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One Month until our 2nd Annual
Seed Library Launch!
We are rapidly approaching our 2nd Annual Seed Library Launch, which is scheduled for March 2 from noon - 3pm at the Central Library. There will be activities for gardeners of every age, including:
- Native seed bomb making with the Green Bay Conservation Corp
- Seed harvesting with Wild Ones
- Seed art with New Leaf Foods
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Food is a Suitcase for Seeds Storytime with FoodWise
- Seed tape making with NEW Master Gardeners
- Looking at seeds under microscopes with Green Bay Botanical Gardens
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First Annual Green Bay Area Seed Swap featuring seeds from local seed savers (we encourage you to bring seeds to donate as well as come and take some!)
- And many more!
We will also be providing several mini-gardening presentations during the programming. Additional information will be available soon on the Brown County Library’s website.
We are thrilled by the incredible response from the community to the Brown County Seed Library seeds and programming this past year. A huge thank you to all our amazing volunteers and sponsors who have made it possible for us to develop this valuable resource for our community. Your support means the world to us, and we invite you to continue helping us grow in the following ways:
*You can become a Seed Steward and support the library by growing out seeds from our core list to donate. To sign up click here, to learn more about the seed steward program click here. We will accept seed donations by anyone who would like to donate, seeds can be dropped off at the STEM center or at the Central library.
*You can volunteer to sort and pack seeds. Opportunities will be posted on the New Leaf Foods Calendar of Events, included in our newsletters and posted with the Volunteer Center of Brown County. Our current upcoming seed events are posted below.
Feb 3, 9:30am - 12pm & 12:30pm - 3pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St
Feb 18, 9am - 11:30am & 12:00pm - 2:30pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
STEM Center, 2019 Technology Way
*You can make a monetary donation through our Fiscal Agent, New Leaf Foods. Click here to donate.
*You can visit our Amazon Wish List, which has basic packing supplies that we will need for next season. Click here to access the wishlist.
See you at the launch!
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Welcome to the First BCSL Seed Swap!
As March 2 draws near, the process for our first Brown County Seed Swap has been finalized. You may bring in as many or as few seeds as you would like to share, and you do not have to donate seeds to receive seeds. Here are details on how to participate in this event.
Sharing Seeds: Seeds can be dropped off at the Brown County Central Library on or before March 2. If dropping off before, be sure to label your package of seeds with the seed name, variety, year harvested and any other info/stories about the seed you would like to share, and the second floor library staff will collect them until the event.
On the day of the event, bring your seeds to the library’s lower level and complete the short form with seed name, variety, year harvested and any other pertinent info. You will be provided with a jar to put your seeds into, and using the table number guide chart, you will place your type of seeds on the table with the corresponding number.
Receiving Seeds: The Seed Swap will be located in the lower level of the central library, and it starts at noon and ends at 3:00 pm. This is the place to get seeds and the stories that go with them! We will be using recycled junk mail envelopes for you to take seeds home. Donations of envelopes are welcomed, or bring your own seed containers.
N.E.W. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions you may have about sharing or selecting seeds to fit your needs. Information will also be available about how you can become a Brown County Certified Seed Steward. Join us in our love of seeds.
Submitted by Peggy, N.E.W. Master Gardener
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Winter Sowing
If you missed the Winter Sowing program last month at the library, it is not too late to still get in on all the fun. Read on to find out how you can start gardening during the winter months.
Winter sowing is a method of starting seeds outdoors in winter using recycled plastic containers. The mini-greenhouse you create becomes an effective and low-cost way to propagate native plants. By planting seeds in outdoor containers during the winter months, gardeners can simulate the natural winter conditions that many native plant species require to grow and thrive.
Many native seeds absolutely need a cold stratification process to break seed dormancy. However, this process of winter sowing can also be used on annual flowers and vegetables. Native seeds can be started outside in January or February. Cold hardy vegetable and flower seed, like cabbage, onion, petunias or poppies, can also be sown during these months. Tender vegetables, like beans, tomatoes, squash, and peppers follow this same process, but wait until April or May to put out your mini-green houses.
Steps for Winter Sowing:
Materials: You will need clear or translucent plastic containers such as milk jugs or water bottles (with or without caps), a utility knife or scissors, potting soil, seeds, and tape.
Prepare containers: Cut the containers in half and poke several drainage holes in the bottom Fill the bottom of the container with potting soil.
Plant seeds: Follow the instructions on your seed packet for planting depth and spacing. Cover the seeds with soil and water gently. NOTE: Seeds that need light to germinate should not be covered with soil.
Label Containers: Write the name of the plant and the date of planting on a piece of tape and attach it to the container. It is also a good idea to place a stick label inside.
Create Mini Greenhouse: Close the container and tape the top and bottom halves together. Remove the cap or poke several holes in the top of the container for ventilation.
Place Outside: Place the containers outside where they will receive water from rain or snow and away from strong winds. The seeds will remain dormant until the weather warms up in the spring.
