Goodbye For Now: Check Out Our Website and World Food Day

Dear Friends,

For all intents and purposes, this will be the final post on our Planting The Seed Blog. All of the posts will remain available for referencing and sharing (Don't forget about your canna seeds in February!). Thank you for your continued support of our blog. You can still contact Planting The Seed via our About Us link, or by visiting our Website. If you are interested in our landscape design services, please contact us via telephone or email. Again, thank you for supporting our blogging efforts and for your continued support of our local business.

As many of you know, today is World Food Day 2012. It's an extremely important day, most especially for those who are needlessly impoverished and going hungry. Please refer to the information below to learn about World Food Day, the Millenium Development Goals, and World Hunger.

Thank you,

Planting The Seed

from fao.org

Today is World Food Day.

If you're interested in learning why we need to do more to end world hunger, check out these links:

• Learn
• Millenium Development Goals from the G8 Summit

If you're interested in learning how to help, check out these links:

• Act 
• Get Involved

More Information:

• World Food Day
• FAO.org
• OXFAM

Hungry Planet: Episode 20

Desmond Tutu for World Food Day

Food Justice: Fixing Our Broken Food System

Islamic Relief USA

Can I Get Some Canna?

If you've got canna in your yard, which you should, you've definitely noticed that they're going to seed right now. 

If you don't have canna, you should get some seeds from your friends that do. 

Get some seeds, put them in a paper bag or ziplock bag, and put them in the freezer or refrigerator until February.

I know it's a long time away, but I promise to remind you when the time comes!

Here's what you need:

•  A pair of heavy duty toenail clippers or sandpaper (safer)
• Clean plastic flower pots (3 or 4 inch).
• Some multipurpose compost or potting soil.
• A small stemless glass (for stability reasons).
• Some canna seeds.

Here's what you do:

• First get the toenail clippers or sandpaper and sand or chip away at the think black coating of the seed. STOP as soon as you see any white.
• Next, fill a glass with slightly warm water and soak the seeds for a few days. 
• OR get a plastic ziplock bag, a paper towel, and your seeds. Wet the paper towel (damp, not dripping), wrap the seeds in the paper towel (making sure to keep them separate), and put it in the bag. DO NOT SEAL the bag. 
• Once the seeds have germinated, it's time to put them in pots. Keep them in pots until the danger of frost has passed. Then plant them in your yard.
• It's a good idea to have organic compost mixed with organic peat moss. 

Canna come back every year on their own!.

So once they're set, you don't need to worry about them!

from demandstudios.com

from photobucket.com

It's autumn and the leaves know it

It's finally time for the leaves to start changing. 

Do you have some favorite fall foliage you'd like to share? 

Let us know in the comments or on facebook!

Here are a couple of our fall favorites!

Ginkgo

from plantsystematics.org

Japanese Maple

photograph by Brandon McLeod

Gulf Coast Glory with Carol Zimlich Reeves

Coming up next Tuesday (9 October) you have the great privilege and opportunity to learn from Carol Zimlich Reeves.

The proprietor of Elizabeth's Garden (On McGregor near Old Shell), Carol Zimlich Reeves will be teaching attendees how to create home arrangements using heritage and garden-grown flowers and greenery. Learn how to see the beauty of your backyard in a whole new way.

The cost is $5 per person 

the event runs from 1pm until 3pm 

at the Mobile Botanical Gardens Larkins Learning Center

You don't want to miss it!

from elizabethsgardenmobile.com

School Gardening

Check out the images below for information on the many benefits of teaching children how to garden. 

There are many things you can do to help! If you have a son or daughter in a school that doesn't have a gardening program, encourage the administration to start one as soon as possible. 

You can even print these images out as a PDF and take them along. Kidsgardening.org even provides a guide to help you make your case (more on that Friday!).

Don't have kids, but still want to help, you can Give a Garden or even Become a Sponsor.

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

from kidsgardening.org

Kids Gardening - Growing more than just food.

If you have kids, it's a great idea to get them gardening early. Teaching children to garden has many great benefits including discipline, teaching biology, encouraging love of nature, sustainability, responsibility, self-sufficiency, and building self-esteem.

from kidsgardening.org

This month, we'll be featuring several articles on family gardening, school gardening, and community gardening. We at Planting the Seed strongly encourage you to get your family (especially children) involved in gardening. 

