November 2017 Newsletter |
November E-Newsletter 2017
Maybe seeing this red-white-and blue whimsical planted bicycle made me feel especially welcome. There was rain off and on (which is why it is often called “Drizzledorf”) so I was only able to garden a couple of afternoons, tidying my daughter’s new perennial border and doing some edging, but it was fun. Working in someone else’s garden is like doing another’s dishes…more interesting than doing your own! I enjoyed strolling around the village and window shopping, and I always purchase a dozen boxes of herbal teas and herbal cough drops that I can’t find at home.
And of course, I had to go to the farmers’ market. I’m always impressed by the size of the veggies, like these kohlrabi that were over 5” in diameter and the healthy leeks, celery, and celery root.
It was a good day to buy a bouquet of sunflowers, and I’m going to look for these bright orange winter squash for my potager next year. And while I’m not a fan of uncooked tomatoes, these heirloom “flat” tomatoes were extremely flavorful. I may have to look for seed for these as well.
I also enjoyed this spice store, although I’d need a translation to know exactly what the packages contained. The prices are amazing, so I’ll make a list before I go again. We did do a few interesting side trips while there. One day we drove into the city to visit the Kaiserswerth castle ruins, which in olden days was an impressive fort defending the Rhine river. We took a ferry across the river and then walked along the river to the castle. I was not surprised to find beautiful hops vines growing wild all along the path. Brewing has been an important German art for centuries, so it’s no wonder that hops vines can be found growing wild in many parts of the country. Hops vines are aggressive and durable. (Read more about hops below.) There are some lovely views and interesting stone work.
My granddaughter and I roamed all around the ruins and read all the informative signs. I photographed various herbs that I found in the cracks between stones and thought about how they were an important part of medieval life. Then we gathered at an inn located on the castle grounds for lunch.
I ordered a Rhubarb schorle, one of many delicious drinks that can be found easily in Germany, but I can’t get here in the U. S. My luncheon was a flambkuchen with a local wild mushroom, bacon, and arugula and although it was huge, it disappeared quickly because it was absolutely delicious! We also went to a HUGE mall in Holland to get David a warmer jacket. It was jam-packed with shoppers, really, there were lines of people waiting to get into some stores, so we didn’t stay long.
Another day we drove into the city to visit Classic Remise, a HUGE, HUGE car “show.” It’s actually a fancy storage area for rare and ultra-expensive vehicles that is opened to the public. A few cars caught our attention, but the vehicle that I liked most was this Porsche tractor! I knew that Porsche made high performance sports car, but a Porsche farm tractor was unique. Also David took a picture of me with a 1936 SS100 Jaguar in pristine condition worth one million dollars. It was plum season, so my daughter and I took advantage and had tea and plum cake a “few” times during my visit. One sunny afternoon we took her dog for a walk, and “just happened” to go by the Schwartz Hotel at tea time.
And, I had to visit my favorite garden center, Bogie’s. It is always a treat to walk through their extensive offerings and see what’s new. I loved all the fall planters, all ready to greet guests by the front door. These white planters in metal tubs are intended for cemetery décor.
These heathers come in a variety of vibrant colors, and in that area will remain colorful throughout the winter. Notice in the photo on the right, the sign for the greenhouse which reads “Warmhaus,” the pretty potted mum standards in the back, and the colorful mixed planters in the foreground. I love their innovative combinations of hardy annuals and perennials. We did purchase a few perky violas and pansies to plant near my daughter’s front door. And later, we drove my granddaughter to her acrobatic equestrian class. She loves the class, but for her the highlight is getting to groom the horse afterwards! Secondly, it is an aggressive (I repeat AGGRESSIVE) vine that grows easily to 20’ in height. It can also shoot up strong (I repeat STRONG) new sprouts 10’ in any direction from the original plant, so be forewarned. Trying to dig up and remove an established vine is nearly impossible, because even a small piece left in the ground will quickly grow into a new vine. I once tried, and found roots as big around as my arm! It is a perennial, needing only soil, sunshine, and adequate water to flourish. The picture at the top of this paragraph is a fairly recent addition to the herb garden at Minnetrista. It looks innocent and adorable right now, but it will be interesting to see how, or if they can, control it in the future.
On our visit to the Kaiserswerth Castle, I found hops growing wild, and extensively, all along the river path and throughout the trees and shrubs of the hillside. The flower heads are the part used, and are often described as similar in appearance to miniature pine cones, except they are pale green. They are also used to aid in sleep, fresh flowers steeped in sherry or made into a tea to be drunk at bedtime, or dried and put in a small bag for use as a sleep pillow. I prefer the addition of lavender to help mask the scent of the hops, although some people do not find it objectionable. A small bag of hops soaked in hot water and used as a poultice can ease the pain of rheumatism. The tea above is from Germany and includes hops to help one sleep. The leaves can be boiled for a brown dye, but they do not contain the medicinal properties found in the flowers. They can also be blanched in boiling water to remove bitterness and added to salads or soups, but I think they are too much trouble for little, if any, benefit or flavor. The vines have also been used to make baskets, but I find them bristly to work with.
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