produce products that were profitable to trade. Soon the Dutch became wealthy people.

Compared to the rest of Europe, people in the Netherlands were prosperous. And wealth wasn’t concentrated in the hands of a few noblemen but was spread more equitably through the population than the rest of Europe. By the 1600’s, the Dutch Golden Ages, they had money to support the arts and sciences.  Many scientific inventions, devices and medical treatments were developed.  Artists that we still admire today produced great paintings, many of them of flowers and still-life’s, unlike the religious scenes and portraits that dominated European art.
 Keukenhof gardens

The tulip mania

The Dutch also had money to invest in things you couldn’t eat or wear, like tulip bulbs. You may have heard of the tulip mania, one of the first examples of speculation or futures trading, the purchase of things that did not yet exist in hopes that by the time they did exist the value would increase.

The tulip had captured the interest of many Dutch flower lovers and gardeners in Europe.  Tulips grew easily in the Netherlands and the Dutch began to develop new colors and shapes.  People began to breed and grow tulips and others began to buy those bulbs before they were out of the ground. The demand began to outstrip the supply, so the price went up- and up.  Some tulip bulbs commanded huge prices, a single bulb of some varieties selling for as much as a modest home. Even shopkeepers and bakers were buying and selling tulip bulbs.

But, as often happens the bottom fell out of the market. In 1637 prices fell, and people lost a lot of money.  Modern historians tell us the effect on the Dutch economy wasn’t as drastic as some books and movies have portrayed but the tulip bubble is still considered by economists to be the first example of a boom-bust cycle in stock trading.

During this time the first stock market building was built in Amsterdam.  Historians believe the Netherlands was the first truly capitalist country.  The clever Dutch invented such things as insurance and retirement funding and became known for banking and investment skills as well as their stock market trading.

The prosperity of the Netherlands waned a bit in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. During the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in WWII up to 20,000 people died of starvation.  This may partially account for the emphasis placed on agriculture today.  In the 1950’s large natural gas deposits were discovered under the country and the Netherlands once again is considered to be a very affluent country.
 Keukenhof flower gardens
wikipedia

The innovative agriculture of the Netherlands

The Netherlands has flat, low land, with about a quarter of its land area beneath sea level and the highest areas of the country a little over a mile above it. About half of the country’s land area is devoted to agriculture. A lot of the land still has to be kept drained by the maintenance of locks, canals and pumping stations. The soil of the Netherlands is sandy but fertile and has some of the highest organic content of agricultural soil anywhere in the world, around 12% organic matter.

The climate is moderate maritime, with moderately cold winters with some snow and mild humid summers with temperatures rarely getting over 85 degrees. Since it’s in the northern latitudes, days are quite short in the winter, but summer days are long.

At the turn of the century the Dutch developed a slogan for their agricultural goals, “Twice as much food using half as many resources.”  They pledged to do this in a sustainable way, and to limit environmental impact. The center for agricultural innovation is Wageningen University and Research (WUR).  It’s located 50 miles southeast of Amsterdam and is surrounded by a consortium of agricultural entrepreneurial startups and research farms dubbed “Food Valley” in reference to “Silicone Valley” in California. 

You may not have heard of it, but Wageningen University is considered the top Agricultural University and Research center in the world.  They have programs in 140 countries including the US.  They tackle the toughest agricultural problems in the world and come up with some of the best solutions.  They maintain the World Soil Bank with 1,200 soil samples from countries around the world that can be used for research projects.

So how has the University, the government and people of the Netherlands improved agriculture? By working together. What the Dutch consider sustainable agriculture is not the same as what Americans consider sustainable agriculture. In America sustainable agriculture is more of a “do less let nature do more” concept, no till, strips of pollinator friendly plants, permaculture and so on. 

In the Netherlands sustainable agriculture involves intense, precise control of environmental conditions, and lots of technology, with the goal of minimizing waste, optimizing production and limiting environmental damage.  The researchers at the University and in food valley will tell you that agricultural practices must be adapted to the climate, soil, and local conditions and resources of an area and they have helped develop those systems for other countries.  But the Netherlands does provide a great example for what good agricultural practices can do.

