Quotation of the Week: "From December to March, there are for many of us three gardens — the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the mind's eye." —Katherine S. White

Herb Gardening Tips

Herbs have been cultivated, used, and treasured by men and women for thousands of years. Many are ornamental as well as useful. Even a few of them can add charm, history, and mystique to any garden. You can grow enough culinary herbs such as parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage and marjoram, for your Christmas goose, or plant a whole garden of herbs, but wait until spring to plant them outdoors. You can now, if you wish, plant culinary herbs in individual pots and grow them indoors on a sunny kitchen windowsill. Pot the 2 or 4 inch nursery size into 6 inch containers when you purchase them. When you grow herbs indoors they grow fast at first, then slow down. You can keep them to size by pruning off leaves now and then for cooking. Too much fertilizer makes herbs overgrow and lose their flavor, but when they're grown in containers they do need an occasional light feeding. Be sure to use a good organic fertilizer, such as Whitney Farms All Purpose Fertilizer, when growing anything edible. Since you are going to be eating the product of this plant, you want to stay away from chemicals. In Southern California culinary and medicinal herbs can be planted outdoors in the ground in frost free areas. You can mix them in with ornamental garden plants, plant them in a special herb garden, or even put them in pots in a small space right outside your kitchen door. Herb Facts An herb is any plant used for medicine, fragrance or flavoring. (In botany the word herb means any nonwoody plant. In cold winter climates all these plants die down in winter, but many biennial and perennial herbs are evergreen when grown in Southern California.) Not all herbs are edible. You must take care when using medicinal herbs. If you are not sure, consult your doctor before using them in the kitchen. Fresh culinary herbs from your garden are not only tastier than the dried herbs you can buy but safer. (Dried herbs purchased in markets are often imported and have frequently been sprayed with chemicals not allowed in the US.) Herbs adapt to most soils, but they prefer good drainage, and you can provide it by growing them in rock gardens or raised beds. Unless you grow your herbs in containers, as described above, don't fertilize them; it makes them less flavorful. (An exception is an herb like sage that's been in the ground for several years, has often given its leaves to you, and shows an obvious decline in vigor. You can pull it out, amend the soil, and replace it; or you can feed it lightly and mulch its roots to bring it back.) Some herbs such as mint and watercress, need lots of water. Others, such as rosemary and society garlic, are useful drought-resistant plants; these two are grown as ornamentals more often than as culinary herbs.

Michael Beauchene Green Thumb Garden Pro, Herb Expert and Connoisseur

Gifts for and from the Garden

Nurseries and garden supply stores are great places to do Christmas shopping. Lines are usually short, parking is easy, stocking stuffers abound, and children can find inexpensive gifts such as a rain gauge or a hummingbird feeder. Some ideas: tools of all kinds, gadgets such as thermometers that record high and low temperatures (good even for non-gardeners), soil augers, tension meters, heat cables for sprouting seeds, ornamental objects (such as bronze faucets, bird baths, and garden sculpture), houseplants, bare-root roses, fruit trees, kneeling pads, soil-test kits, and miniature greenhouses. For a personal gift that doesn't need wrapping, choose a sturdy basket for bringing in vegetables or flowers. Stuff it with a colorful apron, a pair of gloves, a trowel, a book or two, a few packs of seed, and a potted plant. You can even go to your local craft store and buy an inexpensive unfinished bird house for you or the kids to decorate and paint, and give the garden gift a special personal touch.

Prepare Your Tropicals for Frost

In areas where frost is expected, move tropical and other frost-tender container-grown plants under eaves, under spreading trees, or into shade houses. Don't forget to water them. Plants withstand cold weather much better when provided with adequate moisture. Some tropicals, including species often grown as houseplants and tubbed specimens of plumeria, can be brought indoors for the winter. Keep these tropicals in adequate bright light or filtered sun, and let them go somewhat but not totally dry. Plumerias will probably go semidormant and drop their leaves but will come back again when you put them outdoors again in spring.

What You'll Need: 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup regular oats 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup chilled butter or stick margarine cut into small pieces 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts 7 cups diced, peeled Rome apples (about 3 pounds) 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Step by Step:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, oats and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Combine apples and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Spoon the apple mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish or 1-1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 9 servings