Over the weekend I was jolted with a case of bronchitis that hit me out of the blue. In a matter of hours I went from helping customers with last minute plantings to asleep on the couch where I remained for almost four days.
A trip to the doc confirmed acute bronchitis. As a precaution due to something showing up on my X-ray I was given an antibiotic as well.
However before the antibiotic had a chance to kick in I went out to my herb garden and pulled some herbs for a tea in hopes of at least alleviating the cough and chest pressure. I then dried some Horehound, lemon catnip, lemon balm, gray sage and basil leaves.
In a hurry I used the microwave. The leaves were dried to crisp perfection in three minutes. I then boiled some water and poured it over the leafy mixture in the bottom of a tea pot. After four minutes of steeping the concoction was in a small coffee cup.
The results? At first, very bitter. However a little sugar and some honey sweetened the grog to I must say I felt almost immediate relief from the pressure in my chest and was breathing easier. Long term? I must say it helped. I feel the best part of the mixture was keeping it somewhat bitter to prevent consuming the tea like a soft drink, all at once.
In my opinion slowly drinking the hot herbal blend slowly has a lot to do with the success of my tea.
04 June, 2009
06 April, 2009
Where is Spring..........
Farmers markets are springing up all over the place already. And you know what?
The weather in New York once again stinks.
A word of advice about something else that stinks. Poor service from CSA's.
With the popularity of community supported agriculture growing think twice before joining one.
Ask for membership lists to garner comments from former members.
Just like health clubs have they over sold memberships diluting your potential take home? IS the price so low as to make your weekly trip worthless. Low prices often mean low quantity.
While many excellent CSA's abound watch out for the scammers.
The weather in New York once again stinks.
A word of advice about something else that stinks. Poor service from CSA's.
With the popularity of community supported agriculture growing think twice before joining one.
Ask for membership lists to garner comments from former members.
Just like health clubs have they over sold memberships diluting your potential take home? IS the price so low as to make your weekly trip worthless. Low prices often mean low quantity.
While many excellent CSA's abound watch out for the scammers.
23 February, 2009
Tasty Herbs Start Now From Cuttings
25 * wind from the north west. Once again the temp is ten degrees below normal. Seems par for the course for winter 08-09.
But March 1st is this coming Sunday and spring is somewhere. At least I can see it on my calendar. The next page of the calendar anyway.
March 1st means it is time to take cuttings on woody herbs you may have growing on your window sill. I managed to bring in and have survive a pot of rosemary. I almost forgot it was on my back deck! I did not bring it inside until the middle of November. I figured it was a goner since it had been below freezing for a few nights.
But that pot of rosemary has done very well. Just a few weeks ago new shoots began sprouting from the end of last years growth cycle. They have grown about three inches long and are ready to make new plants.
Any woody stemmed herb with newer growth can be cut now from the tips to make new plants. Early March is the perfect time since it is early enough in the season to allow the cuttings to set roots and be ready to go outside late April.
And with good luck you may get to take a second cutting in April just in case something happens to the March cuttings.
To take cuttings off of woody stemmed herbs choose soft new growth from the ends of the branches. Cutting should be about two to three inches and length although there is no set rule. The only rule is that the cuttings come from soft tissue. These root much easier.
After taking cuttings remove the leaves from the bottom inch or so of the stem. There should be no foliage below the soil surface. To expose more rooting tissue cut the bottom of the cut piece once more at a 45* angle. This exposes more surface area across the bottom of the cutting giving rooting success a much greater chance.
Insert the cuttings into well drained soil. Cover with a humidity dome used for seed flats or place into a small clear plastic bag. The idea here is to create a mini greenhouse environment. Light should be bright with little direct sun until rooting has taken place.
Your new cuttings are ready to transplant when you begin to feel a good deal of resistance when tugging on the cutting. Rosemary should take 3-5 weeks to set firm roots.
But March 1st is this coming Sunday and spring is somewhere. At least I can see it on my calendar. The next page of the calendar anyway.
