Corn Bread and Beans

Why do we eat corn bread with beans?  Besides being really good?  There are several reasons:

Native Americans used the corn stalks as a support for climbing bean plants.  They may also have realized (this was prior to nutritional research centers) they felt better when they ate corn and beans together.  

We now know if you combine corn and beans we have what is called "complete proteins" and it's an important nutritional addition to the diet. It's especially necessary to get complete proteins if you are a practicing vegetarian or don't eat animal products.

The culinary world went through one of their snooty patooty phases where anything that hinted "poor folk" food wasn't included in their recipes.  Fortunately, our old family recipe books refused to give up their ham, beans and cornbread - red beans and rice - macaroni, cheese and green beans - and all the other simple recipes our grandparents considered wonderful.  

We can thank not only common sense everyday cooks but a few gutsy chefs who elevated country cooking even though many are still vilified by those that still want to appear much too cultured to dip their little pinky into a pot of beans.  

If you plan on planting a garden this spring, consider combining some plants used by your grandparents or simply hit the farmers' markets for less work but still good eating.

Here's my cornbread recipe I've developed over the years.  It's considered "northern" because it's sweet and I've stuffed it with lots of other things.  

I will mention, I had one of the best cornbread muffins ever tasted in a restaurant at our own (yes, our own from Galva IL) Phil Dickinson's Landmark Restaurant in Galesburg IL.  It's wonderfully light and packed with mildly hot peppers.  It was the perfect accompaniment to their mushroom soup.  But enough about Phil and more about me, me and me:  

Diane's Cornbread     

Preheat oven to 400 degrees - serves 8-10

1 Cup - All purpose flour
3/4 Cup - Cornmeal
1 Cup - sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons - Baking powder
3/4 teaspoon - Salt
2 - Slices fatty bacon 
2 - Eggs 
1 Cup - Buttermilk 
 Optional for you - necessary for me:  
1 Cup - Chopped sweet green and red peppers, hot peppers, onions, corn  (This is one cup total - not of each.)

• Combine dry ingredients; set aside.
• Fry bacon in an 8 inch cast iron skillet until crisp.  Remove, drain and crumble.  Do not drain the fat from pan.
• Combine eggs and milk; whisk until combined. 
• In the bacon grease, sauté any fresh vegetables until just barely soft.  Remove and add to bacon.  Do not drain grease from pan. 
• Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture, stir to moisten.  Stir in bacon bits and vegetables.  Should not be beaten, can still have small lumps.
• Slowly pour mixture into middle of skillet, letting bacon grease move up the sides of the skillet.  Do not mix or stir.
• Bake 40 minutes (depends on the oven and how much moisture is in the vegetables) or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  
• Good served warm.  Baggie and refrigerate leftovers.  

Because I'm married to a southerner, we have this with most anything including all holidays.  Good with chili, eggs, beans and as a snack.  And yes I know the bacon grease will cause some negative feedback from those avoiding fat but it makes the cornbread taste extra good and we each have our passions.   This is a heavy corn bread.    

Doing What Comes Naturally

Goldenrod with a bee

Thinking of putting in a new garden bed?  Have that place in the yard where the sun beats down like crazy and its become unsightly?  Lost a bush or tree over winter and that patch is rough and bumpy? 

The answer is a brand new natural garden.  No, not a wildflower or native grass patch.  I’m suggesting a garden similar to what your great grandparents had outside their back door.  A healing garden planted with flowers and herbs that were life-saving back in the day.

First and always:  Kill ever single plant in the area where you want your new bed.  If you don’t do this in the beginning it will be a never-ending chore.  Do this by  (a)  Letting it lay under cardboard, opaque plastic, or old carpet for an entire year.  (b)  Or, take off the top layer and remove it to another place.  (c)  Or, herbicide it several times over three months. 

Second:  Till the soil and amend with some really nice aged horse manure.  Rake it flat and break up any clods.

