It’s obvious, isn’t it, the rut I’m in? Three murder mysteries I blame on my post-holiday/post vacation/can’t-focus-on-anything-too-heavy mood. The bottom four are garden books. While they’re in the stack primarily for research purposes for an upcoming writing assignment, they are, also, completely pleasurable.
Dead Water, by Victoria Houston, is one of a series of mysteries based in the fantasy town of Loon Lake, Wisconsin, where a retired dentist and the police chief solve murders and become romantically involved. With the exception of counter-culture Ray who does all manner of odd jobs (including grave-digging), her characters lack individuality and, most importantly, life.
The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett, is about the urbane, sophisticated Nick and Nora Charles, characters made famous by William Powell and Myrna Loy in the 1934 movie. Hammett’s writing is excellent and the pace is breezy. Cocktail hour is a revered time in our house, but, yikes, do these characters drink.
‘How about a drink first?’ ‘We’ll buy a drink.' ‘How about another drink?’ ‘For God’s sake, let’s have a drink.’ ‘That’ll be swell. Now let’s drink.’ ‘Let’s have this drink first.’
The Silence of the Loons is a collection of short mysteries by Minnesota authors, including Ellen Hart, Monica Ferris, William Kent Krueger and Kerri Miller, the Minnesota Public Radio host of Mid-Morning.
A History of British Gardening, by Miles Hadfield, was first published in 1960. It’s out of print but fortunately I found this used paperback in very good condition. The book is well-researched (lots of footnotes) and is utterly thorough; plus there are many drawings and photographs to illustrate a particular period or point.
The Cottage Garden, by Christopher Lloyd and Richard Bird, is full of beautiful color photographs of gardens that you want to plant immediately. Lloyd’s garden at Great Dixter in Kent was one my friends and I toured when we visited England last summer. We can personally vouch for his passion and talent.
The Englishwoman’s Garden, edited by Alvilde Lees-Milne and Rosemary Verey, is a collection of stories about gardens written by their gardeners. The gardens vary in size from castle-sized (The Marchioness of Salisbury, The Duchess of Westminster and The Dowager Countess of Westmorland) to the charming gardens of Coach House and Westwick Cottage. Famous gardeners such as Beth Chatto, Penelope Hobhouse and Rosemary Verey are included but so are gardens by the not-so-famous.
Classic Planting, by George Plumptre, features the gardens of Beth Chatto, Chrisopher Lloyd, Rosemary Verey and Penelope Hobhouse. The English gardening world is small, isn’t it?
The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only one page. --St. Augustine
January is an excellent month for my husband, Jerry, and I to take time off and travel. The gardening world is at a nadir and our joint business, Northwoods Bird Dogs, is between training sessions. This year we decided to visit Georgia, a state Jerry had never been to and one that was five Hardiness Zones warmer than my garden in Minnesota.
The trip was wonderful and full of bests.
Best cottage. Our first stop was Tybee Island where we rented an authentic, island cottage situated on a quiet street with a tidal creek in the back yard. The tiny one-bedroom was perfect for us and couldn’t have been more charming. We didn’t use the screen porch; instead we spent leisurely hours reading on the ample dock outfitted with lounge chairs, lobster buoys and fairy lights.
Best beach. Tybee Island is a small island connected to Savannah and the mainland by 18 miles of bridges over marshes, the Intracoastal Waterway and various channels and rivers. The beach on Tybee Island is long, wide, gradual and open to the public. No building is taller than about four stories. Best of all, the sand is formed of crushed sea shells, making the softest, squishiest sand imaginable. Even though it was chilly, we were compelled to walk barefoot.
Best breakfast. The best breakfast on Tybee Island is at the Breakfast Club. Don’t be fooled by its innocuous exterior. One step inside and you’ll be captivated by the smells, the vibe and the clanging of metal spatulas on grills. The food is outstanding, gourmet actually, with homemade sauces and sausages and the best grits I’ve ever had.
Grab a seat at the counter so you can watch the three guys manning the toasters and grills. They are as much cooks as performers. Their chatter, well-polished routines and flair is a riot. But again, don’t be fooled; these guys know what they’re about. The plated breakfasts that are handed off to busy servers are delicious works of art.
Best city plan. Savannah is the oldest city in Georgia. It was founded in 1733 by a very organized group of English colonists led by General James Ogelthorpe. They traveled under the auspices of King George II, after whom the state is named. The city plan was agreed upon before the ship left England and was based on London’s squares.
In this grid-like model of urban planning, homes, churches and businesses surround each square, creating a network of interconnected neighborhoods. Thanks to a strong legacy of preservation, 22 of the city’s original 24 squares remain, each with its own distinctive style. ~ Savannah 2011 Official Visitor Guide
Another good aspect of the grid system and English colonization is the plethora of pubs. Each neighborhood has a tavern or two. Jerry and I ducked into one cozy spot, found stools at the bar and ordered pints of the very tasty, Atlanta-brewed Sweetwater Georgia Brown.
Best townhomes. Savannah had block after block of beautifully maintained townhomes. I could live in any one of them, although preferably one with a curving staircase and plenty of intricate wrought iron.
Best quail plantations. Jerry and I then drove away from the coast—to the west and south. Our destination was quail country. We wanted to see the historic area that is home to piney woods, bird dog wagons and vast quail plantations.
It stretches from Americus in the north, through Albany and south to Tallahassee, Florida. The heart is Thomasville, Georgia.
The history is fascinating. As far back as the 1880s, newly rich, northern business owners discovered the area.
Finding plentiful game birds--particularly turkey, dove, and quail--they first leased then began purchasing small parcels of farm land and forests, consolidating them into thousands of acres of hunting plantations--larger than any of the antebellum cotton plantations…
Because the area remained somewhat isolated after the Civil War, it retained many vestiges of antebellum plantation life, a life that the new plantation owners sought to emulate and the old ones wished to preserve. The region today contains more than a hundred working quail hunting plantations, proving more durable than the cotton kingdom they replaced.
~ Susan Hamburger, from a paper presented at the North American Society for Sport History Annual Conference, May 27, 1996
We were especially interested to visit Pinebloom a 20,000-acre plantation that was the setting for Tom Wolfe’s excellent book, A Man in Full.
The February 2012 issue of Fine Gardening includes a story, The Experts’ Top Ten, by Steve Aitken. The magazine asked 42 “leading plantspeople, designers, and gardeners for their top 10 essential plants.”
After compiling the lists from those experts, here are the genera that made the top 10.
