2015 Greenhouse Seeding List

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

When planning your seed purchase or what you want to plant, look over the list below to see what we plan to offer this year at our Greenhouse Sales, May 9 and 16 from 9 am to 1 pm, near the barn across from the Extension Office, 181 Franklin Farm Road.

Note: Plant availability depends on seed germination. Some varieties may have limited supplies so plan to come early on May 9.


This year, as part of the Master Gardener Monarch and Milkweed project we plan to have milkweed plants available, again, dependent on germination. On February 2nd the Greenhouse Team spent two hours preparing milkweed seeds for planting by stratifying the seeds to be chilled before seeding.


Following suggestions from last year's customers, we will be offering a catalog with descriptions and information about these plants, available at cost, prior to the sales. Look for more information about where and when it may be available.

Click on the list photo for a full size display.

Rosemary- Spending the Winter Inside

by Master Gardener, Carol Kagan

Flowering Rosemary Indoors at Barb P's house

Master Gardener Barb P. shared photos she took of the flowering rosemary plant in her sunroom. This reminds us about overwintering rosemary outdoors in our area, more information at a 2012 entry. But what about bringing it indoors?

Another photo from Barb

Bringing rosemary (and other herbs and plants, typically tender perennials) indoors for the winter requires some different attention than when they were outdoors during the milder seasons.

Rosemary in a container outdoors in summer. (C. Kagan)

OUTDOORS TO INDOORS

Because rosemary does not overwinter well in our area, it is advisable to treat it as a container plant which makes it infinitely easier to bring indoors. However, if you have rosemary planted out, you may pot it up using appropriate potting soil (not garden soil) and pot size with a drainage hole and tray. Follow recommendations about preparing your plants to bring them inside.

If possible, acclimate the plant to the indoors by bringing it inside a few weeks before the first expected frost date, October 15 here in S. Central PA. If you can open the windows and keep the indoor temperatures lows, it will make the transition easier than suddenly bringing it into a warm house.

INDOORS

All I want is for my rosemary to make it through the winter in living condition, so I can drag it back outside when the weather gets warm next year.

Fertilizer and Pruning: I don't encourage my rosemary to grow during the winter so I don't fertilizer or prune, except for a snip here and there. Rosemary will go dormant during the winter.

Light: Rosemary needs 6-8 hours of light as it did outside. A good south facing window may well do but you may have to supplement it with artificial light. A fluorescent light or grow light can help.  Rotate the plant every week or so to keep the plant growing evenly on all sides.

Temperature: As a native Mediterranean, mild-region plant, rosemary will expect cool winters (not freezing) temperatures. An area that is consistently 55 to 60°F is good.

Watering: As with most plants brought in to overwinter, consistent watering is one of the important keys to keeping it alive. Water when the surface is dry, usually once every 2 weeks until the soil is wet and water comes through the drainage hole.


After about an hour, empty the water from the saucer so the roots are not sitting in water. Rosemary will benefit from misting. A tip for watering all indoor plants is to allow tap water to sit in an open container overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Air Circulation: Good air circulation can alleviate some problems with mildew and mold. If you have several plants overwintering indoors, make sure there is good spacing between them.

ABOUT ROSEMARY

Rosemary is the herb of remembrance. Although today we typically think of it as remembering loved ones that have passed, the Greeks thought it increased memory. Greek scholars were said to wear wreaths of rosemary around their heads when taking exams to help them remember their lessons.

The name rosemary derives from the Latin for dew-"ros"- and sea -"marinus;" thus, dew of the sea. A legend says that the Virgin Mary spread her blue cloak over a white-blossomed rosemary bush when she was resting causing the flowers to turn blue. The shrub then became know as the "Rose of Mary."

Other Links of Interest:

Penn State Extension: Growing Herbs Indoors

University of Illinois Extension: Rosemary
Overwintering Rosemary

HERBS 103: Harvesting, Preserving & Overwintering Workshop Report

by Carol Kagan, Penn State Master Gardener, Franklin County

Although it was a crisp autumn start at this October 18 workshop, 17 attendees and 7 (yes, 7) Master Gardeners had a fun and informative (according to the evaluations) session.

At their seats attendees found peppermint cuttings that Jerry Lewis brought in.

