Mustang Grape Wine in 3 Easy Steps

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Jay White

Back in December, I did a post that described the process for bottling our homemade wine. In that post, I promised to do describe how we made the wine. Well, here is that promise fulfilled. Last year, we made 5 gallons of mustang (or muscadine) wine. This year, we are making five more. However, due to bit of luck, we are making 15 additional gallons of wine from the finest Spanish grapes grown in Washington County. The method I use was taught to me by Marvin Marberger of Brenham, Texas. Mr. Marberger uses an old timey method that has been passed down through several generations of his German family. Mr. Marberger has been making wine for a long time. He can make wine from just about anything that has juice. Currently, he has 17 varieties in his house that include tomato, dewberry, peach and lots more. The process that he (and I) uses has three simple steps and uses just three ingredients; juice, water and sugar.

The wine that is made through this method is a VERY sweet table wine. While it is probably not going to win any awards, it is very drinkable. I drink it over ice and my wife and female kids (I say kids, they range in age from 21 to 31) like it mixed with a little Sprite. It is a good thing that my friends and family like this sweet, homemade wine. One five gallon container makes twenty five 750 ml bottles of wine. Since I am currently making 20 gallons of wine I am going to need to come up with 100 empty bottles and corks by Christmas!

My daughter and I are harvesting our wild grapes

Harvest – Mustang grapes are ready for harvest in our area around July 4^th. So, before we can head out to the Round Top 4th of July parade, we have to make sure that we have five to six gallons of wild grapes collected. Mustang grapes seem to grow on just about every fence row in the county so they are very easy to find. You should, of course, ask permission to pick from the land owner. They are almost always happy to oblige and they love getting a bottle of the finished product as a Thank You.

Mustang grapes do not produce the large clusters that other varieties produce. So, you are going to have to do a lot of picking. This year it took about two hours for me, my wife, two daughters, and one son-in-law to pick the six gallons that are required for this recipe. As an added bonus, I also picked up a pretty wicked case of poison ivy.

Picking out the leaves and trash from our freshly picked grapes

Once the grapes are harvested, mash them ASAP. Do not wash them before you mash. The yeast needed for the fermentation process is lying on the skins of those wild grapes and you will need it for this process to work. It is not necessary to remove the stems before you mash. Simply fill a five gallon bucket with the grapes and mash into a pulp with a wooden implement of your choice. Some folks use a 2”X4”. I use an old baseball bat. You can use your hands or feet to mash the grapes but they have a very high acid content and you will wind up with very itchy hands and feet if you choose this method. Once the grapes are mashed, cover tightly with clean cloth or plastic wrap to keep the bugs out.

My wife and daughter mashing the grapes

Primary Fermentation – Once your mashed grapes are covered you can put them on a porch or in the garage to let the initial fermentation process begin. The natural yeast on the skins will begin to reproduce. This creates carbon dioxide. You will know that fermentation is occurring if you see bubbles coming up through the mixture or if you have a strong smell of grape juice permeating the area in which the grapes are fermenting.

This is what the “must” looks like when primary fermentation is complete. The pulp has risen to the top and the juice is in the bottom.

This process should be allowed to proceed for about two weeks. During this time, the tannins and the color of the grapes are being transferred to the liquid. As the process progresses, the pulp, stems, seeds and skins will separate and float on the top. Sometimes a light mold will begin to grow on the top of this mash. If you see any signs of mold, pull the liquid off immediately.

Secondary Fermentation- The last step in the process is when the wine is actually made. First, siphon the liquid from the first step into a clean container. I use a food grade, six gallon bucket purchased from a restaurant supply store. Siphoning is important. You want to reduce the amount of pulp and sediment that would be passed to the secondary fermentation container without the use of the siphon. Once I have the juice pulled off, I check to ensure that I have at least six quarts of juice.

Here I am siphoning the juice into the first filter

After I ensure that I have enough juice, I begin filtering. I have a large cone shaped colander used in canning. I line this with cheese cloth and strain the juice from one container into another. When this is done, I strain the juice a second time by lining the colander with a grease filter also purchased from the restaurant supply store. If the second round of filtering contained a lot of pulp, I strain again.

The secondary filteration process

Now that I have six quarts of double strained grape juice in my food grade container (which has very handy measurements on the side), I add in the sugar. This recipe calls for 10 pounds. I pour the sugar directly into the juice and stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, I add enough filtered water to the mixture to make the volume exactly five gallons in the food grade container. Once this has been stirred again, I use a funnel to pour the five gallons of liquid into a clear plastic water bottle.