1. Hydrangea 2. Salvia 3. Rose 4. Viburnum 5. Hellebore 6. Iris 7. Oak 8. Hosta 9. Sedum 10. Japanese Forest Grass
Of course, that got me thinking, “What would be my top 10? What plants do I have to grow?” Here’s my list. (I know. I know. Some aren't native but fragrance is such a draw for me. Interesting fact: most of these plants have been in every garden of mine since I was 22.)
In my dreams of gardening in Zone 5 or warmer, I’d include Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) and Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum).
Woflgang Oehme, a landscape architect originally from Germany, died of colon cancer on December 15, 2011, at the age of 81.
Oehme is most famous for his collaboration with James van Sweden. They joined forces in 1977 and formed Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, a firm that changed landscape design in the U.S. They developed an exuberant, free-spirited, lush, four-season approach to gardens that is still in vogue today.
From the obituary by Douglas Martin in The New York Times, December 24, 2011:
“For 30 years, Mr. Oehme teamed up with James van Sweden to develop self-sustaining gardens, free of pesticides, that could remain beautiful even as the seasons changed…
“Their work graced embassies, universities and private homes, including Oprah Winfrey’s. In Washington, it can be seen at the Treasury Department, the National Gallery of Art, the National Arboretum and the Federal Reserve building. In New York, they created pieces of Battery Park City and Hudson River Park. Their work extended to Minneapolis and West Virginia.
“In effect, they revolted against the American lawn, which traditionally opened to the street with bushes around the house. Mr. Oehme and Mr. van Sweden put big plants in front of a property to create secluded space, which they filled with carefully plotted but unclipped plantings. Mr. Oehme abhorred the ever-popular azalea, arguing that it flowered for just two weeks before becoming a boring green bush. Grasses, he noted with approval, change with the seasons and can look striking in winter.
“The approach put the two designers at the forefront of a naturalistic horticultural movement that attracted rubrics like the ‘new American garden’ and the ‘new romantic garden.’ Allen Lacy, a garden author, wrote in The New York Times Home Design Magazine in 1988: ‘Dramatically unlike anything ever seen in America, theirs is truly a garden for all seasons.’”
Not only is January the beginning of the calendar year but it marks the symbolic start of this year’s garden.
If throughout autumn we cast our thoughts back toward the luxuriance of the garden just past, by January we have let go of the last season and have begun thinking of the next. ~ Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, A Year at North Hill
January is the month to dream, scheme, plan and design for the season ahead. It’s time to carefully tend indoor garden plants and to enjoy the outdoors from a chair by the fire.
Dream and scheme. Think big. Dream big. You can always discard an idea later as too outlandish or phase in another over several years.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars. ~ Les Brown
My method is simple: I collect photographs. My photos include specific plants, plant combinations, colors, designs, furnishings and hardscapes. I take photos myself, cut them out of catalogs and magazines and make copies from books. They’re filed in a manila folder that’s always handy on my desk so I can add a new photo that catches my eye and browse through it for inspiration. .
Sources for a dream folder: • stack of catalogs that’s amassed over the holidays • your own book shelves: no doubt you’ve forgotten you even owned some of them • library: peruse its selection of books and magazines • bookstore: check out the magazine and gardening sections
Plan and design. A dream without a plan is just that…a dream. Now commit those details to a plan. • Make a list of priorities—some for this season, some for ensuing years. • Sketch designs so you know what, where and how many. • Place orders for later shipments.
Indoor garden. • The declination of the sun is at such a low angle (22° above the horizon at our latitude on December 20) that its power is much reduced. Move indoor garden plants as close to windows as possible. Even ivies and ferns flourish in south light. • Don’t fertilize or transplant indoor garden plants. • Be vigilant about monitoring for pests. Aphids and spider mites (especially on those ivies) can be controlled with insecticidal soap. Whiteflies are more difficult to eradicate but look for traps at the garden center. Fungus gnats hover around the soil and even though unsightly, they don’t harm plants.
Outdoor garden. There aren’t any chores to actually do outdoors this time of year. Pruning can wait. Instead, you should be enjoying design and planting projects from previous seasons. • evergreens trees and shrubs for color, texture and mass • delicate or stout outlines of deciduous plants • stalks and seed heads from perennials • remains from vines on trellises and arbors • focal points like a bird bath, pergola or Amur Cherry with nice-looking bark • strategically placed fairy lights
Finally… Take time off. January is an excellent month for gardeners to vacation. Who wants to leave in spring, summer or fall when we’d rather be in the garden?
Bon voyage!
The January calendar above is a page from the 2012 Dazzle Gardens Why We Love Flowers desk calendar. For more information, please email betsy@dazzlegardens.com.
The dark days of December seem perfect for comforting meals of chili, meatloaf and a bacon sandwich.
Bacon Butty. The Bacon Butty is about as basic as it gets…..and as good. This British sandwich is just bacon, bread and HP Sauce. As always, the quality of the ingredients is important; each must be top-notch. Fry several slices of bacon. Toast 2 slices of bread to desired crispness and butter lightly. Lay the bacon on one slice of bread, cover with the other slice and press down gently. Slice and serve with a healthy dollop of HP Sauce for dipping.
The family pig…preserved in the salt that surrounds our island, slapped between two slices of bread, and dubbed a butty…is older than our monarchy, and probably more important to us. ~ Tim Hayward, Saveur Magazine, Number 137
Meatloaf, Leftover Meatloaf & Meatloaf Sandwiches. I’ve experimented with several meatloaf recipes over the years and have finally found a winner in Melissa Clark’s Spicy, Garlicky Meatloaf, published March 24, 2010, in The New York Times. The meat mixture—equal parts ground pork and ground beef—is liberally seasoned with garlic, scallions, fresh sage, salt and pepper. The secret to the success of the dish, though, lies in the cooking method. Clark recommends a typical loaf pan but I prefer James Beard’s recommendation.
It should not be baked in a loaf pan, incidentally. A meat loaf if molded and baked free form on a bed of bacon or salt pork sheds excess fat and makes a more firmly textured loaf… ~ James Beard, The New James Beard
While meatloaf is very good served warm the first day with mashed potatoes and a green salad, it’s even better on days two and three when I serve it, respectively, cold (like a slice of pate) with pickles and as the star of a sandwich.
Chili. Any chili recipe works here—beef and kidney bean, turkey and white bean, chicken and black bean. The fun part is the toppings and accompanying cornbread. I always put three small bowls of condiments on the table; the contents vary with the kind of chili. • freshly chopped onion: scallions or red • freshly grated cheese: sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack • sour cream: sometimes freshened with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice
My husband, Jerry, and I have tried many, many kinds of cornbread, including some of my own disastrous attempts. The best cornbread in Minnesota is from Eddington’s Soup and Salad Restaurant, a mini chain in the Twin Cities. Their cornbread is perfect: moist (not dry and crumbly), dense (but not heavy) and with just a touch of sweetness.
