Two 'Weed Out' Days at Mary Knoll Park! Saturday, May 4 & 11, 2013

This year there are 2 Weed Out days at Mary Knoll Park in Brookfield on Saturday, May 4th and then Saturday, May 11th.  Both dates start at 9 am  and finish at noon. We may be having a slow spring, but the Garlic Mustard marches on!

The first weekend's focus on May 4th, will be on pulling the invasive Garlic Mustard. It is already up and easy to identify.  Don't worry if you are inexperienced. As always, Patty Gerner will give instruction on what to look for and how to pull the weeds. (Usually Gary Majeskie from Park & Rec. Forestry Department attends too.)  It is a great opportunity to learn about these invaders so you can check your own yard for the pests.

On the second weekend, May 11th, the more hearty will help Boy Scout Troop 23 volunteers dig out the bigger invaders: Buckthon trees and (possibly) Honeysuckle bushes. Both produce numerous berries and are prolific spreaders. The Buckthorn trees shade and crowd out native plants and trees; Honeysuckle berries irritate bird's digestive systems and provide no nutritional value.

To help, give the Parks, Recreation & Forestry department an idea of how many volunteers to expect, call 262.796.6675 to register. (Not necessary. If you forget to call, come anyway.)

So consider joining the group this Saturday and/or next at Mary Knoll Park, 615 S. Sunnyslope Road, just south of the I-94 overpass bridge, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. I've been to most of the Weed Outs and it's always been an enjoyable workday, not to mention a great opportunity to enjoy a morning in the park and see the wonderful native plants that are thriving now that they aren't being crowded out by the aliens.

Wear gardening clothing and bring gloves.

Past Garlic Mustard Posts with photos:

2012 Weed Out Time (with photos)

Bushwhacking and Weed Out (with photos)
5th Annual Weed Out (with photos)
4th Annual Weed Out

3rd Annual Weed Out (with photos)
It is worth saving (pictures from Weed Out and wildflowers)
Oh, the shame! (photos and tips for evicting Garlic Mustard)

Weed control links: Garlic Mustard and garlic mustard's pretty cousin, Dame's Rocket. (It can take over native areas too.) Garlic mustard should be thrown in the trash and labeled Garlic Mustard: Do not compost.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, WisPolitics Quorum Call, Wisconsin Reporter, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation, VoteWatchWI, The Way <><

Invasion of the red and black beetles

Has your home and yard been invaded by 1,000s of small, red and black beetles? 

Mine has, and they are leaving blood-red drip marks all over my freshly painted white garage doors!

Though nowhere near the epic proportions of the plague of flies and gnats Pharaoh and the Egyptians had to endure in the book of Exodus, I do not recall ever seeing such swarms in my lifetime.

I didn't really know what these red and black beetles were. Fortunately, they seemed pretty harmless. And they were stupid--didn't even try to get away when I squished them with a tissue. They reminded me of a smaller, more red Box Elder beetle, and in fact, emitted the same odd scent that Box Elders did when killed.

A quick Google confirmed my suspicions: They were Boxelders--in the nymph stage! (Youngsters) This website instructed that homeowners "Take the offensive, and attack the fall box elder bugs to keep them from becoming spring box elder bugs." You can spay their swarms with insecticidal soap, diluted laundry detergent, or pyrethrin (chrysanthemum based) insecticides.

As for removing the blood-red drips on my pristine white garage doors, I used about a quart of warm water, 2T of Oxyclean, and a squirt of Shakley Basic H. The red marks, which I think are the drip marks from feasting spiders, came off easily with this mixture. Probably any mild soapy mixture would work. I rinsed with clean water, and the beauty of my summer work project was restored.

So don't despair, another webpage says only the mature adult bugs overwinter in cracks, crevices, and protected areas. The cold weather will put an end to them.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, WisPolitics Quorum Call, Wisconsin Reporter, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation, The Way <><

My very own Fox & Friend or natural rodent control

May I introduce you to my very own rodent patrol squad: Mr. and Mrs.(?) Red Fox! 