Third:  Now is the time to put in any edging you may want – or not.  Grandma probably had some kind of chicken fence around her garden to prevent the critters from destroying.

Maybe:  This may be where you want to cover it again and let it lay fallow until next year to be extra careful those weeds are killed.  If you have this kind of patience you are a better person than me.   On the other hand, grandma used to say “A stitch in time saves nine”.

The fun part:  Study those seed catalogs and nursery promos.  Select Seeds is one of my favorite heirloom seed catalogs.

Cautionary:  Some old fashioned healing plants were invasive, poisonous or have other negative traits; check current information first; old books or on line information may be totally wrong – deadly wrong.

Suggestions:  I’d use plants that you can actually use in today’s world.  I’d leave out the ones that have proven scary side effects if not used 100% correctly.  There are enough great ones you don’t need to risk killing someone – it so tends to take the fun out of gardening.

Seeds or plants sets?  Either will do although seeds are easier to find because there are catalogs/companies that specialize in heirloom seeds.  Red Barn Nursery outside Sheffield often carry unusual herbs and flowers.

Some ideas:

Realize:  For this (or any) garden to thrive, you will need pollinators.   Planting Butterfly Weed (Ascelepias tuberosa) is a beautiful attraction for both butterflies and bees.  

Love-in-a-Mist

Ideas:  

1    .        Borage is an annual with sky blue starry nodding flowers.  The flowers have a subtle cucumber flavor in salads.  I love the old time “Vertues”:  “It comforts the heart, drives away sorrow and increases the joy of the mind.”  OK, I’m sold. 
2.    Nigella aka Love-in-a-Mist self sows if left to seed.  There are many varieties and all are light airy beautiful and the seedpods dry nicely.  Old timers would dry the seeds at the fire, powder and wrap in a piece of linen to make a smelling sachet.  Used warm for restoring the sense of smell.
3.    Lavender is not only beautiful and draws bumblebees but the fragrance, no matter how it’s used, is soothing.   Back in the day, it was used to help ladies who swooned.  In researching heirloom herbs, I’ve had to chuckle at all the ones that directed putting the herb in wine to get the desired results. 
4.    Loosestrife – yellow (Not purple which is a noxious weed) is said to repel flying insects if it’s burned.  I’m thinking the next time we have a cookout, we should throw some dried loosestrife on the fire and see if it works.
5.    Turnips boiled until liquid, add a little honey and drink for cough.  May be an old wives tale but on the flip side the turnip is an all around good food because of the high content of Vitamin C.  

There are so many other wonderful old kitchen and or healing herbs, it can be a fun project.  Most are pretty plus attractive to beneficial insects.  Again, do not drink, eat or apply a herb without the current health information.  Many people died trying to use herbal remedies and there’s no sense in recreating the wheel only to die under it. 

 

Solomons Seal in bloom

As with many of the plants used a century ago, they were a food, a medicine and give us a glimpse into that era’s behaviors.  One such plant is Solomons Seal.  I have this lovely shade perennial in my woods.  But in the 1800s the virtue of the plant was “Stamp the root while fresh and green and apply for one of two nights to any bruise or spots gotten by falls or women’s willfulness in stumbling upon their hasty husbands fists.”  WHAT!

I’ve been a Board member for Freedom House, the domestic abuse and sexual violence shelter and services for women and children for over fifteen years.  I sometimes forget it wasn’t all that long ago women were blamed for the abuse they received.  We still hear versions of that today.  How routine domestic abuse must have been to have the herbal remedy spelled out in a popular Herbalist of the day.

Freedom House serves the five county area of Henry, Bureau, Marshall, Stark and Putnam in Illinois.  If you know of someone suffering (female, male or children) from domestic or sexual abuse, encourage them to report it to the local police.  They are your first call in emergencies.  Tell the abused that Freedom House has a toll free number answered 24-7.  We are there for advice on what services are available and how to have them.   

