Word for the Day
The fragrance always remains in the
hand that gives the rose.
Heda Bejar
Word For the Day
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Plants from Hunger
To we landscape people it is fun when our floral world is acknowledged and emphasized by the entertainment world. This has recently happened in the hot new movie, “The Hunger Games” and the recent PBS hit “Downton Abby”.
In the Downton Abby a butler comes down with a terrible skin rash and the local medical types can’t come with a diagnosis or cure. The Dowager Countess, an avid gardener, takes one look and correctly recognizes the problem as a poison ivy type skin rash caused by handling the Rue plant. While little known, Rue is considered an old fashioned herb garden plant. It was once grown for medicinal reasons, although recent studies have shown that Rue as a medicine was ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. Rue does have a strong smell which is repellent to dogs, cats and Japanese Beetles, a boon to modern gardners. Rue is also known for its symbolic meaning of regret and as the “herb-of grace”. It is in this latter sense that author Collins uses the name Rue for one of the characters in “The Hunger Games.”
“The Hunger Games” is a story of competition and survival in a despot ruled, post- apocalyptic world. A world in which young people are pitted against each other to remind the populace how little they matter to their rulers.
As the hunters hunt each other they must rely on nature for sustenance. As one of the characters says, “Plants are tricky. Many are edible, but one false mouthful and you are dead!”
This statement made me think about how hunger has driven us to find many edible plants. The first person to eat an artichoke must have been one hungry dude to chew his way through all those needle-like leaves! Or how about the person who decided that all red fruits weren’t necessarily poisonous? That person had to have been heavy on hunger or faith or both!
Author Suzanne Collins’ book is a wonderful collection of botanical references. Suzanne clearly considered the significance of the wild plant in her fictional, food insecure world. Those who could correctly tell the good from the bad lived, those that couldn’t, didn’t.
The popularity of the book and the film has spawned renewed interest in edible plants, courses on plant identification and a new theme for cook books.
Collins even named several of the characters in the story for plants that seemed to symbolized them. Other plants are mentioned for their nourishment value. So that we may all appear knowledgeable in both the floral and film worlds here is the list as compiled by Anna Laurent in a recent “Garden Design” article:
Character names:
Katniss:Katniss Everdeen, the story’s heroine is hardy, valuable, adaptable and sometimes sweet, just like the Katniss plant. The plant is sometimes referred to as “Arrowhead”, Latin name Sagittaria, the archer. Bows and arrows are very much Katniss Everdeen’s choice of weaponry.
Primrose:Katniss’s gentle sister is named Primerose. The name comes from Latin meaning the first rose of spring. Primrose is a lovely delicate plant that thrives well in forsaken lands. Katniss takes on the competition to protect her “lovely, delicate” sister living in a forsaken world.
Food sources:
Pond Lilies:Pond lilies are a featured item on the Katniss Everdeen natural menu. In the orient pond lily roots are eaten to restore balance in the body and certainly they help keep Katniss in balance and, in the end, victorious.
Dandelions:Dandelions are thought to have evolved about thirty million years ago in Eurasia. They have been used by humans for food almost since the beginning of recorded history. In Collins book/film the dandelion represents to Katniss hope and encouragement. When she discovers a field of dandelions she realizes that she can provide food for her family. Obviously dandelions have a different significance to a forager than to the owner of a beautiful lawn.
Pine Trees:Katniss discovers what many a lost traveler has found before: when all else fails as food, the soft inner bark can provide a good meal and the pine needles can be a source of Vitamin C…and a sticky mouth!
Nightlock:Caught you here, this plant doesn’t exist! Author Collins probably combined the attributes of deadly nightshade and hemlock, the latter made famous in the death of Socrates. Katniss fortunately identifies the berries from this plant and doesn’t eat them. Other competitors are not so lucky.
