Thanksgiving began as a celebration of the garden's bounty. Now it's easier than ever to honor that tradition with an organic, authentic, and delicious Thanksgiving feast. For most gardeners, the “traditional” Thanksgiving feast includes turkey, cranberry sauce, yams, pumpkin pie and a few vegetables. The whole meal may last an hour or two. However, many of the foods now associated with Thanksgiving weren’t available for the first feast, which stretched for several days.

Turkey, of course, was served; however, it was wild - not domestic turkey. They also ate venison - from the five deer that the Indians brought to the celebration - as well as ducks and geese. Cod and bass were also served. And it’s very likely that shellfish appeared on the first Thanksgiving table because it was a common food of the day. The Pilgrims also feasted on sour dough bread, which they called “Cheate Bread." Cornbread was made from hominy. The early corn was known as flint corn, which was raised by the Indians and roasted. It’s not a sweet corn or a popping corn. The few vegetables that were served were boiled onions and spinach and stewed pumpkin. Onions were peeled, quartered and boiled with raisins, sugar, egg and vinegar. Spinach was also boiled. It was then drained and served with currants, butter, sugar and vinegar. Dessert? It was a prune tart seasoned with rosemary, rosewater and cinnamon and sweetened with sugar.

So how did the Indians and Pilgrims eat all this food? Not with a fork, which hadn’t debuted yet on the dining room table. Guests sliced off their own portions of meat with a knife. Spoons, wood plates, bowls and large linen napkins were used. What wasn’t served at the first Thanksgiving? * There was no cranberry sauce because sugar was in low supply. * Breads were generally baked in round loaves instead of loaf pans. * Apples and pears weren’t growing in this region at the time and certainly weren’t on hand to make into pies or sauce. * Domestic turkey was not served. Only wild turkey was available. * There was no colorful Indian corn. Only flint corn was grown. * Mashed potatoes weren’t prepared by the Pilgrims since potatoes weren’t yet grown in their gardens. * Pumpkin pie wasn’t served in a pastry shell. Instead, pumpkins were diced and stewed, then seasoned with ginger, cinnamon, butter and vinegar to make it tart.

Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Rosemary Yields about 2-1/2 cups. ingredients 12 oz. fresh cranberries, picked through and rinsed 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest

how to make Bring the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and rosemary to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 min. (Some berries will have popped and some will be whole.) Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the zest. Cover and let stand for 10 min. Let the sauce cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature before serving. Make Ahead Tips This sauce can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated in a covered container.

Dry-Brined Roasted Turkey---Dry-brining the turkey—that is, sprinkling it with salt and refrigerating it uncovered overnight—gives all the flavor of wet-brining, minus the big, awkward bucket of salt water.Serves ten. ingredients One 10- to 12-lb. turkey 1/4 cup kosher salt 2 medium to large yellow onions, unpeeled and cut into eighths 2 medium carrots, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 2 medium ribs celery, cut into 1-inch chunks

how to make The night before: Remove the giblets from the turkey, cut off the tail, if attached, and reserve them for making the rich turkey broth. Rinse the turkey thoroughly. Sprinkle the salt all over it, starting on the back side, then the cavity, and finally the breast. Put the turkey on a wire rack set over a rimmed pan or platter and refrigerate uncovered overnight. One hour before roasting: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature. Fifteen to 20 minutes before roasting, position a rack in the lowest part of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Put half of the onions, carrots, and celery in the turkey cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Tuck the wings behind the neck and under the turkey. Scatter the remaining onions, carrots, and celery in a large flameproof heavy-duty roasting pan fitted with a large V rack. Set the turkey, breast side down, on the V rack. Roast for 30 minutes. Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting pan and roast for another 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven and close the oven door. With two wads of paper towels, carefully turn the turkey over so that it's breast side up. Add another 1/2 cup water to the roasting pan. Return the turkey to the oven and continue to roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 170°F, about another 45 minutes for a turkey in the 10-lb. range, or about another 1 hour for a 12-lb. turkey. (Keep a close eye on the vegetables and pan drippings throughout the cooking process. They should be kept dry enough to brown and produce the rich brown drippings to make gravy, but moist enough to keep from burning, so add water as needed throughout.) Transfer the turkey to a carving board or platter, tent with foil, and let rest for at least 45 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving and serving. Meanwhile, make the silky pan gravy from the drippings.

How to Choose a Turkey---Finding the perfect turkey for your needs is the first step to a memorable Thanksgiving dinner Here's help on determining the size and type of bird to purchase. What kind? With so many turkeys on the market, trying to choose your holiday bird can be mind-boggling. To help you cut through all the jargon and find the perfect turkey, here's a glossary of the terms you're likely to see.