Carol Kagan talked about air drying herbs and Trey Gelbach showed his dehydrator, putting in some herbs which he brought out near the end of the morning to demonstrate how quickly and thoroughly they dried. Barb Petrucci passed around samples of roses and other flowers she either air dried or dried with a desiccant. The difference in the colors and shapes were evident.

Barb, Jerry, Trey and Sue McMorris led the group over to the herb garden with baskets and shears where attendees were able to harvest a variety of herbs and flowers to take home. Popular take-aways were lavender and gomphrena.

Jean Schlecht and Maria Giles set out the refreshments and Maria put materials at each seat for a hands-on activity to prepare herbs to dry in the refrigerator.

When everyone returned from the gardens, refreshments were served and the hot mulled cider was popular. In addition there was cold cider, lemon-grass infused water, Apple Sage cake and Lavender Tea Biscuits (recipes below), as well as Trey's homemade dip of smoked jalapeno with homemade crostini and Sue's dill dip with chips.

Sue shared more methods of drying herbs including freezing and screen drying and reviewed the best way to preserve a variety of culinary herbs for later use.

Maria went over preserving herbs by drying in the refrigerator and had everyone folding up their thyme into neat little envelopes.

Trey, self-proclaimed "chili-head," showed off a variety of home-grown peppers, some of which were air dried and some smoked, passing these around along with some of the chili powders he made from them. Here he pulled some of the herbs from the dehydrator to show how fast they dried.

Carol reviewed the three methods to overwinter herbs: Protect outdoor perennials, bring plants inside, and create an indoor garden from seed, plant division or rooting cuttings. She also demonstrated pruning a winter savory (or perhaps a thyme plant, as there was a bit of pleasant dissent among the Master Gardeners as to which it was) and tips for rooting.

Along the way our students asked many good questions and among the seven Master Gardeners answers were found and sometimes explanations and cautions mentioned. Some of the participants attended all three of this year's Herb Series and received "Herb Enthusiast" certificates.

The session ended as Jerry shared some of his tips, especially about seed saving, and Jean Schlecht distributed the parsley and honey-melon sage she brought to share.


Honey melon sage (Salvia)

As per request, here are the two recipes for refreshments served at the workshop.

Lavender Tea Biscuits (Makes 6 doz. little 1” biscuits)

Ingredients

½ C. softened butter (1 stick)

½ C. sugar

1 egg

1 C. self-rising flour

1  ½ Tbsps. lavender buds

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Cream the butter, sugar and egg. Add flour and lavender buds and mix well. Wrap and roll the mixture into 1" tubes (about 4 or 5 tubes) and refrigerate for 1 hour. *

Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray. Spoon marble-size (small) pieces of dough into each cup. Gently press with a wooden pestle dipped into water or sugar or use the back of a small spoon.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove while warm.

* Alternately you can freeze the tubes of mixture to use later. Cut 1/4" or smaller slices from the tube and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Apple Sage Cake (9”x13” pan)

Ingredients

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ C. sugar

¾ C. vegetable oil

1/ ½ C. all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 C. Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded (about 3 apples)

½ C. fresh sage leaves, minced fine

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Butter a 9”x13” baking pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and oil. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. Stir in apples and sage and mix well.

Pour into baking pan, releasing the air bubbles. Bake approximately 30 minutes, until the cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool and serve as a cake or cut into small bites.

October Programs: Wild Ginseng, Preserving Herbs and Beginning Beekeeping

by Carol Kagan, Penn State Master Gardener

All programs are held at the Franklin County Ag Heritage Center, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg. More about each listing below

Wednesday, Oct 8 at 7 PM - Wild Ginseng Program – Free & open to the public. Call 717-263-9226 for more information.

Saturday, Oct 18 from 9 am – Noon – Herbs 103: Harvesting, Preserving and Overwintering. Cost $10. Call 717-263-9226  to register.

Thursday, October 23 at 7 PM - Would You Like to be a Beekeeper? Free & open to public. No registration required. For information contact Randy King at 717-328-9256.

Wild Ginseng Program: American ginseng is a native North American herbaceous plant which has unique chemical properties that make it economically useful. It has a rich history of being collected, cultivated and traded for centuries in Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. Cumberland Woodland Owners’ Association meeting welcomes featured speaker Dr. Eric Burkhart, Plant Science Program Director at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, discussing wild ginseng.

Because of its rarity, wild ginseng is a very valuable commodity with dried roots routinely selling for $500+/pint. Because ginseng has been widely collected over the last 200 years it is regulated both internationally and in each US state.

