Hi Gardeners
Another cold and gloomy day here in Michigan but I won’t complain too
much. It could be much worse- like North
Carolina. Soon the longest night will
pass and we’ll be climbing the hill again.
I am already planning what new things I’ll buy for the garden next
year. I am exploring catalogs and
websites to add to the list I keep on the right side of the blog- and I see so
many interesting things I’d like to grow.
I’ll be adding new listings to the page through January- take a look
when you have time.
The birds have been busy at the feeders. I hope you are
feeding the birds because it’s so interesting to watch them in the winter. I put out only two items in the winter, black
oil sunflower seeds and suet. Ninety
percent of the birds here in winter are attracted to those two items and
nothing else is needed. I have tried mixed bird seed, but the birds waste a lot
of it. Cracked corn is liked by some birds but it attracts deer so it doesn’t
go out here.
I spent some time moving my plants around indoors this
weekend because I wanted to bring the amaryllis’s off the porch into warmer conditions.
That took some juggling, but I managed. My holiday cacti are all blooming
nicely now. Hibiscus are blooming nicely
too.
I was noticing on the porch how nice the large canna still
looked. They aren’t blooming but the foliage is still pretty, and they are
actually adding new leaves. They could
be a candidate for those of you who like large, big leaved houseplants. Just
bring them in before frost. I keep mine
potted to make that easier.
There are many colors of canna foliage. I have a maroon and a green leaved
variety. I let the tropicanna variety,
with striped foliage, get hit with frost and it hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. I think that canna could even bloom inside if
they had enough light. I just don’t have room for canna’s in the main part of
the house.
I will be busy baking cookies and making meat pies this
week. I hope all of you are making and
eating your favorite holiday foods and seeing your favorite people. Just don’t let the rush of preparing for the
holiday spoil your joy.
Holiday plants you may want to avoid
Plants have
been brought into the home to decorate it around the winter solstice for
hundreds of years. They have become part
of the tradition and lore of the holidays and the practice persists even
today. But not all holiday plants are
safe for children and pets and knowing which ones are poisonous is important
for a happy holiday.
The poinsettia has long been listed as a poisonous plant, but as toxic
plants go, it’s probably not that harmful.
Yes, if someone ate a lot of poinsettia there could be serious
consequences, but that scenario is unlikely.
The sticky white sap of the poinsettia is unpleasant tasting enough that
even the naughtiest dog probably wouldn’t eat enough to get more than a stomach
ache. It would take eating several large
plants to be lethal to a pet or child, if that.
Mistletoe on the other hand is extremely poisonous and just a few
of the berries dropped on the floor and eaten by a pet or child could cause death.
All parts of the plant are toxic, dried or fresh. Mistletoe is a plant that
does not belong in homes where children and pets are present.
Holly is often used in decorating for the holidays but all
parts of the plant are poisonous. The
leathery leaves would be unlikely to be eaten but the bright red berries that
some holly has would be attractive to children and pets.
Another very
poisonous plant that is sold around the holidays as a potted plant is the Jerusalem Cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum). The plant is a compact bush-like house plant with glossy
green leaves and bright orange-red berries.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.
In fact,
around the holidays many plants with red or orange berries are sold. Some of these are new to the trade and little
is known about their toxicity - whether they are poisonous or harmless. It’s a good idea to place any of these
attractive plants out of the reach of children and pets. Always keep a plant label with a plant so if
any part is ingested you can tell poison control what it is.
Amaryllis bulbs are often sold around the holidays either in bloom
or as kits that you add water to and watch it grow. They are often sold as a bulb in fancy
pots. They have long strap-like leaves
which appear after the bloom stalk. The
amaryllis bloom is trumpet shaped; there may be one or several blooms on each
tall stalk. It comes in red, white, pink
and other pastel shades. All parts of
the plant are poisonous.
Another bulb
often given as a gift kit is the narcissus
or daffodil bulb. The common one
sold is called paper white narcissus.
They are often set in gravel and water to grow roots and bloom. They have flat, grass like leaves, and the
typical daffodil flower of a “cup” surrounded by a ring of petals. They are white or yellow and have a strong
fragrance. All parts of the plant are
quite poisonous as is the water surrounding the bulb, or if the blooms are cut
and put in a vase of water, that water is also toxic. Narcissus and daffodils should never be put
where children or pets might taste them or drink the water they are in.
