Creative ways with weeds - Using weeds to create dyes

I was poking around on the internet this morning and found another great gardening blog that I wanted to share. It is called Green Gardening with Ann Lovejoy and is written in Bainbridge Island, WA.

Ann's post entitled Creative Ways with Weeds points out another wonderul way to recycle garden "waste". Ann uses "weeds" to make dyes for her knitting projects.

Here is an excerpt from this wonderful post:

I also spin yarns for use in many projects, and one of my great pleasures is to dye yarn and fabric with natural dyes. I find it utterly fascinating to experiment with natural dyes, turning plain wool into lovely, delicate shades of green and gold, rust and pale orange, gold and soft yellow.

Putting Noxious Weeds To Work 

What does this have to do with morning glory? Besides adding great tilth to my compost, it makes a marvelous dye for protein fibers like wool and silk. Without any color fixer (mordant), natural yarn simmered in a morning glory infusion will turn a soft yellow. With alum as a mordant, the yarn will be a clear yellow. Add a touch of chrome and you’ll get a lively golden yellow. Copper makes the dye greener, while iron deepens it to a rich olive green. 

Many of my dye plants of choice are noxious weeds; not just morning glory, but ivy, Scotch broom, Canadian thistle, horsetail, and many more. It is amazingly satisfying to free a tree from its strangle hold, then cook up a big batch of the removed ivy. It smells quite sweet, rather like asparagus when cooking, and the resulting broth makes a gentle green yarn that is really beautiful. Read More

After finding that article, I spent quite a bit of time reading Ann's other posts. Her writing style is beautiful and personal and reading her posts made me feel like I was having a conversation with a new gardening friend. Here are some more great posts of hers that I think you will enjoy:

Getting the Garden Ready for Winter
Easy Care Garden Tips for Fall
What a Wonderful Day! - Adventures in mushroom hunting

Landscape Hints from an Eco-Cool Remodel Tool

I found this really cool....I mean ECO-Cool...Remodel Tool through an article on Treehugger.com.

The Eco-Cool Remodel Tool is one of several green tools on the website for King County, Washington's Solid Waste Division's website.

This neat web-based Tool lets you select an area of a model green home to reveal ideas and tips for environmentally-friendly renovations.

Here are some of the tips listed when you select the landscape area of the drawing (I have provided some links to local, related articles):

Yard
Patios, walkways and paths
•Use permeable materials for patios, walkways and paths such as clay brick, rock or concrete pavers, broken concrete, recycled glass pavers, crushed rock, wood chips, nutshells, and tumbled recycled glass to help minimize runoff and flooding. Impermeable (non-porous) surfaces such as concrete patios and paths do not allow rainwater to naturally percolate into the soil.

Landscape
Designing your landscape to match its conditions, such as climate, shade and moisture levels will save you money and time, and will look natural and beautiful. Design your landscape so it requires minimal water and maintenance:

•Select native plant species. They are adapted to your area, many are drought-tolerant, and most do not need additional fertilizer.
•Certify your backyard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Create a backyard habitat that will attract beautiful songbirds, butterflies, frogs, and other interesting wildlife for viewing from your very own window.
•Install water-wise or drought-resistant plants.
•Use pest- and disease-resistant plant varieties.
•Put the right plant in the right place (e.g. installing shade plants in the shade, not the sun)
•Use mulch to protect plants and conserve water.
•If your house is on top of a hill or other breezy location, plant trees or shrubs to block the prevailing wind. This will help reduce cold air infiltration.
•Minimize the amount of lawn in your yard.

Irrigation systems
•Automatic sprinkler systems waste about 30 percent of the water they deliver. It is possible to design a landscape that minimizes the need for regular supplemental watering once the landscape is established.

◦Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are good alternatives to permanent in-ground irrigation systems. Soaker hoses are made from recycled plastic and are inexpensive. Drip irrigation systems apply water directly to the soil through tiny emitters so they allow for more precise watering to match the needs of specific plant types.

