NJ rose experts to prune, offer growing advice March 18 at Colonial Park

Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden showcases 3,000 roses of 325 varieties. Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden to host volunteers with expertise in growing roses

It will be worth a drive to Franklin Township on March 18 when teams of expert rose growers from across New Jersey will help with pruning at the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden at Colonial Park.

Volunteers from the Jersey Shore Rose Society and the Penn-Jersey Rose Society will join the staff of Colonial Park Gardens from 8 a.m. to noon for the annual spring pruning for the garden's more than 3,000 roses.

Visitors are welcome to stop in to observe and learn correct rose pruning techniques while having their rose questions answered by expert rosarians who also can share rose growing tips, techniques and other related information. While donations are appreciated, access to the gardens and the rose pruning event is free of charge. The gardens will have just opened for the season, and the suggested donation is $3 for adults and $1 for seniors and children.

The one-acre Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden represents 325 rose varieties, including popular modern hybrids and various classes of old garden roses. The garden was named in honor of Rudolf W. van der Goot, who designed and led the garden's development as Somerset County Park Commission's first horticulturist. Only roses that thrive in central New Jersey are kept in the garden's rose collections, and all rose types are clearly labeled. The rose garden presents a kaleidoscope of color, form and fragrance from late spring through fall.

Enjoyment as well as public education are goals of this garden, and a visit offers an exceptional opportunity to learn about the many available varieties that will thrive in this part of the state. Visitors can see the color, size, form, and quality of various rose varieties and choose those most suited to their home gardens.

The rose garden, honored with the 2015 World Federation of Rose Societies' Garden of Excellence Award, is located at 156 Mettlers Road (parking lots A and F) in the East Millstone section of Franklin Township. It is part of Colonial Park's more extensive arboretum, which includes the Fragrance & Sensory Garden, the Ornamental Grass Collection, the Perennial Garden and the Shrub Collection. Call (732) 873-2459, Ext. 21 or visit SomersetCountyParks.org for additional information.

N.J. plant sales offering Rutgers 250 tomato and other garden goods

(Photos courtesy Rutgers NJAES)‘Rutgers 250’ tomato, the ‘Rutgers Scarlet' strawberry and other Rutgers-developed plant varieties are generating a lot of excitement and anticipation among New Jersey gardeners. But where do you find the plants if you missed the opportunity to buy and start tomato seeds indoors?

From May 6 -  May 8 the 'Rutgers 250' tomato will be among hundreds of plant varieties offered at the Rutgers Gardens Spring Flower Fair May. On May 15, Union County residents who can wait a little longer won't have to travel to New Brunswick to get their hands on these coveted plants. Closer to home, 'Rutgers 250' tomato transplants will be among plants offered that day at the Union County Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale at Trailside Nature Center in Mountainside. Details follow about each plant sale.

May 6 - May 8, 2016 - Rutgers Gardens Spring Flower Fair: Started 24 years ago, this has become New Jersey’s biggest non-profit plant sale. The selection will include more than  250 varieties of trees and shrubs; more than 220 perennial varieties, including tropicals and succulents; 190 annuals; 160 vegetables; 90 herbs and culinary exotics; and 100 tomato varieties (including ‘Rutgers 250,’ ‘Moreton,’ ‘KC 146,’ and ‘Ramapo’. Rutgers strawberry plants also will be available. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Friday, May 6;  10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 and 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. To get a better idea of what to expect, view the plant list at the bottom of the Spring Flower Fair webpage or Follow Rutgers Gardens on Facebook. Please note: shoppers are advised to bring a handcart or child’s wagon to help transport selections.

On May 8, all mothers at the sale will be invited to pot up a ‘Super Sweet 100’ Tomato to take home. All purchases directly benefit the Rutgers Gardens Student Internship Program, which will provide hands-on educational experience for more than a dozen students this coming summer. Rutgers Gardens, located at 112 Ryders Lane in New Brunswick, is entirely self-sustaining, so gardener support is greatly needed. For more information, call (732)932-8451 or visit their website, RutgersGardens.rutgers.edu.

May 15, 2016: Union County Spring Garden Fair and Plant Sale: Rutgers Master Gardeners of Union County will hold their annual plant sale from noon to 4 p.m. at the Demonstration Garden at Trailside Nature and Science Center in Watchung Reservation, 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside. 

