Foraging 33: Alnus, the Very Common Alder

Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them. – Abraham Lincoln

Alder catkins ready to bloom in February in Nova Scotia. A strange winter.

I thought I would post this “foraging” in the dead of winter because it’s easier to identify alder when it has no leaves. It’s because of the “flowers.” You can see the catkins easily right now, just waiting for warm weather to open up.

We have two species of alder in Nova Scotia, Downy Alder (Alnus viridis) and Speckled Alder (Alnus incana). Ditches are full of alder, and not only on the East Coast of Canada. Other species of this plant can be found in all the North Temperate Zones as well as in the Andes and Argentina. There are also European species. That’s quite a range.

Alder growing between the river and road. All the bushes you
see are almost ALL alder.

What is alder?

Alnus are usually a shrub or small tree of the Betulaceae (Birch) family. Our species here are hardy to USDA Zone 3. With just a few exceptions Alders are deciduous, meaning their leaves fall off in Autumn. Their leaves are coarse, fairly oval and with serrated (toothed) edges. 

The flowers are monoecious. This means flowers are either male or female, but both can be found on the same plant. The catkins (flowers) attract bees and butterflies. Alders bloom anywhere from Mar to June, and the seeds ripen in the Fall. 

Alder differ from birch (in the same botanical family) in that the female catkins are woody. Interestingly, they ripen and then open like little (about 1/2” long) pine cones to release their seeds – much like real pine cones.

Right: catkins in bloom. Behind: last year's female
flowers resembling small pine cones. Photo: Wiki CC

Alder is an important nitrogen fixer in the soil in which it grows, allowing other plants to benefit from this work. Often alder grows where wood has been harvested, or on the margins of open areas where woodland is encroaching. They are an important colonizer in returning disturbed land to forest.

Alder isn’t too fussy about the quality of soil it will grow in either. It is happy in nutritionally poor as well as acidic or alkali soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It tolerates moist or wet soil easily and also coastal exposure.

Edibility and medicinal uses

The catkins of some alder species have a slight degree of edibility (as a survival food)and may be rich in protein although they are bitter. There have been no significant studies done because of the taste. But they won't kill you.

Pollen can also be harvested when the flowers are in bloom and added to flour to enrich baked goods. One gallon of blooming catkins will yield about 6 tablespoons of pollen. Note, some people are allergic to pollen so don’t spring it on anyone by including it in your baked goods without letting them know first. 

Certain alder species are also sometimes used to smoke food because of the aroma given off as the wood burns.

Alder in leaf. Photo: anneke1998, Flickr ccl

The fresh bark causes vomiting if ingested, so dried bark is the way to go if you have occasion to need it. A decoction (boiled-down concentration) of dried bark is used to alleviate swellings and inflammations, especially of the mouth and throat. 

The powdered bark and the leaves have also been used as an internal astringent and tonic. The bark alone has also been used internally and externally against haemorrhage. The dried bark of young twigs is used, or the inner bark of slightly older branches – not the woody stalks. 

Boiling the inner bark in vinegar produces a wash to treat lice and skin problems such as scabies. The infusion can also be used as a mouthwash, but I can’t see vinegar being very palatable. 

A decoction of the leaves has been used in folk remedies for treating certain cancers. Recent clinical studies have verified that red alder contains betulin and lupeol, compounds shown to be effective against a variety of tumors.

I found this additional information about red alder on www.pfaf.org (Plants for a Future). It’s a searchable database that lists over 7,000 edible and/or medicinal plants, with fairly detailed information. Quite a resource.

• Catkins (raw or cooked): rich in protein but have a bitter flavour and are not very palatable
• Inner bark (cooked): must be dried since it is emetic (makes you vomit - docaitta) when fresh;  inner bark has been dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening agent in soups or mixed with flour when making bread
• Sap (raw): harvest in late winter on a warm, sunny day that follows a cold frosty night. A sweet flavour, it was often used to sweeten other foods. 

Fiesta Red Stratocaster. Photo: Wiki CC

No I haven’t forgotten woodworking…

Mature alder has an interesting grain and is sometimes used in cabinetmaking. 

The Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster have been built with alder bodies since the 1950s. The wood is prized for its bright tone, and has been adopted by many other electric guitar manufacturers as well.

