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JanFeb21 Grow Box Newsletter-Final.pdfLost your magazine or need another? Download the PDF here!
Welcome to the Grow Box!
Welcome to the Grow Box!
We hope you are having fun with your Grow Box!
We hope you are having fun with your Grow Box!
Scroll through the resources below for more activities like:
Making cordage bracelets
More herbal tea blends
Different plant dye ideas
Growing a flax fiber garden
Additionally, find extra information on growing vegetables, strawberries and saving seeds!
Ready to order your next box? Register now on Eventbrite.
Share Your Projects!
Share Your Projects!
We want to see your plant identification, your herbal teas, plant dyes, fiber exploration and more!
Post a picture of you with your projects and share with us on the Padlet for the January/February Grow Box!
Plant Identification
Plant Identification
Is it a vascular plant or a non-vascular plant? Liverwort or fern? Start at the beginning as the JC Raulston's horticulturist, Tim, shows us a few higher order plant categories.
Questions to think about:
Can you find any non-vascular plants around your home? How about ferns?
What is a gymnosperm or angiosperm? Can you find examples of these around your home? What are they?
Do you love plant identification? Take a look at more plant ID resources here!
Do you love plant identification? Take a look at more plant ID resources here!
Watch this video to learn how to make cordage
Making Cordage
Making Cordage
Cordage is a kind of rope that comes from fibers twisted together. You can use your raffia to make cordage or there are many other plants you might gather and try. Consider using long leaves of grass like sweetgrass, dunegrass, cattails or iris.
Cordage is a skill best taught by observing and then trying for yourself. This video shows how you can make cordage for yourself. Once you have made your rope, you can use it for a bracelet, key chain or anything else you can think of.
Here is a list of fibers that you could use to make cordage:
Cordage plants of North America
Abutilon abutilon - Velvet Leaf,Indian Mallow (stem)
Acer glabrum - Rocky Mountain Maple (bark)
Acer macrophyllum - Bigleaf maple (bark)
Acorus calamus - Sweetflag (leaves)
Agave americana - American Century Plant (leaves)
Agave deserti - Desert Agave (leaves)
Agave lechuguilla - Lechuguilla (leaves)
Agave parryi - Parry Agave (leaves)
Agave schottii - Schott Agave (leaves)
Agave toumeyana - Toumey Agave (leaves)
Agave utahensis - Century Plant (leaves)
Althaea officinalis - Marsh Mallow (stem)
Amelanchier alnifolia - Saskatoon Serviceberry (branches)
Apocynum androsaemifolium - Dogbane (stem)
Apocynum cannabinum - Dogbane, Black Indian Hemp, Armyroot (stem)
Arctium lapa - Burdock (stem)
Argentina anserina - Silverweed Cinquefoil (runners)
Artemisia tridentata - Sagebrush (bark)
Asclepias asperula - Antelope Horns Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias eriocarpa - Woolypod Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias fascicularis - Mexican Whorled Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias hallii - Purple Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias lanceolata - Narrow Leaved Purple Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias ovalifolia - Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias pulchra - Hairy Milkweed,White Indian Hemp (stem)
Asclepias pumila - Low Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias purpurascens - Purple Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias quadrifolia - Fourleaf Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias rubra - Red Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias speciosa - Showy Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias subverticillata - Whorled Milkweed (seed hair)
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed (stem)
Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed,Pleurisy Root (stem)
Asclepias viridiflora - Green Milkweed (stem)
Asimina triloba - Pawpaw (bark & root)
Boehmeria cylindrica - False Nettle (stem)
Carex barbarae - Santa Barbara Sedge (root)
Carya - Hickory (bark & root)
Cedrus - Cedar (bark & root)
Cercis canadensis - California Redbud (bark)
Chamaecyparis nootkatensis - Alaska Cedar (bark)
Chamerion angustifolium - Fireweed (stem)
Chilopsis linearis - Desert Willow (bark)
