Tuesday December 15, 2009
It's time for all the Plant of the Year announcements to come out. I know they're basically marketing tools, but it doesn't hurt to be reminded of the great plants that are out there, whether new introductions or old favorites.
Each year, the International Herb Association declares an Herb of the Year. Last year was bay laurel. That's a fine herb for cooking, but many gardeners can't grow bay in their climates. I have a small bay tree that I've been dragging in and out for about a dozen years now. I love having it, but if it gets any larger I don't think I'll be able to move it.
The 2010 Herb of the Year is dill, an easy growing annual. Just about any gardener can grow dill. Heck, it pretty much grows itself. Once you have a dill plant that goes to seed, you should always have dill. Which is a good thing. Dill is a lot more versatile than you might think. You probably smell dill and immediately think of pickles, but dill goes great with vegetables like asparagus, beets and potatoes and it's a nice twist on fish and lamb dishes. Or maybe a dill bread would tempt you?.
Dill's even a pretty plant, with its ferny, feathery leaves and flat, chartreuse flowers. The only word of caution I would give, before you sow your dill seeds, is to make sure you don't mind volunteer dill plants in the area you're planting. Dill will self-sow. Of course, you could always collect the seeds and make more pickles. Dill's flowers, seeds and foliage are all edible.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Monday December 14, 2009
I was wandering through a tree lot the other day and I was really disappointed because it didn't smell at all like evergreens. Even crushing some needles didn't give a very big hit of pine scent. I wonder if that's just something that happens in certain years or if it means the trees were cut a long, long time ago. They didn't appear to be overly dry, but who knows.
It did prompt me to pick up a few scented candles, while I was out. Most of the year I equate pine scent with cleaners, but at Christmas I find it heavenly. I think it makes a lovely background scent to the smell of baking.
If dragging a pine tree into your living room isn't on your to do list this holiday season, Vanessa Richins, our Guide to Trees & Shrubs, has a short cut for filling your home with the scent of spices. Nessa shares her recipe for making scented pine cones. They're easy to make, decorative as well as scented and when you're done with them, you can toss them in the fire. It's a nice craft to do with the kids, too.
Photo: hortongrou / stock.xchng.
Sunday December 13, 2009
The Christmas Rose is actually a buttercup. Hellebore niger, known as the Christmas Rose, also has the frustrating tendency of not blooming until Easter - making it all the more confusing to tell it apart from the Lenten Rose, Hellebore orientalis. Another thing these Hellebores share in common is their ease of growing and their deceptively delicate beauty. Try growing a few different hellebores in your garden and see which does best.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Saturday December 12, 2009
Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish readers. While you're celebrating the festival of lights, I thought I'd give you all a little reminder to keep your cameras handy and take a shot or two of your centerpiece, your decorations, something that's blooming in your garden or pots or even a beautiful snow covered tree.
The deadline for our Holiday Plants photo contest is almost here and we haven't received many submissions at all. I know you have plenty of plants to photograph, because earlier this year I received lots of stunning winter interest photos. So snap a photo during your celebrations and when you get a few seconds, load it into the Forum Photo thread and share your holiday plants with us.
While you're there, you might want to share a holiday recipe too. Food has become a major topic of conversation recently and we have some wonderful cooks in the Forum. I know I'd especially like some easy recipes for Hanukkah doughnuts.
