GOOD
THYMES
PUBL. OF THE FISHING CREEK HERB GUILD
MARCH/APRIL 2012 VOL. 23, NO. 1
First Meeting Thursday
March 15, 7 pm
Program:
“An Alice in Wonderland Tea Party”. Presented by Karen Musitano. Learn how to give a
delightful Garden Tea Party this summer for your children, or grandchildren, or
a few of your friends. There will be
displays,
refreshments, games with prizes, a favor for everyone . . . all Alice in
Wonderland related. Learn how to decorate your backyard or deck with this
theme. Wear your favorite pretty hat and
bring your favorite lovely tea cup and saucer and pretty plate and silverware
and napkin. Dress for a garden party as one of the characters in the story, if
you dare. You may win a prize.
Greeter: Brenda Aucker
Hostesses: Theresa Wotjon, Toni Farides, Linda Weibel, Bess Kline,
Leona Phillips, Terry Jacques, Judy Keck
Herb
of the Month:
Chamomile
Herb
Presenter:
Jennie King
Meeting Thursday April 19, 7 pm
Program:
“Growing Herbs Hydroponicly.” Presented by Dave Pypiak of Green Solutions
Hydroponics, Berwick. If you like to garden all year but changing seasons won't allow it, then consider
hydroponic gardening, basically gardening in water. Green Solutions has the
largest, full-functioning hydroponics display showroom in all Northeastern PA,
as well as selling all supplies and implements necessary for hydroponic
gardening.
Greeter:
Bobbi Fleming
Hostesses:
Charlene Samsel, Carol Guise, Nancy Dennis, Nancy Houck, Nancy Gale, Nancy
Kreuzburg, Jill Lashmett, Norma Chest
Herb
of the Month: Curry
Herb
Presenter: Margaret Wettling
Welcome
and Thanks to This Year’s Officers
President:
John Shott, 929-2659 or [cell] 225-6913, johnny.8@verizon.net; Vice President:
Bonnie Burke, 275-6090, bonnieburke1@verizon.net;
Secretary: Brenda Aucker, 458-6027, auckersapiary@verizon.net ; Treasurer:
Louise McCormick, 275-4930, lmccorm@jlink.net.
All meetings except the July picnic are held at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church,
Bloomsburg.
The
yearbook will be available shortly with the full year’s programs and
committees. In this leap year, “Leap to it” and remember to look at the
committees, the host/hostesses, greeters, and the herb study presenters and
volunteer. Please be an active participant.
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Herb
Guild’s Annual Bus Trip: 3-Days--- June 26, 27, 28, 2012
to Western MA and NY
The trip includes visiting the Culinary
Institute of America [CIA] at Hyde Park, NY, the Climery in Livingston, NY,
gardens which featuring clematis, Edith Warton’s Estate and Gardens in Lenox,
MA, Naumkeag Gardens, Berkshire Botanical
Gardens, and Mission House, a 17th century house and garden, all
three are located in Stockbridge, MA.
There may be additional stops, to be announced. The hotel will be in
Stockbridge, MA for both nights.
The trip is open first to Herb Guild members;
if there is space, non- members may join.
More information will be available at
the March meeting.
Mark your calendars…for these Events:
March
4-11. Philadelphia International Flower Show.
Theme this year is “Hawaii: Islands of Aloha”. There is a $58 bus trip [including
admission ticket] Wednesday, MARCH 7th from Millville coordinated by Viola
Wolff. Call Viola at 458-0162 and mention Karen Musitano for a special prize.
Saturday, March 3, 2012. “The
15th Annual Home Gardeners' School of the Central Susquehanna
Valley,” Milton High School. All day sessions from 8:30am to 3:50 pm
including presentations by Jessica Walliser, George Weigel, Joel Imgrund, Keith
Phelps and Mollie Arnold. Pre-registration required: $35 up to Feb. 24, $45 up
to March 2. You can find the full agenda and how to register on the website. Nancy Gale and Charlene Samsel have donated books on behalf
of our Fishing Creek Herb Guild.
Saturday, April 28, 2012. “Spring into Gardening Program” by Master
Gardeners in Bloomsburg. This is the annual Spring
Open House by The Penn State Master Gardeners in Columbia County. Cost
is $5 per person; pay at the door. Ag Services Building, 702 Sawmill Rd,
Suite 102, Bloomsburg. For more
info contact: ColumbiaMG@ag.psu.edu or call
570-784-6660 ext. 18.
March and April
are Cherry Blossom blooming times in Washington, D.C. & Philadelphia
but this year everything is at least 3 weeks early!
Saturday, April 28.
Bus Trip to Philadelphia for special Vincent Van Gogh exhibit at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art. Morning can be a drop-off at the Italian
Market with bus pick up for the afternoon special exhibit at the museum or
spend the full day at the museum. Bus departs from Bloomsburg. Price includes
bus and museum and Van Gogh admission ticket: $53 until March 12, $58
afterwards. For more info contact Tony Sylvester, 387-0967.
June 26-28, 2012.
The Herb Guild’s Annual Bus Trip: Massachusetts and New York. More info
at the March meeting.