One final note: my grandfather used to make whistles out of alder in Spring. Once the sap started running he would cut a 3” piece about as big around as your little finger. Then he would start tapping the bark with his closed pocket knife. The bark would loosen and pull off. A few judicious nicks out of the wood and one through the bark was all you needed. Reassembled, we could whistle away the afternoon.

So it’s quite a useful plant. It’s good to think about that the next time you drive along any Nova Scotia highway. You’re 100% guaranteed to see some.

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Pastries Recipe: Cranberry Koffiebroodjes (Coffee Rolls)

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. – Ernestine Ulmer

Koffiebroodjes, still warm from the oven.

Here’s a weekend baking recipe for a snowy day. I seem to go through stages. The cold winter months appear to bring out the baker in me.

When made the pudding is very thick.

I suppose, when it’s warm outside, who want’s to be stuck in the kitchen? In cold weather there’s few places that are better to be. 

This recipe is for Dutch Coffee Rolls. My directions and pictures show a rather complicated shaping technique. They look amazing when finished, but here’s a simpler way, if you wish.

Instead of using the directions below, you could roll out the dough to about 36” wide x 12” deep, spread with the filling outlined, roll up and cut into a “Danish” form. They will still be a great hit.

If you have the time, or the inclination, follow the directions. It takes a little time but is worth the effort. Nothing ventures, nothing gained!

Best served warm is an understatement for any dessert pastries, but they’re still tasty enough the next day!

The dough will look VERY unpromising. Don't worry,
kneaded long enough it becomes very smooth.

Cranberry Koffiebroodjes

Dough: 2.5 hours  |  Filling & Shaping: 1 hour  |  Bake: 30 min

1-1/2 cups milk, lukewarm (110°F)

2 tsp active dry yeast

3-1/2 cups flour

6 tbsp butter, room temperature

6 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 egg

For the filling

1/2 package of French vanilla pudding mix (use 1/2 recommended liquid for that amount)

3 tbsp sour cream

1/2 cup dried cranberries (1/3 cup of raisins is traditional)

For the glaze

6 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

2 tsp water

The risen dough after deflation. The dough will become very
smooth and elastic when kneaded long enough.

Soak the cranberries in hot water to plump. Drain, roughly chop and set aside. 

Proof the yeast in the milk with the sugar. Add the flour and mix together. Then add the salt, egg, butter and vanilla. Knead the dough until it feels very supple, about 5-10 minutes. Cover, place in a warm spot and let proof until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

In the meantime, mix the pudding with half the required amount of liquid on the package. Stir in the sour cream. This is the common “pastry cream” used for these pastries. Place some plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.

For detailed shaping see the photographs. I admit, it’s a bit complicated.

Roll the dough out into a square, 24x24 inches approximately. Measure the a line across the centre of the dough and then subtract 2”.  This is the line where your filling will start.

Roll out to about 24x24, and mark 2" below the centre.

Spread the pudding from that point on the dough upwards, leaving 2” bare on the far edge. Sprinkle the chopped cranberries over the pudding. 

The filling spread over the dough. This was French Vanilla. I think I would
make my own pastry cream next time. Didn't care for the yellow...

Fold the dough up over to cover the filling.

Now take non-pudding covered part of the dough and fold it up over the filling. The fold will fall 2” short of the other half of the dough.

Slice the dough into 12 long strips.

Slice the dough into 12 equal long pieces.

Shaping 1: Make a long slit in each piece.

Shaping 2: fold one end up onto the centre.

Shaping 3: fold the other end up over the centre.

Slit each piece down the centre. Pull the longer end of the dough through the slit to the centre. Then fold the other end up over the centre. Finally fold the longer lip on the first folded piece in underneath. Place the shaped pastries on a baking sheet. Let rise for another 30 minutes until the dough is puffy.

Let the pastries rest for about 30 minutes to puff back up.

Heat the oven to 350°F . Bake the pastries for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix the confectioner’s sugar with water and brush the rolls when they come out of the oven. Brush them again when they have cooled slightly. Serve warm if possible.

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Useful Info: Keeping Vegetables all Winter Long

God is day and night, winter and summer, war and peace, surfeit and hunger. – Heraclitus 

An old root cellar in the dead of winter. Photo: Wilson-Fam, Flickr ccl

I have a love affair with root cellars, although I think it's one sided. Perhaps it's better to say I love the idea of root cellars... They make me think of times more simpler, and paradoxically a more complex time, when we required greater understanding and participation in raising and keeping our own food. 