◦If you choose to install a permanent in-ground irrigation system, look for piping made from polyethylene, as opposed to PVC.
•Install a weather-based irrigation controller that automatically adjusts the watering schedule according to the weather.
•If your garden hose leaks at the spigot threads, try to install a rubber, round-edged washer instead of a flat-edged washer.

Rainwater harvest
You can minimize potable water use by storing roof rainwater for later use in the yard. Whichever system(s) you choose, you will be helping to reuse water that would normally go to waste in a storm drain. First, reduce your water consumption, then invest in harvesting systems.

•Water can be stored in rain barrels, cisterns or rain gardens.
•Cisterns are large tanks that can store hundreds to thousands of gallons of water, enough to significantly reduce or eliminate the need to use municipal water for landscape purposes.
•You can also put roof water directly to use in your yard with a rain garden. Rain gardens feature plants that thrive in wet conditions coupled with soils that allow safe ground percolations. Rain gardens must be carefully designed and located to avoid flooding.

Today is America Recycles Day - Take the Pledge

My husband and I are the kind of people who have a hard time throwing anything away. There comes a point, however, when it makes more sense to just toss something than to keep on re-using it. I mean, you eventually realize that the water you are using rinsing out old ziploc bags might just be a little more valuable than the bag itself.

As gardeners, a lot of great things can be recycled in your own garden or with your gardening friends. Seedlings, cuttings, seeds, thinned out plants and used pots are welcome by other gardeners. Ask your friends or post a message on one of the many seed/plant swap forums on the internet. The Northern Virginia Gardeners have a site for swapping and there are others available through Yahoo groups. And here's a great post by Kathy Jentz, editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, about seed swapping.

Of course, almost any type of plant material, such as leaves, mowed grass or plant trimmings can be added to a compost pile. Large limbs and tree trunks can be saved for burning in firepits or fireplaces.

The truth is, almost any item, inside or outside the home, can be recycled. To find the right place to recycle, use the listings on Earth911.com. Just input the item and your zip code and Earth911 returns a list of the closest recycling centers.

Now that you've made the decision to do you part, why not take the America Recycles Day Pledge
 

Swap seeds for more variety in your garden

I'm excited to have Kathy Jentz, editor and publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine, as a guest blogger today. Kathy's article about collecting seeds for swapping, is a favorite topic of mine. Read on and enjoy!!

 

Get Free Plants to Grow and Share by Seed Saving

By Kathy Jentz

Autumn is harvest time in the garden and not just for your fruits vegetables. It is also time to start collecting your plant’s seeds. Many of your annual and perennial flowers are setting seed-heads and are about to burst open. Catch some of them before they do and you’ve got a head start on your garden for next year. Why go to the bother of collecting all those tiny seeds? The first reason is thriftiness. No need for anything in your garden to go to waste. Compost, recycle, and re-use. The second reason is frugality. Why buy new plants every year when you can grow your own for free? Even further, why buy unproven plants or seeds when you know the ones you are collecting from did well and obviously flourished in your yard.

Another reason to collect seeds is to ensure the propagation of heirloom varieties and rare, native plants that are not available through other means. Commercial growers and catalogs will often only carry the most popular plants and seeds. By collecting seeds from particular flowers and edibles, you are safe-guarding the future of these species. You are guaranteeing we will have a wide variety of genetic diversity in our future and not just the current “top growers.”

The final reason to collect seeds is to trade them. You may have 100s of Cleome seeds and another gardener has 100s of Poppy seeds. Why not trade a few hundred with each other? Again, you are getting new plants for free or close to it. Seed trading is a whole world unto itself. There are online groups, pen pal lists, and clubs for seed swapping.

