February Tidbits: Love and Garden Fever

It's February, which always brings to mind love for me, not only because of Valentine's Day, but it's my 23rd anniversary this year and my daughter's twelve birthday. Yes, it's a chaotic, but memorable month in our family. I thought I'd start things out with a note on some past blogs that have some great information. I especially love the party recipes.

Tea Cookies, Cake & Homemade Vanilla Sugar Recipes:
http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2010_01_31_archive.html

Homemade Frosting Goodness:
http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/homemade-frosting-goodness.html

Valentine's Recipes from 1938
http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-day-recipes-from-1938.html

Valentine's Day Party Recipes:
http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/valentines-day-party-recipes.html

GARDEN FEVER
February is also a time to start thinking about landscaping. Why so early? If you're in a warm climate, it's not too early at all. In Florida, trees and shrubs can be transplanted. Evergreens and summer flowering shrubs can be pruned, but just as in cold climates NEVER prune spring flowering shrubs until after they bloom. You'll be cutting off the future buds.

In colder climates there is something important we can be doing. Since the trees and bushes have shed their leaves it's a good time to look at them and make notes of what needs pruning. You can look at the bare branches and determine if they look properly shaped. Keep a notebook and make sketches of what you want to do when it warms up. Keep in mind that large pine trees often do better if the lower branches are trimmed so they aren't touching the ground.

It's also a great time to look at your landscape as a whole, and plan what you want to add or change this year. Again, takes notes, sketch out plans, and look through nursery catalogs and websites. Be sure to make a budget because purchases can get our of hand very quickly.

On OFL we have some tips on keeping a garden diary:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/gardendiary.html

Spring and Wildflowers

I love reading out of print wildflower or garden books, especially when they are from the 1800's or early 1900's. I love the descriptive writing style and the peek they give us into the gardens and woods of their time. Today I am reading How To Know The Wild Flowers by Mrs. William Starr Dana. The edition I have was updated and published in 1900.

I looked up Trout Lilies, which are also known as Yellow Adder's Tongue, Dog's Tooth Violets. Each spring they are the first wildflower on our property to bloom.

The writer is unhappy with the two English names "there is little reason for calling a lily a violet", and she feels it in no way resembles an adder's tongue. However, she writes that the name trout-lily is not without charm, but prefers the name "fawn lily". She describes the flower as such:

We direct our steps toward one of those hollows in the wood which is watered by such a clear gurgling brook as must appeal to every country-loving heart; and there where the pale April sunlight filters through the leafless branches, nod myriads of these lilies, each one guarded by a pair of mottled, erect, sentinel-like leaves.

I often read this book for inspiration before or after I take a walk on our property. I always remember to keep an eye out for wild treasures that I might otherwise miss if I was in a rushed frame of mind.

I ran across another book I was given by family who know I love out of print homemaking and gardening books. It's a book of advice columns that were published in the Detroit News during the 1930's called Acres of Friends. This was before the days of Ann Landers where a long answer was at the most a couple of paragraphs. Readers "questions" went on for pages, and the answers much the same. The writing is very dramatic and often over the top, but there are some neat tidbits. One of which is this poem about spring; Bouquet from April, 1935:

Daffodils with green leaves for handles;

High tea at noon.

Violets, tiny, satin-breeched heralds of Spring,

Flushed with the lovely purple tints

Of cool and lingering twilight.

Acacia, Soft, yellow pom-poms, for the caps

Of dancing, fairy clowns

In shimmering moonglow.

~Muvver Lou

As you walk outside this week, think of the spring flowers as poetry and allow some whimsical words and thoughts as you stroll. It's nice to take yourself out of an often black and white world to dream a little.

On OFL I wrote a nice article on growing rhubarb, another spring favorite: http://oldfashionedliving.com/rhubarb.html

~Brenda

Old Fashioned Spring Greens Recipes

Today I'm sharing tips and recipes for spring greens that I found in my ragged copy of The 20th Century Cookbook. The first recipes are for watercress which can be easily grown or bought in the produce section. The next one is for Dandelion Greens, which sometimes you can find in the store too. If you do use wild dandelions be sure they haven't been sprayed. I was reminded as I typed out the text from the book, how much I enjoy the language differences in old cookbooks from how we write and speak today.

Stewed Watercress
Lay the cresses in strong salt and water, pick and wash them well, and stew in water until tender; drain and chop them, return to the stew pan, with a lump of butter, some salt and pepper, and let get thoroughly hot. Just before serving squeeze in a little lemon juice. Serve with fried sippets of bread. These are very nice with boiled chickens.

Fresh Watercress
Wash very carefully, shake dry, heap on a pretty dish. To be eaten with salt, as each person likes.