Yesterday morning, I saw one sunbathing in my backyard and quickly went for the camera to snap a picture. While I was focusing, another fox joined the first! They greeted each other with a nose nuzzle, and then stretched out in the grass to enjoy the sunshine. They stayed there maybe a half an hour then disappeared back into our woods.

Now we have had foxes in our neighborhood for several years-- they have been known to den down the street,  in a backyard near Kinsey Park. In the past, we would see one in or cutting through our yard from time to time. Earlier this week, I saw the first fox of the season streak across our yard, chasing dinner.  But this is the first time I have ever seen 2 full grown foxes in our backyard this early in the year. 

A quick Google informed me that Wisconsin foxes have their litters of "5-6 babies in March", and the pups don't go out on their own until they are about 7 months old. So I am wondering if these are the parents, as both the male and female share in parenting duties, and maybe their den is nearby--not too far from the kiddos? Time will tell.

As a gardener, I appreciate the excellent job they do at keeping the mice and rabbits at bay! Since they have come to our neighborhood, our mouse and rabbit problem has been greatly reduced. They also tidy up the yard under our Mulberry tree during berry season. Foxes eat small rodents, amphibians, and fruit. (Remember Aesops fable, The Fox and the Grapes?) 

But rodent patrol aside, they are just fun to watch, with their red coat, white jabot, and black stockings. So count yourself fortunate if you are able to catch them relaxing. Foxes are one of the joys of living in Brookfield.

Though foxes don't form packs and are only the size of a small dog--around 9-12 pounds--do remember they are still wild animals. Give them their space.  If foxes are in your area and you have small children or a small dog, do supervise them when outside.

Wisconsin Red Fox

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, RandyMelchert, Betterbrookfield, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, WisPolitics Quorum Call, Wisconsin Reporter, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Early spring means early garlic mustard

What a beautiful spring we are having. Though temperatures have retreated a bit from our unseasonable highs, I am enjoying the spring flowers and emerging plants--you can't beat fresh garden asparagus!

But unfortunately, our warm temperatures are also prompting the vile garlic mustard to make its presence known. I just pulled 2 huge garbage bags full from my own yard--and I didn't think I had much at all. So unlike last year, when the stuff was barely visible this early in the season, this year I am finding 18" plants that are beginning to blossom.

Now this isn't all bad. Because other plants are relatively slow growing yet, the garlic mustard sticks out like a sore thumb. I plan on following up in the places I yanked it from to check for regrowth. I will pull the large plants and Roundup the babies.

By the way, the official Mary Knoll Park Weed Out date is Saturday, May 12th, 9am - noon. Judging from my own yard, we won't have to look too closely for the culprits. In the meantime, keep an eye on your home-front for garlic mustard is no respecter of persons.

Past Garlic Mustard Posts with photos:
3rd Annual Weed Out (with photos)
It is worth saving (pictures from Weed Out and wildflowers)
Oh, the shame! (photos and tips for evicting Garlic Mustard)

Weed control links: Garlic Mustard and garlic mustard's pretty cousin, Dame's Rocket. (It can take over native areas too.) Garlic mustard should be thrown in the trash and labeled Garlic Mustard: Do not compost.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, RandyMelchert, Betterbrookfield, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, WisPolitics Quorum Call, Wisconsin Reporter, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Remember, Saturday, May 7th is WEED-OUT day at Mary Knoll Park

Though the temperatures might seem more like it is March or April, the calendar says it is the first weekend in May, and that means it is time for the annual Garlic Mustard Pull WEED-OUT at Mary Knoll Park in Brookfield.

If you have noticed, the spring plants are a bit behind this year (due to the colder weather) but don't worry there will be nothing for you to do--Garlic Mustard doesn't wait for the sun to shine to make its presence known!

If enough strapping men show up on Saturday, there might be an opportunity to do some BUSHWHACKING again.