Herbs 103: Harvesting, Preserving and Overwintering: This Master Gardener workshop will provide information on various ways to preserve herbs including drying and freezing. Cost: $10. Call 717-263-9226 to register. We now accept credit cards to make phone registration easier.

Would You Like to be a Beekeeper? Have you ever wondered what is involved in being a beekeeper and working with honeybees?  If so, plan to attend this informational meeting The Franklin County Beekeepers Association is sponsoring this introductory meeting for the general public.  In particular, it is for those who may be interested in starting their own hives and learning a little bit more about what is involved.

The meeting will include a brief introduction to the honey bee, beekeeping information resources and time requirements for managing hives. A brief overview of tools, equipment, start-up costs, and ordering bee packages will be presented.  Free & open to public. No registration required. For information contact Randy King at 328-9256.

Fall into Gardening: A Day at the Demonstration Gardens

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener

Saturday, September 6th, the Penn State Master Gardeners, Franklin County, hosted the Fall into Gardening event. The weather gods held the rain off until 2 pm, the end of the event, but the price was heat and humidity. Nevertheless, lots of visitors came and discovered the demonstration gardens as they transition into autumn.

Sedum in the Drought-Tolerant Garden (C. Kagan)

The day included a self-guided tour of the demonstration gardens, with docents available to provide more information about the gardens and answer questions. Laurie Collins and her team freshened up the Pollinator Garden and greeted many visitors.


Laurie Collins (L) with visitors in the Pollinator Garden (C. Kagan)

More pollinator plants and pollinators below.



Barbara Petrucci answered questions and talked about herbs with visitors.

Barb Petrucci (L) showing off pineapple sage (C. Kagan)

Corn, tomatoes & more in the Victory Garden (C. Kagan)

Visitors were allowed to stroll through the Victory Garden along the brick path. Ruth Young, Linda Horst and Maria Giles were the main docents for this area.

Denise Lucas identified lots of the plants in the Perennial Garden for visitors eager to know what is blooming this time of year. More perennial plant photos below.

Denise Lucas (R) with visitors in the Perennial Garden (C. Kagan)

Linda Secrist gave a bulb planting demonstration at the pergola in the Native Plant while Cindy Fair helped visitors identify various plants such as the northern oat grass.

Northern Oat Grass in the Native Garden

The plant sale did a brisk business and many of the collectible daylilies were purchased. Billy Morningstar sold some of the garden décor items MG's made earlier this year.

Local Boy Scout, Avery, helped at the Welcome Table, giving out tour maps and scavenger hunt items for the kids. Cathy Campbell also had a pollinator activity and some giveaways for the kids as well.

Visitors could glean information from many of the exhibits in the Clubhouse. The 4-H Garden Club shared some of their Round-Up exhibits along with the pollinator display and herb garden renovation exhibit.

At the end of the day most Master Gardeners felt that they had introduced the gardens to a lot of new visitors and were able to both show off their hard work in the gardens and share their gardening knowledge.

 

More plants from the Pollinator Garden:

Caterpillar on a dill plant (C. Kagan)

Bee on cosmos (C. Kagan)

More bees - well, it is a pollinator garden!

More plants from the Perennial Garden:





Autumn Clematis, Phlox, Black-eyed Susan and some interesting seed pods (C. Kagan)

Beautiful bright orange flowers (C. Kagan)

A cleome (C. Kagan)

Beautiful seed head of Purple Coneflower (C. Kagan)

It's beautiful, n'est-ce pas?

Snip Your Herbs: Use or Save for Winter

by Carol Kagan, Master Gardener



My Herb Garden July 2014

Another nice morning to work in the garden although at 7:30 am it was already a bit muggy.

Some C'munks in the Back Yard

Dale is alternating between munching on bird seed and raisins and chasing some other chipmunk around and out of the garden. I'm not quick enough with the camera to catch them running in and out of the petunias, daisies and herbs.

There seems to be a few new c'munks this year, hanging out in the back yard. Maybe they're scooting around front to munch on birdseed. We'll have to throw some out back, too.

 

The weather has been kind to the plants in my yard, providing just enough rain and warm weather. The herb bed, moved this year from the back raised bed due to black walnut contamination, is thriving.

