Resources from the Garden Club of Switzerland Florida Go to the About Us Page Go To the Awards and Projects Page go to the Events and Calendar page Go to the Home Page

Monday, November 30, 2015

2015 Archive

Welcome to our 2015 Web Archive.  A link to this list is available on the home page under the sidebar heading Web Archive.  Our Newspaper Publications Archive is in the sidebar of the About Us page.



Dec 2015
Nov 2015
Oct 2015
Sep 2015
Jul 2015
Jun 2015
May 2015
Apr 2015
Mar 2015
Feb 2015
Jan 2015
2014 Article Archive - Archive of our 2014 home page postings.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, November 13, 2015

Holiday (and Any Day) Recipes!

There's one thing you have to say about our meetings.  We sure do eat well!  And with the holidays coming up, we thought we'd share some recipes for winter vegetables that will have nay-sayers, asking for seconds!

Hail to the Kale!

Our Garden Club President, Claire Fioriti, served up some delicious roasted kale chips at our November meeting at Westminster Woods.  I should have taken a picture of them, but I couldn't resist consuming my portion before I thought of the camera.  Thanks, Claire, for sharing this recipe!

Roasted Kale Chips
  recipe by Claire Fioriti

This is is so easy and you can get it organically grown.  Use all green or mix it with the red kale.  Younger leaves are more sweet and tender.

Ingredients:
  • One (or more) bags or bunches of young kale
  • One TBS olive oil (or enough to coat the leaves prior to roasting)
  • Salt (optional)
Procedures: 
Wash kale and dry it. It usually takes patting it to dry it completely.
Separate the nice tender leaves from the stems and put the leaves in a big bowl.
Add one tablespoon of olive oil and toss it well to coat the leaves.  You can add a tiny bit of salt if you want but it really isn't necessary.
Spread leaves in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 13 minutes.
Allow kale to cool slightly and serve at room temperature.
I just leave the bowl on the table to munch when I get those hunger urges in the late afternoon.


Honey in the Mornin' Honey in the Evenin'

The December 2015 issue of The St. Johns Sun spotlighted the honey I bought at Tour de Farms and detailed the recipe for Irish Oatmeal Cookies using local honey.  Read the article, "Honey in the Mornin' Honey in the Evenin'" and if you are looking for more ways to bake with honey, see the Our Recipes Link for recipes from the St. Johns County Beekeepers and Honey: Making Good Use of It.


 
Other Winter/Holiday Recipes
photo of frosted cranberriesAs a Master Gardener I enjoy taking part in our monthly luncheons, especially during the holidays.  I have a traditional contribution of frosted fresh cranberries that is so pretty it's hard to believe they have so much nutritional value, including potassium and Vitamin C.  Admittedly, the "frosting" is sugary, although you can use other sugars besides cane sugar or corn syrup (such as a light-tasting honey like Tupelo).  I have never tried a sugar substitute and am not sure it would produce tasty results, but if it doesn't, you can just wash the surface of the berries off and use a conventional or alternative sugar to frost them.
See my Luncheon Recipes posting at my Master Gardener website for recipes for Frosted Cranberries, Gluten-Free (and Nutritious) Rapini Rice Stuffing, Spinach Feta Spanakopita, Salads, and Holiday breads and desserts.  And see the Recipes for October posted at the Garden Club of Switzerland's website.
Happy Seasonal Munching! 

And don't forget to make our affiliated garden clubs happy by shopping through their websites.   See the Support Our Affiliated Organizations link on the right sidebar of our Resources page.


Posted by at No comments:

Monday, May 11, 2015

Taking a Position for the Environment

The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, FFGC, has issued two Position Papers:

Ban Hydraulic Facturing in Florida

The text of the document, including rationale for the following position statements can be accessed by clicking on the document  title above:
  • Permanently halt or prohibit the initiation of gas and oil extraction using hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of horizontally drilled wells
  • Permanently halt or prohibit the initiation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations on public lands, which are not only home to the last remaining wild places in Florida, but public and private drinking water supplies for millions of people
  • Permanently halt or prohibit the initiation of treating, discharging, disposing and storing of waste from hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations
  • Repeal oil and gas industry exemptions from the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Superfund Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act

Reduce Marine Plastic Pollution

The text of the document, including rationale for the following position statements can be accessed by clicking on the document title above:

