June 14,
2016, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter © Kim Willis
Hi Gardeners
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| Mock orange flowers |
Remember when
I was complaining about too much rain?
Well now I am complaining there’s been too little. Where I am the ground is dry and powdery. The grass is starting to dry. There is a pretty good chance of rain
tomorrow, especially tomorrow night, although it could be accompanied by hail
and severe storms. I have already had
hail damage once this year. There’s a
slight chance of rain tonight too.
A walk around
the garden this morning found the mock orange in full bloom and some Asiatic
lilies beginning to bloom. I have some
new varieties of lilies this year I am anxious to see bloom. The tall red shrub rose I have is starting to
bloom. I think it came from the
rootstock of another rose that failed, but it’s pretty. The multiflora “wild” rose is blooming
too. It may be on the invasive
non-native list but it sure is pretty, smells good and the bees love it. The hostas are huge this year and some of
mine are already starting to bloom. The
canna in my water garden is also blooming.
I harvested a
nice bowl of strawberries this week and will get another tonight I hope. I am competing for them with all kinds of
other things. We also had two small
early girl tomatoes this week and more are ripening. I have a lot of small blueberries on one
short little bush not ripe yet of course, and the grapes look like they are
going to have a good crop this year. Our
cherries are ripening too, but the crop is sparse and I doubt the birds will
leave me any.
I noticed a
rose chafer beetle this morning. Those
buggers are out so be prepared. They eat a lot of things besides roses. Some
people have told me they are seeing damage from Japanese beetles already. I am seeing Viceroy butterflies and little Copper
butterflies but still no Monarchs.
This week the
main topic of the newsletter may seem a little odd to readers. It developed because I took my elderly mother
to a funeral home this past week to pre-plan funerals for her and dad. I was shocked by the cost involved, and my
mother selected modestly priced things and already had burial plots purchased. I was also a little perturbed by some of the
things mom was told, like a vault was required because it might be necessary to
move the coffin in some future event and it would collapse and decompose
without a vault. When I suggested that
was what was supposed to happen to coffins, the saleswoman and my mom both
looked at me blankly.
Anyway I
decided to do some research on what is and isn’t required for a funeral and
burial here in Michigan and start thinking about how I would like to be
buried. It was interesting and I decided
to share that information. Mom has
chosen what she wants for her and dad and I respect her wishes. But I have a different take on what kind of
burial is appropriate for me in accordance to my philosophy on life. Maybe what I learned could help you make some
decisions or nudge you into your own research.
And for those
who don’t want to think about burial enjoy the information below on
strawberries.
A gardener’s
guide to planning burial
Gardeners are probably more tuned into the cycle of life
than people that don’t garden. Gardeners
know that every living thing returns to the soil after it ceases to live where
it then decomposes and supports new life.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. So
what do you, as a gardener, want to have done with your body when you die? Do you want to have a modern funeral with
embalming, tightly sealed casket and vault or a natural, simple alternative
that returns your body quickly to nature’s cycle? While most people don’t like thinking about
their own death it’s important to make some decisions what you want done with
your body after the inevitable happens.
Baby boomers and the generations that come after them are
more likely to consider how their death and burial will affect the ecology and
environment. As the generations more
attuned to considering the environment in relationship to themselves age, more
and more people are choosing more natural burials. The modern method of burying our dead has
also become outrageously expensive. More
people would rather spend their money on doing things while they are living or
don’t want to burden relatives with the high cost associated with modern
traditional burial practices. The
funeral industry has picked up on this trend and it has actually become easier
to find places to have “green” burials.
And about 40% of people now choose to be cremated rather than buried.
As a gardener you may be pleased to think that your body
decomposing will help continue the cycle of life on earth. You may want your remains to nourish microbes
and feed plants. Above you a mighty oak
may grow or a sweetly scented rose. The
things you took from the land are rightfully returned to it. You are one with the land again. Being knowledgeable about burial practices
will help you choose a peaceful, nourishing, righteous end to your brief span
on earth.
Modern conventional
funerals
In a modern, conventional funeral a body is moved to a
funeral home soon after death and prepared for burial. This will include embalming fluids, elaborate
make up and posing strategies, a casket, now often made of metal or heavily
varnished and treated wood and a vault. Vaults are cement or metal boxes that
hold the coffin and that don’t break down over time. They aren’t required by any state or federal
law, but almost all cemeteries now do require them. It will also require the purchase of a plot
of land within a cemetery or in some areas a spot in a mausoleum. A modestly priced modern funeral easily
costs $10,000 today.
Vaults keep the ground from sinking in as a coffin collapses
either because of natural decomposition or heavy machinery overhead. It makes the maintenance of the cemetery
grounds easier, although funeral planners will often sell it as “protection”
for the remains. In some places a grave
liner is allowed. This is a vault with
no bottom. This is slightly more
environmentally friendly than a vault.
Vaults effectively keep decomposed remains and coffins from being
returned to usefulness in the environment as do tightly sealed coffins made of
various metals or now even plastics.
And make no doubt about it, vaults and sealed coffins, even
embalming fluid, do not keep the body from decomposing, if that is the
goal. Embalming fluid, which is
composed of dangerous, toxic chemicals that pollute the soil when they leach
into it, keeps the body preserved only for a short time. In sealed coffins and vaults the body still
decomposes because bacteria are always present, only it does so in a nasty,
wet, and fast manner, without any benefit to soil microbes and animal and plant
decomposers. In natural, soil contact
decomposition many things benefit from the body and coffin materials as they
break down in a slow, natural manner.