Last year some Boy Scouts and their dads attacked the invasive Buckthorn trees and Honeysuckle bushes, clearing an area near the tennis courts at the park. These plants are a problem because they crowd out good, native plants. In addition, Honeysuckle bushes produce little red, orange, or yellow berries that look good, but actually irritate the digestive systems of birds. (The birds eat them and then suffer the G.I. consequences later!)

As usual, the WEED-OUT will be held rain or shine, from 9am to noon, on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

For those of you not familiar with Garlic Mustard...

Garlic Mustard is a terrible invasive weed that if left alone will completely take over any area it is allowed to grow in. Area residents, Patty Gerner and family, have been been battling this thug at Mary Knoll Park since 1997. Because of their efforts, along with the help of the annual Weed Out teams, the Garlic Mustard is in retreat and the native wild flowers are making a comeback.

I have participated in several of the Weed Outs and always enjoyed them. Unlike Bushwhacking, the work isn't difficult and Brookfield's Park & Rec. Department provides large bags and will dispose of the weeds too. All you have to do is come prepared to work. They will even provide instruction! (Photo from past Weed Out.)

Do wear your gardening clothes and bring gloves. You might want a kneeling pad or mat and a water bottle. Showers are forecast, so a rain poncho and hat might be a good idea. (Wet weather makes it easier to pull the weeds.)

Excerpts from the Parks, Recreation & Forestry flier:

Who can participate?

Any interested individual or group This is an excellent community service project for any organization, school or church group, family, or private individual concerned about the environment and the City parks.

Why participate?

To help our native plants and animals survive so that we can continue to enjoy them. Garlic mustard is an invasive weed introduced on the east coast by early settlers for its alleged medicinal qualities and cooking. In our community it spreads rapidly, overtaking wildflowers, native tree and shrub seedlings. It then drives out animals, birds and insects that depend on a diversity of plant species for food and shelter. To Register, Call the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Office at (262) 796-6675. (Registration is not mandatory, but gives us an idea on how many volunteers to expect) “Project Partners”: The Gerner Family, Boy Scout Troop 23, Brookfield Central High School Key Club and UW-Extension

Rain or Shine!

You don't have to live near the park to participate. One year a woman from the north side of Brookfield came to learn how to go about eradicating the weed from her neighborhood park. I think she was hoping to form a group in her area to work on their park. Great idea.

Mary Knoll Park is located at 615 S. Sunnyslope Road, just south of the I-94 overpass bridge, in Brookfield.

See you there?

Past Garlic Mustard WEED-OUT Postings:
5th Annual Weed Out

4th Annual Weed Out

3rd Annual Weed Out (with photos)

It is worth saving (pictures from Weed Out and wildflowers)

Oh, the shame! (photos and tips for evicting Garlic Mustard)

Weed control links: Garlic Mustard and garlic mustard's pretty cousin, Dame's Rocket. (It can take over native areas too.) Garlic mustard should be thrown in the trash and labeled, Garlic Mustard: Do not compost.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, RandyMelchert, Betterbrookfield, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Save the herbs

Last year, I decided I would try to save a few herb plants over the winter in the house.

My experiment was 2 fold: to have some fresh herbs over the winter months and to save the price of buying the plants again the next summer.

So I dug up the plants from my garden and plunked them into a 3 Cup container. (Larger would have been better.)

Outside of placing them in a sunny location (east exposure) and watering occasionally, that was the extent of the tender loving care I gave them.

While they didn't exactly thrive, they did survive. The photo was taken last spring just before putting them back in the garden. They also supplied me with fresh rosemary and the occasional spearmint leaves. The creeping thyme I found did not need to be wintered in the house; it survived outside just fine.

This year I brought in the rosemary and mint again, and I will try a pot of parsley too.

