A really great trend in home gardening is the mixing of flowers and edible plants in

the same bed rather than keeping them separate. After all, vegetables can be

beautiful plants! For example, rhubarb has lush leaves and gorgeous burgundy

stems that can provide great interest against hydrangeas or any other flowering

bush.

The trend, known as “edible landscaping,”  can be visually stunning.  Imagine beds

edged with frilly lettuces and luscious strawberries spilling out of window boxes.

If you are looking for ideas, try flipping through Rosalind Creasy’s monumental

book that started the movement, “Edible Landscaping,” first published 30 years ago

and reissued in 2010.

In 2011, an estimated 30 million households had a vegetable garden – this is a full

20 percent increase from five years earlier, according to the non-profit National

Gardening Association. This is a significant shift from the post-war years when

edible gardens when they were considered a sign of hardship rather than showing

interest in organic produce.

When you next go to a garden center to buy plants, try thinking creatively and

explore putting together new and unusual pairing. Think of it as drinking a red wine

with fish — it’s absolutely wonderful!

URBANA – Nothing tastes better than your home-grown produce – and nothing is

more infuriating than finding out that you are sharing it with pests.

Pesticides are an important tool in pest management, but there are restrictions on

their use in school gardens or community gardens. The University of Illinois

Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) has prepared a new fact

sheet, “Making Pesticide Applications in School/Community Gardens,” to address

frequently asked questions, which is available at

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/psep/facts/?PageID=15281.

According to Extension education Ellen Phillips, to use pesticides legally and

safely, there are a few things you must know. For instance, the Illinois Pesticide

Act  may require you to obtain a license from the Illinois Department of

Agriculture to apply pesticides to gardens that are not your own.

“Whether you need a license or not depends on two things – what type of pesticide

you are applying and where you are applying it,” she said.

If you are applying pesticides on land that you do not own, such as a school or

park, you must have a license. If you own the land or if you rent/lease it, such as a

community garden plot, you need a license only if you apply a Restricted Use

Pesticide (RUP). Most of the products sold in garden centers or home improvement

stores are General Use Pesticides (GUPs). A license is not required unless they are

applied to someone else’s property. Pesticide type is indicated on the top of the

label on the product container.

For more information, please visit www.pesticidesafety.illinois.edu or call

800-644-2123 (commercial) or 877-626-1650 (private).

News source: Ellen Phillips, 815-732-2191, ephillps@illinois.edu

News writer: Susan Jongeneel, 217-333-3291, sjongene@illinois.edu

Expert gardener Amy Alfeld of Godfrey shared with me her method for extending

the life of potting soil from the previous season. She mixes last year’s potting soil

with equal portions of compost and humus (which can be either homemade or

store-bought in bags).  She then tops the new mixture off with a generous layer of

Osmocote, a multipurpose plant food,  and then plants her containers with annuals.

And judging by her beautiful pots, this method works!

Simple household items make great, green alternatives to harsh chemical cleaners.

There is something about the first warm days of the year that make us want to renew. And if that means deep-cleaning the carpet or vacuuming the drapes, then it’s time to throw open the windows and clean.

Personally, I am obsessed with baking soda. It is so versatile that I make sure we always have a large box around the house.

To clean, deodorize and unclog drains, first use an inexpensive Zip-it to get rid of anything that is physically blocking the drain. Then pour 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup salt into the drain and allow it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Next add 1 cup vinegar and watch it fizz up just like a school science project. Allow the mixture to sit in drain for 15 minutes. Lastly, pour in boiling water (I like a kettle full) to flush everything down and out. Repeat if necessary until the drain is clean and clear.

Use baking soda in your laundry to boost your detergent power or to remove grease stains. Either add baking soda to the wash load or pre-treat the stains with a baking soda paste (baking soda and water). Baking soda increases the effectiveness of chlorine bleach. You can add 1/2 cup to your laundry, along with the usual amount of bleach for added results.

Also, try combining baking soda and lemon juice for tough to clean areas – it works beautifully on countertop stains!

