Recently, I attended one day of Hort Week at the University of Saskatchewan. Hort Week is held each summer on the campus. Because it is made up of half-day and full-day gardening classes, one is able to choose from a variety of topics.
I drove the 160 kilometres to Saskatoon to take two classes, The Spring Garden and New, Underused and Unusual. Both classes sent participants home with handout material for future reference. Some tidbits:
- Placing a dark red or purple leafed shrub or tree on the north side of a house will not show off the beauty of the leaves and will add more darkness to an already dark and shady area. In a sunny spot these leaves will glisten.
- The growing height for trees, as listed in books and magazines, can often be reduced by 40 percent if planting on the Prairies.
- Snow cover is good and essential for the survival of many bushes and plants. However, be careful not to pile on too much snow or it will break branches.
- If you live where the streets, sidewalks or roads have been salted, don’t shovel that snow on your bushes and flowerbeds. Salt is harmful to most plants. A car will bring salty snow onto a driveway, so that snow should also be kept away from plants.
- Grey-leafed plants are drought tolerant.
- In a yard, it is a good idea to group water-loving plants together and drought-tolerant together. It saves water and makes the plants happier.
- Many trees and shrubs prefer dry conditions. These are the plants I need to seek out for my yet-to-be landscaped yard.
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Before driving home I called on friends Bob and Norma. Their yard could be on any gardening tour. They have taken many Hort Week classes and have applied what they have learned to create a lovely space.
Norma recently tried making rhubarb leaf stepping stones following the recipe in the April 2001 Canadian Gardening. Some recently made stones were drying on a plastic covered picnic table. Others that had cured were lying on the ground along the walkway by the side of their house.
Rhubarb leaf stepping stones
Material needed: rubber gloves; heavy plastic sheeting; wheelbarrow or tub; rhubarb leaves that are nicely shaped and have deep veins; one-centimetre-square wire mesh and wire cutters.
- Take pre-mix concrete. One standard-size bag (25 kg/55 pounds) will make approximately four stepping stones. You will want mortar or cement colorant, if you want a color other than the light grey that pre-mix concrete produces.
- Choose a level surface, such as picnic table, garage floor or driveway. Cover with plastic to protect the surface.
- Cut a smaller piece of plastic, at least 15 cm larger than the leaf. Put the leaf in the centre of the plastic, vein-side up. A leaf picked and allowed to wilt for 20 to 30 minutes will lay flat more easily.
- In a wheelbarrow or tub, mix the concrete powder with water to a stiff consistency, following package instructions and adding colour if desired. Norma suggests mixing only enough concrete for two leaves at a time (half bag) to keep the concrete at a working consistency.
- With gloved hands or a shovel, move concrete onto the leaf, spreading it to about 2.5 cm from the edge of the leaf, at a thickness of 2.5 cm. Press firmly to eliminate air bubbles.
- To ensure strength and durability, place wire mesh on the concrete to within five cm of the edge, overlapping pieces if necessary.
- Shovel concrete on top of the wire mesh, again spreading to a thickness of about 2.5 cm and pressing firmly to eliminate air bubbles.
- Gently lift the plastic and the outer 2.5 cm of the leaf up around the design. Build up the edge so it won’t be too thin, and smooth with gloved hands or a trowel to ensure an even look. Place damp earth or sand up around the form to support it while it cures for at least 48 hours. Spray with water frequently during the curing period.
- Clean wheelbarrow and tools with a jet spray of water immediately, before the concrete dries.
- Turn stone over to the walking surface. Remove small pieces of vein or leaf with a water hose. In hot weather much of the leaf will have already decomposed.
- You can place the stones in the garden immediately, but avoid stepping on them until the concrete has completely cured. Curing time depends on the type of concrete mix used, but it usually takes five to seven days.
Make sure the stones are set firmly in the ground so they won’t move when you walk on them.
Roasting oatmeal
A reader who has an allergy to nuts would like to use browned oatmeal as a substitute for nuts in recipes. The questions are: How long to toast the oatmeal? At what temperature? How to store? Substitution rate?
I wasn’t able to find a source that has tried roasting oatmeal, however, I did experiment with this myself. In my oven, with a single layer of oatmeal on an aluminum pan, at 350 F (180 C), it took 15 minutes for the oatmeal to brown.
In most recipes, such as in cookies and cakes, I would substitute the same amount of toasted oatmeal as nuts. This could be altered to suit your taste. Toasted oatmeal should store as regular oatmeal, in a bag, for a long time. The browning will remove moisture and increase shelf life.
I tried both the quick cooking and traditional oats. They browned the same, but the quick cooking gave little or no crunchiness to the cookies.
You may prefer to substitute other ingredients that give a more crunchy texture such as sunflower seeds, finely chopped dried fruit , Grapenut cereal or granola.
Garbage cookies
This is a cookie to make with children.
Heat in saucepan until smooth and boiling:
1/2 cup butter or 125 mL
margarine
1/2 cup corn syrup 125 mL
1 cup brown sugar 250 mL
Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) peanut butter. Stir until smooth.
Pour “garbage” mixture of four generous cups (1 L) that includes various ingredients such as Rice Krispies, Cheerios, raisins, Craisins, oatmeal, corn flakes, sunflower seeds, Smarties, sesame seeds, coconut or your choice.
Since chocolate chips melt, they may not be the best choice.
Drop onto wax paper and cool until firm.
Source: Making Memories, a Collection of Recipes & Reflections from Sovereign. Compiled by the Sovereign Women’s Institute, 1999.
Gazpacho
The tomato season is fast approaching. This recipe for a cold soup will make good use of some of your fresh tomatoes. Canned or frozen tomatoes can be substituted. It’s a tasty soup for a hot day.
6 cups fresh tomatoes, 1.5 L
peeled and cut up
1 onion, cut in chunks
1/2 cup green pepper 125 mL
chunks
1/2 cup cucumber 125 mL
chunks
2 cups tomato juice 500 mL
1 clove garlic, minced
or 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL)
garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin 2 mL
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
1 teaspoon pepper 5 mL
1/4 cup vegetable oil 50 mL
1/4 cup vinegar 50 mL
Blanch tomatoes to peel. In blender, combine the first four ingredients and transfer to a large tureen. Add juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and chill well. Before serving, stir in oil and vinegar. Serve cold.
Garnish with chopped green onion, green pepper and/or croutons.
Source: The Best of Bridge, Royal Treats for Entertaining (Red Book), 1980.
