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PAGE 9 - PLAINDEALER - WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 8.1973 Around The Garden By Matthew S. Rosen Instructor Ornamental Horticulture McHenry County College The fields, woodlands, and lakeshores offer a wealth of raw materials for making winter bouquets and dried arrangements. Along with mosses, lichens, and acorns, the cones of pines, hemlocks, and larch are plentiful in wooded areas. Interestingly shaped driftwood, as well as weather-worn shells and stones abound on the banks of streams and lakes. From meadows such wildings as milkweek pods, teasel, dockweed, staghorn sumac, and mullein may be harvested. Your garden, too, is rich in subjects. Aside from flowers, seed pods of tulip, iris, daylily, peony, and Baptisia are prime specimens. Do not wait for autumn to begin collecting. Late gatherers unfortunately miss many choice items. Best results are obtained by har­ vesting throughout the year. A nice gradation of color ranging from green to dark brown can be obtained by gathering seed pods at different stages of development. Many cones, especially those of some pines, drop off in mid-summer. The star-like husks of beechnuts, on the other hand, are shed only after the first heavy frost. Shapely branches of trees and shrubs like winged euonymus, sweet gum, larch, and thorn apple can be collected in early winter after their leaves have fallen. Once denuded of foliage, those branches possessing the more desirable curves and angles are readily seen. In almost all cases, the drying process is relatively simple, requiring only a little bit of your time. Just follow my instructions, and excellent results are almost guaranteed. Seed Pods: Shortly after picking, strip the leaves from the stem. Wrap the bundles of pods with rubber bands. During the drying process, the bands will contract along with the stems keeping the bundles intact. Hang the seed pods, heads down, in a warm, dry, dark place. (Warmth is needed for rapid drying; darkness prevents fading; and dryness guards against mildew.) Cones: Collect them soon after they fall before their colors fade. If the cones are damp, the scales will be tightly closed. In order to open them, simply dry in a warm oven. Right before your eyes, like a slow motion camera, the cone scales will expand. Foliage: Leaves of native trees and shrubs are best picked while still green, or shortly after being first colored by frost. Although foliage gathered in late autumn is far more beautiful, the leaves have the frustrating tendency of falling from the branches. In order to prevent crinkling, foliage must be pressed. Magnolia and oak leaves are generally preserved by treating the branches with a solution of glycerin and water. The process is quite simple: cut only fresh growing branches, crush the stem ends, and soak in a solution of one-third glycerine - two-thirds water for 3-4 weeks. Gradually, the leaves will darken to a deep mahogany. Curious about what the glycerine does? It prevents brittleness, and keeps the leaves from shedding. Gourds: There are two types of gourds. Highly colored and unique in form, the gourds of cucurbitas are not permanent, usually lasting only one year. Used for dippers, bowls, and jugs, lagenarias are the hard- shelled gourds. Drying to a woody hardness, they last almost indefinitely. Because their surface coloring is not particularly attractive when dry, they are usually painted. Picked prior to frost, gourds should be washed and dipped in a household disinfectant before being spread out on layers of newspaper in a warm place to dry. In order to insure even drying, rotate the gourds daily. If the newspapers become damp, they must be changed. An occasional wiping with disinfectant will discourage mold. After fully dry (several weeks), the gourds may be waxed, shellacked, or painted. Flowers: Most blossoms may be dried in their natural form and color. Flowers like globe amaranth ahd cockscomb which dry naturally should be picked just before they are fully mature. Once picked, treat them the same as seed pods. If these flowers are not cut until after maturity, they tend to shatter easily. Chrysanthemums, old fashioned roses, delphiniums, and snapdragons are dried solely for their color. Although their petals tend to shrivel, if the moisture is removed- rapidly via quick drying in a hot location, their color remains. Aside from hanging upside down, there are two other commonly