Although I haven’t tried this, you can make your own kitchen and bathroom cleaner by boiling down lemon peels to render lemon oil, add apple cider vinegar and store the solution in a reused spray bottle.  You can clean floors and countertops and even use it to freshen the carpet.

Happy spring cleaning!

I recently had Scotch Eggs for brunch at a St. Louis restaurant, and they were terrific. The waiter told me that Scotch Eggs have nothing to do with Scotland and that they come instead from England. The eggs were hard-boiled, wrapped in sausage and then deep-fried so they could be easily transported on picnics. The term “scotch” refers to preserving them, like the tape.

I spotted this recipe on our wire service and I thought you might enjoy giving it a try for Easter morning.

California Chef Jason Petrie’s version of Scotch Eggs is reminiscent of deviled eggs. He breads and deep-fries halves of hard cooked eggs, then fills them with a creamy yolk mixture augmented with pepper bacon, aioli, chives and lemon juice. They are served atop a bed of baby wild arugula and garnished with peppered bacon.

JASON’S SCOTCH EGGS WITH BLACK PEPPER BACON AND WILD BABY ARUGULA

4 large eggs

Bacon:

6 strips smoked bacon, divided use

1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

Yolk mixture:

1 teaspoon thinly sliced chives

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons aioli, see cook’s notes

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable oil

Breading:

2 cups fine fresh brioche breadcrumbs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour mixed with pinch of salt

2 eggs, well-beaten with 2 tablespoons water and pinch of salt

Arugula salad:

1 cup wild baby arugula

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste

Cook’s notes: You can make aioli (French garlic mayonnaise sauce) from scratch (using eggs yolks, lemon juice, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and a blend of 75 percent canola oil and 25 percent extravirgin olive oil) or substitute good quality mayonnaise augmented with a smidgen of minced garlic and Dijon mustard.

Procedure: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Hard-cook the eggs: Place eggs in saucepan in single layer and cover with cold water. Place on high heat and cook 14 minutes. Drain eggs and submerge in cold water.

Meanwhile, cook bacon. Place bacon on rimmed baking sheet in single layer. Top with brown sugar and cracked black pepper. Top with cooling rack to help bacon remain flat. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towel.

When eggs are cool, peel them and cut in half from top to bottom. Set whites aside and place yolks in bowl. Cut two strips of cooked crisp bacon into small bits. Add bacon bits, chives, lemon juice, aioli, salt and pepper to yolks. Mash with folk until smooth. If desired, place in pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Or if you prefer, rather than a pastry bag two teaspoons can be used to place yolk mixture in whites. Set aside.

Place oil in large, deep pot (at least a 5-quart size). Place breading components in three separate bowls. Place brioche breadcrumbs in one bowl. Place flour and salt in another bowl. Place egg-water-salt mixture in another bowl. Dip egg white halves in flour and shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs, coating entire surface. Heat oil to 350 degrees on medium heat (test heat with deep-fat thermometer). Once oil reaches correct temperature, deep fry breaded whites until crisp and brown. Using a long-handled slotted spoon, remove whites from oil and drain on paper towels.

Fill cavity of each white with yolk mixture. In a bowl toss arugula, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Divide between two plates. Top with eggs. Garnish with bacon slices. Serve.

Nutrition information (per serving): 340 calories (65 percent from fat), 24.5 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 300 mg cholesterol, 10.7 g carbohydrates, 18.2 g protein, 592 mg sodium, 0.2 g fiber

Succulents are more versatile than you may realize. You don’t need to plant them in the ground directly. Succulents can tolerate all kinds of situations in gift arrangements and bouquets where they’ll be happy for weeks long after the fresh flowers fade.

In fact, the fleshier succulents with fat stems can live for months in floral foam. Succulents such as echeverias not only root in the foam, they can live a long time with only water and an occasional feed.

Here are some ideas for gifts:

BOUQUET

Find a rustic urn and fill it with mixed silver succulents and pale pink roses. Saturated floral foam goes in the urn first. Then tuck in rooted echeveria rosettes, removing them from their pots and poking them in front of the urn. Pink roses go in next and then silver kalanchoe stems as filler.

