Triple Oaks Nursery & Herb Garden Newsletter
Herb Weekend may 25---26  Edition 
May 2013
 
In this issue
New Plants in nursery
herb weekend
Herb Weekend Schedule
A few herbs
Parsley,Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Herb Society of America , local south Jersey Unit
sweet Pea Contest.
 Dear Triple Oaks Friends, 

Please do me a favor and share this newsletter with just one person, invite them to Herb Weekend and invite them to sign up for newsletter too. Show us you care and support local family business.
 
Spring is waltzing its way to summer and its time for our Annual Herb Weekend a highlight of our season. For almost 40 years we have 'celebrated herbs' the end of May. This is a fun weekend, a time to share herbs with our friends.  Free and open to all this educational event has become a tradition for many. There are garden tours, herbal presentations, free samples of May wine and herb butter as well as other snacks at some of the talks. If you click on schedule below you will see an hour by hour list of programs. I will do many of the talks and tours, but others will also be part of the day. Son Joe, members of the herb society and other guest speakers will be on hand to teach and entertain.  Come to Scarborough Faire with Keynote speaker at 2 on Sunday, Holly Cusumano !

I am so happy to have my friends from the Herb Society of American South Jersey Unit on hand both days at an herbal information table. The will also sell used garden books starting at $1, delicious home made cookies for $1 and an elderberry drink. 

Some of the members will do talks and Crafting chair man Luann will have a special how to craft table where she will demonstrate Saturday afternoon. The unit will also raffle off herbal baskets of gifts. The $$ is used to provide scholarships and funds for educational projects. New members are always welcome.
 
Some local garden club ladies will also be on hand providing snacks at lunch time.  
 
Enjoy our total immersion in herbs, how to grow, use and enjoy herbs at their best. 
Herbally yours, 
Lorraine
P S 
Its poppy time, look at the bed of poppies in front of shop, they have reseeded for more than 30 years, original seeds from Flanders Field via Barbara Bruno. ask me the story.
I finally got both my legion of honor and opium poppies to grow in pots , they will debut herb weekend as a first time sale item. 
lk poppy   Poppie Skirt
poppy opiumpoppy1
New Plants in the Nursery

Boomerang reblooming lilac

Encore Reblooming azeala

We also  have reblooming iris and daylily

Cladrastis lutea

 

When our yellowwood tree blooms everyone asks what it is!  When it first bloomed I had no idea what it was, Joe planted it and until it bloomed in the back border I didn't even know it was there.  Now it is a large tree that is so very beautiful!   Although a native to areas of the Eastern U S it   often  gets over looked because of its rarity. 

 Its native range is from North Carolina to Kentucky but it sure grows well here at Triple Oaks.We do little or nothing to the tree and it is awesome. A few cups of lime  would be good where soil is extremely acid.

I have read in some articles that the  tree is extremely rare and difficult to find in the wild and in nursery production. In fact, it is on the endangered species list for many states. However it is beginning to appear in the trade and some New Jersey growers are growing it .  We were lucky to get some small ones this year.

A medium size tree , it does get wide.  The trunk tends to fork very low sending out several branches covered with a smooth smoky gray colored bark. The flowers are a white and very fragrant. The flowers usually appear in early June  and can range in length from four to sixteen inches long. Sometimes the tree may rest a year and not have many blooms. Ours is usually covered with fragrant flowers!

The tree received its name from its heartwood, which is a deep yellow color. It was quite commonly at one time used to manufacture yellow dyes. 

 Since Yellowwoods grow pretty tall and will have quite a spread,  it is best to  plant it in the center of a sunny lawn for a great specimen tree. Ours is on the edge of a back border, but has lots of room There are very few disease and insect problems with yellowwood. It does well in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8. So if you like something different plant a yellowwood now. 

 

 

 

 

 

monarch larva

For more than 35 years herb enthusiasts and gardeners have trekked to a little town in Southern New Jersey to sit under the trees and enjoy herbalist's 'show and tell' all about their favorite plants. Triple Oaks Nursery and Herb Garden located at 2359 Delsea Dr. in downtown Franklinville will once again host their annual herb Festival on May 25-26th

 

The festivities include free lectures, informal talks and demonstrations, food samples and walks in the herb and display gardens.

 

This year snacks will be available both days provided by a Garden Club and by the Herb Society of America S J unit. All proceeds will go for horticultural education or projects .

 

 

Herb weekend Special Guest Presenters

The festivities start both days with an herb garden walk and talk with Lorraine Kiefer resident herbalist. Members of the herb society will man a table for questions and answers and  have herbal presentations throughout the day.  

 

On Saturday there will be talks on tea, butterfly herbs, elderberry , native herb of the year ,lavender and herbal crafts.

 

On Sunday there will be several special presentations. 