  • Strictly regulate disposal of plastic waste from both ocean‐ and land‐based sources
  • Increase recycling capacity and efficiency to keep pace with the volume of materials collected from recycling receptacles
  • Require that producers of plastic take their fair share of responsibility for infrastructure (such as, recycling plants and full capture devices on storm drains) needed to properly recycle materials or prevent them from reaching the marine environment
  • Ban the most common and damaging types of plastic debris, such as single‐use plastic bags and polystyrene foam food packaging
  • Promote public awareness of environmental and health impacts associated with plastic pollution, and benefits of recycling plastic waste and reducing consumption of plastics
  • Expand marine pollution clean‐up programs and invest in emerging technologies to increase the efficiency of cleanup measures Charter
Our garden club has supported FFGC environmental positions, such as the Florida Water and Land Legacy, and is committed to furthering these important positions.  In fact this year our club has reduced its use of single-use plastics and non-recyclable materials; our hostesses and co-hostesses have been using more non-plastic items (such as glass) and recyclable plastics (which we collect to deposit in recycling containters) for luncheons.  We use multi-use bagging for carrying items and even sell and raffle of multi-use non-plastic bags.  Every action has an impact, and our choices make a difference.
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Misadventures in Arboriculture from the Master

We had record attendance for Master Arborist Chuck Lippi's presentation on human causes of tree decline.  We and our seven guests, including four Master Gardeners, learned a lot and as usual, there were more questions than the one hour presentation could accommodate.



Here is a summary of the highlights in the Chuck Lippi annals of awful arboriculture.  Sadly, these examples were the norm, not the exception.  The effect, tree decline, only manifests itself much later - meaning there is no temporal relationship.  Diagnosing the cause of a tree's decline is a little like diagnosing the cause of our own flu, cold, or other illness. Too many of us only look at the symptoms.   It takes a trained professional like Mr. Lippi to thoroughly examine the patient before a definitive diagnosis (and treatment) can be made.


Non-Specific Symptoms

Trees that are stressed by poor maintenance don't look healthy. They may show dieback in their growing areas, such as the crown or growth tips. They may sprout leaves directly from their trunks instead of on their branches (where they'd be more effective obtaining sunlight).  Branches may fall off or die off in situations which wouldn't normally cause them to be lost. Bark may come off easily.   Or, one day, the tree may just fall down.   Nobody wants to get a call from a neighbor saying that their tree just fell on the neighbor's car-house-husband... Better maintenance might have prevented such accidents.   Of course trees do die of old age.  For instance, live oaks measure their lifetime in centuries, but laurel oaks in decades.  Removing a tree near the end of its life expectancy is sometimes sad, but not as sad as seeing it damage property or hurt people. 

 

The Roots of the Problem

tree with circling rootsConstriction: Improper planting is one of the leading causes of tree decline; if the roots, which are part of the tree's vascular system, are warped, cut, or constricted, the tree's ability to take up water and soil nutrients will be compromised . Often nursery-grown trees stay in one container too long, causing the roots to grow into a tight ball. Unless the root ball is opened up when planting, the roots will continue to grow as a ball and ultimately strangle the tree or fail to anchor it in the ground. Science is still formulating best practices on how to mitigate the trend when planting. Current recommendations say to shave the exterior of the ball so the roots can grow outward. Despite there being some controversy over the best method of freeing the rootball, nobody recommends leaving the roots bound up in rope or cord, least of all synthetic cord. Planters too busy (translation: lazy) to remove the restraining cord around the roots, sentence the tree to a shortened life span. The roots may grow around and/or over the rope, but the rope impedes nutrient uptake which stresses the tree. In extreme cases of self-strangulation by the tree's own roots, the taproot will grow around the trunk like a noose. Root-bound containerized trees make poor long-term investments.

over mulched treeAsphyxiation: In addition to absorbing nutrients, roots take in oxygen. If the tree is planted too deeply, the roots will be unable to breathe and it will probably decline. Soil immersion is not the only cause of asphyxiation, however. Notice how many parking lots are constructed around large trees? The roots are are probably damaged, not only because heavy vehicles drove over them during construction, but because they are now buried in a layer of impervious concrete or asphalt. Sometimes you'll see the roots emerging from their covering in a last-ditch attempt to get oxygen. The typical result is that the parking lot or sidewalk is "repaired" by repaving. But you don't have to cover the roots in concrete to kill the tree. Over-mulching, especially when the mulch is piled up against the trunk (called volcano mulching) can cripple a tree. Not only does the excess mulch deny the roots access to air but piling mulch around the trunk encourages fungus and other moisture-loving bark/trunk diseases. Mulch is commonly thought of as a weed-suppressant but applied too deeply, it can provide an organic stratum that invites weed seeds to germinate and to rob nutrients from the roots.

Root problems announce themselves in the non-specific way most other tree issues do. And buried roots tell no tales. But the mere fact that you can't see the root flare (a swelling where roots join the trunk that is visible at the soil surface) on a mature tree  should tell you that something is amiss. See these links on how to correctly plant a tree and what can happen when you don't.

