August 11,
2015, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim
Willis
Hi Gardeners
I hope you
had good rain yesterday, but not too much as some areas around Lansing got. We got about a half inch. I haven’t had to do much watering in the last
couple weeks, just a few pots and baskets that dry out quickly.
The garden is
starting to show signs of late maturity.
We are getting lots of tomatoes although the vines are deteriorating
quickly from fungal diseases. Our sweet
corn is ripe – we have been feasting.
This year I planted a variety called “Got to Have It” from Gurneys. Its bi-color and very sweet, with long
slender ears but I feel its lacking a bit in “corn” flavor. It’s still good though, much better than
supermarket corn.
The last wave
of flowers is just beginning to open.
Mums, hardy hibiscus, Rose of Sharon, goldenrod, asters, Sweet Autumn
clematis, ligularia, woodland tobacco, dahlias and Autumn Joy sedum are some of
my performers. Some annuals are looking
a bit tired; I have fertilized and trimmed some back hoping for a fall
revival. Phlox is blooming lavishly this
year. It got very tall and a lot of
stems fell over so those stems were cut and plucked into a bucket on the porch, an outside bouget. I am going to aggressively thin out my phlox
this fall and next spring if anyone is interested in plants.
Another plant
that out did itself this year is the cleome.
Mine came from seed dropped last year and it seeded itself all
over. I removed lots of plants but my
dahlias are still being hidden by them.
Some came up in a pot of rain lilies and I haven’t seen those bloom all
year without parting the sea of white cleome.
And there’s no doubt they are making plenty of seed this year.
 |
| Eucomis Sparkling Burgandy |
Some petunias
came up in the pot of the braided hibiscus plant I have on my deck. Since I have no petunias near that pot this
year the seed came from last year. They
are just getting ready to bloom and it will be interesting to see what color I
have. The species petunia- petunia exserta, I bought this spring has proved
to be a powerhouse of a bloomer and I am hoping to save some seeds from
it. Its blooms are tiny and star shaped
but bright red and hummingbirds like them.
I also have an unusual red penta that has just began blooming. Another garden star this year is the Eucomis
Sparkling Burgundy.
How do you know when it’s ready to
harvest?
New gardeners
and old gardeners growing something for the first time often wonder when the
food crop they are growing is ready to harvest.
After all when you go through the labor and time to produce your own
food you want to pick it when it’s at its absolute best taste and
nutrition. While experience will
eventually help you decide when to harvest here are some tips to help you
decide if some food crops are ready to eat.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are
the most frequently grown garden food plant.
Tomatoes help you determine when they are ready to pick by changing
color. Not all tomatoes turn red
however, some turn orange, pink, black, yellow, or combinations of colors. Some
even stay green, although there is generally a difference in the shade of green
when ripe. Know what variety you
planted! Pick those tomatoes when they
are the right color and slightly soft.
If a tomato falls off before it’s completely ripe or a heavy frost is on
the way don’t worry. Tomatoes will
continue to ripen off the vine, even though the taste is better if they are
left to ripen in the sun. Don’t let
tomatoes get too ripe, when they get really soft and may even split or leak
fluids.
Pick all the
ripe tomatoes off a plant, even if you can’t use them. Picking them keeps the plant producing and
lessens the chance of disease from rotting fruits. Pick off those that have
spots, cracks, rotted areas and so on.
Compost unwanted fruits or give them to animals like chickens or if you
just have too many nice tomatoes and don’t want to can or freeze them donate
them to a neighbor, senior center or soup kitchen.
Once you get
them in the house don’t refrigerate tomatoes- this ruins the taste and actually
makes them spoil faster. Store them
unwashed- wash them right before use.
Store tomatoes that need to ripen a bit in a bright location but out of
direct sun. Store ripe tomatoes in a
darker location.
Peppers
Peppers vary
tremendously in size, shape and color.
Most can be eaten at almost any stage.
For sweet bell peppers you can harvest them when they are large, but
still green or let them ripen to red, yellow or orange. Hot peppers will be at their hottest at
maturity. Read the variety description
to know what the “ripe” color is. As
with most garden plants, keep the peppers picked to keep them producing. Once you pick them store them in a cool, but
not refrigerated place. Wash just before
use. Peppers can be cut up and frozen,
dried, pickled or canned to preserve them.
