Moving herbs indoors

In a mild winter areas, perennial herbs, that naturally overwinter outdoors, such as rosemary, lavender, oregano, and thyme, can be harvested as you need them all winter long.

The fresh herb picking season can be extended by months by bringing the plants in when frost threatens. This technique works best for perennial and biennial herbs, such as chives, mint, oregano, thyme, parsley, and rosemary.

Annual herbs, such as basil, tend to tire after a few weeks indoors. Annual herbs are best started from seed indoors under grow lights and grown as new plants for a winter harvest.

Pots of basil moved inside prior to first frost

Teapot of thyme

Large twig basket filled with different mints.
If left to overwinter in the garde, mint can become invasive,
bo relegating it to pots has become our standard practice.

Fairy surrounded by basil & parsley

Some tips for bringing herbs indoors successfully:

• Select the healthiest herb plants.. Small to medium-sized plants will survive better because the digging and transplanting process will destroy many roots.
• Don’t bother bringing in tough perennial culinary herbs whose dried leaves have good flavor — sage, oregano and thyme — unless you think you can’t get along without the fresh leaves.
• Check plants for any signs of insect activity and spray with an organic insecticidal soap, before moving them indoors.
• Water plants well and dig up herb plants in the garden on a cool, cloudy day. 
• Select a container large enough to accommodate a plant's root ball, allowing room for growth. 
• Leave some garden soil on the plant's root ball.  Potted plants need a faster-draining medium than straight garden soil. But don’t like to stress the roots by removing all the soil.
• Mix up a porous potting medium of peat moss, coarse vermiculite, perlite and compost to fill the space in the pots not occupied by the roots and the soil clinging to them. Set the root ball on top of the soil; fill in around it with the potting mix. 
• Place these newly transplanted herb plants in a shady spot to adjust to the transplanting for 1 to 2 weeks. Keep them protected from winds and cold temperatures.  
• Before a frost, bring the herb plants indoors and place them in a sunny, south-facing window.  Help plants acclimate to life indoors and thrive during winter by placing them in a window that receives at least six hours of sun daily. 
• Pinch off the tips of stems periodically to stimulate lush growth.
• Check for any insects that have hitched a ride indoors on your plants. Flush the soil with water and rinse off the foliage, using a blast of water from the garden hose to chase away any pests
• Water sparingly, when the soil feels dry,  and don't fertilize. 
• Provide both humidity (by placing plants on a tray of damp pebbles) and good air circulation (you may need a fan).  Or mist the air around plants once a week to boost the humidity level.
• Keep herbs above 55°F at night and 65°F to 70°F during the day.
• Most herbs will grow slowly, or not at all, indoors in winter. Harvest what you need, but leave some leaves for the plant to survive. Plants rebound come late winter when the stronger light levels and longer days return.  When new growth appears, start fertilizing the plants occasionally with a diluted solution of soluble fertilizer.
• Come spring, if you've been successful overwintering some of your herbs, once all danger of frost has passed, move your perennial herb plants back outside. Repot them into pots with fresh potting soil, or transplant them into the garden. They will bounce back and start putting on new growth 

Some tips for specific herbs:

• Lemongrass, ginger, bay, rosemary, scented geranium, and lemon verbena, for example, require protection from cold weather to survive. Also bring in lavender, tricolor sage, pineapple sage, and heliotrope.
• Parsley, a  biennial herb, will survive the winter only to send up a flower stalk in spring and then die. Pick all the parsley you want and compost the plant when you're done.
• Rosemary has special needs to survive. It likes cool temperatures (50- to 60-degree F), high humidity, and barely moist soil in winter. Water the pot just enough to keep the soil from drying out. Constantly wet soil damages rosemary's roots. Instead, mist frequently around the plant to help raise the humidity level and also help deter red spider mites, which are the bane of rosemary grown indoors.
• Pineapple sage that is too tall and broad for  your sunny window, can be saved by taking cuttings. Strip lower leaves from the stem, both to prevent belowground rot and to encourage rooting. Clip large leaves to reduce the surface area from which moisture is lost. Make a hole in the rooting medium (equal parts peat moss, coarse vermiculite, perlite and compost) with a pencil or chopstick, then stick the stem into the hole so that it doesn’t quite touch the bottom of the pot. equal parts peat moss, coarse vermiculite, perlite and compost. Firm the soil around the stem. To minimize moisture loss, set a stiff plastic freezer bag loosely over the pot to form a tent. Place the pot near the window but out of direct sunlight. Condensation inside the bag is a sign of too much sun and/or insufficient circulation. An alternative to this tent method is hand-misting the cutting several times a day. By the end of two weeks, pineapple sage cuttings will have formed roots. (Other herbs may take four weeks or longer.) Visible top growth indicates that roots have formed. Even though the new roots will now take up moisture on their own, remove the tent or discontinue misting gradually over a few days so as not to shock the plant. 
• Try using a light to supplement waing sunlight. Few windowsills, no matter how sunny, provide enough light for your herbs. And in cold-winter climates, the sill can be quite chilly. 
• If you can’t use a light, try chives, winter savory, mint, bay, lemon balm, thyme, and rosemary—they're better at tolerating indirect light.