Yews are not used as often as some evergreens for holiday
decorating but they are sometimes used in floral arrangements and unsuspecting
homeowners may bring branches inside for decorating. They have soft, flat dark green needles and
are often sheared into hedges around a home. The yew is an extremely toxic
plant with only a bite of the plant causing death to a pet. It sometimes has fleshy red berries with a
hard seed inside that attract children and pets. The soft part of the berry is harmless, but a
few swallowed seeds can be deadly. A
mouthful of the plant can kill a grown cow.
It is not a plant that should be brought into the home.
Sweet Annie or other kinds of wormwood (artemisia) are often used in
wreaths and other dried arrangements.
While unlikely to be eaten in quantity, these plants are also poisonous,
and munching should be discouraged.
Since wreaths, dried arrangements and fresh floral arrangements can have
all sorts of exotic plants tucked in them and might be sprayed with chemicals,
it’s a good idea to keep them out of the reach of children and pets.
Growing Hazelnuts or Filberts
 |
| Immature hazelnuts wikimedia commons |
A new study by Oregon State University found that when older
adults were given about a third cup of hazelnuts per day for 16 weeks it
improved their blood levels of magnesium and vitamin E. These two nutrients are often lacking in
modern diets. Other studies have found
that people with low levels of these nutrients were at greater risk of
developing Alzheimer’s disease. Did you know that most gardeners can grow these
healthy nuts?
Some of you may know hazelnuts as filberts. Hazelnuts and filberts
are essentially the same thing. The name depends on what country you are in and
what species of Corylus you are growing.
There are native hazelnuts in both Europe (Corylus avellane, Corylus maxima) and North
America (Corylus americana, Corylus
cornuta). There are also other
species and hybrids of species.
Hazelnuts have alternate, heart shaped or oval leaves with toothed
edges, (double serrate) that are paler green underneath and sometimes lightly
hairy.
These nuts grow as small trees to
about 15 feet or as shrubs depending on the conditions and pruning. Hazelnuts
spread by suckering and soon form thickets of trees or shrubs. They are
deciduous and fall color is variable, ranging from a dull yellow to pretty rose
or purplish reds.
Male flowers are long yellowish drooping “catkins” that appear
before the leaves. Female flowers are
small globes with red "petals” (stigmas) sticking out. They also appear before the plant leaves. They
are in clusters and a rough, jagged looking set of leaf bracts will surround them as
they mature into nuts.
Each hazelnut plant has both separate male and female types of
flowers but flowers on the same plant cannot mate in European hazelnuts and
while you may get some nuts from a single American hazelnut, production is greatly
improved with two or more plants. They are wind pollinated. For best production
plant at least two hazelnuts.
The seed (nut) has a tough leaf bract, a thin hard shell, and a
papery husk before you get to the part we call the nut meat. (Leave the shell
on if you are planting a nut.) It takes
7-8 months to mature on the tree and then the nuts fall. Harvest is done by picking up the nuts after
they fall.
Hazelnuts are cold hardy to at least zone 4 but nut production is
often diminished from late frosts in zone 4-5. They will grow in most types of
well drained soil and prefer full sun. In the south they tolerate partial shade
but don’t produce as well in those conditions.
Gardeners may want to buy small trees to start a hazel nut grove. If
you plant 3 feet tall trees, you’ll probably get a harvest in about 3
years. It takes about 8 years to a
harvest from planting a seed. Buy
domesticated cultivars if you want nuts for personal use as the domestic
cultivars have larger nuts and a more abundant harvest. If you want them for
wildlife, you can plant wild types.
Since hazelnuts sucker and produce a dense thicket if left alone
you should prune out suckers too close to each other, leaving at least 6 feet
between plants. Or if you want neat, tree shaped plants remove all suckers. You
can prune hazelnuts so they form a shrub, to make them easier to harvest, by
pruning down the leader or main stem by about a third. Prune when dormant to shape the plant but you
can take out suckers at any time.
Hazelnuts mature over an extended time period and will be ripe up to
a month before they fall from the tree. Ripening may begin in September. It’s easier to wait until they fall to
harvest them, because you will know they are ripe then. You can give the trees
a shake to speed things along. Mow the
area under the trees short when they start falling so you can see them. Pick them up daily or animals will get them. The
nuts may have fallen without the papery bracts or you can remove the bracts
from nuts.
After you pick them up spread them out on newspaper in a warm, dry
place for about two weeks. A ripe nut
has a firm, cream colored meat. Nuts in
the shell will last several months. If
you remove the nut meats store them in closed containers in a cool place. Freeze them if you will be keeping them more
than a month.
Hazelnuts are prone to blight diseases and some areas have
problems with one strain of blight while others have problems with another.
Look for blight resistant varieties grown locally. Dorris, Jefferson and Felix
are some blight resistant varieties. Many animals and birds like the huts and
you will have to compete with critters to get them.