Fresh vs. frozen * Fresh: A turkey may be labeled "fresh" only if it has never been chilled below 26°F. (Turkey meat, according to the National Turkey Federation, doesn't freeze at 32°F, but at a temperature closer to 26°F.) * Frozen: Turkeys chilled below 0°F must be labeled "frozen." Or, if they're sold already defrosted, you may see "previously frozen" on the label. Most turkey producers agree that freezing adversely affects the texture and taste of the meat. * Hard-chilled or not previously frozen: Turkeys that have been chilled below 26°F, but not below 0°F can't be labeled fresh, but they don't have to be labeled frozen either. If a turkey isn't labeled as either fresh or frozen, it's most likely in this category. This type of bird may also be identified as "hard-chilled" or "not previously frozen." Once you've determined if a turkey is fresh or frozen, you'll have other qualities to consider. Many turkeys carry labels like "all-natural," "free-range," and "organic." Still other specialty turkeys don't fall into neat categories but are distinguished by brand. * Organic: The USDA's National Organic Program requires that turkeys labeled as "organic" be certified by a USDA-accredited certifying agency. A certified organic turkey will have been raised on 100% organic feed, given access to the outdoors, and will never have received antibiotics. The use of hormones in the raising of all poultry is prohibited, certified organic or not. * Kosher: A kosher label may only be used on poultry that has been processed under rabbinical supervision. The turkeys are grain-fed with no antibiotics and are allowed to roam freely. In addition to being individually processed and inspected, kosher turkeys are soaked in a salt brine, which gives them their distinctive savory character. (If you buy a turkey that isn't kosher, brine it for extra-moist, flavorful meat.) * Self-basting: A self-basting turkey has been injected with or marinated in a solution of fat and broth or water, plus spices, flavor enhancers, and other "approved substances." * Free-range: By USDA definition, "free-range" simply means that the birds have access to the outdoors. But what really affects the quality of the meat is how crowded the birds are, not whether they can go outdoors. Some of the best turkeys are therefore not technically free-range, simply because the uncaged birds don't roam outdoors. * Premium brands: Premium-brand turkeys are an increasingly important market for holiday birds. Companies like Murray's, Bell & Evans, Jaindl, Maple Lawn Farms, Koch's, Willie Bird, Eberly's, Empire Kosher, Diestel, and others sell turkeys based on their reputation. Most of these producers claim that the difference between their turkeys and others lies in the quality of the feed their birds get. Most often, there are no animal byproducts in the feed and usually no antibiotics. Most of these birds are raised without being caged. The lack of animal fat in their diet and the fact that the birds can move around freely mean that the turkeys grow more slowly than factory-raised birds, so the meat has a chance to develop a richer flavor and denser texture. * Natural: The term "natural" simply means "no artificial ingredient or color added and minimally processed." The term makes no reference to the way the turkey was raised. * Heritage breed: Over 99% of the turkeys sold in supermarkets are a single breed: the Broad-Breasted White. But some small farmers focus on raising other breeds that have otherwise been edged out of the market. Some of the more common heritage breeds include the Narragansett, the Bourbon Red and the Jersey Buff. Heritage breed turkeys tend to have darker, more flavorful meat and less breast meat than supermarket turkeys, and are generally available directly from the farmer or through other local sources.

How Big a Bird?---How to match the size of your Thanksgiving turkey to the size of your crowd. Smaller birds fit in the refrigerator better and are easier to handle. If you're hosting a big crowd and have two ovens, consider roasting two smaller birds instead of a large one (this also gives you a good excuse to try two kinds of stuffing). Some cooks look forward to turkey leftovers as weekend fare; others prefer to serve just enough to feed the guests at the feast. Turkey math For birds under 16 pounds, figure at least 1 pound of turkey per person. For birds 16 pounds and heavier, figure a bit less since there's more meat in proportion to bone. If you want substantial seconds and leftovers, allow another 1/2 pound per person.

Three Gifts for Gardeners---Gardeners want three kinds of gifts, at Christmas or any other time of the year. A great gift does one of three things: helps make a smarter gardener, brings a personal touch or a bit of whimsy to the garden, or integrates nature's beauty into the gardener's home. With all due modesty, I recommend listening to my gardening program. To bring a personal touch to the garden, take a look around and see what you can add to the scene. I collect wind-chimes - even my children have discovered that I love every one they can find or make for me. A friend of mine collects rocks, another is endlessly amused by plaques with wry garden sentiments, still another adores bottle trees, so a rare bottle is a real gift. If you're still stumped, go for Dancing Garden Mirrors from Art in Green. These beauties come from nice folks on Cape Cod in cute boxes ready to stuff any stocking. The quality of the strung pairs of mirrors is excellent - I've had mine outdoors completely exposed for two years with no noticeable aging at all. Four pairs of mirrors make a box, so get 2 or 3 boxes for huge impact. They catch every sort of light and play it all over your plants. I really like how they light up at night with any source nearby - candles, landscape lighting, strings of tiny twinklers, or just a flashlight pointing up from the ground below to light the way to a party. When it comes to bringing natural beauty indoors, I'm no Martha, but I can buy a shallow bowl and slightly larger plate. Go for a holiday theme in the dishes, or classic white. Then it's just a matter of arranging fruit (think grapefruit and satsumas, crisp apples, a pineapple, whatever will keep its looks for awhile) and nuts (pecans of course, but add brazil, walnuts, and filberts for interest) in the bowl. Clip any evergreen - cedar and nandina are obvious, but sweet olive or eleagnus work well, too. Make a wreath around the bowl on the plate, add a ribbon and nice card, and you've got a gift that decorates naturally. Some folks can combine the 3 types of gifts to great effect. A guy I know was courting a lady who loved hummingbirds. He bought a nice Norfolk pine and hung six different kinds of feeders from its well-spaced branches, including one he made from a pop bottle and a deliciously expensive copper job she'd never have bought for herself. She got natural beauty for indoors as the pine is a great houseplant and the decorations were perfect for her hobby. Later they'll hang outside to add to her garden. Plus she got smarter, by knowing he knew her so well and cared enough to show it. No mistletoe necessary.

