A Fall Native Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, September 23 from 9am – 1pm at Kropscott Farm Environmental Center, 6523 W Baseline Rd, Fremont, MI 49412. There are no pre-orders, and cash or check sales only will be accepted. Fall is the ideal time to sow native plants for several reasons. The cooler temperatures and increased moisture during this season create optimal conditions for root growth and plant establishment. Sowing native plants in late fall also reduces competition from weeds, as most weed species are less active during this time of the year. This gives the native plants a better chance to establish and thrive without the need for excessive weed control measures. Overall, fall installation of native plants maximizes the chances of successful establishment and growth, leading to healthier ecosystems and increased biodiversity. The Fall Native Plant Sale will have the expertise of Ken Hoganson of Big Bluestem Farm Native Plant Nursery near Bitely. Ken can provide information for the best plants to purchase based on your soil type, and sun or shade and wet or dry conditions in your yard. He can also do a “site visit” for larger native plant installations to assure proper area preparations and subsequent planting for the best success. Attendees of the plant sale can view the Native Plant Garden in progress at Kropscott Farm as well. The Fall Native Plant Sale is being hosted by Big Bluestem Farm and the Newaygo County Environmental Coalition (NCEC). Questions can be directed to Vicki Alcombrack at Big Bluestem Farm: 231-923-0894, email - twelvepaws08@gmail.com. Visit the NCEC Events Calendar at the website: www.nc-ec.org; or follow on Facebook @NCEC2.
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Photos and article by Donna Iverson If you have ever walked or biked on the Hart-Montague Bike Trail, you may have noticed that some of the trees are labeled. Just north of Montague, one of the first labeled trees is a magnificent Black Walnut tree (Juglans nigra). Native to Michigan and much of North America, you can find it mostly in riparian zones. Riparian meaning along the edges of streams, rivers, lakes and vernal pools. Black Walnut is also monoecious, having both male and female reproductive florets on the same tree. During September and October, the tree drops mature black walnuts to the ground. They are covered in a thick husk which when touched leave a greenish-brown inky substance on your hands. It is best to collect them with gloves on. After collection, the walnuts need to be dried and the husk cracked open. Stepping on them works. For more details on processing, roasting, storing and cooking black walnuts, check out: https://delishably.com/fruits/BLACK-WALNUTS-HARVESTING-STORING-AND-COOKING Although Black Walnut makes a superior shade tree, it is a messy tree during the late summer and early fall because of these falling 2-3 inch nuts. But come October, the Black Walnut tree leaves turn bright yellow and it is one of the last trees to lose its leaves as winter approaches. Black Walnut trees can be grown from a nut. It will, however, be 10 to 15 years before they produce fruit. They grow a deep two root which makes transplanting nearly impossible. They can live for 150 to 250 years with trunks that are 3 to 6 feet in diameter. Heights range from 80 to 120 feet. As a lumber tree, Black Walnut is very valuable. A single tree can net $3000 in wood planks which are used today for furniture and cabinets. As edible landscapes become more popular, the Black Walnut can supply food for birds, animals and people. Songbirds that favor it include chickadees, bluebirds, wrens and nuthatches. Squirrels, raccoons, wild turkeys, and bears often seek its protection during the winter months. Medicinally, it has been used to treat skin rashes, diarrhea and constipation. The colonists used the wood for fence posts, poles and siding. Vegetable gardeners need to beware, however. Black Walnut fruit husks, leaves and roots contain a chemical called juglone. It kills any plants nearby, especially tomatoes. Photo and article by Donna Iverson In late summer, a bright red flower can be sometimes seen along rivers, streams and vernal ponds. It’s rare, and it’s a Michigan native called Cardinal Flower. As wetlands have faced threats to their survival, so has the Cardinal Flower, which needs moist soil to thrive. It is on the threatened list in several states including Florida and Arizona. Spotting it in the wild is a rare treat this time of year. And while it does grow in the wild, it is also possible to buy nursery plants in the fall or grow it from seed in the spring. A member of the