Record rains for April and now May has caused flooding in many areas. We often have a wet spot in the Plattsburgh gardens when Lake Champlain reaches 101' or more. This year the lake has reached 103' many times the past two months. A record since they have been keeping records!
It is Memorial Day weekend when most people plant their gardens in this neck of the woods. We have water to our ankles in the back yard and to our knees in the gardens. During the past two months we had two days in April when we could walk on the garden pathways. One patch of Bloodroot flowers could be seen for a day stretching their flowers to just above the water surface. The beautiful double Bloodroot had not even come up yet. A few Mayapples on higher ground were up but no visible sign of most of the Mayapples. A ten foot row of Columbines were up 6". Catnip plants were up 4-6", but no sign of the large patches of Bee Balm. We had hopes the areas that had the most water were delayed in growth. Then it rained more, and more, and more.
Finally we had three days where we could walk the wood chipped pathways. I had to move back the logs along the sides of the paths as they had floated away. The newer wood chips had also floated so to strangers to the gardens it just looked like a mess. I dug down to root of the Bee Balms and Mayapples and found mush! The tops of the Catnip and Columbine were also mush. The Mints looked shorter than usual for this time of year but very alive. I dug-up and potted the wandering Mints and Sweet Woodruff. I had started a fern walk with a variety of ferns and none seem to have survived. The bramble type berries all seem fine. The peach tree had started to send out it's leaves but for the last six weeks seems to have halted as if frozen in time. That is a preferable thought than thinking this tree my mother started from a pit is drowning to death.
I emptied four sand bags in the garden. Gosh they are heavy. Our garden wagon could only carry one at a time. Something told me not to hurry with the rest. We thank the City of Plattsburgh for delivering 24 bags to our house. It diverted more of the whole block's run-off water from entering our basement.
We did manage to pick enough violet blossoms from the yard to make jelly. At home in Chateaugay I picked Dandelion blossoms for jelly making as well as Apple Mint. So the season of harvesting and preserving has started which lifted our spirits.
This weekend is depressing. We had 4.5" of rain the past two days! The plants I potted to sell at the farmers' market were ready, but I was not prepared to hike through water over my knees to get to the potting table! The bright side? I had left just enough sand bags to keep most of the water from entering the basement.
That is just one story from one who lives three blocks from the lake. You can imagine how much worse it is for so many others. It is the slowest disaster I've experienced. Many cannot even see the damage till the water level drops. We will be recovering from spring all summer long. Food prices will be going up as so much of the country has had disasters this year. So get your gardens in if you can.
New Winter Farmers' Market in Plattsburgh
Thanks to Checkerhills Farm on Boynton Ave., Plattsburgh, NY, we have a winter farmers' market in their store (the old Agway store). The vendors are taking turns manning the market so we are able to offer our products for the store hours M-F 9-4, Sat. 9-4, Sun. 10-4. We have about 20 vendors.
Underwood Herbs has wild herb teas, wild fruit jellies, balsam pillows, wild catnip toys, lavender pillows, essential oils and more!
Outside the store in November and December we have fresh balsam wreaths decorated with real berries, dried flowers and cones with our Balsam Story card with ideas on how to recycle your wreath from pillows to tea!
Underwood Herbs has wild herb teas, wild fruit jellies, balsam pillows, wild catnip toys, lavender pillows, essential oils and more!
Outside the store in November and December we have fresh balsam wreaths decorated with real berries, dried flowers and cones with our Balsam Story card with ideas on how to recycle your wreath from pillows to tea!
To Order -
Credit cards and checks accepted through PayPal.
E-mail underwoodherbs@gmail.com or call 518 563-4777 and ask for Jane.
UNDERWOOD HERBS
UNIQUE TASTES & SCENTS FROM THE ADIRONDACKS
SINCE 1978
E-mail underwoodherbs@gmail.com or call 518 563-4777 and ask for Jane.
UNDERWOOD HERBS
UNIQUE TASTES & SCENTS FROM THE ADIRONDACKS
SINCE 1978
Nov. 1, 2009
Hi everyone!
It was a busy summer as I did four farmers' markets a week in Plattsburgh, Keene, Tupper Lake and Paul Smith's College. I met the nicest people at the farmers' markets and in the wild foods and wild mushroom classes I taught.
Let's keep in touch! E-mail me about what classes you would like next year and the neighborhood you would go to and attend. Remember if you get a small group together I will find a place for us to take a plant and mushroom walk and talk if you do not have one.
My winter schedule is on the g-calendar. A few craft shows are listed
but something very exciting is a new winter farmers' market has opened in Plattsburgh at Checkerhills Farm in the old Agway building at the corner of Boyton Ave. and Veterans Lane. The vendors are taking turns manning the farmers' market so we can be open 7 days a week just like the Checkerhills Farm store. They have been kind enough to give us store space to get started until another room is insulated and ready for even more vendors.
This is our first day and we have available a nice variety. See calendar description for details.
Interested in fresh balsam wreaths made locally with real berries, pinecones and dried flowers? I will have them at my booth starting Nov.5th. Special orders can be made and picked up or I can ship wreaths for you.
