Christmas Jewel® Holly PP14477 Wards Off Evil Spirits

Ever wonder why Decembers are typically filled with evergreen swags and holly wreaths with bright red berries? The color red was revered as the color against evil and the evergreen quality was believed to keep evil spirits away during the dark part of the year.  Red rosehips, red mountain ash, red haws of hawthorns and particularly red holly berries, have long been hung around house doors and windows and on barns and livestock fences to keep people and animals safe.

Holly, plant of power, was thought to ward off the evil eye and to provide protection during the dark of the year. Ancient Romans associated holly with Saturn, their god of time, justice and strength and gifts of holly were given during Saturnalia. In the first century C.E., Pliny the Elder, author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, wrote that Holly planted by the house kept away witchcraft.

Celtic people used the fresh, evergreen, undying holly leaves and branches to adorn their homes during the Winter solstice and to crown their Celtic chieftains. They believed that fairies would take shelter in the evergreen branches and bring good luck because of the hospitality. 

Holly’s protection was also adopted by the early Christian church. Holly was known as holy tree or Christ thorn, while the name, holly, comes from the Old English holm or holen. Prickly holly with its red berries like drops of blood commemorated Christ’s Crown of Thorns. Other legends told that the berries had been white before Christ’s blood stained them red, or that the Cross was made of wood from the holly. Another Christian parable told how holly miraculously grew leaves in order to hide the Holy Family from Herod’s soldiers, and afterward it became evergreen in gratitude.

In medieval times, holly was used medicinally for ailments including arthritis, kidney stones and bronchitis, and was calming for meditation. Holly’s apotropaic power was used to preserve children from whooping cough if they drank milk out of a cup carved from the close-grained white holly wood, and holly joined with bittersweet cured “hag-ridden’ horses and stopped their abuse by pixies, elves and little folk.

As late as 1640 John Parkinson wrote about holly in his Theatrum Botanicum that ‘the branches with berries are used at Christmas-tide to decke our houses withall, but that they should defend the house from lightning and keepe themselves from witchcraft. . . .’

In the twenty-first century, keep the traditions alive while beautifying your landscape with Christmas Jewel® Holly PP14477, renowned for large, brilliant red berries and glossy foliage. Plant several Christmas Jewel(R) shrubs in order to have plenty of berried holly boughs to cut for treasured winter decorations for years to come.

http://www.gardendebut.com/christmas-jewel-holly.php

Lore adapted from The Englishman's Flora, Geoffrey Grigson, J.M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1953, London.

How To Dry Nantucket Blue™ Hydrangea Flowers for Winter Arrangements

The ocean of fresh blue blooms in the landscape all summer is provided by long-lasting NantucketBlue™ Hydrangea.

Nantucket Blue™ prolongs the display,continuing with fresh flowers for months. Unlike common hydrangeas, this unique beauty blooms repeatedly on new growht throughout the growing seson and may bloom from early summer well into early fall. 

However, even Nantucket Blue™ will not go on forever. A great option is to preserve those blue mopheads for winter arrangements by drying when the flower heads are fully mature and beginning to dry on the shrubs.  

Step 1

Evaluate blossoms. In order to dry without wilting, flowers should be fully mature, beginning to dry on the plant, with the first few florets just beginning to brown

Step 2

Cut blossoms with about a foot of stem

Step 3

Strip the leaves

Step 4

Place in a vase and dry in place, or else hang upside down to dry. Some swear by adding an inch of water and allowing the flowers to slowly dry as the water evaporates.

These dried flowers will retain the rich New England Blue for years if they are kept out of direct sunlight. Mix them in dried arrangements, or wire the flowerheads into wreaths on a springtime will wreath.  

If you like the flower form but don’t need the blue color, and you wish the flowers to remain flexible, a second option is to dry using glycerin. Prepare the flower stems as before, but put in a vase with room temperature water, Meanwhile, mix glycerin from the craft supply store with hot water, fill a roomy vase and allow to cool to lukewarm. Add the hydrated hydrangeas to the glycerin mixture, and when they are leathery golden brown they are ready. (Note: the remaining glycerin mixture can be re-used..) 

Post photos of your dried Nantucket Blue(TM) Hydrangea creations on the Garden Debut(TM) Facebook Page. 