Gifts From The Herb Garden---With the onset of fall in my USDA zone 6, it is time to harvest herbs to enjoy gifts from my garden year-round. Drying herbs inspires me to create herbal vinegars, herbal wreaths, scented potpourri, a fragrant sachet or an herbal bath bag. These make unique holiday host or hostess gifts. If your garden lacks herbs, you can find herbs at roadside stands and at country markets. Air-drying is one method to preserve herbs. I just hang the herbs upside down in a cool, dark closet secured with a rubber band and tied with string until they feel crisp to the touch. Then store in airtight jars. A garden shed or attic, are good places, too, for drying herbs, placed out of direct sunlight. To have dried flower heads for potpourri, spread the flower heads out in a single layer on a screen in a cool dark place. Once dry, place flower heads in an airtight glass container until you are ready to make potpourri. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a favorite culinary herb to dry. For best fragrance gather herbs early in the day when the heat of the day will not rob herbs of essential oils. After spreading the leaves on an ovenproof tray, I place it the oven set at 150 degrees for a few minutes. Rosemary needles are sharp, so run them through the food processor after drying. Store in an airtight container to use for flavoring meats, fish or poultry or for a brewed tea. Dry lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) to put in bath bags and sachets. I place dried lavender blossoms in a muslin bag, (cut muslin with pinking shears to make the bag), tie it with ribbon and place it under the tub faucet so the water takes on the scent of lavender. For a sachet, I add dried lavender, mint and thyme and fill a pretty handkerchief tied with a lavender ribbon. To preserve the scent, I add a drop or two of essential oils of lavender to dried herbs in the sachet. When I think of mint, tea comes to mind. I prefer apple mint (M. x gracilis) and orange mint (M. x piperita var. citrata). Place the dried mint leaves in an airtight tin. Pour boiling water over an ounce of the dried leaves and let them steep for 10 minutes and strain. I enjoy drinking the tea at dusk when there is a winter sunset. Freezing is another way to preserve herbs. Freeze herbs in ice cube trays and drop a few ice cubes into soups or stews. Rosebuds, tiny marigolds and borage flowers frozen in ice cubes make a pretty garnish in a punch bowl or in drinks. Herbal vinegars count on herbs for flavor. Search unique bottles at kitchen shops, flea markets, yard sales and antique shops to decant the herbs. Add olive oil to herb vinegars and use vinegars as salad dressings and marinades for meat, vegetables and fish. Only use fresh herbs and flowers that have not been sprayed with any harmful chemicals. My recipe for: Herbal Vinegar * Wash handfuls of a favorite herb. Place in a clean glass bottle or jar and fill the container with white distilled vinegar. • Set the container in the sun and steep for a week or two. * Strain to remove old leaves and sediment. * Pour the vinegar through a funnel into smaller clear glass bottles. Place fresh sprigs of the herb in each bottle for a decorative touch and extra freshness. (Use sterilized bottles run through the dishwasher). * Store herbal vinegars in a cool cupboard out of direct sunlight. * I like to add garlic, peppercorns or spices such as stick cinnamon, cloves or allspice to the vinegars for flavor and presentation. * Herbal vinegars make nice host or hostess gifts. For holidays, I tie a bright ribbon at the neck of the bottle, a sprig of holly and a tag with the name of the vinegar.

Houseplants for Holiday Décor Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, Rosemary, Christmas Peppers, and More---The holidays are on the way, and that means the arrival of some very special houseplants. To keep them looking their best now and beyond the holidays, read these tips! Here's a look at some of the most popular holiday houseplants: Poinsettias - These members of the Euphorbia family are the most popular Christmastime plants in the world. For many people it’s not Christmas without them. They are prized for their colorful bracts, which come in a variety of colors from the softest pink to the most electrifying red. They also come in white. Some places dye the bracts blue or purple, or spray them with glitter, but most people like them the way nature intended. Despite what many people think, the bracts themselves are not the flowers of the plant at all. The true flowers are located in the center of the bracts and are tiny and unimpressive. To keep poinsettias looking their best, provide them with bright indirect light and keep the soil moist but not saturated. Large plants tend to be very thirsty and may need to be watered daily. If they start to lose their leaves they are probably getting a cold draft from somewhere. Poinsettias cannot tolerate temps below 50 degrees. To avoid root rot, remove the decorative wrapping most come in. After the holidays they can be kept as regular houseplants, but getting them to color again is quite difficult and requires 14 hours of darkness a day for 8 weeks starting in October. Most people simply buy new plants each holiday season. Christmas Cactus - Unlike its relatives, this cactus is native to rainforests. A member of the Schlumbergera family, they are prized for their blooms, which come in shades of red, pink, and purple; they get their name from the time of year they bloom. To insure the best blooms, don’t move them once they are brought home. Like the ficus, they hate being moved and will complain by shedding their buds and flowers. From spring to fall, keep moist, but in winter, allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Topiaries made from this herb are popular as decorations. They need cool temps and bright light, and must be trimmed often to keep their shape. Make sure not to let them dry out-a humidity tray may be necessary. Water when the top of the soil feels dry. Potted Christmas Trees- These usually come in two types-the small tabletop trees that come predecorated, and the large floor specimens. The larger ones are almost always Norfolk Island Pines. These plants make lovely holiday decorations and can be kept as houseplants afterwards, providing they get plenty of light (a south or west window is best) and regular misting to increase humidity. Keep the soil moist at all times. They will grow to a height of 5 to 6 feet, so be sure it has plenty of room! The smaller tabletop varieties of potted trees are actually young specimens of a variety of pines. They will not do well as houseplants but if planted outdoors after the holidays will eventually grow into a lovely pine tree. Christmas Peppers- These colorful plants add a fun twist to holiday décor. Like all peppers, they need lots of light and warmth. Don’t allow to dry out, and be sure to keep out of the reach of children and pets. The peppers are considered edible, but they are extremely hot! Amaryllis- This plant is a member of the Hippeastrum family and is prized for its showy blossoms. They grow from bulbs that have been forced and are usually bought in the sprouting stage. They prefer bright light and moist soil during their growing period. Once the flowers fade the plant will slowly head into dormancy. Let the pots slowly dry out, remove the old leaves, and let the bulbs rest in a cool place for 10 weeks or so. Repot 6-8 weeks before blossoming is desired. Buying

