Carolee's Herb Farm

Carolee's Herb Farm

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 Carolee’s December E-newsletter 2010

The Winter fairies have been hard at work, making millions of snowflakes, creating icicles, and frosting all the trees and plants so they look like lace.  On a day like this, everyone should be humming “Walking in a Winter Wonderland!”  As I write this, I’m looking at a magical landscape, thinking about the miracle of modern travel.  Today I’m in the frozen tundra, but just yesterday I was in sunny Camelot!

VISITING CAMELOT
Well, maybe I should say “The Camel Lot!”  One of the things on my bucket list was “Ride a camel.”  After all, if it was the preferred method of travel for wise men, then there must be something to it.  So, while we were in Arizona visiting our son Ken, wife Jen, and grandson extraordinaire Landon, we visited a Christmas tree lot with camels.  As you can see below, my camel, Calvin, was a very handsome 6 yr. old Dromedary.  That’s a camel with only one hump.  Riding Calvin was like sitting in a rocking chair.  For some reason, I expected his coat to be coarse, but it was soft like baby hair.  Although we went at a lovely sedate pace, camels can run as fast as horses across the desert sands on their wide feet.  It was an experience I will remember forever!

Carolee & Calvin the camel

ILLINOIS HERB DAY
     I will be making the annual trip next month for the Univ. of Illinois Herb Day.  This is one of my favorite herb events.  It’s a real cure for the winter doldrums.   We’ll be part of the vendor area, where I’ll be selling the herbal jackets I’ve been sewing all winter, as well as lots of other herbal items.   Registration always fills very quickly and is limited in number.  This year’s event features 5 speakers covering a range of topics including:  “Sustainable Herbal Landscape Design,” “Herb and Floral Design to Music,” “Healthy Meals with Herbs,” “Plants, Herbs & Oils of Biblican Times,” and “Home-Grown Herbal Microgreens.”   If you’d like more info on this Jan. 22nd event, held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Urbana, IL from 8a.m. to 4 p.m. e-mail Linda at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .   The $60 registration fee includes all speakers and an impressive herbal luncheon buffet, recipes and handouts, plus a chance to win one of dozens of great garden door prizes at the end of the day.  Deadline is Jan. 14, but it is usually filled before that date.  Credit card orders cannot be accepted, so mail your form & check early!

INDIANA HORT CONFERENCE
      The 2011 Indiana Hort Congress will be held Jan 18-20 at the Wyndham West (formerly the Adam’s Mark Hotel by the old airport) in Indianapolis.  This is a “MUST” for those who want to sell at farmers’ markets or begin direct marketing of fruits, vegetables, flowers or herbs from a roadside stand, etc.  There’s also lots of helpful information on commercial organic growing and agritourism.  There’s a special session this year to help explain the complexities of all the new laws, particularly HE 1309 and the GAP rules that will now apply.  Each day has several simultaneous tracks, so study the schedule on the website at www.inhortcongress.org

 

"Frosted" scented geranium

SCENTED GERANIUMS
     This is the time of year that I especially enjoy my scented geraniums.  Their fragrance reminds me of summer, and I add their leaves to all kinds of teas and desserts for the holidays, and use their blossoms to decorate cakes or salads.  I especially love lemon and lime flavors, but I often use the rose, ginger, or peppermint ones, too.    I’m always on the look out for a new variety and happily I found one at my favorite garden center, Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson, AZ.  This one is “Frosted,” a citronella with white tips on dark green leaves.  It’s a very showy plant and highly scented.  Hopefully, I’ll have a few available next spring.
     With all the snow on the ground, spring seems far away for us.  It’s comforting for me to know that in other parts of the country, the new growing season is already beginning.  Just look at this display of herb plants, with the bay topiaries and silvery lavenders, spikey rosemaries, and lush mints.  And, now that the Winter Solstice has passed, rest assured, spring is on the way!

NO CINCY FLOWER SHOW IN 2011
     Sadly, the sluggish economy has taken another toll.  I recently received official word that the largest flower show in our area, the gorgeous Cincinnati Flower Show will not be held this spring, after a 21-year run.  Organizers hope to reinstitute the show in the future, but a huge infusion of cash and energy will be required to do so.