Contact with the soil is the natural and desirable way for a body to
decompose.
A conventional modern funeral is not environmentally
friendly, can cause actual environmental damage, does not allow the natural
processes of nature and is very expensive.
There are some things you may be able to negotiate that can reduce costs
and may help the environmental impact.
Opt for a grave liner instead of a vault or no vault if you can find a
cemetery that will allow that. Use a
decomposable coffin, by law you are allowed to build your own coffin or buy one
from any merchant. Choose coffins
without metal handles or decorations.
Choose not to be embalmed; it is not legally required unless the body is
to be transported after 48 hours from death.
Cremation
Cremation is the second most environmentally friendly method
of dealing with death and probably the least expensive. About 40% of people in Michigan chose
cremation as the final disposition of a body.
The practice is common enough that most funeral homes can handle it and
while pre-planning is always a good thing cremation can occur easily without
it. Cremation must take place in a
licensed facility. And Michigan is one
of the few states that legally require that a licensed mortician (funeral
director) be involved with every death. A hospital or morgue will release a
body only to a licensed mortician. Death certificates are not issued without a
mortician’s signature. This will cost you; costs vary but expect a minimum of
$2,000.
Cremation uses a lot of oil based energy in the many hours
at high temperatures required for cremation.
It also releases certain chemicals into the atmosphere, depending on the
body that can include mercury and lead plus numerous other substances our
bodies accumulate over time. Cremation
destroys most of the value a body has for replenishing soil nutrients. But it conserves land, and resources needed
for coffins and so on. As far as
expenses go, it depends on what services a person wants in addition to the
cremation. There is a fee for
cremation. That usually includes a
cardboard or plastic container for the remains.
The cost of an urn or other container, if wanted, can be considerable or
simple and inexpensive. You can hold
visitation in a rented coffin if wanted.
However, cremation generally costs about half of what a conventional funeral
will cost.
When cremation is finished the remains do not look like
ashes. Instead they are unburned chunks
of bone, teeth, tooth fillings and medical implants. A magnet is used to remove any metal and then
the remains are pulverized to a fine powder.
It is legal to scatter ashes on any private property, (with permission
if it isn’t yours) and many public areas like parks also allow it. Some require a permit. You can dispose of ashes in the Great Lakes,
as long as any container is bio-degradable if it’s thrown in with the
ashes. Ashes must be deposited 3 miles
off shore on the ocean. You cannot drop
ashes from the air legally.
A new concept in many modern cemeteries is a scattering
garden. For a fee people are allowed to
scatter ashes in a beautiful garden and rake them into the soil. Most also have a monument where name plagues
for those whose ashes were scattered can be added. You may also buy one plot and bury several
sets of ashes in it in many cemeteries.
Cremation ashes are
not good for plants
You may think that cremation ashes will act as fertilizer
and help plants grow, but this is not true.
Carbon, nitrogen, and all the usable nutrients for plant growth are
burned away, disappearing into the atmosphere.
Cremation ashes are primarily tri-calcium phosphate with small amounts
of other minerals and salts unique to each body. Every set of ashes is
different depending on the person’s diet and occupation and exposure to heavy
metals and chemicals. The ashes are
sterile and don’t transmit disease. But
they could harm plants if too much is applied in one spot. That is why you should never dump cremation
ashes in a hole and plant a tree on top of them. But scattered around a garden and lightly
raked into the soil the ashes will not harm anything.
There are companies out there that will take cremation ashes
and mix them with other things into the proper ratio for plant growth and
adjust the pH. This requires some
analysis of the ashes. They then combine
the mixed ashes with a tree, rose or other plant for you to plant as a
package. You will probably not have good
results if you try and mix ashes with potting soil so the best way to return
“dust to dust” is to widely scatter cremation ashes.
Green funerals
A “green” burial is the most environmentally responsible way
of burial. It is less expensive than a
conventional funeral and can be less expensive than cremation if carefully
planned. In a green funeral bodies are
not embalmed, except in some cases with natural herbal products. Embalming is not a legal requirement unless
bodies are moved on public transportation such as a plane or train. Some places also have laws on how long a body
can be stored before burial without embalming or refrigeration. If you are
thinking about a green funeral and a body must be transported some distance for
burial you must carefully research what the requirements will be, what permits
are needed and how you will accomplish the transportation well before the need
arises.
In a green funeral the body is buried in a decomposable
shroud (cloth wrappings) or simple, untreated wood box, or a coffin made of
other materials like wicker that readily decompose. You can build your own coffin, or buy one
from a place other than a funeral home.
Beautiful handcrafted shrouds are also available.
The green burial is done in a cemetery designated for green
burials and no vaults or grave liners are used. Most of these cemeteries are
kept as natural areas, no formal plantings and no headstones are allowed. (Some
places allow a small marker.) Some are
mowed, most are not. There the body will
be naturally and peacefully returned to the earth and benefit many living
things. There are several of these
cemeteries now in Michigan and across the United States. Some are adjacent to conventional cemeteries.
Burying someone on private land is allowed in many places
but there are regulations on how much property one must have and the distance
the grave must be from other homes. You
won’t be able to bury someone in a suburban backyard. In Michigan you must establish a family
burial plot, which must be less than one acre in size. It must be surveyed and recorded at the
register of deeds as a family burial plot.