Monitor: Check the containers periodically for moisture and ventilation. Once the weather warms up, the seeds will germinate and grow into seedlings. At this point, you can take off the top halves, and within a few weeks, the plants can be transplanted into larger containers or directly into your garden.
In 2020, Trudi Davidoff, a novice gardener, shared this method she created on the internet. It is now recognized by the USDA and University Extension Services. She claims, “If it’s not easy, you’re doing it wrong.”
If you are interested in more information on seed treatment for native plants, check out the page ‘Seed Treatment’ on the Wild Ones Green Bay website.
Submitted by Peggy, N.E.W. Master Gardener
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Green Bay Botanical Garden
Plant Series: Smooth Penstemon
The next plant in our Green Bay Botanical Garden series is Smooth Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis). This short lived perennial is native to Wisconsin and hardy to zone 3. It typically grows 3-5 ft tall, making itself at home in prairies, fields, open woods and along railroad tracks. It does well in full sun to partial shade, and prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate clay.
Propagation is typically achieved through seeds, which can be sown directly into the ground in fall or early spring. It requires light to germinate, and germinates best after 30-60 days of cold, moist stratification. Once established, minimal maintenance is required, making it an excellent choice for low-maintenance landscaping.
Smooth Penstemon provides visual interest through all seasons, from the emergence of slender stems and lance-shaped leaves in spring to the vibrant display of tubular flowers in summer. The white blooms appear in June-July and typically last several weeks. In autumn, the fading blooms give way to seed capsules, while the foliage takes on golden hues before the plant enters dormancy in winter.
As with all the native plants we offer, Smooth Penstemon is an important food source for a myriad of pollinators and other wildlife. Its flowers attract a diverse array of insects, including long-tongued bees such as bumblebees and mason bees, butterflies, and moths. Species such as the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) rely on its abundant nectar as a fuel source during their migrations and breeding seasons. Smooth Penstemon is also a host plant for the Confused Haploa moth (a native to WI). Hummingbirds are particularly fond of the nectar rich tubular flowers. Additionally, small mammals such as voles and deer occasionally nibble on the foliage, though they typically don't pose significant threats to the plant's overall health.
It’s important to note that Smooth Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis) is also known by a common name of foxglove beard-tounge due to its resemblance to European plants also known as foxgloves. However, true foxglove plants are in the genus Digitalis, and are toxic. Smooth Penstemon is in the genus Penstemon, and is considered non-toxic, although they can accumulate high levels of selenium if it is available and therefore are not recommended for consumption. This sharing of a common name is a good example of why it is important to know the scientific name of the plant you are growing.
Thank you, again, to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens and the NEW Master Gardeners for providing local, native seeds to our library! All plants in the Botanical Garden Plant Series can be viewed in their Grand garden. Check the Botanical Garden website to plan your visit.
Submitted by Melissa, N.E.W. Master Gardener
OpenAI. (2023)
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How to Safely Grow Seedlings for a Seedling Swap in the time of Jumping Worms:
Guidance from Allen Pyle, UW Extension
This year, the BCSL will be offering our first annual Seedling Swap, held on May 18, time TBD. We would appreciate it if you would like to grow seedlings for the seedling swap, you follow the precautions described below.
Last year there were several news stories about jumping worms found in the Sturgeon Bay City Compost site. After doing some research, we found out that there have also been jumping worms found here in Brown County. This article is to help gardeners understand more about how to prevent jumping worm spread, how to test for jumping worms, and how to grow seedlings for a seedling swap or other types of plant sharing safely.
If you are unfamiliar with jumping worms, the WI DNR has a webpage to help learn about identification, effects and management of these pests.
The best way to minimize the potential to spread jumping worms in a plant swap or trade is to ensure that the plants exchanged have not been in contact with outdoor soil at any point.
For the safest way to do a seedling swap, plants should be grown indoors from seed in quality soilless media or bagged sterile soil without any added garden soil. Growers should also avoid adding compost unless they are certain that the compost was properly hot composted and not invaded by jumping worms after the composting process. Jumping worms have been reported to have been spread in compost that has not been hot composted (reaching 140 F minimum during production), or that has been invaded after composting is complete.
There are also some strategies that can help reduce the potential to spread jumping worms from plants grown outdoors in soil. Divisions of plants grown outdoors can be thoroughly washed to remove soil and active jumping worms to greatly reduce the potential to spread the pest. However, this will not necessarily remove all jumping worm cocoons, which are small and difficult to see. It is possible to spread the cocoons during the washing / bare rooting process, so this wash water should be collected or strained through nylon or fabric and the straining material disposed of, for best results.
Bare rooted divisions could potentially be transplanted to containers filled with soilless potting mix and grown outdoors on elevated surfaces (such as wooden pallets) to keep them from being in contact with the soil. Jumping worms have been observed beneath potted plants being grown outdoors on landscape fabric. If pots remain free of signs of jumping worms after growing for a month, they should be safe for sharing. A mustard solution can be used to flush pots to determine if any jumping worms are present, as an added measure of safety. (See below for solution info.)
