November 2024
The Garden Journal
November 2024
Ed-man
Helleborus
Loving this idea from House and Garden, with lush fabrics enveloping the room, and gathered items setting a center tableau. Whimsigoth Decor Aesthetic
Victorian English vintage milk bottles turned bud vase set on a tray make for a simple and lovely display. Available in our Garden Shop.
Itoh Peony
Highlander Delphinium
“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.”
– Ralph H. Blum
November
Life is about balance, counterbalance, and sometimes even, out of balance. I like to think that Autumn is Nature’s gift to us after the mad dash of Summer to recalibrate. A sort of permission slip to slow down, take stock, nest, and get cozy. Even the animals are getting ready to rest, as they will hibernate or brumate when food is scarce, and temperatures drop. It seems there are signs everywhere that it is time to rest. 🍂
So, November is sort of Fall’s last hurrah before Winter, and while I know it may be too soon to think this way, we all know Winter is Coming. And we also may, or may not know, that putting off Garden tasks for another day, perhaps a less rainy one, doesn’t always guarantee them happening before the ground freezes, or unexpected weather events hit.
You’re going to see quite a few linked articles (below) on Leaving the Leaves. I’m going to hammer this one Home until it sticks. Eliminating leaves from your gardens and landscapes does more harm than good, in a number of ways. Don’t listen to that nosy neighbor who makes pointed comments about “messy” yards. In fact, put up a sign:
Native Plant Sign and let them figure it out on their own. They don’t need to worry about your Garden anyway, am I right?
This is also your sign to do as the bats, bears, frogs and snakes do, which is to enjoy the bounty of the Season, to eat, and prepare for the colder months ahead. Oh! And enjoy Thanksgiving. Tucked in between Halloween and Christmas, which have become bidding wars for home decor, tables scapes, gift giving, costumes and more, Thanksgiving is the holiday equivalent of a deep sigh of relief. And giving Thanks.
I’ll be dusting off my stew pots and slow cooker, as Fall brings back Soup Season, and all things slow-cooked, to fill our home with the best smells and something to look forward to after a chilly day working in the Garden. Also, bringing out the candlesticks, and refreshing my ‘To Read’ book pile. Stock up on cozy teas, candles and more in our Garden Shop. We will add favorite items into our website, things we can’t live without, such as our Balsamic Vinegar which adds so much flavor to winter salads, roasted veggies, eggs, soups, avocado toast, etc. Speaking of food, it’s almost my favorite time: Citrus season! See, there’s always something to look forward to, if you focus on the best things.
Steve and I are wishing you and yours a warm season filled with gratitude and good things - we are Thankful you are here. We appreciate your interest and support in our projects and Gardens, and we love interacting with our Guests and Visitors, while sharing what we do.
In this Newsletter
- Winter Plants to Consider
- Winter Containers
- Planting Amaryllis, Paperwhites, etc.
- A Tribute to our Ed-Man
- Fall Weeding
- Support Nurseries
- Plant of the Month
- Articles of Interest
- Upcoming Zoom Lecture: TJ Maher
- Annual Gratitude Challenge
- Setting the Table
- Favorite Cookbooks
- The Garden Shop
- November Garden Tasks
Winter Plants to Consider
As we head into what for many is the barren landscape season, there are many plants that afford winter interest and beauty, and are worth considering planting in your Gardens. From the various shades of evergreens, to trees and shrubs with beautiful bark and interesting shapes, all the way down to perennials, there is something for everyone.
If your containers need sprucing up, consider smaller evergreens that can later be transplanted into the Garden. We love Lemon Cypress, paired with Red Osier dogwood branches, and some cyclamen, makes for a pretty, and classic planting for the Holidays. Little Prince has so many great conifers, and dwarf evergreen plants which are great for tucking into containers, and later on into the Garden as well.
Another great plant is Rosemary, which will hold it’s color, and scent, through winter, and is a nice alternative to boxwood, or other more traditional container plants.
