September 2024
LTPL Grows Newsletter

September
 
Their summer romance
over, the lovers
still cling
to each other
 
the way the green
leaves cling
to their trees
in the strange heat
 
of September, as if
this time
there will be
no autumn.
 
 
Poem by Linda Pastan
Painting Henry Fletcher - "September," from Twelve  Months of Flowers, England
Fall Gardening at LTPL
Fall is a great time to plant a cover crop when you have empty spots after harvesting. Cover crops provide much needed organic matter to the soil when they are knocked down or dug in, plus they help keep your precious topsoil from eroding or blowing away over the winter. 
Seeds available in the LTPL Seed Library that are suitable for sowing in August are listed below. 
Cover Crops
Winter Rye - overwinters, dig in early spring when 3-6 inches high.
Fall Cover Crop Mix - some will winterkill, some will need to be turned over in spring. 
View this informative video on using cover crops:
Mother Earth News: 
The What, Why, How, and When of Garden Cover Crops:
Growing Cover Crops Webinar with Parker Garlitz
 
 
Grow Fabulous Fall Greens! There might still be time to start the fastest maturing types of greens and roots if you get to seeding them right away. Some greens are ready to eat as baby greens with as little as thirty days of growth. Small radishes and turnips can also provide a root crop by the time the first frost arrives. Protection might be needed if winter arrives on the early side.
Visit the LTPL Seed Library soon and get your seeds for Fabulous Fall Greens! You only have to register the first time you use the seed library. Be sure to write down how many packets you take on the clipboard before you go.
 
Upcoming LTPL Grows Programs 
Late Season Gardening
Monday, September 16 @ 6:30 pm
 
Join us as we learn about Late Season Gardening in Michigan from MSU Extension Consumer Horticulture Educator Barbara Gregerson. As part of the presentation, mini- greenhouses will be provided for each participant that they can plant and take home.
Barbara received her Master of Agriculture in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota.
Registration required to receive the mini-greenhouse.
Halloween Gourd Ghosts
Make & Take Craft
Monday, October 21 @ 6:00 pm

Join us at LTPL to assemble and decorate Halloween ghosts made from dried gourds! Drop in any time between 6 pm and 7 pm to create your spooky holiday craft. Gourds measure 4-6 inches. This craft involves oil-based permanent paints and sharp tools, and is suitable for teenagers and adults only.
 
 
Herb of the Month
The Herb of the Month is Elderberry!
Each month we feature a different herb or spice and provide a take-home kit that contains information about the herb, a sample and/or seed packet, instructions for use, and recipes. Click here to register for your Herb of the Month kit for September. 
The Herb of the Month will be announced in the LTPL Grows newsletter and on the LTPL website. To subscribe to the newsletter, click here.  
 
Seed Library News
It's September!   
The LTPL Seed Library is open for business all year long with seasonally appropriate seeds added on an ongoing basis. In September, look for fast-growing greens and root vegetables that will mature within 30 days during the cool fall weather. They can be direct sown after you harvest earlier crops. These vegetables include greens, baby turnips, and radishes. Be sure to keep them well-watered so they grow rapidly.
The mission of the seed library is to promote gardening and encourage sustainability through seed saving. The seeds are available at no cost to you. Although it is not required, we hope that you will attempt to save seeds from your crops and return them to the seed library to help keep it self-sustaining. First time users of the Seed Library need to register. You may do so with this form or in-person at the seed library. Once you have registered, you log your initials and number of packets taken on the clipboard. The clipboard and instructions are on top of the Seed Library cabinet.  
Gardening handouts are available at the Seed Library and also on the LTPL Grows Webpage, along with informative videos!
 