Two types of worms, the filbertworm and the nut weevil, can infect
hazelnuts. This will leave tunnels in
nut meats, or you may see small worms.
These will need to be controlled by insecticides. Talk to your local Extension office to see what
to use and when to apply it.
The countries that produce the most hazelnuts are Turkey, Italy
and the United States in that order.
Hazel nuts can be eaten raw or roasted, made into a paste or “butter”
and an oil can be expressed from them. They are often combined with chocolate
in desserts called truffles, used in cakes, made into the spread called Nutella and
a liqueur called Frangelico.
There is an effort by the Arbor Day Foundation to locate wild
North American hazelnuts so that genetic diversity can be preserved. If you
know where some are growing you can contact them at; https://www.arborday.org/programs/hazelnuts/consortium/locate.cfm
More reading
Can your spices make you sick?
Do you sprinkle your food with black pepper when it’s on
your plate? You may want to reconsider
that practice and how you use other herbs and spices. We often don’t stop to think about spices and
herbs being responsible for food poisoning or lead poisoning, but we should be
paying more attention. Spices and herbs have caused several confirmed outbreaks
of food poisoning in the US and numerous hospitalizations and even deaths.
A new study done in New York found that many herbs and
spices are contaminated with all sorts of things, such as heavy metals like
lead, pesticides, molds, and bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. Insect parts, rodent feces, animal and human
hair, plastics and other synthetic material are also common contaminants.
Studies have found that the spices most likely to be contaminated with salmonella are black pepper, thyme,
oregano and turmeric. The New York study found the highest levels of lead in a
spice called kviteli kvavili, or "yellow flower." Other spices with
lead contamination included turmeric, hot pepper, chili powder, and paprika. But all spices can be contaminated. Cinnamon and ginger rarely have bacterial
contamination because they have anti-bacterial properties, but they can be
contaminated by other things like heavy metals and filth.
Most spices are grown in other countries. We have little control over the conditions
they are grown in, stored in, and processed in.
Contamination can happen in the fields they are grown in, from
harvesting or in the packaging, storing and shipping process. Spices and herbs that get damp for example,
may grow molds, some of which are carcinogenic.
Expensive spices are often cut with other cheaper plant products, and
they may not have been harvested cleanly.
Spices are often a small farm crop and in many countries
these crops are fertilized with manure, and animals roam the fields and may
even be used in harvesting. Irrigation
water may be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides are used that are
banned in the US. The nature of spices
and herbs means they are often stored for years, in various types of
facilities. And harvests from different
farms and even different countries are mingled, making contamination difficult
to trace. The FDA tries to test spices for contaminants, but our system
currently doesn’t test every package in every shipment.
Where should you buy spices?
While many people feel they are getting a bargain when they
buy bulk spices and others think buying spice mixes sold at farmers markets or
flea markets are tastier and fresher, those are the two places with higher
levels of contaminants in several studies.
Bulk spice containers where consumers scoop out their own often test
positive for bacteria common to human feces.
You may have noticed people scooping up a bit of bulk spice with their
hands to smell or taste. Children may be
allowed to put their hands in bins. Mice and roaches may roam the store after
hours.
While some spices sold at farmers markets may be locally
grown and dried many are simply repackaged mixes of bulk spices the seller
purchased elsewhere. There are many spices that aren’t grown in the US. Every time spices and herbs are handled
increases the risk for contamination. Improper storage containers, ones that
aren’t sealed, are also a problem. Some
sellers may have meticulous handling practices as they package spices, but no
control over how the bulk spices they purchased were handled.
Researchers feel the safest spices and herbs to buy are
those that are individually packaged in sealed containers soon after harvest by
reputable companies. Those little cans
and bottles may cost more than bulk spices, but they are safer. A sealed can of black pepper, for example,
can be stored safely for years. Large,
well known companies are also likely to test for heavy metal and pesticide
contamination. Avoid bargain spices and
herbs, spices sold bulk, and farmer and flea market offerings.
Also, bacterial contamination of spices is harmless if they
are heated to 160 degrees F for 5 minutes or more. That means season the food before you cook it
and avoid adding spices and herbs after cooking. Also, be careful using spices on foods that
aren’t cooked. Of course, heat won’t remove heavy metals or pesticide contamination.
If you grow your own spices and herbs, make sure they are
dried in a clean place and that they are kept away from animals. Handle them with clean hands. They should be stored in tightly sealed
containers.