A perennial favorite is Helleborus, and with so many wonderful varietals on the market now, you can have almost any color palette, and enjoy those blooms from mid- to late-Winter. Some will bloom earlier, around Christmas, but best to check with your local nursery on what they have available.
Of course, I’m a big fan of Camellias, and again, there are varieties in all colors, and some blooming Fall to December, and others blooming late winter - early Spring. We’ve got a few scattered about the property. They are evergreen, and I love the deep, rich green leaves year-round, and the joy of those big, juicy flowers popping open at a bleak time of year is unmatched.
Winter berries provide both color, and much needed food for our bird friends. Symphoricarpos is often seen in white, but there is are some stunning pink varietals available as well. Keep an eye out for ‘Proud Berry’ and ‘Charming Fantasy’. Ilex verticillata aka winterberry holly, is another sweet shrub covered in red berries: as long as you plant a pollinator. As a dioecious species, the male and female flowers are on separate plants, and your lady winterberry won’t flower then fruit, unless pollinated with the pollen from the male species. Here’s a link for a list of more plants providing berries and winter interest. Winter Berries in the Garden
For color through bark, you can’t go wrong with the Dogwood shrubs. There are yellow twig, and red twig dogwoods, that will absolutely brighten up the Garden. Cutting those twigs, and popping them into containers for a bit of height, scaffolding, color and interest is a fun way to use what you’ve got in the Garden.
Galanthus, or snowdrops, are tiny treasures which will delight you on even the dreariest of days.
Lastly, don’t forget Primulas and Cyclamen, which can get tucked into containers, and along borders where they will be seen, and add some bright cheer.
Always remember: if it’s available in your nursery, it’s worth taking a look at. Nurseries should be stocking trees and shrubs this time of year, and hopefully are thoughtful about supplying Gardeners with what will be beautiful in this season and the next. If not, it doesn’t hurt to ask, as they may be more than happy and willing to bring it in as long as they can source it.
Winter Containers: Planning
It is absolutely possible to have beautiful containers that hold up after Frost, and in the colder months. While we eagerly await our Spring Bulb planted pots to do their thing, here are some suggestions for breathing life and beauty into your Winter Containers.
- Tuck in white trunks/branches from Himalayan birch.
- Tuck in red or yellow branches from Dogwoods.
- Gather pinecones to use as mulch, and to dress up around plant bases
- Outdoor ornaments are easy to find, purchase those that you both love and that will last, so they can become a keepsake you use year after year.
- Make ornaments from pinecones, with bird seed, and tuck those into planters, as long as safe from outdoor kitties.
- Hellebores, Cyclamen, Primulas, Pansies, Violas, Bergenia all look great through winter in containers.
- Tuck in evergreen boughs cut from trees. Pushed stem end into a planter, and kept outside, they will last a long time. It’s like a living arrangement!
- Bowl of Nature - full of pine cones, pomegranates and other treasures. Going on a scavenger hunt in your landscape is a fun activity with kids.
Planting Amaryllis, Paperwhites, etc.
Forcing Bulbs Indoors
Such a cheery way to celebrate the Season, and add some life and color to the indoors. I always find bulbs to be an easy entry ‘house plant’ as they require relatively little care, and most places will ship you a kit, if you don’t have all the supplies for planting on hand.
While we don’t sell Winter Holiday bulbs ourselves, we have them in our home every Winter, and they bring such delight, that this year I’m dedicating my entry table entirely to planted bulbs.
In order to be successful with your Amaryllis bulbs, it’s key to remember a few things. Amaryllis bulbs are larger, and will grow long stems with big, heavy flowers. Selecting a heavier container with a wider base is critical. Try not to plant into a taller vessel that is wider at the top and narrow at the bottom, this is a recipe for disaster! Using a high-quality sterile growing mix (no fungus gnats! We are using our Seed Starting Mix available in our Garden Shop), fill your container a little more than half full, moisten the soil, place your bulbs on top. Add more soil, leaving the top 1/3 of each bulb exposed. I like to plant in groups of 3-5, depending on the size of my container.
