GOOD THYMES

Publ. of The Fishing Creek Herb Guild

SEPT & OCTOBER 2011     Vol. 22, no.4

 

Thought of the month: “As the garden grows, so does the gardener.”

 

Thursday, September 15, 7 p.m.

Program: “Beneficial Insects in the Garden”, presented by Joyce Brobst.

Hostesses: Karen Musitano, Dotty Moore, et al.

Greeter: Linda Nichols

Herb of the Month: Bergamot

Herb Study Presenter: Louise McCormick

 

Thursday, October 20, 7 p.m.

Program: “Playing With Your Food”, presented by Toni Farides.

Hostesses: Denise Gray, Susan smith, Cheryl Wilt, Emily Shultz, Karen

Reigel, Loretta Fulton, Barbara Craig, Karen Edwards, Sandy Downs

Greeter: Joanne Reichart

Herb of the Month: Horseradish

Herb Study Presenter: Dotty Moore

 

THE ANNUAL HERB GUILD PICNIC….was another success in July. The venue of the Barton House on the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds lets members eat, relax and stroll through the lovely gardens. For pictures from the picnic see the website www.fishingcreekherbguild.com

 

And, don’t forget to visit the Herb Guild’s other lovely garden site at the Bloomsburg

Town Park. All the gardeners on the Barton House and Town Park Garden committees

deserve a big bouquet of thanks for making Bloomsburg a lovelier place.

 

INFO FROM AUGUST’S MEETING

-----The Guild members voted to increase our yearly gift to St. Matthew’s Church from $300 to $400. We greatly appreciate being able to meet in this convenient location and want to help offset some of the church’s rising costs for maintaining the facilities.

-----One of the beneficial uses of mint, the herb of the month, is to keep mice away. Scatter fresh mint inside the house, especially in the kitchen, for no-more-mickey-mouse.

-----Because not enough members have been volunteering for hosting duties, September’s food will simply be desserts, just desserts. And drinks.

----We still do not have a complete 2011 membership list. The list passed out in June and again in August is missing the “L” to “S” page. Hopefully, the missing page or a full copy will be available at the meeting in September.

 

AUGUST’S presentation by Len Janis, who for many years owned Vileniki Herb Farm, was a brief look at how to start an herb garden. First, consider the type of garden, such as edible flower, medicinal herb, plants to dry, butterfly, or theme such as blue or yellow or other single color. Then, collect and research information from catalogs, books, magazines, and now, Internet, to find what plants and varieties you want. Make a plan on graph paper. Think about raised beds, mixing herbs and vegetables, using containers or pots for patios or balconies or small spaces. The following best tips from his 25 years experience follow. The best time to plan the garden is in the winter. A good shade plant is Sweet Cicely, with its anise smell and fern like leaves. Don’t use too much fertilizer on herbs; it reduces their oils. To start seeds, use vermiculite and cover with sand to keep them from dampening off. Take cuttings of woody herb such as rosemary, lavender, lemon verbena in the spring [especially in the month of May] and use at least ½” of old wood stock. When starting plants from cuttings, dip cuttings into a liquid” tea” made from young willow branches to help them root better.

 

GARDEN TOURS from members.

Thursday, Sept. 1^st, Deb Baigis is giving another one of her popular “Ten Best Gardens in Bloomsburg” walking tour. The last private garden on the tour ends at Herb Guild members Barb and Steve Colodonato’s garden with refreshments! Wear walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Meet at St. Matthew’s Church, 6 pm, our usual meeting location, on the front steps. Shine only.

 

Charlene Samsel gave several tours of her own lovely gardens to individuals and small groups in July and August. If you would like to venture to Nescopeck, you won’t be sorry. Just give Charlene a call for a delightful stroll.

 

PICTURES FROM THE SPRING BUS TRIP are now on the website, including the group photo of all the intrepid bus trippers at Chanticleer. The trip was sensational and inspirational!

OUR VERY OWN SOAP for SALE at the Bloomsburg Fair. Remember to visit the Barton House at the Bloomsburg Fair to buy the homemade lye soap we made at the June meeting! It’s a fundraiser for the Barton House. Rely on the lye!

LOOK FOR THE HERB GUILD EXHIBIT at the Bloomsburg Fair in the Agriculture Building. Joan Silver, Shirley Herb and Bonnie Burke, have stepped up to install the exhibit. John Shott is the provider of many of the plants.