Houseplants By Mail-A Guide to Getting the Most For Your Money---These days a wide variety of houseplants is available online and through catalogs. Here is a guide to choosing the best places to shop from-and on knowing who to avoid! There was a time when the only place to get houseplants was the garden center or if one was lucky, the floral department of the local grocery store. Now, thanks to catalogs and the Internet, houseplant lovers have access to a wide variety of plants, including ones they might never have had the chance to own otherwise. However, ordering by mail or online does come with certain risks. Here are some tips to help make the experience a good one: Before making a purchase from any online or mail order nursery, it’s important to do some homework first. Visit the Better Business Bureau’s site and pull up their report on the nursery in question. It will include the number of complaints they’ve received in a 12 to 48 month period, and whether they were handled satisfactorily. Avoid any business with an unsatisfactory rating! If the purchase being considered will be made from Ebay, be sure to read the seller’s feedback carefully. Take note of the responses, if any, the seller has made to the feedback received. Lots of name calling or rude remarks is a sign of an unprofessional seller and one who may not be willing to work with you if something goes wrong. It’s also important to carefully read the seller’s refund and shipping policies. Good sellers will either refrain from shipping during periods of extreme cold or will add heat packs to the box to keep plants from freezing. The payment methods an online or mail order nursery will accept say a lot about them. Be wary of any that insist on cash or money orders only. These methods are insecure, untraceable, and the chances of getting a refund if necessary are low. Credit cards are the best way to pay due to their built in protections. Finally, check and see if the nursery has a brick and mortar presence. There’s nothing wrong with those that are strictly online or mail order, in fact many are quite good, but those that also do a retail “face to face” business tend to be more reliable. Buying plants online or through mail order can be a satisfying and rewarding experience, giving houseplant lovers a chance to purchase plants they otherwise may never have had access to. By following these tips and doing a little housework, the bad seeds can be avoided. Happy shopping!

Sassafras---Hardy between USDA zones 4 and 9, the sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a small to medium sized deciduous tree growing 30 to 60 feet tall. It is native to the eastern, southern, and central US including the states of Florida, Kansas, and Texas. Sassafras is a member of the Laurel plant family (Lauraceae), which includes several commercially important species such as avocados, bay laurel and cinnamon. Preferring full sun to part shade and acid soils, the yellow clusters of flowers bloom in spring. Sassafras has three distinct leaf shapes of tri-lobed, oval, and a “mitten” shape. The fruits appear in early autumn and consist of attractive bluish-black berries or drupes on scarlet stalks. The leaves turn orange, red, and purplish-red in the fall as well. Sassafras forms large colonies or groves and makes a good informal screen in a naturalized garden. It can also be grown as a specimen tree or clump of 3 to 5 trees provided the root suckers are removed as soon as they appear. Sassafras trees contain sassafras oil, which was used by Native Americans as a tonic for medicinal purposes. Sassafras tea is made from the bark and the oil in the roots was originally used to make root beer. The FDA has determined sassafras oil to be carcinogenic and it has been banned; however, if you break off a twig or leaf and chew on it, you can get a taste of what sassafras oil tastes like. Sassafras is listed as a plant of special concern in Maine.

