Author: Webmaster

A “recipe” for making your own homemade stevia liquid extract.

Author: McKel Hill, MS, RD, LDN

Ingredients

• vodka
• 1 cup stevia leaves, washed and dried
• SUPPLIES // dark glass bottles

Instructions

• DRY //
• Dry stevia leaves in the sun or dehydrator for one day or 12 hours (respectively)
• Once dried, place whole leaves (don’t crush up too much or else you’ll have a hard time filtering out the leaves from the vodka), in a glass mason jar (preferably dark colored).
• Fill to cover the leaves with vodka.
• Steep at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
• Filter out the stevia leaves using a fine strainer.
• To remove the alcohol from the vodka, heat the extract on your stovetop in a pot for about 20 minutes (do not boil!).
• Simply use a funnel to pour stevia extract into small medicine dropper bottles or other bottles and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

Recipe by Nutrition Stripped at http://nutritionstripped.com/how-to-make-stevia-extract/

Have you ever grown bay laurel? It’s such a dignified plant.

Reserved in its rate of growth, a bay laurel grown in a container will not need replanting for 5 years or so. Bay is often kept pruned, either to keep the size in check or to create a more ornamental tree. Pruning is usually done in the spring, as new growth is just beginning. You can prune as much or as little as you like, to keep the tree small or to
create a topiary artwork.

Modest in its needs, bay trees wintered over in a sunny window need even less water than during summer months and no feeding at all. Bay is drought tolerant, but appreciates regular deep watering. Always allow the soil to dry out between waterings, so the roots don’t rot. But don’t let it sit for long periods without water. Come spring add two inches of nice rich topsoil and do feed while the plant is setting out new leaves. Fish emulsion is a good food.

Neat in its habits, bay is mostly pest free and in days past a leaf of bay was used to deter pests in the pantry.

Bay is a very attractive shrub but mostly we grow it it as a seasoning. The leaves don’t soften much in cooking so must be removed before eating. Bay is used in stews, soups, tomato sauces, on fish and in bean dishes. It is a traditional component of the French ‘bouquet garni’ and is best used in that form or in a cheesecloth bag.

Several varieties of laurel are edible, we are offering Laurus nobilis ‚ÄòAngustifolia’ the willow-leaf laurel. With so much to commend it, this plant can easily rest on its, well, on its “laurels!”

==Lesley Parness

Pleasing Plant Combos

Brunnera variegata

For Shade

Here is a great combination for the shady garden with the added bonus of deer resistance.

The early Spring blooming Brunnera variegata offers delicious sky blue flowers in May and white flecked, heart shaped leaves for interest the rest of the Summer. Combine this with the textural foliage of the pink flowered Astilbe Rythm ‘n Blues which has plumey pink flowers from June to August. For another unique textural element add Rodgersai Fireworks with its large, leathery, copper edged leaves and glowing pink flowers in June and July. Fill in with Lady ferns (Athyrium Lady In Red) for a picture perfect garden grouping.

For Sun

Echinacea Orangeberry

Start with the graceful foliage of Amsonia hubrechtii and its delicate blue flowers in Spring. This 3 foot tall perennial has fantastic Fall foliage of buttery yellow. Add bold clusters of pink, aging to bronze, flowers of Sedum Auntumn Fire. Sturdy stems keep this sedum from flopping. Butterflies and bumblebees love this plant.

And now for the real wow factor add Echinacea Double Scoop Orange for non-stop bloom. This is another deer resistant combo. Why not go bold in the garden this Summer with this great combination.

For a Cottage Garden From Spring to Fall

Anemone Whirlwind

Start with that all time favorite plant, Peony Eden’s Perfume that will fill the air with sweet fragrance in May and sports gloosy foliage the rest of the year. Follow it up with the Summer blooming Leucanthemum Highland’s White Dream whose daisy-like flowers will bloom until frost (a little deadheading please).

For more white for Fall bloom add the 3 foot Anemone Whirlwind. To add some color plant hollyhocks like Alcea Halo White, Alcea Peaches ‘n Dream or Alcea Indian Spring. Alchemella mollis would make a lovely edger for this grouping with dew kissed foliage and chartreuse flowers in June and July.

We had an interesting question from a member last week about our French Tarragon. The member asked whether the Tarragon that we will have for sale will be really French Tarragon or Russian Tarragon. I want to assure you all, that our Tarragon is the real deal…

French Tarragon does not produce seeds and can be propagated only by cuttings. Grown by cuttings (and organic cuttings at that) our Tarragon can be counted on to add its distinctive licorice taste to your cooking.