A Shave And a Haircut Are Not Pruning Techniques

The Spring Shearing:  It's a popular misconception that trees "like" to be "pruned," just like grass "likes" to be cut.  It "encourages" them to grow faster.  Like a gun would "encourage" us to work faster.  We cut our grass when it's too long; we shear our trees when they get too big.  Planting a smaller tree would be the better solution for the tree and give the owner more time to enjoy the appropriate-sized tree.  Southern Living magazine has an annual contest in observance of the too-common practice of " crepe murder."  The University of Florida has advice for pruning crepe myrtles appropriately and descriptions of what can go awry when pruning is too vigorous.  My neighbor is going into the annals of awful arboriculture for the stealthy way she is amputating the live oak next to her house; maybe some day it will repay her diligence.


Hurricanes Excuse Any Pruning Atrocities:  The second most common reason for unnecessary tree pruning is "hurricanes."  It's true that they happen, but it's false that the tree needs regular "hurricane cuts" to save it from being injured by a hurricane.  The rationale is, "the fewer the branches, the less wind force against the tree."  What is forgotten, is the "weaker the tree structure, the weaker the tree."  For most trees, the crown (the branching areas) should comprise 2/3 of the tree.  But "overlifting" (removing too many lower branches) makes the tree top-heavy and more prone to injury or uprooting.   It may be advisable to the best thing to do is to trim the crown to reduce wind impact; this would consist of a light pruning that would shape the crown more symmetrically but keep the tree canopy at 2/3 of the tree size. 

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It:  Doing nothing until something bad happens is not always the best decision.  Some trees naturally form structurally strong branches; others don't. Some trees form "co-dominant leaders" - that is the trunk seems to branch off.  Trees with one central leader trunk are more stable structurally.  This tree on the left would have benefitted from
timely pruning to remove one of the co-dominant leaders early in its life to become a single-leader tree.  In nature weak-limbed trees may have loss of limbs or shortened life spans.  Trees whose limbs branch more horizonally from the trunk form stronger attachments than limbs that grow more vertical to the trunk.   We don't want limb damage or breakage in the trees we plant, so if we are willing to proactively prune the tree to a more structurally sound shape, we can enjoy such trees as redbuds or willows through their expected lifetimes.

Many trees benefit from good pruning.  Some don't need it for structural integrity.  Know what you are getting, and if pruning is advisable, find out how and when to prune.



Crown-Reduction Maggs Maintenance Tree Services
Although Mr. Lippi did not address the issues of fertilizer, fungicide, or insect control, he did indicate that one particular chemical, Metsulfuron methyl, present in herbicides used in the maintenance of St. Augustine grass has been implicated as a possible cause of serious live oak dieback.

Keeping your tree healthy and structurally sound helps ensure it will provide you pleasure during its normal life expectancy. 
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Recycle More in 2015
  by Mickey Fraser, President

Fun Facts for the New Year And Why YOUR Recycling Matters

We all recognize the recycle symbol. It's been around for 45 years. Sometimes it seems the people regard it as one more relic of passé nostalgia: nice but irrelevant. I’ve often heard people complaining that their “little bit “ of recycling doesn’t matter so why bother? "Look at all the waste by big companies and the government. Why would my recycling make any difference when most businesses don’t even bother to try?" Perhaps the best answer to that argument is that a journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step. Your own first step begins with an understanding of the consequences of ignoring the necessity and a willingness to change your habits. Look around and you'll realize that more and more people, businesses, governments, and organizations are recycling and expanding programs to conserve resources.  If you have an idea for reusing-before-recycling plant pots or reusing other unrecyclable items that can inspire our readers to Reuse-the-Refuse, send it to switzerlandgc@gmail.com - we'll feature it on our home page!

Our county taxes provide recycling services, facilities, and events. In fact, on January 10, from 8AM-noon you'll be able to drop off hazardous waste at the Bartram Trail High School. The county solid waste collection service is able to recycle nearly all of it. See this Neighborhood Notice form more information. Gather the items you want to dispose of when you are in the garage putting your Christmas decorations away. You'll be ready to pack your car and drop them off on the 10th. The county generally does a hazardous waste collection event on the second Saturday of January.   So you can make this an annual habit!  Contact the Solid Waste Department if you have questions.  We'll have more information on county and other convenient recycling resources at the end of this article.