My other gardening experiment this year will be to move a parsley patch close to my back door and cover with a translucent plastic bin when the temperatures head to the teens and lower. Between the warmth radiating from the south side of the house and the hardiness of parsley, I should have fresh parsley for Thanksgiving stuffing and other culinary delights all winter long.

So what do you have to lose? The weather should still hold for today and tomorrow. Get out the trowel and save those herbs!

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Attack of the giant tomato plants

This year was the year of the tomato plant at my house. I have never had such big, beautiful plants. In fact, every time I opened the back door, it seemed they were getting bigger. Could it be they were trying to get in through the back door? ;-)

I planted about 14 plants this summer--not all of them grew as successfully as my back door buddies though. As I have mentioned before, my vegetable garden has some sort of virus in the soil; tomatoes won't grow there. Last year I tried planting them in a bag of top soil or pots. That didn't work well. The plants were puny and the tomatoes few.

This year I improved upon the plant it in a bag idea and got those large, sturdy contractor bags. I figured the plants needed more soil. I also enhanced their living conditions. In addition to the bag of top soil that I dumped into the contractor bag, I threw in a bag of composted cow manure too. The manure was the key, I think.

Now the plants I put in the veggie garden did do better than last year, but they still didn't thrive. They seemed to pick up the virus symptoms despite my use of the bags. (I think there might be a HG&D lesson there.) The plants might have become infected through the drainage holes I poked in the bottom of the bag or just from the proximity of the plant to the soil itself. It is also more shady where my veg. plot is, that might be a factor too. At any rate, that is it for tomatoes in the vegetable garden--next year I will just stick to beans, herbs, squash, and raspberries there.

But next to the house? Oh my, tomatoes sure like a sunny, warm location! It seemed the tomatoes I planted in the bags did the best. There are actually 5 plants crammed into that stretch by my back door stoop. (Yes, I know that was too close.) Two of the 5 were planted in the ground; the rest were in the bags.

So what accounted for the vigorous plant growth? I am now wondering if it was the back porch light? We leave it on all night. That night light might also account for the prolific plant growth with not-so-hot tomato production. Since tomatoes ripen at night, maybe the plants didn't know it was nighttime? Well, that will be next year's experiment. If they are going to grow so tall, I also need to rig a better tomato tower system. That tomato tree at Disney was truly amazing. Too bad our growing season isn't longer!

I did get some lovely, large tomatoes out of my garden this summer, and they are still coming; it is just never enough for my taste.

New varieties this year were: Yellow Grape, about 1 to 1 1/4 inch in length--very prolific, Hillbilly, a yellow and red stripe type yielding 4" diameter fruits, Pineapple, which was supposed to be red with yellow, but never did too much, Black Krim and Black Knight, two more of those dark tomatoes that failed to meet my standards of taste and productivity.

Out of the new ones, only Yellow Grape makes the cut for next year. I still like Green Zebra, Lemon Boy, Mr. Stripey and Aunt Ruby's German Green the best.

If someone out there has a favorite heirloom red tomato, please share. I could use a red one or two in my fold.

So how did your garden grow this year? What was your best producer? Inquiring gardeners want to know.

Past Posts: Making room for Heirloom Tomatoes!
Heirloom Tomatoes, Everything Old is New Again?

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Who ate my dill?

One day this summer, I noticed my dill was stripped clean in my vegetable garden, which disappointed me, to say the least. Upon further inspection, I found the culprit. It was a plump Black Swallowtail caterpillar! Somehow my disgust quickly dissipated into delight.

I quickly looked over my other carrot family plants like cilantro, parsley and Queen Anne's Lace, hoping to find more. Black Swallowtails feed on plants from the Parsley/Carrot family. In fact, some people call them parsley-worms. I didn't see any more caterpillars that day but decided to make a point of watching my little friend's progress from then on.

Since he had eaten all my dill, I moved him over to some Queen Anne's Lace. Two days later he had undergone a change; he had attached himself to a stem. The next day he started making the chrysalis, which became more colorful as time went on.