Grandmother's Dandelion Greens
When thoroughly cleansed boil in plenty of salted water till tender, drain and press till very dry, and chop in a chopping bowl moderately fine. Take a large bunch of garden sorrel, wash, drain thoroughly, and chop quite fine. There should be about one-third as much chopped sorrel as dandelion. Into a deep saucepan put a heaping tablespoonful of butter for each cupful of the sorrel. When quite hot add the sorrel and stir over a moderate fire till it has turned brown. Now add the dandelion, stir till boiling hot, remove from the fire and add 1 beaten egg for each pint of greens and serve. The eggs may be entirely omitted without spoiling the dish. More or less sorrel may be used, according to taste, no vinegar being eaten with the greens. The wild sorrel is equally as good, but, being very small, requires considerable time to gather and prepare.

Greens
One peck of greens is sufficient for a family of six. Dandelions, cow-slips, yellow dock(the long narrow leaf), mustard, turnip tops, cabbage sprout, lambs' quarters, etc. Separate or mixed. Examine very carefully. Rinse in several waters until they are entirely free from sand and insects. If the last water be well salted it will aid in freeing from insect life, especially if they are allowed to stand in it awhile. Cook in plenty of boiling salted water. Cut away all the tough leaves and stalks before cooking. Drain in a colander, chop a little, return to the fire in a saucepan, and season with butter and pepper. This dries them a little. Serve hot. Send vinegar around with them. Garnish with slices of hard boiled egg.

Brenda's Notes
I have to mention I love this wording: Send vinegar around with them.

I also wanted to make note of using wild greens of any type. Please be sure you KNOW it's the correct plant. The library should have an identification book of some type, or even better would be to find someone local who knows plants to identify them if you aren't sure. Only pick where pesticides or fertilizer is NOT used. Greens are really easy to grow, even in containers, and seeds should be in the store to choose from if you want to try growing your own.

On OFL we have an article I wrote on sorrel that includes recipes:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/sorrel.html

~Brenda

Catching Up With Readers

The summer has been so busy that I missed a few comments and questions along the way. I thought today I would catch up with readers:)

I live in northern Ohio, Huron and we are finally cooling off a little bit today. We have had some rain and everything is perking up. The sky has the fall look to it today. The prairie grass in the back is starting to bloom. The Indian Grass is starting to look beautiful and the Little Blue Stem on the front hill is starting to look beautiful too, it has not turned its bronze color yet but it is near. My ornamental grasses are starting to bloom too. I do love this time of year. But there is something nice about every season. ~Marlene

I agree with Marlene, my grasses are looking pretty too. One of my favorite things this year though were the gladiolas that I forgot to dig up last year. They came back beautifully despite my forgetfulness. I think we had enough snow that they had good insulation and I had planted them deep enough that they weren't killed off by the cold. Volunteer blooms are always the loveliest:) This is one of the gladiolas below in front of my Maiden Grass.


Salmon Burgers ~ My mom used to make these when we were kids. I asked her for the recipe and attempted to make it myself, but picking out the bones took forever! When you say to "pick out the bones," do you mean just the larger bones or every single bone there? ~topiaryrose

I should have put a note in about the bones. Sorry about that! I only pick out the round hard bones that are the vertebrae of the fish. The others are so tiny and soft that they just mix in with the salmon and the breadcrumbs. I've also read that those teeny bones add to the nutrients of the recipe.

As a retired teacher, I thank you for raising, caring children. They will be successful adults you can continue to be proud of NOW, what is a 'Johnny-Jump-Up? ~Elizabeth

You are welcome Elizabeth. I hope they grow up to teach their children about the nature around them just like I did. Below is a picture of a Johnny-Jump-Up:

The proper name is Viola cornuta (Violaceae). It looks like a cross between a pansy and a violet, and the petals are always a mixture of purple and yellow. It's much tinier than a pansy, about half the size.

Thanks everyone! Remember, you can email me with questions and comments, and even if I don't respond immediately, I will when time allows.

~Brenda

Vintage Garden Advice from 1940

My dad gave me a copy of Madison Cooper's Gardening Magazine from 1940, and I wanted to share some of things from this down to earth magazine.

A gardener from Massachusetts shared an experience she had with a winter window garden.

Just as the ground was freezing last fall, I filled three window boxes with young Johnny-Jumps-Ups just coming into bloom. These I placed on the rail next to the glass on a glassed-in, but unheated porch. Of course they froze cold nights and remained frozen several days at a time. Every sunny day all winter some of the blooms would show. Sometimes while the garden is covered with snow we have 30-40 blooms in each box.

Oh my, wouldn't that be awesome? I would love one of you to try this, since I don't have a closed in porch. Let me know if you do.

There is a section entitled Junior Garden Club Lesson which has some neat information
for young gardeners.

When the world was created, there were not any plows, but nature had created a worm that made a very good plow. They are called earthworms. They loosen the soil and bring the bottom to the top, and they eat the soil as they burrow through the ground. They come out at night to eat, or after a heavy rain they can be seen on top of the ground. This is because there is too much water in the little tunnels they have made. These worms are useful in the garden, and are also useful to the fishermen because they are considered good bait.

Reading this reminded me of a little girl my daughter and I talked with at a rainy spring track meet. She was 2 or 3 years old, and was gathering up the earthworms that were on the soil and the sidewalk. She was being very gentle with them and had been doing this for close to an hour. I asked her what she was going to with the worms, and she told me she was going to take them home with her:) I had snapped a picture of her in her little rain poncho to remind me of what she said.