Go through your spices and herbs periodically and throw out
the older ones. Store the herbs and
spices in their original containers tightly closed or put them in containers
which can be tightly sealed. When you measure spices and herbs pour them into
the spoon instead of dipping the spoon into the container. When adding spices to cooking food put the
spice in a spoon then add it to the food.
Sprinkling spices from the container over hot food often results in steam
getting in the container, which can cause caking and also mold.
Spices and herbs make food taste better and even have health
benefits, so I am not trying to discourage you from using them. Just use caution about what herbs and spices
you buy and how you store them.
More reading
Christmas gifts for gardeners
Need some ideas for gifts? If there’s a gardener on your list
here’s dome ideas.
The number one thing you can get gardeners for Christmas is
a gift certificate to their favorite
garden store or catalog. If you need a
list of catalogs look to the right of this blog where I have assembled a page
with links to hundreds of catalogs. Or
look around the gardener’s house- what garden catalogs are lying around? And it’s not just plants, a gift certificate
for a load of compost, manure or woodchips is also appreciated by many
gardeners.
Buying actual plants
can be a tricky situation unless you too are a gardener and know the gardener
you are buying well. If they have
expressed the hope or desire for a certain plant and you can find it then
that’s probably a good choice. But if
you don’t know what plants a gardener likes or has the right conditions for,
it’s probably better to go the gift certificate route. And remember live plants have to be properly
cared for while you are waiting to give them to a gardener.
 |
| Wind spinner |
An amaryllis bulb is often a good plant choice for a
gift. Many are sold around Christmas
with elaborate planters. They vary in price
from around $10 for a common colored, smaller bulb in a plastic pot to more
than a $100 for large or multiple bulbs in gorgeous pots. There are rare and unusual colors and flower shapes
to choose from for the gardener who already has the common red amaryllis. Amaryllis bulbs are good choices for
introducing kids to gardening. The bulbs
are easy to get to bloom (that first time anyway) and make an impressive flower
display indoors in winter.
 |
| Amaryllis from |
To learn how to keep your amaryllis bulb and get it to bloom again see this article; https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/houseplants-amaryliss4-amaryllis-did.html
Grow lights and grow light systems are popular gifts this year. That may be because many places have
legalized growing pot or because many people want to grow fresh herbs and greens
inside. There are a lot of choices on the market now. You can choose LED bulbs
that fit a variety of fixtures or buy a system that includes lights, fixtures
and planters. There are grow “tents” and grow “closets”. It helps to know what crop the gardener wants
to grow before you choose. Larger crops like pot and tomatoes need larger
systems than a system for growing greens on a countertop.
One note on grow lights.
There are sodium halite grow bulbs on the market that produce intense
light for growing things like pot and tomatoes. These are much harder to install,
usually requiring an electrician, and they are a fire risk as they get very
hot. I would not buy them as a gift unless a gardener has told you they want
them.
Garden art, décor, fountains and the like are tricky
to give as gifts unless you are sure you know the gardeners taste, or they have
hinted to you they want a certain piece. If a gardener has a preference for a naturalistic
theme, they may not appreciate a plastic statue of a boy peeing. That said, wind spinners and fancy wind vanes
are popular garden art now, as are bottle trees, and leaping glass or china
fish. Rain chains also remain popular.
 |
| fish garden art from |
Tools are always a good gift for gardeners
especially if they are high quality tools.
Ergonomic tools for gardeners with arthritis or other disabilities are a
good gift. Here too, it pays to know
what tools the gardener already has and listen for hints about what they
need.
 |
| Ergonomic mulch fork from Plow and Hearth |
Garden gloves are usually a good gift. Buy good quality gloves that will fit the gardener’s
hands. Every gardener can use back up gloves, even if they have a pair they
love. Other gardening clothing, like hats
and aprons, can be a good gift too.
Garden books or a garden class can be great gifts. Can you buy your gardener a ticket to a
garden expo or seminar, or pay for a Master Gardener class? Make sure the event will fit into the
gardener’s schedule. If you have lots of
money to spend on the gift you could book the gardener a trip to a famous
garden.
Things for the birds
and bees may be appreciated by your gardener. A complete bee keeping start up can be an
expensive gift, but you can buy homes for native bees and bee feeders for a
reasonable cost. Bird houses and feeders
are good garden gifts too.
 |
| Native bee hotel |
If you still need those garden gifts better get shopping. There’s still time to order by mail if you hurry.
Is an artificial tree better for the environment?
One of the
biggest environmental myths is that buying an artificial Christmas tree is
somehow saving the environment. The
mistaken theory is that you are keeping a tree from being cut down each year
you use one of those awful plastic trees. What some people don’t realize is that Christmas trees are a crop, grown
to be cut, and that they are constantly being re-planted. Over 95% of Christmas trees sold come from
tree farms and are not harvested from the wild.