Barbara Damrosch has been a favorite writer/gardener for many years. Long ago I bought Theme Gardens and still enjoy its thoughtful, sometimes whimsical designs. Her Garden Primer is a go-to resource, on a par with Dirr, Wyman and van Sweden.
Damrosch and her equally accomplished husband, Eliot Coleman, live in Harborside, Maine, where they operate a year-round produce and cut flower farm and market, Four Season Farm.
In addition, Damrosch writes a weekly column, A Cook’s Garden, for The Washington Post. Her column on December 21 detailed her perception of the winter solstice, especially vis-à-vis gardeners.
In nature, the dark has its use. Many plants will not bloom unless triggered by a stretch of longer nights: chrysanthemums, for example, with their fall flowering. Maybe gardeners have a similar photoperiodic need, for the darkness that drives them indoors, even if it’s just for a brief hesitation, like the sun’s, before they roll up their sleeves again. ~ Barbara Damrosch, The Washington Post, December 21, 2011
The most popular of all blooming houseplants, yearly poinsettia sales now top 75 million plants. ~ Barbara Pleasant, The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual
In the earliest years of my horticulture career, I worked in retail flower shops. The Christmas season was frenetic and seemingly endless and by mid December, I could barely stand to look at a poinsettia. I never, ever bought one to take home.
Those scars lasted decades. But that was then and this is now. Today’s poinsettias are gorgeous! In addition to improved varieties of red, pink and white, cultivars now exist in tempting colors like burgundy, orange and peach, in addition to speckled and bi-colored varieties. In fact, so enthralling were the choices that I recently succumbed and purchased five plants. • ‘Orange Spice’ • ‘Premium Picasso’ • ‘Ice Crystal’ • ‘Whitestar’ • ‘Classic Pink’
Poinsettia facts. • The botanical name is Euphorbia pulcherrima; pulcherrima translated from Latin means “loveliest.” • They belong to the Euphorbiaceae Family, a diverse group of nearly 1,500 species. All have a milky sap. • Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias aren’t poisonous but, as with all indoor garden plants, shouldn’t be eaten. The sap may cause a dermatological reaction in some people with a latex sensitivity. • The plant is native to Central America where it is a beautiful shrub reaching 12’ in height. • The colorful part is actually a bract, or modified leaf. Bracts contain less moisture than petals and therefore last longer. • The actual flower is comprised of stamens and pistils in the center of the bracts. There are no petals or sepals. • Poinsettias are named after the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was appointed in 1825. He was an amateur botanist and became so enamored of the plants that he sent cuttings home to his greenhouse in South Carolina. (This man was no slouch. He also founded the Smithsonian Institution.) • Albert Ecke started an agriculture-based business in southern California in the early 1900s. His son, Paul, is credited with seizing on the marketing potential of a holiday poinsettia and today, Paul Ecke Ranch is a leading poinsettia breeder and grower. • The current Ecke catalog includes 65 cultivars with such captivating names as Chianti, Eggnog, Peppermint Twist, Polar Bear, Solstice Red and Tapestry. Most cultivars are truly stunning but one group, The Winter Rose Series, is truly unattractive with its double, twisted bracts. • According to the November/December 2010 issue of Garden Design, “Last year, 100 million (poinsettias) were sold in North America.” • December 12 is National Poinsettia Day to honor Mr. Poinsett.
How to grow poinsettias. Poinsettias are Zone 9 plants and will not survive temperatures below about 55 degrees. Take precautions when transporting from flower shop or greenhouse to vehicle to home.
• Once home, place in bright light but away from strong, southern exposures. Avoid cold, drafty areas and keep away from heat sources. • Check soil moisture level often. When soil surface dries, take plant to the sink and allow about 10% of the water to dribble out the bottom of the pot and drain away. Don’t let the plant sit in excess water. • After night temperatures remain above 55, place outdoors, again, in indirect light. • Poinsettias are photoperiodic, short-day plants and will re-bloom only if a very definite set of conditions is met. Keep in 14 hours of uninterrupted, complete darkness (any stray light, i.e., opening the closet door, will delay flowering) for 8 – 10 weeks. To have colorful bracts in time for the holidays, begin October 1.
Finally… The Ecke catalog included a section on indoor container gardens utilizing poinsettias. One pretty combination worth copying included, in addition to a pink poinsettia, the following plants: pink kalanchoe, pink anthurium, Rex begonia, polka dot plant and variegated ivy.
This post also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
This is a short stack of books by my bedside table but it packs a punch. All are wonderful books and in the evening it’s difficult to choose which to read.
The Language of Bees, by Laurie R. King, is a newer offering (published in 2009) in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. Russell is a great character—strong, intelligent and capable—and a perfect match for Holmes. Even though some of King’s books have been quite dark due to bad guys and their crimes, her settings, characters and intricate plot in this book completely draw me in.
All Our Wordly Goods, by Irene Nemirovsky, was just published with a fresh translation from French by Sandra Smith. Nemirovsky wrote this book sometime prior to World War II but it wasn’t published until 1947, well after her 1942 death at Auschwitz. The setting is France before, during and after World Wars I and II. From the opening paragraph, I was mesmerized by her lyrical style.
They were together, so they were happy. Even though the watchful family slipped between them, separating them gently but firmly, the young man and woman knew they were near one another; nothing else mattered. It was the beginning of the century—an autumn evening at the seaside, overlooking the English Channel. Pierre and Agnes, their parents and Pierre’s fiancée had all gathered to watch the last firework display of summer….The moist sea air drifted around them. A profound sense of tranquility reigned over them, and over the sea, and over the world.
Kitchen Essays, by Agnes Jekyll, is a gift from my friend, Maureen, who shares a passion for Dorothy L. Sayers and Beverly Nichols. The beautifully bound book is published by Persephone Books LTD, a London company. Its cover is a soft mat gray and the endpapers (with matching bookmark) are reproduced from a 1922 silk fabric reproduced with permission from the Victoria & Albert Museum. This Jekyll was a sister-in-law to Gertrude (they married brothers) and lived near her more famous relative at Munstead House in Surrey. The collection of essays is from her column in The Times and includes recipes for, among other events—Tea-Time and Some Cakes, A Winter Shooting-Party Luncheon, Country Friends to a Christmas Shopping Luncheon, Sunday Supper.
