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May News 2004 |
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and Updates for May
2004 Welcome to our monthly "Newsletter". This is where we announce the most recent additions to our website along with "what's happening in our gardens", helpful hints, herbal tips, etc. Please check back often as we will be updating regularly. What's happening in our garden for May: It is my absolute favorite time of the year again and the weather has been gorgeous. We have been setting records again for more sunshine and less rain for our area. The vibrant green of new spring growth along with all the beautiful blossoms makes May a very special month. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and this year it is my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, my in-law’s 64th Wedding Anniversary, and my Mom’s 70th Birthday along with my sister’s 40th Birthday. Our son also celebrates a birthday this month so needless to say it is pretty special this year so we are planning a party to be held at our place. My husband and I have been busy for months pruning, painting, planting, etc. The vegetable garden is now three quarters done with only the warm weather crops to be sown such as corn, bush, pole beans, etc. This year was supposed to be the year that I cut down on the gardening since making my handmade soap and herbal skin care takes up so much of my time. As usual, I tried but failed. The garden is a big as ever! I usually wait until Mother’s Day to move all the hanging baskets and planters out to their summer location. Then the greenhouse can get a thorough cleaning. We just put new plastic on the large greenhouse and the small glass greenhouse definitely needs a bath. May "To Do" List: -direct sow bush & pole beans at end of the month. -transplant spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. -transplant cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin and squash transplants at end of the month. -move out hanging baskets and containers after Mother’s Day. -direct sow successive crops of corn, lettuce, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, parsnips, swiss chard, beets. -stake delphiniums, peonies, bleeding heart, foxgloves and other tall growing plants before rains knock them over. It’s much easier doing this now rather than when the plant and its blooms are soaking wet and tumbling over. -plant out summer annuals towards the end of the month leaving Impatiens until beginning of June. - eggplant , tomato, pepper, and basil transplants can be set outside at the end of the month if the nights are warm. Make sure to harden them off first. If it’s still cool wait until next month. I grow these under cover in an unheated greenhouse as they seem to do much better. -if not already done so spring flowering shrubs can be pruned as needed. -plant dahlia tubers with a stake to support the mature plant. -clean up rhododendrons and azaleas after flowering. Greenhouse Gardening for May: (for a cool greenhouse kept at 40 - 45F (5 - 7C) -plants in bloom for this month – bougainvillea, pelargonium, jasmine, jade plant, cyclamen, begonias, gerbera, mini rose, cymbidium orchid. -during the month of May I move everything out of the greenhouse, give it a good washing down and then I move back the bougainvilleas, hibiscus and oleander and any other tropical plants that I use to decorate the greenhouse over the summer months. The door is now kept open fulltime and I dampen down the benches and floor several times each day when the weather is warm. This keeps the humidity up and keeps the temperature at a more comfortable level. It really works to keep those nasty aphids and whiteflies under control. Herbal Hints: -move out all over wintered potted herbs. -sow parsley, dill, cilantro, and anise. -start harvesting herbs such as oregano, thyme, sorrel, marjoram, parsley, etc. Never cut back more than 1/3 of the plant to allow sufficient energy for new growth. -keep basil inside until warmer weather next month. Herbs for Bees: Bees are very important in the vegetable garden, flower garden and orchard for increased pollination. Personally I thoroughly enjoy watching them. I am never afraid working along side of them. I leave them alone and they leave me alone. Bees and herbs go back a long way in history. Some sources recommended rubbing hives with lemon balm to attract bees. Hyssop was purported to be carried by Roman soldiers and planted as fodder for honey bees. Along with honey bees, there are over 3000 species of native bees in North America. It is now thought that these native bees are of great importance in crop pollination. In our own gardens we can help by not using pesticides and by growing plants which bees utilize over a long season. Bees are primarily attracted to a flower’s colour and pattern. (not generally the new hybrid plants) Here is a list of some favourite herb plants which will attract bees to your garden, increase pollination and give us the pleasure of their company: -Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) -Bergamot (Monarda didyma) -Betony (Stachys officinalis) -Borage (Borago officinalis) -Catnip