Garden Sage

 The garden sage needed pruning so I took the opportunity to document what has become known as Maria's Drying Technique (after MG Maria G.). This is in preparation for the October 18 MG Workshop: Herbs 103: Harvesting, Preserving and Overwintering Herbs. *

Here's my first try at documenting this. The big picture is that the herbs, after washing and drying thoroughly, are wrapped in a paper towel and dried in the crisper or butter compartment of your refrigerator. This won't work with all that basil. Make pesto and freeze it.

After 2-3 weeks, the dried herbs can be removed and stored. The herbs dried with this method retain their color and do not turn that funky gray-brown like many of the air dried herbs.

Wash, dry thoroughly (Tip: Use a salad spinner to get most of the water off.), and carefully remove leaves from the stems. Place in a paper towel and fold up to a triangle. Fold the flaps in toward the center.

Fold the top triangle down past the bottom fold. Wrap the flap around to the back and tuck it in to form an envelope.

Close-up of the folded envelope

* Penn State Master Gardeners, Franklin County hold workshops all year. To register for a workshop, to get on the e-mailing or snail-mailing for information about workshops and events, call 717- 263-9226.

 

Here's a few of the upcoming workshops held at the Franklin County Ag Center, 181 Franklin Farm Rd. unless noted otherwise.

Sat, July 12:  Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head: 9-11 -Learn how to use rain barrels to store and use water in your garden. Make a rain barrel ($40) or just sit-in ($10) Deadline to register to make a rain barrel is July

Sat, August 2:  Succulents: 9-11 Learn how to grow and propagate these beautiful and nearly indestructible plants

Fun Events include

Sat, Aug 23: Tomato Tasting Day: 10-2pm Day change by popular demand!    Moved to Saturday- Open to the public. Free parking. Save the Date. Do blind taste tests of over 20 tomato varieties. Taste and vote in the Salsa Contest. See the winners of the ugliest tomato and the biggest tomato contest. Pick up some great tomato recipes. See and feed the ducks in the stream. Enjoy talking with Master Gardeners.

Sat, July 26 Summer Garden Experience: 9-1 pm -Tour the center, do tomato tasting which includes paste tomatoes this year, enjoy seminars; Speaker-Stephanie Cohen, Perennial Diva $10/carload– Located at 1446 Auction Rd Manheim, PA 17545



Herb Class: Starting an Herb Garden

The first of a series of three classes on herbs took place on Saturday, Apr 26th.  "Starting An Herb Garden" was presented in the clubhouse from 9:00 to 12:00, and was attended by 17 folks.

Last minute prep: Carol and Barb at work

Presenters Barb Petrucci, Carol Kagan and Linda Secrist did a great job, with lots of questions and comments from the attendees.  The class was divided into several sections, covering just about anything you would want to know about starting your own herb garden.

First, we started with a short walk down history-lane with the traditions and uses of herbs from early times to the present.  Second, we enjoyed a quick overview of the variety and scope of herbs, and how we can use them in our gardens.  Next, we talked about the mechanics of growing herbs: water, sunlight, soil conditions, planting alternatives.

Class in session

Despite the lack of cooperation of spring this year, we toured the Herb Demonstration Garden and tried to envision what it will look like once things actually get around to growing :-)…and enjoyed some herb-y snacks - lavender pretzels, herb spreads and butters, and spearmint tea.

Herbs all lined up and ready for inspection!

Our hands-on session allowed everyone to see, touch, smell and even taste some of the many herbs available.  It was an enjoyable and information-filled session for all.  Our evaluation form asks the attendee what they will do differently because of the class.  The one comment I heard was "I will plant my mint in a pot" - congratulations presenters: sounds like you did a good job!

Two more sessions are planned.  Saturday, July 19 ("Using Your Herbs") is a hands-on workshop in the Ag Building kitchen.  You will be able to pick herbs from the herb demonstration garden, and use them in a variety of recipes and ways.  Enrollment is limited by space so don't put off requesting your place.  Saturday, October 18 ("Harvesting and Preserving Herbs") will be the final workshop in the Clubhouse and will give you ideas and answer your questions about getting ready for cold weather and using your herbs.  Hope to see you there!

It's Not Too Late

...to enjoy some time with your favorite plants.  Some of them are almost at their peak...

And whether you're looking for critters...

Or flowers...

or just some interesting blooms...

They are yours for the enjoying in the Herb Demonstration Garden...

So come sit and take it all in...