March 1st means it is time to take cuttings on woody herbs you may have growing on your window sill. I managed to bring in and have survive a pot of rosemary. I almost forgot it was on my back deck! I did not bring it inside until the middle of November. I figured it was a goner since it had been below freezing for a few nights.
But that pot of rosemary has done very well. Just a few weeks ago new shoots began sprouting from the end of last years growth cycle. They have grown about three inches long and are ready to make new plants.
Any woody stemmed herb with newer growth can be cut now from the tips to make new plants. Early March is the perfect time since it is early enough in the season to allow the cuttings to set roots and be ready to go outside late April.
And with good luck you may get to take a second cutting in April just in case something happens to the March cuttings.
To take cuttings off of woody stemmed herbs choose soft new growth from the ends of the branches. Cutting should be about two to three inches and length although there is no set rule. The only rule is that the cuttings come from soft tissue. These root much easier.
After taking cuttings remove the leaves from the bottom inch or so of the stem. There should be no foliage below the soil surface. To expose more rooting tissue cut the bottom of the cut piece once more at a 45* angle. This exposes more surface area across the bottom of the cutting giving rooting success a much greater chance.
Insert the cuttings into well drained soil. Cover with a humidity dome used for seed flats or place into a small clear plastic bag. The idea here is to create a mini greenhouse environment. Light should be bright with little direct sun until rooting has taken place.
Your new cuttings are ready to transplant when you begin to feel a good deal of resistance when tugging on the cutting. Rosemary should take 3-5 weeks to set firm roots.
29 January, 2009
Welcome To My Garden
Thanks for signing up for Farm Fresh! Greg Draiss' blog about community gardening and backyard food gardening for the homeowner or anyone who wants healthy fresh food grown from home.
Like my other blogs check out the video feeds on gardening.
News articles can be had by clicking on a topic in the list on the side of the blog. You will then be taken directly to relevant articles on the topic of choice.
Feel free to leave comments as well!
Greg Draiss
Like my other blogs check out the video feeds on gardening.
News articles can be had by clicking on a topic in the list on the side of the blog. You will then be taken directly to relevant articles on the topic of choice.
Feel free to leave comments as well!
Greg Draiss
25 January, 2009
Volunteers Need Not Apply
Hey the new prez says we should all volunteer right? Tell that to the gang at Capital District Community Gardens who despite five years of me asking to volunteer have gone out of their way to screw up the membership e-mail list, not return phone calls and go so far as to not give me directions to their site to sort seed packs.
I feel we need to make these so called volunteer do gooders remove themselves from office and let people who really want to create community gardens actually be able to.
Go to www.cdcg.org and look at all the claims of goody two shoe projects.
Then try and volunteer; Be prepared to be pushed aside, ignored along with the broken promises and fake apologies.
Then think hard about the new regime we elected in Washington and around your state, county and hometown. The pseudo Clintonites will ask for your time when all they want is your money.
Too many non profit organizations are there to self serve their board members. They are not community activists. People like the ilk at Capital District Community Gardens are elitists who want nothing of time just your sympathy.
Now get your community organized and start your own community garden.
Greg Draiss
I feel we need to make these so called volunteer do gooders remove themselves from office and let people who really want to create community gardens actually be able to.
Go to www.cdcg.org and look at all the claims of goody two shoe projects.
Then try and volunteer; Be prepared to be pushed aside, ignored along with the broken promises and fake apologies.
Then think hard about the new regime we elected in Washington and around your state, county and hometown. The pseudo Clintonites will ask for your time when all they want is your money.
Too many non profit organizations are there to self serve their board members. They are not community activists. People like the ilk at Capital District Community Gardens are elitists who want nothing of time just your sympathy.
Now get your community organized and start your own community garden.