Water bulbs really well after planting, to help them settle into the pot. Then, keep soil barely moist, no more than 1/4 cup of water per week. Amaryllis will do best in a relatively cool room (60-65º F) in bright, indirect light.
Here are a few sources for Amaryllis and Paperwhites I have used frequently in the past, both retail, so available for mail order. Both vetted, and respected sources.
Bluestone Perennials Holiday Bulbs
Pro Tips:
🔄 Rotating your container every few days will help keep your stems growing straight.
🪴Decorative containers that both enhance your home decor, and bring the outside in. Think Bark-textured pots, or ceramic containers that will host more than one bulb for a floriferous display. I love vintage soup tureens, or brass/copper pots for this. Just make sure you manage drainage.
💡Using moss tucked around your bulbs will add color and texture, as well as cover soil so curious kitties don’t dig in houseplant soil. It just adds another component of color, texture and interest, as well as help hold soil moisture in more dry household environments.
⺦Add branches, such as curly willow or other interesting, thinly formed branches, as both scaffolding to hold up heavy weighted amaryllis blooms, as well as structure and interest to the planting.
A Tribute to our Ed-Man
It truly all started with a Goat. Specifically, Edmond, or as he came to be known, Ed-Man. Ed was the first of the 2 goats we purchased, along with Lou, who has a different story and his own happy ending. I had always wanted goats, having fallen in love with them at various petting corrals visited in Southern California. Their sweet, gentle ways, and mildly inquisitive nature quickly won me over, and they felt like a good “entry” level pet for this new Farmer.
Ed-Man was a bottle baby, a lap goat, and a true lover of people. He would follow me around like a dog, and just loved being pet, especially around his horn stubs. Even though Ed was a wether, I thought I wanted to do goat cheese, and so we brought in the 5 Doelings to make a small herd. When it became obvious that being a cheese maker came with some very specific challenges, one a commercial kitchen to process dairy; two, managing baby goats; and three, twice daily milking sessions on end ad infinitum, we made the decision to keep our Goats as farm pets, and thus Laughing Goat Flower Farm was born.
Ed quickly became the leader of the herd, and as you may all remember, had quite a magnificent beard he grew later on, which was the result of introducing a separate, smaller herd that included a young wether. I think Ed-Man wanted Mr. Bean to know who was the Boss!
We have so many fond and fun memories of Ed-man antics: he really knew how to give Dr. Pete and myself a run for our money when it was time for getting vaccinations. He hated having his hooves trimmed, but he loved hogging the treat stand where the trimming happened. He was a bear to get on, and then get back off! Ed-Man was an escape artist, and even once led the herd out of the fence, around the barn, and straight to the Potager Garden to the freshly planted beds full of broccoli, kale, and lettuces that I had started in the Greenhouse, and they had watched me plant the day before through the fence.
Ed-Man was cheeky, he was funny, he was the protector of the herd, and he was a sweet boy. He is also very much missed, and we are still mourning his surprising loss.
Fall Weeding
Did you think the weeds were going to give you a break, and a free pass for the months of November - December, just because everything else is slowing down, going dormant, or waiting until things warm up? Think again.
Weeds, especially those that fall into the “Cool Plants’ camp, have adapted to sail through Fall and Winter temps with the greatest of ease. Some of these weeds thrive in colder temps, and while they may momentarily slow down aboveground growth, the roots are still partying. Fall soil moisture lends itself to easy pulling, and best practice is to get them out before they tuck under newly growing plants in the Spring, or they really put in deep roots, making your gardening job harder and less fun later on.
Winter is when I really tackle dandelions and ranunculus weeds, as they don’t have any issues with cold, and are infinitely easer to pull this time of year. Having a game plan is a good idea when you don’t want to spend copious amounts of time outdoors on blustery days, so if that’s picking smaller areas at a time, or choosing one weed varietal to eradicate, do what is easiest for you to manage.
Support Nurseries!
Nurseries seem to get flooded with shoppers when the weather is nice, and things are in bloom, which is completely understandable. We are all of us motivated to work outside when the weather is nice. Nurseries have to get creative with holiday shopping events to attract guests when it’s colder, darker and less attractive to buy dormant plants.