When my kids were little I always talked with them about the worms, insects, spiders and wildlife. I tried to teach them to be respectful, and to never be cruel to the living things around them. Of course I also taught them to be cautious because wildlife and insects aren't our "play things". This may sound trivial but I really believe it made them respect the differences in people too. They are 10, 16 and 17 now. I can honestly say that they all stick up for kids that are being picked on, and they are helpful to those who need it. Teachers have commented on this a lot through out the years. Sometimes it's the little life lessons that kids remember the most.

~Brenda Jean

Garden Tips for August

It's hard for me to believe it's August already. The summer just flew by didn't it? The garden season isn't over with yet though. We can still get a lot done this year. You can sow some vegetables for fall if you are quick. Spinach, greens and lettuce and radishes can be direct sown now because they like cool weather. Do be prepared later to cover them as we get into the fall. If you are in warmer zones you can start seeds of cucumbers, squash, carrots and many other vegetables because your weather will be cooling off but you won't have frost like those of us in the northern climates.

Watering: Remember that if you don't receive an inch of rain a week, then water your garden. Windy days can really dry beds and containers out as well, so watch the soil if you've had dry, hot and windy days. If you mulched in the spring you might need to add more to your trees and shrubs, especially if they were just planted this year. A mulching of 3-4 inches can make a big difference on keeping the soil from drying out completely. Water in the morning when possible because it's the best time, before it's too hot.

Herbs: Oregano, mints and lemon balm should never be left to go to seed. They will spread like mad all over your garden and yard. Harvest or at least trim the blooms off BEFORE they go to seed. Some other herbs like nasturtiums, calendula and dill also reseed, but it's a good thing. They won't get out of control, and will come back nicely next year.

Peony Care: I wanted to mention a little bit about peony care this time of year. The dead blooms, and the heads left after the blooms fell off should be removed if you didn't do this previously. Leave the foliage UNLESS it looks diseased. If the plant looks browned, blackened or has white on the leaves then prune those areas and discard them. Remember, don't compost any plant that looks diseased. If the plants look normal, then leave the foliage until after your first frost, then cut them back.

On OFL I have an article on planting and caring for peonies, if you need more information.

Wordless Wednesday: Spring Blooms

Reader's Garden Questions

Today I have several questions from readers, but first I wanted to share a picture of one of my peonies that are in bloom. I have four varieties, but this one is always the fullest and has such a delicate color.

My lemon balm and the lovage is already 4 feet tall and growing. It's not even summer yet! What should I do?

Harvest it, and either use it, give it away, dry the leaves or compost it. Both of those plants can easily be cut back by half and be perfectly fine afterwards. You might even have to do this 2 or 3 more times if they continue to grow that well. On OFL we have articles with tips and recipes for lovage and lemon balm.

In the 1980's My wife and young son and I built a wilderness cabin in Idaho. One of our new friends and neighbors was an elderly Indian in his eighties. This new neighbor brought us a large coffee can of what he called dried "wedge peas" that he said was a staple of his folks and the early pioneers. This pea was unique because it created an artificial butter when it was boiled. Hence it was sometimes called the "butter pea". The dried pea was ordinary pea size but formed a distinct triangle or wedge shape. Our Indian friend said that we should use the bulk of the coffee can of peas as seeds as they had become an obsolete edible. I have been unsuccessful in my research to find information on this unique and marvelous legume.

Do you have any knowledge of this or leads that I can follow to find out more about this pioneer food? ~David R.

I did some looking and found a pea variety with the proper name Lathyrus sativus. You can see some information here:
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lathyrus+sativus

IF this is the pea, it does have some toxic qualities if not prepared properly, so be careful if you do grow it. There is a picture here:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LASA2

While sometimes plants fall out of favor for economic or other reasons, there are other instances where it's later found to not be as useful as once thought. IF this is the pea you are looking for, it may be the toxic element that made it fall to the wayside. Maybe this will help you with your research a little bit even if it's not the correct variety of pea.

Is there a reason not to just plant the tomato plants on the top as in a container and let them cascade over the sides of the bucket rather then planting them from the bottom of the bucket? ~Sandie

Not at all! The reason people are so into the upside down method is that it is space saving and some of them plant herbs or other plants in the top of the container. As long as you drill holes in the bottom of the bucket for drainage you can plant in the bucket right side up.

~Brenda

Garden Tips for May

The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out and the wind is still,
you're one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud come over the sunlit arch, and wind comes off a frozen peak, and you're two months back in the middle of March. ~Robert Frost

May is a great month for planting Dahlias, Gladiolas, Begonias, Lilies and Cannas. Many perennials can be set out in May too. Plant daylilies, delphiniums, phlox, carnations, candytuft, basket of gold, primroses, coral bells or saxifraga this year.

