Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday November 5, 2009

Thursday, November 5, 2009

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday November 5, 2009

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Advice from Carolyn Hax

Gardening Daily Tips
For You
Thursday November 5, 2009

Lavender, English (Lavandula angustifolia)
Q&A: Candied Flowers
Q&A: Morning Glories in Containers
Tip: Clean Bird Feeders
Wine and Dine Daily Video
Reader Photos

Lavender, English (Lavandula angustifolia)

Today's Featured Plant
Lavender, English (Lavandula angustifolia)

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Q&A: Candied Flowers

Question: I grow several edible flowers in my garden such as nasturtium, pansies, and borage. Could you offer a recipe for making candied flowers?

Answer: Most people know about candied violets, but many other edible flowers, such as rose petals and those on your list can also be candied. Recipes vary, but the key elements to creating candied flowers are egg white and superfine granulated sugar. Bear in mind that you are taking a chance with Salmonella when eating any part of a raw egg. Knowing the risk involved, you can decide if you want to go ahead with making the candied flowers. A recipe in the book Edible Flowers by Cathy Wilkinson Barash calls for adding a few drops of 100 proof vodka to beaten egg white. Whichever recipe you use, paint the egg white mixture on the flower with a thin artist's pain brush, then gently sprinkle the flower with sugar and place on parchment paper to dry. It also goes without saying that you should only eat flowers that have not been treated with pesticides.

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Q&A: Morning Glories in Containers

Question: I would like to grow some annual vines on a trellis on my small back porch. Can I grow morning glories in a container for this purpose? What size pot should I use for two or three plants?

Answer: Most plants adapt to containers without problem, especially annuals. I'd use at least a one-gallon container for a few plants, or even a window box set on the porch. Be sure to use a potting mix rather than soil from the garden, and keep an eye on the pots in warm weather because they dry out quickly. If you use a self-watering pot or other automatic watering device you won't have to be quite as vigilant. You may want to use slightly larger containers, and plant some shrubby annuals in front of the vines, to hide any yellowing lower leaves.

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Tip: Clean Bird Feeders

Clean out birdhouses used in summer. Fill feeders to attract winter birds as soon as freezing temperatures set in or snow covers the ground. Don't forget to provide water for birds, too.

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Wine and Dine Daily Video

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-- From the ArcaMax editors

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Sincerely,
ArcaMax Editors