Fall - Winter is hands down the best time to plant bare root trees, shrubs, peony roots, all the things we think of when they are leafed out, in bloom, etc. How about giving your plants the optimal chance for survival by planting them when water is readily available and pests are dormant. Visit your favorite, local Nursery to stock up on foundation plants, as well as winter-loving perennials. Let’s keep our plant suppliers in business by supporting them year-round.
Plant of the Month
My Love Affair with Helleborus
I don’t think it’s any secret that I think Hellebores are one of the best Garden Perennials for the PNW. As a truly evergreen Perennial, you get year-round interest, and 2 main pruning cycles a year.
Marietta and Ernie O’Byrne’s garden and Hellebore nursery in Eugene, Oregon is the former breeding ground for the Winter Jewels® collection, which has been acquired by Little Prince Plants, another favorite of ours. A friend and I snuck away from a Grower’s Conference in Corvallis, OR to visit the Nursery on one of the few days they were open at the time, for a Hellebore Sale. It was an easy decision to make, as the conference was fraught with terrible audio/visual, with both mikes and screens shutting down to the point where you couldn’t hear the presenters shouting from the podium. We drove over an hour to reach the property, and spent several hours there, choosing Hellebores, walking the Gardens, and over an hour talking with Marietta about her breeding process. She was an open book, so kind, and at the end, she went in to one of her tunnels, and pulled out a few special plants for us that weren’t available to the public and let us take them home! Sometimes it pays to play hooky…
Marietta is the one who personally educated me on the 2 pruning cycles of Hellebores, and since she’s the expert, I listen to her! In the winter when old foliage is tattered, and starting to droop, and new tips are emerging, is the time to cut off all foliage, so that your plant gets rejuvenated, any disease spots are removed, and you can actually see the floral display that is coming. It’s a win-win, for the plant, and for you. Then, at the end of the flower show, typically late Spring-early Summer, you remove all spent flower heads. If you leave them like me, because you’re always behind, you will end up with baby Hellebores surrounding your plants. They will have to be moved, carefully, at some point, or they will likely crowd each other out. Other than that, simply remove any spent, dead, or diseased plant parts as you see them. Easy peasy!
A Tapestry Garden by Marietta and Ernie O’Byrne is a visually stunning book, by and for Plant and Garden Lovers, chock full of information, including Helleborus.
I’m grateful for Horticulture folks that follow their passions, and contribute to the industry in a positive, and meaningful way using their talents. Meeting and spending time with the O’Byrne’s was an unexpected gift.
Helleborus
Articles of Interest
7 Species that Need You to Leave the Leaves
Leave the Leaves to Benefit Wildlife
Legacy Effects of Long-Term Autumn Leaf Litter Removal
5 Ways to Boost Biodiversity in your Landscape
Dividing Perennial Plants - Why When How and What
Solutions to Common Bulb Problems
Tips for Dressing up the Autumn Garden
The Positive Effects of Gardening on Mental Health
Upcoming Zoom Lecture
TJ Maher, author of the newly released Grounded in the Garden, has graciously accepted our query to be our Winter Guest Speaker. This book is “An Artist’s Guide to Creating a Beautiful Garden in Harmony with Nature” and I simply cannot wait to hear him speak to us about creating gardens using color, texture and plants as palette.
This book is visually stunning, full of terrific photos, plant identification, and ideas for your own Gardens. My hope is that you will be inspired, and take away ideas and plans for creating your own gardens during this planning phase of the year.
TJ’s visual presentation will be one hour long, with time for questions and answers after. Zoom webinar will be on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at 9:00am PST, as there is a time difference with TJ being in Ireland.
This will be our first time hosting a Zoom chat with a Visiting Artist & Gardener, and I hope this is well received so we can continue to pursue this as an option for our Guests that are unable to travel overseas to hear talks in person.
Ticket Information
Annual Gratitude Challenge
Intentionally practicing Gratitude, consistently, can help one adopt a new perspective, appreciate our life, and spread blessings on loved ones.