1-800-474-6031

No longer should abuse be so common and condoned it is talked about in a humorous way in a publication.

Plant some Solomons Seal in a shaded corner of your garden as a reminder physical and emotional domestic and sexual abuse is still a problem and it’s a growing problem.  And if you feel led, donate monetarily to help this shelter at a time when the State’s budget problems are drastically affecting our future.  Thank you.

2016 GardenTrends

Common Milkweed flowers - covered with insects.

Are you a garden rebel, opportunist, traditionalist, rule maker or rule breaker?  The predictions are out for 2016’s garden trends.

Plantsman, lecturer, and writer, Andy Mcindoe, lists 2016 trends:

1.    Anything to do with bees. Single flowered varieties for bees & butterflies.

2.    Wildlife planting.

3.    Mixing flowers & vegetables in borders.

4.    Replacing annuals with low maintenance perennials.

5.    Using seeds more than nursery plants.

6.    Less use of chemicals & more organic.

7.    Using alternatives to perfect green lawns.

More gardening trends are developing towards protecting the environment.

Hot bright colors will be promoted including rich blues, purples, red, orange and dark green foliage.  If you’re into your pastel stage, they may be a bit harder to find.

One “new” trend is using old familiar (grandparents’ era) perennials, shrubs and trees but bred with new colors, hardiness and disease resistance.

Daylily "Orange Vols"

Another example of “What’s old is new” is the big resurgence of orange daylilies.  Once shunned by the public (and therefore breeders) because it was too similar to the ditch lily, Hemerocallis Orange Tawny.  Today, orange daylilies are the hot introductions.

The seed and plant producers are catering to the “foodie ” trend by offering more, better and healthier options for your vegetable gardens.

The “Garden Media Group” predicts on-line devices will become more important to gardeners bringing in younger generations.  Education, media and retailers are using web applications to help us experience the great outdoors.  If a fruit, vegetable or the beauty in your yard can be tied to the “outdoor lifestyle experience” it will be a better sell – making it a trend.   

The G.M.G. appeals to the younger consumers by helping them view the outdoors as something they can control and make their own.  They don’t care what it costs (high or low) only if it validates their intellect, taste and lifestyle.  What does this mean in trending?  It means you can expect to see the growers and marketers offering products that meet these requirements.

It’s already happening and perhaps you didn’t realize what was driving these trends.  Examples: 

·      Growing hops for backyard brewing.

·      Vegetables & fruits used for natural dyes.

·      LEDs as design features.

·      Outdoors as a destination or as another room.

·      Plants purchased for function as well as beauty.

·      More awareness for the health; safety of children & pets among plants.

·      Drought tolerant plants.

·      Accepting the look of a chemical free environment.

·      The DIY movement.

·      Outdoor furnaces, windmills, solar; food preservation.

·      And the mother of all marketing statements, “Being in sync with nature is the first step in a healthy, rewarding life.”

My friend's, Mary, garden of wild control.

As with most trends, what’s old is new again.  Only this time old is being brought to you over the web.  Called “naTECHure”, it’s a hot trend blending technology and nature. Balance this with an awareness that much of what you read on trends means you are being marketed to by someone who wants to sell you something.

And the flip side with Mcindoe’s comment: “Fashion in gardening is a fallacy because people will buy their favorites and it’s wildly influenced by what’s in production.”  …And then there’s that! 

Moon Gardens - Again

I wrote about Moon Gardens on June 23, 2011 "Dusting of Silver" my 73rd article for the Galva News.  Today I'll visit the subject again because during February all northern gardeners are busy dreaming of all garden things possible.

Developing a "Moon Garden" takes planning.  Without planning, it can be an uninteresting spot in the yard.  With planning, it can be awesome.

Moon Gardens are for those warm summer nights so your plan needs to put it where you can sit peacefully in the dark, without insects and close enough to smell all the wonderful scents.

