Indian Corn

Indian Corn - if we can still call it that without being too offensive, has always held my attention as we enter this season of Thanks and Bountiful Harvest. As children we would create our finger-paint hand turkeys and draw cornucopias filled with field crops. I don't know if younger generations have any clue as to what a cornucopia would be?

But the bright colored Indian Corn was always a staple for a door entry or adding to a centerpiece on the table. Certainly because of its beauty, but also because it was one of the last crops remaining in fields.

I decided to do some agricultural research and found that corn goes back some 10,000 years and came from a mutation of field grasses in Mexico. What we normally eat is called Sweet Corn because of the thin shell on kernels and the build up of sugars and starches. Field Corn is a variety called Dent Corn because the kernels get an indentation as they ripen and harden. The colored Indian Corn is a 3rd type called Flint Corn. This is due to the the shell being much harder than the other two which makes it the last to be harvested; thus named after a hard flint stone. It is edible, even if very hard on the teeth getting through that shell. It is more often used in polenta and hominy grits. And of course the blue corn chips that are so popular.

Genetic breeding over a century have morphed them into the rainbow of shades we now celebrate. They started with whites and umber reds, but have now resulted in a spectrum of shades. A personal favorite is one called Glass Gem Cherokee - that looks exactly like shards of sea glass in bright jewel tones. It came from a grower named Carl Barnes, an Oklahoma farmer who was trying to reconnect with his Native American roots. It is almost a Jack in the Beanstalk tale of him meeting up with other gardeners in his area and passing off seeds. One exchange was with a fellow farmer Greg Schoen from New Mexico. Over a course of some 20 years, the two kept planting individual seeds from selected ears in the brightest of colors until Barnes came up with his patented Glass Gem strain. It is now available for seed purchase since 2016 and can be bought in a variety pack or specific color tones. I find it lovely.

Grandaddy of All Apple Trees

 

Just as Spring is the birth of nature's cycle, we think of Fall as the elderly years of our seasons. Usually, the time when things die back and return to the earth. Since we just made a fall Apple Pilgrimage to Pleasant Valley Orchards for both apple and pumpkins, now seemed the appropriate time to share this tale of passing.

Once Upon a Time in Vancouver, Washington, an apple tree was planted in 1826..... It has become known as the Old Apple Tree for over a century now. Folk tales have the original seeds coming from Royal Navy Lieutenant Aemilius Simpson. He was handed the seeds at a dinner back in Britain before coming over to a fur trading post for the Hudson Bay Co. They were brought over to the Pacific Northwest and planted in an early orchard at Fort Vancouver as part of the food crop for the soldiers. The Old Apple Tree is on grounds about a 1/2 mile from the original Fort where most of the living quarters were, so it is a slight bit fuzzy as to how it got to the spot itself. But the tree was from that original handful of seeds in Simpson's pocket that sailed across the wide waters of the Atlantic and migrated the US Territory.

The apples from the Tree were called English Greenlings which was a generic term for any that came over from the Old Country. They were bright green and not the usual red, very tart and were great for baking because of their crispness and durability to winter over. It has been diagnosed to be genetically unique and apart from all other varieties of apples across the globe due to the soil conditions and years of cross pollination.

Over decades, railways and highways were built around it. Storms may have damaged a limb, but were lucky enough not to take a harsh toll on it. As it aged and grew to acclaim, school field trips would visit it and important dignitaries and Presidents even visited it. In 1984 a Public Park was designed around the tree and a Festival was held each season in Oct to celebrate its harvest.

But in 2015, gardeners for the park noted cracks in its outer bark and it started to die back. This led to a later crack in its hollow trunk and infection set in. They knew the tree was fated, but had hoped the dying process would take longer. In June of this year, it also fell victim to the pandemic and was officially felled.

But all hope is not lost. Just as Spring brings new life. Caretakers took care to tend to suckers coming out of the ground at the base of the tree. This happens for any tree that s trying to send up shoots of new life. They will ensure that one of these suckers will continue to grow and become the new edition the Old Apple Tree. They have also taken some of these saplings back to the original Fort and in generations ahead, there will be a small orchard of descendants.

Think of this story the next time you bite into a Granny Smith apple and wonder about the incredible genetics of crops and the centuries it took to get them here today.

 

 

Frankenstein Pumpkins

I realize we are at the change of seasons, and I am certainly not trying to push things along too quickly. But this feature involves some grow time so I am putting it out there in case any of you are interested. It gives enough lead time to yields results.

I love Halloween Jack o' Lanterns and the annual task of carving at least one up. Sometimes it is a simple traditional with holes for eyes and a jagged smirk. But lately I have been upping the artistic ante and spending a good couple of hours with razor cutters and a good digital pattern. With patience and a good candle it is amazing how they look at night.

