Common Elderberry (Sambuccus nigra & S. Canadensis) grows well on marginal land and is useful for stabilizing soils in highly erodible areas. Their dense foliage works well as a privacy screen.
Large flower clusters bloom throughout Spring and Summer. These flowers are a favorite of pollinators, and edible. The clusters can be battered and deep fried into a flower fritter or the petals themselves used to flavor pancakes or teas.
The berries are delicious and are used in jams, pies, syrups and wine. Elderberry syrup is also an effective remedy for colds and flu. These excellent berries are also a favorite food of many birds and other wildlife, so to get a good harvest you'll want to be ready when they ripen in July and August.
Never eat red berries from toxic varieties, only the blue or purple berries!
The stems and wood of elderberry can be used for many crafts. Native Americans used them from arrows to baskets and flutes to blowguns! When we were kids we used the straight canes for arrows in our homemade bows.
Now is the perfect time to start your own! The plants are dormant now and do well from hardwood cuttings. Learn how in the new video below!
In the video I use wild plants. I've collected cuttings in the past from my parents or along streams while hiking or hunting. These generally grow from five to ten feet tall, with white flowers and dark purple fruit. You can often find this water loving plant growing along the edges of woods and along stream banks.
There are also named cultivars, such as Johns, York and Adams. These can have special characteristics such as more ornamental flowers or more or larger fruit. Usually for the best fruit set you will need two or more named varieties. You may decide to purchase one of these to fit your needs.
Take advantage of the dormant season and collect some hardwood cuttings. Try your hand at this technique. I wish you success with healthy roots this Spring, and abundance in the years to come.
It is that time of year again for New Year's resolutions.
As you think about the lifestyle changes you'd like to make this year, be sure to make them attainable. Consider starting with a step that is so small, you know you can do it, then slowly increase your efforts. It is better to set several smaller goals that you are able to achieve. Reaching each of these will be encouraging and a good marker for progress. Avoid single overly challenging goals that might discourage you if not reached.
For many people improving one’s health is top on the list for 2016.
Great popular health goals include- maintain a healthy weight throughout life, adopt a physically active lifestyle, and eat a healthy dietwith an emphasis on plant sources.
Approximately one-third of the cancer deaths that occur in the U.S. are attributed to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, being overweight and obesity, according to the American Cancer Society.
If losing weight and getting in shape are at the top of your list, aim for realistic weight loss goals. Make small adjustments to your eating and activity habits each week and focus on changes you can sustain for the long term. Try replacing a salty or sugary packaged snack with a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable between meals.
As 2015 comes to an end I hope you are feeling as thankful as I am.
As we celebrate the Holiday Season I look back and realize what an exciting year it has been. Enjoy this quick video that highlights some of the different projects, partnerships and friendships that made the year special.
The winter hasn't really hit, but that may change tomorrow! That gave me a chance to get a little more done than I was expecting... but of course as the nice weather lingered I made more plans for my own yard that are going have to wait for Spring.
If you are coming to the Waukee FamilyFest stop by our booth for a fun activity and say Hello!
Happy New Year!
Stay tuned for another exciting announcement and contest in the next couple weeks!
This week Winter officially begins, although we will be enjoying high temperatures near 50°F. The Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, will come and go, marking the beginning of increasing daylight hours!
Also, Christmas is upon us again! And as The Christmas Song starts out, this week I'll share a recipe for roasting chestnuts. Enjoy this classic Nat King Cole version as you read more.
American Chestnuts are being back-crossed with Chinese Chestnuts to be resistant to the chestnut blight. The American Chestnut Foundation has dedicated decades of work to this task. But as I posted on Facebook this week, researchers may have found a wild resistant line of American Chestnut trees in Maine!
Chestnuts are a highly prized nut tree in many permaculture, silvopasture and agroforestry systems, along with hazelnut, oak, butternut and walnut.
Ours were collected in October at the Brenton Arboretum, West of the Des Moines metro between Dallas Center and Adel. (I planted some trees there way back when!)
Thanks girls and Ms. Lee
Preheat your oven to 400° while you cut the shells
Lay the nut on a cutting board, flat(-ish) side for stability
Using extreme caution cut an "X" across the top. Get all the way through the shell and skin avoiding the flesh. A bigger knife than the little cheap one in the picture would work better. My thumb was pretty sore from pressing down to cut through the tough shell. Also the wider X's seemed to peel easier.
Place them X-side up in a cookie sheet, baking pan or dish and roast for ~15-20 minutes.
After ~10 minutes rotate/shake the pan a bit to help them cook evenly and continue roasting. Also, check to make sure the inner skin is not drying out or it will be hard to peel off.
Check every ~5 minutes and remove when the shells start to peel back and the flesh turns golden, or if any skin looks to be sticking.
As soon as they have cooled enough to handle start peeling the shell back. If they cool completely you warm them back up to make it easier to peel, saving your thumbs a bit.
Photo Courtesy NYC2 & Outdoorlicious
You might also want to try soaking them for thirty minutes to an hour in salt water.
Supposedly the street vendors in New York city boil them and only roast them a bit for looks.
I have not done it but either way is supposed to make them moist and easier to peel.
They are a unique treat, kind of a lot of work, but very nostalgic! They are pretty starchy with a somewhat sweet taste with a hint of mapley-butter flavor. Maybe I can experiment a little on the recipe too.
STRIPS stands for Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips.
Made up of a multidisciplinary group, comprising scientists, educators, farmers, and extension
specialists, the STRIPS team conducts research on the prairie strips conservation practice.
These strips of prairie, should consist of a diverse mix of native perennials, and be placed at the base of a slope with another (or more depending on the field) higher up on the slope.
Together making up 10% of the field, these practices will reduce soil erosion by 90% and nitrogen loss by surface runoff up to 84%.
Large flower clusters bloom throughout Spring and Summer. These flowers are a favorite of pollinators, and edible. The clusters can be battered and deep fried into a flower fritter or the petals themselves used to flavor pancakes or teas.
If losing weight and getting in shape are at the top of your list, aim for realistic weight loss goals. Make small adjustments to your eating and activity habits each week and focus on changes you can sustain for the long term. Try replacing a salty or sugary packaged snack with a piece of fresh fruit or vegetable between meals.