The Inviting Garden, by Allen Lacy, was first recommended by Michael Pollan in a May 31, 1998, review in The New York Times Book Review. Lacy is a cool guy and this is a cool book. Here is a definitive sentence in Pollan's review.
Lacy’s method is to show us the beauty of gardening’s three faces in turn: its ability to delight the senses (with a chapter each on the Big Five), instruct the intellect (taking up plant hunting, naming and symbolism, as well as American landscape design) and elevate the spirit (chiefly by planting us in time and place).
This year, forget useful items like watering cans, pots and tools. Many gardeners already have what they need and treasure their favorite trowel, spade and pruners.
Forget, too, the cutesy, craft-y items. Garages and garden sheds are full of thoughtful gifts gone awry.
Rather, since gardeners are simple and down-to-earth, give them what they love. Give them flowers and plants, food and drink.
Flowers. Gardeners can be cheap. Think how they’re always digging plants to share and researching where the best prices are. And gardeners rarely fork over lots of money for a big, gorgeous cut flower bouquet for themselves. There might not be a better present than a gift certificate from a good flower shop for a substantial bouquet. (Go for at least $50. It's a present, remember?).
Plants. Give a gardener a plant. What a novel concept! Gardeners love plants and most would say they never have too many. Head to a good greenhouse or nursery and choose something nice—whether tropical, herbal or brightly flowering.
Food. There seems to be a deep, integral tie between gardening and eating. I don’t know one single gardener who isn’t really a foodie, too. Give a gift certificate for food. Consider a coffee shop, cheese shop, favorite haunt, or a special restaurant.
A notion has been brewing in my mind for some time now……
One summer morning while enjoying breakfast at one of my favorite spots, Amazing Grace Bakery & Café in Duluth’s Canal Park (close enough to Lake Superior to smell the water), I noticed two signs.
Be Brave Be Kind Don’t Eat Bad Bread
Saving the world one loaf at a time
Both were meant tongue-in-cheek (perhaps) but the second one resonated. I’m a gardener, though, and changed one word.
Saving the world…..one garden at a time.
Wow.
Famous people have recently written of similar notions.
October 2, 2011, The New York Times, Food and Drink Issue Mark Bittman: “And how can food change the world?”
November 9, 2011, The Washington Post Barbara Damrosch: “…evidence piled up that small-scale, diverse, sustainable farms (and even home gardens) had the most potential to solve the world’s hunger problems while reversing modern agriculture’s devastation of our ecosystems.”
But here’s my thing. Gardening brings everything together—beauty, food, nature and nurture.
Saving the world…..one garden at a time.
The idea is so simple.
The mantra could be just as simple, easy and doable. Grow one plant for enjoyment. Grow one plant to eat. Grow one plant outside for wildlife.
The benefits of growing plants for people, for wildlife and for the world are practically endless but here’s a list for starters. • provide beauty • provide food • provide food sources—nectar, pollen, seeds and/or fruits—for wildlife • provide habitat for wildlife • provide opportunity to nurture and to be responsible for a plant • tie to natural world • understand seasons • understand natural order of things • save money on food • learn that fresh, home-grown food is nutritionally better and tastes better • know where food comes from • feel satisfaction and control • provide lots of photosynthesis—carbon dioxide in and oxygen out • increase sales of pots, soil, seeds, plants, watering cans, hoses, tools, gloves, etc. • importance of each person caring for their own plot of land • importance of healthy soil and soil organisms • encourage practice and use of compost and manure • encourage no-till which protects soil structure and soil organisms • help solve big issues like boosting local economies, encouraging small farms and fixing The Farm Bill.
My notion brings together great ideas from Michael Pollan (“The tulip was my first flower…”, grass farmer Joel Salatin, Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants., among others), Douglas Tallamy (Bringing Nature Home, How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens), Rosalind Creasy (The Edible Landscape, Now You Can Have Your Gorgeous Garden and Eat It Too!) and others.
Saving the world…..one garden at a time.
What do you think?
Crabapple photo by Chris Mathan, The Sportsman's Cabinet.
Here in the northern part of the country, chores in the outdoor garden are, for the most part, done. Freezing temperatures and snow pretty much signal the end. Time to focus on indoor gardens and the holiday season.
• If you haven't already created your outdoor container gardens and window boxes, there's still time. Browse the selection of berried branches, greens and sparkly stems at greenhouses and flower shops. Check out your own garden, too.
• Absolutely nothing makes a home homier than plants. Those greenhouses and flower shops should be stocked up on poinsettias, cyclamen, amaryllis and holiday cactus. Some cyclamen are fragrant—consider also other scented plants like jasmine, rosemary, paperwhite narcissus.
• Try creating an indoor container garden. Choose a pretty pot and use a flowering plant or two, a cute Norfolk Island Pine and plenty of ivies.
• Be vigilant about any herbs or garden plants brought in from outside. Without natural predators, insects can multiply, divide and conquer.
• Make a fresh cut on the Christmas tree before placing in the stand. Check often for water especially in the first few days.
Come quickly; I am tasting stars! ~ Dom Perignon
No matter your faith, December is a symbolic month. It’s the end of the calendar year and a natural time for reflection. The winter solstice occurs on December 21 and, even though the days will remain cold, the sun will shine a little longer each day.
December is also a festive month. Pop the cork on that most traditional of celebratory spirits, champagne, and pull chairs up close to the fire.
Cheers!
December calendar is a page from the Dazzle Gardens 2011 Why We Love Flowers desk calendar. For more information, please email betsy@dazzlegardens.com.
Charlie Brown is a blockhead but he did get a nice tree. ~ A Charlie Brown Christmas
In the 1965 television special, Charlie Brown was searching for the true meaning of Christmas when he was advised by Lucy to buy “the biggest aluminum tree you can…pink if they have it.” He bucked the consensus and instead bought a rather spindly, but real, tree.
Even though young at the time, the sentiment made quite an impression on me for I remain, decades later, an ardent champion of real trees and vehemently opposed to fakes.
Why buy fake? Family members and good friends, many who are serious gardeners, have succumbed to the allure of fake trees. When asked why, this is what I hear. • It’s cheaper. Even though the up-front price of an artificial tree is high, that cost can be spread over many years. • It lasts for years. (Of course! It’s fake!) • We don’t have to go anywhere and stand out in freezing cold weather. • It’s simple to put up—just unpack the box. • No watering. • There are no needles to clean up.