Washington Gardener Seed Swap, January 29, 2011

This January, DC area gardeners will have the opportunity to meet up and swap seeds in person. Washington Gardener magazine is holdings its 6th Annual Seed Exchange on Saturday, January 29, 2011 from 12:30 – 4:00 p.m. at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD. The Seed Exchange will include seed swapping, door prizes, planting tips, and gardening workshops by local garden experts. Details will be online soon at www.WashingtonGardener.com

Seed collecting is easy. Just wait until the end of the growing season when your current flowers form seedpods. Check on them every few days. They are ready when the pods are dry, brittle, and just ready to open. Don’t wait too late or they’ll break open on their own and cast their seeds to the wind. Pick a day with little breeze and no rain. Go out in mid-morning, after the sun has dried out the air and dewdrops from the leaves. Take a piece of paper and put it under the seed heads then shake them gently. Be sure the seeds are thoroughly dry before you put them in tightly closed jars or zipper-closed baggies. Label them right away and store them in a cool, dark, and dry place.

That last step is the most important. Label them with the date and variety. Be specific as possible. Next spring you’ll be very glad you did – as many seeds look alike. The date is important as you will want to use up your seeds the next growing season or two.

A side note on seed collecting: not all plants can be propagated from seed. Many plants that you buy are hybrids or sterile. If you have hybrid flowers and vegetables, they may produce seeds. However, the seeds will often not produce offspring that is “true” to the parent plants. In other words, the seeds from hybrids are often a different variety than the plant you originally purchased and they are often inferior in quality.

A simple way to get started is to collect seeds from your common annual flowers that open-pollinate: zinnias, marigolds, forget-me-nots, four-o-clocks, cosmos, cleome, and sunflowers. Then, as your gardening skills grow, move on to perennials and biennials.

So take a few minutes this harvest season to collect those plant seeds and you’ll be all set next spring for a bountiful crop of new blooms.

** Kathy is saving seeds this weekend from her hollyhocks which came to her garden from her grandmother’s seed collecting. Kathy Jentz is Editor of Washington Gardener Magazine, the only gardening publication published specifically for the local metro area — zones 6-7 — Washington DC and its suburbs. You can follow Washington Gardener on Twitter or follow their blog or Facebook page.

Abundant acorns a harbinger of good things to come?

"Every mighty oak started out as a nut that decided he wanted to stand for something."

I was just walking through our woods and got a pretty good conk on the head. No, it wasn't a dead branch falling on my head (thank goodness!). It was an acorn. I took it as a sign of great times ahead.

If you have oak trees, or live near oak trees, you probably have noticed the unusual abundance of acorns this year. We've lived on our property for ten years and we have NEVER seen anything like the record-breaking crop of acorns. They carpet the ground. They stain our driveway. They drop like rain from the sky. And they even wake us at night when they clank against the rain gutters or other metal fixtures outside. I love it, just because I love almost everything to do with nature. And oaks are some of my favorite trees.

Apparently, this bumper crop of acorns is occurring in many parts of the country, or at least all up and down the east coast. I found articles online from Florida to Pennsylvania talking about the phenomenon, what might cause it and what it might mean.

An article on TBD.com said that :

"... the number of acorns falling on car hoods and driveways is at an all-time high in Allegany County, MD, which is located in the far western Maryland panhandle. There are an average of 25.65 acorns per oak branch. How is this fact known? Well, the Maryland Wildlife & Heritage Service keeps track of acorns on branches; this has been done every year since the 1970s."

The article went on to say " that lack of a major frost in the spring coupled with a dry summer helped the acorn crop breed furiously this year." 

Another article on Accuweather.com, said that the reason for a bumper crop of acorns, also known as a "mast year" may or may not have a tie to weather.

"Dr. Marc Abrams, a professor of forestry at Penn State, said mast years occur when nut-producing trees such as a oaks "produce an overabundance of nuts in a particular year, maybe five or 10 times more than an average year." 

However, Abrams described the mast year phenomenon as "one of the amazing mysteries in nature that we still do not have a handle on." 

Mast years happen irregularly, which Abrams said can make it challenging for scientists to understand what causes a mast year. 

According to Abrams, a mast year can occur twice in a row or they might be several years in between. 

"There's no way to predict it," he said."

An article on UPI.com said that the bumper crop of acorns will be the heaviest since 2003 and attributes the phenomenon to heavy rainfall early this year followed by a drier-than-normal spring.