Eggplant
Eggplants are
much the same as tomatoes and peppers- when they are mature they generally
change color. All eggplants are not
purple when mature however, there are varieties that are orange, yellow, white
and other colors. Pick eggplants when
the mature color is reached. Like
tomatoes eggplants should be stored at room temperature.
Cucumbers
The aim in
harvesting cucumbers is to pick them when they are young and small for the best
flavor, thin skin and keeping qualities. Different varieties of cukes have
different shapes when mature. Some are
long and slender, some short and plump. The long ones are better for fresh
eating but any cuke can be eaten fresh at a young age. Even cucumbers designed
to be pickles should be picked while they are still young and small. Most cucumbers will be green at this correct
eating stage although novelty cucumbers that are white or yellow when young
exist. When most cucumbers start turning
yellow however, they are getting past the best eating and pickling stage.
Pick all
cucumbers off the vine before they turn completely yellow to keep the vines
producing. You can store cucumbers refrigerated or unrefrigerated for several
days.
Cabbage
Cabbage is
ready to harvest when a tight firm head has formed. You’ll want to harvest these heads before
they split, which left in the garden too long they will do. If a split head is harvested immediately it
is fine to eat, but after a few days a split head will spoil and be filled with
bugs. If you aren’t ready to harvest
your cabbage and want to keep them in the garden a bit longer, give each plant
a half turn to break some of the roots.
This can delay splitting for a few more days.
To store
cabbage you can pull the whole plant and hang them upside down in a cool dark
place. This is how cabbage was stored
through the winter in earlier times but few people have the right conditions
for this. Heads may sit for a week or two in a cool place without being washed
or having the outer leaves stripped off. Or strip off some of the outer leaves
and wrap the head tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator crisper
or other cool place.
Lettuce/greens
Greens should
be picked when they are big enough to eat but before the plant starts sending
up a tall, flowering stalk. Once greens
bolt or go to seed, they turn bitter.
This usually happens as the weather gets hot. You can remove all or part of a lettuce plant
(except heading types). Wash greens and
store refrigerated after they air dry.
Lettuce that looks wilty as you harvest it can be soaked in a bowl of
cold water in the refrig. for an hour or so and it may revive and crisp up. There’s no real way to store leafy greens for very
long.
Green beans/ lima beans/
wax beans
For the best
tasting, tender green beans pick the beans when the pods are small and the
“bumps” inside barely noticeable. Keep
beans picked off the plant before they get too large and the pods begin turning
yellow as this keeps the plants producing new beans. Don’t wash until just
before cooking. Beans can be stored in
the refrigerator for a few days before use.
Can or freeze them if they can’t be used in a few days.
Radishes, beets
Harvest these
when they are still small. As they get
older they get woody or pithy. Radishes
can be round or long like carrots. The
color of beets and radishes doesn’t change much as they mature. You’ll be pulling up the whole plant. Wash the roots, trim the leaves back to about
half and store refrigerated if you aren’t going to use them immediately.
Carrots
You can pull
carrots when they are small, about the size of a pencil or let them get larger. Some carrots will be a bit woody as they get
larger but most will still have good flavor. Carrots can even be heavily
mulched and left in the ground to harvest in late fall and winter. If carrots are going to be stored for any
length of time, trim off most of the leaves and leave them unwashed until just
before use. Store carrots in a cool, moist place. A few can be wrapped in a moist paper towel
and stored in the crisper of the refrigerator.
Squash/pumpkins
There are two
types of squash, summer squash which includes zucchini and winter, which
includes Hubbard, acorn and other types.
Summer squash are harvested when they are young and the skin is still
thin. When they get large and mature
they have a lot of seeds and are tough and not flavorful. Some summer squash are green when young and
change color as they mature. But some
like the patty pans are the same color when young or mature and this can be
white or yellow or even other colors.
Summer squash types don’t store for long and should be stored in a cool
place.