Here you can see the setup that I use for an airlock

Once the mixture is in the bottle it is time to add the air lock. My airlock is very simple in nature. I use a large, solid rubber stopper with a 3/8” inch hole drilled in the center. I then feed an 18” length of clear, rubber 3/8” hose into the stopper. Next, I fill a plastic water or coke bottle ¾ of the way full with water. The lid of this bottle also has a 3/8” hole drilled in it. Tape the water bottle to the neck of the 5 gallon water bottle and then feed the rubber hose through the lid and all the way to the bottom of the bottle.

And that’s it! Once the airlock is in place, place the wine back on the porch or in the garage and let the secondary fermentation begin. In two to three days you will begin to see bubbles in the airlock. These bubbles are caused by the carbon dioxide that is being released during fermentation.

Your wine is ready for bottling when there are no more bubbles passing through the airlock. This can take as little as two months and as long as five. You want to be absolutely sure that all fermentation has stopped before you bottle your wine. If not, you can literally get “explosive” results.

It does not hurt your wine to sit in the secondary fermentation container for several months. Because of this, I do not bottle my wine until Christmas. This ensures that the fermentation is complete and it also gives me a ready supply of child labor (since all of my “kids” come home for the holidays) to help with the bottling process.

Homemade wine is fun, easy and inexpensive to make. You can start with zero supplies and create your first batch for less than $50. The second batch will only set you back the cost of the sugar. All of my friends love receiving our homemade wine as gifts. Even though I enjoy drinking the wine, I really get the most enjoyment from giving it away. And, at less than $2 per bottle, we can spread a lot of holiday cheer to a lot of friends without breaking the bank!

Preparing the Zone 9 Fall Garden

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Jay White

Even though it was 106 yesterday, it is time to get your zone 9 gardens ready for fall planting. I have to admit, with all of the talk of water restrictions, I am debating how much of a garden I am going to have this fall. I really cannot imagine not planting a garden, but I do think that I am going to scale back. No row garden for me this fall. Instead, I will be doing all of my planting in my potager (if you are a reader of Texas Gardener magazine, check out this month’s article that details how I built my potager).

Carrots and lettuce love the cooler weather of fall.

Preparation – Before you plant, you need to get the garden ready. For me, this is a fairly simple process. I practice no till gardening in my potager. So, to get my beds ready I do the following things. Note: these steps work well for flower beds as well. Since most beds have a mix of annuals and perennial, they are typically no till as well.

1. Remove all plant material that is left over from the spring garden. If you have not pulled up those cucumber or pole bean vines, then now is the time to do it. Also, if there is plant litter on the ground, remove it and destroy it (burn if you can, haul off if there is a burn ban). Old plant litter can hold a lot of pests that can “bug” you in the fall and then again in the spring. Squash Bugs over winter in plant litter so DO NOT move this debris to the compost pile. The squash bugs will actually thrive in the warm compost environment and be ready for another invasion in the spring.

2. Remove weeds. Thank goodness, weeds are not as aggressive in the fall. A good weeding now will reduce the number of times you will have to weed in the fall and winter. If there are no seed heads on the weeds that you pull, go ahead and put them on the compost heap.

3. Fertilize. Since I grow organically, I fertilize with various forms of compost. I use primarily mushroom compost but I will occasionally add in composted cow manure, rabbit manure, cotton bur compost and an alfalfa and humate blend. All of these are good sources of nitrogen. However, for good flower production (and ultimately vegetable production) you also need phosphorus. I use rock phosphate. Also, don’t forget about the potassium. Potassium (or potash) helps plants use water. Clay soils generally have enough of this in our area. However, since we are in a drought, I am going to add a little supplemental potassium this year. The best source of potassium for the organic garden is greensand. You can also add wood ash but it is high in lime so it can lower your pH.

Cabbage, and all brassicas, thrive here in the fall

Planting – In my humble opinion, fall is the best time of the year to garden in Texas. The temperatures are falling to a bearable level, the rains generally pick up and weeds are not nearly as much of a problem. Also, my favorite vegetables are the brassicas that thrive in the Texas fall. Patty Leander creates the planting guide for the Travis County Agrilife Extension office. Click the link below to see here updated planting guide for our area.

Texas A&M AgriLife’s Vegetable Planting Guide by Patty Leander

Turnips are a two for one deal in the fall garden. Both the turnip and the greens are delicious and nutritious.

Guara (Guara lendheimeri)

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Jay White

Pink guara growing in my front bed

If you are looking for a plant that is tough as nails and blooms from spring through fall, then guara may be a fit for your garden. Gaura is a Texas native that loves full sun and tolerates drought. I have learned to appreciate its drought tolerance this summer. Right now, I am pouring the water to my beds. While it is keeping things alive, nothing is thriving. Nothing that is, except the guara.