Tarragon Cooking Tips

• When tarragon is dried, the oils dissipate. Thus, fresh tarragon has a much more intense flavor than dried, and should be used sparingly.
• To retain the most flavor of fresh tarragon during storage, freeze whole sprigs in an airtight baggie for 3 to 5 months. No need to defrost before using.
• Dried tarragon should be kept in a sealed container in a cool, dark place and used within 1 year.
• Heat greatly intensifies the flavor of tarragon, both fresh and dried.
• Tarragon vinegar is easy to make. Put fresh tarragon sprigs into a sterilized bottle of distilled white vinegar. Taste after a few days. Continue steeping until it suits your taste. Once desired strength is achieved, remove the sprigs.
• Vinegar can also be used to preserve fresh tarragon sprigs. Store in the refrigerator. Rinse and pat dry before use. Use the preserved tarragon in sauces, butters, or any recipe where fresh is not required.
• Tarragon is also a good herb to use in infused oils.
• Tarragon is a prime ingredient in B√©rnaise Sauce and the French favorite herb mixture, fines herbes.
• If you run out of tarragon, you can substitute chervil or a dash of fennel seed or anise seed in a pinch, but the flavor will not be as intended.
• 1/2 ounce fresh tarragon = 1/3 cup.
• 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon = 1 teaspoon dried.

Tarragon Recipe

Here’s nice recipe for using tarragon:

Green Goddess Chive Dressing

This creamy dressing is rich with herbs–chives, garlic, scallions and tarragon–and uses far less anchovy than most green goddess dressings. A delightful green salad or seafood topper!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 chopped green onion
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, green onion, garlic, vinegar, tarragon, sugar and Worcestershire sauce and blend until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving. It will keep up to three days in the refrigerator.

==Lesley Parness

Viburnum carlesii

You can have flowering plants in all seasons! Yes, it is hard to imagine a garden with flowers almost all year long, but, really, it isn’t so hard. Soon, I hope, it will be spring, with a myriad of choices for blooming plants. One of my favorites is Viburnum carlesii, the koreanspice viburnum. The shrub, growing to about 8 ft high and 8 ft wide, is deer resistant and thrives in average soil conditions. Not only will it grow in partial to full shade, but it has the added attraction of fall color in reds and burgundy. The flowers appear in mid-spring‚Äîbeautiful balls of creamy white with a wonderful fragrance. Not only that, but the plants are purported to grow under black walnuts. What an all-around winner!

If you want color in a spring bloomer, look no further than Chaenomeles ‚ÄòCameo,’ the flowering quince. The beautiful peach-pink flowers open in late April and then develop fruits that persist into fall. The plants enjoy full sun but will adapt to part shade and are happy in average soils. They are deer resistant and the fruits are a great food source for wildlife. Or, in the fall, cut the branches with fruits, and bring them inside. They have a lovely scent!

Sambucus canadensis ‚ÄòAdams’

Later, in June and July, look for Sambucus canadensis ‚ÄòAdams’ to bloom. ‚ÄòAdams’ American elder is a selection of a native plant that grows in clumps. Not only do you get lovely flowers, but in August and September the fruits develop. The fruits will add a splash of purple to the garden, and are also edible. If you don’t harvest them to make jam, the wildlife will be happy to eat them for you. The plants are tolerant of average soils, both wet and dry, and sun to shady conditions, so these plants will grow almost anywhere.

In summer, Hydrangea paniculata ‚ÄòFire and Ice’ comes into its own. The flowers form a lovely cone shaped panicle of white when they open in June and July. But Wait! As they age, the flowers develop a deep rose to red color. As the weather cools, the color becomes more intense. The plants do well in both full sun and partial shade, and a backdrop of other green plants will make the flowers shine. At maturity, you will have a lovely 8 ft. high plant, that spreads to 6 ft.

Camellia oleifera ‚ÄòLu Shan Snow’ is a good choice for a fall blooming plant. It has lovely, single white flowers on evergreen foliage. This is a very cold tolerant camellia that will grow to a height of 6 ft with a 5 ft spread. The plants will grow in full shade, making them a nice addition to the shade garden, but will also tolerate some sun. What a spectacular addition to the fall garden!

Fall really highlights foliage colors and berries. While Callicarpa dichotoma ‚ÄòDuet’ blooms in summer, the flowers are small and not exactly breathtaking. It is the white berries that develop in the fall that really make it special. In addition, the ivory and green variegated foliage makes it stunning throughout the growing season. The berries are an attractive accent to the fall garden and a food source for wildlife. The plants are deer resistant.

