|
|
Kanata-March Horticultural Society |
|
|
June 2009 |
|
·
Annual plant sale: Saturday,
May 30th. 8:00 am to noon
|
Hello members of Kanata-March Horticultural Society. I'm going to keep this month's message short and simple. WE NEED YOUR HELP. The End. Seriously folks, we have an executive and directors who have been doing the heavy lifting for KMHS for quite some time—in some cases close to a decade. We can't continue like this: unless more members volunteer their time to help, we will need to cut programs and activities. I know you must get tired of listening to our requests for help at our general meetings, almost as tired as we get of asking! But, this does pay off sometimes: only recently our call for a Web Master was answered (see below). Can you think about whether you can spare some time to help the society? Even the occasional hour or so to tidy the community gardens or help out at the plant sale makes a huge difference. Please call or make contact with any one of us to let us know that you are available to help and in what capacity.
2008 Executive
Robert Barta. KMHS President |
|
|
Next Meeting:
June 2nd
Down Roads Less Travelled - Botanical Rambles in the Ottawa Valley
with Brian Carson Brian Carson will be providing commentary to his stunning visual presentation on the variety of areas we can visit almost in our own backyard. A great way to get ideas for some summer outings in the neighbourhood. Elizabeth Stokely, KMHS Program Director Editor’s note: this will be our last meeting before the summer break. Our next meeting will be in early September. |
|
|
Annual plant sale: Saturday, May 30th. 8:00 am to noonThe Plant Sale is almost here. This is our main fund raiser for the year so let your friends and neighbours know. We also need your spare plants, potted up and named, on Friday evening (May 29th) to get them priced ready for Saturday. We are short of volunteers for the early Saturday session (8.00 am) and the final period (11.00 am to clean up). Please help out. We all need to do our part. With 84 members in the KMHS it is very discouraging to have so few people signed up to help out. This is a great way to get to know your fellow members and learn more about gardening. Hope to
see you at the David & Norma
Davidson, Plant KMHS websiteThanks very much to Cheryl Sinclair who has volunteered to take over the role of webmaster for KMHS, replacing Karen Haddon, effective in June. We look forward to working with Cheryl and are thrilled that she has stepped forward to take over this very important role. She will be learning the ropes for a while, so you may notice some differences in the website and newsletter. Members’
|
|
|
(Notes from the KMHS history files.) Edible Weeds and Wild Plants: Bothered with weeds in your vegetable patch? Dandelions are invading in your lawn? Why don’t you drop your tools, sit back in your lawn chair and encourage them. Over 30 members of KMHS attended a presentation by Mr. J.C. Hyde on June 1st, 1976, on the subject of Edible Wild Plants and were enthralled by the immense variety of edible plants available. Slides of over forty edible wild plants were shown, ranging from fiddlehead ferns and cattails to the rather improbable thistle! Roots, stems, leaves and blossoms of many plants are often used, the roots being cooked like a potato, while the yellow pollen from cattails, for example, makes high protein flour. During the winter, twigs of cedar and hemlock may be boiled in water to provide a nourishing drink. Mr Hyde recommended that all wild plants hunting expeditions be accompanied by a manual of plant identification. May I suggest a “wild” party with a difference to brighten up anyone’s quiet weekend. How about cooking some braised buds of milkweeds with steamed lamb’s quarters and French fried roots of arrowhead. Accompany it by a tossed salad of dandelion and dock leaves and follow it with a wild strawberry and red raspberry dessert. To drink, how about a blackberry or dandelion wine and finish with a cup of chicory coffee with rose hips to nibble for extra vitamins. The scope is endless, so keep your weeds and throw out your beans. A handout was distributed at the presentation listing the following edible weeds and wild plants: Dandelion: Leaves cooked like spinach, roots eaten raw or roasted as a coffee substitute. Wildleaf: Roots have an onion flavour and may be cooked. Dock: Eaten raw in a salad or can be cooked. It has a mild lemon flavour. Milkweed: Drop shoots in boiling water; cook ten minutes, changing water twice. Buds can be cooked (resemble broccoli) and the pods are edible when young. Pigweed: Leaves are edible. Seeds may be used in porridge. Lamb’s quarters: Leaves can be cooked. Wild mustard: Leaves taste like cress. Seeds can be dried and ground up then mixed with flour and vinegar to make mustard. Cattail: Cattails can be eaten practically all year round. Spikes may be eaten like corn on the cob; pollen can be mixed with flour to make pancakes (very high in protein); the bottom 5 to 7 inches of the stem can be cooked and is also good in a salad. The roots are starchy and may be ground up to use as a thickener. Arrowhead: The tubers can be eaten like potatoes. Fireweed: The green can be cooked and the stalks can be peeled and cooked like asparagus. Sumac: Flowers taste like lemon and make a very good beverage. Chicory: A coffee substitute. Roast leaves in oven and grind up. Giant puff ball: Slice and serve raw or fry in butter. Fruits: Wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, choke cherries, wintergreen, high bush cranberries, to name a few. Trees: Poplars and willows: eat inner bark raw or cook like noodles. Maple: eat inner bark or use syrup. Have a great summer, enjoy your garden and see you in September. Gisèle Robertson, KMHS Historian |
|
|
Gardening with children: there seems
to be a growing interest in getting children of all ages involved in
gardening. Only a few weeks ago, I was asked for seeds to send to
school with my granddaughter, so they could do some planting. If you
want some good ideas on how you can involve the young people in your
lives in the garden, there are tons of books on the topic. A website
is listed on the left, plus the address of a
Leek moths: for those of you who are
growing onions or leeks or any of the varied allium family in your
gardens this year, are you aware of the problems caused by the leek
moth? I found out about this by chance, when I was talking with one
of the stall holders at the Carp Farmers’ Market last weekend. The
leek moth is a European pest, but for some reason is also found in
our area. It damages the alliums and causes them eventually to rot.
I had this trouble with my onions and my leeks last year, but could
not find anything in the books about this problem, as it is not
widespread in Margaret Turner, KMHS Newsletter Editor |
|
Newsletter Summer Vacation
There will be no newsletter in July and August: the next issue will
be just prior to the September meeting.
Have a great summer and enjoy your gardens. |
