The May Regular Meeting of the Whitefish Bay Garden Club included an outstanding presentation on Gardening with Native Plants given by Carol Bangs, Landscape Design Horticulturist, MATC. Carol shared some tips for eliminating "opportunistic" (native, aggressive plants) and "invasive" (non-native, aggressive plants) from our gardens. The tools she recommended for this task included the Parsnip Predator, the Weed Wrench, and the Weed Torch. Click on the tool's name for a detailed description and purchasing information about each tool. Carol also recommended two resources that every gardener should have in his or her library: Invasive Plants of The Upper Midwest by Elizabeth J Czarapata and The Wisconsin DNR Publication on Invasive Species. Clicking on either resource will take you to a website with more information. Once the "opportunistic" and/or "invasive" plants are under control, Carol suggested a trip to the Prairie Nursery (or their website) to select the native plants appropriate for your soil and growing conditions. Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has invaded the woodlands of the upper Midwest. Chefs have decided to use the approach of "If you can't beat'em, eat 'em" and created recipes to use Garlic Mustard. When cooking with Garlic Mustard be sure to harvest from areas that have NOT been sprayed with herbicides. Also, Garlic Mustard plants taste better when harvested prior to flowering. To harvest, remove the entire plant including the root system. Dispose of any unused portions in plastic bags in your trash. Do not compost. Nor should you leave the roots laying on the garden bed as they can continue to propagate. GARLIC MUSTARD PESTO 3 cups Garlic Mustard leaves, washed patted dry, and packed in a measuring cup 2 large garlic cloves, peeled & chopped 1 cup walnuts or pine nuts 1 cup olive oil 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated 1/4 cup Romano Cheese (or more Parmesan), grated salt & pepper to taste Combine Garlic Mustard leaes, garlic and nuts in food processor and chop. Or divide recipe in half and use a blender. With motor running, add olive oil slowly. Shut off motor. Add cheeses, salt & pepper. Process briefly to combine. Serve warm over pasta or spread on crackers as an appetizer. It also makes a great topping for baked fish. Published by: Monches Farm, Colgate, WI Developed by: Wild Ones, natural landscaping PENNE PASTA AND GARLIC MUSTARD 3 cups garlic mustard greens, washed, chopped and packed 6 ounces pine nuts or walnuts 1 teaspoon garlic mustard root, sliced 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated 4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 6 ounces virgin olive oil 8 cups cooked penne pasta salt, to taste Cook pasta according to package directions. Toss mustard greens, pine nuts, root and chives into food processor. Add olive oil slowly while blending. Toss with cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6 to 8. As we prepare to endure another round of snow, it's hard to believe that soon we'll be donning our favorite garden clogs and digging in our yards preparing the soil for flowers, veggies, herbs and such. This past Sunday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provided a list of gardening advice books to help us pass the time until we are again enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin Spring and Summer. So, run out to your favorite bookstore or library and pick up a few titles to curl up with as we enjoy hearty stews and steaming cups of hot cocoa and wait for our beloved gardening season to arrive!
The Garden Book for Wisconsin by Melinda Meyers (Cool Springs Press, $24.99) Your Midwest Garden: An Owners Manual by Jan Riggenbach (University of Nebraska Press, $24.95) 50 Ways to Kill a Slug by Sarah Ford (Hamlyn, $6.95) The Beautiful Edible Garden by Leslie Bennett and Stefani Bittner (Ten Speed Press, $19.99) Grow Your Own in Pots by Kay Maguire (Octopus Books, $14.99) Everyday Roses by Paul Zimmerman (Taunton Press, $22.95) The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman (Workman Publishing, $22.99) The MiniFarming Guide to Composting by Brett L Markham (Skyhorse Publishing Inc., $14.95) |
AuthorsThe Lawn and Garden Tips page is updated by members of the Whitefish Bay Garden Club. Archives
October 2020
Categories
All
|