There are several other plants mentioned but are not easily identified in today’s vernacular. That being said, what all this tells us is that Mother Nature didn’t put flowers on this earth solely as decoration. Many plants have kept men fed and healthy through the ages and will continue to do so.
Earth Day 2012
Earth Day 2012Sunday will mark the 42nd anniversary of EARTH DAY in the US. On the 22nd of April take a moment and think about the significance of the day. Our planet gives us everything that we need to live: air, water and food. If, however, It is to continue to be the gift that keeps giving, we are going to need to provide some serious assistance.
It is up to us the “takers” to also be “givers”. Despite the EPA, the passage of the “Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Act”, and the efforts of numerous “green” leaning organizations, Mother Earth is worse off today than she was on April 22, 1970.
It is no longer sufficient to give vocal support. Each and every one of us needs to become actively involved in the challenge.
As part of the fight for a clean environment we at Katherine Field and Associates teamed up with a local middle school to do our part of giving back by picking up. Eight members of the firm led by President Kate Field joined two sixth grade classes from St. Michael’s School in Newport, RI for a cleanup of a large local park. As Kate told the group as they started, “today we are helping to make the earth less of a trash can!”
After a lot of hard work and a certain amount of fun…one group was spotted leading a “pet” log around on a rope leash…the group collected 16 bags of trash amounting to 80 lbs. of junk that had been polluting our land.
Just think what could be done if every firm and every school in every town undertook a similar project. Just think! Better yet, DO IT!
Here Come the Clippers-Part 2
Hydrangea Pruning Made Easy
Before you start snipping, there are a couple of things you need to know:
- First: What kind of hydrangea do you have? If the blooms on you
r hydrangeas are pink, purple or blue, you definitely have a Mophead or Lacecap (Macrophylia) hydrangea and you should use Pruning method 1 described below. If, however, the blooms are white, they could be any type of hydrangea and you need to do further on-line/in-person research. - Secondly: You need to know that Mophead Hydrangeas do not have to be pruned back…ever…unless they are very old. Removing dead stems is the only pruning that must be done for the health of the plant. Additionally, dead stems and dead blooms can be removed at any time
.Having said the second item, I feel that I need t elaborate on it. If your hydrangea is getting too large (or old), and you simply must prune it, use one of the following methods. Method One works for Mophead or Lacecap Hydrangeas (usually blue or pink), or if you have Oakleaf Hydrangeas (oak shaped leaves, white blooms).
Pruning Method I:
Method I is for hydrangea types that bloom on old wood, stems that have been on the hydrangea since the summer before the current season. These hydrangeas produce next year’s flower buds around August. Pruning after this may eliminate or reduce blooms the next summer. So prune these hydrangeas before they have set their blooms for the next year.
It should be noted that pruning is not the same as removing the dead blooms.
Additionally there are certain instances where pruning can be helpful:
- All dead stems should be removed from hydrangeas every year
- After plants are at least 5 years old, about 1/3 of the older (living) stems can be removed down to the ground each summer. This will revitalize the plant
- In addition, if it becomes necessary to prune a plant to reduce its size, it may be cut back in June and July without harming the next year’s bloom. However, the plant will return almost immediately to its former size. Far better to plant the hydrangea where it won’t need to be cut back.
Pruning Method II:
Method II is used for Annabelle and PeeGee types of hydrangea. These types bloom on the new wood. These are a user friendly type as they seem determined to bloom every single year, no matter how you treat them. About the only time that they cannot be pruned is in the spring (Annabelle) or in the summer (PG) when they are preparing to bloom.
Annabelles can be grown into hedges. Quite often these hedges are cut within a few inches of the ground so they won’t be an eyesore during the winter. Despite this they will produce beautiful blooms in the spring/summer. However If you do the above pruning you may need to stake them to hold up the large bloom heads.
Paniculatas (PG/Limelight types) can be pruned in the fall, winter or spring. However, they do not need to be pruned every year. This type of hydrangea is the only one that can be pruned into tree form. To do this, be careful not to remove the developing trunk or the main top branches. If a Paniculata tree form is broken off near the ground it will reform as a shrub.