The guara that I have is a pink variety known as Onagraceae Guara lindheimeri. This variety grows natively in the Texas Hill country. As the name implies, guara was first “discovered” by Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer. Lindheimer is known as the father of Texas botany. He worked as the first botanist in the state primarily between 1843 and 1852. Because of his extensive life-long work with plants, his name has now been assigned to 48 species and sub species of plants.

The delicate pink flowers of my guara

There are 20 species of guara that are native to the United States. This perennial can be found in Texas, Louisiana, and most of the Gulf South. Gaura is an upright growing plant that grows in clumps that can be 2’ to 4’ high and just as wide. The leaves are long and skinny with slightly serrated leaves. The plant produces long, thin stalks that are often red to burgundy in color. The inch long flowers have four petals and grow along these stems. The flowers can range in color from white to deep magenta and they drop after full bloom. Some varieties bloom white and then turn to pink in a single day. Many times, the flowers grow on the ends of the stems. When viewed from a distance, the flowers on the terminal ends of the stalks appear to be tiny butterflies “dancing” above the plant. This gives rise to its common name; Whirling Butterflies.

Guara is very easy to grow from transplants. Plant in early spring in full sun or partial shade. It prefers rich, well drained soil and it will tolerate alkaline conditions. It grows quickly and by early summer you will have a fairly large and attractive plant. By fall, your guara will be a large full clump of “Whirling Butterflies”.

Guara can reseed but it is not an aggressive self seeder. You can also divide guara once it has been established for several years. However, it develops a deep tap root and this can make transplanting a bit of a challenge.

A lovely white form at the Spoetzel Home in Schulenberg, Texas.

Gaura is an attractive long blooming perennial that is perfect for the Texas border. Its open, airy foliage is attractive even when not in bloom. It flowers prolifically from spring through fall and butterflies and humming birds love the small flowers. While it may not be the flashiest plant in the garden, it is tough and reliable. The way it has continued to thrive in spite of the worst drought in our history has convinced me to use more of this survivor in my beds. Why don’t you try some in yours?

Hymenocallis and The Girl's Tomato Clubs

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Jay White

A lovely hymenocallis border around an out building at the Milam County Museum.

This weekend, my wife and I were returning from my 30th class reunion in Waco. On the way home we passed through Cameron, Texas . Cameron is a charming little town full of friendly folks and beautiful Victorian homes. It is also the county seat of Milam County. Since we love old homes and old courthouses, we decided to ride around and do a little exploring. We quickly found our way to the courthouse and happened on two very fortuitous finds.

The Texas State Historical Marker honoring Edna Trigg and the Girl's Tomato Clubs

Girl’s Tomato Clubs – Our first “find” was a state historical sign that was erected to honor the accomplishments of Mrs. Edna Westbrook Trigg and the Girl’s Tomato Clubs of Texas (for more information check out my article in Hort Update). Exactly one hundred years ago, Mrs. Trigg started the first all girl agricultural clubs in Texas. These clubs were established as a way to introduce rural youth to the latest in agricultural practices. There were several of these types of clubs throughout the south during this time and they were collectively called “canning clubs”. According to Marie Comer (founder of the Girl’s Tomato Clubs in South Carolina) these clubs were established to “not learn simply how to grow better and more perfect tomatoes, but how to grow better and more perfect women.”

From the start, these clubs paid special attention to improving the heart, head and hands of the members. If you recognize that last phrase, you should. It is the original motto of 4H. I add this because these “canning clubs” were the precursors of the modern 4H organizations that we are all familiar with.

Lovely hymenocallis at the Milam County Museum

Hymenocallis – The other thing that I “discovered” in Cameron was an incredible hedge of hymenocallis growing around the perimeter of the Milam County Museum. This museum is the old county jail. During its operation, it housed both inmates and the family of the county sheriff. Today it is furnished much like it was before it became a museum. The museum had three incredibly beautiful borders filled with a very beautiful variety of hymenocallis.

Hymenocallis is a large scale plant. Some varieties can reach four feet. They have large, smooth, glossy, deep green foliage that looks great even when the plant is not blooming. The flowers are large, white cups with long, “spidery” stamens. Some people call hymenocallis spider lily or swamp lily. However, they are not lilies at all. Hymenocallis are members of the same plant family as amaryllis. There are 63 varieties that are native to the tropical areas of the Americas. One variety of interest to us in the Lone Star state is called the “Texan Spider Lily” (Hymenocallis liriosme). The “Texan Spider Lily” has large white flowers with yellow centers and blooms throughout the summer.

