July Newsletter from Garden Chick!

Hotter than a firecracker! That describes perfectly the end of June, and the first days of July here in Georgia. The drought and watering ban was hard on the garden, but only a few plants were lost. Cucumbers, squash and bell peppers have been shared with family, friends, and co-workers, with plenty of left over.

One of the best things about July is blackberries. I don't have any tame, thornless, blackberries, but plenty of wild brambles grow along (and into) the woods along my property. (Why is the biggest, ripest ones are high out of reach, and require wading through a curtain of thorns?) But it is worth it when you can get enough to make one of these great blackberry cobblers.

Blackberry Cobbler
from www.BettyCrocker.com
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
- Cream, whipped cream or ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees
Mix flour, baking powder, salt and milk in ungreased 8 inch square pan or skillet. Stir in butter until blended Mix blackberries and sugar; spoon over batter ( If you prefer, mix blackberries and sugar; let stand about 20 minutes or until fruit syrup forms before spooning over batter) Bake 45-55 minutes or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Blackberry Cobbler
from Allrecipes.com
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups self rising flour
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 3 1/2 cups blackberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in a 9x13 inch baking pan
In a medum bowl stir together the flour, sugar, and milk; batter will be slightly lumpy.
Pour mixture on top of melted butter in baking pan. Do not mix butter and mixture together
Drop blackberries into batter; if more crust is desired, add less blackberries. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until golden brown.

If you don't have any wild blackberries (or are not willing to fight the thorns, snakes, and birds for them), tame blackberries are some of the easiest fruits to grow.

- They tolerate just about any soil, and have few pests or disease problems. (buy plants that are certified virus free from a nursery)

- The best time to plant is spring, but in mild climates you can plant in the fall and early winter.

- Plant in full sun, in a well drained soil, at least 300 feet from any wild blackberries.

- Place upright varieties 3 feet apart, in rows 8 feet apart. Trailing varieties should be planted 5-8 feet apart in rows 6-10 feet apart.

- Blackberries have to be cultivated shallowly, the roots near the surface.

- Provide 1-2 inches of water each week, and fertilize with an all purpose fertilizer each spring

- After harvest, cut back the cane because it will not fruit again. Blackberries produce fruit on new canes.

- Mulch around the upright varieties with heavy mulch for winter protection. The trailing varieties, can be laid on the ground, covered with mulch, then placed back on a trellis each spring before new growth appears.

- It usually takes 2 years to produce fruit, but once it does, pick every 2-3 days.

For all my local newsletter subscribers, please join me at GardenVignettes in Chattanooga, for a lavender class on July 27th. Time 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Cost 25.00

I will talk about types of lavenders, how to plant, harvest and dry to make culinary, medicinal and aromatic products. We will sample lavender lemonade, and enjoy other lavender treats. Each participant will take home 2 products they have made. (choose from lavender tub tea, dryer bundles, sachets, lavender linen water, or a dream pillow).

GardenVignettes
202 Tremont Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee
(423)765-7721
or register and pay online at: http://www.gardenchick.com/classes.html.

International Herb Association Conference.
I will be attending the conference Saturday July 15th in Mountain View, Arkansas

This conference is open to the public on Saturday and the cost is only $50.00.

It is being held at the Ozark Folk Center. The Ozark Folk Center has numerous education opportunities on crafts, gardening, etc. Their website is ozarkfolkcenter.com

The International Herb Association website is Iherb.org.

I hope to bring back lots of information for those interested in herbs and will post some pictures of the herb gardens at the Folk Center.

Until August,
Keep watering and weeding!
- Karen