Fully expecting him to overwinter in my garden, I marked the spot where he was so as not to disturb it when cleaning out my flowerbeds in the fall. We then went on vacation for 2 weeks.

First thing I did when I got home though was to check on my guest. He was gone! I missed the show.

From my first encounter to the chrysalis stage took about 10 days. How long it took him to transform and fly the coop, I don't know. What I do know is, next year, I am planting more dill!

Although I did find a few more caterpillars in my garden, I never did find their chrysalises. I hope they have moved on to start the whole life-cycle all over again as well.

If you have never witnessed the unusual transformation of caterpillars into butterflies, you have missed one of God's most amazing little shows on earth. The intracacy of each stage and how different each is from the other is truly a mystery--a mystery I never tire of witnessing.

Want to learn more? Magiccanoe.com: Black Swallowtail caterpillar
Insects.tamu.edu Fieldguide Black Swallowtail (Photo of adult is from here)
Life Cycle of a Black Swallowtail Butterfly - includes info on how to set up a butterfly watching enclosure.

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

What is BIG, Yellow & Black, and Scary? (to some)

This being the first day of school in our area, you might have answered that question by saying the school bus! But my riddle refers to the Yellow and Black Argiope spider, more correctly known as the Black & Yellow Argiope, an orb weaver.

I discovered this beauty last week. I was about to pull the dried day lily stems from the sides of my driveway when I came across this splendid spider. Wow! Pretty impressive. What kind is this? I wondered. The stems can wait; I hated to disturb it.

Getting out my trusty Audubon Field Guide to Insects and Spiders, I found my mystery spider was a female Black & Yellow Argiope. They are fairly common, although I had never seen one before. The guide said the males were small, 1/4" to 3/8"; the females are much larger, 3/4" to 1 1/8", so mine was a biggie.

I thought it would be fun to keep an eye on what she was up to so I would check on her daily. The next day I say she had caught a grasshopper and wrapped it up for future use. She also dined on a yellow-jacket a few days later.

While trying to get some closeups of Mrs. Spider, I found she quick as a wink could switch sides of her web. At first I thought I was seeing things, but she managed to slip through her web to sit on the opposite side faster than my eye could see. I remembered from studying spiders during my homeschool days that spiders did not get hung up on their sticky webs, as she so adeptly demonstrated.

I also remembered spiders had several different spinnerets, so to speak, on their web spinning orifice. The food storage web is a different type web material than the web itself, for example. The heavier zig-zag web was made by the male, according to my Audubon guide: "Male builds web in outlying part of female's web, making a white zig-zag band vertically across the middle."

Some people might look at a spider as just an object of horror. (Obviously I don't suffer from arachnophobia.) I look at the spider and its intricacies and marvel at its design and the Designer who created it. Just look at their spinneret organ and think about that happening by accident.

Sadly, my Mrs. Spider was nowhere to be found yesterday, nor have I been able to locate Mr. I will check on them again today. I did notice a new web nearby with a new Yellow and Black, this one a tan variation. For more information, check out what the Bug Guide has to say. They have many great photos of the color variations.

Now if you are brave enough, take a look at the Black & Yellow in action. Relax, they are not aggressive and rarely bite.

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

Attention gardeners: Master Gardener Plant Sale Sat. May 22

The South East Wisconsin Master Gardener Perennial Plant Sale is this Saturday, May 22nd, 8am, at State Fair Park's DNR Area.

I had heard about these sales, but never attended until last year. My, oh, my, what an event! All I can say is GO EARLY!

A shark feeding frenzy comes to mind, but the Master Gardener's ran the sale like a well oiled machine. They have the plants organized by type and you can ask for directions.

Most plants are between $2 and $5 each. It was fun just to be witness to so much gardening enthusiasm, but of course I picked up a few things too. My treasures are pictured at the end of the slide show.

There is no charge for admission. I parked on the street, but remember you must carry all that you purchased to your car. Have fun.