and Catmints (Nepeta cataria and Nepeta spp.) -Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) -Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) -Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) -Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum, Eupatorium spp.) -Labrador Tea (Ledum spp.) -Lavender (Lavandula spp.) -Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) -Mints (Mentha spp.) -Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.) -Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) -Sage (Salvia officinalis) -Snowberry (Syphoricarpos albus) -Thyme (Thymus spp.) -Vervain (Verbena spp.) -Viger’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare) Handmade Soap News: Part 10 – Preparing the Fats The rendering of the fats or grease to be used in forming the soaps was the next step. They were cleaned to remove all other impurities contained in them. This was called ‘rendering’ and was the smelliest part of the early colonist’s soap making operation. Animal fats, when removed during butchering had to be rendered before handmade soap of any decent quality could be produced. Fat obtained from cattle is called tallow while fat obtained from pigs is called lard. If soaps were being made from grease saved from cooking fires, it was also rendered to remove all impurities that had collected in it. This cleaning step was very important to make the grease sweeter. It would result in better smelling soap. To render the fats and waste the cooking grease was placed in a large kettle and an equal amount of water was added. The kettle was placed over the open fire outdoors as the smell was too strong to be done inside the home. This mixture was boiled until all the fats had melted. After a period of boiling the fire was stopped and about the same original amount of water was added. This solution was then allowed to cool down and left over night. The next day the fats had solidified and floated to the top forming a clean layer of fat. All the impurities remained in the water underneath as it was not as light. This is the same as when we make soup or stews containing meat and it is put in the fridge. The next day the same fat layer the colonists got was the same as we would get on our soup or stew. Natural Cleaning Products: To Remove Burned or Baked on Food: -4 tablespoons grated handmade soap -about 1 cup hot water -4 Tbsp baking soda Mix the grated soap with the hot water and allow to sit until most of the soap has dissolved. Mix in the baking soda. Pour enough of this mix to cover the 'burned on food", boil for 15 to 20 minutes, then wash as usual. Organic Gardening Tips: Organic Pest Control: Aphid Control – Aphids multiply rapidly and like to congregate on fresh new growth where they suck plant sap and deposit a sticky substance called honeydew. This in turn becomes a host for sooty mold. Aphids multiply rapidly – 12 days to mature so you need to react quickly while infestation is small. Can be hand picked off or use insecticidal soaps Mealy Bugs – Mealy bugs are coated with a white powdery wax and look like little cotton balls along the stems and undersides of the leaves. Use a soap spray or take a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or witch hazel and touch each bug avoiding touching the plant as much as possible. Each bug can lay hundreds of eggs so be patient and keep repeating every few days. Whiteflies – Whiteflies are much smaller than aphids and are also sap suckers depositing honeydew. You will notice them as they flutter off leaves in a white cloud when a plant is disturbed. If your ‘cloud’ is black, you are probably looking at fungus gnats. Soap sprays are relatively effective but they are definitely more difficult to control than aphids. Adult whiteflies are sensitive to colour and are attracted to anything yellow, so yellow sticky traps can help. Spider Mites – Another sap sucker, spider mites are so tiny that you will most likely not even know you have them until the upper surface of the plant leaves becomes yellow and speckled. Leaves will drop and you sometimes see white webbing between the leaves and stems. They are extremely hard to get rid of. They like hot and dry conditions so misting your plants on a regular basis can be a big help in avoiding them. I have tried all kinds of organic methods to eradicate them but they have generally failed. Keeping the conditions moist seems to work the best in not getting them in the first place. Health and Wellness Herb Butters for Grilling Fish: Herb butters to drizzle over a fish fresh from the grill are delicious and easy to make. Pick them fresh just before using. Lemon balm and chives are a great combination but experiment with other favorites. Finely chop the leaves, about 2 tbsp of each type. Add 1 Tbsp chopped parsley if desired. Add the chopped herbs to about 6 Tbsp softened butter and mash together. Basil butter with a little lemon juice is another delicious alternative. For garlic butter use about 4 cloves chopped fine to 4 Tbsp butter. A little lemon juice is also a nice addition to this one. Thanks for visiting! Susan |
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