The event features deer resistant, drought tolerant and fragrant plants that thrive in Union County. Many easy-to-grow plants for beginner gardeners and a large selection of tomatoes and herbs will be available.

The trademarked 'Rutgers 250' tomato / Photo by Peter Nitzsche

'Rutgers 250' tomato transplants will be among the large selection of popular tomato varieties offered, as will Ramapo and Mortgage Lifter, so named for the 1940’s-era grower who paid off his mortgage by selling plants.

In addition to the plant sale, the event will include free activities for kids, guided tours of the Demonstration Garden, and displays and information for maximizing planting space and yields with “Square Foot Gardening.” Lean more about rain barrels and rain gardens, too.

Admission and parking are free. All sales are cash only, and shoppers are advised to come with a wheelbarrow or wagon to move plants. Sale proceeds fund community service projects of the Master Gardeners of Union County, the all-volunteer organization that runs the Demonstration Garden.

Guests can bring along their plant problems and questions for help from Rutgers Master Gardeners and also get information about the program requirements to join them.

More information is available on the Union County website.

NJ Winter Farmers Market: Saturdays in Cranford through March 19

Dragonfly Beach Rock Charms by Aimee Zollinger of Sayerville are among locally made crafts available at Cranford Artisan's Market at Cranford Community Center.Even if there's snow on the ground, you can still have some of your favorite tastes of summer at the weekly Cranford Artisan's Market, a winter market at Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Ave.

Regular shoppers at any of the seasonal Union County farmers markets might be missing the salty-sour treat of a fat, juicy pickle or a custom-blended handful of nuts and dried fruit as a healthy treat to fuel non-stop activities.

You'll find Picklicious and Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit along with other food and crafts vendors at this indoor winter farmers market that brings all sorts of fun to the Cranford Community Center every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 19.

“We're the only market in Union County that runs in the winter, says Jackie Carr, who also organizes the Cranford Farmers Market during its season.

There's at least one farm represented in Norz Hill Farm of Hillsborough, which offers market visitors its farm-raised beef, pork and eggs. Hoboken Farms isn't a true farm in the sense of growing fruits and veggies, but if you buy the fresh-baked loaves of the Summit shop's artisanal breads on a market Saturday, you can spread slices with sweet or savory Jams by Kim, another market food purveyor.

Jams by Kim come in two dozen flavors, a rotating variety of which is available at Cranford Artisan's Market.

Get your dog some gourmet treats from Woof Biscuits, where flavors include cheeseburger, roasted chicken and peanut butter. There's also chicken, steak and turkey jerky.

Looking for gifts for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day? Consider hand-crafted options such as soaps beautifully scented with natural essential oils and made of moisture-rich goat's milk. There are inspirational beach rock charms and cork message boards cut in every letter of the alphabet and many fun shapes too.

Some vendors attend the market on a rotating basis, so there are always new items and foods to discover. Last week, Hoboken Farms had fresh mozzarella and addictive olive bread. We also took home mini tins of frozen chicken meatballs, eggplant parm and lobster ravioli ($8 each or three for $20) from Paolo's Kitchen of New Providence. They reheated well, and the standout sauces were delicious enough to eat like soup. No pasta required.

Cupcakes from Cupcake Dynasty were perfect portions, and at just $2 each, these sweets were light as air. If you've never had handcrafted granola, try a sample from Krunch Kitchen. The blends are baked with olive oil and real maple syrup for the natural flavor of homemade – even though they're made in a commercial kitchen. The blends had enough nuts, seeds and dried fruit to make them worth the $15 we paid for a one-pound bag.

Those who appreciate crafty recycling will love The Green Ladybug's sturdy crocheted bags. The “yarn” is spirals of plastic cut from supermarket bags in various colors. Prices ranged from $15 for a basic tote to $25 for a yoga tote with mat included.

Carr has arranged for live music most weeks. Last Saturday children requested music for dancing and parents sang along as The Back Porch Jug Band – complete with washtub bass -- played for most of the day. To heighten the fun on the upcoming Valentine's Day weekend, Carr has arranged for another band, Cafe Mocha, and a gift basket giveaway with prizes from participating vendors. Entry tickets are free to everyone who visits the market.

“My concept was farms, food and friends,” Carr said. “Last year it was just a good place for people to get together in the winter and to get some wonderful products.”