Three moon garden suggestions-top to bottom:
Veronica virginicum, hydrangea Annabelle
and Artemesia.  (Full sun.)  

An added benefit would be where it will show even from a window or two.

Ideally it needs a dark backdrop such as evergreens, a dense woods, a dark building, a tall fence - you get the idea.  Something like the backdrop for a play or an oil painting. It's even possible to use a row of potted plants if your options are limited.

Hosta Whitefeather (Full shade)

Assess if your new Moon Garden is a full shade, partial shade, partial sun or full sun garden - OR - a combo of several.  BUT:  for a Moon Garden to reflect light at night it must have a light source.  Either the moon light must shine on it, a security light, a spot light, yard light, candle/lanterns or solar lights.  Not full blown daylight bright but enough to make it glow.  

A Gardenia in a pot (so it can come inside
in the winter.)  (Strongly fragrant.)

Next I like to use a good old fashioned method of planning my garden:  large drawing paper and pencil.  Computer drawing works but there's something about hard copy, shading with a pencil and a good eraser that helps my creative juices flow.

Hyacinths (A highly fragrant spring flowering bulb.)

 By planting spring flowering bulbs in the 2nd or 3rd row back, the summer foliage will cover the  spring plants.   White tulips and daffodils are a beautiful beginning.
On a day when the windchill isn't crazy cold, take a measuring tape and get an estimate on the size of your garden.  While doing this, remember the physical labor to start a new bed and size accordingly.

Daylily "Dad's Best White".  (Full sun.)

Once you have the final dimensions and shape, lay it out on your paper.
Start with the dark backdrop.  Is it already there or do you need to erect or plant first?
     Do you want the garden with straight edges or curved?
     Will it set within a corner?
Then start layers by height ending with short in the front.
It's a perfect place to sit some white hardscapes such as statues, water features and etc.

I gave you some white flower suggestions in the 2011 article.  I've included some new ones plus some Pinterest moon gardens.  And don't be afraid of adding pots of annuals to beef up the flower power:  Nicotiana (fragrant), petunias, mums, marigolds, geraniums, cosmos and dahlia are just a few.

I'll save "Moon Gates" for another article.   Meanwhile, feel free to put a Moon Garden on your dream list and maybe it will be come a reality.

The very fragrant "Moon Flower" is a must.

  

And the Champion Is:

Alley of arborvitae at the Bishop Hill Cemetery

Lisa Hammer wrote an article published in The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus on January 19, 2016.   It talked about the row of 26-arborvitae in the Bishop Hill Cemetery.  Our own (yes, we do call him OUR OWN) forester, Shane Kaiser, was quoted regarding the Illinois “Champion arborvitae” in the Bishop Hill cemetery.

Like Shane, I don’t intend to tell the governing body of Bishop Hill how to run their business.  I do hope they don’t have to take the row of arborvitae nor the champion down.  I also do know sometimes the only choices are bad and worse. 

Other arborvitae in the Bishop Hill Cemetery

Leaving them to sort out their tree problems, I’ll move on to the topic of championship trees.

According to American Forests, as of 2015, Illinois had the following species of National Champion trees:

1.    Kansas hawthorn (Crataegus coccinioides) found in DuPage County.

2.    Scarlet hawthorn (Crataegus coccinea) found in Lisle County.

3.    Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) also in DuPage County.

4.    Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii) found in Anna County.

5.    Jujube common (Ziziphus jujube) found in Lisle County. 

6.    Texas red oak (Quercus texana) found at the Morton Arboretum.

Champion in 2009 - Black Maple in Kewanee IL

The exciting news is Henry County has three State of Illinois champions.  They are (as of 2013):

River birch (Betula Nigra) located on private property in Cambridge.  The nominator for all three state champions is my very own James Ream.  (Yes, I call him MY OWN because Jim worked with me at Illinois Power in Kewanee (now Ameren) as a journeyman forester.)  The circumference is 10.2 feet, height is over 61 feet and spread is 84 feet. 