While it may sound like a corny thing to some to do, taking a short amount of time to reflect, or do a good deed, can actually increase your happiness by 10% and reduce depression symptoms by 35%. At a time of year, when the darkness is settling in for the long haul, I can personally use whatever it takes to keep spirits lifted.
The benefits of this practice were researched by two psychologists, who assigned specific practices, that resulted in increases on a ‘happiness score’, which while not proving cause and effect, does illustrate that we just plain feel better when showing Gratitude in a tangible way. I don’t know that anyone needs a scientific research team to know or feel that: Giving Thanks Can Make You Feel Happier
There are 3 Types of Gratitude:
Appreciation - What we are Grateful for.
Thankful - Who we are Grateful to.
Expression - How we Express Thanks.
Let’s all make the best of our time, and show ourselves, and each other, a little more Gratitude and Love. And you know what they say: What Goes Around Comes Around, and don’t we all deserve to be a little kinder to ourselves and each other?
Setting the Table
Loving this idea from House and Garden, with lush fabrics enveloping the room, and gathered items setting a center tableau. Whimsigoth Decor Aesthetic
Maybe you’ve seen it: Instagram Influencers whose whole feed is filled with jaw-dropping Tablescapes that could easily break the bank, or fill one with envy if one was inclined to want all the things.
However, one of my favorite things to do when setting a table for a big gathering, or even a smaller, more intimate supper, is to Shop my very own cupboard, drawers and storage.
Here are some simple suggestions, as even Martha Stewart herself (really, her people) are saying this year is all about vintage table items, and what’s not to love about that?
- Using candlesticks/holders in unconventional ways, such as a pedestal for a pumpkin, fruit, or other objects.
- Pick a theme: I love birds, and collect vintage figures, and will do a table around various birds. Placing feathers in your arrangements, or on plates can be a fun tie-in, though make sure feathers are legally, sustainably, and ethically sourced. Feathers and the Law
- Using thinner hand towels as napkins.
- Fresh herbs on plates, Rosemary and Sage are terrific options this time of year, and really lend themselves to the flavors and scents of the Season.
- Fill a Vase, Compote, Bowl, whatever you have with Dried Botanicals as a centerpiece.
- Using water glasses, or bud vases, to do smaller arrangements with greenery from your Gardens, herbs, or dried botanicals.
- Pick a theme, and stack a few books in the theme color, or topic, then build a tableau around the theme using found objects.
- Make a beautiful dessert, plate on a cake stand, compote, etc. and place in the center of the table. Fill around the dessert with smaller bowls of fruits and nuts as decor, and to snack on.
- Invest in beautiful candle holders that can be used over and over, in a myriad of ways (to hold tea candles, as vases, holders, etc. We love Alixx and are hoping to add to our Garden Shop offerings.
- Shop your Halloween, Christmas, Easter stash - I’m guessing you have tons of items that can be repurposed here with a little ingenuity and creativity.
- Ceramic trinket dishes or small soap dishes make great pinch dishes for salt, or other seasoning and really dress up a table in a fun and different way than traditional salt and pepper shakers.
- Make a Dutch ‘still life’ and shop the grocery store produce aisle for beautiful vegetables and fruits that can fill a compote, bowl or vase, and will be repurposed into a future meal. There is nothing more fun, or beautiful, than using nontraditional items as decor, and with all the vibrancy and color of seasonal fruits (think pomegranates, citrus, grapes, figs) you can have an incredibly rich tapestry AND get your nutrition.
- If you cut spruce, or fir tips from your trees (never forage on other’s property without permission, and know the foraging laws for where you are located) make sure they are clean before bringing them inside to use as decor. You can make mini wreaths, swags, or even use sprigs on a place setting.
- See Article above (under Articles of Interest)
Victorian English vintage milk bottles turned bud vase set on a tray make for a simple and lovely display. Available in our Garden Shop.
Favorite Cookbooks
I’ve added a few new cookbooks to the rotation, and while I’ve been cooking quite a bit from the NY Times Cooking app, I’ve discovered a few authors who have come out with beautiful books full of simple, and delicious recipes.
Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Hueck
Lidey earned her kitchen chops by first working directly with Ina Garten (Queen), followed by a stint at The Lost Kitchen with Erin French. She regularly contributes to the NY Times, and her first cookbook was an easy choice to add to the library. Clearly written, tested recipes, with nice photos, so far all dishes have been well-received.
The Cookie that Changed My Life and More than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Pies that will Change Yours by Nancy Silverton
A James Beard award winning chef, restaurant owner, baker, and author, this deep dive into the world of cookies, cakes, and pies to present "the best' had me at someone else doing all the research, and presenting the creme of the crop. What’s not to love about the gift of not having to sift through literally hundreds of recipes to find the one you like best? Start here. Plus, Fall-Winter is Baking Time as far as I’m concerned, and baked goods make excellent gifts. Enough said.
The Garden Shop
Itoh Peony
Itoh Peonies are coming, along with Highlander Delphiniums, and a few goodies from Iseli Nursery, a wonderful wholesale-only nursery supplier out of Oregon. We are also bringing in some beautiful Pansies, which may be available in March.
Here is the list of incoming varietals and newly Stocked Items we will have available, so that you can plan for your Gardens, Homes and Entertaining.
Itoh Peonies
Bartzella, Danse de Feu, Duchesse de Lorraine, Gordon E Simonson, Haleigh’s Hallelujah, Julia Rose, Pink Double Dandy, Mock Orange Yellow, Scarlet Heaven, Simply Red, Scrumdidleumptious, Sequestered Sunshine, Symphonie Pourpre, Vanilla Manila
Highlander Delphiniums
Bolero, Cha Cha, Flamenco, Moonlight, Samba, Sweet Sensation (please note, our Delphiniums will be offered to our Guests that supported our Fall Bulb Program first)
Pansies
Ballerina Mix, Brush Strokes, Chianti Shades Mix, Frizzle Sizzle Raspberry, Imperial Antique Shades, Nature Antique Shades
Berg’s Pottery
Also available Spring 2025 is our incoming line of Berg’s Pottery. If you’ve seen Berg’s, you know these are high quality, beautiful, heirloom pots and containers that will dress up your Home and Gardens. Designed in Denmark, and handcrafted from premium quality clay at small, family-owned workshops in northern Italy and Portugal, they are crave worthy. If you haven’t yet acquainted yourself with Berg’s, you are in for a treat, and I’m delighted to start carrying this line for our Guests and can’t wait for them to arrive.
La Rochere
La Rochere has been producing artisanal glass in the heart of France for more than 500 years, making it the oldest continuously running glass factory in Europe.
The company is recognized around the world for designing and producing authentic, high quality glassware with French style for today’s modern home.
Updated for today’s lifestyles, all La Rochere glass is dishwasher safe. La Rochere designers and glass artisans collaborate to create fresh designs for daily living and special occasions. Inspired by French cuisine, culture, art and style, each piece evokes both casual comfort and modern elegance.
Upcoming Garden Shop Dates/Hours
The Garden Shop is officially Closed for the Season - we will reopen again in the Spring, when we have Tulips and other Blooms available, and are ready to open the Gardens again. Please note: we still don’t know what this looks like, so your patience with us is appreciated.
When we do have plants available, and you have purchased plants for pick-up, we will arrange those dates with you once we know when plants land.
As always, our online Shop is year-round, so if you are looking for the perfect Host/Hostess Gift, Holiday gifts, or just something for yourself, please check out our online Shop:
Highlander Delphinium
November Garden Tasks
- Finish Planting your Bulbs this Month
- Dahlia Care - Dig, Divide & Store
- Leave the Leaves!
- Finish Pruning Roses for Winter - after frost/leaf drop (prevent wind rock)
- Keep Weeding
- Save Seeds - label
- Clean up the Greenhouse
- Order Seed Starting Supplies
- Drain & store hoses
- Past Newsletter Access Here: https://laughinggoatfarm.com/blog/