 
September Garden Calendar
In September 
  • Harvest your vegetables as they mature, preserving the surplus. Harvest and dry herbs while they are at their peak.
  • Sow seeds outdoors for cool-weather, fast-growing fall vegetable crops, including greens, turnips, and radishes. Visit the LTPL Seed library and check for seeds you might need. 
  • Continue to pinch new blossoms off your tomato plants (also eggplants and peppers) so they put their energy into ripening existing fruit before frost. For the same reason, prune winter squash and pumpkin vines to prevent them from forming new fruit that will not have time to mature.
  • Remove spent crops, clean the area, and add compost to rejuvenate the soil for the next crop. Plant a cover crop if you are done gardening in that spot for this year. 
  • Check local nurseries or place orders for mail order plants to be planted in the early fall.
  • Seed-saving continues into September. Allow your non-hybrid tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, and squash to fully ripen on the plant or vine. Make sure correct seed-saving practices have been followed to keep them pure.
  • Information and online resources for starting and saving seed can be found on the LTPL website. 
    Find additional resources for seed saving here:
New Gardening Books at LTPL: Short Stories Edition
The Garden Maker's Book of Wonder:162 Recipes, Crafts, Tips, Techniques, and Plants to Inspire You in Every Season by Allison Vallin Kostovick
This entertaining book is arranged first by season, then by various categories. All the stories and articles are designed to spur your imagination and give you great ideas about gardening and enjoying what you grow. Presented in a format that allows you to go back and find something new every time.
 
The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession by Amy Stewart
Fans (and potential fans) of garden prose will love these fifty short stories from all over the world that are woven together with the thread of a love and fascination with trees.
Illustrated with the author's own watercolors.

Hint: short stories are great for busy people. Pick it up, put it down, as often as you want!
Perennial Ceremony: Lessons and Gifts from a Dakota Garden by Teresa Peterson
Guiding us through four seasons in her tribal homelands in the Minnesota River Valley, the author writes of a life lived full circle and close to the land in the tradition of the Dakota. 
Prose, memoir, poetry, and recipes help bring us closer to  
reclaiming and deepening our relationship with Mother Earth. This is a book to return to whenever you feel the need to connect with nature.
 
Free Gardening E-Books from MeL
The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) provides information to help Michiganders take advantage of the opportunities our state has to offer.
Growing a garden is one of the best ways to take advantage of local food. The eBook Public Library Collection offers tips and tricks to plan a food-producing garden this summer. For general knowledge, try Gardening to Eat: Connecting People and Plants. Readers can learn when and how to plant and harvest a variety of foods and enjoy recipes created to utilize their nutritious bounty. Vertical Gardening and Micro Food Gardening: Project Plans and Plants for Growing Fruits and Veggies in Tiny Spaces both encourage gardening in the space you have. These eBooks describe how we can grow food in unusual places rather than focusing on limitations. With over 400 additional gardening eBooks including topics such as composting, organic gardening, and gardening with kids, the eBook Public Library Collection has something for everyone.
 
Four Seasons Garden Club News
Coming Events:
September Meeting: Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 6:30 pm in a member's garden. The topic will be Dahlias. 
The Four Seasons Garden Club of South Lyon meets at the Center for Active Adults at the South Lyon High School on the 1st Tuesday of each month throughout the school year. Watch the calendar for summer meeting locations. Social time begins at 6:30 pm and the meeting begins at 7:00. Meetings and tours are usually held at member's homes during the summer months. Click Here for membership information.
 
 
Podcasts, Newsletters, & Links 
Seeds & Weeds Podcast with Michigan's own Bevin Cohen 
Many of you will recognize Bevin Cohen from his many visits to LTPL as a presenter. Bevin (Ben) is an award winning author, herbalist, owner of Small House Farm and host of the popular Seeds & Weeds podcast. He lives and works with his wife, Heather, and two sons, Elijah and Anakin, on their family homestead in Sanford, Michigan.
Bevin offers workshops and lectures across the country on the benefits of living closer to the land through seeds, herbs, and locally grown food. He is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including Mother Earth News, Hobby Farms Magazine, and The Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company Catalog. He is the author of four books, including his newest The Heritage Pantry.
 
  
Organic Growing Guides and Charts from Michigan's ownNature & Nurture Seeds - Heirloom & Organic Vegetable Seeds
 
 
DNR Wildtalk Podcast
Nate Levitte talks about all things habitat in the southeast Lower Peninsula region of the state. 
Visit the "Wildtalk" webpage for the April episode, as well as show notes and links to past episodes.
 
 
Artwork for 261. Laura Fernandez on Sowing Seeds of Sustainability with Garden DesignWeekly podcasts on all things gardening!
 
 
SEED FREEDOM AS HUMAN RIGHTS - TRAVELS IN KENYA
 
 
 
New USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Click Photo to expand 
 
Michigan Gardener Magazine
 Michigan Gardener Magazine
Michigan Gardener Magazine has decided to cease publication of the print magazine and online newsletter. You can still visit the Michigan Gardener website for occasional new articles and the calendar, and browse through digital back issues of the print magazine and newsletters.
 

 
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