POTTED TULIP CARE
If you've received potted tulips or bought some yourself you should care for them after the bloom fades. Remove the flower head at the top of the stem to stop seeds from forming, and keep watering it as usual until the stems die back by themselves. This helps them gather energy and prepare for next year. They should be in a sunny spot during this time. You can plant them when the foliage has browned, or just keep them in the pots and plants in the fall. Make sure the bulbs feel firm, and don't have soft spots. If they do, throw them.

READER'S TIP: DRY YOUR PEONIES
If anyone likes to dry flowers just cut some peonies and put a rubber band around the stems and turn upside down and hang to dry. They dry so nicely and look just like a rose. They look so nice in any dry flower arrangement. I try to dry just a couple of all my flower to see what dries the nicest. You would be surprised to see what all you really can dry. ~Linda

On OFL we have tips on growing Sunflowers, which can be sown in May.

~Brenda

Reader's Garden Questions

Today I'm answering several garden questions from readers. If anyone has more to add please feel free to leave tips in the comments or email me.

How do I keep my tomatoes from getting too long and leggy. My Dad told me to pinch off some of the new growth but I am not sure where to to pinch them off. My local market wasn't very helpful. ~Regards, Jenny

If you are talking about the seedlings or small plants that you grow or buy yourself, you can use this method when planting to help correct the problem.

Purdue University Extension office:
Dig a trench large enough to accommodate the section of stem you want to bury. Remove any leaves that would otherwise be below the soil. Place the tomato plant at an angle so that the foliage is at least at a bit angled away from the soil surface. As the plant continues to grow, the stem will bend toward the direction of the sun, and, in a few weeks or so, the top of the plant will be relatively upright.

If you mean after it's planted as it grows, then that's another story. Gardeners have been debating the question of "pinching" tomatoes for as long as they've been growing them in the garden. I can tell you that if the tomato you are growing is considered determinate (it should have said on the seed packet or label when you bought it.) then I wouldn't pinch it. Determinate means it will only grow to a certain height and the tomatoes will grow and ripen at about the same time. Some gardeners do pinch indeterminate tomato plants, which are the sprawling type that grow very large.

Pinching is when you pinch out the foliage that starts growing on the sides in the "V" shaped area between the bigger stems of the tomato. These are the suckers. Pinching these side shoots won't make the plant less leggy however, if anything it will make it less sprawling, which is what many gardeners prefer.

The only time it's okay to trim the top of the tomato is very late in the season, around the end of August or so, when you don't want to start any new tomatoes but want the ones already formed to ripen before heavy frost.

Can peppers be grown on top of the tomatoes, in the same container?

I did some research and couldn't find anything on growing these in the same container. My concern would be that they wouldn't get enough nutrients. As it is, the tomatoes grown upside down need to be watered frequently and fertilized more than if they were in the garden. To put two plants together that need a good, fertile soil would be too much I think. I have read that gardeners put nasturtiums or marigolds in the top of the upside down planters. They don't need as many nutrients as a vegetable so that's probably why it works.

I live in Florida and the zone I'm in is 10, last year I got a Lilac from a nursery up north and it got through the hot summers we have down here, but it only gets about an hour of sun in the morning and about a hour and half in the late afternoon and I know that they say that lilacs should be in full sun but with the real hot summers we get down here, would you say that I should put them in full sun or leave them were they are? What is a good fertilizer for the Lilacs, mine are in sandy soil. Thank You, Harry

Harry, I really hate to be the bearer of bad news. Lilacs will never do well in Zone 10 because of the heat, and the lack of cold weather in the winter. Lilacs are traditional to the North but don't thrive in hot climates and will end up dying. You can try leaving them where they are, but I doubt they will bloom. There is talk of developing a Lilac for warm climates, but so far the one they've developed, Blue Skies, hasn't done well for everyone. It's suppose to grow well in Zone 8 where it will get some cold weather in the winter. You could try amending the soil with compost and top soil, but you won't be able to produce the cold it needs in the winter months. I wish I had better news for you.

We have a great article on OFL with tips on growing tomatoes upside down.

~Brenda

Nasturtiums in the Flower & Herb Garden

Nasturtiums are one of my favorite flowers to grow directly from seed. Technically, they are herbs. The blooms, foliage and seeds are all edible, plus it's charming in the garden. This year I'm growing Tall Single Mixed Colors, which has a mixture of yellows and oranges. This variety is known for it's ability to grow in poor soil where it "sprawls" and brightens up an otherwise dreary space. I'm also growing the Alaska variety below, which has a varigated foliage that has cream swirls. It sprawls, but not too much. I always plant it at the front of the flower bed.


Lastly, I'm growing a Cherry nasturtium that is actually a dwarf variety. I grew it when we lived in the city and it's a lovely pink with a light pretty fragrance. It's perfect for containers and window or deck boxes. This year I'm going to plant it in the raised vegetable bed with basil.

Nasturtiums can be direct sown into the soil about an inch deep at any time during the spring. I have experimented over the years with soaking, starting indoors etc. and still the ones that have always done the best for me are the ones I simply stuck in the ground, watered and left alone.

