Dandelion Wine: How to make dandelion wine

Receipe #1
This recipe is from 18th century Salem, Massachusetts, USA. Boil 4 quarts of water
and add 2 quarts of dandelion flowers, allowing them to steep for 3 days. Stir this
daily and then strain. Add 5 pounds of sugar, 3 oranges and thinly sliced lemons,
plus 1 yeast cake, dissolved in warm water. Steep this 3 more days and strain again.
Leave this for 4 weeks, strain, and add 1/2 pint of good whiskey. Bottle and add 3 raisins to each bottle.
The first and foremost ingredient in Dandelion Wine is, of course, Dandelions!

Receipe #2
You'll need about three quarts of the blossoms. Here are some tips to help you find
the best blossoms for the best-tasting wine:


1. Be sure you pick the Dandelions from an area that has not been sprayed with herbicides and other toxic chemicals.

2. Choose Dandelions that are fully developed. Avoid using shriveled up plants.

3. Don't pick the entire plant. Just pluck the blossom off the top of the stem.

The next step is to gently rinse the Dandelion blossoms in cool tap water. Placing them in a sieve
and rinsing them with a sprayer works well. While the flowers drain, dissolve one packet of dry yeast
in a quarter cup of warm water. Set this mixture aside for now.

Place the washed Dandelion blossoms in a pan with six quarts of water. Stir in six cups of white sugar
into the water until it's completely dissolved. Place the pan on your stovetop over medium heat.
Heat the mixture until it comes to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then remove the Dandelion/sugar/water
mixture from the heat. Allow it to cool down until it's warm before you proceed to the next step.

In the meantime, wash several pint or quart canning jars in soapy water. Rinse well, then dry them.
You'll need a lid and a seal for each jar as well.

Once the Dandelion blossom mixture has cooled down, strain and slightly squeeze it through a piece of cheese cloth into a pot or a crock. If you don't have any cheese cloth, a pair of old pantyhose will work for a
strainer. Just be sure they're clean first. Discard the Dandelion blossoms; you're done with them now.

Stir the dissolved yeast into the mixture; mix well. Cover the pot or crock with another piece of
cheese cloth. Or, you can use a clean dish towel. Let it set undisturbed overnight.

Then, in the morning, stir the Dandelion mixture up. Use a funnel to fill the pint or quart canning
jars up just to their necks. Wipe the necks of the jars clean. Finally, place a lid and a seal on each
jar, and tighten the seals up.

Place your jars of Homemade Dandelion Wine in a cool, dark place. The wine will be fermented and
ready to drink in about a month. It will have a slight kick to its sweet taste. However,
the longer it sets, the stronger it will get. I saved a jar of Dandelion Wine for about a year
until I opened it, and it packed a nice punch!

Pesticide The new dirty dozen 12 foods to avoid pesticides

The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue
By Dan Shapley

Fruits and veggies are an essential part of a healthy diet, but many conventional varieties contain pesticide residues.

And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.

You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.

To do so, you need the latest info from the why the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of foods most likely to have high pesticide residues. Since 1995, the organization has taken the government data and identified which type of produce has the most chemicals.

This year, celery takes the number one spot and both blueberries and spinach make an appearance (displacing lettuce and pears).

The best way to avoid pesticide residue on foods is to buy organic produce -- USDA rules prohibit the use of pesticides on any crop with the certified organic label.

Here's a closer look at the 2010 Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.

6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.

11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

Pond making: Plan the perfect pond

If you've ever dreamed about adding a water feature to your garden but were interrupted by the nightmare of actually doing it, let us break it down for you. Our six steps will help you plan the perfect pond.

Define your goals
Are you interested in fish, or do you care more about unusual plants? Is hearing the relaxing sound of water your main objective? Clarifying your goals will help you choose the right site, size, and design for your water feature.

Choose the site
Pick a location you'll see often from the outside and inside. You might want the water feature near your kitchen window, or beside your patio. The more you see your pond, the more you're apt to maintain it, so keep it in sight where you can enjoy it year-round.

Click here for more tips on planning the perfect pond—including choosing the right water plants.

Tomatoes: Meet the tiniest tomatoe you've ever seen

Tomatoes need a lot of room in your garden. Tall, looming vines can easily take up an entire garden bed, especially when they host large, heavy fruits.

But not all tomatoes are garden hogs. Meet the currant tomato (Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium), a pea-sized cousin of the cherry tomato. Just pop a handful of these tiny treats in your mouth any time you want a tasty snack, or toss a few in a salad—no need to cut them in half like you do with cherry or grape tomatoes.

These sweet, small fruits do best in full sun with the support of a cage or trellis. They'll cross-pollinate with other tomato plants, so plant them far apart from other varieties.

Free horse manure compost

Fellow Gardeners,
2014:

As a reminder to all starting this Saturday and every Saturday in April free horse manure will be available for you to put into your gardens.