Gardening isn't just a great way to improve your lawn (or your diet), it's a great way to teach and a great way to improve your community. This can be done by teaching your children (and your children's friends) to garden, starting or joining a community garden, or getting involved with  your children's schools to make sure that they teach gardening in the classroom.

from worldfooddayusa.org

October features World Food Day (October 16), a global movement to teach children and adults about current approaches to ending world hunger. Consider starting a family garden, to help teach your kids about the need for cooperation, aid, and education.

Here's a Parents' Primer to help you get started:

"Many other writings on kids' gardening start with what to grow and how to design and build a kids' garden, prepare soil, and plant, but this primer is not just about creating one garden for your kids. It's about taking advantage of "gardening moments" with your kids every week in your own backyard ... and front yard and in the garage and at the windowsill and in the basement ...

Through the seasons there are big projects and little opportunities for gardening with kids that can fit seamlessly into your life. This primer will help you learn to recognize those opportunities and turn your kids'questions into fun discoveries. And you'll get the garden-building basics too!" (kidsgardening.org)

Chapter 1: Gardening at Every Age 

(kidsgardening.org)

Let's Keep in Touch

There are so many ways you can keep up-to-date with Planting the Seed.

You can subscribe to our blog's RSS feed with Google, Netvibes, Newsgator, My Yahoo, or Atom over on the right-hand side of the blog.

Don't know what RSS is or don't use it? That's ok! You can subscribe via email and have the post sent directly to your email on your mobile phone or at home. Subscribe below or over on the right.

If you're accessing from your mobile device, you'll be happy to know that all of our posts are viewable on i-devices and other smart phones and tablets.

Want to be heard? We like to stay up-to-date with the latest social media, so you can find us on Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter! Look below, to "Like" or "Follow" us, or just click the links!

We'd love to hear from you. Please send us a message on any of our media, or leave us a comment. We're always happy to hear from our fans!

Butterflies of Alabama

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

This Saturday, 29 September, Mobile Botanical Gardens is hosting an Alabama butterfly seminar. The event is from 9~11 AM and costs is $5 for members, $8 for non-members. Children 12 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult.

Take notice, pre-registration is required so you can't just show up at the last minute!

To make a reservation, call Mobile Botanical Gardens at 251.342.0555

Info from the MBG website:

"Alabama’s butterflies are full of surprises: from possum-playing escape artists to Trojan horse aphid-eaters, their adaptive survival strategies never cease to amaze. A case in point: every autumn, our official state insect, the Monarch, wings its way through Mobile during its incredible annual migration to the high mountains of Mexico! Join us Saturday, September 29 from 9-11 am at Mobile Botanical Gardens as we take a peek into the everyday lives of Alabama’s butterflies.

Sara Bright and Paulette Ogard, authors of Butterflies of Alabama: Glimpses into Their Lives, will begin by looking at basic butterfly biology and end with glances at a few of the state’s most common as well as some of its rarest species. The seminar will conclude with a tour of the grounds to search for monarch butterflies, which should be migrating at that time.

Participants will also learn what they can do to benefit these fascinating insects in their own yards – information on butterfly care will be available, along with butterfly activity guides. Copies of Butterflies of Alabama will be available for autograph and sale."

Farm to Table (Farm to Fork) Dinner

• What: Farm to Table Dinner, Four courses, featuring locally grown foods,prepared by local chefs 

• When: Tuesday, September 25, 6-9 pm 

• Where: Location: Jon Archer Agricultural Center, 1070 Schillinger Rd. N. Mobile, AL 

• How: Cost: $65 per person Reservations by September 12 If paying by check, make it payable to: 
• Mobile County Master Gardeners
• 112915 Dauphin Island Parkway
• Coden, Alabama 36523

• For more information, go to: www.aces.edu/Mobile/mg or call 251-574-8445 

• For inquiries, contact: Libba Vanderbeek-251-476-8629 or libbavanderbeek@ymail.com
• Farm to table partners.

What's on the Menu?

Registration

Check out the Brochure!

The Ultimate Organic Weed Control Manual

Trying to go organic, but the weeds seem to keep coming back? That's ok! You're not alone. Extension.org has compiled the best organic weed control help on the web. If you're still trying to kick those weeds to the curb, you definitely need to check this website out.

Click this link, or look below!

How well do you know Lobel?

Did you know that Planting the Seed has relatives up in New York?