Rockin’ Through the Garden (A Mini Planting Concert)---Do you want to create a monument, stake a landmark, build a spiritual site or “hide” an unmovable rock? Then a miniature rock garden might be just what you need to beautify your yard with very little work. What’s a mini rock garden? Well, in this case, “mini” refers to the size of the garden – not the size of the rock. But don’t let the idea of a rock garden scare you off. While today’s typical rock garden involves a rocky slope with lovely plants tucked into the crevices, a mini rock garden actually uses a large rock as its focal point with a small garden built around it. You choose how important and detailed you want your garden to be. You’re probably familiar with the idea of Japanese rock gardens, in which stones are the backbone of the landscape. Rocks bring depth and meaning to this type of gardening. While you don’t have to replicate ornate Japanese designs, one or two large rocks in a mini rock garden anchor the focal point and add depth and meaning no matter what types of plants you use. You can design your little garden any time of the year, but you might want to save the planting until it’s the right time for your region. Let your imagination be your guide: What’s your goal? If you’re looking to create a type of landmark, for example, consider using a mini rock garden to display your house address by painting your house number on it. Then mass a few plants tightly around the rock, or mix it up with different spring-, summer- and fall-blooming perennials and annuals to give your garden year-round color. Maybe the rock isn’t located in a spot that’s good for a house number – or maybe it’s far from the home and you want to call more attention to it. If this is the case, consider surrounding the rock with a riot of color. If you live in an area where deer are problematic, choose plants like short, decorative grasses (which creatures tend to avoid) to break up all the color – and then spray the rest with deer repellent. If you want to make your rock garden a little larger, add shrubs around your rock to enhance the focal point of any yard entrance. If other parts of your yard are more formal, pick shrubs that echo that formal look a bit – stay away from rangy ones – otherwise your rock garden will look out of place. In fact, it’s always a good idea to tie your mini rock garden into your landscape by choosing some shrubs, perennials and annuals that reflect the colors already used in other plantings around the house. The great thing about a miniature rock garden is you can build it around wherever you’ve got a “problem” stone. And with just a bit of planning and work, your rock can be transformed from yard eyesore to beautiful focal point that echoes the great role stones have played in the history of humankind. * Large rocks are often left on properties when new homes are built. Rather than pay hundreds of dollars to have them removed, keep the best as a focal point, mulch an area around it to deter grass, and add your favorite plants. * You can use a border of smaller rocks or stones to define your garden. By copying the color of the spotlighted rock, you’ll be able to present a unified whole. Facts * Japanese gardening is the epitome of rock gardening, emphasizing culture with rules of rock placement and meanings to rock shapes. These gardens define space not by filling the garden with artifice, but by using some emptiness as a key element in the design, always striving to reflect nature. * History reveals that miniature landscapes in trays composed of rocks, plants and water were created as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-906 AD) and collections of unusual rocks and plant specimens were found from the Song Dynasty (the ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279 AD) onward. Large rocks or rock groupings served as analogies for mountains in early Chinese religion and art, serving as sacred sites or resting places for immortals. Faqs * Q: What are some good plants to use in a mini rock garden? A: Perennials and shrubs, like azaleas, will add early summer flowers and a green backdrop through the rest of the year. Depending on the nature of the rest of your landscaping, you can go for strong color in flowers like rudbeckia or Marguerite daisies, or try softer hues like the lemon yellow of ‘Moonshine’ coreopsis and the pale blue violet of Ruellia strepens.

Persimmons ? the Proof is in the Pudding---Maybe you've seen them in the grocery store - those lovely orange fruits mildly reminiscent of a tomato. Not the most familiar fruit, the persimmon is wonderfully sweet and grows well in the area. Unlike other fruits, persimmons generally ripen after the first light winter frosts hit. So while many fruits have finished their season, persimmons are just getting started! The Asian persimmon is a deciduous tree widely grown for its flavorful peach-sized fruits. Native to China, this long cultivated plant has been much improved by selection and breeding. The beautiful small to medium-sized tree has large, glossy, elliptical green leaves that turn lovely shades of orange, yellow and red in fall. Learn more about this terrific tree and if it could enhance your landscape. The Oriental (or Japanese) persimmon is a deciduous tree widely grown for its flavorful peach-sized fruits. Native to China, this long cultivated plant has been much improved by selection and breeding. The beautiful small to medium-sized tree has large, glossy, elliptical green leaves that turn lovely shades of orange, yellow and red in fall. The flowers appear in spring. Persimmons are commonly dioecious, which means that some trees only have male flowers while others only have female flowers, though some cultivars have both. This is vitally important for fruiting because only female-flowered trees produce fruit and male flowers are needed for pollination and fruit-set. The female flowers are small, waxy, ivory and have four petals. Their desirable fruit develops over the season and matures in fall. There are many cultivars and their fruits range widely in size, shape, flavor, sweetness and astringency. Most cultivars yield sweet fruits, some with a bitterness that declines with ripening off the tree. After leaf drop, the orange-scarlet fruits hang on the tree into winter, like Christmas ornaments. Harvest the fruits before they turn soft to keep birds from eating them. The Oriental persimmon grows and fruits best in full sun. With good drainage, it tolerates a wide range of soils. With training, it makes a handsome ornamental tree or can be espaliered. Most modern cultivars are self-fertile, but pollination by another tree yields sweeter fruits in greater quantity. Oriental persimmons can be enjoyed in pudding, pies or dried. They are also highly ornamental and add a touch of flare to holiday fruit displays. And persimmons trees do attract the birds.

Meadow Voles Microtus pennsylvanicus---Meadow voles are brown, herbivorous rodents that are 5 to 7 inches long. They live in burrows but travel along above-ground paths they carve out beneath thick vegetation, mulch, or snow. Voles are preyed upon by owls, hawks, snakes, cats, coyotes and foxes, so they have evolved to reproduce incredibly fast—a female can produce five to six offspring every three weeks. They eat anything from tree bark to the roots, foliage and seeds of vegetables and flowers. Voles prefer moving underneath vegetation, so clearing overgrowth from your garden makes voles more visible to predators and encourages them to move elsewhere. Where voles are a problem, do not use mulch. Fence in your garden with ¼-inch mesh hardware cloth buried slightly (this will also deter rabbits). Spray hot pepper sauce on plants, but be prepared to reapply it after it rains. Snap traps, baited with apples and covered to exclude sunlight and protect nontarget animals, set outside tunnel openings or on runways, will kill voles. If you trap them alive, take them at least ½ mile away from your garden (and anyone else's) and release them into an overgrown field. A cat or small dog will keep voles from nesting in your garden.