Fake tree facts. First of all, let’s call a spade a spade. In what is perhaps an attempt to be politically correct, I’ve seen other words used to describe a fake tree. “Artificial” is acceptable, as is “manufactured.”
“Non-traditional” is not. (Don’t blame me for the double negative.)
• Fake trees are produced primarily from PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, a petroleum-based component which is non-renewable and, for the most part, not recyclable. • Fake trees are disposed of in landfills where they become a long-term, environmental burden on-renewable. • All fake trees are produced in a factory; 85% in China. • They have cumbersome storage requirements for 11 months of the year.
Real tree facts. • 98% are grown on tree farms and all 50 states have tree farms. • It’s far more likely (definitely if you cut your own) that a real tree purchase will support a local business. • Real firs and pines smell good. • Real trees are a renewable resource. • They are 100% recyclable. Decomposing plants contribute nutrients and organic matter to the environment. (Never put in the garbage. At a minimum, if your municipality participates in tree recycling or composting, do it. The best use is in your garden.) • There are no storage issues.
Perhaps Patrick Burns stated it best in a December 2010 post on his blog, Terrierman’s Daily Dose:
These trees not only generate oxygen and recapture carbon, they also slow erosion, provide some habitat for birds and animals, preserve farmland and green space, are easily recycled into mulch, and provide American jobs.
My "Charlie Brown" tree. When it comes to my Christmas trees, they are always real and always balsam firs. Over the years I’ve bought several pre-cut balsams from tree farms but my preference is to cut my own.
Several years ago my husband, Jerry, and I paid $5 to the feds and made a pilgrimage to the Chippewa National Forest. We trudged through deep snow and cut one along an old logging trail. Lately we’ve made shorter trips where a friend has a large natural grove of lovely balsams. We usually fall for a “Charlie Brown” tree, one with character and spindly branches.
Very soon, after felling this year’s balsam, I’ll slip Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas into the CD player, mix up a fresh batch of Hot Buttered Rum and decorate my real balsam fir tree.
For no matter whether a tree is real or fake, there is immense satisfaction in re-discovering ornaments. I'm partial to hand-blown glass and treasure my hummingbird, tiny greenhouse, yellow duck, log cabin, cigar and assortment of shiny balls . My favorites for many years now is a set of eight reindeer from Pottery Barn. There is Dasher, Dancer and Prancer, of course, as well as Comet, Cupid and Donner. Blitzen is the partier with a bottle in his paws but no one can resist Vixen. She has long eyelashes, a sultry look and a gorgeous red stole.
The most common types of Christmas trees in our part of the country are pines (Pinus), spruces (Picea) and firs (Abies or Pseudotsuga, Douglas fir). All four genera belong to the Pine Family, Pinaceae. Other members include tamaracks (Larix) and hemlocks (Tsuga).
Pines, spruces and firs are both evergreens and conifers. An evergreen has foliage that remains green throughout the year, i.e., doesn’t lose all its leaves or needles at one time. (Rhododendrons are evergreens but tamaracks are not.) A conifer is a type of plant whose fruit is a cone.
Key distinctions among the genera include needle arrangement on the stem, maturation date of cones and whether the cones are erect or pendent. Following is a cheat sheet.
Fir: balsam, Fraser, Noble, white • needles are persistent, flattened • cones are erect, mature in 1 year
Spruce: black, Colorado blue, Norway, white • needles are persistent, spirally arranged, usually sharp, borne on peg-like projections • cones are pendent, mature in 1 year
Pine: Austrian, eastern white, Jack, Norway, Scotch • needles are persistent, spirally arranged in fascicles or bundles • cones are pendent or erect, mostly mature in 2 – 3 years
Douglas Fir • needles are persistent, flattened, spirally arranged • cones are pendent, mature in 1 year
This magnificent white pine is one of my favorites. I visit it every fall when in the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota.
Notwithstanding centuries-long traditions of adorning homes with evergreens during winter, I’m bored. All these containers stuffed full of evergreens have become such a cliché. Furthermore, they look ponderous and gloomy.
It’s time for something different.
Look through your collection of pretty containers and choose a couple. (See below for reminder about the importance of pots.)
Now try something different.
#1 Use a real potted evergreen. Go to the nursery soon (before they bed them down for the winter) and buy a container-grown evergreen in whatever size works for you--#2, #5, #10. Don’t worry about hardiness zones; most likely, the plant won’t survive past winter. (Roots will, most likely, freeze and die. But my friend, Jill, has grown arborvitaes in containers that have survived for two winters.)
Consider plants with soft foliage…maybe even something with a blue-ish cast. Choose upright, pyramidal species and cultivars of the following plants. • Arborvitae (Thuja) • Cypress (Cupressus) • False Cypress (Chamaecyparis) • Juniper (Juniperus)
Place potted plant in the pretty container. Fill in and around plant with soil or shredded hardwood mulch. Water. Cover the base with, of course, reindeer moss. Continue watering until the soil freezes.
#2 Use berries. Mass cut branches of fruit-bearing plants…and nothing else. The look is light, airy and utterly refreshing.
Consider species and/or cultivars of the following plants. • Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) • Cranberrybush Viburnum/Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) • Dogwood (Cornus) • Roses (Rosa) • Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Place branches in the pretty container. Fill in and around with soil. Water. Cover the base with, of course, reindeer moss. Continue watering until the soil freezes.
#3 Use birch trees. Use small whole trees or branches of larger trees. Birches (Betula spp.) work well due to their distinctive bark—whether white/peeling or bronze/speckled. Bare branches of other trees or shrubs would work also. A single branch will look simple and sophisticated but a group of several branches in one container works well.
Place branches in the pretty container. Fill in and around with soil. Water. Cover the base with, of course, reindeer moss.
Decorate the “tree.” Adorn with white lights which are, in my humble opinion, a necessity. Our nights will soon be more than 15 hours long and we need all the cheer and brightness we can muster.
Add ornaments, either themed or not. Birds, stars, bells and glass balls are options. (Garnet Hill offers tiny knit wool sweaters, complete with their own tiny wire hangers. They are very cute.) Twist the ends of ornament hooks around the branch to secure.
Continue watering until the soil freezes.
=========================================================== In other words, buy some good pots! ~ Thomas Hobbs, The Jewel Box Garden
Absolutely, the most important consideration in container gardening is the container itself. I can't emphasize enough the value of a good pot. Spend the money up front and purchase good-looking, heavy-duty containers that will last years.
Consider all kinds of containers: antique urns, moss-encrusted olive jars, quirky pots, sleek and sophisticated pots, wicker baskets. Consider different materials: terra cotta, stone, metal, wood and concrete.