Did you know that those relatives are the renowned culinary specialists Lobel's of New York?

from lobels.com

Who are the Lobel's?

"For five generations, the Lobels have been purveyors of fine meats dedicated to the highest standards of quality and personal service.

These standards have made their butcher shop an institution in New York City, where the family’s Upper East Side store enjoys a devoted clientele comprised of celebrities, prominent business executives, and others who value the highest quality prime meats and attentive service.

In 2000, the Lobels launched lobels.com, featuring superior customer service and making the finest meats available fresh to customers nationwide."

Want to know more? Read below!

Check them out!

You can visit their website, above, or you can find them elsewhere online at Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and Lobel's Culinary Club.

Looking for new ideas?

Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media outlets today. You can find all kinds of amazing ideas on Pinterest (including some PTS content!). If you're looking for a great project for the family or garden, we recommend checking out these two Pinterest gardening tags.

• Vegetable Gardening

screenshot from pinterest.com

• Gardening (General)

screenshot from pinterest.com

Got a great idea? Share it with us and we'll share it with the world!

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Don't forget the Mobile Botanical Gardens' Longleaf Wildflour Tour and Picnic is tomorrow!

If that doesn't float your boat. You can head to Biloxi to the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art for their Art Fair ExtraOhrdinaire!

from georgeohr.org

It's Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 6pm so there's plenty of time to swing  by!

Here's where you can find information on:
Vendors and DemonstrationsMusicBook and Poster SigningsFoodMap and Schedule

If you're feeling energetic, try to make it to both events! They're sure to be fun for the whole family!

Want to start a Community Garden?

There are many people who would love to garden, but they toss out excuses like "I don't have the space" or "I want to. I just don't want to do it alone". Well, community gardens are becoming ever popular all across the U.S. According to ACGA (American Community Gardening Association), there's only one community garden in Mobile and three in Pensacola. Get it together Mobile!

Community Gardens are a great way to beautify a neighborhood, develop strong and lasting friendships, and stuff your face with delicious home-grown food! Another great aspect of a community garden is that you don't have to go it alone. The other gardeners are there to help you out and are almost always happy to lend a hand.

If you're considering starting a community garden in your area, check out this helpful guide from the USDA.

Plant in Spotlight: Asparagus

If you've never thought about growing asparagus, you are truly missing out. 

This beautiful and delicious plant is easy to manage, and, if do it right, will keep coming back, on its own, for twenty or more years!

from gardenrum.com

If you want to start asparagus from seed, now is the time to do it. Keep in mind, however, that if you do start it by seed, it will take 2-3 years before you can start harvesting. You can't be short-sighted here. With asparagus, you're in it for the long haul. You do have the option of buying some asparagus that has already developed for at least a year to cut down on your wait time, but it's definitely more rewarding to start the seeds yourself!


If asparagus is something that tickles your palate in just the right way, why not try this classic heirloom variety from Sustainable Seed Co. The Mary Washington Asparagus

Longleaf Wildflowers Tour and Picnic

Mobile Botanical Gardens is hosting a member appreciation event (open to non-members as well--seriously you're not a member yet?)! It's next Saturday (15 September) from 10am until 12pm.

It's FREE for members, but only $5 for non-members.

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

Here's the information from the MBG website:

September is the season when the Mobile Botanical Garden’s longleaf pine forest begins to show its true colors. We’re anticipating waves of purple blazing stars, along with the lipstick red of wild basil, the earliest golden and blue asters, and some pretty spectacular blooming grasses, like purple love grass, which even has the Latin name Eragrostis spectabilis. These bloomers should also be attracting a lot of butterflies and even hummingbirds. We’ll examine how controlled burning has contributed to the beauty, park-like atmosphere, and unusual light characteristics of the longleaf forest. We’ll understand how one very special pine, the longleaf, made this community possible.

 After the tour, we’ll have an old-time southern longleaf picnic – bring a picnic basket, or sack lunch, and we’ll supply the drinks. Bill Finch will read excerpts from “Longleaf Far As the Eye Can See,” his upcoming book with Beth Maynor Young.

Details: Meet in the parking area at 10 am. Suggested attire: long pants and comfortable shoes. Hats and sunscreen optional.

Important Information:

When: Saturday 15 September 10am until 12pm

Where: Meeting in the Mobile Botanical Garden at 10am.

How: Wear long pants and comfortable shoes. They say sunscreen is optional, but remember, no tan is a "healthy tan." Hats are also recommended.