Photos courtesy Garden Debut(R), Wiki Commons, HydrangeasHydrangeas.com AnemoneWeddingBouquet.Blog 

How to Make Gardenia Perfume Oil with Crown Jewel(R) Gardenia PP19896

Fragrance is a highly prized feature in my garden. I select plants and shrubs based on their fragrances, such as the new perfumed Crown Jewel Gardenia PP19896 or the compact lemony Teddy Bear® MagnoliaPP13049, both from Garden Debut®. In addition to enjoying them on garden strolls, I have been using these flowers for more than thirty years to make fragrant gifts like potpourri, flower infusions and essential oils for use in herb crafts and perfumery.

Gardenia Perfume Oil, akso known as Scented Flower Infusion or Enfleurage

Making gardenia perfume oil, also known as flower infusion or enfleurage, is the craft of steeping flowers in a carrier oil in order to remove the scent from the petals and deposit it in the oil. It is a method of making essential oil or perfume oil by extracting the fragrance from selected scented flowers such as fresh gardenias submerging them in pure oil because they are too fragile to withstand heat-facilitated extraction.

Historically, flowers and fats (even rendered lard) were placed between glass sheets and pressed. Fat-soluble fragrance molecules in the thick petals dissolve and transfer their fragrance from the flowers into the oil they are soaking in. (Water-soluble fragrance molecules will not dissolve using this method; steam distillation is an entirely different process.) Essentialoilscompany.com notes that rose oil is a yellow or colorless liquid and the major component, phenyl-ethyl alcohol, is extracted from the petals in distillation. 

Some recipes indicate specialty non-scented oils such as coconut, jojoba, almond, grape seed or safflower oil, later fixed with Vitamin E oil, but beginners can use any oil (such as baby oil or even hydrogenated vegetable fat such as Crisco) to try out the technique.

How to Make Flower Perfume Oil using Crown Jewel(R) Gardenia PP19896

Collect perfumed flowers 

 Remove green calyxes, leaving petals

 Place flowers in a ceramic bowl or glass jar 

 Bruise or macerate petals slightly with a wooden spoon

 Submerge them in a small quantity of non-scented oil; a ceramic bowl or mason jar is good for this step

Cover with a cup of oil and steep for a few days  

Remove the first batch of fragrant petals using a very fine stainless steel tea strainer and repeat adding fresh petals, but re-using the same oil to increase the fragrance intensity

Strain any remaining petals or fragments from the oil using the stainless steel strainer; can add a small amount of vitamin E or tocopherol as a preservative

Bottle the finished flower perfume oil in a tightly closed glass bottle or an eyedropper bottle

Store at an even, cool temperature such as a fruit cellar

Use the gardenia enfleurage sparingly to scent dry potpourri, Epsom salts for the bath or glycerin hand lotion.  Or add a small amount to high-test (150-proof or higher) alcohol to make cologne out of the infused oil.   

In addition to gardenia flowers, magnolias, roses, lily-of-the-valley, lavender, lilacs and whatever fragrant flowers which appeal to the crafter can be used. All the aromatic herbs such as sweet marjoram, lemon verbena, oregano, basil, plus spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves, may all be used to scent oils. On the internet today, Deborah Dolen points out that even saw dust (albeit from scented woods), can be used to make a perfume in a fatty Effleurage method.  So give it a whirl.  

 I have a library of books on the topic of fragrant crafts and perfumes dating back to Ann Tucker Fettener’s Potpourri, Incense and Other Fragrant Concoctions published by Workman in 1977; Edwin T. Morris, Fragrance, the Story of Perfume from Cleopatra to Chanel by E.T. Morris & Company in 1984; Guiseppe Donato and Monique Seefried’s The Fragrant Past put out in association with an exhibition by Emory University Museum of Art and Archeology in 1989; Gail Duff’s Personalized Perfumes by Simon and Schuster in 1994; and Donna Maria’s Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotions by Storey Books in 2000 (to name just a few my dozens). Each adds a different perspective or contributes additional knowledge to the mix. I'd like to hear about your crafting! 

Extremely Versatile Crystal Falls® Mondo Grass PP17430

Some plants are more versatile than others. Giant Lily Turf, Mondo Grass or Ophiopogon jaburan is a grassy-looking plant that is actually in the lily family.

Outdoor Groundcover

It grows well outdoors as an evergreen groundcover or lawn substitute in areas that are too shady for turf. For example, as the lawn thins out under a tree or in the constant shade of a house, Mondo Grass is the perfect choice to provide a fine texture with its clumps of narrow leaves. In the southeast, it is well-known as an edger for pine islands or perennial beds, and it is also striking in rockeries. Crystal Falls® Mondo Grass PP17430 Ophiopogon jaburan has sparkling white flowers and is a great choice for all of these landscape applications, with its narrow leaves growing 24-30 inches in length. Sparkling white flowers in July to September change to dark blue berries by November for an added ornamental feature.

