September | 2007 | Herbal Treasures

Gardener Inspiration: Centerpiece with Fall Flair

September 29, 2007 at 4:39 pm (Botanic Arts, Crafting, Garden Joys, Herbal Homekeeping, Herbal: Fall)

Gardener’s Inspiration: Fall Flair with Natural & Found Items

This is a really quick Festive Fall Idea we enjoy:

Using your Preserved Fall Leaves, scatter them on a 36″ length of “fall”(color or design, hemmed or just folded under) fabric down the center of a table; arrange selected garden harvest-type items (ie – squash, pumpkins, etc.), accented with pretty spicy-scented votive candles.

Using an apple corer, hollow-out a candleholder space in some of the gourds, pumpkins or apples for votive candles.

CAUTION: Be sure the item you use as an improvised candle holder is stable and placed in such a way that it will remain in its intended position, to avoid a fire hazard!

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Herbed Pork Chops

September 24, 2007 at 4:21 pm (Culinary, Herbal: Fall)

Baked Herbed Pork Chops with Saffron Rice

4 thick center-cut or butterflied pork chops

a blend of your favorite fresh herbs (I used: Cuban oregano, garlic
chives, marjoram, thyme, true Greek oregano)

salt and pepper – to taste

2 packages Mahatma Yellow Rice: 1 Spicy Saffron; 1 Saffron, or
equivalancy of 1 2/3 cups to about 2 cups cooked saffron rice

20 ounces bullion broth (I use vegetarian vegetable; and do
recommend very low sodium variety, if you use regular `bullion’, so
as to let the herbal flavors through)

1 red pepper, sliced

1 14.5 ounces can diced tomatoes (I used “Italian,” with garlic and
herbs)

1 whole medium onion, thinly sliced

Sprinkle pork chops with your favorite fresh herbal blend, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour uncooked rice into large covered casserole; place pork chops on top of rice; pour in bullion; layer onion slices on top of meat, then add diced tomatoes on top of onion slices and pork chops. Cover and bake 350-degrees F until cooked through (about 1 ½ hour). Serves 8.

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Fall Color in the Garden and Plant Sales are Good Things

September 19, 2007 at 3:57 pm (Garden Joys, Garden Lessons, Gardening, Herbal: Fall)

Great sources for quality, reasonably priced plants, include special plant sales held by area public gardens and societies, most often in the spring and fall. Your purchase is truly a gift that keeps on giving, as proceeds are often a benefit for a local public garden, campaign or plant society.

One fall, I was fortunate to attend a special gardener’s day at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, co-sponsored by Carolina Gardener magazine – it was wonderful! It was there I met Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden. During the summer, I had strolled “The Herb Study Garden,” which was redesigned by Holly and Osaum Shimizu, and Stephen Wells (Nashville), in 2001, at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens.

Holly gave a tremendous program on fall color in the garden, sharing tidbits with us about various plants she particularly favored. There are lots to choose from!

I was pleased to get a couple of her suggestions, to add to our gardens: Helianthus angustifolius PERENNIAL SUNFLOWER; and a lovely white stonecrop, Sedum alboroseum ‘Frosty Morn’ VARIEGATED STONECROP, which contrasts our billowing Sedum ‘Herbstfreude’ AUTUMN JOY SEDUM pale purplish pink tints. Of course, I found a few other great additions, as well!

Fall color and interest abounds at DSBG, hope this inspires you…

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Gardener’s Glossary

September 15, 2007 at 3:53 pm (Garden Lessons, Gardening, Gardening Terms, Wonder of Growing)

Gardener’s Glossary: Leaf mold – Fibrous, flaky material derived from decomposed leaves, used as an ingredient in potting media and as a soil-improver.

Source: The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of
Gardening, DK Publishing, New York, New York, 1993.

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The Old Farmer’s Almanac

September 12, 2007 at 3:01 pm (Garden Lessons, Gardening, Weather, Wonder of Growing)

The Farmer’s Almanac is an annual publication that has been distributed since 1818. Generations of American families trust in its well-known long-range weather predictions as well as invaluable information on gardening, cooking, fishing, and more, presented in a style that informs and delights, while educating!

What and *How* the Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts

For generations, a recognized source of wisdom, seasonal advice, weather prediction…

Including:

The Art, Science and Accident of Weather Prediction

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Weather Center

And Our AB-so-lute Personal Fav – “The Truth About the `Wooly Worm'”!

See our Herbal Treasures’ Book Nook for our Recommended Reads: Old Farmer’s Almanac and informational books written by the Old Farmer’s Alamanc. Also for kids!

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Garden Project: Bulb Forcing

September 7, 2007 at 2:54 pm (Garden Gifts, Garden Project, Gardening, Herbal: Fall, Herbal: Winter)

Fall is a busy time for gardeners, with so many things to do — end of season chores including the lawn, transplanting some new additions for the next season (especially woody plants and spring bulbs, for drifts of color).