In this issue: Yummy Rosemary cake, great gift ideas & the beautiful but dreaded Spotted Lantern Fly

Happy Holidays!

Are you still looking for that perfect gift for the gardener in your life? Or, maybe you need something to add to your own wish list. A poll of your Master Gardeners provides a short list of essential tools we all seem to carry.

Essential these days, a good sun hat will save your skin and shade your eyes from harmful UV.

Good quality hand pruners are a must in a tool belt. Ones that can sharpened are best.

A short handled hoe or grubbing hoe makes cleaning up any weeds a breeze.

Believe it or not, a few of our Master Gardeners say their favourite garden tool is an ordinary kitchen steak knife!

A pruning saw is also on the list. It's great for going through larger stocks. Folding versions are handy.

Crack weeders are great for weeding between patio stones and slice through larger weed roots easily.

No gardener should be without a good strong, sturdy trowel!

A hori hori knife is very handy for prying apart a stubborn root ball or to quickly pop out a weed.

A bucket tool caddy serves a double purpose. It holds all the necessary tools plus it's a bucket to collect debris.

So many options...

It seems that if you ask 50 gardeners what their favourite tool is you will really only come up with a small handful of essentials. There are of course many other back or hand saving tools out there - like a seat the doubles as a kneeler/tool caddy or a wheelbarrow? If arthritis is a concern, look for tools with a more bulbous handle, if kneeling down (or getting back up) are keeping you out of the garden, invest in some new long handled tools. Many of our favourites are available in both long handled for standing or medium handled for garden work from a seated position.

With so many options out there these days, you are sure to find ones that are just right for you.

Do you have a budding veggie gardener in your life? Why not check out the 2024 Seeds to Table class?

Click here for more information

Spotting the Spotted Lanternfly

The Spotted Lanternfly was introduced into the U.S. from Asia. It may look like a butterfly or moth however, it is a type of true bug called a plant hopper. The adult is approximately 25 mm long and 12 mm wide and has uniquely-coloured wings. The front wings are light brown/grey with black spots at the front and dark speckled bands near the back. The rear wings are red in colour and have black spots near the front and white and black bands at the back. The abdomen is yellow with horizontal black stripes.

The Spotted Lanternfly lays eggs in fall on the host plants, and various outdoor surfaces. Newly laid egg masses are brown and covered in a grey, waxy coating. Eggs hatch in late spring and early summer, and the nymphs start feeding. Early stage nymphs are black and white, while later stage nymphs are black, white and red. The Spotted Lanternfly feeds on various host plants throughout its development. Adults prefer to feed and lay eggs on Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), as well as grape (Vitis), apples (Malus), plums (Prunus domestica), cherries (Prunus avium), peaches and nectarines (P. persica), apricocts (P. armeniaca), pine (Pinus), walnut (Juglans) and oak (Quercus). They will also feed on roses and other important ornamental nursery crops. Both nymphs and adults feed by sucking sap from young stems and leaves. Nymphs and adults tend to congregate in large numbers on the host plant, and winter at the base of the tree or in the canopy.

Nancy's Rosemary Cake

This quick and easy cake is delightful with the distinct rosemary flavour and colourful cherry pieces.

Enjoy with friends over a cup of tea or coffee!

Beat together until creamy:

1/2 cup softened butter

2/3 cup white sugar

2 beaten eggs

Zest of a med orange & it’s juice (1/4c)

Then mix in the following:

2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 tbsp baking powder

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 cup of sultana raisins plumped*

1 cup of roughly chopped red & green glazed cherries

*To plump raisins: soak raisins in warm water for about 10 minutes then drained

Combine well, then fold into a greased 9”x9” or 10”x10” pan, spreading the batter out evenly. Bake in a 350˚F oven for 30 to 35 min or when pricked with a toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Then ice with a glaze consisting of 1 cup icing sugar, 1 tbsp orange juice and 1 tsp of finely chopped rosemary.

Here's the link to the printable version

Community Connections - Want more? Check these out

Fanshawe Student Plant Anatomy Project

Our own Master Gardener, Amy Turnbull had her students do a project on some Carolinian plants with the intent to help fellow gardeners learn more about some of our local species. Have a read, this is a very informative.

Check out this link for more information