Houseplant

Mondo grass also doubles as a tough indoor houseplant. The fact that it is disease- resistant and practically pest free is one plus. Because it grows outdoors in shade, it is ideal for the lowered light levels indoors, another plus. In its role as a houseplant, it can be planted in mixed containers as a dark green evergreen “grass” in the tall- to mid-range in height, or in hanging baskets accompanied by trailers like sweet potato vine or fan flower. The bonus here is that Crystal Falls® Mondo Grass PP17430 contributes white flowers in late summer.

Aquatic Plant

Purveyors of aquatic plants suggest that both Ophiopogon japonica and Ophiopogon jaburan (like Crystal Falls) be used for aquariums, terrariums and bog plantings. The blunt-edged grassy leaves emerge in clumps and are particularly desirable because they resemble ocean kelp when planted submerged in aquariums. The consensus on the internet is that they last underwater for months (!), rooting in the pebbles at the bottom, but ultimately need to be changed out.

                                                                                              Caption: Mondo grass second from left

Let’s hear how you use Crystal Falls® Mondo Grass PP17430 from Garden Debut(R) – indoors or out. 

Extraordinary History Behind Twist of Lime™ Abelia

 Twist of Lime™ Abelia’s backstory is an enthralling one of arrogance and disappointment.

The genus contains about 30 species. It was named for noted British physician and naturalist-author on China, Dr. Clarke Abel, 1780 – 1826, who served as Chief Medical Officer and Naturalist to the Embassy of Lord Amherst at the Court of Peking and in Canton in 1816-17.  During this time there was resentment on the part of the Chinese due to perceived British arrogance and because of British involvement in the opium trade. The British were technically limited in plant collection to the Portuguese-controlled island of Macao.

In his role as naturalist, Dr. Abel had collected many unfamiliar plants and seeds, all new to Western science at the time. He also wrote a book of his observations and corresponded with renowned English botanist Sir Joseph Banks.

Lord Amherst’s objective in China was to improve British-Sino relations. To this end, the Embassy staff traveled to the capital, and Abel made detailed observations and collected wild and cultivated plants along the way. However, the mission backfired when Amherst refused to kowtow to the Chinese Emperor and the entire party was banished from China. Before departing on the hazardous journey back to England, Abel entrusted a small portion of his extensive botanical collection to a colleague, Sir George Staunton.

The ship ran aground on uncharted reefs and was badly damaged, causing some of the cargo to be jettisoned, including Abel’s botanical collection. Returning to the site the next day to try and rescue some of the botanical chests, they were attacked and captured by Malay pirates. Eventually, Abel did make it back to England and Staunton returned the remaining small portion of Abel’s collection. One of the specimens was named Abelia chinensis in Abel’s honor posthumously in 1844, and is an ancestor of Twist of Lime™ Abelia. .

Meanwhile, Robert Fortune, another famous plant collector, was also sending back live specimens from China, including one that later would be named Abelia uniflora. The first Abelia chinensis x A. uniflora crosses were made at the Rovelli Nursery in Italy producing a hybrid named Abelia x grandiflora in 1886 and was the best Abelia of its time.

This is the fascinating history behind my favorite Abelia, Abelia x grandiflora, Twist of Lime™ by Garden Debut®. I’ve planted my Twist of Lime™ Abelia an area of the garden I call the “golden triangle” planted with specimens having gold or yellow variegation or yellow flowers. In the photo, Twist of Lime™ Abelia is in the foreground, flanked by Euphorbia x martini ‘Ascot Rainbow’  and Forsythia koreana ‘Ilgwang’.  The brilliant leaves of Twist of Lime™ is perfect for lighting up the partial shade. Other landscape uses for Twist of Lime™ Abelia include specimen plantings in gardens and/or in a mixed border with other shrubs, as a low, informal hedge plant, or as a cascade.

The honey-scented, tubular blossoms of Twist of Lime™ Abelia are one of my greatest butterfly and hummingbird attractors, and are actually edible in salads or candied. In Astrological reports, the shrub Abelia is placed under the dominion of the planet Moon, if you go for that sort of thing. Folklore tells that many baby girls were named after the plant Abelia because of its continually fresh, evergreen nature. Post a photo if you’re growing Twist of Lime™ Abelia too.