Greg Draiss
31 December, 2008
Green Industry Ripe With Career Growth
The consumer confidence level dropped to an all time low this week according to a story on NPR news. This follows suit with dismal retail sales for the holiday season, falling home prices and large increases in unemployment. Some are calling the current combination of falling home prices, higher unemployment and low consumer sentiment the worst in decades. There are always stories of some industries which seem to be resilient even during these tough economic conditions. Healthcare of course is in dire need of nurses even with large cut backs in government funding pending. Education is another area where jobs are plentiful especially for professionals like principals and superintendents. Experts say that as many as 3 out of 5 superintendents plan on retiring in he next five years.
Despite the dismal retail and business environment one industry continues to have trouble attracting qualified long term employees. The green industry, horticulture not alternative energy, is suffering fro a lack of qualified employees. So misunderstood is the professional horticulture industry that many high school guidance e counselors discourage students from seeking employment or education in the field. To many the horticulture industry is low income manual labor seasonal at best positions in landscape companies and lawn mowing services.
However all the creative aspects of business from marketing to advertising to even licensing also exist in the original “green” industry. Recruiting has been so problematic that two dozen green industry trade organizations have launched a web site to try and change the general opinion of the industry. TheLandLovers.org is a site aimed at raising awareness of the green industry.
The site is targeted at junior and senior high school students who have yet to determine a career path. The site provides readers with a background on the industry and employment opportunities from retail management, plant growing, landscape design and irrigation. Landscape architecture is a growing field within the green industry. With the myriad of environmental and zoning regulations plaguing retail and residential development across the country landscape architects are essential in mitigating runoff, watershed protection as well as pedestrian traffic patterns issues. No longer are landscape architects thought of those who could not choose between dirt or skyscrapers.
Much of the recruitment effort in the horticulture industry and construction trades alike has been getting entry level employees through work visas for foreign workers. Landscape firms compete with the hospitality industry for seasonal workers and the government has reduced the number of workers allowed to come in under more restrictive immigration policies.
The main thrust of the web site is to attract students interested in management supervisory and even business ownership as opposed to entry level. According to Cassie Larson the groups leader of information and education the industry is in dire straits when it comes to finding future leaders. There is a large shortage of workers at all levels of the green industry. With marketing firms promoting gardening as a lifestyle rather than a hobby this will only exasperate the need for qualified workers at all levels. If consumers continue embrace gardening as both a lifestyle and a way to put cheap food on the table they will demand a qualified talent pool to assist them in their gardening activities. As a case in point there is a growing trend in which consumers hire gardeners to design, plant, maintain and harvest fruits and vegetables from their back yard gardens. This is immensely popular in areas of second homes where weekenders like to have fresh produce waiting for them on their door step when they arrive.
The end goal according to Gregg Robertson of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery association is a complete re-branding of the entire horticulture industry. He claims the best way is to market the industry based on the benefits that the industry provides to the public not just the features of a nicer looking rose garden.
Despite the dismal retail and business environment one industry continues to have trouble attracting qualified long term employees. The green industry, horticulture not alternative energy, is suffering fro a lack of qualified employees. So misunderstood is the professional horticulture industry that many high school guidance e counselors discourage students from seeking employment or education in the field. To many the horticulture industry is low income manual labor seasonal at best positions in landscape companies and lawn mowing services.
However all the creative aspects of business from marketing to advertising to even licensing also exist in the original “green” industry. Recruiting has been so problematic that two dozen green industry trade organizations have launched a web site to try and change the general opinion of the industry. TheLandLovers.org is a site aimed at raising awareness of the green industry.
The site is targeted at junior and senior high school students who have yet to determine a career path. The site provides readers with a background on the industry and employment opportunities from retail management, plant growing, landscape design and irrigation. Landscape architecture is a growing field within the green industry. With the myriad of environmental and zoning regulations plaguing retail and residential development across the country landscape architects are essential in mitigating runoff, watershed protection as well as pedestrian traffic patterns issues. No longer are landscape architects thought of those who could not choose between dirt or skyscrapers.
Much of the recruitment effort in the horticulture industry and construction trades alike has been getting entry level employees through work visas for foreign workers. Landscape firms compete with the hospitality industry for seasonal workers and the government has reduced the number of workers allowed to come in under more restrictive immigration policies.