While this will cost you, the good news is that piece of land will not
be taxed. If you want to have a green
burial on your own property you must research the regulations, and get any
necessary permits and survey work done well before the need arises.
A green funeral is less expensive than conventional funerals
but it does have costs. Once again in
Michigan you will need to hire the services of a licensed mortician. A burial plot must be purchased or a survey
paid for. Coffins or shrouds are
needed. You may need to pay for
transport from a morgue or hospital. You
can transport the body in your own vehicle if certain conditions are followed
but many people will not be able to do that.
You are free to clean and dress the body at home and to hold
visitation at a place of your choosing.
But you may be required to use herbal embalming or refrigeration of the
body if it will be held more than 48 hours before burial or if it will be
transported somewhere for burial. The use of dry ice or refrigeration can
temporarily preserve a body. Some funeral homes have refrigeration units for
bodies because some religions forbid embalming also. You may be able to store a body there for a
short time or even hold visitation sessions there. But you will pay for the services.
A green funeral must be planned in advance. Not all morticians will handle green
funerals; you must find someone who is sympathetic to your needs. In green funerals time is of the essence, you
must know where the burial will take place, have the coffin or shroud ready and
every detail worked out in advance. It
cannot be stressed enough that pre-planning is needed if you intend to have a
green burial.
If you are a person who considers yourself a humble part of
a greater web of life you will want to consider green burial. Imagine yourself being washed and anointed
with sweet smelling herbs, then wrapped in a beautiful piece of cloth you have
chosen. Then you are lovingly lowered
into the earth and a mound of flowers heaped on your grave by your loved ones. There you will nourish the grass that waves
above you and become one with the roots of the tree that shades you. Gone, but
still part of life.
A note about herbal
embalming
The herbal or natural embalming that was referred to in the
Gardeners Guide to Burial refers to products on the market that are proprietary
and the ingredients, while guaranteed to be environmentally safe, are not
totally disclosed. They need to be used
by professionals and flushed through the veins like regular formaldehyde based
embalming fluids.
When one cares for the body at home it is usually washed
well with soap and water and a mild bleach solution to kill most surface
bacteria should be used on all body surfaces.
Herbs like oil of myrrh, aloe, cinnamon and cassia may be rubbed on the
body to help prevent decay. These herbs
were also used in the Egyptian mummification process. That process involved removing internal
organs and the brain and took about 4 months.
Herbs and washing will only preserve the body for a few days at the most
and green burials should be carried out quickly.
Some green cemeteries
in Michigan
Ridgeview Memorial Gardens,5151 8th Avenue SW, Grandville,
616/249-8439 http://ridgeviewmemorialgardens.com
Peninsula Township Cemetery, Traverse City, 231/223-7321, www.peninsulatownship.com
Mount Carmel Cemetery, Ninth Street and Ford Ave. ,Wyandotte
734/285-1722
The Preserve at All Saints Cemetery,4401 Nelsey Road,
Waterford, 800/989-9633 www.michigannaturalburial.com This also has a scattering garden.
Marble Park Cemetery, 520 W. Main St., Milan 734/439-5660 www.marbleparkcemetery.com
Eagle Harbor Cemetery, Eagle Harbor Township Office, 321
Centre Street, Eagle Harbor 906/289-4407
Hebrew Memorial Gardens Nature Preserve Cemetery, Roseville
Upland Hills Farm - Addison Township is in the process of
creating a green cemetery.
More about family cemeteries
As a child I remember playing in the backyard of my great grandmother’s
small urban yard under the lilacs along the back fence. I found a small stone marker with a baby’s
name, birth and death dates on it. I ran
inside to excitedly tell my great grandmother about my find. She explained to me that it was a baby that
my grandmother had which died at 3 months of age. The baby died of natural
causes; it had spinal bifida I believe. My grandmother was living in a rented home at
the time, it was during the depression and they had no money and so the baby
was buried in her mother-in- laws back yard.
My grandfather etched the stone on the grave himself. I am sure that the authorities didn’t know
about this burial but I am sure that similar burials took place in many places
at many times.
I had a strong desire to dig the little grave up- yes I was
a curious child. But I think my great
grandmother may have anticipated this and warned me sternly about staying away
from the grave. Later as an adult I went
to the home of a lady who requested my assistance for a horticultural issue and
there I saw only a few feet from the back door a large, tall tombstone that
looked quite old nestled in a garden. At
first I thought it was some sort of odd garden decoration but the lady of the
house explained to me that it was an actual tombstone and the woman whose name
was inscribed on it was buried there in the late 1800’s.
The current owner had purchased the old farmhouse as a fixer
upper many years earlier. When cleaning
up the property they found the tombstone laying on the ground buried in
weeds. They did some research and found
that indeed, the person had lived in the home at one point and was buried
there. It had once been a bit farther
from the house, but the house had a large addition put on that brought it
closer to the old grave. The current
owner thoughtfully and respectfully cleaned up the tombstone and kept a garden
around it. They believed other family
members were buried nearby, but the graves couldn’t be located.
Family burial grounds are not uncommon and even today some
people still develop family burial grounds.
In a family burial ground you have control over what is done to and
around the graves and who is buried there.