This article was excerpted from w
ww.hydrangeas.com. Additional information such as “Identifying Your Hydrangeas” can be found on this most informative website.
Burpee is here!
My parents loved gardening from many aspects: the planning, the planting, the deer and rabbit wars, the seasonal progress and the satisfaction of coming to a table filled with food earned by the sweat of their collective brows. All of this has been passed on to me and I have in turn instilled some of it in our children.
But of all the various aspects, my favorite time was signaled by the Spring seed and plant catalogue from Burpee! This was proof positive that God was going to give us another Spring and Summer whether we deserved it or not. The catalogue would pass through the hierarchy of handling and eventually get to me. I would take it to a sunny, warm spot, curl up with the catalogue and disappear into a world of color, smells and warm breezes that was still several months away. It was a wonderful moment and thinking of the time always gives me a happy feeling.
Today, thumbing through the catalogue gives me the same happy feeling, but with a slight twinge of guilt…should I be saving paper by ordering on-line?
In case any of you are feeling the same twinge, here are some seed/plant company websites, put together by my gardening friend Meredith
Company Website
Baker creek Heirloom Seeds www.rareseeds.com
Burpee & Co. www.burpee.com
Comstock, Ferre & Co. www.comstockferre.com/shop/
Cooks Garden www.cooksarden.com
Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co. www.Gurneys.com
Harris Seeds www.harrissseds.com
Henry Field’s Seed & Nursery Co. www.henryfields.com
High Mowing Organic Seeds www.highmowingseeds.com
Holmes Seed Co. www.holmesseed.com/
HPS www.hpsseed.com/
J. W. Jung Seed Co. www.jungseed.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds www.johnnyseeds.com/
Le Jardin du Gourmet www.artisticgardens.com/catalogue/
New England Seed Company www.neseed.com/
Nichols Garden Nursery www.gardennursery.com
Otis S. Twilley Seed Co. www.Twilleyseed.com
Park Seed Co. www.parkseed.com
Pinetree Garden Seeds www.superseeds.com
R. H. Shumway www.rhshumway.com
Seed Saver’s Exchange www.seedsavers.org
Seeds of Change www.seedsofchange.com
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange www.southernexposure.com/
Stokes Seeds www.stokeseeds.com
Sustainable Seeds http://sustainableseedsco.com
Territorial Seed Company www.territorial-seed.com
Thompson & Morgan http://www.tmseeds,com/
Totally Tomatoes http://www.totallytomato.com
Vermont Bean http://www.vermontbean.com/
Vesey’s Seeds http://www.veseys.com/us/en/
If there are any favorites of yours that I have missed, please let me know. In the meantime, in the interest of being more “green”, curl up in the sunny, warm corner with your laptop and think of the joys of spring planting!
It’s not Trash, It’s Compost
It’s not Trash, its Compost!
What do you grow when winter settles in and it’s too late to mulch and too early to order seeds. Well,despite the vagaries of this winter, we are all already growing something: nutritious soil. It’s called compost. Growing it is simple. In fact composting will take place with or without you. Compost, like life, happens. Take the little leaf that has gathered light and moister all summer. When it falls it becomes part of the nourishment for the microorganisms that will nourish the same tree in the spring. A RI farmer, Mike Merner, points out that,” all plants and animal matter is compostable.”
You can’t stop the process but you can help it along and bring new life and color to your gardens. Mike Merner uses the three pile system:
“The initial pile is the accumulating pile where you accumulate the organic matter from your household and yard. This is where you want to balance the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio. If you add kitchen scraps only, they will putrefy unless you add leaves, shavings, paper or some other brown material. Once the accumulating pile is the size you want, turn it and it becomes the composting pile and turn the old composting pile and it becomes the mature pile”
The real message is that since composting is a natural process there is no “right” way to do it. As Mike says, “It’s simple but it isn’t easy!”