The Problems and Opportunities

For those of you who remain unconvinced that recycling matters, consider these facts about items we should be recycling:
  • An estimated 80,000,000 Hershey’s kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover 50 acres of space - almost 40 football fields. Aluminum foil, like aluminum cans, is 100% recyclable. In fact, aluminum can be recycled indefinitely. In the future, we may be mining our old landfills for just such resources.
  • Just like aluminum motor oil never wears out, it just gets dirty. Oil can be recycled, refined, and used over and over again.
  • Mining and transporting raw materials for glass produces about 385 pounds of waste for every ton of glass. If recycled glass is substituted for half the raw materials the waste is cut by more than 80%, meaning over 300 pounds of waste is NOT produced.  Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator. And drinking water from the tap and washing the glass you drank it from saves you the need to recycle at all. (Not to mention the fact that tap water is monitored for compliance with safe drinking water laws. Bottled water is not subject to any regulation.)
  • Plastic that ends up in waterways is often mistaken for food by aquatic animals. Fish and turtles can literally starve because their digestive systems are filled with plastic. And fishing line mutilates and strangles enormous numbers of animals. US Fishing gear alone inadvertently kills over 4,500 sea turtles and half a million birds annually. Worldwide, 45% of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, etc) deaths are due to entanglement. That affects our fisheries and our enjoyment of these animals.
  • On average it costs $30 per ton to recycle trash, $50 to send it to the landfill and $65-$75 to incinerate it. Which amount would you rather pay for solid waste services?

 Garbage In, Garbage Out - for a LONG Time


Garbage can take a depressingly long time to degrade. The Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Estuary (GTMNERR) has a set of "slides" on their Facebook album showing the decomposition rates of common items (click the images to advance the slides).  This resource is from their EcoMentality and coastal cleanup events last September.  Too many people have been treating our waterways like a big trashcan. 

As for landfills, we ran out of landfill space many years ago, and many of our landfills are old and leaking toxic waste and hazardous chemicals into our own water sources. Our modern landfills have better design features to prevent leakage, but those very same features thwart the natural decomposition process that would make more room in the landfill available for future deposits. We have reached a saturation/tipping point where we are using our natural resources up faster than they can renew themselves, and harming the earth and ourselves in the process.


2015 Resolution: Make Your Purchases Count!

Businesses are tapping into the market for recyclable products and for items made from recycled materials. Reward those businesses by buying recyclable/recycled items! Our garden club made a commitment last year to use recycled paper for our promotional materials and to patronize printing services that offer recycled items. Our luncheon hostesses are bringing more and more and more recyclable utensils, cups, and dishes to our meetings, and putting them in recycle bins. Some of us bring our own plates, etc. and wash them at home! More of us are shopping using fabric-based bags rather than the store's paper or plastic bags, both of which use non-renewable or slowly renewable resources, and produce hazardous byproducts. Just keep a few fabric bags in your car. Our club sells them for a very low price, by the way...


2015 Resolution: Make Your Actions Count!

Recycling is easier than ever now with many places available to take our waste, and even pay us (or at least reward us) for it. There are now markets for almost every type of material our durable goods are made of, there is a cash value in recycling paper, wood, plastic, glass, steel, copper and almost all other metals. It is always better to buy a product made from recycled materials than to use raw earth materials for a new one. Recycle, reuse, and consume smartly.  You can stem the flow of over-consumption that steals the natural resources we have left minute by minute.

Convenient Recycling Options

 All of our electronic waste can and should be recycled. Locally, we St. Johns County residents have many businesses, including office supply and computer services stores that take electronic items and supplies (such as ink cartridges) and even give you store credit or rewards. Charitable organizations can provide tax deductions. Use GoogleSearch, GoodSearch, or a search engine of your choice, or your local yellow pages to find recycling options. Websites like RecyclingRevolution and Earth911 are good resources.

Our county has weekly non-hazardous recyclable pickup is available for property owners. The list of acceptable items is at the county website.  "White goods" pickup scheduling is available and free. Don't forget the county hazardous waste local collection events, such as the one mentioned in the beginning of this article. There are drop off sites for items like used cooking oil and hazardous waste.

Remember, if you have an idea for reusing-before-recycling plant pots or reusing unrecyclable items that can inspire our readers to Reuse-the-Refuse, send it to switzerlandgc@gmail.com - we'll feature it on our home page!


Now for that Recycling Symbol

The designer of the world-famous recycling symbol was a WWII baby boomer named Gary Anderson. To help finance his education after graduating from USC in 1970, he entered a design contest sponsored by the Container Corporation of America (the company's Fernandina Beach facility is currently owned by the RockTenn Corporation). The company was making a move into producing recycled paper products and wanted a symbol that would be recognizable to participants in the first Earth Day celebration.

The recycling symbol has always been in the public domain. It has been used to encircle the codes manufacturers assign to identify the material comprising a product (paper, plastics, batteries, glass, etc); and it is these codes that can help you determine the type of recycling service available for that product. Remember to look for them when you shop!

Northwest St. Johns county residents, remember to mark your calendars for the hazardous waste drop-off event on January 10.  Happy New Year and wishing you a joyous time making a difference by finding (and sharing) new recycling habits.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)