Northern catalpa or hardy catalpa (Catalpa speciosa.) It’s on private property in Kewanee. It’s over 84-foot tall, circumference of 18.4 feet and a spread of 61 feet.  Dang.

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentailis.)  This is the one located in the Bishop Hill Cemetery. Circumference is 10.1 feet, height 44 feet and spread is 25 feet.  Double dang.

Damaged former Champion, rural Galva IL
When this is in full leaf, it is stunning.

There’s a former champion at 20942 N 400 Ave. Galva IL.  Located on private property, this beautiful tree is damaged.  I respect the owners because they’ve faithfully supported its magnificent and graceful branches instead of giving up because of damage.  NEW NOTE:  My garden friend, Kathy Huffman tells me this is a Butternut tree.  THANKS KATHY!  It’s worth a drive summer or winter because it is so very awesome. 

20942 - showing tree damage.  

Check out the web site at www.americanforests.com.  It’s the organization that started the big tree register back in 1940.  And if you’re a tree nut – pun intended – then you’ll love this site along with the sub-culture of “big tree hunters”.  Their National Big Tree Program is “a testament to American Forests’ legacy of leadership in recognizing the beauty and critical ecosystem services provided by our biggest and oldest trees.”

Champion White Oak in Putnam County IL

Championship trees can be located any place trees grow such as forests, back yards, sidewalk strips and parks.  Most of the champions on private property were discovered/nominated by someone other than the owner.

If you’d like to become a big tree hunter, check out the American Forests web page for help.  Or if you like to visit State and National champions, the America Forest and the University of Illinois lists both have GPS coordinates. 

A cautionary note:  It’s against the law to damage any of these trees and to trespass on private property.  On public property, you may hug the tree, take pictures and admire.  You may not climb, carve your initials or be stupid.  On private property, you can drive by, take pictures from the roadway and know you’re seeing a true Champion.  You may not set foot on private property without permission, take pictures of their personal property or annoy them beyond tolerance.  If you feel the burning need to get closer, knock on their door and ask permission first.  And you may not pick off leaves, fruit or break off branches for mementoes.  If they are laying on the ground on public property or if you have an owner’s permission, you may gather off the ground. 

Many public grounds have duel uses and those should also be respected.  The Bishop Hill Cemetery is a sacred place to families who have kin buried there or to those who are respectful of the history.  For those who want information about the cemetery, requests may be made directly to the Village Clerk at 309-927-3583.  Their web site will also point out the many attractions available and when they’re open.

Bishop Hill Cemetery Avenue of Arborvitae with my
Granddaughter, Katherine

FYI:  I did notice it was difficult to get a current listing of what trees were Championship.  I expect it’s due to bigger ones being found and some old ones coming down or are severely damaged.  It speaks to the need to get out and see these beauties sooner rather than later.  Later may be too late.

      

Cold Winter's Night

2013 Illinois River flooding in Peoria IL

There are always two sides to every coin and the mild winter we’re experiencing is no exception.  We live in an area of this world where we are “meant” to have below freezing winter weather.  Here's some thoughts on what we might expect if we continue to have an unusually mild winter:

To keep the number of insects in check, we need a cold winter.  It will be great if we get a sudden freezing winter right now.  That will mean the Japanese Beetles and some other destructive insects may not have burrowed down below the freeze line and will be destroyed.  Oh "YES" on everything bad that happens to Japanese Beetles. 

2014 Wind storm

Most beneficial insects have already left the area or have protected themselves in their winter sleeping quarters.  

Some of our perennials must have freezing weather to cycle successfully.  Many spring blooming bulbs need to have a period of ground freeze.

Perennial flowers may bloom and have beautiful leaves in December - they're a little confused.  They need a period of dormancy to produce next year.  Having flowers in December may be oddly fun but it’s more fun to have them when we can be in the garden to enjoy.