In the Netherlands one can see driverless tractors working the fields, and drones overhead assessing crop needs.  Precision agriculture has reduced the need for water, fertilizer and pesticides.  In fact, because of the high organic content of the soils, few fields require fertilization. Field crops include flower bulbs, potatoes, barley, wheat, corn and sugar beets. The average yield for an acre of potatoes in the world is 9 tons.  The average yield of an acre of potatoes in the Netherlands is 20 tons.

But agriculture in the Netherlands really shines in the sector of greenhouse production.  Thousands of acres of land are under glass (or technically plastic). Vegetables and flowers are grown in very regulated climates in the worlds most sophisticated greenhouse systems, many hydroponic. LED lighting systems provide longer days and more intense light.  Geo-thermal systems and natural gas provide inexpensive and environmentally friendly electricity and heating.

Greenhouses along a canal in the Netherlands
South Holland by Colin

In the Netherlands greenhouse industry there is almost no pesticide use.  Natural predators are raised and used in the greenhouses for pest control and diseases are managed by controlling the environment. Many systems include fish, which fertilize the irrigation water, greatly reducing fertilizer use. The fish are then harvested for food. 

Water use is greatly reduced in these systems, with a pound of tomatoes requiring only 1.1 gallon of water to produce, the average is over 15 gallons per pound elsewhere. Every effort is made to reduce waste. Tomato stems are turned into fiber and are made into containers for the harvest.  Food by-products and waste go to feed livestock or are composted.

The Netherlands also exports eggs and dairy products and produces some beef and pork for the country.  In the livestock sector there is also a lot of automation and close attention to managing the environment. Yet the Dutch have much higher standards for animal welfare than the US does.  No hormones and almost no antibiotics are used on livestock. Cows may be milked by a robot but most still get time on pasture. Battery cages for egg production are banned and confined poultry must have a generous amount of floor space, perches, nest boxes and floors with litter.

Exports of greenhouse and other agricultural machinery and technology provide the Dutch with additional agricultural income, as does horticultural tourism.  Millions attend the tulip festivals each spring and the world’s largest garden, Keukenhof, located just south of the city of Haarlem, attracts thousands of visitors each year.

One area where the Dutch are not very progressive in thinking is in the production of marihuana. The Netherlands has long allowed people to possess a small amount of marihuana and use it recreationally. Coffee shops are famous for allowing patrons to purchase and smoke joints. But each person may only grow 5 marihuana plants and selling pot or commercial growing is illegal.  Raids on growing operations happen frequently. This is a big problem for coffee shops who wish to sell the product.  This year the Netherlands has started a pilot program of licensing growers in several regions to produce pot and if that goes well, and how can it not, more growers will be licensed to grow it.

It’s important to remember that this densely populated small country cannot produce all the agricultural products they need, they do have to import some food products. But the Dutch make every bit of their agricultural land as productive as possible and they do so with an eye to keeping the environment healthy. They feed more people with less land and less pollution than any other place in the world. Their agricultural/ horticultural expertise is the envy of many countries. The fact that they are second only to the US in the total amount of agricultural products exported is a remarkable feat.

Even though the US is still the number one producer of agricultural products we have far more land to grow food and we have far more pesticide use, fertilizer use, waste and pollution than the Netherlands.  We need to start moving toward the Dutch idea of sustainable farming if we are going to continue to feed ourselves and many other places in an uncertain future. Imagine if we could produce more food with less waste and pollution on less land.  The unneeded acres could be planted with trees to absorb carbon, used for recreation or simply left to nature.

The Dutch have also been one of the most progressive countries in moving toward renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions.  They are already implementing plans to deal with climate change, actively preparing for a rise in sea level and possibly a change in weather patterns. This is another area in which we need to use the Dutch as a role model.

Here are some links to articles and information on agriculture in the Netherlands if you wish to read further.






Pumpkin Fudge Bars
Here’s a delicious treat you can serve at a Halloween party or all year round. You can find canned pumpkin at most stores this time of year, but remember canned pumpkin is different from canned pumpkin pie filling. Because the recipe takes a lot of cooking and stirring you may want to enlist some help from kids or a partner.
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.
What season are you smelling?

Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.

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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 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