Overheard at the Garden Gate April 2017

Save the Date for the Provisional Tea!

Tuesday, July 11 from 1:30 - 3:30
Judy Eakin's home, 1879 Woodstock Road, Gates Mills   44040

Earth Hour is this Saturday

Earth hour is Saturday, March 25. (http://www.earthhour.org). We are to turn off our lights from 8:30-9:30 pm to show our support for environmental protection.

Conservation Tip

Download the PaperKarma® app on your phone. PaperKarma® lets you take photos of the unwanted mail you want to stop. Snap a photo, and you're done. They automatically contact the Mailer and remove you from their distribution list. PaperKarma® can stop most unwanted mail that is addressed directly to you.

Website Changes

Have you noticed that the SLGC website has changed?  In order to keep our member's personal information private, the 'News' section (containing all newsletter articles, past and present), which used to be open to the public, is now in the 'Members Only' section (the password is inside the front cover of your directory).  Click on the button 'Archived Newsletter Posts,'  right next to the button that takes you to the current SLGC newsletter, and you can read, sort, and find current and previous newsletter information.

Did you Read the Plain Dealer Article about Patrick Blanc? 

Click here to read it. And don't forget to read Molly Dixon's article about the wonderful event on the SLGC website.

Join the Nature Center at Pestival

Friday, April 7, 6 to 9 pm

Make your reservations now for the Nature Center's annual cocktail-style reception featuring delectable dishes made from the invasive, non-native garlic mustard by celebrated chefs from local restaurants. The evening also features wine from CLE Urban Winery, a signature cocktail created by Portside Distillery and beer. Cost for the "Meet the Chefs" hour beginning at 6 pm is $90; "Open Tasting" starting at 7 pm is $65. Click here for more information. 

Spring Garlic Mustard Pesto

1 cup garlic mustard leaves
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Sea salt (a pinch or two and adjust to taste) 
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Place garlic mustard, garlic, salt, and pine nuts in food processor and finely chop. With food processor running, add olive oil in thin stream. Scrape sides of bowl to mix ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add Parmesan cheese and blend using pulse feature. Substitute walnuts or macadamia nuts for pine nuts for a fun alternative. Or add a teaspoon of cumin or dill for a kick.

Recycling Reminder

Goodwill and the Salvation Army will take old clothes, sheets, and other fabric and will sell them to companies that make and sell industrial rags. Doing this lessens the amount of stuff going into the waste stream, earns money for the organization, and provides jobs -- a triple win. So if your spring cleaning results in bags of stuff,  consider sending them to either of these two organizations. 

WARNING!

CHEERIOS are currently distributing seed packets of "flowers to support honeybees" in their cereal boxes.  Do NOT plant these seeds!  And please tell your grandchildren not to plant them as well.  The packets include seeds of invasive plants which are harmful to the environment in our area.  If you want ideas for good plants to support honeybees, ask our own SLGC honeybee keepers, Anne Cicarella and Ann Whitney.  If you would like to plant native plants to support our native bee populations (the more important pollinators), please follow this link:  http://u.osu.edu/beelab/plants/.

Conversion Chart for Gardeners

Suzy Hartford, channeling Ann Jackson, former SLGC member, shared a helpful conversion chart to help you figure out the correct quantity of “sprays, liquid fertilizers, and the like” to use in your garden.  Click here to access the conversion chart.

Keep your Clay Pots Clean with Vinegar

Clay pots are pretty much the golden standard when it comes to potting your plants. They are durable enough for every day usage and they provide a ton of depth and room for you to keep your plants growing large. Unfortunately no matter how clean your water is you will eventually see residue start to build up on your pots. Mix a 20 to 25 percent vinegar solution (1 cup 5 percent acidity white vinegar in 3 or 4 cups water) for 20 to 30 minutes and then spray down your pots with the mixture. Let your pots dry and you’ll see that those awful salt deposits are a thing of the past.

Recycle an Old Wooden Pallet for a Vertical Garden

If you work in retail or a warehouse, you no doubt are familiar with those large, ugly wooden pallets that shipping companies use to move their freight. These pallets typically have a short shelf life and end up recycled or thrown in the garbage rather quickly due to how poorly they are treated. If you want to save the Earth one practice at a time, consider turning those pallets into an upright garden! All you need to do is prop the pallet up against the wall with the bottom facing out. Here you’ll see slots from which you can staple on durable cloth fabric. Fill that fabric with peat moss and your potting soil and you now have a hanging garden that is easy to water and surprisingly rustic in decor.

Create a Tiny Greenhouse with a Recycled Soda Bottle

We don’t really condone drinking 2 liter bottles of soda at any point in time, but if you happen to have the containers handy, we have a neat little trick for you. Making a humidity dome is a great way to get your seedlings growing when they are still young. Clean out an empty 2 liter soda bottle and cut it in half. Place the top half of the soda bottle over your plants, effectively sealing your plant inside of it. To kick start the level of humidity,  spray the inside of the bottle with a little bit of water. Now sit back and watch your eco-friendly greenhouse get to work!