used flower drying techniques: Almost any flower can be dried in fine sand. The process is easy. Place a layer of dry sand in the bottom of a box. (If sand is not available, powdered borax, or finely ground corn meal works just as well.) Put : jn the flowers, and gently sift more sand around the leaves and petals. Take care to maintain the natural shape of the bloom. Once the container is filled, place it in a warm, dry place for approximately one month. After the drying period, carefully brush the sand away from the flowers. If done properly, the dry flowers retain their natural, life-like shape. Although in some instances colors remain bright, some degree of fading should be anticipated. Of all Nature's vibrant hues, yellow usually dries clearest, while red frequently turns either a dull purple or pink. Within the last ten years there has been a great deal of publicity about drying flowers in silica gel. Sold under the trade name Flower Dri, the main advantage of this material is time. Because it rapidly pulls water from the flower, the drying time is cut in half. Personally, I do not believe that a savings of two weeks comes even close to being worth the premium price paid for silica gel. Sand and-or powdered borax does just as good a job. Should you have a question on the material covered, or just a horticultural point of in­ formation you would like verified, why not drop me a line? The address: McHenry County College, 6200 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014. STATE FAIR "FIRST" An inflatable theatre called the Cinemaglobe and a festival of World Expo Films highlight a part of the Wisconsin State Fair from Aug. 9 until Aug. 19. Milwaukee is the first site of this portable, air-conditioned, inflatable bubble. For the first time since the Canadian and Japanese Expo presentations, the general public has the opportunity to experience a selection of Expo films. Most of these multi-screen films have not been seen outside of world expositions because of the special projection and sound systems they require. In ad­ dition to these remarkable Expo films, the two sponsoring non-profit organizations are also showing a inter-national selection of short films made by and for children. A free exhibit of the United Nations Children's fund at work around the world will also be on display near the Cinemaglobe en­ trance. A mixing center in the kitchen (with all mixers and utensils within reach) is even more time-saving when located next to the sink. Don't ever put poison or insecticides in a soft drink bottle. Small children lose their lives every year from such carelessness. W _ v̂ the easy one The Fiberglas way. A complete tub/shower molded in 4 pieces. Installs in less than an hour Fiberglas*-reinforced plastic makes it beautiful and easy to clean. That's why glass-reinforced tub/showers go into 1 out of every 4 new homes. IN STOCK NOW! IN BONE OR WHITE --AT-- ANELING LUS 907 N. Front Street (Rte. 31) McHenry, Illinois 60050 815-385-5511 School Starts at spurgeon's Every Winter Coat for Every Girl! 3 Size Groups 15% OFF THIS WEEK ONLY! From left to right: Reg. $26 Plush Pile Pantcoat, 7-14. . Reg. 29.50 Hooded Boottopper, 7-14 Reg. 19.99 Pile Coat, Scarf, Hat, 4-6X Reg. $21 in sizes 7-14, 1785 HOURS: Mon thru Sat 8:00 to 5:30 Friday Nite til 9:00 Sunday iO-2 i (if No point in hesitating when the same coats we'll have in October are 15% less now! Plush piles. Fake fur trims. Quilt linings. Fantastic ny Ion snorkels! Styles for every size--2 to 4, 4 to 6X and 7 to 14. Hurry! Most Wanted Tops and Pants! Girls 7 to 14 3".. 5" Tops for layering and solo­ ing in sizes 7 to 14. The Work Shirt, authentically styled down to the pencil hole trim, denim blue, 3.99 Ribbed acrylic turtles, long- sleeve, 3.99 Combos-- print shirts and knit short- sleeve pull-overs, both for 4.99 Acrylic knit vests, 3.99 Pants -- denims, brushed sateens, woven plaids in cot­ tons, acrylics. 3.99 to 5.99 Special! Brushed Nylon Sleepwear 239 Compare at 2.99 Cozy! Pajamas in two styles. Waltz gowns! Culotte styles! Long gowns! Sizes 7 to 14. Sale! Eiderlons 3*l37 Reg. 590 Reg. 13.49 Snorkel Jackets, 7-14 MARKET PLACE SHOPPING CENTER 4400 W. RTE. 120, McHENRY STORE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 8:30-8:30 Saturday 8:30-6:00 Sunday 10:00-5:00 Panties--3 styles briefs, 2 styles bikinis. 4 to 14. tieautv Salop Hours: Tues.-Wed. 9-6 Thurs.-Fri. 9-8:30 Saturday 9 to 6 Save for School at Spurgeon's and Charge It