A hymencallis border at the Milam County Museum. With foliage this lovely, who needs flowers?

You can plant Hymenocallis bulbs in the spring or the fall. They should be planted 4” to 6” deep with the neck of the bulb exposed. Space the bulbs 1’ apart in full sun or partial shade. They like well drained soil that has been deeply worked with organic material. Water regularly but do not over water. 1” per week should be fine. Hymencallis also do well as potted plants.

If you have never been to Cameron, you should make time to visit. It is a lovely community that is close to Waco, Temple, Bryan-College Station and of course, Brenham. In addition to the museum, Cameron hosts the annual Dewberry Festival in the spring. It also has several antique bridges, a miniature model of the city, and many large scale murals on downtown buildings. It is also home to Ideal Poultry. They are the largest producer of backyard poultry in the country. So, if you are looking for something to do on one of these last hot summer weekends, load up the camera and head to Cameron. Who knows what you will find!

One of the murals in downtown Cameron. This one honors the dairy industry and milk producing plant that was once there. Notice the shape of Texas in the cow's spots.

Eight Ways to Stretch Your Garden Dollars

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Jay White

Right now, times are tough and everyone is looking for ways to save money. Gardeners are no exception. Gardening is a lot of fun and almost 5 million Americans practice some sort of gardening at their homes. However, if you are not careful, your little garden can wind up costing you a lot of money. Whether you grow vegetables or ornamentals, these timely tips will allow you to get the most out of your garden without draining your bank account.

A bunch of narcissus and oxbloods given to me by a friend

Publicize – If you love to garden, tell people. You will be surprised how much stuff people will give you once the word is out that you like to grow stuff. I have a friend that inherited an old home. The previous owners were avid gardeners and the abandoned yard is full of heirloom plants and bulbs. When she found out that I love old fashioned plants, she told me I could have anything I could dig up. So far I have harvested literally hundreds of daffodil, spider lily, oxblood lily and crinum bulbs. I have also transplanted some yaupons. I am going back this fall to get some flowering quince and crepe myrtles.

My row garden with hay mulch

Mulch – If you have read much of my blog, you know I am a big fan of mulch. Mulch reduces the amount of water you use, so lower water bills. It also suppresses weeds, so less is spent on herbicides. Mulch can be expensive if you buy it in bags. That’s why I never do that. I buy my mulch in bulk. Each year I buy three different types of mulch. I get hardwood mulch from my local landfill. I drive up in my truck and they load me up. I pay a very modest 1 cent per pound for this mulch. I use this hardwood mulch in my flower beds in the early spring. I buy it then because the “mulch” that is in the landfill has generally been sitting there composting since fall. So, if you buy in early spring, you get mulch that already has a good percentage of it that has already turned to compost.

I also buy mushroom compost in bulk. I get mine delivered from a local firm. While it is a little pricey initially, it is the best money I spend all year. My last load of mushroom compost cost me $320 for a ten cubic yard dump truck load. While it is technically compost, I use it much like you would use mulch. I practice no till gardening in my kitchen garden. I simply put several inches of this on top of my beds either right before or after planting. Even though it is pre-composted, it continues to break down in the garden and supply vital nitrogen and other essential nutrients to the plants. It also suppresses weeds and conserves moisture.

I also use a lot of hay as mulch in my vegetable gardens. Hay can be expensive if you buy the little square bales. However, you can usually find round bales for anywhere from $50 to $80 and the farmer will usually deliver. A round bale contains as much hay as 10-12 square bales. When you buy hay or straw to use as mulch, be sure to ask the farmer if it has been treated with any herbicides. Some of the herbicides sprayed today can linger in the hay and will kill your vegetables if used as mulch.

Several trays of azelia cuttings that I helped a friend of mine prepare

Propagate – Propagation is by far the cheapest way to increase your plant material outside of someone giving you plants. Propagation is generally pretty easy. A quick Google search will provide you with very good instructions and very good videos to watch so you can see exactly how it is done. Some plants are incredibly easy to propagate. Roses are one of these. Other plants that are very easy are coleus, sweet potato vine, lantana, coral honeysuckle and many more. Also, all of the bulbs that naturalize here can be divided every two or three years. Simply dig them up in the fall, pull them apart and replant.

An old "cowboy bathtub" repurposed as a planter

Reuse – My wife and I are “junkers”. We love going to garage and estate sales. We find a lot of very useful things for the garden at very cheap prices at these sales. Almost all of my gardening tools came from estate sales. So did my big tiller. Another thing that we are always on the lookout for are old galvanized buckets. We use these as planters. We also buy almost every terra cota pot that we find.