Once the flowers fade, the succulents can be planted in the garden with roots, or in the case of the kalanchoe stems, without roots. The bonus gift: The urn can be reused forever.

TEACUP

Place saturated floral foam in a small teacup, poke in plump cotyledon stems and fill with white flowers. It’s a great gift: The teacup keeps on giving and so do the succulents, when planted in the garden.

REFRIGERATOR MAGNET

Drill the center of a wine cork. Glue a magnet on the backside. Poke a bit of potting soil in the cork and a sprig of your favorite succulent. Needs to be watered at least once a week, and the succulent should be planted outside after a few months.

QUICK GIFTS

Use candle votives as small containers for succulent gifts. A teaspoon or two of potting soil will keep a succulent cutting happy for a month or two. Longer-stem succulents are happy in water with cut flower companions. The succulents can be planted in pots or the garden after the flowers fade.

Photos by Kate Lucas and some information provided by Freedom News Service

Using summer-flowering bulbs in the landscape

URBANA – Using summer-flowering bulbs will add that extra spot of color in the home landscape at a time when spring-flowering shrubs and bulbs have been done for a while, said University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Richard Hentschel.

Calla lily

“Summer bulbs will provide different textures, plant shapes, and flower colors to the landscape,” he said.

Gardening catalogs and the Internet offer a great many summer bulbs to choose from. Some of the more popular are canna, gladiola, calla lily, elephant ear, dahlia, and agapanthus. Some are true bulbs, others are corms and tubers.

The main difference between spring and summer bulbs is the ability to survive winter weather. Spring bulbs go dormant in the fall and the bulbs, corms, and tubers survive in the soil in temperatures below freezing. Summer bulbs are more tender and cannot tolerate below-freezing temperatures. They flower well after spring bulbs are done.

Summer bulbs are planted once the soils warm and well after the last spring frost. Cannas and elephant ear need warm soil temperatures. If it is warm enough for tomatoes to be set out, you can plant summer bulbs.

“If you own a soil thermometer, check to make sure the soil is at 60degrees F orhigher,” Hentschel said. “Most bulbs will prefer a well-drained soil, so be generous with the compost. You can even create a bit of a raised bed, further ensuring good soil drainage.”

Agapanthus

Drier soil is also warmer soil. Compost provides nutrients and creates water and air spaces that increase both water holding and drainage at the same time. The continued success of any bulb will be the ability to store the reserves it needs to grow and bloom in the next season.

Gardeners who like to get a head start can begin to grow summer bulbs indoors, starting one to two months before it is time to transplant them outdoors. The summer bulb already has everything inside to grow, including the flower buds. Start with clean containers and a fresh soil mix.

“It will be better to start a little later rather than earlier if you are not sure of your planting date outdoors,” said Hentschel. “Planting the bulbs directly in your flower beds is just like planting your spring-flowering bulbs. Unless your instructions state something different, bulbs usually are planted at depths of two to three times their diameter in the soil.”

“Any bulbs you have grown ahead would be planted to the same depth as the container because the bulbs have already established themselves. Bulbs grown in larger containers can be used on the deck, patio, or near the front door for added color,” he continued.

Spring bulbs, corms and tubers will certainly add to the landscape and also to your fall gardening activities.

“Your summer bulbs will need to be dug up after the frosty weather has taken the foliage down and before the soil freezes,” he added. “Allow them to dry down and store in a cool area, above freezing but not too warm or they will begin to grow. “

Courtesy of the University of Illinois Extension.

Help for squashed soil

Whether your home was built a year ago or a century ago, the soil around it may be compacted, said University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Nancy Pollard.

“Soil compaction is the result of construction equipment, vehicles, and trampling by animals and people,” she explained. “While squashed soil is a pain in the back for gardeners, it causes plants even more distress.”