Hamamelis vernalis Autumn Embers

Let’s end with one selection for‚Äîwinter! Depending on the severity of the winter, Hamamelis vernalis Autumn Embers, vernal witch hazel, will be blooming in February and March. The blooms are a beautiful orange, with the added benefit of being fragrant. Not only are the flowers a lovely addition to the winter garden, but the plants are both salt and wet-site tolerant. Definitely a plus this winter season! In addition, fall colors of yellow-orange to red-purple will give your garden a lift. You definitely can have blooms in all seasons!

==Marla Jackson

Munstead Lavender is a great choice for New Jersey gardeners. Deer and rabbit resistant, butterflies love it and so do bees. This compact cultivar was introduced in 1916 and grows 12-18″ high and wide. Find a dry to medium, well drained site in full sun and you’ll make a friend for life (or for a long time at least).

Considered an “English” lavender because of its ability to grow in colder climes, Munstead is also more suitable for culinary use than other types of lavender. A favorite of landscape designer Gertrude Jekyll, we can easily imagine her sipping a cup of lavender tea.

Here’s how to make one: chop 2 tablespoons of freshly cut lavender florets and steep them in 8 cups of boiled water for 10 minutes. Strain. Add honey. Or better yet, add lavender honey that you learned how to make at “Presherbation” a summer workshop offered this year in September.

==Lesley Parness

C. Henna

A dazzling assortment of coleus plants awaits you inside the big tent this year. Their colors are bold, vibrant and look like an artist splashed them with color. Their leaves are eye-catching with serrated edges (C. Henna), or ruffles (C. Lime Ruffles) and even scalloped (C. Dipt in Wine), adding much needed texture to your planters and mixed borders.

C. Gold Anemone

The new and exciting “Under the Sea” collection of coleus is a must have for every garden. Vividly colored and fantastically complex these plants resemble the tropical fish they are named after. C. Bonefish has fuchsia leaves with wavy chartreuse edges, grow to about 12 inches and will flourish in full sun. C. Gold Anemone is a medium size plant with green gold leaves surrounded by a delicate purple edge.

C. Molten Coral

Or, if you prefer red, try C. Molten Coral or C. Red Coral. C. Molten Coral has small crinkly leaves of red with lime green tips and tinges of orange. Choose one or buy them all. This unique coleus is sure to spice up your containers and bring a smile to your lips. It is a plant collection to have fun with!

Easy to grow, adaptable from full sun to shade if planted in moist, rich soil with a little pinching to keep them full, they will reward you throughout the growing season. As an added bonus they are listed as plants rarely damaged by deer according to Rutgers University.

==Robin Morley

A. Kanga Yellow

Anigozanthos is an Australian plant, commonly called Kangaroo Paws. It will bloom in a container or in the garden from Spring into Fall. The flowers are brightly colored in shades of red, orange and yellow, tubular in shape with strap-like foliage. Cutting back the flowers regularly increases the flower display. This is a plant for sunshine and if planted in a container needs well-draining soil. They can be grown indoors as house plants and require bright light, well-draining soil and weekly fertilization. This is a pretty new plant on the gardening scene but it is charming in a container attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. If you like plants that say “touch me” you will like their velvety texture,too.

A. thompsonii

A is also for Abutilon which is a great plant for a shady container. My current favorite is A. Biltmore Ballgown. This is an heirloom plant from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Its tubular yellow flowers with red-striped veining seem to swirl and sway from its deep green foliage like dancers at a ball. Growing 2 to 4 feet high, it requires frequent feeding, well draining soil and only morning sun. Another favorite is Abutilon thompsonii (shown at left) which has a compact, dense habit that is suitable for making a topiary standard. It has mottled leaves of yellow and green with bright orange flowers. Abutilons can be wintered over as house plants quite easily.

Agastache Grape Nectar provides constantly blooming spikes of lavender flowers throughout the summer until frost. Although not hardy in our zone, Grape Nectar makes an excellent annual for the border or a container. It needs excellent drainage and sunlight to perform well.

A. Purple Stripe

No border or container is complete without long-blooming Angelonias that have Salvia-like flower spikes in shades of purple, white or pink. The fragrant flowers are easy to grow in containers or borders and grow to a height of 2 feet. A. Purple Stripe (at right), a pristine white with deep purple splotches, is a compact, floriferous grower. A. Zebra is a pink and purple bi-color that mixes well with other sun-loving annuals.

A is for annuals that add three to four months of color in beds or containers. Add some to your garden this year.

==Sue Acheson