A 12:45 Tomatoes are herbs! Mints make mojitos ! Salsa demonstration & Sampling: Eric Dejohn and Joe Kiefer, organic heirloom farmers "School house" tomatoes will show and tell!! Learn how to make Mojitos! Samples!

2:00 pm Scarborough Faire -- Are you going? Guest Speaker Holly Cusumano

holly

 

Program: This old, old tune fills our hearts and draws on ancient memories. Sung long before Simon and Garfunkel made it famous; what does it mean? Get some background on the song and the medieval festival. Learn everything you need to know about growing and using parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. make theives vinegar.

Make it and Take it: Let's learn to make herbal vinegar together. We will concoct a legendary recipe used by cooks since the 1300's. Delicious, yes! But its protective powers are truly magicalThere are many other talks and demos and a schedule is available online on www.tripleoaks.com

 

HERB WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Saturday: May 25, 2013

more programs may be added .

9:30 Garden Walk in herb garden Lorraine will tell all about herbs

10:15 pot up some herbs with Jola and Lorraine  (make and take an herb planter.  Kits ranging from $10 up the sky is the limit. 

10:30 Herbs for Butterflies by Lorraine Kiefer

11:00Am Planting favorite culinary herbs- Joe

12:00 noon - " Elderberry- Herb of the Year"- Lorraine Kiefer

1:00 pm Lovely Lavender  with Lorraine and Luann

2:00 Crafting with Herbs- HSA member Luann & other members  - Learn to make a wreath and other craft items,

2:30 pm All About Tea : talk and demo Sarah Outlaw

3:00 pm Herbs for Health and favorite herbs for tea- Ursula

3:30 Potting up Herbs choose a pot and herbs...costs vary meet at herb table. Staff

3:30 End of Day Garden Walk with Joe

 

Sunday: May 26, 2013

10:30am Garden Walk (repeat from Sat.)-emphasis on butterfly plants monarch larva

11:30   Planting culinary herbs- Joe

11:55 am pot up some  herbs make and take an herb planter.  Kits ranging from $10 up the sky is the limit. 

12:15 pm Elderberry  Native plant of the year with Lorraine Kiefer

12:45 Tomatoes are herbs! Mints make mojitos ! Salsa demonstration & Sampling: Eric Dejohn and Joe Kiefer, organic heirloom farmers Learn about growing tomaotoes ! "School house" tomatoes will show and tell!! Learn how to make Mojitos! Samples!

2:00 pm Scarborough Faire -- Are you going? Guest Speaker Holly Cusumano

Program: This old, old tune fills our hearts and draws on ancient memories. Sung long before Simon and Garfunkel made it famous; what does it mean? Get some background on the song and the medieval festival. Learn everything you need to know about growing and using parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. make theives vinegar.

Make it and Take it: Let's learn to make herbal vinegar together. We will concoct a legendary recipe used by cooks since the 1300's. Delicious, yes! But its protective powers are truly magical. Call ahead if you want a $5 take home bottle of this.

All Day Herb Society of America (HSA) SJ Unit Herbal cooking Free recipes and talks

3:00 pm End of Day Garden Walk in gardens with Joe 

The festivities include free lectures, informal talks and demonstrations, food samples and walks in the herb, perennial, kitchen and hardy tropical display gardens.

 

 

 

 

A few herbs to mention

 

This time of the  year there are so many flowers and herbs to write about I often do not know where to begin. 

 

 

 

 

People often come by when huge hollhocks are in bloom and want to plant them. If you like these old fashion biennials plant the plants now and allow them to go to seed so you will have many next year. The seeds that drop this year make next year's plant.  I once brought seeds from my grand parents farms in Poland,I still have off spring of these reseeding around my garden.

There are also many unusual herbs that are often in small qunaity so only offered early in the season. 

I like Winter savory  because it is is a hardy perennial, that grows into a small, shrubby clump.It  has lwhite flowers appear in  summer.  The leaves and tips can be used fresh or dried, and will add a spicy flavor to herb mixes, soup, bean or cabbage dishes  and meat dishes. It  grows well  full sun and  well-drained soil.

 

Creeping Winter savory (Satureja montana) resembles thyme in appearance, but some gardeners say it  tastes like a cross between sage and rosemary. It produces small pink flowers. Winter savory grows 6 to 12 inches tall and wide. Winter savory does well in either full sun or partial shade and it quite hardy here. I have it along the edges of herb garden paths used in a similar manner as thyme.

 

Tagetes lucida (Mexican tarragon)

Some times folks with sandy soil have a hard time growing real Franch tarragon.  A substitue, a shrubby marigold that  is a native of Central and South American will work .  It has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb for centuries. It. Grow it to use as a bright-flowered substitute for  French tarragon. 