Photos by Chris Mathan, The Sportsman's Cabinet. (Winterberry and Cranberrybush Viburnum)
Wouldn’t this be fun to have in your garden? It’s a four-foot high fiberglass watering can brightly painted with fireflies. The background inspiration is Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
Not for you? Another choice was an elegant dragon on a watering can. Are you Scandinvian? Perhaps the watering can decorated with rosemaling is more your style. Are you a romantic? One version depicted a tender woodland scene with 3-D vines twining around the handle.
All these watering cans were part of the 2006 Enormous Watering Cans exhibit at the Jenkins Arboretum and Gardens, just outside Philadelphia. Of 110 ideas submitted by area artists, the arboretum chose 37. The watering cans were displayed in the gardens during the summer of 2006 and were auctioned off that fall.
In addition to many creative renditions, other huge watering cans depicted frogs, lady bugs, cats, fish, sunflowers, waterlilies, trees and even an elephant.
…we know that November is in some ways one of the most demanding times in the garden, presenting almost the last moment when many necessary chores must be done before the advancing winter makes them impossible. ~ Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, A Year at North Hill
• Plan winter container gardens. If using frost-resistant containers, potting soil can be used. Otherwise, use material that won’t expand and crack the pot, such as shredded hardwood mulch or marsh hay.
• If you’re a mulcher of perennial beds, don’t apply until the ground has frozen. The purpose is to maintain evenly cold ground temperatures without fluctuations of warm, thawing periods.
• Make notes of What Worked and What Didn’t Work in this season’s garden. File away until planning time for next year’s garden.
• When hoses are no longer needed, drain water and store properly. Either coil loosely in a dry location or store on hose reel.
• Take time to properly clean, lubricate, sharpen and store tools and equipment now. Not only does it protect your investment of good quality items, but you’ll feel so virtuous.
• To protect young trees with smooth bark from sunscald, use tree wrap or tree guards around the trunk. Susceptible trees include cherries, crabapples, plums, maples, mountain ash, basswood and honey locust. According to U of M/Extension Yard & Garden news: Sunscald occurs when winter sun heats up bark on the south or west side of a tree enough to stimulate cambial activity. When shading or sunset causes the air temperature to drop quickly, the activated cambium is killed resulting in dead bark on the south or west side of a tree in the form of sunken, dried, or cracked areas.
• If rodents or rabbits are a concern, use tree guards or hardware cloth on trunks. Insert the protection about 3” below the soil surface and extend about 2’ above the snow line.
• Don't waste your money on anti-transpirant sprays for evergreens. Most research proves they aren’t effective.
• Deer can cause heart-breaking damage to a garden at any time of year but more so in winter when there aren’t as many food choices. Repellents and fences are solutions and the most effective approach is to employ a combination. (Under Just the Facts, Ma’am, there are several posts on The Deer Issue.)
November calendar is a page from the Dazzle Gardens 2011 Why We Love Flowers desk calendar. For more information, please email betsy@dazzlegardens.com.
But it is in the fall when the aspen's leaves are masses of old gold and hillsides and islands are mirrored in a sea of blue that the days become enchanted and a hush lies like a benediction over the entire country. ~ Sigurd F. Olson, The Singing Wilderness
Now in late October, there isn’t a better place to be than in the woods of northern Minnesota. This past week I’ve walked behind grouse dogs through forest types at opposite ends of the successional cycle: a climax sugar maple/basswood and pure stands of aspen which sprouted from a clear cut about 15 years ago.
While many would prefer the grandeur of the mature maple/basswood forest, I'll take aspens. Despite its rather blue-collar reputation, aspens have always been my favorite deciduous trees.
Aspen facts: • Most widely distributed native tree of North America • Clones older than 1 million years-of-age exist • Plant is dioecious. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees, i.e., there are male trees and female trees • 500 organisms feed on aspen including deer, beaver, insects, fungi and viruses • Scientific name is Populus tremuloides • Common names include Quaking Aspen, Trembling Aspen, Popple
The quaking part. The attribute that most captures my fancy is an anatomical thing. The leaf stem, or petiole, is flattened so the leaf can only move from side to side. Leaves flutter, or quake, or tremble, in even the slightest breeze. On a windy day in summer, the rustling foliage sounds like a waterfall.
This time of year it’s difficult not to run into a pumpkin or two somewhere. One can take in a Pumpkin Festival, Harvest Fair or Oktoberfest. Pumpkins are piled in grocery stores and nurseries and are featured at most farmers markets and roadside stands.
What’s not to like about pumpkins? First of all, I like the word pumpkin. It’s fun to say. As a gardener, pumpkins are rambunctious vines that bear all manner of fruit—whether big and orange, small and white or green and warty. As a cook, pumpkins are versatile vegetables that can be made into dishes both savory and sweet. Finally, they are the most evocative symbol of Halloween—more so than ghosts or goblins--because what kid can resist the mess and fun of carving them?
Pumpkin facts. • Pumpkins belong to the Cucurbitaceae family. Other members include cucumbers, gourds, melons and squash. • Pumpkin cultivars are progeny of Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima or C. moschata. • Pumpkins are monoecious which means separate male and female flowers are borne on the same plant. Since only female flowers set fruit, some flowers (male) don’t. • The new record pumpkin weighs 1,818 lbs. and was grown this year by Canadian Jim Bryson and his daughter, Kelsey. • Libby’s plants approximately 4,000 acres of C. moschata ‘Libby’s Select Dickinson’ yearly to supply about 90% of the canned pumpkin market.
How to grow pumpkins. Pumpkins are warm-season plants. They need warm soil and air temperatures consistently above 50 to grow. Rather than getting a head start on the season, seedlings that are planted too early could be exposed to growth-inhibiting injury. Since pumpkins require a long growing season to bear, seedlings are preferred over seeds. (Start your own seeds inside.)
Give pumpkins full sun with plenty of room to ramble and plant in good, rich soil. Since the vines and fruits are so lush, pumpkins require lots of water.
Pumpkins cultivars of note. Large pumpkins: Big Moon, Connecticut Field, Howden Biggie, Large Cheese. Tiny pumpkins: Baby Boo, Jack Be Little, Wee-B-Little. Pretty pumpkins: Cinderella (the French heirloom ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’), Jarrahdale (gray-green from New Zealand), Lumina. Ugly pumpkins: Sea Pumpkin (C. maxima ‘Marina di Chioggia’), One-Too-Many.