Below is a partial list of what to compost/ Carbon or Nitrogen/ Comments:
Table scraps Nitrogen Add with dry carbon items
Fruit &vegetable scraps Nitrogen Add with dry carbon items
Egg shells neutral Best when crushed
Leaves Carbon leaves break down faster when shredded
Grass clippings Nitrogen add in thin layers so they don’t clump
Garden plants — Ensure they are disease free
Straw or hay Carbon Hay may come with seeds, straw better
Seaweed/kelp Nitrogen Rinse before using
Wood ash Carbon Only ash from clean material, sprinkle on
Chicken manure nitrogen good “activator”
Shredded paper Carbon black/white, non glossy
Once you pick your spot for the pile(s), start building them. Build the pile on bare earth and then build a base of twigs and straw (sounds like the three little pigs!). On top of the base add your compost material in layers. Add manure to activate the process. Keep the pile moist, cover it and let it cook! Your garden will thank you for taking the time to give it some really nutritious soil upon which to feast; and you will have killed a week or two of the “winter wait” period.
For the “Urbanites” among you, don’t despair. The market place has created the indoor composter. The one shown doesn’t have to banished under the sink and adds to the décor of your kitchen. Being in plain sight at all times tends to encourage usage. This one can be ordered through www.burgonandball.com/scripts/prodList.asp
What a winter it hasn’t been! We left our house Friday heading for Vermont and the shoots under the trees were waving good-by. We returned Sunday on to find them under a 9” blanket of snow (winter mulch in a previous blog!).
It started us thinking of the various confused flora and fauna we have observed this winter: daffodils sprouting early, budding forsythia and the like. One of the prettiest of the early birds we’ve spotted is the Helleborus Orientalis or Lenten Rose pictured here.
As the name implies they are normally a winter, early spring flower but this year they are really pushing it!
The Lenten Rose typically grows to about 16” wide and 24” tall and is available in a wide variety of bloom colors. It makes a lovely evergreen ground cover although the foliage can become a little tired looking in the summer…as who doesn’t!
On the positive side, the Lenten Rose is shade tolerant, drought tolerant and judging by the deer around us, deer resistant.
All this is to say that this winter, Mother Nature has given us more than normal sights to observe.
In the long run we may pay for it, but for now it is interesting and provides a little extra color in contrast to the neutral winter landscape.
We would be interested in hearing of other unusual floral spottings that you all may have come across, in this winter of Nature’s discontent.
Get Outside and Mulch
Never being one to rush a season, last weekend I decided to put up my in-ground winter bird feeder and discovered, surprise, surprise that the ground was finally frozen. This reminded me that rather than go back inside, I needed to look to my Winter Mulching.
Is winter mulching necessary? Well, ask yourself, “Why does Mother Nature cause the trees to shed their leaves at their base and then cover the leaves with a blanket of snow?” Winter mulch? You bet!
So why do you bother with winter mulching? Fall and winter mulches create an insulating barrier between the soil and air, thereby protecting plant roots from rapid fluctuations in soil temperature. These soil temperature changes create movement that can heave plants and small shrubs out of the soil and exposing their crowns or upper root systems to damaging freezes.
Even if you have done a Fall mulch before the first frost settles in, Roses, evergreens, trees, shrubs and any bare ground will benefit from a layer of mulch, even after the first few hard freezes. This year, in the Northeast, the time has come.
What then qualifies as the best winter mulch? Back to Mother Nature’s choice of a blanket of snow. This is the best choice because it keeps the ground consistently frozen with no rapid fluctuations in temperature, and it disappears in the spring allowing the plants to gradually come out of dormancy as the temperatures begin to rise. For us in the Northeast, snow doesn’t seem to be an option this year. So what are some other organic mulches available?