Many family cemeteries are located close to living relatives who visit
and care for the graves. It can save you
money on a burial plot in a public cemetery but there are many things to
consider before developing your own cemetery.
While Michigan law allows private family cemeteries of less
than 1 acre, it also allows each municipality to develop ordinances concerning
them. In rural areas it is the township
that sets the zoning and regulations involving family burial grounds. No cities or incorporated villages allow
family cemeteries. If you are
considering a family cemetery you must first inquire with your township as to
what the zoning and regulations are for cemeteries. Some townships will have zoning restrictions
against family cemeteries.
If you meet the zoning regulations and can comply with other
restrictions such as the distance from a well or dwellings that are required by
your township you can proceed with planning a family cemetery. You will need to hire a surveyor who will
measure and map the planned cemetery.
You will then have a deed drawn up and recorded at the county register
of deeds. Once the deed is recorded that
piece of land cannot be used for any other purpose and it will become tax
exempt. It cannot be forfeited for a tax
sale on the rest of the property nor can it be seized to pay debts.
You need to think carefully about establishing a family
cemetery. Is it likely that the property
adjacent to the cemetery will remain in family hands for a long period of
time? If you are considering selling the
property when you retire or believe your heirs will sell it after you die there
is little sense in establishing the cemetery.
It’s horrifying to think that a cemetery that’s sold with other property
may be used as a dirt bike track in the future.
The property will not be allowed to be farmed, have a wind
turbine on it, or have a house or barn on it or used for anything other than
burial. It may affect your ability to
sell the property connected to it. The
cemetery can be sold, but few buyers will probably be found. It can be sold with adjacent property or
separately. If the rest of the property
adjacent to the cemetery is abandoned, or lost to tax sale and the cemetery is
not maintained and seems abandoned, the township, after notifying any
interested parties of their intention, may claim the cemetery and do with it
what it wills. If no burials have taken
place on the property the cemetery designation may be removed by another survey
and filing a revised deed.
Things like who will maintain the cemetery after the founder’s
death need to be planned for. Who will inherit the cemetery if the other
land is split among heirs? When
considering the site for a cemetery make sure it has road access or that an
access road is constructed and included in the cemetery deed. A land locked cemetery has little value if the
surrounding property is owned by someone else, who could restrict access to
it. The cemetery should be constructed
on high, dry land that doesn’t flood.
Heavily wooded sites may be pretty, but they will restrict burials. The cemetery should be fenced and posted
against trespassing to limit malicious destruction or damage from livestock.
If you have a suitable site and zoning allows it a family
cemetery could be a lovely option for your family. It saves money and allows people much
flexibility as to how they want to be buried and the grounds maintained. Some regulations on burial must still be
followed and in Michigan a licensed mortician will need to be present at burial
to record the final disposition of the body.
An alternative to a family cemetery would be a family
scattering garden, where ashes from cremation or cremation urns could be
buried. This can be done on any private
property, without worrying about zoning. You could use the garden on your city
lot, but read about the effect of ashes on plants in an article above. You will not get a tax break though unless the
land also meets the requirements for a family cemetery and is recorded as
such. Ashes or urns do not need to have
a mortician present when scattered or buried.
For some people a family cemetery is about keeping their
loved ones final resting place close and lovingly cared for. For others it’s about frugality and
independence or a desire to be at one with the land you love. Whatever the reason a family cemetery can be a wonderful option
to a public one.
Flowers for a funeral
Except for Orthodox Jewish, Eastern and Greek Orthodox
families, flowers will usually be found at funerals and gravesites. The practice of surrounding a body with
flowers is ancient, and was probably once done to improve the smell of a room
filled with unwashed people and a dead body.
But flowers can lift the spirits of those in mourning and provide relief
from the starkness of death. Many people
let a florist choose what to use in an arrangement but if you are pre-planning
your funeral or that of a loved one why not have what you want?
People often say the smell of lilies reminds them of
funerals and they are one of the most ancient and still most used flowers for
funerals. It may be because of that
strong scent. Chrysanthemums are also a
symbol of funerals in many European and Asian countries and seldom used for
other purposes. Roses, another strongly
scented flower are also very popular.
Other common flowers used at funerals are gladiolus, orchids, and
carnations. Any flowers in season like
tulips or hydrangeas are also common.
There is a symbolic language of flowers that still may have
some cultural preference. White flowers
are almost always appropriate. They are
considered a symbol of purity, spiritual enlightenment, humility and restored
innocence. A person who is very close
to the deceased may send them red flowers, particularly red roses as a sign
they loved, admired and respected the person.
Red roses are typically sent to men and their more feminine cousin, pink
roses to women. Yellow and purple roses/flowers
are often sent by less intimate friends to indicate sympathy and respect. Lavender and purple flowers are often sent to
grandparents and other elderly peoples funerals and they symbolize the respect
for wisdom that comes with age.
If you are planning your own funeral you may not have much
control over what flowers people will send.
But you can choose flowers you love and request that they be used in
certain places, like in a casket drape or grave cover. Or you can choose that no flowers be sent, as
some people do, and ask a donation to a charity be made in your name instead. You may wish to have a tree or other plant be
planted in a public place as a memorial.
You could ask that only living, potted plants be sent to
your funeral- that is if there will be people who would appreciate taking
them. Maybe potted plants could be
donated to a nursing home or school if you don’t think your mourners will want
them. Common potted plants sent to funerals include orchids, peace lilies and
ferns but you could suggest anything. If
you are a prickly soul maybe you’ll want only cacti at your funeral.
