Carolee’s November E-Newsletter

It’s Turkey Time!  As usual mid-November brought my annual debate….whether to leave the frosted plants in the gardens to provide some food for birds and protect whatever butterfly chrysalis and pupae might be there, or to cut everything down so the gardens look tidy in winter and early spring.   It usually ends up being decided by the weather.   If it stays nice and I have the time, I clear.  If it turns nasty, the gardens stay messy, but I feel no guilt since I’m helping the birds and butterflies!  It is a lot easier during the rush of our busy spring season to have the gardens already cleaned though.   And, I think the early spring bulbs looks so much better in a tidy garden, so I’m cleaning as long as the weather is good.   We have the farm all closed down for the winter. Perennials are moved into the cold frame, statuary, shade cloths, signs and benches have been stored away.  The Cottage and the Barn are all packed up. 
     It’s a good thing that the outdoor work is nearly done.  Amazingly, last week I seeded pansies, primroses, & violas into flats in the greenhouse so that we will have blooms by April 1st Opening Day!   I’m trying some new varieties this year, and can’t wait to see those perky flowers.   Many other perennials were seeded last month and will soon need their own little pots.  The mats are filled with cuttings taken in the past few weeks and must be carefully monitored for water needs.  Life on an herb farm never really slows down; it just fluctuates between hectic and absolutely frantic! 

MY BABY POMEGRANATE
This is the time of year when pomegranates appear in local groceries for the holidays.  This year, I actually grew a miniature pomegranate tree from seed.  The variety is Orange Master, and the blooms were bright orange.  It has been such fun to watch this tiny plant bloom and produce its first fruit.   It’s slightly larger than a golf ball and beginning to turn red.   Pomegranates!  Yes, they’re herbal!
     Pomegranates are one of the first fruits known to man.  Native to Persia and the Middle East, some authorities even believe they were actually the tempting “apple” in the Garden of Eden.  The Romans used the tough skin of the pomegranate as decorative leather, and the bark of the tree as a tannin for curing leather.  The leaves were used to make a durable ink. 
     The scientific name is Punic granatum (for many seeds)     As a food, only the seeds and juice are edible.  Because they last a long time without need for refrigeration, pomegranates were a popular food to take on long sea voyages, or on lengthy overland trips by camel.  That explains the ease that pomegranates were taken from one continent to another.  They arrived in China by 100 B. C.  The Moors brought them to Spain, where they are called “granada”, and even gave Granada its name.  The delicious fruit was quickly adopted in France, where the “grenede” became the base for grenadine syrup and also gave its name to the hand-held explosive, the grenade!  It is said that Henry VIII ordered the pomegranate to be planted in England.   Spanish missionaries brought the pomegranate to the Americas.  Today, they are grown mostly in California, with smaller crops in Texas, and minor plantings in a few other southern states.     In warm climates, the pomegranate is a 20’ tree.  With lots of protection, and in a sheltered site, they might be hardy in zone 5b, but most likely will not produce fruit. 
     Pomegranates have been used medicinally in many ways.  The bark, leaves, flowers, and buds have been used for dysentery and diarrhea.  Dried flower buds were ground and used in a tea for sore throats, or drunk to eliminate tape worms.  The seeds are a great source of fiber and potassium.  The hard fruit is used in Christmas decorations.  Ancient paintings of the Madonna and Child often include a pomegranate.  Pomegranates were given at weddings, as a charm for fertility.  The quantity of seeds within was often thought to be a symbol of fertility.  It is also a symbol of rebirth, and pomegranates have often been found inside Egyptian tombs.
     My favorite recipe for pomegranates is a salad that was often served to our family by our dear friend, Isabelle Porter.  She used a mixture of salad greens, topped with sections of ruby grapefruit, then sprinkled liberally with garnet-colored pomegranate seeds.  The salad was then topped with a drizzle of sweet celery seed dressing.  The season for pomegranates is a short one, so take advantage of their availability now….unless you want to try to grow your own!

LAMBS’ EARS REDUCE TEMPERATURE!
Recent research conducted by Royal Horticultural Society scientists indicates that Lambs’ Ears (Stachys byzantina) may be able to lower air temperatures.  This could be especially useful in urban areas.  The plant was found to reduce surrounding air temperatures by 1.5 degrees compared to bare soil.  Additional research in the UK showed that by increasing green space with parks, gardens and green roofs as little as 10% can reduce air temperatures by as much as 4 degrees.  Researchers said that plants, gardens, and gardeners will play an increasingly important role in the future.  Luckily, lambs ears is a tough character that is easy to grow and spreads readily!