Squirrels---All across North America. The most common include the eastern and western gray, the fox and the red squirrel. Squirrels wreak havoc throughout yards and gardens, digging, gnawing, and eating their way through just about everything. Nothing is safe from these pesky critters. They'll feed on anything from blooms to berries to bulbs (they're particularly fond of tulips and crocuses), and will also dig up your beds and yard to bury their winter stores. Squirrels strip bark from trees in fall and winter to use as nesting material or as a food source when little else is available. Younger trees and those with thin barks, such as beeches and sycamores, are most vulnerable to attack. Squirrel stripped trees grow slowly, and exposed trunks are susceptible to disease. Plus they can be a general nuisance. A multipronged problem requires a multipronged solution. To protect trees, wrap a 1- to 2-foot-high layer of sheet metal around trunks. Attach the sheet metal with wires held together with springs to allow for tree growth. Remove the metal each spring. Safeguard your bulbs by creating a barrier when planting. Dig a trench a bit deeper than the desired depth of planting and fit a section of 1-inch mesh poultry wire in the hole. Add soil and plant the bulbs, then place another piece of poultry wire over the bulbs, completely encasing them, and cover the top layer with soil. Planting alliums or Fritillaria imperialis, both said to deter squirrels. Or scratch a sprinkling of blood meal into the soil, then lightly water to heighten the aroma. Reapply after heavy rainfall. Also, providing squirrels with an alternate food source—a feeder chock-full of their favorite treats (a few are sunflower seeds, nuts, and acorns) in a remote part of your yard may keep them out of your garden.

Horticultural Oils Explained---Horticultural oils are oil-based products used to control pests and diseases. Most horticultural oils available to home gardeners are petroleum-derived, but you can find plant-based oils, too. Manufacturers refine the oils to remove impurities damaging to plants, and then combine the oils with emulsifiers so the end product can be mixed with water and sprayed on plants. Horticultural oils are available at home-improvement and garden centers and in catalogs. Look for types approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). Gardeners use horticultural oils on woody ornamentals and trees to kill scale, aphids, mites, and other soft-bodied insects. Horticultural oils are nonselective, meaning they kill both pests and susceptible beneficial insects (predatory mites, for example). The oils work by smothering the insects or their eggs, poisoning them, or disrupting the way some insects (generally aphids) feed. The pest must be thoroughly coated with the oil in order for it to work. It has no effect after it dries on the plant. Horticultural oils may also control powdery mildew and prevent the spread of plant viruses transmitted by aphids. In the past, horticultural oils were heavier and used only when plants were not in their growing season, so they were called dormant oils. The old oils effectively managed pests that overwintered on woody plants, but they were too heavy to be sprayed on plants with foliage. The term dormant oils is still used, though now it generally refers to the application time of the oils. New, lighter formulations allow you to use oils during the growing season. These products, sometimes called summer, superior, or supreme oils, can control spider mites and whiteflies. Horticultural oils are safe to use around mammals, birds, and reptiles but are toxic to fish. Follow package directions carefully. Applying oil in freezing conditions or extreme heat, or during drought or shoot growth, can injure your plants. Some plants, including maples, junipers, cedars, and spruce, are sensitive to these oils. Be cautious when using horticultural oils, and apply them only as a last resort. You could potentially damage your plants and beneficial insect populations.

Caring for an Indoor Ficus benjamina---Ficus benjamina is a beautiful plant that is commonly grown indoors as a houseplant. A well-kept Ficus can add dramatic interest to an otherwise plain room, and like other houseplants, it will help clean the indoor air. However, ficus are notorious for dropping their leaves and generally being difficult to care for. Some insight into their likes and dislikes will help you keep your Ficus benjamina happy. Ficus benjamina do best in high humidity but they don't like to have wet feet. The plants may be misted daily, but they should be watered only when the top two inches of their soil feels dry to the touch. The soil should be allowed to dry slightly between waterings in the winter. Overwatering will cause ficus leaves to turn yellow and drop. Ficus are homebodies. Once they are settled into a spot they like, they will protest by dropping leaves if they are moved to another location. Ficus prefer bright, filtered light and a consistent air temperature. Keep your ficus away from drafty outside doors, large windows that change temperature throughout the day, and heater vents. Avoid locations that receive direct sun all day. During the growing season, your ficus should be fertilized monthly with a slow-release fertilizer or half-strength liquid fertilizer. Do not fertilize a ficus during the winter when it is not actively growing. Ficus benjamina doesn't mind being a bit root bound, but if they become too crowded in their pot, new leaves will be small and the plant will grow slowly. Ficus can be repotted in late winter or early spring, when they're as close to dormant as they'll get. Use a well draining potting soil in a slightly larger pot when repotting your ficus. If your ficus begins to drop leaves, check the soil moisture. Decrease watering if necessary, give it some mist daily but don't fertilize the plant. If it's getting too much or not enough light, move it to a better area. Then be patient because it can take several weeks for the plant to adjust and stop dropping leaves.