 Now that it is April and the hopes are for warmer spring weather this would be a great opportunity to naturally enhance your soil.

 

Saturdays, April 5, 12, & 19, 26 2014

 

9 am to noon

The Second Company Governor's Horse Guard at Fairfield Hills is offering free aged horse manure compost for your gardens. Show up with your own bags or barrels and a shovel and you can take home as much as you want.  Follow the signs from Trades' Lane off Wasserman Way. A "good will" donation to support the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard may be given. 

 

See you there with my shovel and rubber boots! 

Saturday, April 6, 13, & 20, 2013

9 am to noon

The Second Company Governor's Horse Guard at Fairfield Hills is offering free aged horse manure compost for your gardens. Show up with your own bags or barrels and a shovel and you can take home as much as you want.  Follow the signs from Trades' Lane off Wasserman Way. A "good will" donation to support the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard may be given.

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2012

On Saturday, May 1, from 9 am to noon, the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard at Fairfield Hills is offering free aged horse manure compost for your gardens. All you need do is show up with your own bags or barrels and a shovel and you can take home as much as you want. There will be directional signs posted at Trades' Lane off Wasserman Way for you to drive down to the field where the manure pile is located, and there will be Horse Guard volunteers on hand to help.
A "good will" donation to support the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard
(Friends of 2GHG, Inc) would be appreciated.
Dottie Evans, Horticulture Club of Newtown
PS~~ I was able to get my manure/compost two weeks ago and I can promise you it's great stuff. Aged 5 years and completely odorless. It looks just like soil. Hey, by now it IS soil.

Azaleas: Taking care of azaleas

Azaleas are among the most popular flowering plants. Their abundant, colorful, and long lasting flowers, combined with a compact growth habit and the ability to be planted outdoors, makes them an ideal choice for gift-giving. And with the Mothers Day holiday just passed, thousands of blooming azalea plants were undoubtedly presented to appreciative Moms everywhere. So this month's newsletter topic is especially timely.

Caring for azalea plants isn't difficult at all if a few simple cultural requirements are met. Azaleas (botanically, Rhododendron species) are members of broad family of acid-loving plants which includes heathers, laurels, and blueberries. These so-called "ericaceous" plants (after Erica, the genus name for heather) thrive in moist, organic soils with a relatively low pH level of 4.5 to 5.5, meaning that it is fairly acidic. The azalea plants sold by florists are generally evergreen, and can be safely planted outdoors in areas where the average minimum winter temperature doesn't fall below 0 to -10 degrees F. In colder climates (north of Zone 6), they are best grown in greenhouses.

Azalea plants received as gifts may be kept indoors for as long as the flowers are colorful. Place the plants in a location which receives bright but indirect sunlight. Keep the soil evenly moist at all times, but never waterlogged. Azalea plants which are grown in pots are frequently in a root-bound condition, and may need to be watered fairly often. Don't, however, allow the plants to sit in a water-filled saucer, or the roots may be irreversibly damaged. Azaleas benefit from regular misting with water to increase the humidity around them, and to deter spider mites which can sometimes plague them if the atmosphere is too dry.

Once the blooms have faded, caring for azalea plants is easiest if they are planted outdoors. Choose a bright location which is out of direct sunlight. Dig a hole at least twice as wide and deep as the plant's root ball. Add a generous amount of peat moss to the soil, which will increase the organic content and raise the acidity to a level preferred by azaleas. Refill the hole about two-thirds deep with the amended soil, slightly mounding it at the center. Remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen up the root ball, cutting through it with a knife if necessary, so as to encourage new roots to grow into the surrounding earth. Place the plant on top of the mounded soil in the hole and spread the roots around. Fill in around the plant with the remaining soil mixture, tamping it firmly without compacting it, and water generously to help settle the plant. Remember to water the azalea regularly as it becomes established.

Azaleas grow slowly and rarely need pruning. However, to maintain them at a certain size or to increase the density of their growth, azaleas may be pruned immediately after they've completed flowering, just as the new growth is being produced. These shrubs bloom each spring on the previous season's growth, having formed buds by summer's end, so don't prune them after early summer lest you sacrifice next year's flowers.

Properly caring for azalea plants includes regular feeding to promote healthy growth and copious flowers. Choose a fertilizer which has been specially formulated for acid-loving plants, such as camellias, hollies, and rhododendrons, and apply according to the manufacturer's directions during the growing season. Azaleas can sometimes suffer from a condition known as chlorosis, a mottled yellowing of the leaves with the veins remaining green. This is caused by low acidity or a lack of iron in the soil, and may be remedied by the application of liquified iron.

With just a little tender loving care, your azalea plants will flourish for generations, rewarding you each spring with bouquets of lovely flowers to grace your landscape or garden, and reminding you always of the gifts they represent. Consult your local professional florist and brighten someone's life with a beautiful blooming azalea.