If you are planning a green funeral be aware that green
cemeteries won’t allow vases, metal framed wreaths and non-biodegradable items
attached to flowers. In green, natural
ceremonies flowers are most often thrown into the grave and are often wild
flowers or less traditional flowers. If
you are planted in a family burial plot you have many options. You can nourish roses, a fruit tree,
wildflowers or whatever your heart desires and your family is willing to
maintain.
Searching cemeteries for heirloom
plants
Hundreds of small, old cemeteries, some private, some
public, dot Michigan’s rural areas. Some are abandoned, some still well cared
for. Larger, older cemeteries exist in
many cities. Many cemeteries, both modern
and ancient, have beautiful grounds and plantings that any gardener would enjoy
strolling through. But people who hunt
for old, heirloom varieties of plants often explore cemeteries looking for that
centuries old plant variety that has faded away in commerce but deserves to be
preserved. When groups come in to
restore old cemeteries they are advised to hire a horticulture expert to find
and catalog rare, heritage plants so they aren’t destroyed in the clean-up. And original landscaping is often preserved
when historic cemeteries are restored.
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| Heirloom rose |
In modern cemeteries one is seldom allowed to plant directly
on a grave because it interferes with maintenance done with modern
machinery. But in earlier times it was
common for people to plant things at gravesites, a piece of rose that mother loved,
a clump of blue iris for father, delicate baby’s breath on a child’s grave,
poppies on a veterans grave. There was
generally a caretaker at small public cemeteries who weeded, pruned and watered
these grave plantings as well as mowing the lawn. Families came to visit gravesites frequently,
making an outing, even a picnic out of it and they also cared for the plants on
the graves. Some of these plants have
managed to survive for a century or more, even if the caretaker is gone and the
families no longer visit.
Even if the cemetery is being managed with a quick pass of a
mower every week or so, rare plants can be found tucked along fences and
between tombstones where the mower can’t reach them. In every season new things wait to be
discovered. If you enjoy botanical
history, or history in general, and heirloom plants your stroll through a
cemetery will take on new meaning.
Common plants found in cemeteries include weeping willows
and cedar trees, which have symbolic meaning as well as old roses, iris,
lilacs, poppies, daylilies, other types of lilies, daffodils, tulips, and
peonies. But all kinds of plants have
been discovered tucked away in cemeteries. Botanical historians can even track the
ancestral origins of people buried in the cemetery by noting the plants
adorning their grave.
If you think you have discovered some botanical treasure in
a cemetery don’t pull out the shovel.
Document it with pictures, and carefully note its location. You may want
to research the plant and its varieties with people who specialize in antique,
heirloom plants. Then if you want to get a piece of the plant
or start from it you need to find out who owns the cemetery and ask
permission. Removing it is not fair to
those who planted it so lovingly long ago.
You are disturbing both history and memories.
To find out who owns a local cemetery, if it’s not obvious,
you can check with the county register of deeds. Even family cemeteries are required to be
registered. Abandoned family or private
cemeteries become the property of the township or city/village they are located
in. There are situations when a whole cemetery is being moved, the graves
relocated, and if that is the case you may ask those in charge whether plants
are also being transferred and if they are not, if you may have them. There are also new owners of cemeteries who
want to remove all vegetation so that markers and graves are more easily found
or maintenance is easier. They will
generally agree to your removing the plants and while it is sad to part them
from the graves, it will save the plant.
Once you have rescued an old variety of plant make sure to
record where you found it, the name of the person on the headstone if it was
near one and other pertinent information.
The date of death on a tombstone will help place the age of the plant
and the era the variety came from. Some
plants are, of course, descendants of the original plants placed on the
gravesite, not the original plant.
Plants along fences and common areas will probably date to soon after
the cemetery was established. That date will be found in the deed
information.
For more information on restoring old cemeteries, along with
their landscapes you may be interested in this guidebook, available on line: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/hal_mhc_shpo_Cemetery_Guide_105082_7.pdf
Growing strawberries in the home
garden
Strawberries are a fruit most homeowners can grow.
Strawberries are not only luscious and juicy sweet but they are healthy
foods. A cup of strawberries has only 45
calories and no fat and all of the day’s requirement for Vitamin C. They are packed with antioxidants and other
vitamins also. They are easy to prepare
for fresh use and the homeowner has a variety of ways to store excess fruit.
In zones 4-7, strawberries can be grown as perennial plants
and you will get several years of strawberries from one planting. In very cold areas strawberries are best
grown as annual plants.
How many plants?
If you want the strawberries for fresh use and just a little
to freeze or share, 25 plants should be plenty for a small family. If you want lots of berries to make jam or
freeze, you may want to start with 50 plants.
You will be placing the plants about a foot apart so for 25 plants you
will need rows about 2 foot wide and 25 foot long or two rows 12 foot by 2 foot
etc. If you find you want more plants
you can add more later.
Making the Bed
While you can grow strawberries in fancy strawberry barrels
and pyramidal beds, strawberries are best grown right in the garden if you have
the room. You’ll get more berries and
have fewer problems when grown in raised rows in the garden.
Choose an area in full sun, where no strawberries, tomatoes,
peppers, eggplants or potatoes have grown for the last four years. All of these plants share the same soil borne
diseases and insect problems. Don’t
choose a wet area or a low spot that will collect cold and frost. You will need a spot close to water so you
can irrigate if it gets dry.
