Author Archives: Ashland Garden Club

Quick Cinnamon Bread (egg-free)

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Makes: 1 loaf
Preheat oven 3500 F

Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 Flax Egg = 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed soaked in 2 Tbl water
1 cup buttermilk,
[if needed make homemade buttermilk: 1 cup milk plus 1 Tbl vinegar]
2 cups flour [ white or fine whole wheat]
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon mixture:
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Make flax egg:  add 1 T ground flax  in 2 T water, let it sit for 5 minutes.

Make Cinnamon Mixture: In a small dish combine 2 t cinnamon with 1/3 cup sugar.

In a mixing bowl: Combine 2 cups flour with 1 teaspoon baking soda.

In a separate bowl, cream together ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, and flax egg mixture.

Once this is creamed slowly add in flour mixture alternating with 1 cup buttermilk.  Stir only until blended, do not over mix.

Place half the batter into an oiled loaf pan.

Sprinkle  3/4 of the cinnamon sugar mixture on this first layer of batter.

Add the remaining batter to the loaf pan, top with remaining cinnamon sugar.

Create swirls of cinnamon throughout the dough by using a knife inserted into the batter, then twisting and turning it throughout the batter.

Bake 45-50 min, [test with toothpick]
Cool before removing from pan.
Enjoy!

Holiday Poinsettia Plant Care

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To keep you poinsettias looking good during the holidays, it’s a combination of light, moisture and location.  Poinsettias need lots of light,  so give them as much bright in-direct sunlight as possible inside your home.  Proper watering is key to keeping poinsettias healthy. Water them thoroughly only when the pot feels light weight and dry on the top. Do not leave plants setting in a saucer of water, they do not like wet “feet”.  Place your poinsettias in  a semi-cool humid location away from a heating vent. For added humidity set a bowl or saucer of water in close proximity to the plant.

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Sun, Shade, Partial Sun, Partial Shade – What does it mean?

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Often these terms are confusing even for a seasoned gardener, so below are some 20170502_182451guidelines to shed light on the subject, and help you plant with confidence.

Full Sun: 6 hours of direct sunlight anytime during the day. It could even be 3 hour in the morning, then 3 more in the afternoon, but 6 hours total is the minimum.

Partial Sun: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight, but provide some relief from hot afternoon sunshine.

Shade: Less than 6 hours of sunlight, is considered a shady area.

Partial Shade: 3-4 hours of morning or early afternoon sunlight, then shaded or getting indirect light in the late afternoon.

Dappled Sun: Similar to partial shade, some sunlight makes it through the branches of deciduous trees.

 

Full Shade: Lessen than 3 hours of sunlight. Morning sunshine is the best, then receiving some dappled sun or filtered light during the day.

Shade Tolerant: Plant prefers more sunlight, but can be planted in partial shade. Possibly deceiving statement, because plant performance could be substandard if planted in partial shade.

 

Note:  Some plants listed for shade gardens in USDA Zones 7-8 may perform better in full sun in Zones 4-5.

Submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

 

 

 

Good Times!

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Ashland Garden Club’s 2017 holiday party was festive and fun!

 

‘Christmas Bells’

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Sandersonia aurantiaca

Sandersonia aurantiaca, a member of the Colchicaceae family, is a native grassland plant in the eastern areas of South Africa.  It’s often called ‘Christmas bells’ because in the southern hemisphere it blooms in December. Sometimes it is also referred to as Chinese Lanterns.  Highly prized for a long-lasting cut flower, New Zealand cultivates them for the cut flower industry.