ISN’T SCIENCE AMAZING!
Scientists have perfected the process for making plant containers out of poultry feathers!  These containers make good use of what was often a waste product of our food industry.  Now, millions of tons of feathers are being made into recyclable containers for the horticultural and other industries.   Hurrah for the chemists who made this possible.   These biodegradable pots join the ranks of those made of rice hulls, cow manure,

RED CELERY!
A Florida based grower has announced the introduction of red celery!  It will begin appearing in selected stores in December.  A spokeswoman for Duda Fresh Farms assures consumers that it has the same flavor and crunch of green celery, but it is a cheery Christmas red.  The variety was twenty years in development and will be first test marketed on the west coast, the far northwest, and the southwest.  Americans used an average of six pounds of celery per person last year, and the Florida company hopes to see a large increase with their new introduction.

A LIVING WALL!
The largest green wall in North America has been installed at the famous gardens of Longwood.  The 4,072 sq. ft. wall is 70% larger than the former record holder and contains over 47,000 plants that will provide as much oxygen as 90 trees.  And while we’re talking about succulents that are used for living walls and roofs, take a look at this succulent wreath that I saw at a garden center in Arizona.  I tried to get the price tag in the photo….it was a whopping $150 for the same size wreath we made in our succulent wreath class for $35!

COWSLIP
We’re still trying to decide if Fairy Days will be on our 2011 calendar or not.  Whether or not, I’ll have to grow more cowslip, because it is one of the traditional fairy plants and also one of my beloved primulas! The Cowslip, Primula veris, has 8-12” stems of yellow blooms in early spring.  No one seems sure how the un-pretty name “cowslip” came to designate this pretty flower, but some authors say it is because they grow abundantly in cow pastures where cow dung (cow slop) is common.  They do like rich, moist soil and shade in summer. 
     Primulas have a long history and many legends.  A German legend says St. Peter heard a rumor that some sinners were trying to sneak into the back door of heaven, rather than pass through the Pearly Gates.  He was so upset that he dropped the keys to heaven, and they fell to earth where they became primroses!  In fact, in Germany primroses are called “Himmelschusselechen” meaning “little keys to heaven.”  In many cultures it is thought that primrose leaves put in a lock will cause it to magically open.
     When the buds begin to open, the overlapping petals form a cup shape.  Thus, in some cultures, the primrose is called “Fairy cup” or “Fairy basin.”  And, it is widely known that fairies take shelter under the large leaves of cowslip during heavy rainstorms.
     Primroses were called “herba paralysis” during medieval times, and were thought to cure many ailments from gout to lost speech and vertigo.  In other times it was used to treat infertility, colds, hysteria, convulsions, muscle pain, and arthritis.  An ointment of the juice of primrose leaves was put on burns and open sores.
     Aging beauties used primrose juice to recover their youthful looks, since it was believed to remove spots and wrinkles.  In addition, the leaves of primroses were used as rouge since rubbing them on cheeks made a pretty rosy glow.
     In the kitchen, primroses were added to salads and stuffings.  The yellow blooms were used as a food coloring, particularly in egg or cheese dishes and custards.  The juice from the plants were added to jams, wines, preserves and jellies.  Often the flower buds were pickled, and the leaves dried to use in teas.
     The cowslip is so beloved in England that April 19th is Primrose Day, and I often celebrate that day at the farm, for the primrose is one of my most beloved plants as well.  There are some blooming in the greenhouse today, and I can rely on them to bloom about nine months of the year, only taking a break during the hottest months of July, August and September!

AN ARIZONA CHRISTMAS SALAD
Here’s a colorful salad that I experienced during our trip to Tucson.  It’s colorful, tasty, and easy!  Mix together in a large bowl:  2 lbs. cooked, chilled shrimp; 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved; 1 large red pepper, chopped; 1 c. cooked corn; 1 c. chopped scallions; 1 c. torn basil leaves; ¼ c. finely chopped fresh garlic.
     Make a dressing of:  ½ c. good olive oil; 1/3 c. red wine vinegar; 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar; 1/3 c. lemon juice; 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes; 1 clove garlic, minced.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes while flavors blend, then pour over salad and serve.

That’s it for this month.  I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas, safe travels, memorable moments filled with love, and the fragrance of the herb garden around you.  We’ll be back with more ideas, recipes and info after the New Year, 2011!  Merry Christmas and Holiday Hugs,

Carolee