Strawberries like sandy well drained soil. They will grow in other soils but the soil
must be well draining, wet areas cause the roots of strawberries to rot. Work the soil up well, making sure you have
removed all sod pieces. If you could
work up the soil in the fall and again before planting it would also be
helpful.
An alternative method to tilling up soil would be to build a
raised bed with timbers about a foot high.
This method also works great where the garden soil is heavy clay or
poorly draining.
Before planting work some fertilizer into the bed, follow
label directions for the amount to use.
You can use a fertilizer designed for strawberries or a slow release
10-10-10 garden fertilizer.
Some Varieties
Strawberries are listed in catalogs as June bearing,
everbearing, or short day varieties.
June or spring bearers have the heaviest crops and are the varieties the
gardeners in zones 4-6 can plant which will remain as perennials for several
years. Everbearers bear small crops
sporadically throughout the year and are also grown by gardeners in zones
4-6. They can be treated as annuals and
replanted each year. Short day
varieties are not good for northern gardeners.
Some good June bearers for the north are Earliglow, Sparkle,
Redchief, and Allstar. Some good
everbearing varieties are Ozark Beauty, Quinault, Gem, and also Tribute and
Tristar- which are day neutral.
Planting Strawberries
You will either get your strawberries as dormant bare root
plants or as potted plants. Keep the
dormant plants in a cool moist place until ready to plant. Don’t allow the roots to dry out but don’t
leave them soaking in water. Wrap them
in moist paper or peat moss. Buy only certified disease free plants.
In the north plant strawberries just before your last frost
is expected. Light frost will not hurt
the leaves. Place your plants about a
foot apart in the row. It is very important
to plant the strawberries at just the right depth. The soil level should cover the roots and be
just at the base of the crown, the spot where all the new leaves sprout from in
the center of the plant. Water well after planting.
Mulches and Row
Covers
Mulching strawberries is highly recommended as dealing with
weeds is one of the hardest parts of growing strawberries. Plastic mulch is good for cold areas as it
helps warm the soil. Red plastic mulch
is sold now and it is said to increase the yield and size of strawberries. When you use plastic mulch you lay it down on
the soil first, then you cut holes in it to plant.
Straw, wood chips, shredded leaves, or other organic mulches
can also be used around plants and in the rows to keep down weeds.
 |
| Netting can save the berries from birds. |
Basic Maintenance
The work is hardest for those of you who want to establish a
perennial patch of strawberries using June or everbearing varieties. You must take all the flowers off the June bearers the first year and off the
everbearers until July. Heartbreaking
isn’t it? The plants will develop
strong roots and will put out runners to fill up your rows. Keep the rows about 2 foot apart and thin
plants so they are about 6 inches apart in the rows.
Once the temperatures go below 20 degrees you will need to
cover your plants with several inches of straw.
You will remove the mulch in early spring, when plants start growing.
In the second year you can pick all the berries you
want. After the June bearing berries
have finished, you will mow or clip all the leaves off to just above the crown
or growing point and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer. Water well after trimming. The plants will re-grow and put out runners
which you can allow to fill in any bare areas.
This will need to be repeated each year for 4-5 years before you will
rip it all out and start over. Everbearers will be trimmed after frost kills
them. Do not fertilize then.
For those of you who are treating the everbearing
strawberries as annual plants the chores are much simpler. Just allow the plants to grow, bear fruit and
then rip them out. Try to rotate the
area where you plant your strawberries each year.
For good berry production the plants must have adequate
moisture, and must be watered when it is dry.
If homeowners develop disease problems it is best to rip out the bed and
start again in a new area.
Keep ripe berries picked often. This keeps the plant producing longer. Strawberries do not ripen after they are
picked so pick the red ones! Don’t wash
berries until you are ready to use them and store in a refrigerator.
Preserving the strawberry harvest
It’s June and strawberries are on the farm markets. If you like to eat local but want
strawberries all year round now is the time to preserve Michigan strawberries
so you can have delightful strawberry treats in the middle of winter.
It’s quite easy to preserve strawberries and they are an
excellent choice for a beginner in food preservation. Whether you pick the berries yourself or buy
them at the market look for fully red berries right down to the tip. Strawberries don’t ripen after they are
picked. Avoid berries with soft, mushy
gray spots, they are over ripe. Often
medium sized and small berries have a better flavor than the super huge
berries.
Do not wash your berries until just before you use them and
store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to wash and clean them. Wet berries grow mold in storage or turn
mushy. You can use a finger nail to pop
off the green strawberry cap or the small end of a potato peeler or small
paring knife. Wash berries well in cold
water, pick through and discard overly green or mushy berries. Small spots can be cut out of otherwise nice
strawberries.
Strawberries are generally preserved by freezing or by being
turned into strawberry jam. You can
freeze straw berries now and turn them into jam later. Strawberries shouldn’t be canned and make
only fair candidates for drying.
Freezing strawberries
First wash berries and remove leafy caps. Whole or halved berries can be placed on a
cookie sheet so that they don’t touch, frozen until firm and then placed in
freezer bags or containers. These will
be easy to separate and remove a few at a time for use. When unfrozen they will be softer than fresh
berries but still make a good presentation.