Other recommended techniques for minimizing jumping worm spread include minimizing the potential spread of infested soil on equipment (including vehicle tires), tools, boots, and pots. Because cocoons are so small, it is possible that they can be moved on infected tools and equipment. Hot temperatures (104 or higher) are sufficient to kill cocoons. Dry storage of at least 2 years is also long enough to ensure there are no cocoons present.
As seed savers, it is good to note that seed collected from plants, even if the plants are in jumping worm infected soil, should not pose any risk as long as they have not come in contact with soil.
Mustard Solution to test for the presence of jumping worms:
A solution of 1/3 cup of ground mustard seed in 1 gallon of water when soaked into the soil will flush worms (including jumping worms) to the soil surface. Worms that emerge can be examined to determine if jumping worms are present. Note that this solution does not kill worms or harm plants.
Submitted by Melissa, N.E.W. Master Gardener
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Calendar of Local Garden Related Events:
Feb 1 - April 30 ($)
Plant Diagnostics: The Step-by-Step Approach to
Identifying Plant Problems online course
Virtual, UW Extension
Feb 3, 9:30am - 12pm & 12:30pm - 3pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St
Feb 14, noon - 1pm (free)
TILL Talk: Fall in Love with Water Plants
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Feb 17, 9am - 5pm (free)
Winter Celebration
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Feb 18, 9am - 11:30am & 12:00pm - 2:30pm (free)
Seed Packing Event
STEM Center, 2019 Technology Way
Feb 19, 1pm - 2pm (free)
Ask the Experts: A Monthly Garden and Landscape Q&A Series
Virtual, UW Extension
Feb 19 - Feb23, 1pm - 2:30pm daily (free)
Gardening from the Ground Up
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Feb 20, 6pm - 7:30pm ($)
Starting Seeds Indoors
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
February 20, 7:00pm - 8:30pm (free)
Growing Blueberries in Your Backyard
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Feb 21, 6:30pm - 7:30pm (free)
The ABC’s of Starting a New Native Garden
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Feb 24, 10am - 11:30am (free)
The Gardeners Club of Green Bay:
Intro to Growing & Landscaping with Mushrooms
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
February 27, 7:00pm - 8:30pm (free)
Battle of the Weeds
Virtual, University of Minnesota
Feb 28, 6:30pm – 8:30pm (free)
Fun and Games at the PDDC!
Virtual, Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, UW Ext
Feb 29, 1pm - 3pm ($)
Leap into Winter Pruning
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
Feb 29, 6pm - 8pm ($)
Vegetable Diseases
Virtual, UW Extension
March 2, noon - 3pm (free)
2nd Annual Seed Library Launch
Brown County Central Library, 515 Pine St
March 6, 6:30pm - 7:30pm (free)
Making Your Lawn Friendly to Pollinators
Virtual, MN State Horticulture Society
March 7, 6pm - 8pm ($)
Composting in the Vegetable Garden
Virtual, UW Extension
March 14, 6pm - 8pm ($)
Cover Crops for the Vegetable Garden
Virtual, UW Extension
March 16 10am - 11:30am (free)
Seed Starting with The Gardeners Club of Green Bay
Green Bay Botanical Gardens, 2600 Larsen Rd
March 19, 5pm - 7pm ($)
"Restoration and Reciprocity: Healing Relationships with the Natural World" with Robin Wall Kimmerer
Virtual, Wild Ones
March 21, 6pm - 8pm ($)
Seed Saving, Harvesting and Storage
Virtual, UW Extension
March 27, 6:30pm - 9pm (free)
Fundamentals of Plant Diseases
Virtual, Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, UW Ext
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Pork Loin with Dried Cherry Sauce
by Eileen Rueden
inspired by Lidia Bastianich
Ingredients
• 2- to- 2½-pound boneless pork loin, tied to keep the shape
• Or 5 bacon wrapped pork loin medallions
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup dried cherries
Cherry Sauce
• 2 cups dried cherries
• 1½ cups dry white wine
• 1½ cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. For the pork, preheat oven to 375°F. Season the pork all over with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil. When the butter is melted, sear the pork all over, about 6 minutes total, then remove to a plate.
2. When the pork is out, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the Dutch oven, and add the garlic. Once the garlic is sizzling, add the onion and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning, and season with the remaining salt. Cook until the cabbage just begins to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup water. Set the pork on top of the cabbage, and cover the pot. Roast 20 minutes if whole roast otherwise 15 minutes.
3. Uncover, stir in the 1/2 cup dried cherries, and continue to roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads 145°F, about 25 to 30 minutes more. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. If using medallions, roast another 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups dried cherries, white wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer, and cook until cherries are very soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, and remove bay leaves. Pour into a blender, and add the vinegar, butter, and salt. Carefully blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan, and reheat over low heat while you finish the pork.
5. Once the pork has rested, remove the strings and thinly slice. Serve the pork on a bed of the cabbage, with the sauce on the side. If using medallions just serve on the bed of cabbage.
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