But another article from 2006 said that a man had to take two pickup trucks full of acorns to the landfill!!

Interestingly enough, some experts think that the abundance of acorns will make deer hunting a challenge this year, since this year's deer are spoiled by a huge diet of acorns and will not have to come out of the woods in search of food.

Several articles stated that an old wife's tale says that an abundance of acorns also predicts a cold harsh winter. Other's refuted that legend.

But I figure if I'm going to go along with any superstition, I'll pick a more positive one.

There are many legends and symbols associated with acorns. Some of the more familiar are that acorns symbolize life, fertility, creativity, prosperity, immortality, patience, strength and good luck. It is believed that placing an acorn on every windowsill will protect the house from lightning and carrying an acorn in your pocket or purse will prevent aging. {I might not believe that one, but I'm putting a handful in my purse anyway!}

This article on NorwichBulletin.com had all sorts of fun facts:

Age-old traditions from the British Isles guarantee the carrier of an acorn in the pocket or the wearer of the symbol on their person long life, good luck, immortality, youth, ease of pain, protection from storms, from getting lost and from evil intent. Is it any wonder the motif has found it's way into jewelry design from ancient times through today?

Legend tells us that burying an acorn in the dark of the moon ensures you will receive money in the near future, linking acorn symbology with material prosperity. Why would anyone be out on a dark night gathering acorns? The belief is that acorns gathered at night are the strongest bringers of fertility.

And someone who is selling acorn jewely on etsy.com says this about oaks and acorns:

Oak trees, their leaves, and their seeds (acorns) symbolize life, strength, endurance, immortality, power, honor and loyalty. Because acorns appear only on adult trees they're also a symbol of patience and fertility. Adding to the oak's mystique is the fact that they are struck by lightening more than any other type of tree. The ancient Celts and Norse believed this was because of the immense spiritual energy within these trees. Druids would swallow acorns, believing it would give them the power of prophesy. Acorns have been carried for protection and as good luck charms by many cultures, bestowing upon the bearer longevity, wisdom, youthfulness, prosperity, spiritual growth, and stability and strength in their life.

I don't have any problem with the acorns so I haven't tried to figure out how to get rid of them. In fact, we have been collecting them and just keeping jars of them around the house because we think they are pretty.....and just in case any of the legends for luck, prosperity and long life are true.

If you have a creative streak, I also found several sites that have crafts to make out of acorns.

How to make an acorn wreath
Acorn Crafts on Matha Stewart.com

For me, I'm going to assume that they mean something good. And every time I crunch, crunch, crunch them while walking through my yard or have one conk me on the head while I take a walk, I'm going to smile, look at all of the beautiful trees in our forest and think about all of the great things I have going on in my life right now. And then I'm going to spend some time thinking about how great NEXT year is going to be with all of the health, prosperity, creativity and good luck that will be coming our way.

Why not pick up a few acorns for yourself and keep them around to remind you of YOUR hopes and dreams? They might be just around the corner, ready to take root and start growing!

Landscaping for Pollinators - Nov. 17th

Who cares about pollinators? We all should! Today's pollinators face many threats, including habitat loss and degradation and fragmentation of the landscape. As native vegetation is replaced by roadways, lawns, crops and non-native gardens, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites necessary for their survival. The good news is that we, the gardeners, can help.

Learn how to bring bees, butterflies and moths back into your landscape by choosing pollinator friendly plants and landscaping techniques that will provide the food and shelter they need. Paula Jean Hallberg, a Montgomery County Master Gardener and WV Master Naturalist will use content and materials provided by Connie Schmotzer, for the Penn State Master Gardeners, using a grant from Haagen Dazs. Valuable links and ample time for Q & A will be included.

Did you know that bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators are responsible for 1 out of every 3 bites of food we eat?! We need to help them survive! This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments & door prizes! Questions? Call Carole: 301.442.2023

Landscaping For Pollinators
Takoma Horticultural Club Meeting
November 17, 7:30 pm
Takoma Park Community Center
7500 Maple Ave., next to the Library

Information provided by Kathy Jentz, editor/publisher of Washington Gardener Magazine

You might also enjoy reading: The best thing you'll ever eat, thanks to local honeybees

Gwyneth Paltrow ...singing about organic gardening?