To sugar pack strawberries slice cleaned berries and measure
how many cups you have. For every 4 cups
of sliced berries add 3/4 cup of sugar.
Toss the sugar and berries gently with a large spoon until most of the
sugar has dissolved. Let berries and
sugar stand for 15 minutes then pack into freezer bags or containers. Never add water to this mix. The sugar draws fluid out of the berries and
makes a nice juice. Rigid containers
need about a 1/2 inch of space left at the top to allow for expansion as the
strawberries freeze.
Note: You can also
freeze the strawberry jam made from the recipe below.
Traditional
strawberry jam
A candy or jelly thermometer, found in most stores, is
advised for jam making. Don’t double jam
recipes, the flavor is better if jam is made in small batches because it
doesn’t need to cook as long.
First clean and sterilize 8, 1/2 pint glass canning jars and
new lids. Place the jars into a large
kettle of boiling water, making sure they are filled and covered with water and
boil for ten minutes. Drop lids in just before the time is up. Turn off the water but leave jars covered
with the hot water until ready to use.
You can also use a dishwasher to sterilize jars if it has a sterilize
cycle. Keep jars in dishwasher until
ready to use.
Clean and slice about 16 cups or 4 quarts of fresh
berries. Measure out 8 cups of berries
after slicing and place in a large saucepan with 6 cups of white sugar. You must use this ratio to get a good “gel.”
Crush the strawberries with a potato masher or large spoon
until you get lots of juice and stir until most of the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil slowly, stirring
constantly. Then turn the heat to a
medium setting and cook the mixture about 35 minutes, stirring frequently to
keep it from sticking to the pan. Check
the mixture often with the candy/jelly thermometer - or leave it in the pan
attached to the pan rim with a clip.
Turn off the heat when the temperature reaches 220ºF.
If you don’t have a thermometer cook until the jam is thick
and shiny. Jam gets thicker as it
cools. You can check for the right consistency
by placing a spoonful in a freezer and testing in 5 minutes. If it is as thick as store jam it’s
done. You can turn off the heat under
the jam while you are testing. Bring
back just to a boil before filling jars if it’s thick enough.
Don’t overcook jam, it will get grainy and may taste like
burnt sugar. Jam that is too thin can be
cooked a bit longer but overcooked jam can’t be fixed.
When the jam is the right consistency/ temperature pour it
hot into your sterilized jars. (Drain
out water first). Fill to 1/4 inch from
the jar rim, wipe the rim of the jar and then add the lids, first the flat
piece, seal side down, then the screw band.
Tighten screw bands.
Place the jars in a water bath canner. A water bath canner is a large pot that will
hold all the jars with about 2 inches of water over the top of them. This can
be the pot you sterilized the jars in.
A rack that holds the jars is advised- it keeps them from knocking
together or turning over. These are
found with canning supplies.
The water should be brought to a boil, and then timed for
exactly ten minutes. Turn off the heat, lift the jars out with tongs and place
on a dishcloth set on a table or counter.
Don’t handle the jars until you hear a ping, or see a depression in the
center of the lid, meaning the jar has sealed.
Label the jars with the contents and a date. Then store in a dark place where temperatures
remain above freezing.
You can avoid all the canning hassle by pouring your jam
into freezer containers and freezing it.
It must be stored in the freezer until used. Thaw before use. All opened jam should be
stored in the refrigerator, including canned jam.
Strawberry shortcake
waffles
One of the best ways to use up some of those great Michigan
strawberries from your garden or from one of southeast Michigan’s wonderful
farm markets is to make strawberry shortcake.
Another great way is to put strawberries on waffles. So why not combine the two? Break out that waffle maker and don’t worry
about heating up the oven on a warm summer day, your waffle maker can make
shortcakes quickly while you stay cool.
First prepare the strawberries. They need to sit at least an hour, overnight
is better. Wash the berries and remove
the leafy caps. Slice or half the
strawberries. For every 2 cups of sliced
strawberries add a half cup of sugar and toss the berries in it. Refrigerate until ready to use. This will make a light syrup as the sugar
draws out the strawberry fluid. If you
like your strawberries sweeter you can add a little more sugar. Two cups of sliced berries is enough for 3-4
small waffles. For the recipe below you
may need 4-5 cups of sliced berries to cover all the shortcake waffles.
Next you’ll need to prepare your shortcake-waffle
batter. Actually you can use any recipe
for plain waffles, the results will be fine.
But this shortcake batter with a touch of lemon is delightful.
Ingredients
2 cups
of baking mix, such as Bisquick® or Krustav®
1
lightly beaten egg
3/4 cup
milk
1/2 cup
sugar
2
tablespoons of melted butter
1/8
teaspoon- (few drops) lemon extract
pan
spray or melted butter for waffle maker
Read your waffle maker instructions again if you don’t
remember how to use it! Then blend all
the ingredients, adding milk gradually, add just enough milk until the mixture
is thin enough to pour easily. Spray or
coat the waffle maker with oil or butter and add batter. A gravy ladle makes a great batter spoon. Smooth batter evenly in waffle imprints. Just barely cover the bumps in the waffle maker
with batter, don’t overfill.
It generally takes just a minute or two to cook a
waffle. Your waffle maker may have
lights or other signals to tell you when the shortcake-waffle is done. Otherwise cook until lightly brown. Re-coat the waffle maker with pan spray or
melted butter for each batch of waffles.