 

The October Herb Study of Horseradish will feature the National Herb of the Year for 2011. Spring was the time to plant it, Fall is the time to harvest it. The Oracle at Delphi told Apollo that the radish was worth its weight in lead, the beet its weight in silver, and the horseradish its weight in gold. It’s hard to imagine red beet relish or shrimp cocktail sauce without horseradish! Roots are planted up to six inches deep and one foot apart in almost any soil, though slightly acidic is preferable. Then they multiply, once planted you’ll have this perennial forever. [Be careful what you wish for!].

Events of Interest:

August 26 & 27---Plymouth Kielbasa Festival, Plymouth, PA. If you’ve never strolled down streets with every ethnic Eastern European food, don’t miss it!

August 27 & 28—Hot and Stinky Garlic Fest, Zanolini Nursery and Garden Center, Drums, PA. ‘Nuf said.

August 31^st—Invasive Species Control Workshop, 6 pm, Briar Creek Lake, Berwick Borough. Learn how to control multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed, purple loosestrife, autumn olive, and other plants which are likely to cause economic or environmental harm. Forester, Robert Marynowych, will demonstrate proper removal techniques and invite workshop attendants to participate in the removal of these invasives from our parks. To help. please bring gloves, safety glasses and a hand saw, axe, machete. or a shovel. Information on PA Invasive Plants can be found at: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestyry/InvasivePlantBrochure.pdf. For info: Stephanie Singer at Columbia County Conservation District (570) 784-1310 ext. 123 or stephanie.singer@columbiaccd.og. 

September 10 - The River Front Park Summer Gardening Series in Danville continues to e a double-header. 

September 10—The River Front Park Summer Gardening series in Danville continues with a double-header:  The scheduled Composting at 9:00 plus Herbs, Growing, Harvesting, & Cooking at 10:30, which was postponed from August 6.  Bring a lawn chair.  $5 per session.  Call 800-851-9710 to register.
  
September 15—Susquehanna Garden Club, 50 Years of Golden Memories
11 am registration, luncheon 12 pm, at Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Mill Rd, Rts 11& 15, Hummels Wharf. $25.00. Please register by September 1st. Contact Grace Fellon, 151 Point Township Dr, Northumberland, PA 17857-9702, phone 570-473-3823.

Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Columbia County Activities
September 17—The Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in Columbia County activities.  Program:  Fall into Gardening , 8:30am-3:00pm.  Presentations include Manure 101, The Perennial Vegetable Garden, Care of Christmas Plants, Putting the Garden to Bed, and Composting.  $10 per person is payable at the door.  Hort Hotline is staffed 8:30-9:00am and 12:00-12:30pm.  Bring in your questions & specimens.  Soil Test kits and Penn State publications are available for purchase.  Proceeds from the plant sale benefit our Master Gardener program.  Tour the Hunger Garden.  So that we can plan, Please register before September 14--call 570-784-6660 ext 18 or 800-851-971, but walk-ins are welcome.  View the flyer for details:   http://nepamg.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44331537/Fall_into_Gardening_Columbia2011.pdf

Marvelous Mushrooms of PA 

September 25, “Marvelous Mushrooms of PA”, 1:30-3:30pm, PPL Susquehanna Information Center, Rt. 11 [634 Salem Blvd, Berwick]. Presented by Bill Russell, author of Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of PA and the 
Mid Atlantic.

Mid-Atlantic District Gathering, “Gardens and the Arts" 
October 7 & 8, [options continue on the 9th] Mid-Atlantic District Gathering, “Gardens and the Arts”, at the Inn at Reading in Wyomissing, PA.  Begins Friday, Oct 7th at noon with Self-Guided Garden Tours, one public, three private gardens, with a reception in the evening at Penn State Berks campus. Saturday, begins at 8-9 am with registration. Speakers that day include Gene Burkhart, “Pressed Flower Art”, Karin Wulkowicz, “The Reading Museum Arboretum—25 Acres of Beauty” and Kathy Schlosser, “Moon of the First Frost: Green Bridges in Autumn”, along with lunch, exhibits and vendors. Sunday’s Options include Goggle Works—Studio Artists, Reading Public Museum, Arboretum & Gardens, and the Heritage Center. Registration: Friday only $10, both days $50 [includes lunch]. Inn room rates $99/night. Direct questions or request full information and forms to: Gail Seeley, 610-926-3749 or gailfoxhollow@msn.com.  