Compost – If you don’t have a compost pile, start one. Compost is truly an amazing gift to your garden. It is easy to make and it does so much for your plants and your soil. There are a million ways to compost, so pick one and just do it. I make my own compost. However, I just don’t generate enough to meet all of my needs. However, I garden on a fairly large scale. If you have a small garden or if you only grow in containers, you can probably make enough free fertilizer and soil conditioner from your kitchen and yard waste to meet your needs.

Be creative – I love to tackle little landscaping projects around my house. I would do a lot more if landscaping materials weren’t so expensive. Since I don’t have a large budget to support my hobby, I am always looking at magazines and other landscapes to find cheap alternatives for my landscaping designs. A perfect example of this happened the other day. While at a garage sale, my wife found a HUGE box full of those old glass insulators from electric lines. We bought the whole lot for $20. There were well over 100 insulators in the box. We are going put Christmas lights inside them and use them to line one of our paths. We will have a very cute and cool night light set up in the garden and all it will wind up costing us less than $50.

My wife enjoying a Framer's Market in Tulsa, Ok

Buy off season – Right now is the best time to buy perennials. Nurseries that have not sold all of their spring stock now have whatever is left DRAMATICALLY marked down. You will find sales of up 75% off at most nurseries and garden centers right now in the hottest part of the year. Sure the plants you buy will need a little extra TLC to get them safely into the fall, but for 75% off, the extra TLC is worth it.

Sell your harvest – Finally, if you do so well in your frugal garden that you can’t use all that you grow, sell it! That’s right. Sell the bounty from your garden and actually make a little on your hobby. Right now, the demand for locally grown, organic produce and flowers has never been higher. Just about every city and town in America now has a Farmer’s Market of some kind. Booth rent at these markets is usually very low and you will be surprised at how much you can sell.

Spider Flower (Cleome hasslerana)

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Jay White

Top view of a Cleome flower just beginning to bloom

If you are looking for a large scale plant that can tolerate a drought, resist deer and other pests, blooms until late summer and then reseeds itself, then Cleome may be the plant for you. Cleome is a large scale flower that can reach 6’ in a good season. Their blooms come in different shades of pink ranging from deep magenta to almost white. As the flower matures it will generally have three shades of pink on it at a single time. The flowers grow in clusters that grow up the stalk as the plant matures. As the flowers move up the stalk, they leave behind very long and slender seed pods that give the plant its common; spider plant. These slender seed pods also contain and deploy the seeds that allow Cleome to reseed its self year after year.

Cleome’s large stature and large colorful flower heads allows it to be used in mass as a lovely stand alone. However, because of it sheer size, it is one of the few annual flowers that pairs very well with established shrubs. Because of its generally pink color, it pairs well with loropetalum. I paired it with buddleia this year and it was very pretty. Cleome works fairly well as a cut flower. However, the plant emits a very strong musky scent that reminds me of citronella. Some find it unpleasant.

First blooms

Besides its funny smell, another interesting thing about Cleome is the fact that a lot of people think its leaves look a whole lot like marijuana. I heard a story where a high schooler was participating in a “mock trial” competition. He was to “defend” one of his friends in a drug possession case. This enterprising young “lawyer” contacted local horticulturists to see if there were any plants that closely resembled cannabis. One of them sent him the leaves of Cleome. When he presented them as evidence in his mock trial, the judge dismissed all of the “mock charges” because he felt that there was enough resemblance between the two plants to place reasonable doubt in the minds of the juror.

If growing a plant that resembles marijuana does not turn you off, then you are in luck. Cleome is fairly easy to grow and it does well in average soils. Cleome can be started indoors about two weeks before the last frost. Cleome also does very well when it is direct seeded. If you want to direct seed, place your seeds about a foot apart and cover them with ¼” to a ½” of soil. Plant in direct sun after all threat of frost has passed. The seeds take 10 to 14 days to germinate. Provide regular water to get them established. Once established, provide Cleome with average water (1” per week) but it can withstand some drought conditions.

Cleome and Buddleia in my front bed

When you buy your Cleome seeds, check to see if you are buying an open pollinated variety or a hybrid. This is important to keep in mind because Cleome is a very good self seeder. If you buy a hybrid, than when the plant reseeds, you will have no idea what type of Cleome will pop back up. With that in mind, I think this hybridization of Cleome is a very good thing for gardeners. There is a very popular hybrid out now called “Sparkler”. Sparkler is lovely and it only gets about three feet tall. This “dwarf” version can now be worked into the front of the bed or border. I believe t his will make Cleome much more popular with gardeners in the future.