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It
Must Be True…I read it in a magazine….
Sitting
for long periods of time in a chair increases your risk of cancer, according to
WebMD.com. It is crucial to get up and move at least once an hour. Even breaks
as short as one minute can help. Try placing during phone calls, if at work,
walking to a water cooler, and going to speak with a person rather than email. from The Week, Nov. 2011
Drink
your coffee for benefits. It can help you live longer, reduce your risk of cancer,
heart disease and stroke. [AARP Bulletin, Feb. 2012]
It can also help reduce the risk of cancer,
combat depression and Alzheimer’s disease. But be careful if you have
fibrocystic breasts, insomnia, GERD, are at risk for osteoporosis or take
prescription medications. [Shape magazine, Feb. 2012].
Also from
the AARP article, a new book about nutrition myths, Coffee is Good for
You, suggests that canola oil may be healthier than olive oil and
bagged salads should be rewashed to remove dirt and germs.
Gardening Ideas Spring to Mind….
Make your own growing mixes in big batches. Seed Starting Mix: 1 part milled sphagnum moss, 2 parts
vermiculite, 2 parts perlite. Potting Mix with Compost: 1
part thoroughly finished compost, screened through mesh, 1 part vermiculite. Potting Mix without Compost: 1
part commercial potting soil, 1 part milled sphagnum moss, 1 part
vermiculite. Use a plastic tub to mix.
Or spread on a tarp. Choose a relatively windless day, but if there is dust,
mist the medium with a fine spray from a hose. Keep the mix moist by stirring
in water; dry mix may dehydrate young seedlings and kill them.
Large
leafed vegetables suppress weeds. Block weeds with fast growing vegetables that block sunlight
and hog space. Some suggestions include: beans, cucumbers, kale, lettuce,
potatoes, squash, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tomatoes.
from: Newspaper,Pennies,Cardboard & Eggs for
Growing a Better Garden
National Herb of the Year 2012 is the Rose.
June’s herb of the month study will provide lots of
info, let’s just enjoy a few quotes to brighten winter’s days: A rose is a rose is a rose
[Gertrude Stein]. A rose by any other
name is just as sweet [William Shakespeare]. What thought
youth gave love and roses; age still leaves us friends and wine [Thomas More]. One may live without bread, not without roses [Jean Richepin]. They are not
long, the days of wine and roses [Ernest Dowson].
Rosy & Herbal Beauty Recipes
Although
the winter has been mild, we still could all use some “pick me ups” and here
are some great ones from the archives of the Good Thymes Newsletter,
vintage March/April 1997.
ROSE MOISTURIZING LOTION
Combine ¼ c rose infusion*, 1 tsp. glycerin, 2
tsp. witch hazel extract
MIX all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Pour into a glass jar, cover and store in the fridge.
*Rose Infusion: 1 to 2 cups fresh flower per cup
of boiling water. POUR boiling water over the petals, let stand covered for
several hours, then strain and refrigerate in glass jars. Use in herbal recipes
within 2 weeks.
HUNGARY WATER COLOGNE [with Rose water]
Combine 1 T. fresh mint leaves, 1 T. fresh
rosemary leaves, ¼ cup cheap vodka, the peel from one orange and one lemon, ½
cup rose water. MIX all ingredients.
ALLOW the mixture to stand for one week, stirring
vigorously every day. Carefully strain the liquid through a sieve and then pour
into a bottle. Keep in a cool place and use as cologne or in bath water.
SKIN REFRESHER
Combine 2 oz. fresh mint, ½ cup fresh
raspberries, 2 cups cider vinegar.
MIX thoroughly and store in a dark place for two
weeks. Shake occasionally. Strain the liquid and store in a pretty bottle.
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Thoughts
from Guild Members….
Here
are a few thoughts expressed recently by members:
--Could the meetings be shortened by not reading the
Secretary’s minutes and the Financial Reports?
Instead could photocopies of these be made available at the meeting
instead of being read?
--Could the Herb Studies be shortened and made more
concise?
--Could the invited speakers be allowed to present
earlier in the meeting so the speaker does not have to wait an hour or an hour
and a half through all the business?
--Could there be a review of members who have not
volunteered for committees or service and call and ask them to volunteer for
specific duties not filled?
--Could there be more local or regional garden tours
or short trips with guild members in addition to the big bus trip?
Previous
Herb Guild Newsletters had surveys which asked people to suggest -----
*
speakers or topics of interest
*
herbs for study
*
special crafts or activities
*share
what members have liked best and least about meetings and ways to make meetings
better
Other
thoughts or suggestions are always welcome for discussion at Herb Guild
meetings.
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TEA FACTS in honor of March’s Program:
Tea
was first grown and served in China and then spread through the Near East. The
island of Sri Lanka now leads the world in tea production. The first mention of
tea in Europe is in a Venetian book of travel from 1559 about ‘chai’ in Persia.
Tea was first introduced to Europe was by the Dutch in 1606. Drinking tea
spread like wildfire in almost all countries across Europe—except England.
Charles II’s Portuguese wife, Catherine of Braganza, brought it as part of her
dowery. In 1660 the East India Company was formed and the rest is history!