Changing fall colors in the yard

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. 

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.

~Edwin Way Teale

Ash tree in front yard

Ash trees in back yard &
at house across the street

Maple

River birch in foreground

White Oak 

Pee Gee Hydrangea

Pee Gee hydrangeas in background
behind Black-eyed Susan & sedum

Golden Raindrops Crabapple

Blue muffin viburnum & Korean Pear

Hawthorn & Tiger Eyes Sumac

Hawthorn

Serviceberry

Viburnum

Fosythia

Witchhazel & Baptisia

Staghon Sumac

There is concern climate change may pose a threat to these spectacular fall colors many of us look forward to viewing as winter approaches.  Warmer weather is contributing to a later ending to the growing season in the U.S. according to research from Seoul National University. The end of the growing season (when the overall greenness of foliage starts to decline as seen by satellite) was over two weeks later in 2008 compared to 1982.

Cool fall nights and decreasing day lengths are a signal to trees manufacture anthocyanins, the red pigment that colors fall leaves. If nights remain hotter as the climate warms, this process may be disrupted, resulting in less colorful foliage. If droughts become more pervasive, as many climate change models predict, stressed trees may simply shed their leaves early without the color change. Climate change might eventually make conditions unsuitable for trees such as sugar maples, forcing them to migrate north to survive. None of the more southerly species that might move in to replace them have the brilliant fall colors that maples display.  A lengthening growing season might also open up the door for invasive species, particularly invasives that are adaptable to different climate.

Shrubs with fall berries

Blue Muffin Vibrurnum

Golden rain crabapples

Rose hips on climbing rosebush in fall

Fall blooming shrubs

Hydrangea

Peegee hydrangea with coneflower,
Autumn Joy sedum & perennial hibiscus

Pee Gee hydrangea-tree form

Using those stored onions, potatoes, and squash

GERMAN POTATO SALAD

The German Potato Salad recipe was picked up at the grocery store in Minneapolis in a quest to find a good recipe to accompany Johnsonville brats.  It was from Nueske's, a meat store along a route traveled often after moving from Minneapolis to Green Bay.

2 lbs. potatoes, boiled, peeled, and sliced

1/4-1/2lb. bacon

1 med. onion, diced

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. celery seeds

1/2 t. salt

2 T. flour

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. water

Do not overcook the potatoes.  Peel and slice while still warm.  Dice the bacon and cook until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Reserve 2 T. of drippings to cook onion in slowly until translucent.  Add sugar, celery seeds, salt, and flour and blend thoroughly.  Mix together vinegar and water and add, stirring until thickened.  Add potatoes and bacon bits.  Toss carefully and keep warm without cooking so flavors blend.  Transfer to a heated dish to serve. 

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP AND CURRY CONDIMENTS
 ~ Ina Garten

3-4 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and seeded

2           yellow onions

2           McIntosh apples, peeled and cored

3    T.    good olive oil

             Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2-4 c.    chicken stock

1/2  t.    curry powder

Condiments for serving:

             Scallions, white and green parts, trimmed and sliced diagonally

             Flaked sweetened coconut, lightly toasted

             Roasted salted cashews, toasted and chopped

             Diced banana

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the butternut squash, onions, and apples into 1-inch cubes. Place them on a sheet pan and toss them with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the squash mixture between 2 sheet pans and spread in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 45 minutes, tossing occasionally, until very tender.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock to a simmer. When the vegetables are done, put them through a food mill fitted with the medium blade. (Alternatively, you can place the roasted vegetables in batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add some of the chicken stock and coarsely puree.) When all of the vegetables are processed, place them in a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Add the curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasonings to be sure there's enough salt and pepper to bring out the curry flavor. Reheat and serve hot with condiments either on the side or on top of each serving.