Bellflower family (Campanula), Cardinal Flower grows fast and blooms the first year after it is planted. It attracts hummingbirds but not bees as the lipped flower has no “landing pad” for them. Varieties available at plant nurseries include Queen Victoria and Black Truffle. In winter, Cardinal Flower is just a basal rosette lying close to the ground. In spring, it sends up flower shoots that measure three to six feet tall. Pollinated mostly by hummingbirds, its multi-lipped crimson flowers appear in late summer and continue to bloom into the fall. While you might think it is named after the cardinal bird, it is in fact named after the bright robes of Catholic cardinals and in honor of the medieval Flemish botanist Matthew de L’ Obel. Note: The plant is toxic to humans and pets. Photo and article by Donna Iverson A recently-published book called Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design, offers a new approach to home gardening. Author Benjamin Vogt argues that gardeners need to return a portion of their land to a wild state. He urges homeowners to partially get rid of lawns and formal gardens and grow native plants in an open meadow-like fashion. And does this approach work in Western Michigan? Yes, according to a map prepared by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it does. Their ecoregion map designates Western Michigan as a drift prairie. Prairie is defined as open grassland not covered by trees and forests. Vogt urges us to start small and return a portion of our lawns to a flowering meadow or prairie. Clearing a space for this is not an easy task. Rototilling exposes weed seeds. Herbicides can harm pollinators. Renting a sod cutter to remove grass can be expensive and difficult to use for the average gardener. Other options include using dark plastic, cardboard, or newspaper to cover an area and kill the vegetation underneath. Finally, one can pull out hybrid non-native flowers and other ornamentals that are not native and start replacing them with native forbs. Examples include coneflower, coreopsis, Black-eyed Susans, goldenrod, Liatris, spiderwort, and bee balm. If you would like to see a recently-planted prairie field, visit the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve. There is parking and a map at the entrance to the site which is only a short walk for visitors. To learn more about native plants online, check out: https://bplant.org. It includes clickable ecoregion maps which list plants native to your specific location. Article and photo by Donna Iverson Hyssop isn’t a plant you will find in most home gardens. But you will find it in a Shakespeare garden, like the one next to the Hackley Public Library in Muskegon. Shakespeare refers to many Elizabethan herbs in his plays including thyme, lavender, mint, burnet, parsley, and of course hyssop. Specifically, he refers to planting hyssop in Othello, Act 1. An ancient herb, hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) is a member of the mint family along with other popular garden herbs like salvia, sage, lavender, and oregano. It is native to the Mediterranean area although it has naturalized in some places in the US, especially California. Hyssop is popular with pollinators, both butterflies and bees. Its fragrant delicate blue flowers grow on plants that average about two feet tall. It is drought tolerant, easy to grow, low maintenance and edible. It would add charm and fragrance to a cottage garden, rock garden, herb garden, patio garden and along walkways. It is happy to grow in a container although its extensive root system requires an extra large pot to thrive. It blooms continually from June to October. In the kitchen, Hyssop’s young leaves can be added to stews, soups and sauces. Commercially, it is added to liquors like Chartreuse and Benedictine. It is also effective as an air freshener and can be used in potpourris. Medicinally, a herbal tea can be made with hyssop that is used for digestive and intestinal problems as well as for respiratory infections and asthma. It is both antiseptic and an expectorant. However, persons with high blood pressure, epilepsy, or pregnancy should avoid it. And hyssop oil should never be taken internally by anyone. In earlier times and in certain modern circles, hyssop is referred to as a magical herb. Herbalist Michelle Gruben recommends carrying a sprig of hyssop in your pocket to protect against unkind thoughts sticking to you. She suggests adding it to your bath for the same purpose. And like sage, it can be used to cleanse a room of bad energy. In ancient times, hyssop was used to purify churches. While hyssop is not native, Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrophuliifolia) is native to the US. It grows along woodland edges to a height of six feet, usually in damp soil. Other names include anise hyssop and licorice plant. From The Friends of the Fremont Library Group