Winter squash
are meant to mature before eating. They
usually start out green and can be a variety of colors when mature. You want them to have a firm, thick skin. Pumpkins are winter squash. You’ll want them to be fully colored before
you pick them as squash do not color up much more after picking. Harvest all winter squash and pumpkins before
a hard freeze or they will rot. Some
squash will taste fine if not quite mature, but the still really immature ones
should probably be put in the compost if you have to pick them early. Store your pumpkins and winter squash in a
warm, (room temperature), dark place for long term storage.
Melons
Melons
includes cantaloupe, honeydews, watermelon and some other varieties. Melons are one of the harder things to judge
when they are ready to harvest and an unripe melon just doesn’t taste very
good. Melons don’t continue to ripen after they are picked. An overripe melon is equally awful. As you grow melons year after year you will
get adept at recognizing ripeness but until then count on a few mistakes.
Cantaloupe
doesn’t develop the netting on the surface until late in development. They may look green and smooth at an earlier
stage. Other melons may also change
appearance as they mature. A few melons have been developed to change color
when mature so they are easier to pick at the right time. Study the descriptions of melon varieties so
you know what to expect and mark the variety in the garden. Garden experts get many questions about what
type of melon is growing in another gardener’s garden each year as people try
to figure out what the odd looking fruits are.
Most melons when
mature develop a yellow spot where the melon rests on the ground. The tendril on the end opposite the stem
should be dried up or absent. Some
melons will easily slide off the vine when mature but this isn’t a reliable
test as some ripe melons will need to be pulled or cut off. If a melon begins to crack its generally
ripe- on the verge of over ripeness, although excessive rain may cause some
unripe melons to crack too. It’s ok to eat
cracked melons if insects or animals haven’t beat you to it.
You can thump
the melon but it takes experience to recognize the hollow sound of a ripe melon. Smelling muskmelon, cantaloupe and honeydew
can be a good test; a ripe melon can be smelled without cutting it. That’s the way chickens and other animals
recognize ripe melons and extra interest in your melon patch means the melons
are ripening.
Old-timers
often use the plug test on watermelon.
When you think a watermelon looks ripe take a pocket knife and cut a
small plug out of the melon and examine it.
Cut a bit off the end and taste it.
If the melon isn’t ripe you can put the plug back in and wait a few
days. The same plug won’t be a reliable
indicator for a second test though.
Potatoes
Potatoes can
be harvested starting about 2 weeks after they bloomed, for new potatoes. You can dig down and harvest just a few baby
potatoes, leaving the plant or dig up one plant in your patch. You can harvest
any time the tubers are the size you like. When the tops of potatoes have wilted and
died, the crop is mature and can be dug, as the tubers will not grow any larger.
If the weather is dry and pests aren’t a
problem you can leave the potatoes for a while in the ground. Harvest before a hard freeze or harvest as
soon as mature if the soil tends to get soggy for long periods. If a hard
freeze is predicated and your tops haven’t died yet the potatoes can still be
harvested.
Let potatoes
that you intend to store for a while sit spread out in a warm, dark spot for a
day or two to cure. Then brush off the
dirt and store in a cool, dark place.
Don’t wash until used. Don’t
refrigerate potatoes for storage- the starch will turn to sugar and give them
an off taste.
Sweet Corn
Sweet corn is
ready to harvest when the ears feel plump and the corn silk looks brown and
dry. You can peel a little husk back and
poke your fingernail into a corn kernel.
If a clear fluid squirts out it’s not quite ripe. If a milky fluid comes out it’s at the
perfect stage. If no fluid comes out it’s
probably starting to get tough and is past the best eating stage.
Corn will
hold on the stalk for a few days and ears will ripen over several days to 2
weeks in any patch of corn. Try not to
harvest corn until right before you are going to cook it for the best taste. If the corn patch is producing more than you
can eat each day give some away, can or freeze it. Next year plant small patches of corn at two
week intervals so it won’t ripen all at once.
To hold sweet
corn for a few days leave it in the husk, keep it moist and refrigerated. Corn loses flavor each day it is stored as
you will realize the first time you have your own corn picked just before it’s
cooked.
Onions
Like many
crops onions are ready to eat at many stages.
