/ Don't miss our Fall Plant, Book, and Bake Sale

and the new

HARVEST FEST WORKSHOPS!

Autumn is the perfect time for planting, and the Arboretum's Fall Plant, Book, and Bake Sale offers, as always, a wide assortment of out-of-the-ordinary trees, shrubs, and perennials - as well as an impressive selection of books and baked goods. This year, we've added Harvest Fest workshops on Saturday to help you make the best use of your harvest (read on below for details), as well as a free walking tour of the Native Plant Trail with Curator Ed Miller at 2 pm.

Again this year, the plant sale begins with a Members-Only Pick of the Pots (POPs) sale on Friday - this year, from 4 pm to 7 pm (we noticed last year that you can't write tickets in the dark, and it is DARK by 8 o'clock in the fall!) If you are not yet a member, don't worry! We can help you join at the gate.

We're lucky to have a poet, Joan Dyer, who sends us her poetry from time to time. We got a new poem this week that seemed to go perfectly with our Harvest Fest-theme. When you've read the poem, read on to find out more about the Harvest Fest classes!

HARVEST TIME

Joan C Dyer

The corn and beans are finished

Tomatoes are at an end

Apples and squash are still coming

Potatoes, to the root cellar we send

It is time to start using the harvest

Those fruits and veggies we grew

They looked like so much in the garden

But here it seems only a few

Still -- All the fresh things taste better

Picked and stored in baskets below

Shelves full of tomatoes in canning jars

All those beautiful orbs in a row

Come spring everything will be emptied

But through winter there's plenty to eat

All the special flavors of things that we love

Not a one of them, can be beat

HARVEST FEST WORKSHOPS

Saturday, September 14

Space is limited, so register early!

INTRODUCTION TO WINEMAKING
11 am - 12:30 pm

Instructor: Ed Radle

Location: Meeting House

Members: $5 / person. Non-members: $10 / person.

This workshop will discuss converting sugars into alcohol, the various sources of these sugars, and the parameters that the home vintner can manipulate to make a beverage to his or her liking. Some of the joy and, alas, some of the challenge of making wine from many types of base stocks - grapes, plums, apples, rhubarb, honey, etc. - is to grow or produce your own. Emphasis in this class will be on making wine from grapes, although the options for fermentation also include beer, liquor, some cheeses, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and vinegar for those (hopefully, rare) batches of wine that don't meet your standards.

A Master Gardener with a background in both chemical engineering and marine biology, Ed has been making beer and wine and other fermented foods for nearly fifty years.

PUTTING FOOD BY: THE ABC's OF CANNING

1 - 2:30 p.m.

Instructor: Colleen Rasmussen

Location: Meeting House

Members: $5 / person; Non-members: $10 / person.

Canning food is a time-tested way of preserving your harvest. Learn to can foods without any special equipment. We'll discuss how to select and prepare food for canning, how to properly fill jars and fit lids, and how to process foods safely and with delicious results. We'll also learn how to cool and store canned foods. Add some decorative touches, and what could make a better holiday gift?

Colleen Rasmussen is a certified Viniyoga instructor who operates Simply Yoga in Gloversville. She sits on the Health and Nutrition Committee for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Fulton and Montgomery counties. This workshop is one element of her popular series on food preservation at Mohawk Harvest Food Co-operative.

HERBAL FIRST AID KIT: WINTER HERBS

3 - 4:30 pm

Instructor: Barbara Neznek

Location: Meeting House

Members: $5 / person; Non-members: $10 / person.

This workshop will instruct participants in the uses of native herbs to keep the immune system healthy and treat wintertime ailments such as colds, flu, and sore throats. The discussion will focus on the use and preservation of native herbs found at the Arboretum, dependent on what is growing at the time. We will make elderberry syrup and the participants will take a bottle home.

Barbara Neznek, the founder of Willow Tree Wisdom, is a master herbalist and a shamanic practitioner who uses herbs she has grown to treat clients who suffer from either physical or spiritual disease. She holds a BA in psychology.

REGISTRATION:

To register, call 518-875-6935 with your credit card handy. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-register if possible so our presenters will be able to provide sufficient materials. Need more information? Email us at [email protected] or phone (518) 875-6935.

About George Landis Arboretum

The Landis Arboretum is a public garden overlooking historic Schoharie Valley near Esperance, New York. Arboretum founder Fred Lape began the work of developing the Arboretum in the 1950's on Oak Nose Farm, his family homestead. With the support of a bequest from friend and colleague George Landis, Fred aimed to grow every species of woody plant from temperate regions around the world that would survive in the hills of Schoharie County.

Forty acres of the Arboretum are developed with plantings of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials from around the world. The remainder of the property consists of natural areas, woodlands, wetlands, more than 8 miles of trails, and open fields. Among the Arboretum's horticultural features are a labeled collection of nearly all the trees, shrubs and vines native to New York State, as well as collections of notable trees, flowering ornamental trees and shrubs, tough trees for tough sites, conifers, and oaks. Two old growth forests and additional natural areas representing various stages of succession await visitors The Van Loveland Perennial Garden at the old farmhouse and the recently restored Quarry Garden are seasonal favorites. Interpretive signage aids visitors in their enjoyment and understanding of the collections and ecosystems of the Arboretum

Now beginning its second 50 years, the Landis Arboretum is a "Garden of Trees and Shrubs" in New York's Capital region. The Landiis Arboretum is a valuable cultural and scientific resource that grows in scope and community impact.

Fred Breglia, Director

George Landis Arboretum