          Herbal Info from Valley View Farms, Garden Center & Nursery  

               Cockeysville, MD brochure (thanks to Nancy Dennis) 

                             "The Herb Garden throughout the Year"  

*January & February - Start planning what you want to grow.

*March - Plant annual herb seeds indoors. Begin working the soil, adding amendments. If you already have an established plot, cut back on your perennial herbs.    

*April & May - After the last frost, start planting.

*June - Cut and use your herbs all summer. In most cases, the herbs leaves are used. The flavor of the herbs leaves are at their peak just as the plants begin to form flower buds. Harvest herbs after the dew has dried but before it gets too hot. Generally you can cut back 1/3 of the plant without doing it any harm. In fact, many plants benefit from this harvest as it keeps it bush and strong. Take a bucket of cold water for the cuttings to keep them clean and fresh. 

*July & August - Continue to harvest. To dry, hang in a dry, warm , dark area for 5-7 days. 

*September, Oct, Nov, Dec - After the ground freezes, mulch your herb garden. Use preserved herbs to make oils, vinegars, potpourris, wreaths, soaps, candles, etc. 

“Herbs for Shadier Areas”

It is always good to know that you can make shadier areas vibrant with herbs!

These herbs will grow in partial shade, even though they prefer full sun. Their growth habit in the shade will simply be taller and more open. Herbs that can grow in the shade are: bee balm, burnet, dill, fennel, feverfew, foxglove, germander, hyssop, lemon balm, lobelia, mint, parsley, sweet Cicely, sweet woodruff, tansy, tarragon, thyme, valerian, violet, wintergreen, wormwood.

Just a note, Valley View Farms uses organic pest control. Their website is www.valleyviewfarms.com

Recipes to Close Out Summer...

WATERMELON LEMONADE.......Debbie Wilson

4 C cubed seedless watermelon, drained and strained

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c water

1/2 C fresh lemon juice

6 C crushed ice cubes

Blend watermelon after dissolving sugar in water over heat. Add 2 C of cold water to the sugar water to cool. Then add lemon juice and crushed ice to water melon and sugar water.  Enjoy! 

Mint Flavored Meatballs w/Rice and Potatoes

"Albondigas Sinaloeneses" .................Shelley Crawford 

1 T olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 C tomato sauce

2 C water

1/2 C uncooked white rice

bunch fresh mint or spearmint

salt to taste

1 1/2 # lean ground sirloin 

2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

2 T diced onion

1 egg

salt & papper - to taste

4 sprigs fresh mint

2-3 # of new potatoes cut small

In a large stockpot, cook onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until translucent. Stir in tomato sauce, water, rice, mint and salt. Bring to a low boil. 

Meanwhile combine ground sirloin with tomatoes, 2 T onion, egg, mint and salt and pepper. Form small balls and place in boiling liquid. Add potatoes. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked, potatoes are done and rice is tender. 

Watermelon Cucumber Salad.........Shirley Herb

Soak 1/2 thinly sliced red onion in cold water. Pat dry 4 C diced watermelon and 1 seeded and sliced cucumber, toss with handful of thinly sliced mint. Drain the onion, squeeze dry and add to the salad with some chopped cashews. Add 1/2 C olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Season with salt and toss. Top with crumbled goat cheese. 

Chocolate Mint Grasshopper Pie.....................Dawn Stackhouse

1 1/2 C cold milk

1 pkg Jello pistachio instant pudding

2 C thawed Cool Whip - divided

6 Double Stuffed Mint Chip Oreo cookies, chopped

one 6 oz. Oreo pie crust 

Pour milk into bowl. Add pudding and beat until blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 C of Cool whip and cookies. Spread in pie crust. Spread remaining 1/2 C Cool whip on top. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. 

---More recipes and Other Stuff ONLY in the Newsletter on the Website----

Calling all members with business, food, hand-crafted items or nifty neat things for sale that would appeal to our Herb Guild Members. I would like to list or highlight these in the November/ December newsletter in a section ---- MEMBERS’ BUSINESS NEWS. Please send your items to Janet Dalberto at jadalberto@verizon.net with your name and full information for inclusion.

………IT MUST BE TRUE…I READ IT IN A MAGAZINE

UNUSUAL USES FOR DRIED HERBS in cool weather. When herbs are dry and crisp to the touch, strip the leaves, put in airtight jars to flavor soups and stews or perfume potpourri. Use stems of herbs such as thyme and lavender tied in a bundle & tossed on a fire to fill the air with a different scent.