For green onions pull the plants when the stems are the size of a
pencil. Let the rest mature until you
like the size they are or need an onion.
Onions need to be kept from going to seed or the bulb will stop
growing. When the leaves get tall and
start to thicken at the base bend them over.
This helps them put energy into bulb production and not flowering.
If onion tops
have died down and dried the bulb isn’t going to get any bigger so they should
be dug and stored. If the weather is dry
you can leave them in the ground for a while before harvesting if you need
to. After harvesting let them dry in
the sun for a day or two, then remove the tops. Don’t wash them until just
before use and leave the outer papery skin on. Store onions in a dark, dry place above 40
degrees. Some types of onions, usually
the sweet types don’t store well whole.
Those are best chopped and frozen for storage.
Marijuana use by youth does not
increase mental illness or health problems
When people
speak against the recreational use of marijuana they often state that young
people who smoke it experience more mental health problems or have more health
issues. But the results of a long term
study of 408 young men by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and
Rutgers University found no such links between marijuana use and health
problems.
The
Pittsburgh Youth Study tracked young men from age 14 to age 36 and
semi-annually interviewed and evaluated them.
The group was about evenly split between white and non- white
participants. The study results were
published in Psychology
of Addictive Behaviors. The study concluded that there was no difference between those who
frequently smoked marijuana beginning at a young age and those who never or
rarely smoked marijuana in the areas of psychotic behavior, depression, anxiety
disorders, high blood pressure, asthma, respiratory problems, cancer, or
allergies. In short – they found that
marihuana use by young people did not impact their mental or physical
health. So much for the old wives tales
and “suggested” links. Here’s the
journal reference for sceptics; Jordan
Bechtold, Theresa Simpson, Helene R. White, Dustin Pardini. Chronic Adolescent
Marijuana Use as a Risk Factor for Physical and Mental Health Problems in Young
Adult Men.. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2015; DOI: 10.1037/adb0000103
LED lights in the greenhouse
Researchers
at Purdue University, found that plants grown in greenhouses in the north often
did not get enough light in greenhouses in late winter- early spring. They published a study in the May 2015 issue
of HortScience where they compared the growth of seedlings of French marigold, geranium,
impatiens, petunia, and vinca under natural light, natural light plus light
from LED lights and no natural light, only LED light in growth chambers.
The study
found that plants grown with supplemental LED lighting grew better than those
in just natural light and that plants grown in growth chambers using just LED
lights grew just as well as those with a combination of supplemental and
natural light. They found that plants
grown with either supplemental LED light or just LED lighting were more compact
and sturdy than plants grown under natural light in early spring, particularly
if the light leaned a bit toward the blue spectrum.
While not
cheap to purchase LED grow lights last a long time and consume little energy
leading to a cost savings against other forms of supplemental light. And since the lights release little heat the
plants in an LED light chamber set up can be stacked to save space. If you start plants inside your home or a
small greenhouse in early spring you may want to consider using LED grow
lights. You may also want to consider
them if you like to grow blooming plants inside in winter , when natural light
in even the best southern exposure window can be in adequate.
Eupatoriums- Snakeroot and Joe Pye
Weed
If you are a
native plant lover or just need more color in the fall garden then some of the
exciting Eupatoriums may be just what you need.
Joe Pye Weed and Snakeroot, also called Boneset, are native Eupatoriums. Eupatoriums are late summer and fall blooming
plants that can brighten dull beds and provide food for butterflies and
bees. They are tough native plants
adaptable to many types of soil and growing conditions.
Both Joe Pye
Weed and Snakeroot are excellent for naturalized gardens in semi-shady areas,
the edges of bogs and rain gardens, and in butterfly gardens. The compact, stocky varieties of Joe Pye Weed
are also excellent in the back of perennial borders for fall color. Both Joe
Pye Weed and Snakeroot make excellent cut flowers. The foliage of chocolate
Snakeroot can be an excellent color contrast in shaded beds.
 |
| Joe Pye weed |
The leaves of
Joe Pye Weed are arranged in whorls around the stem. The leaves are dark green, long and
toothed. The stems sometimes have a
purplish red tint. Joe Pye Weed has
clusters of feathery purple- red flowers on long stems at the top of the plant
beginning in late summer. The flowers
resemble Ageratum flowers, which Joe Pye Weed is related to. Joe Pye Weed plants range from 2-6 foot in
height, depending on variety.