The Friends of the Fremont Area District Library are an active, vital, and beloved group that works hard year-round to support their local library. They do volunteer work around the library, including decorating each holiday season to bring festive cheer to staff and patrons, as well as fundraising to support library collections and initiatives. If you visit the library you will find a unique gift shop that is staffed by volunteers. In the store, shelves are filled with gently used books, brand new games and toys, gifts, home décor, and more. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Fremont Library who in turn use that money to put back into more fundraising efforts to multiply what they are able to donate to the library each year. This amazing group also hosts an annual book sale each year during the National Baby Food Festival as well as other smaller fundraisers throughout the year. In 2022, The Friends of the Fremont Library were able to donate the funds to get a “Library of Things” collection started at the Fremont Library. So far that collection includes yard games and board games, but will be expanding in 2023 to include more recreational items such as binoculars as well as household tools like a stud finder. How does a “Library of Things” work? Well, it’s pretty simple! You checkout the item just as you would check out a book or a magazine. The items, or a picture of the item if it is too large for the shelf, can be found on the main floor of the Fremont Library right next to the Large Print section. You take the item, or picture of the item, to the Circulation Desk, present your library card, and the item is checked out to your account for 1 to 3 weeks depending on the item. The Friends of the Library also donate hundreds of dollars each year to support the library’s Summer Reading Program. In addition to allowing staff to give coupons for free books from their book store, they also supply the funding for the Children’s Summer Reading prize books. The Fremont Library has hundreds of students finish the program each summer and collect a prize book so it can get expensive fast. So far already in 2023, more than 600 children have signed up for this program and usually around half of those make it to the end of the challenge. This year, the Friend’s annual book sale has more books than ever thanks to our generous community for donating their used books. Please stop by the library’s community room on Thursday, July 20th between 9am and 4pm, or Friday, July 21st between 9am and 3pm to shop the sale. If you would like more information on how you can join this impactful organization or for any questions regarding the book sale, gift shop, or other programs please call the Fremont Area District Library at (231) 924-3480 or stop by during their open hours! Birding Presentation, Cooking from Your Garden, Honeybees, and More Coming to Fremont Library
The Fremont Area District Library continues to offer lots of fun events this summer. Here’s what’s coming July 6th-15th:
The Summer Reading Program encourages families to read together so that kids maintain or improve their reading skills throughout the summer and enter school ready to succeed in the fall. Visit the Fremont Area District Library to get signed up and start earning prizes. The library will offer many exciting events to attend this summer, so visit www.fremontlibrary.net or the Fremont Area District Library Facebook page to see what’s available! This year’s Summer Reading Program is generously sponsored by: Baars Pharmacy, Blondie Blossom Boutique, Bruce's Glass Shop, Blades Hair Design and Boutique, CBD Store of Michigan, Dave's Auto Clinic, Elsie's Ice Cream, Excellence in Vision, Firestorm Gaming, Friends of the Fremont Area District Library, Geers Family Chiropractic, Gerber Federal Credit Union, Gerber, Nestlé, Koffee Kuppe, Lakeside Swirl, Meijer, Mellema Nursery, Moon Dance Café, Nieboer Electric, NCCA-Artsplace, Northern Rustic Designs, NorthPointe Gymnastics, Paulsen Heating & Cooling, Pizza Hut, Reeman Farm Equipment, SHB Gifts & Décor, Spanky's Pizza, The Original Print Shop, White & Associates, Tire Wholesalers Plus, Walmart, and Discovery Toys Pat Durham. For more information about library programs, visit http://www.fremontlibrary.net, or call 231-924-3480. Photo and article by Donna Iverson Marigolds aren’t the prettiest flower in the garden bed. Nor do they smell that