THAI CURRY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

3 T.   coconut oil
1       sweet onion, diced
4       garlic cloves, minced
1   t.  freshly grated ginger
2   T. red curry paste
3   c. low-sodium vegetable stock
4   c. uncooked butternut squash (1-inch) cubes
1       14-oz. can coconut milk
1       lime, juiced
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. torn fresh cilantro for serving
1/3 c. chopped roasted peanuts for serving

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add coconut oil. Once it's melted, add in the onions and the garlic with a pinch of salt and stir. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the ginger and curry paste and stir until it is incorporated. Cook the curry and onion mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the stock and add the squash cubes. Cover the pot and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the squash is soft, about 20 minutes.
Once the squash is soft, turn off the heat and very carefully pour the entire mixture into a blender. Blend until the soup is smooth and pureed. Pour it back into the pot and turn the heat on to medium low. Add in the coconut milk, lime juice, salt and pepper, and stir. Cover and cook the soup for 10 minutes until it's completely warm. Taste and season additionally if desired. Serve the soup with a garnish of torn cilantro and crushed peanuts.

QUINOA & APPLE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

2    large acorn squash
1/2 c.      dry quinoa, rinsed
1    large onion, diced
1    large apple, diced
1/4 c.      dried cranberries
1    T. olive oil
1 tablespoon orage champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon seat salt
balsamic glaze (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Carefully trim the top of the squash off or cut larger sqaush in half. Scoop the seeds out and scrape the flesh clean. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and salt into each squash Place face-down in a baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until fork tender inside.
While the squash bakes, prepare the filling. Rinse and cook quinoa (combined with 1 cup water) either on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Set quinoa asid
In a large saute pan, cook one diced onion on medium heat until brown and softening. The more color you can develop (without burning, of course) the better. Slow-cooked onions add so much flavor!
Once the onion has cooked 10-15 minutes, add the diced apple and cook until soft. Add the cranberries and the cooked quinoa, and turn heat down to low.
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, cinnamon, and salt together into a dressing. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture, and continue to stir over low heat.
Once the acorn squash has cooked, flip them right side up and fill the squash with the quinoa mixture. Pack tightly in order to maximize the filling!
Bake 10-15 additional minutes, until the tops of the quinoa is golden and starting to get crispy.

Curing onions, potatoes & winter squash for storage

Onions, potatoes and winter squash store well all winter when left to sit in a dry, warm and sheltered area for a week or two before storing. Good locations for curing might be a box in a dry basement or garage, or simply covered on a dry porch.

• Onions: After harvesting bulbs, set them in the sun for a day or two (cover at night). Next, cure bulbs with tops intact for about a week in a sheltered, dry area; during this time, the outer layers form a dry skin. After that, cut tops about an inch above the bulbs, trim off roots and store onions in a well-ventilated, dry, cool (ideal is 35 to 40 degrees) and dark location for up to a year.
• Winter squash: Cure fruits in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees is ideal) for a couple of weeks. Once cured, store in a cool, dry location at 50 to 55 degrees for up to four months.
• Potatoes: After digging potatoes, allow them to dry for a few hours in the sun, then cure them for about two weeks at 50 to 60 degrees under shelter in a well-ventilated, high-humidity area. After they are cured, potatoes store best at 35 to 40 degrees, but keep well for several months even at 50 degrees.

Tomatillos

A new addition to our garden this year, tomatillos, yielded a ample crop, prompting us to search for some new recipes to utilize them.  A tasty favorite:

Chicken, corn, and bean chili verde

14             fresh tomatillos (about 3 lb.), husks removed
1    can     chicken broth
1               large onion, chopped
3               garlic cloves, minced
3               poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2    T.        olive oil
1    T.        chili powder
1    t.         ground cumin
3    c.        chopped, cooked chicken
1    16-oz. package frozen whole kernel white corn
1    15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1    15-oz. can small kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2    c.        crushed tortilla chips
1/2 c.        chopped cilantro
3    T.        lime juice
                 salt, to taste
1/2  t.        pepper

Toppings:
tortilla chips, avocado slices, shredded Jack cheese, fresh cilantro sprigs

Bring tomatillos, chicken broth and water to equal 3 c. liquid to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan; boil 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic, and peppers in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until tender. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin.
Remove tomatillo mixture from heat, and cool 5 minutes. Process mixture in a blender until smooth.
Add tomatillo mixture, chicken, corn, and beans to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes or until tortilla chips. Serve with desired toppings.