Why: Too many reasons to name them all, so here are our top 2. 1. It's a great way to spend time with the family. 2. The Gulf Coast has a splendid natural beauty. You owe it to yourself to enjoy it!

Dried is delightful, but Frozen is fantastic!

from bulgarianroseotto.com

All lot of summer herbs are coming to an end. For many gardeners, this is the time you start to dry them to get you through to next season. Dried herbs are nice, but the flavor is never as good as fresh. While frozen herbs still won't be as wonderful as fresh, they can preserve the flavor that you love much better than drying. here's how you do it.

For herb sprigs (like rosemary), wrap the bunches (not mixed herbs) in aluminum foil.

For fresh herbs, chop them up and freeze them in storage-food containers.

from healthontrack.info

Lawn looking rough? Now's the time to fix it!

Right now is the perfect time to repair your lawn. If it's suffering from drought or from Hurricane Isaac, you can still save it for next year!

from umn.edu

If you've got brown patches or spots that are completely dead, it's time to plant seed or sod. The most popular grasses are St. Augustine, Bermuda, and Buffalo. (Remember, don't buy the wrong kind of seed! You don't want a lawn of mixed grasses.)

Plant new lawns or repair struggling ones this month by prepping the soil so that it is organic, fertile, well-drained, and has the proper slope (with all the flooding the coast gets, don't slope it down towards your house!). If the lawn slopes towards the house, driveway, garden, or sidewalk, it will channel water in that direction and encourage flooding. 

While you're getting your new lawn ready, don't forget to clear out the weeds, till, and rake. Then plant the seeds and water well. Don't let the new lawns get too dry before they develop a good root system and get growing--the same goes for lawn repairs.

Feeling overwhelmed? That's OK too! Just give us a call, we can get your whole yard looking better than ever. You can contact us via our number, email, facebook, or G+!

Take is easy with perennials.

One of the harder things about gardening is having to put in new plants for every season. It's not that we don't love it (we absolutely do), but it is a lot of work. You can ease some of that pain by planting perennials that are capable of sustaining themselves year-round or that come back with little to no assistance. Here are some of our Gulf Coast favorites. (Names of plants, except for siam tulip, link to websites where you can purchase seeds/bulbs)

Canna

from eattheweeds.com

Leeks

from figjamandlimecordial.com

Shallots

from kids.brittanica.com

 

Rosemary

from manataka.org

 

Rose Campion

from southernexposure.com

 

Siam Tulip

from beechwoodlandscape.blogspot.com

 Mint

from wikipedia.org

 Caladium

from pacificbulbsociety.org

Dahlia

from theflowersociety.com

Holed up from the hurricane? Try this take on Chicken Pot Pie: Chicken Cobbler!

Food genius, Mark Bittman is not a lazy man. As the author of almost 15 books on food and cooking, host of a NY Times weekly web-based cooking show, and an avid blogger and occasional columnist it is no secret that Mark Bittman is a man who knows how to get things done both in and out of the kitchen.



from nytimes.com



However, Chicken Pot Pie, that delicious, down-home, classic dish is something he is just too lazy to do. His solution? Chicken Cobbler. And, whether you'll take the advice of Mr. Bittman and go with the cobbler, or stick to your great-grandmother pot pie recipe, there's no avoiding the fact that these dishes are a great way to take care of some long-forgotten frozen vegetables or (preferably) some delicious veggies straight from the garden.

photograph by Brandon McLeod

Check out this video of Mark explaining his disdain for the laying out the dough for a pot pie and his solution of a quick biscuit topping.




If you're stuck on how to make the vegetable soup, check out this recipe from food4wibowo.blogspot.com based on Mr. Bittman's recipe.

Are your plants hurricane ready?

Let's face it. When a hurricane comes, your plants will almost inevitably take a beating. However there are things you can do to save some plants, and help others weather the storm. So, after you get your water, food, batteries, and flashlights ready, it's time to take care of your flora friends.

For potted plants:

• Any plants that you can move into the house, or an enclosed are that will not flood nor get sweltering hot.

• Any plants that cannot be moved inside, try to move them against the side of the house or against a sturdy fence to block much of the wind.

• Stabilize any outdoor plants with stakes, twine, or by covering with a sheet of plastic that has slits or small holes in it to prevent being taken by the wind and is also secured to the ground. It is also a good idea to lay large potted plants down, to drastically reduce wind damage.