Pinecones are good to start fires. Add essential oils of herbs or flowers to melted paraffin or beeswax, put a piece of wicking into the cone at the bottom and then coat the bottom. Use one or two under logs and kindling to start the fire and make a lovely scent in the air. …From an old issue of Victoria magazine

PROTECT LARGE POTTED PLANTS for the winter by raking a large mass of autumn leaves around a single large container or a group of massed containers, heaping the leaves well over the top of the pots. Keep the leaves in place by cutting a slit in the middle of an opaque plastic tarp and sliding this over the heap. Overlap the cut edges, and place bricks or rocks around the perimeter to hold it all in place. This seems like a great idea for really large pots that are hard to move and take up lots of indoor space!        …from Newspaper, Pennies, Cardboard & Eggs for Growing a Better Garden

KEEP DEER OUT OF YOUR GARDEN by laying old sneakers [the stinkier, the better] under bushes or between plants. Wildlife will be repelled by the human scent of the shoes. …from Shape, August 2011

A 1995 article in our very own Good Thymes Newsletter also suggests that deer dislike marigolds, boxwoods, Colorado spruce, barberry, holly, wooly lamb’s ears and Siberian iris, as well as most types of ferns and groundcovers such as blue fescue. Fescue to the rescue?

FISHING CREEK HERB GUILD MEMBERS REMINDERS----Please remember to bring your own silverware, plates, cups and napkins and save a tree and conserve our environment.----Remember to bring a written recipe card for your dishes and include your name.----Please don’t park in the church’s parking lot for the meeting; there is parking on the street or nearby in the municipal lot after 6 pm. Articles on herbs and gardening are always welcome for the newsletter. If you have any problems with the Newsletter, please call or email Janet. Information for the website should be sent to Shelley Crawford.

Bylaws call for Officers for 2012 to be elected at the November meeting. The nominating committee of at least two members will provide a slate of officers. Nominations can be accepted from the floor. Please see your yearbook’s By-Law page for the duties of President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. [As of August there were NO members of the nominating committee.]

In addition to the officers, the Guild also relies on persons to volunteer for committee chairpersons and members. Committees include: Barton House Garden, Bloomsburg Fair, Christmas Favors, Christmas Party, Cookbook, Historian, Home Gardeners School, Library Gift, Newsletter, Park Garden, Picnic, Plant Auction, Scholarship/Memorial, Annual Trip and Yearbook. [This year, 2011, some committees had no members.]

The bylaws also call on each member to volunteer as Host/Hostess or Greeter at each monthly meeting and to volunteer to present the “Herb of the Month”. [This year, the Vice President had to recruit people at nearly every meeting.]

Please do your share. The Guild is only as good as its contributing members. At the most basic level, everyone should share the monthly duties of bringing one of the selections to the monthly meals, hosting, greeting, or presenting an herb study. If possible, consider next year presenting a program or suggesting a program. Step up, if you haven’t already, and volunteer to make sure each committee has a chairperson and enough members at the beginning of the year to successfully complete its task. And finally, consider taking an office, individually or as a shared responsibility with another member, to plan and make the Fishing Creek Herb Guild continue to be interesting, strong and vibrant. New members are encouraged to take an active role, along side, and with, older members, to provide new ideas, new programs, and new directions!

Additional Material Posted Just to the Website Newsletter

From Penn State Master Gardeners of Columbia County

Begin planning next year’s garden with Penn State’s new publication for home gardeners, Vegetable Gardening, ARGS-115.  It is available for $10 or as free .pdf download from:  http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs115.pdf

 Wondering what trees & shrubs you should plant for the birds?  Do you know what birds prefer which kinds of trees?  Visit this new plant/bird database website to find out:  http://www.pabirdplants.org/ 

Remember the free webinars from the Natural Resources Extension:  Visit this website to see the upcoming web seminars this summer & fall. http://extension.psu.edu/private-forests/tools-resources/webinars    Follow the instructions to obtain a Friends of Penn State user ID and password to participate in live webinars.  Visit this website http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series   for the schedule of webinars on a variety of important water resources issues in Pennsylvania.  Previous web seminars have been recorded and are available.

Visit the Northeast Region Master Gardener Wiki to view articles and events http://nepamg.pbworks.com/w/page/24668896/* 

  

Please burn only local firewood. The Emerald Ash Borer beetles are spreading across Pennsylvania.  For current information:   http://ento.psu.edu/extension/trees-shrubs/emerald-ash-borer

 If you know of anyone who would like to be added to our email list for Gardening Events please ask that person to send an email to ColumbiaMG@ag.psu.edu . 