great. But, marigolds are worth planting for any number of reasons. Perhaps highest on the list is their ability to protect your tomato plants from insect damage. They emit chemicals called thiophene and alpha-terthienyl which repels aphids, white flies, nematodes and tomato worms. Planted around tomato plants, they also form a snail and slug barrier. Marigolds are an annual, easily grown from seed. There are two kinds of marigolds, African and French. Despite their names, both are native to North and Central America. And both are members of the daisy family along with sunflowers, coneflowers, zinnias, asters and yarrow. The African marigold (Tagetes erecta) is the larger of the two, reaching 1 to 2 feet tall with five inch flowers. Also called the Aztec marigold, it is used in the Mexican holiday "Dia de los muertos" or day of the dead. The Day of the Dead originated from Aztec mythology to honor the Aztec goddess of death, Mictecacihuti. It was a symbol of life after death. The French marigold (Tagetes patula ) is not French, and it’s unclear why it is called French. It is shorter and bushier than the African marigold with smaller flowers. French marigolds are a symbol of beauty and creativity. In Spain, they were planted near statues of the Virgin Mary, hence their name “Mary’s gold.” When planting marigolds, they need five to six hours of sunshine. They are happy in containers as well as being planted directly into the ground. Occasional fertilizer and regular watering is all that is needed. Marigolds are considered an herb, as they are used both medicinally and are edible. The flowers contain lutein which is used to treat eye disorders. The flowers are also ani-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory. The orange-yellow flowers also contain carotene which is used as a flood coloring. And the flowers are edible. Marigolds attract pollinators like bees and butterflies and are resistant to damage by deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Finally, while tomatoes love marigolds, they are not loved by beans or cabbage and should not be planted near them in the vegetable garden. Photo and article by Donna Iverson As summer approaches, more and more old fashioned flowers are catching my eye. I’m guessing that it’s nostalgia for simpler times, or memories of my grandparents’ garden or their sweet fragrance and soft colors that attract my attention. Even today, many a garden will have one or two old fashioned flowers, such as …peonies, sweet pea, roses, hollyhocks, lily of the valley, foxglove and snapdragons, to name a few. Among the easiest to grow and care for are the snapdragons. Propagated from seed, they flower from spring to fall in colors of yellow, purple, rose, pink, red and white. Like many old fashion flowers, they have a sweet fragrance that is stronger at night. If you have a deck or patio, they are happy in containers and make fine cut flowers. As for pollinators, they attract both bees and hummingbirds. Varieties have delightful names like Madam Butterfly, Lucky Lips, Cinderella, and the Black Prince. Hardy in Zones 7 - 10, snapdragons are grown as annuals in Michigan. Depending on the variety and soil conditions, they grow two to five feet tall. They are native to the Mediterranean and western North America. Medicinally, snapdragon flowers are anti-inflammatory and have been used to treat external wounds. The flowers are also edible and can garnish salads and deserts, although their flavor is not particularly tasty. The name snapdragon comes from their tendency to “snap” when the sides of the blooms are pressed together. The flowers are also said to resemble dragon faces. Symbolically, the snapdragon represents grace and strength although some believe it has a dark side, symbolizing deception. In Medieval Europe, it was used to ward off bad luck. Time For The FADL Summer Reading Program
The Fremont Area District Library begins their summer reading program on Friday, June 2nd. All ages are welcome to come in and sign up on or after June 2nd to begin earning prizes for your reading. Children can earn a free pizza, free ice cream, a toy, a free book, honey sticks, Whitecaps and Griffins passes, and entry into the grand prize drawings for an RC car, birthday party at NorthPointe Gymnastics, a trip to Great Lakes Crossings, Detroit Tigers tickets, and more! Teens can earn free pizza from Spanky’s, ice cream from Koffee Kuppe, a free book, and for every book they read, they can enter for chances to win many prizes from local restaurants and stores. Plus finishers will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a $100 Meijer gift card! Adults can earn a