The Drunken Botanist

I have been watching the buzz on this book for a while and waiting for it to emerge into pages. I will honestly say that  I thought it sounded fun, but was not really  sure if it was a book I  would go out and buy.

The title evokes images of an old movie set. The dark stone walls of a  castle dungeon and distillery equipment steaming with fragrant concoctions…but I digress.
I am a fan of the author, Amy Stewart and have all of her previous books, so it might have been just a purchase as a fan and not necessarily of the subject matter.

But of course, Amy you had me at the aperitif, as most good beginnings should.

This is not a tale of a curmudgeonly old botanist,who is more interested in pistils and stamens while imbibing too much.
The Drunken Botanist is much more fun. Who knew that walking into a liquor store would inspire a garden writer. Everything on the shelves is rooted in botanical history, from hops in beer to the nectar of Agave. The book is a historical exploration how plants return to us in another formulation.  Herbs, grains, veggies,  and exotic plants have for centuries given us medicine, remedies, food and flavorings this book gives you a look at the fermented side of plants.
Even if the  study of liqueur isn’t your thing,  the botanical journey is  definitely worth the read. Cheers!

 

Amy’s garden, colorful and edible…or should I say drink-able!  On right: peppers, celery, basil, strawberries, Calendula, cucumber, lemongrass….photo courtesy of Amy Stewart.

Go Local: If you are in Tacoma-check out  our very own craft cocktail lounge.  www.1022south.com

Local lecture from Amy: March 27th at Powell’s books in Portland, Oregon  and  March 28th at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. Washington. More events listed at www.amystewart.com.

Free Book : I have a copy of The Drunken Botanist from Amy and am giving it away. NAME THAT PLANT! What Pacific Northwest native fern would you steep in water to create a bitter cocktail syrup that hints at a licorice-flavor mixed with orange water. Post a comment here, on Facebook or stop by Urban Garden Company in downtown Tacoma to drop off your answer. One of the correct answers will be drawn randomly. Hurry and answer by March 31st, the winner will be drawn April 1st.

Steal inspiration!

 

 

Seasons!

Green Friday at Urban Garden Company

Forcing Spring!

Forcing spring bulbs is easy; it just takes a little planning to have blooming color through the winter months.
Most spring bulbs need a chilling period to complete the natural cycle that makes them bloom. That cycle is the reason spring bulbs are planted in the fall. The cool wet soil and air temperature is the natural chill needed.
Pretend it’s spring! To coax bulbs into early bloom indoors,  mimic that cooling period. Most bulbs need a chill for 10 to 16 weeks (depending on the type of bulb.)  Following suggested chilling time, bulbs can be planted in September for January blooms, October for February and so on. The temperature for proper chilling needs to be 35 to 50 degrees. An unheated garage or spare refrigerator works well. When shoots emerge and the proper time has been met, place the potted bulbs in a warm sunny window. The warmth will force them into bloom quickly. Plant up a few pots and varieties and stage them to stagger blooms for a longer season of color. After the flowers have finished, most can be planted outdoors if they are hardy. Cut off the faded flowers stalks and keep the leaves on. Continue watering until the outdoor weather warms, then plant them outside. The forcing of bulbs sometimes simply exhausts the bulbs and they will not re-bloom. Hardier bulbs like tulips and daffodils may recover after a few seasons.

Specialty Bulbs for Holiday Color:

Paperwhites:
A delicate fragrant indoor blossom that is classic for Christmas decorating. Paperwhites do not need a cooling period as most spring bulbs do to bloom indoors.
Supplies needed
4 to 6 inch round, 4 inch deep pot
Use terra-cotta or any decorative pot; just make sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom.
3 to 5 Paperwhite bulbs (a more common variety is sold as Paperwhite “Ziva”)
Choose bulbs that are firm, with rich brown outside layers. A bit of green bud showing is fine.
White small cut rock chips
Or show a little creativity and use beach glass, marbles or anything that will hold the bulbs upright in the pot.
In the bottom of the pot, place two inches of white rock. Set the bulbs firmly on top of the rock, roots down and stems facing up. In a 4 inch pot place 3 bulbs, in a 6 inch pot use 5 bulbs. Loosely fill the pot with remaining white rock, to the rim. About half of the bulb will be exposed. Water well and place in a warm dark area or away from direct sunlight until green shoots emerge 2 to 4 inches. Bring the pot into a sunny spot and keep even watering. Do not over-water.
Paperwhite flowers will bloom in 6 to 8 weeks. Keep blooming plants away from heat sources. The blooms will last longer is kept in a cooler spot of the home.

Hyacinths
Intensely fragrant and colorful, hyacinth force will in water
Supplies needed
Forcing vase
A glass vase with a smaller neck that allows the bulb to sit in just at the water line.
Pre-Chilled Hyacinth Bulb
Fill the glass vase up to the neck with clean water. Place bulb in the vase. The base of the bulb should barely touch the water level. Place the vase in a cool dark place until roots begin to grow. Check water level and maintain the correct level so roots can grow into it. When the roots are full and the stalk is a couple of inches high, move the vase to a sunnier spot. Pre-chilled hyacinth blooms typically bloom in 6 to 8 weeks. As with all indoor blooming bulbs keep away from direct heat sources and in cooler temperatures to insure long bloom time.

Amaryllis:
Large bulbs and large showy blooms perfect for Christmas decor.
Supplies needed:
6 inch pot at least 6 inches deep
Amaryllis Bulb
Pebbles, pea gravel or small rock chips.
Soil
Start the bulbs in a pot that is only slightly larger than the bulb. They do better in tight quarters and need a good stable base. Place pebbles in the bottom 1 inch of the pot. Place approximately 2 inches of soil in the pot. Firmly place the bulb on top of the soil. Add more soil or take away soil under the bulb so that about 1/3 rd of the bulb is showing. Water thoroughly and place in a warm spot. Keep the soil barely moist until growth begins then water regularly. Amaryllis usually bloom 4 weeks after planting depending on the variety.