When working at the garden center, I was also drawn to the incredible variety of heirloom pumpkins that come out in unique shapes and colors. Cinderella, Jarrahdale, Seminole.. so many to choose from in blues to bright reds. Box stores will carry at least a few, but high end garden centers will have much to offer - usually sold by the pound. So they can get expensive.

But this is a new option for me. Jim Seamons, a farmer in Utah gets creative and has created a poly plastic mold that is bolted to a young pumpkin and allows it to grow into an uncanny face of Frankenstein. His tutorial video attached at the bottom of this post, makes it look quite easy with some good tips to allow both air and sun to get to the infant fruit while growing. I would think it also keeps away pesky rodents from eating the gourd just as it is getting ready to harvest. According to his video, it takes merely 5-7 days to fill out which seems short to me. But maybe it is also hard to grasp the size from the video and they must be small if nothing else. That is likely why they stay green, although some pics show them as the bright orange we think of as a pumpkin. I am sure it depends on variety grown.

They are a bit elusive to track down on line without a single designated seller. The price is steep, but I am sure they are quality enough to last from year to year. I am not growing any pumpkin crop myself, but would love to see how they play out if any of my tag list are growing them and adventurous enough to try them. I think they are innovative gardening.

Frankenstein Pumpkin Mold - slingfisher 

How To Grown Pumpkins with Frankenstein mold

Hannah Bullen Seed Art

The end of summer always brings on the Minnesota State Fair. It is not on my priority list this season. Rather than a celebration, it just seems kinda like wrong place/ wrong time. And also a bit of Been There/ Done That for me. At least where I am at right now.

But one of my favorite aspects of the Fair is the Agriculture Building. That big rotunda houses the things I most enjoy. From the Apple wing with fresh cold cider and popsicles. From the Honey wing where you can watch colonies of pollinators do their thing while eating honey ice cream. And certainly the Dahlias which are always being showcased as the end-of-summer stunners.

But one thing I am both curious and perplexed about is the Seed Art contests which always draw an endless line of spectators. I appreciate the time and detail spent on them. The subject matter leans very kitsch from the 50s with portraits of rock stars and vintage products. But I am usually hesitant to call them "art." What do they do with them even after they win a blue ribbon prize? I can't see them as living room artwork or a conversation piece on your coffee table????

I think the imaginative work by Hanah Bullen Ryner captures the intent of seed art much stronger. I am drawn to her profile quote on her Instagram page. "In love with the natural world and gently trying to find my place in it." She also calls herself an Ephemeral Artist and I had to sit with that a minute to grasp it. She uses a palette of grey clay or rock for her background, then creates whimsical collages of birds and fairies from whatever nature provides her. Bird feathers, berries, flower petals, sticks.... They are colorful and for some reason, very tactile. I am guessing because of the dimensional elements of the materials used.

She sells them as photographs on her Etsy page. But I am guessing they only capture a bit of the essence vs. seeing them live. I think they are beautiful and worth more than a blue ribbon from the MN State Fair. Enjoy them and support her work if you are inspired.

 Hannah Bullen Ryner - Artwork

 

No More Lawns?

This summer in MN has been a perpetual challenge with our onslaught of heat added to our lack of rain. There are those plants that thrive on that late summer arid weather. Our issue is that they never had time to lay down good roots and are now struggling to survive. New infant trees along boulevards have given up the ghost if planted in the last 2-3 years and they don't have a helpful neighbor to soak roots. Poor varieties like hydrangea and zinnias are drooping by days end and a single day without watering is deadly. My River Birch has been shedding leaves all summer as if it were October and the cherries on the tree were bountiful, if not shabby and small because they could not plumpen up. I suppose the one perk is that this will be known as the year without Mosquitos. The long hot spell killed off eggs and also dried up any mud holes where they would have been breeding. Just this week I was out on a deck with friends and not a single one threatened. 

I would have to say, the worst victim of the drought has been the lawn. For years I had carefully weeded and planted new grass early in the spring so it became a canvas of soft green for the dogs and me. There is no way to keep up this year and it has become matted gold straw. I think my watering has kept roots alive and some spots will bounce back over a year. But there are large patches that are literal toast. 

It is making me ponder; What Alteratives are out there? I have no intention of a major landscape project where it is all replaced. But months back, I found an article that at least asks questions of what can make an urban yard.

The answer does not have to be more plots of perennials and flowers. There are other turf options like mosses, sedges and tall grasses. They come in palettes of green but have deeper root systems that can sustain these droughts and are also less burdensome for watering and run off. I think many in my generation were raised with the model of a perfect green oasis and anything else was considered weeds.

Now homeowners are angling for lawns of micro or white clover. This gives a blanket of soft coverage for pollinators.