Nasturtium seeds can be pickled and used much like you would capers. In 'The Joy of Cooking' by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker (Bobbs-Merrill Co., Inc., New York, 1975) they give a nice recipe for preparing the seeds.

After the blossoms fall, pick off the half-ripened Nasturtium seed pods. Continue as your crop develops to drop them into a boiled and strained mixture of:

1 quart white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Pickling Salt
1 thinly sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon each allspice, mace and celery seed
3 peppercorns

Keep refrigerated and use as a variation for capers.

On OFL we have more recipes and tips for growing nasturtiums.

~Brenda

Spring Garden Tips for May

As I've been working outside last week and this week, I jotted down some tips to share.

-Check out garden centers right now for herbs. Home Depot, Lowes, and other stores with garden centers have good deals on basic herbs such as rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, mint, and others. I picked up at Pineapple Sage and Bee Balm at a Buy One Get One Free sale this weekend. This is a really good way to start an herb garden for a low cost.

-Remember, if you had a vegetable last season that ended up with wilt, or some other disease, don't use that same space to grow it again. Some of these diseases can lay dormant in the soil and you will have the same problem again.

-If you have any small bushes, trees or perennials, make sure you remove weeds that could use up nutrients and moisture. We just went through and did this, then mulched with composted straw that had been here when we moved in. The previous owner raised horses. You can do this same thing with compost you've made yourself or bought at a garden center.

-Now is the time to plant daylily, peonies, hostas, oriental lilies, irises, and many other perennials. I planted two new types of daylily this afternoon in spots that needed some color.

-Buy violas, pansies and Johnny-Jump-Ups and plant for some pretty spring color while we wait for more blooms. I've learned over the years the best places to tuck them into:

*plant a violas near hostas where they will be shaded later by the large foliage, and add a splash of color.

*Butterfly bushes take some time to grow and bloom, especially in the northern climates. Plant pansies in front, not too close to the base of the bush. They will give you color now, and later will be shaded.

One last reminder: allow your daffodil, tulip and other bulb foliage to die back naturally. Don't cut it off when it's done blooming because that's how the plant stores up nutrients for next year.

~Brenda

Spring Salads to Brighten Lunch or Dinner

March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes and a laugh in her voice. ~Hal Borland

It's March and though it's only 46 here today you can still see the signs of spring. It won't be long and we'll be able to grow our own greens and the produce sections of our stores will start to bring in local growers. As a kid I thought a head of iceberg lettuce cut into chunks with dressing on it was a salad. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized all the variety that was out there in creating salads.

Iceberg is really the least nutritious of salad greens, so use it with other greens or skip it all together and try something different.

Start with a mixture of greens for your salad first. Use a mixture of mild and crispy greens such as romaine, escarole, endive or Buttercrisp. Mix in spinach and a bit of arugula, radicchio, watercress which have a stronger taste. It's the mixture of the greens that make a good salad. If you use only one variety of lettuce it's not as tasty. Once you have decided on your salad "base", toss it gently, then add your other vegetables:

tomato
shredded carrot
cucumber
sugar snap peas
cabbage
radishes
red, green or yellow peppers
red onion or green onion
nasturtium petals
calendula petals (pull out discard center)
shredded raw beets
dandelion greens (untreated)
fresh peas, uncooked

Do be cautious of the dressings you use on your salads, because the fat and calories vary greatly. If you like a lot of dressing on your salad, consider light or no fat varieties. If you only use a tablespoon or two, then full fat dressings aren't as big of a deal. The creamy full fat cheese dressings are the highest in calories and fat.

I know the extras on salads can make all the difference to taste but remember that a small amount is always better because too much of a "extra" can make your salad worse than a double cheeseburger. Be cautious of:

Bacon
Cheese
Croutons
Dried fruit

Instead of bacon, try chopping turkey, grilled chicken or lean ham in your salad. Sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan cheese on your salad instead of cheddar cheese. Dried fruit can really perk up a salad, but only add a small amount. Fat free croutons are crunchy and not as bad as traditional Caesar type croutons. If you overwhelm your salads with creamy dressing and a lot of extras you aren't doing yourself any favors. The greens and vegetables really do have their own unique tastes, so don't drown them.

On OFL we have a very interesting article on using edible weeds:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/weeds.html

~Brenda

Garden & Herb Questions and Answers

All Nature seems at work. Slugs leave their lair, the bees are stirring, birds are on the wing, and Winter slumbering in the open air, wears on his smiling face a dream of spring." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A reader emailed us wanting to know where to buy lemon grass seeds and asked how to grow it. I thought I recalled that it couldn't be grown from seed, or at least not easily. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong. I had only bought plants in the past because it's not hardy in Zone 5.