Wordless Wednesday

Falling

Daylight hours begin to slip away hardly noticed,
The days are warm and sunny while nights have a season changing chill,
There is a feel to the air as the breeze blows through an open window,
The signs are here that we are falling into another season.

 

Autumn has two faces.

One side shows a fire of colors that weave through the hillside and the garden naturally senses that it is time to slow down. Gardeners are ready for the slower pace too.

The other side of fall is looking forward to the renewal of next spring. Bulbs are planted and compost is topped in empty planting spaces to nourish growth for the return of longer days. Fresh toppings of compost cover soil that worked hard over the summer.

 
Inspirations for the fall garden
Cool garden tasks
The time is now to accomplish postponed jobs.  Dig out under achievers in the garden and be a bit ruthless if needed. Replace them with those impulse plants purchases sitting by the potting bench awaiting a home.

Get limey to be less sour
In history, it is said that farmers literally tasted the soil. They described soil as “sour” when the pH is too low, “bitter” when the pH is too high and “sweet” when the pH is “just right” for good crop growth. Hmmm, I’ll take a soil test instead. Fall is a good time to add lime to lawn areas. Lime will improve the availability of essential plant nutrients as the PH is adjusted a bit sweeter.

Bulbs, bulbs and more bulbs
Plant spring-flowering bulbs in abundance to make a statement. Daffodils and tulips selectively chosen for dramatic color blends or in monochromatic plantings scream for attention. Never buy just a small bag of bulbs for planting think of it like an abundant flower bouquet. If you aren’t willing to plant 50 to 100 bulbs in a cluster, then don’t bother, unless they are specialty bulbs like lilies.

 

Love those hips
Roses that produce lovely hips look especially jewel-like in the fall. Rugosa roses like the varieties ‘Hansa’ and ‘Buffalo Gal’ have large round hips.The blue-leaved rose, Rosa glauca (Rosa rubrifolia) is not known for exceptional flowers but the rose hips more than make up for them. The large arching branches (up to 8 feet) on this plant hang lower late in the season from the abundance. The hips cling on through the winter.

Gather for the future
Collect seeds from annual flowers. Look for the Papery bracts and pods of poppies, cosmos, Bachelor buttons, marigolds and Love in a mist (Nigella).

Enjoy the slower pace of the fall to catch up and breathe in the sweet autumn air..

Garden Genes from Grandma

Dear Grandma,

I miss you already and many memories of you make me smile. Some of my favorites are memories of your garden and our garden chats! I remember when I was little; I just couldn’t stay away from your currant bushes that grew along the driveway edges. I‘d get a small Dixie cup from the bathroom and fill it with currants. You then would scold me for eating them and say that you were trying to get enough of those sweet little things to make jelly and I was stealing your stash. The garden in back of your house was huge and it seemed like you and grandpa could grow anything. When it was meal time there was always something picked fresh out of the garden. Once when grandpa wanted a snack he went out to the garden and picked beautiful leaves of romaine lettuce, brought them in the house, gave them a quick rinse, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and ate them. I was sitting at your table thinking how fascinating it was to see a snack from the garden like that.

Everything germinated by your green thumb. During my last visit, you told me to check on your tiny lemon trees, and wanted to make sure they were ok. You told me you had simply thrown seeds from a lemon in the houseplant soil and sure enough… they grew. Grandma, you could grow anything from seed. I used to think it was magic and it must be why I still have a sense of wonder every time seedlings pop out of the ground.

I love lavender and I am sure it comes from the lingering fragrance of dried lavender flower sachets tucked in your linens. You always said it was one of your favorite flowers, I am thinking it must be genetic! Speaking of genetics, my mom never had a garden when I was growing up and she could care less about growing one, so the passion for gardening skipped a generation and landed in mine. I think you always got a twinkle in your eye knowing that.

You consistently asked about your garden and would say, “I bet my Susie would know what that is.” A few weeks ago during my visit, you asked me to report back to you on how your yard looked. I picked every blooming daffodil in sight to bring to you in the hospital; I thought you needed them more than the garden did. You also insisted that I meet one of the nurses who brought you flowers because that nurse needed to know her granddaughter who loves to garden. It feels like we are in a secret society; those who love the garden no matter what we grow or the geography between. We will always have something in common.

It reminded me of a few summers ago when I told you how beautiful the dahlia fields looked as I passed them driving to your home in Canby. Remember how you told me you missed them? I loaded you up in the car and we went for a drive to see a dahlia farm. The fields of color were so breathtaking but you were frustrated because you didn’t feel well enough to get out of the car for a closer look. We drove all around it so you could feel like you had walked through it. You were worried we would get in trouble for driving on the farm roads and I told her if someone asked, then I’d just tell them my grandma wanted to see the flowers. How could they get mad about that?

Maybe this is another genetic thing, but we always had tea. On our last visit you impatiently mashed the call button for the nurse and when she came in, you told her she needed to bring her granddaughter a hot…very hot, cup of tea… please. I was a bit embarrassed, as I am sure the nurses have much to do, but I did get my tea and we enjoyed a cup of tea together…for one last time.

Thank you for the love of the garden and the keen madness of it all; from the love of brilliant colored flowers to the simplicity of picking and eating snacks right out of the garden. May I do my part and pass that passion on to another generation.

Blessings on your daffodil lined journey to heaven,

Grandma, Lucille Hogan- March 1918 to April 14, 2012.