I love Cleome. I am fond of big plants and this one is a joy to watch grow. I love the way the flowers start when the plant is half grown and the fact that they continue to grow “up the stem” as the plant continues to develop. I love the “whiskers” that develop under the flowers. In fact, I even kind of like the way it smells. So, if you have a spot for a big, showy, pink plant that is easy to grow and has just about zero pest problems, I recommend that you include Cleome in your spring planting list.

A great shot of the seed pods on the ends of the plants "whiskers". Note the seed pods on the bottom of the plant. This is where the first flowers formed. You can see from this shot that the plat grew two more feet after it put on the first flower heads, The heads continued to "move up" the stalk as the plant grew.

Friends and Fresh Cut Flowers

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Jay White

This past Friday, two very pleasant things occurred at the Yupneck’s house; an unexpected visit from my youngest daughter and the first formal dinner party hosted in our newly remodeled farmhouse (celebrating the “almost end” of a five year remodeling project). While visits from the kids are always welcomed, it is those rare, unexpected drop ins that I love the most. Whitney is a senior at North Texas University. She is also a very talented floral designer. While there, she found out that we were hosting the renowned Master of Horticulture, Dr. William C. Welch (Bill) and his lovely wife Lucille. She asked if she could make us some arrangements from the garden for the dinner. Of course I said a most enthusiastic YES!!!!!

Whitney grabbed some shears and left the house for about 20 minutes. When she returned, she had a large bundle of flowers and foliage from just about every plant on my property. It was a joy to watch her sort, strip and prepare these cuttings for arrangement. What happened over the next fifteen minutes was truly amazing. In less time than it takes me to brush my teeth, she created three incredibly lovely arrangements that I felt I had to share.

Arrangement for the yupneck's table. Made with things from my gardens by my lovely and talented daughter.

The first was a large arrangement that she made for the center of the table. If you look closely, you will see hollyhocks, love-lies-bleeding, salvia, dried yarrow, coral honeysuckle and PURPLE HULL PEAS! Who puts peas in a floral arrangement? A young Master of Horticulture, that’s who. This arrangement was stunning! I wish my camera skills did it justice.

Close up of the table arrangement. Notice the use of purple hull peas and coral honeysuckle.

Next, she made a small arrangement for the bath. This arrangement was built in a small water pitcher. She incorporated tatume’ squash, zinnias, love-lies-bleeding and southern wax myrtle foliage.

Lovely arrangement using zinnias, amaranth and a tatume' squash.

Finally, she turned a vintage Mary planter into another stunning arrangement. Here she used zinnias, salvia, wax myrtle foliage and iris leaves for effect. Beautiful!

A vintage Mary planter featuring zinnias and salvia.

Whitney’s arrangements were the cherry on the top of the truly fabulous meal that my lovely wife prepared for the Welch’s. Mrs. Yupneck created a carmalized onion and goat cheese appetizer, steak with bearnaise suace, stuffed summer squash and a tomato and balsalmic salad. This was washed down with a lovely red brought by the guests and finished with a decadant “mudslide” dessert. The evening was perfect. My wife and daughter’s combined skills came together to create a dinner that was memorable for all.

The yupneck with his very talented floral designer daughter and his equally lovely and talented culinary wife.

P.S. My daughter is a very talented floral designer. She has started her own business in the DFW/Denton area. She will be more than happy to give you a bid on events of any size. To see more of her work you can check her out at Arbor Floral.

P.S.S. Since the dinner was to celebrate the almost completion of our FIVE YEAR LONG remodeling project here is a picture of the entryway.

The entryway of "The Nest"

Castor Bean-Not a Bean At All

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Jay White

Who would think that these plain little flowers would produce the deadliest plant toxin on earth?

Castor Bean plants (Ricinus communis) are the source of two of the nastiest substances on earth. The first, is castor oil. YUCK! This nasty substance has been used to treat “digestive issues” for a long time. The taste of this stuff is so bad that it will make full grown men cry. I only had to take it once, but it is a memory that still haunts me. The other really bad thing that comes from this plant is ricin. Ricin is a by product of the process used to make castor oil. It is the most toxic substance on earth derived from a plant. This stuff is so toxic that a TINY amount of refined ricin was used to kill a Bulgarian defector in 1978. Georgi Markov was “shot” with a modified umbrella in the back of his leg with a tiny pellet the size of a pinhead. This tiny pellet had two holes drilled through it to form a tiny “X’ through the center. That space was filled with ricin. Within three days, that tiny, tiny amount of ricin had killed Georgi. Even though the ricin was not detected until after the autopsy, it would not have mattered. There is no antidote for ricin poisoning. Here is another scarey fact. Quantities of refined ricin were found in caves in Afghanistan right after the invasion.