It takes
water and some protective chemicals to grow great Christmas trees but it takes
a lot of far more harmful chemicals and water to make that plastic tree. Dangerous chemicals are used to make the fake
trees including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and lead. The manufacturing of products from PVC
releases dioxins into the environment.
Dioxins accumulate in fatty tissues and become more concentrated as in
the tissues of animals high in the food chain, like man. There they cause cancer and other dangerous
health problems.
While many of
those toxins remain in China- where most, (85%), artificial trees are produced
by minimum wage workers, some does make it into our food supply. Some chemicals, like lead, may be given off
as the plastic slowly degrades and reacts to other environmental chemicals and
those go right into the air of your home, where the tree is displayed or
stored. In fact, California requires
plastic Christmas trees to have a warning label about lead poisoning.
Fake trees
sometimes have actual wood “trunks” or other parts and this wood from China has
been responsible for at least one exotic pest, a wood boring beetle, to be
brought into the US and has the potential for other pests to be carried in the
plastic tree shipments.
Plastic trees
cannot be recycled; the plastic used in them is not commonly recycled. A real tree will break down in the
environment and do good instead of harm like the plastic trees leaching
chemicals into the air and soil.
Are you worried about fire safety with a real
tree? Thinking a plastic tree is safer
is wrong, fire statistics say its faulty wiring that causes most Christmas tree
fires and both real and fake trees will ignite.
Make sure to always keep a real tree in water.
The
production of Christmas trees uses land in a sustainable way and fewer
fertilizers and pesticides are used on tree crops than conventional crops so
it’s good to encourage the local tree farmers.
While trees are growing, they release oxygen, moderate the temperature,
filter the air and provide homes for wildlife.
Help our environment, buy a US Christmas tree and help keep dioxins in
China.
It takes a
little more time and effort to use a real Christmas tree each year, but the
smell alone is worth it. And who doesn’t
want to do good in the holiday season?
Many Christmas tree lots are run by charitable organizations who use the
money they make to help people in need, so you help people while you are
helping the environment
Snickerdoodle cookie bars
I made a batch of these this weekend and they were delicious
as usual. It’s an easy recipe and the
spicy goodness works well as a holiday gift or dessert. I like bar cookies because putting all those
individual cookies on pans takes a lot of time.
The biggest thing to watch with these snickerdoodles is
getting them baked without overbaking.
The sides should be lightly browned but still a bit soft in the center
when done baking. Cut these while they
are still warm but let them finish cooling in the pan.
Ingredients
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter at room temperature
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butterscotch baking chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x9 or 8x8 pan with pan spray.
Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and
baking powder. Blend well, set aside.
In another bowl cream the butter, the brown sugar and 1 cup
of the white sugar until fluffy with electric mixer.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Slowly beat in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms.
Spread the dough evenly in the pan.
Mix the remaining cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle
evenly over the top of the dough.
Bake about 25-30 minute, watching carefully near the end of
the baking time. You want lightly
browned, firm sides and a slightly soft center.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle the butterscotch chips
evenly on top immediately.
Let the chips soften a bit – about 2 minutes, then spread
them out evenly with a knife to cover the cookie bars.
Cut the snickerdoodle bars into the sizes you prefer while
still warm but let the bars cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before
trying to remove.
If left overnight the bars will be a bit firmer/drier. To
store cover tightly.
“Now is the time of fresh starts
This is the season that makes everything new.
There is a longstanding rumor that Spring is the time
of renewal, but that's only if you ignore the depressing
clutter and din of the season. All that flowering
and budding and birthing--- the messy youthfulness
of Spring actually verges on squalor. Spring is too busy,
too full of itself, too much like a 20-year-old to be the best
time for reflection, re-grouping, and starting fresh.
For that you need December. You need to have lived
through the mindless biological imperatives of your life (to
bud, and flower, and show off) before you can see that a landscape of new
fallen snow is THE REAL YOU.
December has the clarity, the simplicity, and the silence you
need for the best FRESH START of your life.”
― Vivian Swift, When Wanderers Cease to Roam: A Traveler's
Journal of Staying Put
Kim Willis
All parts of this blog are copyrighted and may not be used without
permission.
And So On….
Find Michigan garden events/classes
here:
(This
is the Lapeer County Gardeners facebook page but all gardeners anywhere are
welcome)
Newsletter/blog information
I write this because I
love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my
research each week (or things I want to talk about). 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 or anyone you know 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
No comments:
Post a Comment