Horseradish Recipe Tips

To prepare horseradish sauce, scrape the roots, grate (with good ventilation to avoid asphyxiation), and combine 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt with every cup of grated root. Bottle tightly and refrigerate for up to two months; grated red beets or various mustards may also be added. For longer storage, freeze the grated horseradish. Mix the sauce with ketchup to taste for shrimp cocktail sauce. If you harvest too many roots in the fall, store them in damp sand or in the refrigerator for grating later. Serve horseradish only in porcelain or glass, never silver, which blackens on contact with horseradish.

                                 More RECIPES from August's Meeting

Pick Up Salad.........................Bobbi Fleming

1 pkg dry ranch dressing

2 pkgs crescent dinner rolls

2 pkgs of 8 oz cream cheese

3/4 C mayo

1 1/2 C shredded cheese

finely chopped assortment of fresh veggies and/or herbs

Spread out on an ungreased jellyroll pan the 2 pkgs of crescent rolls. Press down, making one large sheet of dough. Bake in the oven at 350 deg for 20 mins. Cool, then mix cream cheese, mayo and ranch dressing thoroughly. Spread over the cooled crust. Top with finely chopped veggies. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Press toppings into cream cheese mixture. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated. 

Spring Risotto, with Mint..............Shelley Crawford 

3T olive oil

3 T butter

1 bulb fennel, diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T grated lemon zest

3 T chopped fresh mint leaves

3 T chopped fresh parsley

2 T chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 t ground coriander

1 1/2 C uncooked Arborio rice

1/2 C dry white wine (or water if you choose) 

3 1/2 C vegetable broth

1/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

salt & papper to taste

2 T fresh lemon juice

Heat oil and butter in medium -sized heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in fennel, red pepper, onion and garlic. In a medium bowl, mix together lemon zest, parsley, and, rosemary. Stir half of the herb mixture into saucepan and set the ret aside. Saute veggies until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. 

Stir in coriander and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until rice grains are thoroughly coated with oil and butter. Stir in wine then reduce heat to low. Stir in about 1 C of vegetable broth. Continue to stir while adding more broth as needed, rice should have a thin veil of broth over it at all times. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until all broth is used and absorbed and rice s tender. 

Remove pan from heat and stir in remaining herb mixture, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover pan loosely with waxed paper and allow to stand 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

Just a Few “To Do Now”s in the Garden

Perennials and biennials can be started from seed sown directly into the garden in Aug. and Sept.

Be sure to prepare the soil by mixing peat moss, compost and processed manure in with the soil.

Spring flowering perennials can be divided and transplanted now through September.

Remember to sow your cool weather crops: onions, carrots, beets, lettuce, spinach, & radishes!

Tips to Save Water

--When washing dishes by hand, don’t let water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water, the other with rinse water.

--Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.

--Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize evaporation.

--Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, the reuse it to water houseplants.

--Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save up to 150 gallons per month.

--Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

--Fix a leaky faucet. You can save 140 gallons a week.

--Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.

--Drop your tissue in the trash instead of flushing.

--Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants.

                        Not sure where this page of tips came from, but probably PPL

More………It Must be true, I read it in a Magazine

FOODS YOU WON’T SEE at the Bloomsburg Fair. Unusual foods at state fairs across the country, but probably not at our local fair, include: Arizona—scorpion on-a-stick, Massachusetts—fried jelly beans, California---fried avocados, Wisconsin—skewered Irish stew; Iowa—salad kebobs, Minnesota’s “food on sticks”—Reuben dogs and spaghetti and meatballs, Texas food deep fried and speared—s’mores, banana splits, Coke-filled mini pastries and a chocolate-covered strawberry waffle ball. …from Family Circle, August 2011  

TO FACILITATE COMPOSTING. Urine can be used; it is almost always pathogen free and after one month it can also be used directly in the garden or compost area, followed by a bucket of water. “You Can Compost Human Waste” is the title of an article in Mother Earth News April/May 2011.

RECYCLE, REDUCE AND REUSE is a good mantra for living with concern for the earth. On average, each American uses and discards about 500 plastic bags, according to The Week magazine. Available on DVD is No Impact Man, the Documentary, which follows a NYC family for a year as they try to have a zero impact footprint.