I guess that's a main theme in much of what I post – back to basics which have been forgotten. We need to return to that mind-set, before it's forced upon us and we're not ready for it. The "just-in-time" food delivery model we ALL function on in the global economy gives me the willies. I'm just being a realist, folks.

I posted some information last winter about friends who actually harvest vegetables all winter long from a 12-month unheated greenhouse close to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. The original post about their amazing 4-season farm is HERE. Besides my blather about root cellars, I hopefully will inspire you to think of ways to keep vegetables all winter long (without the cost of building a greenhouse).

Photo: Alan Gatham, Flickr ccl

This post contains some useful tricks. With a little advance planning and no greenhouse or other season-extending structures or machines, vegetable gardeners can eat their “fresh” produce every day of the year.

An old idea

The most common way to enjoy vegetables all season long is to “cold store.” Many old farm houses had a special room called a root cellar. It was often built in the basement but out from the main foundation. Sometimes they were completely stand alone structures, built into hillsides or dug into the ground.

Most root cellars had outside access so getting the vegetables from the garden to storage was easy. Freestanding ones always did, of course. They always are dark and slightly moist. Sometimes if built onto a basement of a house they received some warmth from the house so vegetables didn’t freeze. Freestanding root cellars relied on the surrounding earth to moderate the inside temperature through the cold months. 

When I was young, good friends (Bruce and Hillie) lived mostly off a sustenance farm and had a root cellar as part of their basement. They had special bins built to keep vegetables in "lots." Some (like squash and pumpkin) were often arranged on tarps on the cold earth floor. All of it was only just down the stairs from Hillie's kitchen. I remember that like it was yesterday... I'm assuming the cellar's still there in the house and probably still used.

A new way to "cellar"
A more “modern” (and practical if you don't have a root cellar) method is to store vegetables in airy baskets in cold areas of your house, for example an unheated bedroom or a garage. As long as it doesn’t freeze and it's not too damp, you’re OK. Dampness will encourage mould, mildew and rot. The baskets should also be covered with heavy blankets to block out the sun, mimicking the dark old fashioned root cellar.

Typical vegetables that can be stored in this manner are turnips, carrots, cabbage, parsnips, beets, potatoes, squash, pumpkin. But there's many more.

Some typical vegetables for root cellar preservation.
Photo: lynn.gardner, Flickr ccl

How to store and/or extend harvest

Here’s some other useful storing and growing tips on how to stretch your “harvest season”:

Green tomatoes can be slowly ripened if harvested while still completely firm. Plant some tomatoes a month or two later than recommended and harvest before the first frost. The fruit will not have had time to ripen before then. I had several bushels of green Roma tomatoes in late October one year when I planted late.

Protect the tomatoes by storing in single layers in cardboard boxes surrounded by newspaper. Store just above freezing. Use as they ripen and discard any that may go “off.”

Plant frost-resistant crops like kale and Brussels sprouts in May. The plants will stop growing (or slow down severely) when the weather turns cool. If you put good protection over them – still in the garden – you should be able to uncover as you need and harvest all through the winter.

Belgian endive. Note how it grows from the root.
Photo: purpletwinkie, Flickr ccl

Belgian endive is another good contender. The bleached white heads are quite pricey in the grocery store. Simply plant out in the garden as you normally would and harvest the green tops. Come Autumn, dig up the roots and trim off the tops to within 1” of the root stalk.

Plant the roots close together in plastic 5-gallon buckets of moist sand or sawdust, and cover the top with another bucket. This shuts out all the light. Keep the roots well watered and within a few weeks you will have those wonderful bleached endive that cost so much.

Try saving some of your root vegetables directly in your garden. Plenty of much will protect beets, carrots, parsnips, onions, leeks and the like. Do not harvest through the winter but keep very well covered. Come Spring, remove the protection and you have a massive head start on the current year’s crop.

The same holds true for many hardier salad greens. Sow in the garden in September and then cover for the winter. They’ll "spring" back to life when uncovered in April/May.

