Oberle Botanical

Have you ever noticed that most jack o’ lanterns look best about a week after Halloween? Once the face has experienced a good frost and a few warm days, it’s features take on a whole new persona as the eyes sink and nose melts into the mouth. Soon to be removed to the compost pile, it provides one more reminder of winter’s fast approach. The progression of holidays has begun. Floppy pumpkin faces are replaced by colored corn and before long we swap the corn for wreaths and holly. Then the seed catalogs begin to come in earnest, along with the day dreams.

I once read that many of us garden in hopes of recreating our first magical experience with plants and nature. We remember colors, smells and textures in an exaggerated, dreamy way. Nostalgia paints a seductive picture, and we try year after year to live up to the masterpiece.
Years later, I still ponder this idea and it’s implications. Holiday memories seem much the same - filled with fragrance, taste and color yet impossible to define in exact form. Each year I try to give shape to my memories once through my medium of plant materials.
We live in a great area for windowsill gardening. Most mornings provide enough bright eastern light to satisfy many different plants. Living plants provide a special holiday ambiance, particularly herbs and flowering houseplants.
Because the holidays have a tendency to be a bit harried (and I am absent mindedness when harried), I prefer plants that can take some neglect. If I forget to water or miss a pest inspection (within reason) there is not too much of a problem.

The herbs I like to use most around the Christmas season include sage, rosemary and thyme. I combine these with bright red and white geraniums and/or miniature roses for a new twist on an old theme. The sage lends a beautiful gray-green softness to the grouping, with a few of its leaves imparting traditional character to poultry seasoning, dressings and even potpourris.

With its evergreen needles and spicy fragrance, rosemary adds pizazz to the eyes and nose during the holiday season. If your plant is large enough, small wreaths can be made from its branches. Given as gifts, these dry beautifully and are welcomed by cooks.
Rosemary or sage provide a wonderful bed for roasting potatoes (see accompanying recipe). Drizzle with a little olive oil and you’ll find the basic spud elevated to a whole new level. A word of caution: rosemary and miniature roses both greatly resent completely drying out. Keep them away from heating vents. Gusts of warm, dry air take their toll on indoor plants.
If you intend to eat your herbs or rose blooms, don’t apply pesticides.

Washing plants periodically does wonders for pest control. It brightens them by removing dust and provides a shot of much needed humidity. This is so effective and restorative that I’ve invested in a small, shower-type gadget that fits over the faucet on my kitchen sink. I purchased it at a local hardware store for under $10.00. It’s flexibility and gentle shower allows me to easily clean the underside of leaves; a favorite hiding area for spider mites. Moreover, I’m sure that I’ve heard contented sighs coming from freshly showered plants drying on the kitchen counter. Honest! Now the recipe:

Herb Baked Potatoes Peheat oven to 350 degrees Idaho baking potatoes Rosemary or sage Salt Olive oil

Scrub potatoes and pierce with a fork. Wet roll in salt until covered. The salt can be removed after baking. It aids in drawing out the moisture and results in a “fluffier” finished potato with a slightly sweet flavor.

Cover the bottom of your roasting pan with a bit more salt and herbs. The amount of rosemary or sage will depend on personal preference. I’ve completely covered the bottom of a pan with rosemary branches and didn’t find it overwhelming and the kitchen smelled deliciously of rosemary . Place potatoes on top of the herbs. Top the spuds with a few more herb sprigs if you’re so inclined. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top and bake for about an hour.
You should be able to pierce the potato easily with a fork when done.  Great, fluffy baked potatoes are never wrapped it in foil! Foiling produces steamed rather than baked potatoes.

Sue Oberle’s article in the Winter 1997 issue of Real Life Magazine

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Fall may mark an end to our growing season, but its a great time to start next year’s gardens. Here are a few suggestions to ensure that your garden will wake up on the right side of the new millennium.

• Plant spring bulbs from mid-September through October. For best results, amend the soil with organic matter to a depth of at least one foot. Plant bulbs in mass rather than strait lines for a natural look.
• Make a compost pile! Fallen leaves and lawn clippings will be accessible for some time, and kitchen scraps (eggshells, coffee grounds and produce trimmings) are also useful. Avoid woody materials. Turn the pile once or twice during the cold season, and you will most likely be rewarded with home “grown” compost for your spring planting.
• If your perennials are dying out in the center, it’s time to divide them. Cut them back, lift, divide and replant–or make someone’s day by sharing a piece of the favorite plant.
• Fall is an excellent time to plant perennials, trees and shrubs. By doing so, the plant becomes established and ready to burst forth next spring. You MUST commit to many long, deep watering sessions in the fall and winter. Use holidays to jog your memory: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Groundhog Day. Mulch will help prevent evaporation and add to your efforts.
• For the adventurous kitchen gardener, plant cold tolerant greens such as spinach, kale, turnip greens and collards now. They will sprout over winter and resume growth at the first signs of warmth in early spring. This won’t work every year, but our recent mild winters have granted us crops for the past three years. Plant in a protected area to increase chances of success.

Sue Oberle’s article in the Fall 1999 issue of Real Life Magazine

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