 

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) has leaves that are several times sweeter than sugar. The leaves can be used fresh by dropping in a cup of tea or coffee or can be dried and crushed into a powder and used i like  sugar.  Plant size is 1 to 2 feet tall and wide. It prefers full sun and a moist, well-draining soil.  It can be grown in a big pot and brought in in winter. 

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a flavorful  perennial herb.  When young it  looks a lot like flat-leaf parsley, but the flavor is nearly identical to that of celery.  It has been used as a salt substitue in northern Europe. Plant it in full sun to partial shade and a moist, well-draining soil.  It is hardy in cold climate. 

 

French sorrel (Rumex scutatus) adds a lemony flavor to salads. Polish use this in soup. I like the red veined variety as it looks so pretty in the garden. Grow it in full sun to partial shade.  

 

 

Tables of herbs, perennials and annuals are full and ready for you.

 

 

 

 
 

 

monkshood betony1

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

When I write about herbs I often like to mention the old Simon and Garfunkel song that sings of, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Many of us  often hum it when playing with  herbs. Herbs are fun, they smell good, and they are useful.They make me think of a peaceful sunny garden of long ago since they are among the oldest plants grown by man. lavender

 

 

Herbs are timeless! Early man used them for medicines, food, and pleasure.  People have always been fascinated by the fragrance and the medicinal, and culinary qualities displayed by many of these plants. I first grew and picked dill with my Polish grandmother before I even entered school. At the same time I was gathering basil with my Italian grandmother.  

pickles 123

 

 

These as well as garlic and onions, lots of parsley, oregano, mint and a few others were the only herbs I knew then. As I grew and learned to expand my cooking and gardening skills my herbal interest also grew. Over 30 years ago I joined the Herb Society of American and my herbal interest multiplied!

  

 An herb garden can be as small as a barrel or window box, as fancy as a bricked path knot garden, or as casual as some generous rows planted among the tomatoes and beans.  But an herb garden is so essential to   home and family.

 

There is lavender for love and fragrance. Make potpourri with it or tie it into bath bags. There is basil for all the Italian dishes, sage for immortality and Thanksgiving dinner. How about using rosemary for remembrance and for the pork roast for Sunday dinner.  Fragrant mint for tea, chives for the baked potato, dill to toss with sour cream on cucumbers and lots and lots of parsley for just about everything you serve. Sweet woodruff can go in the May wine with strawberries, and thyme has many uses too. The list goes on and on and on and on.   

 

Although most culinary herbs  are easy to grow and do best in sun, there are a few exceptions that can take less than full sun if they get good sun at noon. Others such as mint, bergamot, woodruff and lemon balm thrive in shade and  will become useful ground covers under trees.  A lot of this placement is trial and error. Try mowing mint before a picnic and the whole yard smells nice and is said to be insect-free. This is a good reason to grow mint beneath the picnic table.  

 

To begin an herb garden  fill a very large pot or dig up an area in a sunny spot. List the herbs you like to use or want to use.  It is easiest to plant small plants after the danger of frost is past. If there is space plant seeds of basil, dill or any other that you use in quanities .  Seeds may be planted directly in the garden. Remember that seeds need to be kept moist until there ate plenty of roots and leaves to keep the plant going.

 

Adequate water and food, as well as good light will produce great herbs. Cut and use them all the time. The more you pick them the more they grow. There is nothing like fresh herbs in food. The only reason you need to dry them is for winter use. It is fund to learn about and experiment with growing your favorite herbs. 

 

 


 

In 1933 group of woman in Boston first met in a garden to share their knowledge and enjoyment of herbs.  This was the beginning of the Herb Society of America. Their mission states 'The Herb Society of America is dedicated to promoting the knowledge, use, and delight of herbs through educational programs, research, and sharing the experience of its members with the community.'  This national society is open to all and has local units in many areas.  

 

 More recently a local group was started and called the  Herb Society of America  South Jersey unit. All are members of the Herb Society of America, and come from surrounding  counties. This group meets once a month and meetings range from teas to garden visits to programs with speakers on herbal lore, crafts, food, and history. Members have herb gardens ranging from a hefty pot or barrel to a large plot. The group plants and maintains a garden at Scotland Run Nature Center and also has a native plant study group.  New members seriously interested in herbs are always welcome and should contact  Elyse Crammer by 

 

emailing her at sjpeachy@ yaelysehoo.comlk andreaHSA

 

 luann

 

Meet and Greet members at  Herb Weekend  at Triple Oaks Nursery .  

 

The Herb society's South Jersey unit wyarrowill answer herbal questions and do presentations at the annual Triple Oaks Herb Festival on May 25 and Sunday may 26/  For more information email lorraine@tripleoaksl.com or visit www. Tripleoaks. com.   

Dig and plant some herbs soon. They will grow on you.  

  

 


Do you have blooms yet ?sweet pea
 
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