Stored squash. Photo: espring 4224, Flickr ccl

This last one I’ve never heard of, but I’m assuming it works because of my source. Harvest your cabbage but keep the stumps in the ground over winter. If well protected they will begin to grow fist-sized cabbage heads around the cut when the weather begins to warm again. Kind of like oversized Brussels sprouts, one would assume.

These tips are all good thing to keep in mind. Nowadays, anything that reduces financial outlay is welcome information. Keep these tips tucked under your hat. Perhaps this year you’ll try some. It can’t hurt.

Part of what you read above is a “Reader’s Digest” version of some excellent information I found online from the University of New Hampshire. Much of what they wrote was lost knowledge from times before the 24-hour supermarket was just around the corner – when people actually had to work for their food.

To view the original from The University of New Hampshire, click here. 

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Booze of the Week: Homemade Sarsaparilla Cooler

It wouldn't be summer unless I came to the root beer stand. – Caitlin Ryan

The finished product. I had no ice...

Well, how about if the "root beer cooler" stand came to you?

This one’s a recipe that I never thought I would have the "need" to make. I could go buy it – already chilled – far easier. It was (is?) a summertime favourite of mine. But time’s change...

This is  the colour when it starts.

I'm speaking of a product recently discontinued at our local liquor distributor (for manufacturer quality control issues). I won’t divulge the name. The NSLC were right to do so to protect their consumers, but that action left a hole where my Friday night libations used to be.

The product was a sarsaparilla vodka cooler, priced at about $3.00+ for 330 ml. There are many “flavoured" vodka coolers on the market but I find all but my no-longer-available one very acidic. 

After more than a couple (yeah, I know you should only have a couple) I used to get indigestion. Not good when you’re trying to have some fun at week’s end…

Sarsaparilla is close kin to root beer. I found a recipe for a self-carbonating root beer that develops its own alcohol content via yeast. It sounds like something I will try later, but at the time I was missing my vodka-based cooler. 

The herbs and botanicals in the original certainly sounded like a great combination. So I thought (with some tinkering) I could turn it into a cooler. I was right.

Some of the botanicals may sound unattainable, but they all can be purchased here in Halifax at Planet Organic, or probably where you live at any good health food store that also sells spices and herbs.

The strained out botanicals. The infusion is right behind it.

The recipe takes 3 weeks to steep, but it’s well worth the wait. The end result tastes like a true sarsaparilla should, in all it’s glory. The final result is a 20% alc. vol. dangerous substance!

The vodka cooler used to come in at 5% with some sparkle, so my fix is to cut it in your glass 1 vodka-to-2 soda (more or less…) with soda water. That still has more kick than the original I’m imitating. It’s a good feeling to know that I can now have this any time I want (if I plan ahead).

This recipe made 5 cups, so if you cut it at 1 to 2 that’s 15 cups of cooler for little more than the price of a 750 ml of vodka. That's 3,550 ml for all you metric folks. 

The total cost for everything including the soda was about $27 CAN. Instead of paying $3 per bottle, you’re paying $2.50 and it tastes every bit as good…if not better.

This really is one you should try. I know. I’m enjoying one now. I believe this may become a fixture in my kitchen.

Multiply this volume by 3 (or 4)  for what you get from
infusing 750 ml of vodka.

Homemade Sarsaparilla Cooler

Time: 3 weeks to steep  | Yield: 5+ cups
1⁄4 oz. dried sassafras

1⁄4 oz. dried birch bark

1⁄4 oz. dried sarsaparilla

1⁄8 oz. dried liquorice root

1" piece sliced fresh ginger

1 split vanilla bean

750 ml vodka

1/4 cup molasses

3 cups simple syrup (see below)

soda water to serve

Combine all the ingredients down to the molasses in a 1 L Mason jar. Seal and let steep for 3 weeks. Shake occasionally during the steeping.

For the first week it will smell strongly of molasses but that dissipates over the steeping period.

Strain out the botanicals from the infusion. Make a simple syrup of 1-1/2 cups each sugar and water. Let cool slightly and combine with the vodka.

To serve, use 1/3 infused vodka/syrup with 2/3 club soda, or however you feel like it. 1/4 to 3/4 soda might be a bit safer...

Serve over ice.  But beware, it has a kick.

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Ingredient of the Day: Cloves

Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor. – William Cowper

Dried whole cloves. Can you smell them? Photo: Urban Hafner, Flickr ccl

I often use something in a recipe and then think “that would make a good post.” It’s funny because I always start out thinking I hnow what I’m going to write, but as I read about the subject the post very often takes on a life of its own. Cloves is no exception. I learn with you.