Remove shortcake-waffles to a plate and top with
strawberries and then a dab of whipped cream or ice cream. Depending on shortcake-waffle size this
recipe makes 6-10 shortcake-waffles.
June is so beautiful,
make sure to enjoy it.
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. You can also
ask me to post garden related events. Kimwillis151@gmail.com
An interesting
Plant Id page you can join on Facebook
Here’s a
seed/plant sharing group you can join on Facebook
Invitation
If you are a gardener
in Michigan close to Lapeer we invite you to join the Lapeer Area Horticultural
Society. The club meets once a month, 6:30 pm, on the third Monday at various
places for a short educational talk, snacks and socializing with fellow
gardeners. No educational or volunteer requirements for membership, all are
welcome. Membership dues are $20 per year. Come and visit us, sit in on a
meeting for free. Contact
susanmklaffer@yahoo.com Phone
810-664-8912
17th Annual Rochester Garden Walk,
June 16th - 10am-6pm Rochester, MI.
The
Rochester Hills Museum and Rochester Garden Club are sponsoring a garden walk
at the Museum & Van Hoosen Farm. Cost is $16. There will be a garden market
and herbal program. Call 248-656-4663, or go to www.rochestergardenclub.org for
more info.
25th Annual Grosse Pointe Garden
Tour Fri, June 24th, and Sat. 25th 10am-4pm, Grosse Pointe Area.
The Grosse
Pointe Garden Center, Inc. is sponsoring
tour of 8 beautiful private gardens, cost $20. Enjoy a garden shoppe. Tickets:
313-881-7511, ext. 206.
Genesee County Garden Tour 2016, Sun, June 26, 10am-5pm,
Master Gardener
A association, Genesee County is sponsoring a tour through private gardens in Clio
and Vienna Twp. www.GCgardentour.weebly.com.
“The Wow
Garden Tour" certainly has some wow gardens. We have gardens to match
everyone's taste. We have shade gardens, native gardens, country gardens,
whimsically decorated gardens, simply pretty gardens. You will enjoy the
relaxing country drive. For only $10, you can enjoy this self-guided garden
tour. Tickets will be sold at each site and many local businesses. Information
and driving directions printed on your ticket.
Buy tickets
in advance or day of tour at:
Walker
Farms & Greenhouse, 5253 Atherton Road, Burton (East of Center Rd).
Bordine
Nursery, 9100 Torrey Road, Grand Blanc (North of Grand Blanc Rd., west of
Fenton Rd.)
Willow
Cottage Flower and Gift, 202 S Mill St, Clio, MI 48420 (Open Monday- Saturday)
Piechnik
Greenhouse,13172 McCumsey Road, Clio
Bridge Park
the day of tour (Corner of Linden/ Vienna Rd.)
MSU Extension Grand Ideas Garden
Plant Sale June 17, 6 - 8 p.m. and June
18, 9 a.m. - noon MSU
Extension - Kent County, 775 Ball NE, Grand Rapids, MI
Master
Gardener Volunteers will be on hand to help you select plants that solve your
gardening problems! Contact: Rebecca
Finneran, finneran@msu.edu
2016 Bee Palooza June 19, 2016 1-4
p.m. MSU Horticulture Gardens, 1066 Bogue St, East Lansing, MI
On Sunday,
June 19, 2016 from 1-4 p.m., the MSU Horticulture Gardens will be buzzing with
activity, as the Department of Entomology hosts the fifth annual Bee Palooza.
For people of all ages, this is a free, fun and educational event organized by
volunteers to provide an afternoon of interactive activities centered on
understanding the wonderful world of pollinators.
The
beautiful gardens will be dotted with displays to demonstrate and explain honey
bee colonies, bumble bees, the wild bees of Michigan, plants to support
pollinators, and how important bees and other pollinators are for the food
supply. Hands-on workshops will show you how to create a native bee hotel, how
to make native plant seed “bombs,” and how to identify different pollinators in
your garden. Get information for starting your own pollinator garden.
Pollinator-themed face painting will be back by popular demand too!
Designed
for kids and adults, this event would make a great Father’s Day activity. The
MSU Horticulture Gardens are located on the southwest corner of Bogue Street
and Wilson Road in East Lansing. For updates and more information visit MSU
Bee-Palooza http://www.beepalooza.org/contact.html
Here’s a facebook page link for
gardeners in the Lapeer area. This link
has a lot of events listed on it.
Here’s a
link to all the nature programs being offered at Seven Ponds Nature center in
Dryden, Michigan. http://www.sevenponds.org/
Here’s a
link to classes being offered at Campbell’s Greenhouse, 4077 Burnside Road,
North Branch.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Here’s a
link to programs being offered at English Gardens, several locations in
Michigan.
Here’s a
link to classes at Telly’s Greenhouse in Troy and Shelby Twsp. MI, and now
combined with Goldner Walsh in Pontiac MI.
Here’s a
link to classes and events at Bordines, Rochester Hills, Grand Blanc, Clarkston
and Brighton locations
Here’s a
link to events at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road Ann
Arbor, Michigan | Phone 734-997-1553 |
http://www.lesliesnc.org/
Here’s a link to events at Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214
Monroe Rd, Tipton, MI
Here’s a
link to events and classes at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Mi
http://www.meijergardens.org/learn/ (888) 957-1580, (616) 957-1580
Newsletter
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