The seeds are available from most seed suppliers such as Park Seed, or Gurneys. The seed packets will have instructions, but I do have a couple of tips to make it easier. Lemon grass seed should be just barely covered with a seed starting soil, then covered with plastic wrap after moistening the soil. It needs to be kept at 70-75 degrees F. to germinate. You want to basically make a little greenhouse atmosphere by covering the container with plastic and making sure it stays moist. On OFL we have an article on growing lemongrass from pieces of the herb: http://oldfashionedliving.com/lemongrass.html

I have a question about my jade plant.It is healthy and growing tall. But my issue is that it is only growing tall. It is not growing any branches out. It gets good light most of the day, at least what is required, the 3-5 hrs of direct sunlight, it gets new leaves, only on the top. Any suggestions on getting it to grow branches?

I hate to tell you to prune a plant that is healthy and doing so well, but I understand wanting it to be full, and not simply tall. You can cut the branches up to half their length to prune, but it's recommended that pruning is done in the fall instead of the spring. What you could do in the meantime is pinch off any tiny leaves that start growing at the top of the plant to encourage growth on the sides. You can set even small leaves in soil and they will root so you can start new plants. If you do this and it still isn't filling out by fall, then you can prune it.

I had a lovage plant for several years and 2 years ago it froze and didn't
come back and I am unable to find a place that sells them. Can you help me
find one? ~Donna

Lovage is SO easy to grow from seed that I would recommend starting a few new plants by direct seeding where you want it to grow or you can start the seeds ahead of time in a sunny window, then transplant outside later. Either way, you want to wait until all frost has passed. You can find lovage seeds in most garden centers, or online. It's a fairly common herb to grow from seed so it's easy to locate.

On OFL we have an article with growing instructions and recipes for lovage:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/lovage.html

~Brenda

Herb & Garden Tips

The last couple of days I was out walking around with my daughter on our property because despite all of our snow we've had sunny days in the 40's. I actually saw a little bit of green under the snow, and started thinking about my herbs and flowers (actually I felt a little giddy!). Today I have a few tips and a question and answer from a reader.

Some herbs can be dug up in the early spring and divided as you would many perennial flowers. This includes chives, oregano, yarrow, mints and lemon balm. Wait until the danger of frost has past before dividing. Dig deeply and around, so you don't chop the roots if at all possible, and break the clumps apart gently. Plant the herbs immediately, watering well afterwards. I like to add a little compost to each new planting in the hole.

If you are growing mint in the ground, go out after a good rain and pull up the runners that have spread from the main plant. They can spread VERY quickly, so you want to pull them now, and keep watch over it. Even broken pieces can root and continue to grow, so be vigilant. Remember, never let your mint flower or go to seed. Even if you have too much to harvest be sure to cut off the flowers before they go to seed.

Herbs for shade: sweet woodruff, violets, evening primrose, and wintergreen can take fairly heavy shade. Lady's Mantle, angelica, sweet cicely & monkshood can take partial shade.

A COOKING TIP
When chopping herbs like lovage, celery, cilantro, or parsley save the stems and place them in a resealable plastic freezer bag. Next time you make stock with meat or poultry, throw the stems in the pot while it's cooking and strain out before using. This makes a great addition to stock.

READER'S QUESTION
Hardy Hibiscus: What do you think is the latest time I should prune, I forget every year. Zone 8, buds are just now peeping through. OK to still cut back? And how much....6-8" or more?

I'm guessing you are talking about what they call "tropical hibiscus" because here in Zone 5 ours grow up from the roots with new growth each year, so we don't need to prune. You can prune your hibiscus now through about August. Start with the longest branches and work your way around. The most important thing to know when pruning is you don't want any new growth during a frost. As long as you are past your frost date you should be fine.

We have more pruning advice on OFL:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/pruning.html

~Brenda

Is it Time to Start Seeds?

The trouble is, you cannot grow just one zucchini. Minutes after you plant a single seed, hundreds of zucchini will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables. At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake as more and more zucchinis erupt. ~Dave Barry

It's too early to start most vegetable seeds, at least for those of us in Zones 3, 4, 5 and probably 6. The rule of thumb is to start six weeks BEFORE the planting date of most vegetables. Or eight weeks ahead of time for slow growing vegetables like peppers. So, in Zone 5 we can put tomatoes out around the end of May, without protection. I could start tomato seeds the first week in April and that would be about the right time.

There are always exceptions to the rules of course. If you want to start celery, leek, or onions from seeds instead of transplants then you want to start those in February. Or try your hand at growing begonias and petunias from seed. You would then start those in February too. Be aware that you will need a VERY sunny window, sun room or greenhouse to grow these plants. They will need to be turned daily so they don't grow towards the light and "bend". I'm not trying to discourage you, just letting you know to plan for the room and the work involved.

Some vegetables can be planted directly outside. These vegetables can be planted a week to two before the last frost, as long as you can work up the soil, which shouldn't be a problem by then: beets, carrots, parsnips, peas, radishes, Swiss chard and turnips, arugula, mustard, cress and leaf lettuce. When you are sure the weather is warm enough so you won't have frost any longer you can plant these seeds: beans, cucumbers, nasturtiums, basil, dill, corn and squash.

Here are the posts from last year that have details on seed starting:

Starting Herb Seeds Indoors
Growing Lantana from Seed
Pumpkin & Sunflowers from Seed
Tomato Seed Starting Tips
Damping Off (Seedling problems)
Sowing Tiny Seeds

I'm sure I'll think of more seed sowing tips, but if you look these over and have more questions please let me know.