Links: Practically Speaking, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, Jay Weber, Vicki McKenna, The Right View Wisconsin, CNS News, Mark Levin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

A peach of a year.... literally!

I was just about to give up on my 2 peach trees since I hadn't had a real harvest in several years.

In fact, I've barely had a bloom in recent memory. Was their absence of bloom due to Wisconsin temperatures returning to former colder norms, I wondered, after those warmer temperatures of the 1990s?

But this year I was pleasantly surprised: my trees bloomed last spring! The blossoms were sparse, but they were there. Pretty amazing when you consider our cold, long winter.

My peach trees are the children of a volunteer tree in my yard. The parent tree just appeared one year and I was fortunate enough to recognize the leaf as being a fruit tree. I am guessing a squirrel must have planted it either from a pit taken from an area peach tree or one scavenged from someone's garbage. Since the mystery tree was growing at the edge of my yard, I just let it grow until it matured enough to bloom. (I usually do this with unknown plants and have often been pleasantly surprised.) One year I was given a very unexpected Mother's Day present: my little tree was covered in pretty pink blossoms. It was a peach tree!

That first tree was a great producer. I picked several grocery bags full of delicious freestone peaches that year and for several after. Because my tree started ailing, and it's location wasn't great, I planted a few pits to start new trees. That is how I got my present 2 trees.

Peach trees are rather fragile. I had read that even in commercial orchards, they often only live for 15 years. Since my trees are the standard height, they want to get tall and leggy instead of being an easy to harvest dwarf type. Still, free is good, and homegrown peaches are a real treat.

We are on the borderline of the peach belt temperature wise, but there are some varieties that are more cold tolerant. Thankfully, my peaches were the freestone variety. I have never had to spray them or use chemicals either. My fruits sometimes have dots on the skins but this does not affect the inner fruit.

I have spotted a few apricot trees in the neighborhood, but never a peach. Maybe this fall during the great nursery stock markdown sales at gardening centers, you might decide you want to try your hand at peaches. If the tree is inexpensive enough, what do you have to lose? Give them a try.

This year's harvest of 50* or so fruits was enough to give me hope for future harvests from my 2 trees. I sure enjoyed those past years of bounty, having peaches-o-plenty to eat for weeks, share with neighbors, and make a freezer full of homemade peach pies. As most gardeners say, maybe next year will be the year of plenty again?


*Although my trees had a pretty decent bloom and weather cooperated allowing blossoms to set fruit, I lost the majority of tiny peaches in a strong rain.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, Breitbart BigGovernment, The Heritage Foundation

My Mulberry marathon continues

Mulberries: birds love 'em, so do the deer*; I think they are quite tasty too. But I only just had my suspicions confirmed: they are also packed with the anti-oxidant resveratrol. Best of all, they are free!

This summer, it seems that the ripe fruits just keep coming. I think we are past 2 months now and my tree still has plenty of unripe fruit in it. (Unripe fruits are white.)

I can't remember a longer production season, so I am beginning to wonder if our cold summer is the cause of my Mulberry marathon? Whatever the reason, the critters and I are enjoying their sweet, delicious fruits.

We have several mulberry trees on our acre lot here in Brookfield, and I suspect they were all volunteers - planted by the birds. (Some people consider them a weed tree but they are available for purchase too.)


The dark side of Mulberries is that the ripe berries that fall to the ground or via bird droppings can stain. So planting near a sidewalk or driveway is not the best idea. (Alas, our best tree is near the driveway.)


I have read that you can propagate trees by rooting a good sized cutting or planting seeds. Since our fruit producing trees are much too tall for a practical harvest, the animals get most of them. That is OK, I enjoy watching the Orioles eat their fill. If I manage to get some new trees started, I will plant in a better area and prune to a shorter height!


