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Greetings!
If I don't see you in person before the holidays, let me take a minute now to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It's been a good year at Papershell. Despite the fact that we got a little dry once fall came along, it was so nice to spend the first half of the year without the terrible drought of last year. We noticed all our trees, shrubs and flowers greatly appreciate it!
And I appreciate so much not just your business this year but your friendship as well. I've enjoyed so much getting to know you and work with you on your garden projects. I am busy planning so many wonderful things for us for next year and the very first will be a little surprise in the next email, on January 2!
 | | Season's Greetings! |
As I write this, we're looking at a brief freeze Thursday evening, followed by a warm-up and then some unsettled weather around Christmas. As always, we are posting weather updates on Facebook (quicker than sending out a newsletter), but if you have questions about which plants to bring in and which to cover, please feel free to email me. Even though Papershell will be closed between Christmas and New Year's, I'll be checking email and watching Facebook, so don't hesitate to ask if you're unsure about winter protection. The store will be closed, however, so if you think you'll need frost cloth, please come by before the end of the day on December 23.
Seed-starters: the 2013 seeds are in and there are lots of new varieties, particularly Asian vegetables. Check out the new big racks of seeds in the gallery and in the barn!
 | | Tatsoi - it's new! |
I hope to spend a few days after Christmas in Louisiana - we're combining a stay at a horseback-riding ranch with swamp tours! The Biermeister will get to visit the Abita Brewery, Abby's riding horses and I'll be looking at other people's plants for a change.
I'm looking forward to another great year with you in 2013 - don't be a stranger! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all of you. Thanks for signing up for our email newsletter! Come see us soon! |
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Meet Jeanie!
I'm excited to introduce on of our new instructors for 2013: Jeanie Dunnihoo! Her first Papershell class is Sunday, January 20, Planning the Spring Garden. In this class, Jeanie outlines soil preparation, seed-starting, winter protection, plant supports, timetables and more! I am so grateful to Diana Liga, who introduced us - thank you, Diana!
 | | This is her! |
Let me tell you a little about Jeanie: she grew up in a family of nature lovers and learned to appreciate herbs and flowers at a very early age. She's an active member of the Herb Society of America, and a teaching member of Urban Harvest. She's been a Harris County Master Gardener for 23 years and has been gardening in the Texas Gulf Coast area for 30 years! Jeanie combines knowledge gained from her membership in these organizations with her experience in her own gardens, where she raises flowers, vegetables and herbs, as well as making compost! She has a grand respect for Mother Nature and always tries to work with her, not change her.
 | | Here she is again! |
Jeanie will be teaching a series of classes for Papershell and the very first one is January 20! Stay tuned for more details about the entire series!
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Winter Veggies
I understand many of you are tomato nuts, but me? I love growing, cooking and then eating the winter vegetables. From a gardener's perspective, I appreciate how well-mannered they are. You never see a cabbage sprawling rampantly over its allotted space, the way a cucumber does. Are you a square-foot gardener? Then you'll love how tidily you can arrange your kales, mustards, beets & turnips. There's just something so satisfying about a neat, tidy veggie garden!
 | | Mr. McGregor and I have a lot in common! |
Once we get a good cold snap, too, it seems like many insects either expire or head for greener pastures. I do watch out for caterpillars of all sorts. They seem particularly fond of leafy veggies in the cabbage family. I handpick the pests whenever possible, and for severe infestations, I alternate Bt (Dipel dust) and Spinosad, both organic solutions.
I like cooking and eating winter vegetables too. Perhaps it's just more pleasant to cook when it's cooler outside! Or maybe winter brings out the instinctive human desire to crowd around the hearth, I don't know!
I love this recipe for Algerian Turnips with Green Peas, clipped from a newspaper ages ago. The original author of the recipe is Faye Levy, writer of several wonderful cookbooks. This one is spicy and earthy and is wonderful with a bit of goat cheese strewn across the top. I serve it as a vegetarian entree but it's also a tasty accompaniment to meat dishes.
 | | Kale. It's a superfood. |
Looking for something to do with the abundant kale from the garden? I've been making this soup of kale, sweet potatoes & italian sausage. I modify the recipe a bit, using a mix of white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Once it's done, I like to drizzle sriracha sauce on top to liven things up. Even though kale is a strictly European veggie, having nothing to do with Africa, my mom fancies this soup has an African heritage, so I'm calling it "Soup for the Traditionally Built," in homage to Mma. Ramotswe, the heroine of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. If you don't try the soup, you must try the novels!
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Christmas in the Garden
Have you ever done a Christmas bird count? They're not always on Christmas Day. Bird counts conducted at the
same general time provide valuable information about the kinds and numbers of birds in our area. Here's a list of bird counts around the Christmas holiday. Maybe you'll be able to participate in one
! If not, you could make it your own little holiday tradition. Pick a day, perhaps December 26, and count the birds in and around your backyard. Note your observations in your little garden journal (you do have one, don't you?) and monitor the changes from year to year. The winter holidays are a great time for us to watch birds - they are so much easier to see without so many leaves on the trees. And we are home to so many migrating songbirds who make their winter homes here. If you're interested, join us for the Backyard Birding class in January!
 | | Keep your eye out for him! |
There are very few garden chores that absolutely have to be done in December, which is good for us busy folks. As always, make sure plants are well-watered going into a freeze. Plants can be damaged by drying winds as well as frost or freeze. You still have time to plant spring-flowering bulbs if you hurry. We have leucojum, sparaxis and Dutch iris left in stock. Fertilize winter color, especially pansies, monthly and deadhead for more blooms. If you're going to move shrubs and trees in the garden, December through February are the best times to do it.
 | | Start planning! |
Since we don't have as many chores in the garden this month, why not spend a few minutes thinking about some garden resolutions for the new year? I think the drought as taught us we have to be more water-wise in the garden. And I know many of you are determined to grow more of your own food in the garden. What else are you thinking about for 2013? I'd love to hear about your garden goals and projects for the new year.
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Please stop by and visit! Have a glass of world-famous lemonade (or a beer!) -- we'd love to meet you!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Barrow
Papershell: A Garden Gallery
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Holidays!
Monday, December 4 through Tuesday, January 1
Papershell will be closed the week between Christmas & New Years. Christmas Eve falls on a Monday, when we're closed, so our last day for 2012 will be Sunday, December 23.
During the holiday I will be checking email, so please get in touch if you have a gardening question.
Peace be with you this holiday season and we'll see you on January 2!
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Backyard Birding
Sunday, January 13
2:00-4:00pm
Papershell leads this popular workshop in identifying and attracting local birds. Winter is a great time for birders around here: it's usually not that cold, and many trees are leafless, so birds are easier to spot. This class is $10 and includes a coupon for 15% off your garden center purchase.
For reservations, please call (281) 232-4485 or email us.
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Zendala Workshop
Saturday, January 19
2:00-4:00pm
Certified Zentagle instructor Dawn Meisch leads this workshop - it's Zentangle in a totally new way! Zendala incorporates the principle of Mandala with the techniques of Zentangle using round tiles. If you are familiar with Zentangle, the guidelines are completely different for Zendala.
This class is $35 and space is limited. For reservations, please call (281) 232-4485 or email us.
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Preparing the Spring Veggie Garden
Sunday, January 20
2:00-3:30pm
Jeanie Dunnihoo leads this class in preparing for the spring garden. Topics include seed starting, soil preparation, frost protection and plant supports. This class is $10 and includes a coupon for 15% off today's garden center purchases.
Space is limited - to reserve your spot, call (281) 232-4485 or email us.
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