~Brenda

Reader's Garden Question & Recipe

Today I have a question from a reader who is wondering about a plant, and a recipe to share. As always, if you have a question please let us know!

Will cattle eat trumpet vine if planted on a fence and if so will it hurt them? Thank you for your time. ~Karen

It looks like it is not poisonous to cattle, but if you do an online check you'll find some sources that say it is. I think the confusion comes from people speaking about different plants. Campsis radicans is what I know as trumpet vine or trumpet creeper. The picture on the left is the plant I did research on. I could find no reference to it being poisonous to cattle or horses or mention of it being eaten. They all said about the same as this snippet:

People are reported to react on contact with trumpet-creeper. It is doubtful that animals are affected. ~ University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

If you are still doubtful you could call or email the University Extension office for your state. They always have information on this type of thing. The plant is known for causing some people with allergies or sensitive skin to develop a rash if they handle it.

A GRILLED CHEESE RECIPE
Readers will remember, Catherine, our resident Herb Lady who shared herb recipes and tips with us for years in the Old Fashioned Tips newsletter. She sent me this wonderful recipe last week and I wanted to share it with you all. You can visit her at her blog, Edible Herbs, Flowers & Other Edibles.

This idea popped into my head one day several years ago when I was grilling veggies for dinner, and I thought "boy these would be good layered with cheese on a sandwich" ~Catherine

GRILLED CHEESE AND EGGPLANT WITH BASIL
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the kind of homey, comfort food that just plain makes you feel good. The addition of grilled eggplant (good for you,leave the skin on) and/or sweet peppers and herbs (in alternate layers with the cheese) makes this a satisfying meal. Doing the low-carb thing? Grill Portobello mushrooms instead of buns or bread for the "wrapper."

1 Sweet bell pepper, halved, cored and seeded, and each half pressed flat

1 Small eggplant, sliced length-wise or sandwich length, approx 1/4 inch thick

6 Ounces cheese of your choice (try Swiss, Gruyere or Colby for a change), thinly sliced

French, rye or wheat bread (or Portobello mushrooms)

Olive oil

1/2 Cup approximate fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried

First Step:
Lightly brush eggplant strips and peppers with olive oil. Sear vegetables 1 minute each side on grill or in pan, then cook, turning often until desired doneness. If using Portobello mushrooms instead of bread for the "buns," grill mushrooms in the same manner.

Second Step:
Lightly brush bread with olive oil and assemble sandwiches, alternating layers of vegetables, cheese, and basil leaves beginning and ending with cheese. Toast sandwiches on grill or in pan, turning at least once, until cheese is just melty.

Serve and enjoy!

On OFL we have more eggplant recipes and tips:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/eggplant3.html

~Brenda

Vintage Garden Advice

Where flowers bloom so does hope. ~Lady Bird Johnson

This winter I thought I would share some garden advice from old garden magazines I've been given over the years. The following tips are from Home Garden, August 1969.

In a small article some advice is given on fighting off the moles when they attack your bulbs and other roots. I'm assuming the writer did this in the area she was noticing the mole damage.

I perched a piece of bacon on a mousetrap and crossed my green thumbs. The next day I was rewarded with a captured mole. Within a week, I had captured a colony of moles. My problem seemed to be solved.

Plant narcissus bulbs among crocus, tulips or whatever type of spring flowering bulb you may have...the odor discourages moles from munching on surrounding bulbs.

This was interesting. I've always wondered about the seeds on peonies. I usually dead head the blooms when they fade. It takes four to eight years to develop peonies from seeds! Needless to say this is a project for a very adventurous gardener.

The seeds should be gathered as soon as they are ripe and kept moist until November when they are sown in a coldframe or in a very protected spot outdoors. It is a good plan to mulch the seed bed so that it stays evenly moist. It normally takes 18 months for the seedlings to appear above ground and then a few more years before the plants bloom.

How to Water a Tree During Drought

The Shallow-rooted ones such as dogwood, beech, birch, maple (especially Norway and red), hemlock and spruce are the first to suffer.

One good soak a week is far better than letting the sprinkler spray the area beneath a tree for an hour or two a day. If possible water a tree by letting the water trickle over the root area overnight. Trees should be watered at night when possible,not a midday.

Plan ahead; learn how to attract hummingbirds: http://oldfashionedliving.com/hummingbirds.html

~Brenda

Reader's Questions: Home & Garden

Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best. ~Henry Van Dyke

I hope you all have recovered from the holiday hustle and bustle. I have some questions and answers today. It's hard to think of gardening when it's 22 degrees (F.) and snowing outside, but I snuggled up to the laptop and managed:)

I planted a couple of bearded iris in individual pots. One of them started to sprout so I placed it under a UV light like the others, but two days later the new green started to turn brown. I've removed it from the light, but if you could get back to me on what I did wrong. ~April

April, my understanding is that Iris need the cold in the winter. If you have it indoors during the time it's suppose to be dormant and kept cold, it's not going to grow as it should. I don't know where you live, but I would keep the pots in a very cool or cold location (garage etc.) until spring. The bulb may have started to sprout because it was inside, but it still wasn't ready to grow and bloom. I could not find information on forcing Iris to bloom early, so I'd store the pots in the cold until spring as I mentioned.