free ice cream or drink from Koffee Kuppe, a coupon for seeds or 4-cell veggie or flower from Mellema Nursery, a free book from the Friends Gift Shop, and for every book they read, they can enter for chances to win many prizes from local restaurants and stores. Grand prize drawings are a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card and a $100 Meijer gift card! The Summer Reading Program is important in helping to prevent the “summer slide,” which is the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains they made in school the previous year. So grab some books, have fun reading, and come to our “Growing Together Now” (FREE) events this summer! Children’s June Events Our Summer Reading Kickoff party takes place in the Children’s Department on Friday, June 2nd from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Sign up for Summer Reading, make summer crafts, play games, and get a temporary tattoo! Storytimes for babies & toddlers (up to age 3) will be on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., starting June 7th. Family Storytime (up to age 5) will be on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m., starting on June 8th. Saturday Storytime will be on June 10th at 11:00 a.m. We’ll also show an afternoon movie (title coming soon) on June 15th at 2:00 p.m. Our very popular Discovery Tuesday programs will take place in the Community Room on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and last 45 minutes to 1 hour. On June 6th, a presentation called Be Kind to Our Planet (with live animals) will kick off our Discovery Tuesday programs. Mr. Jim will bring us Stacking Our World Together (Cup Stacking) on June 13th. From June 20th-23rd, we’ll have a Scholastic Book Fair in the library’s Community Room. Hours are: Tue, Wed, Fri 10:00-12:00 & 1:00-5:00; Thur 10:00-12:00 & 1:00-7:00. Dance for Kindness will bring us a modern dance/flow arts program on June 27th. All Ages June Events The Teen Summer Reading Kickoff Party will be on Friday, June 2nd, at 1:00 p.m. We’ll watch the movie 5000 Blankets, sign up for summer reading, and eat snacks. Paint a Succulent Planter (Registration Required) will be in the Community Room on Thursday, June 8th at 6:30 p.m. Doodling Nature with Victor Du Bois (ages 10 & up) will be on Saturday, June 17th at 10:00 a.m. Please RSVP for Victor’s class by emailing sgibson@fremontlibrary.net, but walk-ins are also welcome. Try your hand at pickleball on Thursday, June 22nd at 6:30 p.m. when we host a Family Pickleball Clinic at the courts outside the Rec Center. Paint Your Own Bookends (Registration Required) will take place on Thursday, June 29th at 6:30 p.m. For those that require registration, call the library at 231-928-0256. The Wednesday Readers book group will meet on Monday, June 12th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. The Non-Fiction Book Discussion will meet on Monday, June 19th to discuss Feather Brained by Bot Tarte. The Daytime Book Group and Young Adult Book Club breaks for the summer. New members are welcome to our book groups! Junk Journaling will be on Wednesday, June 14th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This is a scrapbooking and journal hybrid. Use up what you have and supplement with found, recycled, repurposed and thrifted items. For ages 10 and up. All materials provided. Adult Events The adult Summer Reading Program will run from June 2nd to July 27th. Adults can attend an event listed on their reading log and count it as one book read. We’ll have Ron Rademacher here to present Nature Getaways for Live @ the Library. This will be in the Community Room on Tuesday, June 13th at 7:00 p.m. We’ll also have a Movie Monday on June 12th at 2:00 p.m. to show 80 for Brady (PG-13; 98 min). Snacks provided! This year’s Summer Reading Program is generously sponsored by: Baars Pharmacy, Blondie Blossom Boutique, Bruce's Glass Shop, Blades Hair Design and Boutique, CBD Store of Michigan, Dave's Auto Clinic, Elsie's Ice Cream, Excellence in Vision, Firestorm Gaming, Friends of the Fremont Area District Library, Geers Family Chiropractic, Gerber Federal Credit Union, Gerber, Nestlé, Koffee Kuppe, Lakeside Swirl, Meijer, Mellema Nursery, Moon Dance Café, Nieboer Electric, NCCA-Artsplace, Northern Rustic Designs, NorthPointe Gymnastics, Paulsen Heating & Cooling, Pizza Hut, Reeman Farm Equipment, SHB Gifts & Décor, Spanky's Pizza, The Original Print Shop, White & Associates, Tire Wholesalers Plus, Walmart, and Discovery Toys Pat Durham. For more information about library programs, visit http://www.fremontlibrary.net, or call 231-924-3480. |
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