Seeds and roots need to be in good contact with the soil, but too much compaction presses the mineral grains together, reducing the air and water content. There is little room for roots to grow, and they cannot access enough nutrients and water. Most roots grow best in soil that is about 25 percent air and 25 percent water. Plants grown in compressed soils look stunted and drought-stressed, and they are more susceptible to disease.

It cannot be over-emphasized that soil preparation and improvement needs to be done before you plant. This is especially true for perennial plantings.

“Be sure the soil is dry enough to crumble when worked or you will make the problem worse,” Pollard cautioned. “Some folks create new beds in late summer and then plant a cover crop because the soil is usually drier, and it may be easier to work, than in spring.

“At any time of year, here’s how you tell if the soil is dry enough. Pick up a handful of earth and squeeze it. If the soil remains in a firm ball when pressure is released, it is too wet. Wait several days (without rainfall) before digging or tilling. If the soil ball crumbles when pressure is released, it is ready for working,” she said.

If the drainage is acceptable, you may decide to break up compaction. To prepare a new bed, till as deeply as possible once the soil is dry enough, turning in organic matter such as shredded or composted leaves, peat moss, or well-rotted manure. Sawdust in moderate amounts may be added along with about a pound of nitrogen for every 100 pounds of sawdust.

“Why is organic matter so good? It improves the condition of the soil,” said Pollard. “Water can infiltrate better and be held available for plant roots. The soil drains better with organic matter. It can keep nutrients from leaching beyond the reach of roots, or running off. Organic matter is not permanent; it needs to be added annually. About eight inches of organic matter will decay into about one-eighth inch of soil in a year or so.”

What about adding sand?

Not such a good idea, according to Pollard.

“Research at the University of Illinois showed that homeowners would need to add eight parts of sand to one part clay to improve the soil quality,” she said. “Adding less only allows clay particles to fill up between the sand particles, which actually makes the structure worse – more like cement.”

If water stands in the garden area, it may be better to build raised beds. When the soil stays wet, clay particles break away and fill up pore spaces, causing the soil to collapse and become even denser.

“A good mix for filling ground-raised beds is one part garden loam and one part compost,” Pollard said.

Article courtesy of Nancy Pollard, pollard@illinois.edu of the University of Illinois Extension.

Considered the favorite flower of the goddess Venus, the red rose has become synonymous with Valentine’s Day.

Poet Geoffrey Chaucer is credited with giving the day its romantic meaning which started with a poem he wrote in 1381, honoring the engagement of King Richard the II of England to Anne of Bohemia.

For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make.

Lace and doilies decorated Valentines became very popular in the 19th century because ladies would drop their handkerchiefs in front of the men they fancied.

I truly love red roses and beautiful Valentines but I also cherish receiving seed packets that I can plant and watch grow in my garden through the spring and summer.  So why not cultivate affection with a personalized packet of seeds?

Dianthus are perfect in that they are easy to start inside, and once transplanted outside, they manage our hot, humid summers with remarkably little fuss.

So give your Valentine a gift they can really dig into!

Judging by my garden, Punxsawtawney Phil got it all wrong this year. Leaving the house this morning, I noticed that my hellebores are blooming.

You may know the hellebore as “Christmas Rose” or “Lenten Rose” but it’s not a member of the rose family; and, as the name suggests the plant often blooms in late winter or early spring. That said, this seems earlier than usual to me, and I couldn’t be happier to see its beautiful flowers!

Hellebores are very hardy plants that do well in spite of the wide temperature fluctuations we experience. Like wildflowers, the hellebore creeps so it’s slowly spreading in my garden, which I find delightful. Its blooms are a very unusual shade of purple tinged with green  which I think are extraordinarily lovely.

The thick, shiny green foliage persists throughout the winter so that it adds color to the garden when everything else is dormant.

The genus is native to much of Europe, from western Great Britain, Spain and Portugal, eastward across the Mediterranean region and central Europe into Romania and Ukraine, and along the north coast of Turkey into the Caucasus.

If you have a hellebore in your garden, send me a photo at kbassett@thetelegraph.com.