This year, some of the best conversations to be had are with the vendors. You'll learn how soap maker Tracee Palmer raises her own goats, about how Neshanic Valley Beekeepers' honey straight from the hive has a variety of flavors that you can't be found at the average supermarket. We were especially inspired by the way crafting helped Susan Engler cope with her treatment in a winning fight against cancer. She has been cancer-free since 2013, and offered hand-painted plaques that proclaim “Cancer doesn't live here anymore,” along with her beautifully hand-painted bird houses that were among popular options for Mother's Day shoppers.

 

Paper crafts get postal nod with 2016 Love series stamp

Copyright 2016 USPSThe U.S. Postal Service is celebrating paper crafts with the release tomorrow of a gorgeous 2016 Love stamp that features a heart made of the colorful paper curls from the process known as quilling.  

Also known as paper filigree, quilling involves tightly rolling and shaping narrow strips of paper around a thin metal rod. The resulting coils are then shaped and glued to a surface to form intricate designs.

The Quilled Paper Heart Forever stamp is the 44th inductee into the Postal Service’s Love stamp series, began in 1973, and 150 million stamps will go on sale at local post offices nationwide tomorrow.  

 “Our beautiful Quilled Paper Heart Forever Love stamp evokes tranquility, peace and love as Americans correspond with beloved friends and family while away from home," says Janice Walker, a Postal Service spokeswoman. "And they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day cards.”  

Renowned paper artist and illustrator Yulia Brodskaya carefully cut, rolled and bent paper strips and glued them to a white background to make the vibrant, three-dimensional artwork featured on the stamp. The central heart shape is filled with eye-catching paper coils and surrounded by white paper swirls.  

According to the Postal Service: "Quilling is believed to date from the 15th or 16th century. The first known quillers were monks and nuns in European religious houses. Inspired by metal filigree, quilling was an inexpensive way to create elaborate decorations normally beyond the means of most churches and religious orders. When gilded or silvered, the curled paper could resemble the work of the finest goldsmiths and silversmiths, while designs made with cream-colored paper or vellum appeared to be carvings of ivory."

The name quilling is believed to have derived from the base or "quill" of a feather, the earliest known tool used to curl paper. The craft has grown in popularity over the last 20 years, with options including beginner projects and more complex designs such as Martha Stewart's quilled cards. The technique has changed very little over time, and quillers only need paper, scissors, glue and a quill-like curling implement to start. For numerous ideas, look for books on the subject and search "quilling projects" online.

Stamp collectors have 60 days (postmark by March 12) to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return envelopes by mail. The first 50 postmarks are free, but there is a 5-cent charge for every additional postmark over 50.

To order, affix the 2016 Love stamps to envelopes addressed to yourself or others, place the envelopes in a larger envelope and mail to:

Quilled Paper Heart Stamp
401 Tom Landry Freeway, Rm 645
Dallas, TX 75260-9998

The seven philatelic products for this stamp issue include framed art ($39.95) and first-day covers (.93 cents each). All items are offered in the free quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, available along with Quilled Paper Heart stamps themselves at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724).

New Year's Eve tradition: Counting pennies from heaven

My piggie bank with the $10.69 in change that I found in 2014.Since I was a child, I have always been one to find a lot of money. I've found $100 twice. 

These days when I find even a penny, my family and friends get a good laugh because with each find, I  recite: "Every day, in every way, I grow richer and richer."

I always note that it is "grow richer" and not "get richer." The money finds are a reminder to me to keep positive thoughts and that the riches that are increasing for me are not just money, but also love and health and friendship and happiness and experiences  -- any good thing that makes life itself richer.

After turning in 2013's finds of a little more than $7, I decided to make it an annual tradition. So, for all of 2014, I deposited any found coins in my cute blue Pennies from Heaven piggie bank with the goal of seeing what the year would bring. (Any bills I find are marked with the date and kept elsewhere).

Today, I will be going to the coin counting machine at one of the local TD Bank branches with proof that, monetarily, I am at least $10.69 richer at the end of 2014. And, I'd like to thank everyone who was too busy or too classy to pick up coins. I'm happy to have collected what you left behind! 

Happy New Year to all! I would be so happy if you would share your New Year's Eve and New Year's Day traditions.