If you decide to grow Castor Beans, you really need to be aware that every part of the plant is toxic. This includes the stems, leaves and the seeds. One bean (really a seed) is enough to kill a child. Two or more will kill most adults. If you have a dog that likes to chew plants, then don’t grow them where the dog can get to them. I would also not grow them if there are small children in the vicinity.

These are the "spikey balls" that contain the seed. These dried pods are designed to stick to the fur of passing animals to add in dispersion.

I grow and love this dangerous plant at my house. However, I have no pets or kids. I love them for several reasons. First, they are as lovely as they are dangerous. Most varieites will grow over 6′ in a single season. The large, eight lobed leaves provide a somewhat tropical effect. This look is often difficult to obtain in locations that have high light and low water. Castor Bean loves both of these conditions. They also come in a wide range of colors. Some varieties are a pale green, while others are very deep purple. In fact, one of the most stunning plant combinations I have ever seen was a large mass of the purple variety growing behind a huge stand of thornless prickly pear cactus at Dr. Bill Welch’s weekend place in Washington County.

The flower of the Castor Bean is lovely but not that impressive. The plant sends up spikes that develop small, pink flowers that attract a lot of pollenators. This year, they seem to be drawing more yellow jackets than bees. The base of the flower turns into a round, spikey ball. This ball contains the very deadly seeds. When the balls dry out, they fall to the ground. The spikes are designed to attach to the fur of wandering critters.

The foliage of the Castor Bean is lovely. This large scale plant can be used to cover that "empty spot" in your garden.

Castor Beans are also incredibly easy to grow in our climates. They love full sun, can take the heat and can survive low water once established. Originally native to the Mediterranean Basin, Africa and India, their use as an ornamental has now allowed them to spread to most tropical areas in the world.

Castor bean seeds are available from most seed companies. I get mine from Baker Creek Seeds (rareseeds.com). Plant the seeds about a half to one inch deep in full sun when the soil has warmed up to about 70 degrees. They are fairly heavy feeders and like a rich soil thoroughly worked with compost. They do take a while to germinate so be patient. Water regularly to get them established. Once the plant is about a foot tall, they will survive and thrive on 1 inch or less of water per week. They get tall quickly so you may need to stake them. Also, the large leaves are susceptible to wind damage.

Caster Beans have been grown in the south for a very long time. My grandparents grew them and their grandparents probably did as well. They are hardy, beautiful and a few plants can fill up a relatively large area in a garden with big, bold, vibrant foliage. If you take care to plant these where curious pets and children can’t get to them, you will enjoy a lush, tropical look in the yard in the driest of times.

Lavender Fest at the Living Kitchen CSA

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jay White

The view from the porch of the Living Kitchen CSA

I love the CSA movement. If you are not familiar with the CSA concept here is a brief run down. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, the CSA is an arrangement between a farmer and their customers. The members of the CSA agree to pay a weekly fee to the farmer in exchange for an equal share of their harvest. This arrangement ensures that the farmer has the resources needed to keep the farm going and the members get a steady supply of fresh, healthy (generally organic), locally grown vegetables for their families. I really love this movement because it allows a lot of people to make a living farming on a relatively small scale. I am a firm believer that what we put in our mouths really matters. The people that operate CSAs feel this way as well. That’s why this arrangement works. Good people who love agriculture and taking care of the earth provide great food to people that care enough about what they feed their families that they are willing to support the producers. Everyone wins!

Linda Ford hard at work distributing shares to her members at the Tulsa Farmer's Market

Two weeks ago my wife and I visited The Living Kitchen Farm and Dairy (http://livingkitchen.homestead.com/) in Bristow Oklahoma. This CSA is run by two of the hardest working entrepreneurs I have ever met. Linda Ford and Lisa Becklund run a thriving business that combines vegetable production, a goat dairy, mutton production, egg production, artisanal cheese making, farmer’s market and fine dining experiences. WHEW! I am exhausted just telling you about all they do! Their CSA model is a little different than most. In addition to fresh vegetables, they also provide fresh eggs to their members . They also intend to add mutton to the mix in the near future. It is their ultimate goal to provide 75% of their member’s food needs.