Outside of eating them right off the tree, putting them in a fruit salad, or adding them to a muffin or pancake recipe instead of blueberries, I have not cooked with them. I did find a few recipes though if you want to give them a try: Mulberry Recipes

The Mulberry has been in America for a long time. Cortez first brought the Mulberry tree and silkworms to Mexico in 1531. Later, early colonists imported the Mulberry tree in an attempt to start a silk industry in America. (Silk worms will only eat Mulberry leaves.) This industry never really got off the ground, but the trees provided plenty of tasty fruit.

There are many varieties of Mulberries: Black, red, pink, and white. I believe my trees are red. The berries ripen to a deep black-purple color (pictured), although you can eat them as soon as they turn red. The flavor varies depending on the ripeness. The lighter red ones are more tart. Some say they resemble a grapefruit flavor. The deeper the color, the sweeter they get. Once they reach full ripeness, they remind me of a Bing cherry.

Since the trees produce an amazing amount of free fruit there is enough for the birds, beasts, and us. I hope you give them a try. **

If you have a favorite recipe or way of using Mulberries, please share. I would love to add more to my repertoire.


*I don't really like the deer in the yard, because they eat my flowers and often carry Lyme's disease infected ticks. They do, however, at least clean up the dropped fruits.

**PLEASE, if you are at all unsure if a plant is edible, DO NOT EAT it until it can be verified. If you are harvesting wild plants with young children, instruct them NEVER to eat anything on their own.

Links: Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

My tomatoes not happy with chilly July

My, oh my, we had a chilly July. We only went above our average high of 85 degrees to hit a sweltering 86, according to Weather.com once and 3 times if you use AccuWeather. Out of the 31 days in July, only 4-6 were above the average low of 63 degrees, depending on which source you use. That is pretty chilly.

The chart on AccuWeather.com was rather interesting for Milwaukee. It shows the highs, lows, records, etc. all in easy to compare columns. Neither Weather.com nor AccuWeather show the high of 94 degrees on July 27 this year as JSOnline reported though. But we really don't need the charts to tell us this July has been cool, our gardens and number of blankets on the bed tell us that.

Milwaukee's all time high was 105 in 1934. In fact, the 1930s look like a hot decade. The next record high was 103 in 1995. I knew that without looking at the chart; that was the summer we remodeled and literally had half our house open to the elements. Yup, that means living with NO air conditioning and lots of mosquitoes. Believe it or not, you do get used to the heat. The mercury topped 105 at our house.

Most of us have not had our air conditioning on for much this summer, which is a plus when it comes time to pay our WE Energies bills. But the tomato plants in my garden are not so happy with all these good sleeping, cool nights!

Today I did find one tiny tomato that had fallen off the plant and had started turning a dull orange. It is a new variety to me called a berry tomato and is shaped much like a small strawberry. That berry tomato was my first inkling of anything ripening in my garden.

Any of you gardeners out there have tomatoes ripening? Do let me know if yours are maturing. I would like to think someone is enjoying a tomato mayonnaise sandwich out there. After all, it is summer.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Making room for Heirloom Tomatoes!

This will be my 3rd year planting heirloom tomatoes. If you have not tried any, make room for 1 or 2 this year. Their flavor is spectacular and their color and shape fun. I don't think you will be disappointed.


I tried several new ones last year and will be repeating some again this year. Repeats include: Mr. Stripey, Aunt Ruby's German Green, and Green Zebra. New varieties include: Box Car Willie (red), Caspian Pink, Black Krim, Old German (orange) and Orange Oxheart. I purchase all from Steins Gardens--they have a great selection.

Here is what some of these look like.

Mr. Stripey: Although the label shows red with yellow stripes, mine were yellow with red striping. Great flavor, pretty, and prolific!




Aunt Ruby's German Green: This one takes the cake!








The fruit was prolific and huge and had a wonderful flavor. It made an interesting addition to salads. I got 2 of these plants this year.




Green Zebra: A small green and yellow striped fruit. Good, tangy flavor.








Cherokee Purple: By far the most unusual tomato I have ever seen. It was rather mahogany in color. Can't say much about the flavor though. It did not produce many fruits, thus it did not make this year's roster.

