Fresh Seasonings

Chives in bloom. Flowers are edible.
Leave a few for the pollinators.

Fresh Seasonings

The best seasonings are fresh herbs. Compare fresh parsley and parsley flakes in your cupboard.  Pesto needs the sweet basil and what is homemade salsa without the cilantro?

It is spring time and we often turn to lighter meals and fresh ingredient spring salads. What herbs go with lamb, or fish, or all those left over Easter eggs?

Don't GOOGLE!!! Grab your copy of the HERB SAMPLER. Available locally at Snavely's Garden Center, Chambersburg, or online at Amazon.  https://www.amazon.com/Herb-Sampler-Second.../dp/1482067463

At least click on the link and check it out. An excellent hostess gift (pick up or order several) or for most any occasion (pick up or order several).

What about Cucumber Yogurt Soup or salad with Oregano and Parsley Dressing? A Green Goddess Dip, light green in color from the fresh parsley, chives, and maybe a touch of tarragon, can be set among the pastels of colored eggs celebrating spring.

When summer comes - check out Medieval Cuckoo Foote Ale for a fresh non-alcoholic drink, pesto pita chips, or gazpacho (soup).

There is also plenty of herb growing, using and storing information plus crafts for kids and lots of reference material.

Grow at Home

All that is needed for most herbs to thrive is lots of sun, good soil drainage and occasional harvesting. Most herbs will become straggly if they do not get enough sun. Here are a few tips we’ve learned over the years about some of the popular herbs.

If you are interested in supporting pollinators, plant enough herbs for your use and a few that can be left to flower. 

Plant extra dill and parsley for the colorful black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars to munch on.

Cilantro will bolt when the weather turns warm. For fresh cilantro throughout the season practice succession planting. Plant a new pot every three weeks and it will be ready when the prior one begins to flower. Leave the white flowers for the pollinators.

Plant mints in pots. Mints are notorious for spreading with underground roots. Once they spread, they are difficult to remove since a small piece of root left behind will grow into a plant.

Harvest throughout the growing season to encourage branching and new growth. Cut before it flowers on the plants you are using but let it flower on others for the pollinators.

Wishing for warmer weather and getting out to grill? Include perennials such as rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme to use for grilling. Use them to make a marinade for use in preparing your meat. Tie a bundle of herbs to a wooden utensil and use as a basting brush. Soak some stems in water and put them on the coals when ready to cook and close the lid. No lid? Just enjoy the aroma. The sense of smell contributes to how we taste and enjoy our food.

Our Greenhouse Team is growing sweet basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lemongrass, Greek oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme for our plant sale. Visit the herb table and meet the Herb Team. We plan to have some recipe handouts on hand to share.

The Master Garden Plant Sale on May 20, 2023,  starts at 9 AM at 145 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. Free on-site parking. Vegetables, herbs, sun and shade plants, annual flowers, and more. Credit cards, checks or cash. Watch for updates with more tips and information.

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Interested in herbs? Looking for a gift?

Perfect for a hostess gift, or birthday or housewarming.

And there is a price reduction as we look forward to spring gardening.

 Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction on this 5  *  *  *  *  * book

Now available retail at Snavely's Garden Center in Chambersburg, PA

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon. 

Just click this link to find it.

Master Gardener Calendar - Pictures - Summer Reminder

HELLO MASTER GARDENERS! 

Taking pictures for the Master Gardener 2022 Calendar? Below are the guidelines.

Don't forget photos of your delicious vegetables as well as late summer blooms. Clean the veggies and spritz a little water on them.  

Here are the guidelines.

Files should be 2 Mbs (6 mp on phones is 18 Mbs) or larger. Most cell phone photos are good. See Smartphone camera tips at the bottom.

A resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum size of 5"x7"

Try to include action photos.

If a MG is in the picture they should be wearing MG branded clothes.

Identifiable children need a parental release.

No staged photos - real interactions with the public. [Prob not much of this...)

Tips for using your Smartphone camera

1. Shoot in Landscape

- Rotating your phone to landscape mode and using the volume buttons to take the photo provides a more stable hold on the phone, reducing noise in your pictures.

2. Utilize the Grid Lines

- Locate this option in your photo app settings.  Keep your main subjects off center so they become the focus.