Decorating with pumpkins. If your style is more Carve-by-Color Pumpkins, Halloween Pumpkin Creatures or lining your entranceway with Leaf-Carved Pumpkin Lanterns (I’m not kidding.), let me refer you to the Martha Stewart Living.
My preference is for a natural presentation which looks, at once, simple and sophisticated.
Idea #1. Choose several (odd number if under 6) interesting shapes and colors of pumpkins. Aarrange nicely on front porch, steps, or deck. Idea #2. Add one or three smaller pumpkins of choice to already-planted fall containers. Idea #3. Fill container or window box with nice straw, dried grass or marsh hay. Select similarly sized but different colored pumpkins and nestle them.
Finally...eat more pumpkins. In addition to the following array of recipes, here are two ideas. Pumpkin blossoms are edible and add a touch of panache to a summer salad. A warm and comforting Pumpkin Spice Latte is now being featured at Starbucks (for which I can personally vouch).
"With edible seeds, creamy flesh, and a shell that doubles as a serving vessel, pumpkin may be fall’s most versatile ingredient." ~ Jeanne Kelley, Fine Cooking Magazine, October/November 2010 Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake, Scallops with Pumpkin and Herbed Orzo, Pasta with Pumpkin, Sausage, and Cavolo Nero, Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Gruyere Croutons, Pumpkin Enchilada Casserole and Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Puree with Orange and Thyme.
Pumpkin Cream Soup, Ginger-Pumpkin Soup, Nutted Pumpkin Pie. ~ James Beard, The New James Beard
Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffins, Gratin of Pumpkins and Leeks, Pumpkin Soup (with apples and cider), Pumpkin Spice Roulade. ~ Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson, Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland
Pumpkin Satchels, Bread and Pumpkin Soup, Provencal Pumpkin Gratin. ~ Richard Olney, Simple French Food
Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Buttermilk Pudding, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Chiffon Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Sour Cream Pie. ~ Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, The Joy of Cooking
Pumpkin Tian, Pumpkin Tian with Cheese and Rice, Pumpkin Pie, Meat-in-the-Moon (from Jamaica) and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. ~ John Thorne, Simple Cooking
This also appeared in the Askov American, Askov, Minnesota.
The Moon-Spinners, by Mary Stewart. What a flashback. This was the very first of countless romantic mystery novels that consumed me as an adolescent. Who could resist plucky Nicola and the island setting of Crete? The injured, handsome hero Mark in need of her help? The sinister locals and the charming Aunt Frances? And since I had just finished the Stewart books of Merlin and King Arthur, I was in serious need of a Stewart fix.
What is a moon-spinner? According to Mark, it’s a legend.
They’re naiads—you know, water nymphs…They each have a spindle, and on to these they are spinning their wool, milk-white, like the moonlight. In fact, it is the moonlight, the moon itself…
Q Road, by Bonnie Jo Campbell, is a wondrous novel that was hard to put down. Strong characters are a must for me and Campbell’s setting, a river and its surrounding farmlands in southeastern Michigan where once Potawatomi Indians lived, is essentially a character on its own. Her others are fully drawn and intriguing—from tough, rifle-toting Rachel Crane, the central figure and her equally capable mother, Margo to David, George, April May and Officer Parks.
Next on my list Once Upon a River, also by Campbell. It’s basically the precursor to this book and tells the tale of Margo Crane.
Secret Ingredients, The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink, edited by David Remnick. When I saw this book at the bookstore, I had to have a copy for myself; this was not one to check out from the library. It is a collection of contributors to The New Yorker magazine. Some entries are long; others are short. The writers are extraordinary: Woody Allen, Anthony Bourdain, John Cheever, Louise Erdich, Nora Ephron, M. F. K. Fisher, Jim Harrison, John McPhee, Calvin Trillin. I can read anything Ephron, Fisher and Harrison write. In addition, the illustrations and the original black and white cartoons are marvelous.
A Year at North Hill, by Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, has been in my library for years but every now and then I pull it out to read the seasonal entries. Now it’s the essays for October and November. I’m continually inspired by their garden and their wonderful view of all things horticultural. There will be no more books by the pair because Winterrowd died suddenly one year ago.
I’m pleased to note that two winter container gardens designed by me were included in the newly published bookazine by Birds & Blooms, Beautiful Fall Gardens/Magical Winter Yards. Look on page 35W.
A bookazine is a thicker, longer publication that is meant to be on newsstands for up to three months. While browsing at bookstores, I’ve noticed others from the editors of Taunton Press (Fine Gardening, Fine Cooking) and Cook’s Illustrated. among others.
This Birds & Blooms bookazine is two-sided. The side facing out now is dedicated to fall. Flip the magazine over to see the winter cover. Each section contains 71 pages and is positively bursting with seasonal ideas and colorful photographs.
The fall half features stories on: • garden chores and cleanup • seeds • bulbs • herbaceous and woody plants with seasonal interest • seasonal recipes and food stories about herbs, canning and freezing • bird feeding information and ideas
The winter half includes articles on: • winter container gardens • winter garden chores • plants with seasonal interest • indoor garden plants • holiday gift and décor ideas • winter bird feeding and other information • recipes featuring winter squash, parsnips and turnips
Autumn is a seemingly magical time of year. Leaves that had been perfectly content to live all season in chlorophyll-induced shades of green are suddenly transformed. Gaudy colors rarely seen at other times are in abundance. Foliage and fruit alike turn vivid shades of gold, salmon, crimson, burgundy and bronze.
While I, too, exclaim in awe over the sumacs and maples and oaks, somehow I’m drawn to softer shades of the season. Perhaps the juxtaposition of the brilliant to the subdued is appealing. Or perhaps it’s merely because those gentle colors are more soothing to my introverted personality.
Here are favorite colors from my garden.
Blue. How can one not be transformed by the calming blue of Geranium ‘Rozanne’? It reminds me of the water of the Caribbean Sea.
Gray. This scene in my garden is due entirely to serendipity since it is ruled by the vigorous Clematis ‘Mrs. Robert Brydon’. She graciously allows space for Artemsia ‘Powis Castle’ and I snuck in a stained glass butterfly that harmonizes nicely.
Porcelain. All summer the variegated green and white shoots of porcelain berry vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata ‘Elegans’) twine up and around my large, sturdy trellis. Sure, white flowers bloom in profusion but they’re inconspicuous. The plant seems content to let its clematis neighbors, ‘Miss Bateman’ and ‘Rhapsody’, have their time in the spotlight.
By mid September, though, the two clematises are running out of gas. The temperatures have cooled and the porcelain berry foliage is withering. Now, hundreds of mature berries are visible, and now, amazing shades of turquoise, teal, amethyst, lavender and cream adorn my trellis.