The main thrust of the web site is to attract students interested in management supervisory and even business ownership as opposed to entry level. According to Cassie Larson the groups leader of information and education the industry is in dire straits when it comes to finding future leaders. There is a large shortage of workers at all levels of the green industry. With marketing firms promoting gardening as a lifestyle rather than a hobby this will only exasperate the need for qualified workers at all levels. If consumers continue embrace gardening as both a lifestyle and a way to put cheap food on the table they will demand a qualified talent pool to assist them in their gardening activities. As a case in point there is a growing trend in which consumers hire gardeners to design, plant, maintain and harvest fruits and vegetables from their back yard gardens. This is immensely popular in areas of second homes where weekenders like to have fresh produce waiting for them on their door step when they arrive.
The end goal according to Gregg Robertson of the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery association is a complete re-branding of the entire horticulture industry. He claims the best way is to market the industry based on the benefits that the industry provides to the public not just the features of a nicer looking rose garden.
30 November, 2008
December Equals Despair for Gardeners
A Gardeners DecemberBy Greg Draiss
The turkey is gone or at least down to the last little bits of dark meat hiding somewhere in the refrigerator. Hopefully there is some stuffing left. Stuffing is to me the best part of the Thanksgiving feast. My second favorite part of the holiday is the obligatory nap on the couch regardless of who is sitting there. I rarely take a nap except for Thanksgiving day afternoon. Things like this just do not happen in my household. Dad take a nap? Perish the thought! There are newspapers articles to write, footballs to be tossed, photographs to be taken and dishes to wash.
I do not do dishes on Thanksgiving. Never have and unless my wife reads this article never will.I do dishes almost every night the rest of the year. Well at least every day that ends in “q”. But dishes aside a nap on the couch awakens me to that wonderful stuffing. Yes the bird was wonderful as well the yams, pies, storytelling and the lousy football game on TV. Those poor people sitting in a stadium watching their home team get trounced when they could have been at home with turkey and stuffing. I hope the vendors perusing the stands offered up at least a turkey hot dog to the kids.
But why you might ask do I refer back to the stuffing? I hope after all the inference to the great stuffing it did not end up coming out of a box. Simply put stuffing is the quintessential Thanks- giving food. There are more flavors and subtle nuances in stuffing than the rest of the meal put together. The secret is in the spices and herbs mixed with the bread crumbs and whatever else goes into stuffing. Don’t ask me how to make stuffing I have not a clue. I do know that the wonderful aroma of stuffing, the tongue teasing tastes all combine for a completely satisfying taste.
To me stuffing represents the essence of the holiday. All of us gathered together in mixed families representing the generations passing of the torch to the next. A perfect blend of seasoning, textures and tastes all mixed (or stuffed) together to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the past year. Many of the flavorful herbs in stuffing can be easily grown and harvested in our own gardens. Dried thyme, rosemary, oregano and savory from the back yard taste better than those from a box.
Which brings me to December. December is the month for giving. December is not really a month for gardening in these parts. December is in fact about the only month devoid of real outdoor gardening activities. Let’s face it the lawn is too frozen to mow even if it needs it like mine. The compost piles freeze up like a gas tank full of water and the ground too hard to plant a small crocus bulb. Even orchards must wait until January or February before they get their winter pruning.
So what is there for the gardener to do in December? Give. Give a thought as to what the new garden year will bring you. Seed catalogs in the January mail? Seminars, lectures and garden shows throughout the entire winter perhaps.
Give your favorite gardener a hug! There is no place else a gardener would rather be than to be outside in the garden. And since there is nothing to do in the garden in December gardeners get kind of down. While we do cover it up well by singing Christmas carols, decorating with lights and wrapping boxes in colorful paper, we would really rather be outside playing in the dirt. Or defending our lawns from bugs and thugs whether two legged, four legged or six legged, from invading our personal space.