Could you suggest plants and shrubs that the deer won't eat? Even if I can't plant yet I still want to plan! ~Elaine

First thing to remember, nothing is ever 100% deer proof if they are hungry enough. But, many plants are not appealing to them if they have other things to nibble on. You'll notice a lot of herbs in the resistant category: santolina, spearmint, thyme, rosemary, most sage plants, Mexican oregano, tansy, yarrow, and lavender are among them. Some perennials that are also unappetizing to deer are foxglove, joe-pye weed, anemones, astilbe, butterfly weed, bellflower and periwinkle. This should give you a good start on planning!

I live in Roseville, CA, just above Sacrament. I planted bulbs for the first time in November (according to the packages) for Spring. A lot of them have come up and flowered already. Does this mean I won't have a full flower garden in the spring? Is there something I should or shouldn't have done? I was looking so forward to them all be up at once. ~Marta

I'm in Michigan, so our bulbs are still dormant. I looked up a little on California, and found that some bulbs like crocus and tulips aren't really suited to your climate, though there may be some exceptions. Bulbs usually don't come up all at the same time. They are usually classified as late winter, early spring, mid-spring and late spring, plus there are summer bulb varieties too. Each one is triggered by different time lengths and temperatures. Many times when you buy an assortment they will have different bloom times so they are staggered. People often prefer this so the bulbs flower for a longer length of time. What I would do is make a little diary of what bulbs bloomed already and the dates that the other ones end of blooming. Next fall instead of buying an assortment, fill in the bed with bulbs in the various bloom times, so you have a nice selection from late winter to summer.

I have a friend that lives in another country where corn syrup is not available What could be used in a pecan pie instead of corn syrup?. Would you have a different recipe without it? ~Janet

Your friend can make a syrup that will work in the recipe. Use 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar and 1/3 cup water. Mix them in a sauce pan and boil until it becomes thick like syrup. You can also add a little molasses to this too.

~Brenda

Reader's Questions: Growing, Cooking & Cleaning

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

I'm popping in today with a few questions and answers. It's been a chaotic fall here at our house between sick kids and busy schedules. The trees have mostly lost their leaves here, and we've gotten most of our outside chores wrapped up. I hope you all have been enjoying your autumn days.

I read your article about growing jade plants. I don't understand about how to water deeper to make the stems stronger. Could you please help? ~Irene

One method that works well for houseplants is to add the water to the soil until it comes through the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. Set the pot on a plate or in a bowl, sink etc. and in a hour or so, whatever is left can be dumped out. Don't water the plant again until you can stick a finger in the soil and feel the soil is dry again. I know it's hard to water just the right amount, but mainly remember that you want the water to get ALL the way down to the roots, but then drain out and slowly dry, so they are never soggy. If you just water the top of the plant, then the roots won't grow deeply-they will be shallow.

I've been trying to figure out how to get rid of a smell in my dishwasher. Any suggestions? Also, I need to find out how to clean/disinfect a wooden cutting board. It is used only for cutting meats. ~Pat

You can run a 1/2 cup of bleach or 1 cup white vinegar through your dishwasher by pouring it in the bottom, then running a cycle. But first reach down in the bottom and make sure there is nothing lodged. Also scrub the rubber seal that is around the edge. You can also pour a cup of baking soda in the bottom and run that through a cycle. Does your dishwasher have a trap? Some do, so get out the manual and check for that.

You can use a mixture of bleach and water to disinfect wooden cutting boards. Allow it to sit for 4 or 5 minutes then rinse well. You can also stick it in the microwave for 5-10 minutes on high to kill bacteria. Use 2 tablespoons bleach to a quart of water as a solution for sanitizing. Wash with soapy water, rinse, soak in the solution and rinse again, then wipe dry.

On a side note: some very good, reliable universities have done studies showing that hardwood cutting boards are just as safe as plastic boards, and in some case more safe, as long as they are sanitized properly.

I am interested in using natural things for coloring my cooking and baking and wondered if you had any tips on using pureed beets for color and moistness in baking. ~Sandy

This recipe uses pureed beets, so it will give you an idea of how to use them. Five medium sized beets will give you about 2 cups of the puree.

Chocolate Beet Cake

Ingredients:
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 cup cooked pureed red beets
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of a double boiler over hot water. Cream the sugar and the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining oil, the pureed beets, the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Sift the flour with soda and salt, then slowly stir into the batter. Pour into a greased or buttered bundt pan. Bake about 1 hour or until cake tests done. Allow cake to cool a on wire rack about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Sprinkle the top with the confectioners' sugar.

On OFL we have tips and questions on baking a Red Velvet Cake:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/redvelvet.html

~Brenda