86-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 15, 2003
Something For Everyone At Dairy, Silage Producer Family Day
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
LEBANON (Lebanon Co.)
Learning and fun activities for
the whole family dominated the
annual Capital Region Dairy and
Silage Producer Day at the Leba
non Valley Expo Center Thurs
day.
As usual a wide variety of
workshops covered silage and
dairy production and even of
fered pesticide updates, but new
this year were family life work
shops and day-long children’s ac
tivities.
Master Gardener Millie Diefenbach demonstrates
planting a culinary herb garden in a strawberry container
that is placed indoors during cold weather but can be
moved outdoors during warm weather.
Topiary workshop participants wrap sheet moss around
plastic-coated wire that forms the shape of a Valentine.
Backyard composting is fun, easy, and better for the
environment according to Master Gardener Lisa Havath.
Participants could choose from
the following workshops during
the four separate sessions:
• Pennsylvania Saves Program
and Family Financial Review
How to build wealth, not debt to
become an American saver and
learn basic financial record keep
ing taught by Sandra Hall, Leba
non extension family strengths
agent, and Winifred McGee, Leb
anon County Extension director.
• Backyard Composting
How to “grow” compost to enrich
your garden and a chance to
qualify for a free backyard com
post bin. The session was taught
by Master Gardener Lisa Havath.
• Soup’s On Recipes, dem
onstrations, gift ideas and even
taste testing was a part of this
workshop by Marcia Weber,
York County extension agent.
• Growing Culinary Herbs in a
Container How to plant a vari
ety of herbs to grow year-round
to use in cooking was taught by
Master Gardener Millie Diefen
bach.
• What’s New in Home Can
ning Nancy Wiker, Lancaster
County extension agent, reviewed
the latest in proper canning tech
niques. Participants could even
bring their dial gauge pressure
canner lid and have it tested.
• Topiaries Made Easy Mas
ter Gardener Jane Yocum taught
a brief history on the ancient art
of topiary. Under Yocum’s in
structions, workshop participants
made their own Valentine topiary
to take home with them.
• Desserts in Life “Look at
the word desserts again and
you’ll see stress,” said Jane Land
is, Dauphin County extension
agent. She gave tips for turning
life’s stresses into desserts.
• Pest Control Around the
House Participants were
taught how to identify and con
trol the top three household pest
groups, fall home invaders, wood
feeders, and pantry pests.
•S9S
Here are some instructions to
duplicate some of the projects
taught during the workshops.
Planting Herbal Garden
In Strawberry Jar
Master Gardener Millie Die
fenbach said there are four herbal
garden combinations, but select
any combination of herbs you
prefer to fill a container since
most require medium to high
light and similar watering condi
tions. However, basil does not
grow well in pots.
For those interested the combi
nations include the following:
• Tea Garden anise hyssop,
mint, German chamomile and
lemon balm.
• Salad Garden
chives, nasturtium
• Flavor Garden Purple
sage, rosemary, purple basil,
parsley, and nasturtium.
• Vinegar Garden Basil, tar
ragon, chives, and thyme.
For the demonstration, Millie
used English thyme, lemon
thyme, mint, dwarf sage, parsley,
variegated oregano, and rose
mary. Nasturium seeds were
planted on the top since they are
an edible flower and bloom pro
fusely.
Because a strawberry jar has
openings at different heights,
plants cannot be watered in the
traditional method. Instead a
pipe with holes or a cylinder of
chicken wire filled with stones is
inserted in the middle of the jar
before packing with planting soil.
She used PVC pipe and drilled
holes in it at the same spots
where the strawberry jar had
openings.
Fill the jar with planting soil to
the level of the bottom opening.
Plant herbs in the bottom layer
by sticking through opening. Fill
with soil to the next opening until
all openings are filled with herbs,
always keeping pipe centered in
the container.
For the top of the jar, choose
an herb that tends to spread or
plant nasturium seeds or other
flower seeds on top.
Fill the PVC pipe or chicken
wire with coarse stones to create
a filtering system that slows
water flow and allows water to
penetrate the hard-to-reach lower
levels of the jar.
Since clay pots absorb more
water, the strawberry jar should
be watered every day through the
PVC pipe. Feed with a liquid fer
tilizer in the water every two
weeks.
Strawberry plants can also be
planted in a strawberry jar or in a
hanging basket. The plants will
grow and cascade over the bas
ket.
Valentine Topiary
Supplies needed:
Ivy plant with trails
S-inch clay pot
36-inches of IS gauge plastic
covered wire (washline)
Sheet moss soaked in water
Floral wire
Potting soil
Newspaper
Wire cutters
• Stand the wire next to the
flower pot and mark where wire
meets the top of the pot. Gently
bend wire into heart shape begin
ning at the point marked. Leave
excess wire for support in the pot.
• Fill pot half full with potting
soil.
• Insert straight end of wire
into soil. Pack loose soil tightly
around wire.
• Pot a few ivy plants around
base of wire. Fill in with soil.
Bumet,
Master Gardener Jane Yocum plants a Valentine topi
ary. She said Egyptians an<| Romans first introduced topi
aries. They became increasingly popular during the Victo
rian age.
Soup’s on for Marcia
Weber, York County family
living agent, who taught a
workshop on preparing
tasty soups and gift ideas
presenting soup mixes.
Matt Grojewski, Womels
dorf, attends Dairy and Si
lage Producer Day every
year. This year, he enjoyed
the option of attending
family workshops.
• Wring out the sheet moss
and lay on newspaper to drain.
• Cut 12-inch pieces of floral
wire.
• Tear sheets of moss and
wrap around topiary .form begin
ning at bottom. Secure with floral
wire. Continue tearing and ap
plying sheet moss until form is
covered. Secure with floral wire.
• Wrap ivy tendrils around
and up topiary form. Secure with
floral wire if necessary.
• Moisten soil with water.
Allow to dry between watering.
Place finished topiary in medi
um light inside. During the grow
ing season, the topiary can be
placed outside in the shade.
Dr. Winifred McGee
teaches workshop partici
pants how to build wealth,
not debt.