Clove flowers. Photo: YIM hafiz, Flickr ccl

For example, I kind of thought cloves were flower buds, but I wasn’t sure. Now I am….

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tree in the Myrtle family. Guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus are other members in the same family. Cloves are native to Indonesia and  are harvested mainly in Indonesia, India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

From Wikipedia

The scientific name of clove is Syzygium aromaticum. It belongs to the genus Syzygium, tribe Syzygieae, and subfamily Myrtoideae of the family Myrtaceae. It is classified in the order of Myrtales, which belong to superorder Rosids, under Eudicots of Dicotyledonae. Clove is an Angiospermic plant and belongs to division of Magnoliophyta in the kingdom Plantae.

Photo: G.Eickhoff, Flickr ccl

The English name derives from Latin clavus 'nail' (also the origin of French clou and Spanish clavo, 'nail') as the buds vaguely resemble small irregular nails in shape.

Clove is an evergreen that grows to a height ranging from 24–40 ft (8–12 m). The buds start off a pale color and gradually become green and then bright red. It’s when they’re red that they are ready for collecting and drying.

Cloves are wonderful in both sweet and savoury dishes. On Valentines Day (two days ago) I posted a recipe for chocolate cake with a pink clove drizzle. The clove with the chocolate was a wonderful combination. I also personally use cloves in my version of the classic Osso Bucco and a dish I made up that has Persian influences called Beef Marakesh. 

Photo: Amandabhslater, Flickr ccl

Cloves are used in cooking both whole and ground. They have a very strong and recognizable taste and smell so are often used very sparingly in cooking. Cloves are used in many of the cuisines around the world.

Cloves is a key ingredient in the Northern Indian spice mix Garam masala. In south Indian cuisine it is commonly used in biryani. Cloves are also used in chai tea. Mexican cooking uses cloves in combination with cumin and cinnamon, most famously in mole (pronounced mow-lay, not “mole”) sauce.

Due to their Indonesian colonial connection, cloves are common in Dutch cuisine. They are used in cheese, stews and baking. Most other European and North American uses are more commonly in baked goods as opposed to the main portion of the meal. This is a shame. Cloves really adds a lot to anything it's used in.

Non-culinary

This first use is sort of healthy, I guess. Cloves are used in non-tobacco cigarettes called Kreteks (they're under another brand name in the USA due to a law prohibiting them). I have had friends who tried to kick tobacco by smoking them. They smell terrible.

Cloves are an important note in perfume making because of their aromatic qualities. We all can capture some of this by studding an orange with cloves and hanging it. Or if you want your home to have a wonderful fragrance boil several whole cloves in water on the stove. The steam will fill the house with the essence of cloves.

Photo: Fras1977, Flickr ccl

Medical

Cloves are used in many of the more ancient medicines of the world where the essential oil is sometimes used as a painkiller. Clove oil is also used against various skin disorders like acne. It is also used in severe burns, skin irritations and to reduce the sensitivity of skin.

Western studies have supported the use of cloves and clove oil for dental pain. Clove may reduce blood sugar levels. The buds have anti-oxidant properties. Apparently clove has also been studied for treating premature ejaculation, but the studies have proven inconclusive.

Of course for any medicinal effect one must ingest far more clove (and far more often) than one would in a normal diet.There are clove supplements available, but there are several safety concerns and possible drug interactions.

So if you go looking for more information and think that clove is what you need talk to your doctor first.

Hopefully you now know a little more about cloves than before. I know I do. 

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Gardening: Time to think about Seeds

Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds. – Norman Vincent Peale

Some healthy seedlings. Photo: MissMessie, Flickr ccl

It’s not really time to start seeds indoors yet, but in a few weeks you should be really thinking seriously about it. The garden catalogues are arriving fast and furious now, but who really has the money to buy plants of everything they want? Not me, that’s for sure.

Photo: Lucy Crosbie, Flickr ccl

The problem with purchasing plants is that you need to think several years ahead, not only for full growth but also about proper massing in your garden beds. 

There’s nothing quite as lonely as one beautiful plant sitting in your garden. It makes them look like a specimen. They don’t grow that way in nature, do they?