The leaves of
Snakeroot or Boneset are dark green or purple- brown depending on variety. They are similar to Joe Pye Weed leaves
except they are arranged opposite each other on the stem. The two opposite leaves appear to be joined at
the base, with the stem running through them. Snakeroot has flowers that are
white and the clusters are little less dense and more airy in appearance than
Joe Pye Weed. The flowers have a light,
pleasant scent. Snakeroot plants
average about 3-4 feet in height. The
names Boneset and Snakeroot refer to medicinal qualities the plant is supposed
to have. The whole plant is poisonous,
however and modern herbals rarely refer to it.
There are two
other Eupatoriums sometimes seen in gardens.
Texas Ageratum has blue flower clusters and light green leaves. Agrimony or Hemp Agrimony has mauve flower
clusters and is a native of Siberia.
Growing Joe
Pye Weed and Snakeroot
Gardeners
will generally begin with plants. Seed
can sometimes be found in native seed catalogs, but will be from unimproved
varieties. If you buy or collect seed
from wild plants it would be best to sow it where you want it to grow in the
fall. The seed requires 8-10 weeks of
cold, moist conditions before it will germinate.
Both Joe Pye
Weed and Snakeroot will grow in zones 5-8 and maybe in zone 4 with
protection. They prefer moist soil and
partly shady conditions. Both will take
more sun in the north if kept well- watered.
Joe Pye Weed and Snakeroot will also adjust to drier conditions if kept
well-watered while getting established.
For best bloom however, Snakeroot and Joe Pye Weed should be watered
generously. Taller varieties of Joe Pye
Weed may need to be staked when they begin to flower. If the soil is at least
moderately fertile they do not require additional fertilization. The plants are herbaceous and die to the
ground each winter.
Joe Pye Weed
forms large clumps and can be divided in early spring every 2-3 years. It is moderately invasive if conditions suit
it. Snakeroot will re-seed quite freely
if conditions are suitable and plants should be deadheaded before the seeds
mature if seedlings are not wanted.
Choosing
Varieties
‘Gateway’ is
the tallest of the Joe Pye Weeds.
‘Little Joe’ is shorter, 3-4 foot and compact. ‘Little Red’ is slightly shorter and the
stems are deeper red. ‘Chocolate’ is a variety of Snakeroot with chocolate
toned leaves, and white flowers with red stems.
The chocolate color is better when plants are grown in part shade.
All plant
parts of Joe Pye Weed and Snakeroot are considered to be poisonous. Any herbal remedies that call for using Joe
Pye Weed or Snakeroot [Boneset] should be approached very cautiously.
Bats and August
In August
there is always an increase in people reporting bats in their house. This is because baby Brown bats, the most
common bat in Michigan, are learning to fly about this time. Like all youngsters they get lost and do
stupid things, like crawl through a crack to explore a new place. They don’t want to get in your hair or bite
your neck. They just want out!
Usually if
more than one bat is found in a home it means there may be a colony of female
bats living in or near your home. Until
August, each female bat is likely to have one baby bat with her. When they fly out to feed at night they leave
these babies behind. You may hear
noises and scrambling around as the females leave. By mid- August, most baby bats will leave
each night with mom. You don’t want to
seal up holes the bats are using until this time. Even if you don’t care that the baby bats
will die without their mothers, they will cause quite a smell and attract
insects if they die. Male bats are
solitary or gather in small groups of 2 or 3.
If a bat
suddenly appears flying through a room, open a window or door, darken the room
and be quiet or leave. If you are not
screaming and jumping around, the bat will generally sense the air current from
the open window or door and leave. You
can leave enough light that you can see, like the light from a night
light, but bright lights generally make
the bat want to find a place to hide. If
it doesn’t fly out you may be able to scoop it up in something and throw it
out. Do not handle a bat with your
bare hands. If you do manage to get
bitten in the process you must not release the bat. You will need to keep it for rabies testing. Contact your local animal control office or
health department to find out how to submit the bat for testing.