Fall Care of Peonies---Peony foliage can be cut back to the ground as soon as the foliage turns brown in the fall. The foliage can be composted. Winter protection of herbaceous peonies is only necessary the first winter after planting to prevent alternate freezing and thawing from lifting plants out of the soil. A couple of inches of mulch will help protect recently planted peonies. Any organic material that does not mat down will work (avoid using leaves) and should be applied after the ground freezes. Remove the covering before growth begins in the spring. The less common tree peonies, on the other hand, should not be cut back to the ground or pruned in the fall. They have woody stems like deciduous shrubs. Collect the shed leaves and place in the compost pile this fall. Though tree peonies are hardy to Zone 4, they do benefit from a light mulching over winter. Also, it is recommended that tree peonies be fertilized during November to get the plants off to a good start next spring. It is best to take a soil test to see what nutrients are needed. If the soil needs phosphorus and potassium, use a complete fertilizer (such as 10-10-10, 9-9-6, etc.) at the rate of 2.5 pounds per 100 square feet. This would equal 1 rounded teaspoon per square foot. If phosphorus and potassium are not needed, blood meal makes an excellent fertilizer. It should be applied at the rate of 2 pounds per 100 square feet or 1 teaspoon per square foot. Turf fertilizers such as a 27-3-3 or 30-3-3 can also be used, but the rate would have to be cut to 1 pound per 100 square feet or 1 teaspoon per 2 square feet. Garden Soil Preparation-It’s Not Too Late---The autumn season is an excellent time to add organic materials and till garden soils. However, winter can still be a good time to take care of this chore as long as the soil isn’t frozen. It is far wiser to till now than to wait until spring when cold, wet conditions can limit your ability to work soils easily. Working soil when it is wet destroys soil structure and results in hard clods that are very slow to break down. On the other hand, dry soil may need to be watered so that it can be more easily tilled. Be sure to wait several days after watering to let soil moisture levels moderate. You want the soil moist; not wet nor dry, when tilling. There is a limitation to how much organic material such as leaves can be added in one application. Normally, a layer 2 inches deep is adequate with 5 to 6 inches being the maximum that can be added at one time. Shredding the material before application will encourage faster and more complete decomposition due to increased surface area. Remember, soil preparation is an important key to a successful garden.

Monitor Indoor Plant Temperatures---Now would be a good time to check on the location of foliage houseplants to be sure the plants don't get too cold this fall or winter. Plants next to windows or in entryways near outside doors are at the greatest risk. Plants very sensitive to cold temperatures include Chinese evergreen (Algaonema), flamingo flower (Anthurium), croton (Codiaeum), false aralia (Dizygotheca), and ming and balfour aralia (Polyscias). Monitor and maintain temperatures above 65 degrees F for the false aralia and above 60 degrees for the rest of the list. Many other indoor plants prefer temperatures above 50 degrees. If needed, move plants farther away from the windows or door entrances to reduce cold temperature exposure. It may be necessary to move some plants from window sills before shades or drapes are pulled, especially in the evening.

More Turkey Information---Description Male, 48" (1.2 m); female, 36" (91 cm). Unmistakable. Dusky brown, barred with black, with iridescent bronze sheen; head and neck naked, with bluish and reddish wattles; tail fan-shaped, with chestnut, buff, or white tail tips. Male has spurs and long "beard" on breast. Female smaller, lacks spurs and usually "beard." Domestic turkeys similar, but usually tamer and stockier. Habitat is the Oak woodlands and pine-oak forests. Nesting 8-15 buff-colored eggs, spotted with brown, in a shallow depression lined with grass and leaves. Range Resident in much of southern United States from Arizona east, as far north as New England. Introduced to many western states, including California. Although the Wild Turkey was well known to American Indians and widely used by them as food, certain tribes considered these birds stupid and cowardly and did not eat them for fear of acquiring these characteristics. By the end of the 19th century, the Wild Turkey had been hunted almost to extinction in much of its original range. Now, with protection, restocking programs, and the return of the mature forests favored by turkeys, this species is making a marked comeback. It is now common in areas where it was totally absent a few decades ago. Turkeys are swift runners and quite wary. They often roost over water because of the added protection that this location offers. They are polygamous, and the male gobbles and struts with tail fanned to attract and hold his harem. Oh, by the way that little structure that dangles over the beak is called a snood.