Wood chips and Shavings. Both are effective for perennial beds and paths. Ensure that your chips have not come from wood that has been treated with chemicals.
- Shredded leaves are light, improve the soil and decompose quickly and provide a good cover.
- Pine needles make good cover for ornamental beds and shrubs that contain acid loving plants. The needles tend to be slow to decompose.
- Straw and hay: Straw makes a good lightweight cover that is inexpensive and readily available. It’s not particularly slightly, but has the advantage over hay which tends to contain many more weed seeds.
- Pine boughs and other evergreen branches are great lightweight, transportable air and water permeable covers. Obviously, they also have to be removed in the spring.
Timing is of issue. Our goal is to keep the plants dormant, rather than to keep them warm. If they are kept too warm they may start to bud prematurely. Applying mulch too early can smother the plants and lead to disease development. Once the plants are completely dormant and the temperatures are consistently below freezing, then winter mulch can be applied.
The bottom line is that even though my bird feeder project was sidelined, we are on track for proper winter mulching, followed by a happy spring. Hang in there!
Winter Blahs…Not!
The other day I was looking around my lawns and gardens and thought what a comforting image they make: pruned, neat, dug in for the winter. They almost seemed like a small army of plants and bushes hunkered down but at the “ready” for the arrival of spring. One knows however, this feeling of warmth and security will disappear rapidly after a few arctic blasts of snow and ice. Then come the hated “Winter Doldrums”. Luckily, nothing takes me out of my winter doldrums faster than the arrival of the first spring plant catalogue! As I flip through the pages, earmarking the ones I want to go back to, I am warmed and cheered by the wonderful colors that leap from the pages: red, blue, lavender, yellow, rose, pink and all the variations thereof. Out comes the pad and paper for planting planning, and I am far removed from the ice and snow of winter. I think to myself,
how glad I am that somebody figured out how to reproduce nature’s colors for later viewing. Who was that person? One of the great influences in this area was Edward Van Altena and his glass slides. He found his artistic expression in the coloring of black and white slides with a method that predated the discovery of Kodachrome by 40 years. Partnering with a fine colorist, John Scott, Van Altena continued his art well into the 1960′s, and only stopped working when his eyesight failed at 90! So this winter as you sit watching the snow and sleet run down your window pane, grab a planting catalogue, open it and drink a silent toast to Edward and the others who bring us summer colors in the depth of winter. Goodby to Winter blahs!
De-Stress through Nature
We live in a world that not only embraces stress, we wear it like a badge of honor. We seem to feel that the more stress we are under the more important we are. Unfortunately, stress does not lead to efficiency. However, good, bad or indifferent, stress is with us for the foreseeable future. It begins with the early morning alarm clock continues through the work day, coming at us from all directions, and ends with fitful, teeth grinding sleep.
So how do we deal with it? How do we keep stress within acceptable levels?
Dr. Marc Berman at the University of Michigan has been studying the issue. He has found that “performance on memory and attention tests improved by 20% after study subjects paused for a walk through an arboretum. When these people were sent on a break to stroll down a busy street in town, no cognitive boost was detected”
Even just looking at photos of nature in a quiet room is better and less stressful than walking down a busy urban street.
An interesting thing that Dr. Berman noted was that “You don’t necessarily have to enjoy the walk to get the benefit.” Just looking at images of nature engages “our so-called involuntary attention, which comes into play when our minds are inadvertently drawn to something interesting that doesn’t require focus, like a pleasing picture or landscape feature.”
Some of the things that Dr. Berman has learned can be of interest to Landscape Architects working in urban areas. The Doctor found that people don’t have to live in a nature rich environment to reap the benefits. A quiet urban street with interesting natural elements to look at such as planters could do the same thing. In short, professional designers are beginning to realize what therapeutic garden designers have long known. There is a direct relationship between landscape and human health and well being.
Bottom line: stress is here to stay but there is a helpful solution…spending time in a well designed landscape.