White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea Invites History to the Garden

Now and then the landscape gardener comes across a must-have shrub that fits nicely into smaller scale urban and intown gardens. First choice this spring is White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea from Garden Debut®. White Frost™ is named for the fountains of white flowers that cover the plant each spring like a beneficent late frost. Flat-topped corymbs composed of tiny white flowers envelope the shrub’s arching branches and closely resemble another Spirea known as Bridalwreath.

In days gone by, brides cut the arching branches of Spirea and wove them into bridal crowns that lasted only a day. Since Spirea and Hawthorn were annually in bloom around the first of May, they were often selected as the flowers of choice. The flower crowns were employed still earlier in the Celtic festival of Beltane, a spring-time festival of optimism mid-way between the Spring Equinox and Midsummer Night.

A Queen of the May was crowned on the church steps each year, with the ritual circular crown signifying both virginity and the unending cycle of the seasons. Fertillity of crops and livestock was an important aspect of the agrarian society, and  the hanging of May Boughs on the doors and windows of houses and barns and in farmyards was observed, often composed of Hawthorn or Mountain Ash. In the garden the flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, pollinators and birds.

Bring history into your garden with White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea, a compact, mounded, dense shrub maturing at about 3 feet tall and wide. This tough-as-nails, spring-flowering shrub is also known for its striking fall color. Enjoy a second season of color each autumn with its long-persistent bronze, purple, yellow-gold and red fall foliage colors. Landscape uses of this durable, romantically old-fashioned shrub include low hedges, foundation plantings or containers.

Visit Garden Debut® Retailers Page and click on your state to find a retailer nearby who is carrying White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea.

Ruthie’s Bridal Wreath Blog http://ruthie822.blogspot.com/2009/05/bridal-wreath.html

How to Make Lilac Sugar with Sweet Treat™ Lilac

I am enamored of fragrance in the garden. Poetry is written and paintings are painted in celebration of the rose, the sweet violet, lavender, heliotrope, gardenia, jasmine, magnolia and especially the lilac. In addition to transforming my garden into a pleasure, one of my favorite uses for all this sweetness is flower-scented sugar made with lilac or lavender whole lowers, or with petals from violets or fragrant roses. Flower sugar is useful in teas, sugar cookies, pound and angel food cakes, coffee cake and blueberry muffins.

Though I am the strongest proponent of fragrance in the garden and always opt for fragrance over many other characteristics, until now I had been bereft of the perfume of lilacs. The common lilac just doesn’t thrive in my Zone 8A Atlanta garden. Until now! Enter Sweet Treat™ Lilac, an improved form of the well-known variety of Miss Kim Lilac, Syringa pubescens subsp. patula from Garden Debut®. It grows well in a wide range of soil conditions and is hardy in Zones 3-8, making it the most versatile lilac in the country.


Sweet Treat™ reliably displays clean foliage and vigor with no disease or die-back even during the hottest Atlanta summer temperatures that normally sound the death knell for the older varieties. The intoxicatingly sweet lilac fragrance so beloved of generations is combined with superior disease resistance performing flawlessly in the brutal heat and humidity (and often drought) of southern summers. Plus it’s burgundy fall color is an added bonus.  

Sweet Treat™ presents a profusion of fragrant blossoms each spring that are dark lavender in bud and fade to a soft lavender-ice blue when fully opened. They smell like warm sunlight and the breath of spring, seasoned with vanilla and sweet-smelling roses. The plant is particularly floriferous when planted in full sun, and its fragrant blossom trusses stand out beautifully against dark green, glossy leaves. To preserve this fleeting aroma I capture it in sugar; it’s very simple to make.

Super-Easy Lilac Sugar

I take about a cup of clean, dry flowers that have been grown organically and are entirely free of pesticides of any kind, 

and gently macerate or crush them with a wooden spoon to release the fragrance. 

Then I combine them with 2 C. granulated sugar and stir well to distribute the petals evenly. 

The flowers and sugar are poured into quart canning jars with screw-on lids  (in this case a decorative storage bottle with a fitted, ground glass lid).

It mellows our for a few weeks and when the sugar smells just like the flowers it is ready to use. 

Flower sugar may be substituted for plain sugar in any recipe, and you may leave the flowers in or sift them out as you choose. Sprinkle tea sandwiches with Lilac Sugar, or mince up some of the flowers and add to cream cheese for a yummy spread.

Have you planted versatile Sweet Treat™ Lilac in your garden? Mine is really new.