Spring jelly making
Most would not think jelly making is a major activity in May. One of my best selling jellies is violet blossom and fortunately we have lots of violets. It takes one pint of packed blossoms for a batch of jelly and I have made 10 batches so far. In the fridge I have another pint jar of flowers waiting for me. These flowers will keep nicely in a closed glass jar for a number of days. So if it is going to rain for the next few days you can gather your flowerpicking friends and pick violets when they are dry. There are worse ways to spend a lovely spring day. Then make jelly on the rainy days.
When you get tired of violets switch to picking dandelion blossoms. I squeeze and roll the base of the flower so the yellow petals are easily removed for jelly. This gives you a golden color and better flavor jelly.
I tried Lilac jelly but the color of the flowers and the scent do not hold up well with the jelling process. For a better natural color I would try adding some violet flowers.
Not into jelly? This is morel month and they have been plentiful since the beginning of the month due to a few extremely warm days in April.
Those hot days made for a short ostrich fiddlehead fern season earlier in the month now I am collecting the braken fiddleheads which are my favorite.
When you get tired of violets switch to picking dandelion blossoms. I squeeze and roll the base of the flower so the yellow petals are easily removed for jelly. This gives you a golden color and better flavor jelly.
I tried Lilac jelly but the color of the flowers and the scent do not hold up well with the jelling process. For a better natural color I would try adding some violet flowers.
Not into jelly? This is morel month and they have been plentiful since the beginning of the month due to a few extremely warm days in April.
Those hot days made for a short ostrich fiddlehead fern season earlier in the month now I am collecting the braken fiddleheads which are my favorite.
Wild Adirondack Teas workshop May 24th
Sundays in the Park
Ever wonder what is safe to eat if lost in the woods?
Ever wonder which berries are edible?
And what’s up with those strange mushrooms?
Let professional herbalist and wild foods expert Jane Desotelle lead you down the path to the wonders of mushrooms, herbs, fruits, and wild vegetables. Each workshop will be a combination of a showing of her own slides, a hands-on field trip where you can learn how to identify and ethically collect, and a chance to sample her wild herb teas and wild fruit jellies. Copies of her favorite reference books will be available for sale.
All programs will take place at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Heart Lake Program Center and Loj near Lake Placid. Program cost with a delicious hearty, home cooked dinner included is $40 for members and $45 for non-members. Please call the ADK Loj at 523-3441 to register. Maximum of 12 participants.
Wild Teas of the Adirondacks May 24th at ADK Loj
4:30 till 8:30 with an hour for dinner
Owner of Underwood Herbs, Jane Desotelle, started her business collecting wild herb teas from the Adirondack region over 30 years ago. Learn the basics of collecting, preserving, and making herbal teas.
Ever wonder what is safe to eat if lost in the woods?
Ever wonder which berries are edible?
And what’s up with those strange mushrooms?
Let professional herbalist and wild foods expert Jane Desotelle lead you down the path to the wonders of mushrooms, herbs, fruits, and wild vegetables. Each workshop will be a combination of a showing of her own slides, a hands-on field trip where you can learn how to identify and ethically collect, and a chance to sample her wild herb teas and wild fruit jellies. Copies of her favorite reference books will be available for sale.
All programs will take place at the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Heart Lake Program Center and Loj near Lake Placid. Program cost with a delicious hearty, home cooked dinner included is $40 for members and $45 for non-members. Please call the ADK Loj at 523-3441 to register. Maximum of 12 participants.
Wild Teas of the Adirondacks May 24th at ADK Loj
4:30 till 8:30 with an hour for dinner
Owner of Underwood Herbs, Jane Desotelle, started her business collecting wild herb teas from the Adirondack region over 30 years ago. Learn the basics of collecting, preserving, and making herbal teas.
Jan. 22, 2009
I survived another wreath season. Thanks to all who ordered wreaths and other items. I appreaciate your support!
The big project now is recycling balsam Christmas trees . Thanks to my son and his truck we have 50 balsam trees from the Plattsburgh area to save needles from. These dried needles will go into bags and pillows for you to enjoy for many years. A large assortment of one of a kind balsam pillows will be available at the farmers' markets this year with some great fabrics.
While watching our new president and all the celebrations on TV, I decorated velvet balsam pillows with colorful beads, thread, and buttons.
I was inspired to be creative and try new things.
Another project I have tackled is organizing my thousands of photos into power point presentations. Topics I am presently finishing up are Wild Mushrooms and Wild Edible Fruits. Next will be Wild Herbal Teas. I will list when and where they will be offered on my g calendar as dates are set.
I survived another wreath season. Thanks to all who ordered wreaths and other items. I appreaciate your support!
The big project now is recycling balsam Christmas trees . Thanks to my son and his truck we have 50 balsam trees from the Plattsburgh area to save needles from. These dried needles will go into bags and pillows for you to enjoy for many years. A large assortment of one of a kind balsam pillows will be available at the farmers' markets this year with some great fabrics.
While watching our new president and all the celebrations on TV, I decorated velvet balsam pillows with colorful beads, thread, and buttons.
I was inspired to be creative and try new things.
Another project I have tackled is organizing my thousands of photos into power point presentations. Topics I am presently finishing up are Wild Mushrooms and Wild Edible Fruits. Next will be Wild Herbal Teas. I will list when and where they will be offered on my g calendar as dates are set.
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