Bat control
Bats in the
house are no laughing matter for most folks.
They cause panic and great concern.
While no one should panic, bats should never be tolerated living in a
home with humans, even if they are in spots where people seldom go. They need
to be removed from human homes for health and safety reasons just as we remove
rats and mice. Every year in Michigan
bats are found that test positive for rabies and almost every year people in
Michigan who were in contact with rabid bats have to have preventative rabies
vaccines.
Besides the
treat of rabies, bats carry parasites like lice and bat bugs, (similar to bed
bugs), the dust from their excrement can cause lung disease, and their
excrement can build up until it damages the building and the smell becomes over
whelming. The urine and excrement can
damage wiring and cause fires. Large
colonies can be quite noisy at night.
There is no
law that prevents you from killing bats when they are in your home, but since they
are beneficial creatures that are becoming increasingly endangered, their lives
should be spared if possible. Ultra sonic devices, mothballs, and poisons for
rats and mice do not work on bats.
Bright lights hung in bat roosting areas at night are seldom effective
with established colonies either.
Try to remove
bats alive or exclude them from the space after they have left in the evening
to feed. The best way to remove bats is
by exclusion. Do this after August when
all babies should be out at night with the adults, until about mid-May. Exclusion means locating all the places bats
are coming and going from and sealing them off when the bats are outside
feeding at night. You can stand
outside, maybe with the help of friends and count how many bats are leaving
just after sunset and see where they are leaving from. After a few days of watching and locating
holes the holes should be sealed after the bats have left for the night. Bats can go through any size hole a mouse
could go through, a 1/2 inch crack is all they need.
If it is
going to be hard for you to do the sealing work yourself there are companies
specializing in bat removal. They often
use traps that allow bats to leave but not come back in after sealing all the
other holes during daylight hours. You
can do this too; devices can be purchased on line and in some stores. After a week or so of using excluder devices
all the bats should be gone and the excluder site can be sealed.
Here’s wishing you a bountiful harvest
and no bats in the belfry
Kim Willis
“He who has a garden and
a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero
Events, classes and other offerings
Please let me know if there is any event or class that
you would like to share with other gardeners.
These events are primarily in Michigan but if you are a reader from
outside of Michigan and want to post an event I’ll be glad to do it.
Do you have plants or
seeds you would like to swap or share?
Post them here by emailing me.
An
interesting Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/875574275841637/
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch. Now open.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/education/progs/springprograms/
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Exhibitors/demonstrators
wanted
Seven Ponds
Nature Center ( Dryden Mi.) Heritage Harvest Days, scheduled for September 19
and 20 is looking for additional artists and crafters who can demonstrate,
display, and sell their work, especially that related to nature. All exhibitors receive free admission to the
event, as well as free lunch on one day of the festival. Please contact the
center at 810-796-3200 if you would like to set up a booth or exhibit this
year.
Change of the Season – A Guided
Nature Walk, Monday,
August 17, 2015 9:30AM to
11:30AM
Take a tour of the Hilton and Marjorie Tibbits
Nature Sanctuary, a Lapeer Land Conservancy property. Entrance and parking is
located directly across from 4090 Columbiaville Road, Columbiaville, Michigan.
Bring water
bottle, binoculars, camera and field guides. Dress for the weather. Donations
accepted. Please call 810-969-1023 at least 1 day prior to the event date to
reserve your spot! For all programs children 17 and younger must be accompanied
by a registered adult. Please park in the designated parking areas! Thank You!
Newsletter
information
If you would
like to pass along a notice about an educational event or a volunteer
opportunity please send me an email before Tuesday of each week and I will
print it. Also if you have a comment or opinion you’d like to share, send it to
me. Please state that you want to have the item published in my weekly notes.
You must give your full name and what you say must be polite and not attack any
individual. I am very open to ideas and opinions that don’t match mine but I do
reserve the right to publish what I want.
I write this
because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across
in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with local people and
horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If at any time you
don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who
would like to receive these emails have them send their email address to me. KimWillis151@gmail.com