When hell freezes over.

Typically, plants enter winter dormancy from being exposed to shorter days.  This causes the plant to stop growing, conserve energy and buds will be covered by a protective bud scale.  Secondly they become dormant by exposure to low temperatures, at or below freezing, for at least part of the daily cycle.  This causes changes in the plant’s metabolism, which causes changes in the plants chemicals.  The plant’s carbohydrate (sugar) reserves go into storage and this allows the plant tissues to withstand cold temperatures (it acts like plant antifreeze.)  It’s a whole lot more involved than this but you get the idea.

1978 BIG snow

Some of our native grasses and wildflowers self-seed and those seeds need to be frozen to open in the spring.

Although animal lovers may find this harsh, a cold winter culls out the weak and diseased.  It also prevents an overabundance.  Nature always needs balance and when there’s a warm winter you can count on too many wild animals vying for limited food and shelter.

It helps to have a deep freeze to stunt back some weeds.

Heavy fog while driving

Trees, bushes and perennial garden plants may be fooled into thinking it’s spring and may have buds that produce.  These will eventually be nipped by frost and freezing weather meaning a loss of production next summer. 

It’s good news that our current fall/winter has been a wet one.  This allows plants to store moisture and will help protect them when winter finally comes and from winter desiccation (loss of moisture through leaves.)  Desiccation can cause what is typically called “winter kill”.

 

2015 early snow

On the other hand, a deep layer of snow is the perfect insulation for a very cold harsh winter.  Without a deep layer of snow, some perennials may suffer especially when cold winds come.  Winter winds and freeze/thaw during the winter will cause more damage than a deep frozen soil.

For as much as the media and interest groups talk weather gloom and doom, there isn't very much long term research available yet.  If we are indeed at the beginning of “Climate Change and Global Warming” (and that does have plenty of differing opinions) then we can expect to see more scientific research written about it in the future.

Will our winters be so short or mild that some North-temperate zone plants may not bloom or survive?  Until more data is accumulated on ALL native species over a long period – including insects, it will be hard to predict the dangers and benefits.  We do know from the history of plants, many adapt or change their internal structure.

 

2015 early wet snow and wind

Those of us involved in the plant world, whether as gardeners, plant nurseries/growers or in food production, should monitor the research and news coming out of research facilities/universities.  We know and understand there has always been change and a prudent grower seeks to understand and plan. It also means we are responsible stewards of this little portion of the earth where we reside and need to hand a healthy world to our next generations. 

We also need to stop getting sucked into the alarmist drama by people who want to hear their self talk or have ulterior motives.      

What do I think of the world environmental plan currently on every news site and the newest legacy hope of our current President?  Some of it is so B-movie it's laughable.  Other measures are long past due.  Self interest groups on both sides of the agenda are hurting the effort more than promoting.  With a public so jaded by the world media and politics,  another round of climate change talk is bound to bounce off the average listener. 

Even though the reality of a world destroyed by poor natural resource stewardship is certain if things don't change, getting the public to buy into measures to prevent this damage is a tough sell.  

Currently, teaching individual responsibility for one's climate is impossible when we are failing to teach individual responsibility for even the most basic of life's situations.  You cannot expect the average citizen to become alarmed about the future if they can't embrace care for their neighbors today.

Right now, our media and government doesn't have a clue on how to instill that care and responsibility and until it figures out how to endear people to their cause, it will be left to the few who actually practice good stewardship.   

I always feel encouraged when I talk to other gardeners because most "get it" and they practice on a small scale.   We can do our part, learn the facts - real facts and encourage our neighbors.  

And for those that are saying, "Clearly, you would be as hysterical as we are if you were smart enough to understand what's being said."  Clarity is the issue.  If you dig down into the actual research, you will find respected researchers saying they need many more years of accruing data to draw accurate conclusions.  We have some strong facts but what they actually mean and their long term affects is not so clear.