The
English added milk and sugar and voila’ a tradition was born. Of course we all
know where taxes on tea landed the British in Boston Harbor in the 18th
century.
There are three types of tea. Black
Tea is made when the insides of the leaves are exposed to oxygen, then
allowed to dry and ferment. Green Tea is the natural color of tea
leaves, steamed, rolled and dried. And Semi-fermented
tea, such as Oolong, is, well, semi-fermented.
Teas are graded with
categories for whole and broken leaves. Whole leaves: Orange Pekoe,
Pekoe, Souchong. Broken Leaves: Broken Orange Pekoe, Broken Pekoe,
Broken Pekoe Souchong, Broken Orange Pekoe Fanning, and Dust. [I suspect that “dust” is the tea grade
used in tea bags.]
Specialist teas carry the names of well-known tea districts
such as: Assam, Ceylon, Darjeeling and Kenya. Other names include: Early Grey:
a black high quality blend; Jasmine: green tea scented with flowers; Keemum:
fine black China tea; Lapsang Souchong: black tea flavored with pine wood
smoke; Oolong: semi-fermented; Russian Caravan: strong black China tea; &
Pouchong, China tea scented with rose flower petals. From: A Brief History of Tea
Think Green—be kind
and reuse & recycle
For every meeting, please
remember to bring your own cup, plate, silverware and napkin --
so we don’t have
to use and throw out paper or plastic.
Please remember not to park
in the Church’s parking lot;
use other nearby parking areas.
Team Green in
Berwick recycles almost everything. If you don’t
have recycling where you live, you can bring paper, cardboard, newspaper and
inserts, junk mail, paper back books, plastic & containers no. 1,
2,3,4,5,6,7, all forms of metal, and clear, brown and green glass [rinsed].
They do not accept windows, mirrors, light bulbs, drinking
glasses, food contaminated paper, wax paper or waxed cardboard, carbon paper,
thermal fax paper, stickers, motor oil, lubricant or paint containers. Located
123 W. 11th Street, Berwick. Open Wed 9-6, Sat 8-12.
News, Events, Tips, Articles, etc. on Herbs and
Gardening are always welcome for the
Good Thymes Newsletter
Do
you know of any event of interest to the group?
Have
you traveled and found a wonderful garden experience you’d like to share?
Do
you have a special herb, garden or culinary interest you’d like to share?
Do
you have any gardening tips?
Do you
know of any local or regional garden website or newsletter that we could
receive or exchange?
Please
share your experience and expertise with all members by sending them to Janet
Dalberto, editor, for the newsletter.
This is the last year Janet will
be doing the Newsletter. Please volunteer to assist the Newsletter this
year and make it a smooth transition for next year.
**********************************************************************************
It’s not too early to start
thinking about starting,
rooting or dividing plants for the May Plant Auction
For
example, from the Good Thymes Newsletter
of March 1996, the following plants were recommended to be divided every other
year: lamb’s ears, artemisia, oregano, pennyroyal, Roman chamomile, bee balm,
mint, lemon balm, yarrow, tansy, horehound, wild marjoram, thyme, costmary, chives,
comfrey, woodruff.
**********************************************************************************
Check Our Website for All Information
The
website contains the full newsletter and back issues. It also showcases
garden events, pictures, news
& information locally and further afield. The website address is http://fishingcreekherbguild.org/
or
search by key words, “Fishing Creek Herb Guild”, and you should find the link.
The
website is the official place for information on changes or for timely
information between meetings or the bi-monthly newsletter. For immediate
information, you may contact an officer directly.
If
you have something you wish to share with others on the web, please send it to
Shelley Crawford’s email address.
The Guild is also on Facebook with current information.
Please visit and become a friend
About Your Herb Guild
Membership and Renewal…
Please review your information label & correct all
your member information on the form. Please use the envelope provided and enclose
your check, your correct member information, and indicate if you wish to read
this newsletter on the website [receiving a notice via email] or if you wish to
receive the printed newsletter in the mail. All information,
including email notification, is updated every year.
HERB GUILD DUES in the amount of $15 are to be
paid by the May 2012 meeting. You may do this in either of two
ways. The preferred way is by check made out to “Fishing Creek Herb
Guild” and mailed using the envelope that you will receive in the mail - along with your pre-printed Membership
Information card* to:
Louise
McCormick [Treasurer]
26 Vine Street
Danville, PA 17821
Name_____________________________
Address__________________________
*If any information has changed
from the
card, please change or correct it and attach to your dues.
Telephone
Number___________________
Email_____________________________
[please
make sure this is your current valid email address]
You
may pay your dues in person at the March, April, or May meetings. If
paying at the meeting, please come early. Louise will be available at 6:15 pm
in March and April. Due paying should not interfere with the Guild meeting,
which begins at 7:00 PM.
[ ]
Please place an “X” in the box of the membership form that you will receive in the mail if you wish to READ your newsletter on
the WEBPAGE [www.fishingcreekherbguild]. You will receive an email
reminder that the newsletter is posted to the WEBSITE. You must go to the
website to read the Newsletter. Please be careful to list your current valid
email address for the email notification.