There is also Buffalograss that is Native to the Plains and gets it's name from forage for the grazing herds. It is a cool season grass (is there such a thing anymore with global warming) but is very drought tolerant. It can apparently propagate in a single season; planted by plugs in spring and by fall it will be a complete cover. It is a brighter green color as well.

I have always thought that Sedge was an evil term and would take over a healthy lawn. But there are desired species like Pennsylvania Sedge which does well in wet, well drained areas. What makes it ideal, is its low growing aspect of only reaching 6 inches which means less frequent mowings. It is also know to host some caterpillar species. There are also cluster sedge which are planted in small tufts of green. The downside to this choice, is they are slow to expand, can be expensive for plugs and also do not do well with heavy foot traffic. 

Something I had not considered is Moss. I have one large area under the River Birch that is mostly shade and struggles to steal any water from the tree roots. It is patchy as best. Moss can be bought in mats and basically just rolled out for coverage. They are color choices, some can tolerate sun and they create a great infiltration system. Birds and insects love them as well.

On top of these options, there are the tall perennial Prairie varieties that have been garnering attention for the last 4-5 years. They are certainly not lawns, but slow growing clumps  of grass that usually yield great color and textures come end of the season. I have read some suggestions of low growing shrubs that are not lawns, but neither are they full grown bushes. They could swap in for borders and edging. Some are bear-berries, junipers, blueberries and winter-berries.

Be mindful, that none of these are a simple drag and drop. All cases will involve removing the grass lawn that is there and starting with a bare surface. And also allowing for a heavy planting and then allowing time to bring it to fruition. But I have to admit I am considering some shape shifting here and possibly starting with small sections in a creative way that allows for some expansion. I have a small simple yard, but as I have gradually taken over space with garden and boulevard plots, maybe it is time to open myself up to new options. I'll let you know in a year or two. But all things considered....

 

 

Green Space in the City

Here in the Twin Cities, we are blessed with an abundance of natural green space. From our acres of city lakes, to the Mississippi River Trails and an endless collage of urban parks within our blue print. It is the main reason I have stayed and I am also very aware of the solitude it brings me. A summer night with a quick walk to the shores of Maka Ska to watch a sunset is not lost on me.

But leave it to New Yorkers to astound with remarkable ways to innovate what green space means within a city. There is the High Line which has been a revelation over the last decade. And the new Floating City Park on the piers is a blog post for the near future. But this shout out is for the newly imagined green space at Lincoln Center.

For any tourist or local, the iconic fountain in the center of the Plaza is a recognizable landmark. This is what it will look like for the summer of 2021. It is a way to celebrate the end of the pandemic and welcome crowds back to an area of the city with a new twist.

Mimi Lien is a reputable set designer who has re imagined the space as a giant green canvas of turf. For the summer it will serve as a back drop for Restart Stages. This is an outreach program of Lincoln Center to bring arts back to the public with visual art displays as well as live performance art as pop ups. There is lawn furniture, a concession area and daily workshops in addition. It will be a great gathering space for a city that has been especially bound by the pandemic and so treasures its place in the performance world. Wish I was there to see it.

 

Stinging Nettle Bites!

 I am posting this one today because this plant busts my chops!

 Every Spring it gets me again and again. Today I was weeding around the Iris beds and blooms. I know exactly what it looks like. But usually in the mix of all the other weeds, it slips my mind until it is in between my thumb and pointer finger and it is TOO LATE. The sting is immediate.

I am careful with thorns. The raspberries have fine pricks around the base of stems and nab me when I am separating young plants. My blackberry plant might as well be a barbed wire fence. And my Winnipeg Parks and Shrub roses can surprise me even when I'm being mindful of them. I have garden gloves, but don't often wear them when doing normal work. I like the tactile feeling of working with plants in my bare hands.They are short and only 1-2 inches at this time of year. But over time, can grow to at least 10 feet tall along a roadside ditch. They have roundish leaves in pairs that are notched and a soft mint green. Don't be fooled by those gentle hairs you see lining the main stem. They are actually hollow tubes that act like needles with toxins that immediately penetrate your skin. You will feel the prick instantly. And from there, reactions can venture into rashes, itching and burning specific to the prick. If you are really unlucky it can lead to allergic reactions of breathing effects, vomiting or the plain shits.  But these nettles! It is now 4 hour later and the tips of those two fingers are still numb. So I am passing on whatever tips I can to possibly shed some light for other gardeners to learn from my mistakes. The trick is not to rub them right away; it only grinds the hairs and toxins further into the skin. Wash with cold water and soap right away. If you want to try some other methods, aloe vera or baking soda and water also help

Stinging Nettle has wellness traits as a medicinal herb. The trick is harvesting them and letting them dry FIRST. Beware of this little devil. Not all plants are pretty!