The warm sunshine we had felt at Sissinghurst Castle was now hidden behind low, dark clouds and a brisk breeze had strengthened. We were driving south toward Rye on extremely narrow and twisted roads which were clearly built when horses and coaches were the primary means of transport.
After parking near the canal, we crossed one of several bridges and walked along Strand Quay. Shops were closing for the evening and we needed respite and warmth. Up a narrow cobbled way, we found The Mermaid, exactly what we were looking for. Painted just below the name on the front of the building:
re-built in 1420
We followed the chatter down a short hall and claimed a choice spot in the corner of the pub. A fireplace encompassed one entire wall. Authentic lances and spears decorated the walls. Other patrons included a father and son, two women friends and several jovial tables.
As in all pubs, the person behind the bar is as important as what he/she pours. Patrick was our bartender and as we relaxed with our drinks, he, too, warmed up. Soon he was regaling us with stories in his much-accented English.
English pubs are special places. Pubs, short for public house, have been around, in one form or another, since about 2,000 years ago when the Romans were in control. While their primary purpose was to serve alcoholic beverages—beer, wine or spirits—pubs have also played an important social and cultural role as the gathering place for neighborhoods and villages.
When three friends, Cathy, Jill and Maureen, and I traveled to England in late May, pubs were definitely on the itinerary. We drank, ate and spent happy times in many, beginning with our first stop at the Red Lion in Broad Oak.
English pubs are easy to spot. Amiable exteriors reflect the building style of the region and are usually decorated with flowers in hanging baskets and pots. Names are simple: The Swan, The Workhouse, The George, The Old Bell.
Interiors share distinctive characteristics, too. • cozy, dark atmosphere • well-worn wooden bar • warmth from a fire • friendly buzz of patrons
Snowshill Arms Snowshill, Worcestershire
Snowshill is a small village in the heart of The Cotswolds. It sits high above a verdant valley dotted with white sheep. We meandered up and down narrow lanes and passed ancient stone and brick buildings, all softened to warm tones of cream and camel. Just off the main street, we spotted a house for sale. It was love at first sight for us all. This home had everything: vine covered exterior, slate roof, leaded glass windows, intricate wrought iron fixtures, lovely gardens and a name, The Cottage. I would have bought it for the white lupines alone. After our stroll, we were thirsty and tried the door of the Snowshill Arms. But like the rest of the village on this warm, summer afternoon, all was peaceful and deserted.
The White Hart Roydon Diss, Norfolk
The sun had gone down beyond the big oaks to the west of The White Hart by the time we finished excellent pub meals of burgers, pork belly and chips. We emerged into the balmy evening air and as we slowly strolled toward our vehicle, I overheard a greeting when two men met on their way into the pub.
Even though my husband, Jerry, and I love a good grilled sirloin or rib-eye and we can't imagine life without cheese, we are definitely omnivores. In addition to meat and dairy, we eat plants…lots of plants. That includes not only plant parts like leaves, fruits and roots but things made from plants. Now during this time of harvest and abundance, it seems most of our meals center around plants.
Michael Pollan would approve.
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. ~ In Defense of Food, An Eater’s Manifesto, by Michael Pollan
Here are recent meals.
Weekday Breakfasts • For Jerry: Kashi GoLean Crunch (wheat, rice, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat, sesame seeds) and Autumn Bliss raspberries • For me: Big bowl of Autumn Bliss raspberries, grapes, melons and/or Zestar apples • For both: Toast (wheat and rye) heaped with blackberry (shown), strawberry or raspberry jam • Coffee
Weekend Brunches • Orange juice doctored up with peach schnapps • Homemade waffles (wheat, corn, barley, cane plants) with maple syrup and Autumn Bliss raspberries • Fried eggs topped with roasted SunSugar cherry tomatoes and oregano • Fried eggs topped with chives, thyme, tarragon and chevre • Coffee
Cocktail Hours • Peanuts • Cashews • Potato chips • Wine • Cosmopolitans made with Reyka vodka (wheat and barley) , cranberry juice, lime juice • Famous Grouse whisky (unknown grains/aged in oak casks)
Dinners • Grilled hamburgers with thick slices of Polish tomatoes • Penne with salsa cruda containing SunSugar tomatoes, Italian parsley, thyme and garlic • Vegetable platter with roasted red and green peppers, cucumbers, olives and more SunSugar tomatoes served with roast chicken • Frozen pizza with fresh SunSugar cherry tomatoes and dried oregano • Grilled pork chops accompanied by Greek salad with greens, red onion, olives, SunSugar tomatoes (My plant was huge.) and manouri cheese
Desserts • Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate (cocoa plant) & Mint • Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate (cocoa plant) & Raspberries • Key lime pie
Askov American Birds & Blooms Kanabec County Times Lake Country Journal Pine City Pioneer Pine County Courier The Ely Miner The Minnesota Horticulturist
Finding plentiful game birds--particularly turkey, dove, and quail--they first leased then began purchasing small parcels of farm land and forests, consolidating them into thousands of acres of hunting plantations--larger than any of the antebellum cotton plantations…
Not only is January the beginning of the calendar year but it marks the symbolic start of this year’s garden.
Indoor garden.
This year, forget useful items like watering cans, pots and tools. Many gardeners already have what they need and treasure their favorite trowel, spade and pruners. 
Here in the northern part of the country, chores in the outdoor garden are, for the most part, done. Freezing temperatures and snow pretty much signal the end. Time to focus on indoor gardens and the holiday season. 
Why buy fake?
Real tree facts.
My "Charlie Brown" tree.
The most common types of Christmas trees in our part of the country are pines (Pinus), spruces (Picea) and firs (Abies or Pseudotsuga, Douglas fir). All four genera belong to the Pine Family, Pinaceae. Other members include tamaracks (Larix) and hemlocks (Tsuga).
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Not for you? Another choice was an elegant dragon on a watering can. Are you Scandinvian? Perhaps the watering can decorated with rosemaling is more your style. Are you a romantic? One version depicted a tender woodland scene with 3-D vines twining around the handle.
But it is in the fall when the aspen's leaves are masses of old gold and hillsides and islands are mirrored in a sea of blue that the days become enchanted and a hush lies like a benediction over the entire country.
This time of year it’s difficult not to run into a pumpkin or two somewhere. One can take in a Pumpkin Festival, Harvest Fair or Oktoberfest. Pumpkins are piled in grocery stores and nurseries and are featured at most farmers markets and roadside stands.