Standard repeats are Burpees Lemon Boy and Sweet Cluster. Lemon Boy is a yellow tomato with wonderful fruity flavor, and Sweet Cluster is a small red salad tomato.

As I mentioned last year in Heirloom Tomatoes, Everything Old is New Again?, I cannot plant tomatoes in my veggie garden because of a virus in the soil. So I just cleared out more perennials from my flower garden to make room for my heirloom friends and also plan to try several in pots and planting directly in a bag of top soil. I will let you know how that works out. (I would love to try an upside-down tomato plant but have no place to hang it.)

Can you tell I love tomatoes? There is nothing like that earthy taste of a homegrown tomato. I can hardly wait for that first tomato/mayo sandwich!

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation

Mary Knoll "Weed Out" Saturday, May 2, 2009, 9am-12noon

Yes, it is that time of year again--plants are growing and greening up! Daffodils are blooming; Forsythia bushes are bursting forth with their welcome sprays of golden blooms. Unfortunately, the Garlic Mustard is coming up too. It's time to head over to Mary Knoll Park for the 5th annual Garlic Mustard Weed Out, on Saturday, May 2nd, from 9 am to 12 noon.

Garlic Mustard is a terrible invasive weed that if left alone will completely take over any area it is allowed to grow in. Area residents, Patty Gerner and family, have been been battling this thug at Mary Knoll Park since 1997. Because of their efforts, along with the help of the annual Weed Out teams, the Garlic Mustard is in retreat and the native wild flowers are making a comeback.

I have participated in several of the Weed Outs and always enjoyed them. The work isn't difficult and Brookfield's Park & Rec. Department provides large bags and will dispose of the weeds too. All you have to do is come prepared to work. They will even provide instruction! (Photo from past Weed Out.)

Do wear your gardening clothes and bring gloves. You might want a kneeling pad or mat and a water bottle. If it is a sunny day (we can hope) you might want a hat too.

Excerpts from the Parks, Recreation & Forestry flier:

Who can participate?

Any interested individual or group
This is an excellent community service project for any
organization, school or church group, family, or private
individual concerned about the environment and the
City parks.

Why participate?

To help our native plants and animals survive so that we can
continue to enjoy them. Garlic mustard is an invasive weed
introduced on the east coast by early settlers for its alleged
medicinal qualities and cooking. In our community it spreads
rapidly, overtaking wildflowers, native tree and shrub seedlings.
It then drives out animals, birds and insects that depend on a
diversity of plant species for food and shelter.

To Register,
Call the Parks, Recreation & Forestry Office
at (262) 796-6675.
(Registration is not mandatory, but gives us
an idea on how many volunteers to expect)
“Project Partners”: The Gerner Family, Boy Scout Troop 23,
Brookfield Central High School Key Club and UW-Extension

Rain or Shine!

You don't have to live near the park to participate. Last year a woman from the north side of Brookfield came to learn how to go about eradicating the weed from her neighborhood park. I think she was hoping to form a group in her area to work on their park. Great idea.

Mary Knoll Park is located at 615 S. Sunnyslpe Road, just south of the I-94 overpass bridge, in Brookfield.

See you there?

Garlic Mustard disposal info: Download

Past Garlic Mustard Postings:
4th Annual Weed Out

3rd Annual Weed Out (with photos)

It is worth saving (pictures from Weed Out and wildflowers)

Oh, the shame! (photos and tips for evicting Garlic Mustard)

Weed control links: Garlic Mustard and garlic mustard's pretty cousin, Dame's Rocket. (It can take over native areas too.) Garlic mustard should be thrown in the trash and labeled Garlic Mustard: Do not compost.

Links:
Practically Speaking, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, RandyMelchert, CNS News, Jay Weber, Mark Levin, Vicki McKenna Jay Weber, The Right View Wisconsin, The Heritage Foundation