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October News 2004 |
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and Updates for October
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 October: September was a very wet month. We set all kinds of records including the most rainfall ever recorded on 1 single day. Now that the worst is over and the sun is shining we are cleaning up all garden beds in preparation for winter. The vegetable garden has been rototilled, all flower beds, herb bed and under cover beds have also been cleaned up and cultivated for winter. Normally I would do this a little later in the season but after years of working in the cold wet weather it is much nicer doing this work on warm sunny fall days. I do feel guilty cutting down blooms but it just makes things easier as it takes a couple of weeks to get all the work done. I am also working on producing some new soaps, salves, and lip balms all made with certified organic ingredients. I also have some new Emu oil soap curing and plan on making some new products using this incredible oil. I became interested in it after my husband came home with a new product using emu oil. After doing some research I ordered some from an Emu farm located in BC’s Okanagan valley. After using this incredible oil for some time now I can honestly say that it is the best night time moisturizer that I have ever used. You only literally need 1 small drop as a little goes a long way. I have been working for months creating new labels for our products. We also have many new products located on our Site Map page. These products are highlighed with "New" beside them. Here is the link: http://www.countryrosesoap.com/sitemap.htm All of our products have new images done by Keith Galick. Since our labels have changed I wanted all new photos done which has been a pain staking job but is finally finished. October "To Do" List: -rake up debris and leaves from garden beds and lawn. -throw leaves into the compost to be returned to the garden next spring unless they are diseased. -cultivate the soil one last time. -add any compost that is ready from your bin to your garden and turn over the soil. -plant fall rye or fall legume mix. -slugs breed in the fall so this is a good time to trap them before they can reproduce – beer traps are a good organic solution. -remove tired and dead-looking annuals from your garden and planters. -plant fall bedding plants such as pansies, ornamental cabbage or asters. -deadhead all perennials that are finished blooming and cut back any that have died down to the ground. -compost these plants but throw away diseased plants. -mulch tender perennials with straw, hay or leaves to protect them from frost. -divide perennials such as hostas. To divide perennials, cut back the foliage and carefully dig them out of the ground. Use a sharp, clean knife or spade to cut the plant apart, making sure each section has some roots attached. Prepare the location for these new divisions ahead of time with good soil and added compost. -dig up tender bulbs, such as dahlias, gladiolas and canna lilies and store in a cool dry place over winter. -plant flowering bulbs for next spring. -transplant evergreen trees & shrubs but leave deciduous material until dormant. -stretch a net over the pond to catch falling leaves. -plant garlic, shallots and over wintering onions. -drain & store hoses -to prevent squirrels from digging up the bulbs, try placing chicken wire over the area, then covering with soil. -plant trees and shrubs. -deadhead roses for the last time in October by cutting branches back by one third. Mulch with peat moss or compost to protect from winter frost. Greenhouse Gardening for October: (for a cool greenhouse kept at 40 - 45F (5 - 7C) -plants in bloom for this month – bougainvillea, pelargonium, oleander, jasmine, gardenia, dipladena, passion flower, gloriosa lily, hibiscus. -give greenhouse thorough cleaning with a weak bleach solution before plants have to be brought in. -continue bringing in tender tropicals to be stored over winter in heated greenhouse. -cut back tropical climbers hard to make room for plants needing to over winter. -bring in cymbidium orchids before first frost – leave them out as long as possible to encourage them to bloom in spring. -discontinue damping down greenhouse as this encourages mold, mildew and disease. Sweep debris off the floor instead. Herbal Hints: -tidy herb garden by cutting back plants lightly. Clean up debris and cultivate the soil. Mulch the more tender herbs to protect from winter frost. -dig up and bring in tender herbs into heated greenhouse. I dig mine up, cut back the tops quite hard and trim the roots to fit into a pot. I then water the plant and bring it into the greenhouse. -bring in a container of herbs into the greenhouse for a steady supply of culinary herbs over the winter months. Good choices are thyme, bay, oregano, rosemary, Italian parsley, and sage. Storing Scented Geraniums: If you don’t wish to purchase new scented geraniums each year, take stem cuttings or dig out plants to overwinter indoors in late summer or very early fall. -root wash garden dug plants or dip into an organic insecticidal solution to avoid bringing in soil pests. -Like all geraniums these need 6 to 12 hours of direct sunlight per day to grow and bloom well. Over wintered plants perform better when provided with supplemental lighting. Do not overcrowd and remember to turn plants for even growth. -Scented geraniums require good drainage. Use sterilized potting soil for container grown plants. -Water potted geraniums until water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Don’t leave plants sitting in the water. In winter keep geraniums on the dry side. Do not water until the soil looks dry. -Do not fertilize in winter. Older plants benefit from a hard pruning once a year. Scented geranium leaves keep their lovely fragrance when dried and there are many wonderful types to choose from. The oil of scented geraniums, especially the rose scented types is used by perfumery, cosmetic and soap industries. The food industry uses it to flavour chewing gum, candy, ice cream, beverages and baked goods. Ways to use scented geranium leaves in the kitchen: -float leaves and flowers in party punches. -add some leaves when making a sugar syrup and use to flavour pancakes or fruit. -flavour honey by gently heating it with scented leaves or flowers (too high a heat will damage the honey) -make a flavoured sugar by mashing layers of leaves and sugar together in a glass jar. Shake jar daily for a week and remove leaves. Use this sugar to sweeten drinks, sprinkle over fruit or other desserts. -steep leaves in boiling water to make a strong tea for a bath or hair rinse. Handmade Soap News: Part 15 – Soap Making Probably the most difficult part in making handmade soap was determining if the lye was of the correct strength. The soap maker either floated a potato or an egg in the lye. If the object floated with a certain amount of its surface above the lye solution, the lye was fit for soap making. To make weak lye stronger, the solutions were either boiled down or the solution was poured through a new batch of wood ashes. To make the solutions weaker they added water. Natural Cleaning Products: Pine Floor Wash 1 gallon warm water 1/2 tsp white pine essential oil 1/4 tsp lemon essential oil 3 Tbsp liquid castile soap Mix all ingredients and use to sponge mop floors. Organic Gardening Tips: Organic Weed Control Pour some common full strength household vinegar in a spray bottle and spot spray your weeds on a sunny day. Totally safe for the environment and you. Health and Wellness Shrimp Thai Soup This is very simple and one of my husband’s favourites. -1 package large frozen shrimp, cleaned and deveined. -7 oz dried egg noodles -1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger -5 cups fish stock -1 stalk lemongrass -3 mild chillies, seeded and sliced -2 Tbsp soy sauce -4 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (or use juice of 1 lime) -fresh green and red sweet peppers, julienned -finely slice Savoy cabbage -fresh chives or spring green onions Rinse the shrimp and thread onto bamboo skewers. Barbeque on high for about 3 minutes turning halfway through. Place the noodles in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and rinse. Bring fish stock to boil along with the lemongrass. Simmer for about an hour then remove the lemongrass. Add the ginger, soy sauce, chillies, lime leaves and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the sweet peppers and cabbage. Thanks for visiting! Susan |
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