So what do you do to get many plants and not break the bank? Try your hand at starting some seeds. Starting seeds indoors isn’t super easy, but neither is it difficult if you follow some basic rules. 

You also have to be fastidious about tending those that do decide to give you a chance...

The four basics

Starting seeds indoors requires the same conditions that starting them later outside requires: light, soil, water, and nutrients.

A homemade light setup. (These lights are WAY too
far away to do any good...) Photo: di.winenaddine, Flickr ccl

Light is important

The most difficult of the four to provide indoors is sufficient light. You either have to have a very bright room where seedlings can get about 8 hours of light a day, or you need grow lights. Even then grow lights need to be on for about 12 hours per day.

Grow lights are lights that have full spectrum bulbs that mimic the sun. Plants need full spectrum light to grow properly. Grow “stations” can be purchased but believe me, they’re pricey. I used to own a three tier version, but after just two seasons decided it would be better if someone else owned it.

To use it effectively you have to adjust the distance of the light from the plants as they grow. Too little light will make your seedlings “leggy” and weak, and your failure rate will skyrocket. You need to look after them like you would if you’re incubating eggs. It’s a lot of tending.

You can get away with a home set-up of a hanging fluorescent light, and remember to purchase full spectrum bulbs. It’s quite easy to change the distance of the hanging fixture from your tray as in a purpose-built set up, but you still have to keep on top of how far away they are from your plants. At least your financial outlay is significantly less.

These plants are what I would call "leggy" – tall and weak.
Hopefully she's growing to cook with... Photo: Jane Boles, Flickr ccl

Start with clean soil

Most plants are started in potting soil. Potting soil very often has no soil in it at all. It's a mix of peat, vermiculite and other matter that allows it to be both water retentive and well-draining. 

It’s also sterile, so no diseases or pests are present. Potting soil has no nutrients either, so you'll need to add those in your water. That’s an easy step to forget.

At a certain point in your plants’ development they need to be placed in garden soil. Some people recommend sterilizing the soil in the oven before potting up your plants. It’s good advice to follow if you can do it.

When to start seeds

Newspaper can be used instead of peat pots.
Photo: henna lion, Flickr ccl

When to start seeds is one third science, one third meteorology and one third alchemy. The “count back” date is from your last outdoor frost. That has everything to do with where you live. In Nova Scotia we have had frosts in May, on occasion.

A rule of thumb is to start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks from that date. Different plants do require different start times, so check your seed packets. By 6-8 weeks you should have fairly decent plants that will be strong enough to withstand a little cool outdoor weather.

One important consideration that is often overlooked is acclimatization. Once your plants are ready for outdoor life, you need to slowly get them used to their new environment. That means you will either have to cover them at night or, better yet, keep in their pots and bring them back indoors for the first week or so.

Viable seed

It is almost always best to purchase new seed if you’re going to expend the effort of starting seeds indoors. Seed packets that are even one year old can have a reduced viability rate.

If you do have “old” seeds, test them. Place some of the seeds on a moistened paper towel, fold it over and put it in a plastic baggie. Place it in a warm area and check in in several days. The number of seeds that have sprouted give you a good indication of the percentage of viable seed in the whole packet.

I usually try to collect poppy seeds from our blousy orange
orientals every fall. I believe these are "somniferom."
Photo: Neville10, Flickr ccl

Self-seeding plants

If you have collected seeds from plants in the fall most of the above luckily doesn’t apply. Collected seed does have to have a period of cold (usually 2-3 months), so hopefully you stored them in your refrigerator or in a cold room.

About one month before everything starts to sprout outside, sprinkle them in their final location and cover lightly. This will prevent birds from having them for lunch. Much of the seed of self-sewing plants ends up as food for one creature or another which is a good reason to collect and store.

Your seeds should resume their growing cycle and continue on merrily as if they were in your garden all winter.

This is also a wonderful way to get “free” plants from neighbours’ gardens or wherever you may stumble across something you like. I have collected seeds from some unusual places.

The payoff

Starting seeds is a great way to increase the quantity of plants in your gardens while maintaining a positive balance in your bank account.

Grow lights are by far the most work intensive ways of adding plants, but it’s well worth the effort if you have the time and room to pull it off.

So don’t just look at those plant catalogues and file them away, mark down your favourites and go looking for seed suppliers!

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