It is a depressing time of year for gardeners. Some of the seasonal afflictions I suffer from in December are as follows: LOFT: Lack of Fresh Tomatoes.WARF: Where Are the Real Flowers?CHILLY: Cold Hands (and other extremities) In Lieu of Luminous Yummy chile peppers.And finally CROP: Cardboard like Really Obnoxious Pretenders. (Offerings of veggies in winter compared to fresh in season selections).
So what to do? Gather up some tropical plants for your home, huddle next to them in your favorite chair under a grow light, take a nap and dream of stuffing!
Lighthouse Navigationkayak/canoe sales and rentalsathens on the hudson, ny845-559-7892
Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com.
The turkey is gone or at least down to the last little bits of dark meat hiding somewhere in the refrigerator. Hopefully there is some stuffing left. Stuffing is to me the best part of the Thanksgiving feast. My second favorite part of the holiday is the obligatory nap on the couch regardless of who is sitting there. I rarely take a nap except for Thanksgiving day afternoon. Things like this just do not happen in my household. Dad take a nap? Perish the thought! There are newspapers articles to write, footballs to be tossed, photographs to be taken and dishes to wash.
I do not do dishes on Thanksgiving. Never have and unless my wife reads this article never will.I do dishes almost every night the rest of the year. Well at least every day that ends in “q”. But dishes aside a nap on the couch awakens me to that wonderful stuffing. Yes the bird was wonderful as well the yams, pies, storytelling and the lousy football game on TV. Those poor people sitting in a stadium watching their home team get trounced when they could have been at home with turkey and stuffing. I hope the vendors perusing the stands offered up at least a turkey hot dog to the kids.
But why you might ask do I refer back to the stuffing? I hope after all the inference to the great stuffing it did not end up coming out of a box. Simply put stuffing is the quintessential Thanks- giving food. There are more flavors and subtle nuances in stuffing than the rest of the meal put together. The secret is in the spices and herbs mixed with the bread crumbs and whatever else goes into stuffing. Don’t ask me how to make stuffing I have not a clue. I do know that the wonderful aroma of stuffing, the tongue teasing tastes all combine for a completely satisfying taste.
To me stuffing represents the essence of the holiday. All of us gathered together in mixed families representing the generations passing of the torch to the next. A perfect blend of seasoning, textures and tastes all mixed (or stuffed) together to celebrate the bountiful harvest of the past year. Many of the flavorful herbs in stuffing can be easily grown and harvested in our own gardens. Dried thyme, rosemary, oregano and savory from the back yard taste better than those from a box.
Which brings me to December. December is the month for giving. December is not really a month for gardening in these parts. December is in fact about the only month devoid of real outdoor gardening activities. Let’s face it the lawn is too frozen to mow even if it needs it like mine. The compost piles freeze up like a gas tank full of water and the ground too hard to plant a small crocus bulb. Even orchards must wait until January or February before they get their winter pruning.
So what is there for the gardener to do in December? Give. Give a thought as to what the new garden year will bring you. Seed catalogs in the January mail? Seminars, lectures and garden shows throughout the entire winter perhaps.
Give your favorite gardener a hug! There is no place else a gardener would rather be than to be outside in the garden. And since there is nothing to do in the garden in December gardeners get kind of down. While we do cover it up well by singing Christmas carols, decorating with lights and wrapping boxes in colorful paper, we would really rather be outside playing in the dirt. Or defending our lawns from bugs and thugs whether two legged, four legged or six legged, from invading our personal space.
It is a depressing time of year for gardeners. Some of the seasonal afflictions I suffer from in December are as follows: LOFT: Lack of Fresh Tomatoes.WARF: Where Are the Real Flowers?CHILLY: Cold Hands (and other extremities) In Lieu of Luminous Yummy chile peppers.And finally CROP: Cardboard like Really Obnoxious Pretenders. (Offerings of veggies in winter compared to fresh in season selections).
So what to do? Gather up some tropical plants for your home, huddle next to them in your favorite chair under a grow light, take a nap and dream of stuffing!
Lighthouse Navigationkayak/canoe sales and rentalsathens on the hudson, ny845-559-7892
Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com.
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