November News 2004 

What's happening in our garden for November: I have to admit that I didn’t have time for much gardening this past month. I have been making 32 lbs of handmade soap everyday for the past 2 months along with all of my new organic skin care products and emu oil products. Our grandson is also over a lot which although very time consuming is a real joy. I have offered to babysit starting Dec. 1st when both his parents have to go back to work. I couldn’t bear the thought of him having to go to Day Care already. He is now almost 11 months old and a going concern. He does not like to sit still at all. My husband is the one who is busy raking up all the leaves, rototilling the garden, etc. I managed to get all the flower beds and gardens cleaned up for winter and all of my tender plants have been brought into the greenhouse. Our fall vegetable crop of spinach, leeks, winter greens, baby bok choi, lettuce, etc. are doing great. We even have peppers left in the greenhouse although we just had our first frost and this greenhouse is not heated. This month I plan to go round one last time to cultivate the garden beds and that should be it until around February when the weeds start growing again. 

November "To Do" List: -continue to rake up leaves and add to compost pile or use as mulch. (destroy if diseased) -add manure, compost and other organic matter to gardens to replace lost nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to add nutrition and improve soil structure. -a simple way to add minerals to your soil is to apply a natural product such as glacial rock dust. Mixed with compost, soil or manure it increases bacterial action bringing the soil to life. -cut grapevines while they are still supple enough to twist into wreaths. -cut hydrangea stocks and hang upside down in a dry ventilated place for winter arrangements. -collect bittersweet, fruit-covered rose canes or viburnums as well as other interesting branches for the Christmas wreath, table or mantle. -as winter garden structure starts to show assess your gardens’ basic design for any changes needed. -clean up perennials that turn soft after frost, such as hostas. -spread leaves collected from around the neighbourhood on your beds and borders for winter protection. -finish planting spring bulbs before the ground freezes. -harvest root crops, such as turnips, carrots and store in cool sand. -prune woody plants when they are dormant. 

Greenhouse Gardening for November: (for a cool greenhouse kept at 40 - 45F (5 - 7C) -start amaryllis bulbs for bloom in 6 to 8 weeks. -force spring-flowering bulbs for winter boom in 12 to 15 weeks. -reduce water throughout November and December. -do not fertilize until light levels increase in February. -set up greenhouse heater to come on when frost is threatening. Try to keep at a minimum of 38F. -do not spray or splash water around as this encourages mold and mildew. -sweep up debris regularly and check for insects. -ventilate on warmer days. 

Herbal Hints: I still have many herbs available in the herb garden. My cilantro that I planted in late summer is now giving me an ample supply. Garlic chives, regular chives along with thyme, sage, rosemary, etc. are also doing well. My more tender herbs have been brought into the greenhouse giving me a much appreciated assortment of fresh herbs for culinary use. -mulch tender herbs. -tidy up plants but leave major pruning for spring. 

Sages for the Windowsill: Many sages are not hardy in northern gardens. These include Pineapple Sage, Cleveland Sage, Fruit Sage and Greek Sage. These can be brought in and grown in a sunny windowsill. Feed occasionally such as with a seaweed fertilizer. Water only when dry and give an occasional clipping to keep the plants bushy. Spray the plants with an organic insecticide a couple of times before bringing them in. Fresh chopped leaves will flavour salads and fruit dishes. Whole sprigs decorate and flavour cold beverages. One of my favourite ways to use sage is to heat a little olive oil and butter then add a few sage leaves to crisp up. This is delicious over tossed pasta. year. 

Handmade Soap News: Part 16 – Soap Making The colonist’s most difficult problem in making handmade soap was the lack of knowledge of the actual chemical processes which occur to produce soap and the inability to obtain consistent strength lye. This caused many superstitions around soap making which the colonists believed caused soap successes or failures. Later in colonial times when the trade of soap making became well established these trades people became very astute observers of the soap making process and were thus able to produce soap with a dependable quality. 

Natural Cleaning Products: Laundry Soap (especially good for baby cloth diapers: Boil 3 quarts water. Add: 1 cup borax 1/4 cup baking soda Grate 2 bars handmade soap and add to about 1 quart of water. Stir into a slurry with a handheld mixer. Add to the water, borax and baking soda mixture and stir well. Pour into a plastic tub or pail and cover with a tight lid. Optional: several drops orange or pine essential oil 

Organic Gardening Tips: Aphid Nettle Spray Boil 1 quart water and add about 2 lbs chopped up Nettle leaves. (Wear gloves) Steep for 24 hours and strain well – first through cheesecloth and again through a coffee filter. Pour into a spray bottle and use as an aphid repellent on plants. Apply generously and again about 5 days later. (Don’t get into your eyes). 

Health and Wellness Rosemary Biscuits: 2 cups unbleached flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp sugar 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, chopped very fine 3/4 cup milk. Preheat oven to 400F. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & sugar into a large bowl. Cut in butter to pea sized lumps. Add rosemary and milk; mix with a fork to a soft dough. (Do not over mix). Roll 10 to 12 balls loosely and drop into muffin tins. Don’t handle the dough too much. Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot. 

Thanks for visiting! Susan

Go back to News Archives