HERBS & PLANTS
1.  Keep collecting leaves and mulch to apply to beds once the ground has frozen.
2.  Bulbs should be planted by Thanksgiving, to give them a little time to begin forming roots before the ground freezes solid.  I don’t like to plant them too early, or the squirrels find them as they are burying nuts.  They still manage to find some as they are digging up nuts.  Red pepper flakes sprinkled in with the bulbs at planting time sometimes helps.  Also, planting miniature daffodils in with crocus & grape hyacinths helps, as no one eats daffodil bulbs.  Small frittilarias, such as megalaris (guinea flowers) helps, too, as animals and rodents don’t like their scent and will avoid them, thus protecting other more tasty bulbs.
3.   Several varieties of rosemary are currently in bloom.  I love to tuck rosemary sprigs into napkin rings to make the dining area smell delicious.  And, I always make cranberry-rosemary muffins for the holidays.   

4.  Tomorrow, I’m going to harvest a lot of parsley to dry for winter use.  I use the microwave to dry parsley, because it stays so nice and green. 

5.  There are sorrel, salad burnet, chard, chives, radicchio and young chicory leaves that I can combine to make a great green salad, and I should make some Mexican food, because the patch of cilantro is perfect right now!  And there's still mint to harvest, too and plenty of thyme and sage for Thanksgiving dishes.

6.  I’m taking cuttings of the scented geraniums I moved indoors before frost.  It’s a good time to do it, and it will help keep the plants bushy and compact.  One of my favorites is this variegated Prince Rupert, with its intense lemon scent and flavor.  I use the leaves for tea or put them in cookies, pound cake and other baked goods.  And the leaves are just pretty to use as a garnish!

  Special Holiday pricing!

THE BARN SHOP
Although the farm is officially closed, if you need copies of “Herbal Beginnings” or “Herbal Choices,” we have a special for the holidays on the website.  Buy a copy of each and save $7.90!  They’re perfect gifts for herb or garden lovers!  Order your copies now for good reading this winter.  You’ll also get lots of great garden ideas and planting information, plus lots of original recipes to try.
     If you need an herbal sweatshirt, bunches of lavender, bags of lavender flowers, fairy items, or gift certificates, please e-mail me to set up an appointment.  Just about everything else is packed up, in preparation for moving to new display areas within the barn.  Sorry, no plants are available at this time.

PLANNING FOR 2011
We are already making preparations and purchases for next season.  If there are products or plants you want, let us know.  We are here to help you grow the best!  We’re also interested in knowing if you intend to grow more vegetables, houseplants, fewer annuals, bigger gardens, smaller gardens, more containers, whatever!  What workshop topics interest you most?  We’ll be working on our plans and schedule until early January, when our newsletter goes to the printer.
      If you are a vegetable grower, think about growing an extra row or plot for your local food pantry.  Many of them are empty, and there is more need than usual.  There may be opportunities for you, as a veteran gardener, to help some needy family in your neighborhood learn to grow food crops successfully. 

MAJOR HORT COMPANIES DECLARE BANKRUPTCY
Don’t just assume that many of the plants and products you normally purchase will be waiting for you next spring.  Like many other businesses, the horticultural industry is being hit hard by increased costs and lower sales.  Just in the past few weeks, Jackson & Perkins Roses, Weeks Roses, Iseli Nursery, California Nursery Supply, Carolina Nurseries, International Garden Products, and others have filed for bankruptcy.  It’s important to support garden centers, small businesses, and products that you love!

ILLINOIS HERB DAY
The date for next year’s Herb Day sponsored by the Univ. of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana is Saturday, January 22.  It will be a full day of herbal speakers, a hearty herbal lunch buffet, lots of door prizes, and garden/herb vendors.  Carolee’s Herb Farm will be there with lots of herbal treasures.  Mark your calendar & plan to attend.  More details next month.

NOVEMBER RECIPE:
Here’s a hearty and tasty soup that makes a lovely beginning to a Thanksgiving dinner, or an easy meal when you’re time-short or tired of cooking!  It’s from “Herbal Choices!”
Creamy Pearl Onion Soup
Heat 2T. butter in heavy 2 qt. saucepan.  Thinly slice 1medium onion.  Add freshly ground pepper and 3 bay leaves.  Cover and cook about 8-10 min, until onions are softened and golden, not brown, stirring occasionally.  Add 14.5 oz. can chicken broth, 1 can cream of celery (or cream of mushroom) soup, 15 oz. jar pearl onions (Holland style) drained, and a dash of nutmeg.  Stir well.  Cover and just simmer, stirring occasionally until pearl onions are heated well, about 6-8 min.  Sprinkle each serving with finely chopped parsley.  Serves 4.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
As we come into another Thanksgiving season, we must remember to give thanks for all our blessings.  Count not only for family and food, but the love of devoted pet, good friends, and the many choices we have here in America. There are people who would love to get one single seed catalog, and be able to place an order.  There are people who would give anything for a little plot of land on which to grow any kind of crop.   We are still blessed as Americans to have the freedoms we enjoy, and to have the security to garden.  Count your blessings this Thanksgiving, and give thanks for all the little things we sometimes take for granted.  And, pray for our country daily!

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!  May your turkey be moist, the pumpkin pies perfect, and may all of your families travel safely.  We all have so very much, so many blessings, so GIVE THANKS and don’t take them for granted!  Herbal blessings, Carolee