For trees:

• There's really only one thing you can do, last minute, to protect your trees. Prune. Reduce the length of branches so they are more difficult for the wind to break the limbs or even the whole tree.

However, there are some things you can do, for trees, early on that will help when hurricane season rolls back around.

Here's some sage advice from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.

• Plant tree species that are high quality, have good structure and are more wind resistant such as:

• Crape myrtle
• Cabbage Palm
• Dogwood
• Live Oak
• Southern Magnolia
• Sweetgum

• Match recommended species to the local site conditions. Consider soil properties (soil depth, water table and compaction) and aerial space needed for a mature-sized tree. Avoid planting trees near power lines or close to buildings.

• Consider planting trees in groups of five or more as opposed to individually. But be sure to give trees adequate rooting space with no obstructions.

• Plant a variety of species, ages, layers of trees and shrubs to maintain diversity.

• Establish a structural pruning program early on. This will reduce the length of branches competing with the main trunk, promoting optimal tree health.

• Take a look at this IFAS Extension manual on Assessing Damage and Restoring Trees after a Hurricane for more information about preparing for and recovering from a hurricane.Click here for hurricane preparation tips for nursery growers.

Worried About Weeds?

For every weed, there's a weed control technique 

(maybe even several). 

A lot of people have the problem of not knowing what the weed is and how to prevent it from coming back. 

Some weeds, like the Florida Betony or Rattlesnake Weed, need special care, or they'll keep coming back.

Not everyone is a botanist, or even someone who knows how to navigate a field-guide, so the helpful folks over at Garden.org have compiled a Weed Library of some of the most common weeds (with pictures) in North America. You can identify the weed by the images provided, then follow their extremely helpful guidelines to get the bugger out of your yard!

Check out the website by clicking the link above, or simply by scrolling down! You can also use these quick-links:

• Grassy Weeds
• Broadleaf Weeds
• Woody and Vining Weeds

(Don't forget to check out the last section on the page for various weed control measures)

Tea Time - Herbals

Herbal tea is not only delicious, it's can also be extremely healthy.

To prepare, just put one or two teaspoons of dried herbs into a teapot or mug (preheated with warm water), then pour in boiling water and allow it to steep for three to five minutes.

Herbs have been used as natural remedies for thousands of years. (Remember, before taking any herbal remedy, consult your doctor!)

Here are some great herbal teas and how they can help you.

• Basil
• Fights colds and the flu; eases migraines; and relieves stress

from rozannegold.wordpress.com

• Dill
• Soothes upset stomachs; eases muscle spasms; and freshens breath

from howstuffworks.com

• Garlic
• Kills bacteria; clears lung congestion (phlegm); lowers blood sugar and cholesterol; and boosts circulation

from garliclover.com

• Ginger
• Fights nausea; helps with motion sickness; eases pain from diarrhea and gas; eases migraines; kills germs

from reedsinc.com

• Rosemary
• Boosts energy

from appetizinglyyours.wordpress.com

• Sage
• Fights fevers; and helps mouth ulcers, sore gums and throats

from hort.purdue.edu

• Tarragon
• Helps rheumatism; may lower blood pressure

from simplysuzannes.blogpsot.com

• Thyme
• Fights germs that cause sore throats, colds, and congestion

from azdiranbitkiler.gen.tr

Fall Vegetable Gardening Seminar

Mobile Botanical Gardens is hosting a 

Fall Vegetable Gardening Seminar 

Saturday, 25 August. 

from mobilebotanicalgardens.org

The cost is $25 for members and 

$35 for non-members (seriously, you're not a member?).

The seminar will cover:

 a planting calendar, 

recommendations for the Mobile area, 

and a field demonstration (weather permitting).

Pre-registration required. Call 251-342-0555 or email mbg2@bellsouth.net to register.

What To Plant Right Now!

It's time to plant for the fall. Along the gulf coast, that means you should be planting the following varieties in August.

Winter Squash

from whatscookingamerica.net

Pumpkins

from expatriotskitchen.blogspot.com

Melons

from foodsubs.com

Cucumbers

from flowerdalenurseries.blogspot.com

Corn

from thedailygreen.com

Pole beans

from gurneys.com

Lima Beans

from southernexposure.com

Beets

from indieogdenutah.com

Carrots

from housebeautiful.com

Collards (and some other leafy greens)

from edenbrothers.com