• Focus on the eyes

• Place strong lines and divisions like the horizon on the gridlines

3. Don’t Zoom!

- Get up and personal with your subject for the best results.  Most smartphone cameras have a digital zoom, but using this won’t help you get detailed pictures from far away.  Zoom is just essentially cropping our picture on the screen.

4. Choose different or unusual camera angles

- This allows you to explore different point of view.

• Lie on your stomach
• When taking pictures of small children or pets, get down on their level.
• Climb up and look down!

5. No Garbage Cans!

- You should also avoid cluttered or ugly backgrounds by changing your point of view.  Watch out for the trash cans or other unsightly objects in your view.

Be creative. Night shot with flash

6. Multiple Shots

 - If you see something that catches your eye don't just take one shot and hope for the best. The chances of getting a good photo with your first shot are very slim. You should take shots from various angles and distances.

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Are you interested herbs? Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon.

FULL WORM MOON March 28, 2021

 

Illustration courtesy of The Old Farmers Almanac

The March 28 full moon is the WORM Moon. The Worm Moon is considered the last full moon of winter and is named after earthworm casts that appear as the ground thaws, NASA reported. It also signifies the time of year when earthworms and grubs come out of dormancy.

Here's some worm trivia from the University of Illinois Extension

* There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms.

One of these is an aggressive Asian earthworm is negatively impacting our gardens and ecosystem. They are JUMPING WORMS. Find out how to recognize this invasive species and help limit its spread at this Penn State link.  

* A worm has no arms, legs or eyes. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour).

* Baby worms are not born. They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice.

* If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die.

* Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs.

* Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum.

* Worms can eat their weight each day.

* In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms.

* The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds.

Photo courtesy abc.net.au

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Are you interested herbs? Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon/Lunar Planting

Here’s a personal post from my NOTES on February 17, 2014. There was snow on the ground. In 2021, the Snow Moon will appear on February 27.

[Interested in Lunar Planting and interesting facts about the named Full Moons? Sign up with email on the right menu to receive early  notifications of upcoming posts about the Worm Moon and Lunar Planting.]

Doing the before-bed things and wandering through the house with the last of my decaf Earl Grey tea - goodnight closed garage door, goodnight boots by the door - I headed back to the dining room thinking I had left the light on. I flicked the switch and the room got brighter. Off again and I looked up at the bright skylights.

Over to the window. "The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below." What a sight! Bright moon. Clear sky. Pale blue snow with dark ink tree shapes falling in long shadows.

The full moon fell on Valentine's Day but it was still big and bright Sunday night. 

The February full moon is called the Snow Moon as February usually has the heaviest snowfall. Okay, that fits. Looking forward, March's full moon, on the 16th (March 28, 2021) is called the Worm Moon as the beginning of spring and softer ground brings earthworms up and robins out.

What About Lunar Gardening and Planting?

Pick anytime through history and somebody is trying to figure out how the moon affects our planet. While some scoff at the idea and call it folklore, others swear by it and others say “why not?” I am nevertheless wary of anyone who cites their “grandpap” as an authority.

Moon planters believe that the same gravitational force that affects the tides cause above ground crops to leap right out of the earth. And when on the wane with only a light pull and earth’s gravity the stronger, root crops dig deep in the ground.

Cheri Melton, a Cochise County Master Gardener, uses this method but provides no scientific back-up for the claims; however, she notes that it does add a rhythm to planting cycles and helps her pace her gardening.

Even further into astrological affects, some believe that the zodiac signs present when crops are planted can increase growth and production. There are air, water, fire and earth signs, each with plus and minus properties.

Whether you believe the moon affects plant growth or not, it's still an interesting idea and helps promote the annual almanac sales. Almanacs which, by the way, predicted heavy snow this February  (2014).The Old Farmer's Almanac predicts NO SNOW for February 2021. HA HA. 

~ Carol Kagan

More information at the following links:

Cochise County Master Gardeners, Arizona: Gardening and Farming by the Moon  

Cochise County Master Gardeners, Arizona: Lunar Gardening Exploring the Zodiac Signs

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Are you interested herbs? Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon.

TUSSIE-MUSSIES or NOSEGAYS

Excerpt from my book, Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) available through Amazon.. 