Our Chef and hostess, Lisa Becklund, with Mrs. Yupneck

Running an operation this diverse does require some help. The girls employ seasonal labor and are assisted by several volunteers. This summer, they also have two college interns that are helping them with the just about everything. Kathleen Airola (B.S. in Horticulture, University of Arkansas) and Josey Hoelscher (B.S. Animal Science, Purdue) are providing assistance in all aspects of the farm’s operations. Young people like this are the future of Agriculture in our country. I am excited to see such talented young people excited about a future in the agricultural world. Both of these girls were extremely knowledgeable and personable and I enjoyed visiting with them immensely.

The Living Farm interns: Kathleen Airola and Josey Hoelscher. Also pictured is Living Farm volunteer Cara Johnson. Special thanks to Cara as it was her and her mom that rescued the yupneck and his party when we became lost on our way to the farm!

Even though I am incredibly interested in all thing horticultural, what brought us to Living Kitchen was the birthday of a dear friend. My wife was looking for something “different” to give her friend for this birthday. The Living Kitchen Lavender Festival is what she came up with. In addition to their agricultural events, Linda and Lisa sponsor monthly dinners (in the non-freezing months) that feature whatever is in season on the farm. We were lucky enough to be there for the “Lavendar Festival”. Every dish and drink had culinary lavender used in its preparation. Lisa is a trained chef and her skills were apparent. Everything that entered out mouths was outstanding.

Flat bread made in the farm's "cob oven". The bread was perfect with the homemade chevre made right on the farm.

Atmosphere always plays a huge part in the fine dining experience. Lisa and Linda have a log cabin on their property that they use to host their dinners. This cabin looks like it is straight off the pages of a magazine. We enjoyed our Lavendar Feast on the screened in porch of this rustic home with 29 other lovers of good food. We ate, laughed and made new friends. All in all, it was a perfect day. My hat is off to these two outstanding young women. Together they have built a business that feeds both the stomachs and souls of their guests.

Linnaeus Teaching Garden

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jay White

A statue of Carl Linneaus, the father of botany and the namesake of the Linneaus Teaching Garden

The Linneaus Teaching Garden in Tulsa is an incredibly beautiful place that was a gift to the citizens of Tulsa by the citizens of Tulsa. The garden is the vision of a true Master of Horticulture named Barry Fugatt. Mr. Fugatt is the resident horticulturist at the Tulsa Garden Center. In 2005 he approached the director with a plan to create a garden that would educate the people of Tulsa on the horticultural possibilities for their own yards and gardens.

A lovely bed as you approach the teaching center

Over the rest of 2005 and 2006, 3000 people contributed the $800,000 needed to get this project off the ground. With funding secured, the city authorized the use of 1.5 acres in Woodward Park to be used as the home of what was to become the Linneaus Teaching Garden. Industry sponsors donated the material and labor to build the structures and hardscapes. This trend of giving has continued and the garden has now thrived for five years without the need to take any public money.

Summer phlox and a bumble bee

The center is staffed by a cadre of trained volunteers. To work here, you must complete a 12 week course that covers everything from plant taxonomy to landscape design. Once the course is complete, the volunteers agree to provide at least 40 hours of their time to the garden each calendar year.

In the yupneck’s humble opinion, this type of garden is needed in every city in America. The gardens are beautiful and they are filled with plants that grow well in Tulsa. There is no sales pitch. If you want to beautify your yard or start a vegetable garden, then all you have to do is stroll around this 1.5 acre oasis. Every planting is clearly marked and selected soley because it does well in the Tulsa area. If you want to know more about the plants or the methods that have caught your eye, then you can ask any of the very friendly and well trained staff for the additional info.

Lovely water feature

The Linneas is not just about ornamentals. The vegetable garden was just as lovely as the beds. I loved the extensive use of containers. As more and more urban dwellers catch the gardening bug, container gardening is going to become a much more common way of growing veggies. Containers are easy to get started and easy to maintain. In fact, a container filled with the appropriate media (soil) will generally have fewer weeds, require no chemical fertilization and use much less water than a traditional, in the ground, row garden. One complaint I have often heard people make about container gardens is that they cannot grow big vegetables like corn. The Linneaus has obviously disproved this urban legend.

I have never seen corn grown in a container. Very interesting. I also liked seeing the whiskey barrels reused as very attractive container gardens.

With the feel of a public garden and a mission of education, this garden is an incredibly rare and valuable resource for the gardeners of Tulsa. The fact that it is completely funded by private donations and staffed by people that are as passionate about horticulture as I am makes me love it even more. I wish I had something like this in my neck of the woods.

Pansies in the middle of June! I don't think were in Zone 9 any more!