Mealtime: Slugs, Grubs, and a Side of Poison Ivy---Taken as a whole, the animals of our world eat just about every conceivable thing imaginable, from juicy berries and fresh-caught fish to the poisonous, the slimy, the stinging, and the prickly. Here we take a look at the dining habits of wildlife, including what foods our birds and mammals eat, where they store their food, and what they do to prevent other animals from taking and eating it. Some animals will eat a wide variety of foods, while others are specialists, concentrating on one or two items. In an extreme example of specialization, the teddy-bear-like Koala of Australia eats, exclusively, the leaves of certain kinds of eucalyptus trees and eats them only at certain seasons when the trees are producing specific oils. Pandas are specialists too, confining their diet to bamboo. Arctic Foxes are so dependent upon lemmings for food that the two species follow cyclical variations in population, the fox population increasing or decreasing a year after the lemming population does so. Some animals eat the same foods as humans, such as fish, fruits, and mushrooms. Birds eat blueberries, raspberries, and, if they can get to them, all manner of nuts. Chipmunks eat pine nuts, coveted by human cooks as an ingredient in pesto sauce. It is said that native peoples of the Northeast learned to harvest maple sap by watching squirrels. Red Squirrels harvest sugar by biting into a maple's surface, letting the sap ooze out, and returning when the water in the sap (which when fresh is only 2 percent sugar) has evaporated and the sugar content is about 55 percent. But many animals consume items that most of us wouldn't think to put into our mouths. Leatherback sea turtles eat mainly jellyfish; backward-projecting spines in the turtle's mouth and throat help keep its slimy prey from slipping away. Pallid Bats eat scorpions, and Fishers (mink-like creatures) eat porcupines. Red Squirrels eat Amanita mushrooms, some of North America's deadliest fungi (to humans). Countless species eat grubs, earthworms, and carrion. Least Shrews will enter a beehive -- to dine. Many birds, including the Wild Turkey, routinely eat poison ivy berries, and deer and other mammals browse on the very leaves that cause susceptible humans so much misery. Humans have grocery stores, pantries and refrigerators, but animals have to be more creative with their food collection and storage methods. Some small mammals simply store food in underground burrows. The Yellow-pine Chipmunk stuffs its cheek pouches with food and carries it to its subterranean cache. One such cache was inventoried and found to contain nearly 68,000 items, including more than a dozen different kinds of seeds and a partially eaten bumblebee. One Eastern Chipmunk was observed collecting a bushel's-worth of chestnuts, hickory nuts, and corn kernels over three days. A Harris's Antelope Squirrel was found carrying 44 mesquite beans in its cheeks. Southern Flying Squirrels may store up to 15,000 nuts in a season. An individual Eastern Gray Squirrel spends the late summer and fall picking and burying hundreds of acorns and nuts. It buries each nut individually, digging the hole and then tamping the soil down carefully to hide the nut from others. Studies have shown that these squirrels recover about 85 percent of the nuts they bury, and that they probably find them by scent, rather than memory. Many of the remaining nuts germinate and eventually grow into trees. Acorn Woodpeckers drill holes in trees and fence posts and then wedge acorns and nuts in, too tightly for a squirrel or other competitor to pull out. Loggerhead Shrikes impale their prey (smaller birds, mice, or insects) on thorns or barbed wire, and often leave it there to save for later. Grizzly Bears store the remains of large kills such as an Elk or Moose in a shallow depression covered with branches, dirt, and leaf litter, returning to the cache until its meal has been consumed. Mountain Lions, wolves, and foxes will hide their uneaten kills for later consumption as well. The Wolverine doesn't waste much time hiding its cached food, it simply sprays it with a foul-smelling musk to keep others away. In some cases the cliche is true. Marine creature called sea slugs or Nudibranchs feed on sea anemones and their kin, and incorporate the anemones' protective stinging cells into their own bodies, discharging them into the mouth of any unlucky predator that comes along. Hawksbill sea turtles eat toxic sponges, which in turn can make the turtle's flesh toxic. There doesn't seem to be any danger of the toxin in poison ivy being retained in the flesh of a turkey that has dined on it, and then passed to those who eat the turkey. However, those of us who eat Thanksgiving turkeys might consider this: Some native American peoples truly believed that you are what you eat, and didn't eat turkey for fear of inheriting qualities they perceived in the species, including cowardice and stupidity. There's something to think about during your post-feast stupor!

Turkey Time---It’s gobbling time across North America. Throughout April and May, it is no longer unusual to hear the sound of male wild turkeys rattling their gobble to attract hens for mating. For most of the 20th Century, wild turkeys were either rare or extinct in nearly every part of the continent. Now, thanks to the state wildlife agencies and the Wild Turkey Federation, wild turkeys are again common in most of North America and breed in all 49 continental states. Typically, the gobbler, a turkey with a beard hanging from its breast, will spread its tail feathers and strut around while emitting a weird sound called a gobble. The noise is loud, raucous, and continuous, starting at sunrise. If a hen is ready to breed, she may be lured to the gobble from a great distance. The gobbler does not maintain a “harem,” in the purest sense, because turkey hens decide when to breed and with which gobbler. While gobblers strut around living the good life, the hens do all the hard work. They create a nest on the ground, lay 10 to 12 eggs, and incubate the clutch for 28 days. The poults leave the nest soon after hatching, and follow their mothers for the balance of the summer, eating insects, frogs, salamanders, toads, lizards, snakes and snails, as they grow to adults. If they survive their first year (70 percent do not), they may live another seven or eight years. A few may reach 20 years.

Choose Your Side: White Meat or Dark?---While we come together as friends and families at Thanksgiving gatherings, once at the table, many of us divide into two separate and oppositional camps: those who prefer the legs and thighs of our traditional bird for their dark meat, versus those who opt for the whiter breast meat. We may know which kind of meat we like best, but few of us know the reason for the difference. It's a question of fibers. The muscles of all birds possess several types of fibers. In fact, each muscle usually has a mixture of these fibers. Because red ones predominate in the leg and thigh muscles of birds like turkeys and chickens, the tissue there appears dark. The breast tissue, meanwhile, is composed mostly of white muscle fibers. Why? Because the breast muscles of these birds serve a different purpose than their leg and thigh muscles. Turkeys and chickens, remember, are ground-dwelling birds that spend all of their waking hours walking, running, and scratching for food. The muscles in their legs are adapted for constant use and do not fatigue easily. The individual red fibers are very fine and contain an abundance of compounds that make them efficient at aerobic respiration. These tissues are also high in both fat and sugar, which act as fuel for aerobic metabolism. Small songbirds, by contrast, can fly efficiently for hours at a time because they have a predominance of red fibers in their flight muscles. While turkeys can fly, too, they aren't capable of sustained flight. The large muscles that we call "white meat" are adapted for explosive bursts of power -- such as when one of these heavy-bodied birds is surprised by a predator and must escape in a flash of speed (turkeys have been clocked at 55 miles per hour). These muscles are powered by anaerobic metabolism and tend to fatigue quickly. The opposite is true of ducks and geese. These birds are long-distance fliers, and their large breast muscles consist of dark meat that's high in fat content. Yet the birds with the greatest concentration of red muscle fibers in their flight muscles are not the ones that make the longest migratory flights. No, it's the birds that utilize the highest number of wing beats during sustained flight. And which birds are those? Hummingbirds, of course.