In earlier times, with the lack of indoor plumbing plus goat and horse carts in the streets, small nosegays, or "tussie-mussies," of herbs and flowers were carried in the hand or pinned to clothes to freshen the air and mask unwanted odors. 

In the Victorian Era certain flowers or herbs were  included in tussie-mussie gifts to convey a special message to someone. To decode the message, there were small books that detailed meanings of different herbs and flowers. A list is available in the Herb Sampler or at various sites online. 

Today, Tussie-Mussies are often used for small, informal weddings not only assembled to convey wishes but also are less expensive. Flowers or herbs for wedding vow renewals are often selected with personal memories considered. On these bouquets personal or meaningful items can be attached to the streamers.

Creating a tussie-mussie for a hostess, graduation, shower, or special occasion gift is easy. Make selections from the herb and flower garden, choosing one or a few center flowers and other filler from greens such as mints, parsley, and oregano. This is a small bouquet and not many stems are needed. Tussie-mussies are meant to last for just one day and should be kept in water until presented to the recipient.

Hostess gift: geranium flower (friendship) in the center, add oregano (joy), baby’s breath and parsley (festivity), sage (good health and long life) and basil (best wishes).

Baby christening: white rose bud (purity) surrounded by lavender (luck and purity), mint (cheerfulness and virtue) baby’s breath (festivity), and sage (good health, long life).

Graduation: black-eyed Susan (encouragement) centered among baby's breath and parsley (festivity), sweet basil (best wishes), marjoram (joy and happiness) and yarrow (good health).

Lavender-Luck,
undying love, purity

Cut the stems about a 4-5", strip the lower leaves, and put the stems in water. Start at the center with the main flower and gather the other flowers and filler around it. Keep it small! 

Wrap floral tape around the stems starting about 2" from the bottom and working up, securing it with a straight pin. Trim the bottom of the stems evenly.

A paper doily or cone can be used and decorated for the occasion to slip over the stems. Or just wrap the stems with ribbon, lace or raffia starting from 1” from the bottom. Other embellishments such as beads, charms or trailing ribbon can be added. Consider adding something with a personal meaning for the recipient. A card listing the meanings of the herbs can be enclosed.

There are a few ways to preserve the sentiments of the day. Dry the flowers and leaves and combine them as potpourri in a glass container with lid. You may want to tuck in a small cotton ball with fragrance. Press the plant materials for several weeks then arrange and frame them. 

Are you interested herbs? Check out the Herb Sampler on this Blog  

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon.

HERB SAMPLER - My Book

In 2012, I finally self-published the first edition of the Herb Sampler. It sold well on Amazon but much better from my inventory to friends, neighbors, relatives and visitors to herb classes, fairs and festivals. It is small and was published as a paperback. Barbara Petrucci, my friend and also an artist, provided art sketches for most of the book. 

The idea for the Herb Sampler began when customers at the Master Gardener plant sale herb table wanted to know what to do with the herbs they were buying. This book was written to provide a sampling of information about herbs and herbal uses. It encouraged readers to check the Webliography and Bibliography for other resources and books with additional information.

Since the 2012 publication of the Herb Sampler, and working with the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Franklin County, Pa., I have learned so much more about herbs, especially about their uses and care. Helping to oversee the demonstration herb garden has added practical experience that has improved the information included in the Second Edition. Both books are excellent for beginners and the more experienced. 

As a Master Gardener representing Penn State I use research-based information to answer questions and present programs as well as working in the demonstration gardens. The information presented in the book has been researched.

In this Second Edition I have added more sections such as Selecting Herbs, Making Ingredients,
Edible Flowers and more ways to Preserve Herbs.  I learned a new, convenient way to dry herbs and this method of refrigerator drying is described as well as the use of a dehydrator. Barbara has, once again, contributed many art sketches throughout the book. 

There is updated and additional information plus new recipes, many courtesy of our Herb Team and their creative use of herbs for refreshments at classes and events. 

What the book does not include is detailed information about individual herbs. Look for updated references for both print and on the internet as well as an Index.

The Second Edition Herb Sampler has grown from small paperback to a Trade Paperback with my photo of Sage and Rosemary.

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Interested in herbs? Looking for Gardening Gifts?

 Check out the Herb Sampler  description on this Blog  

SPECIAL Price reduction on Amazon. Click here. 

The Second Edition Herb Sampler (2019) is available through Amazon.