Did you catch Gwyneth Paltrow's song on the Country Music Awards? I meant to listen to it, but I was channel surfing (as usual) and must have ended up somewhere else during her song.

In any case, I just listened to it online and it made me think of....gardening. I know, a lot of things make me think about gardening. But I had just read this quote in a post on Mother Nature Network that indicated that Paltrow longs for a "simpler" life on a large organic farm:

"I would love it," enthuses Paltrow of rustic living. "My dream is to have land somewhere outside of Nashville and have a big organic farm outside of the city."

And then I listened to her song:
















 Now, I know she isn't REALLY singing about gardening. But some of the lyrics of "Country Strong" could very well fit in with the challenges of gardening in harsh climates....and especially, organic gardening.

‘cause I’m Country Strong, hard to break

Like the ground, I grew up on

You may fool me, and I’ll fall

But I won’t stay down long

‘cause I’m Country Strong 

I have weathered, colder winters
And longer summers, without a drop of rain
Push me in a corner and I’ll come out fightin’
I may lose but I’ll always keep my face

I think many people assume that owning a farm, especially an organic farm, is opting for a simpler lifestyle when, in reality, the challenges of doing things naturally (organically) often add a few extra steps to the process.

In any case, I congratulation Paltrow on her singing and on her dreams. And the next time you are working in your organic garden, facing the challenges of "hard ground, cold winters and long summers without rain"....plug in your iPod and think of Paltrow....and come back strong!

Feeding the Birds makes their hearts sing!

I recently wrote a post about the importance of creating habitats for backyard birds during the fall months. Fall and spring are the months that you might see a lot more variety in the birds that visit your yard and garden as they migrate through to their winter and summer nesting places.

If you want to read a firsthand account of the pleasures of gardening for wildlife, there is a great one on Kathy Van Mullekom's Diggin' In Column.

It's a great article about the wonderful wildlife habitat that Tom and Gail Claydon have created on their Newport News property.

Here's the full article: Backyard Garden Offers Buffet for the Birds

City Blossom's Bulb Bash - November 20th

We are right at the very end of the planting season and City Blossoms wants to squeeze in one more celebration of our communities and gardens with another Bulb Bash! Come on out to Marion Street Intergenerational Garden at 1519 Marion St NW on Saturday, November 20th from 12-3. There will be a massive bulb planting, tasty potluck, warm drinks to sip, recipe demos, games and face painting for all ages. Our last Bulb Bash was a real hit so don't miss this one! If you would like to attend and bring a potluck dish please rsvp to Lola Bloom at lola@cityblossoms.org or call 202.870.8158

City Blossoms is a non-profit organization working out of the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas to create urban gardening experiences and enrich the lives of children and their communities. For more information, visit their website: cityblossoms.org

Holiday Fun to get you glowing

I didn't really realize how CLOSE the holidays are until I walked into one of my favorite hardware stores yesterday and saw that most of the gardening section had been replaced with holiday decorations.

If you are looking for some great events and activities to take up some of the time that you were spending in the garden, here are a few great lists I found:

Eileen Weklar, the DC Feng Shui Home & Garden Examiner, lists some great upcoming activities for gardeners presented by Merrifield Garden Centers.

A Holiday Ladies Night, Christmas Floral Design workshop, and How to Create a Festive Container Garden are all on the agenda at various Merrifield Garden Center locations.

For more details, hop on over to Eileen's Examiner article about Holiday Seminars.

Over on her Diggin' In blog, Kathy Van Mullekomlists upcoming holiday events as well as nature programs, garden tours, etc. Activities include the Million Bulb Walk, a Camellia show & sale, and a Snow Garden show. You can get more information on these events by visiting her blog.

There is a great list of upcoming holiday events in Virginia over on Benzinga.com. Read the article on light shows and more on their site.