Cirsium arvense - Canadian Thistle (stem)
Cirsium edule -Edible Thistle (stem)
Cirsium vulgare - Bull Thistle (stem)
Clematis ligusticifolia - Western White Clematis (stem)
Convolvulus arvensis - Field Bindweed (stem)
Cornus sericea - Redosier Dogwood (bark)
Corylus cornuta var. californica - California Hazelnut (twigs)
Corylus cornuta var. cornuta - Beaked Hazelnut (twigs)
Cowania mexicana - Cliffrose (bark)
Dirca palustris - Moosewood,Leatherwood (bark)
Elaeagnus commutata - Silverberry (bark)
Fraxinus - Ash (bark)
Fremontodendron californicum - California Flannelbush (bark)
Geranium atropurpureum - Western Purple Cranesbill (stem)
Glyceria Canadensis - Sweetgrass (stem)
Gossypium hirsutum - Upland Cotton (fuzz)
Hoita macrostachya - Large Leatherroot (root)
Iris douglasiana - Western Iris (leaves)
Iris innominata - Del Norte County Iris (leaves & root)
Iris macrosiphon - Bowltube Iris (leaves)
Iris tenax - Klamath Iris (leaves)
Juglans cinerea - Butternut (bark)
Juglans nigra - Black Walnut (bark & root)
Juncus effusus - Common Rush (stem)
Juncus tenuis - Poverty Rush (stem)
Juniperus californica - California Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus communis - Common Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus deppiana - Alligator Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus horizontalis - Creeping Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus monosperma - Oneseed Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus occidentalis - Western Juniper (bark & root)
Juniperus osteosperma - Utah Juniper (bark & root)
Laportea canadensis - Canadian Woodnettle (stem)
Larix laricina - Tamarack (root)
Leymus mollis - American Dunegrass (leaves)
Linaria linaria - Toad Flax (stem)
Linum lewisii - Prairie Flax (root & stem)
Liriodendron tulipifera -Tulip Tree (bark)
Lonicera ciliosa - Orange Honeysuckle (stem)
Lupinus arboreus - Bush Lupine (root)
Maclura pomifera - Osage Orange (root)
Morus alba - White Mulberry (root)
Morus microphylla - Texas Mulberry (root)
Morus rubra - Red Mulberry (root)
Nereocystis luetkeana - Bull Whip Kelp (stem)
Nolina microcarpa - Sacahuista (Agavaceae) (leaves)
Oenothera biennis - Evening Primrose (stem)
Phragmites communis - Reed Grass (stem & leaves)
Picea engelmannii - Engelmann's Spruce (root & limb)
Picea glauca - White Spruce (root)
Picea mariana - Black Spruce (root)
Picea sitchensis - Sitka Spruce (root)
Populus balsamifera - Brayshaw Black Cottonwood (bark)
Populus deltoides - Eastern Cottonwood (bark)
Populus fremontii - Fremont's Cottonwood (bark)
Populus tremuloides - Quaking Aspen (bark)
Potamogeton diversifolius - Waterthread Pondweed (stem)
Prosopis glandulosa - Honey Mesquite (bark)
Prunus emarginata - Bitter Cherry (bark & root)
Psoralea macrostachya - (stem)
Psoralidium lanceolatum - Lemon Scurfpea (root)
Quercus - Oak (bark & root)
Ribes divaricatum - Spreading Gooseberry (root)
Ribes lacustre - Prickly Currant (root)
Ribes lobbii - Gummy Gooseberry (root)
Robinia pseudoacacia - Black Locust (root)
Salix bebbiana - Beb Willow (bark)
Salix discolor - Pussy Willow (bark)
Salix exigua - Sandbar Willow (bark)
Salix laevigata - Red Willow (bark)
Salix lasiolepis - Arroyo Willow (bark)
Salix lucida - Pacific Willow (bark)
Salix lutea - Yellow Willow (bark)
Salix melanopsis - Dusky Willow (bark)
Salix scouleriana - Scouler's Willow (bark)
Salix sitchensis - Sitka Willow (bark)
Salvia - Sage (root)
Scirpus acutus - Beetle Hardstem Bulrush (root & stem)
Sesbania macrocarpa - Wild Hemp (stem)
Serenoa repens - Saw Palmetto (leaves)
Smilax - Greenbrier (vine)
Taxodium distichum - Baldcypress (bark)
Thuja plicata - Western Redcedar (bark & limbs)
Tilia americana - Basswood (bark)
Tillandsia usneoides - Spanish Moss (stem)
Tsuga canadensis - Eastern Hemlock(root)
Typha latifolia - Broad-leaved Cattail (leaves)
Typha angustifolia - Narrow-leaved Cattail (leaves)
Typha domingensis - Southern Cattail (leaves)
Ulmus rubra - Slippery Elm (bark & root)
Urtica dioica - Stinging Nettle (stem)
Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea - Stinging Nettle (stem)
Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis - California Nettle (stem)
Vicia americana - American Vetch (root)
Vitis aestivalis - Summer Grape (vine)
Vitis californica - California Wild Grape (vine)
Yucca angustissima - Narrowleaf Yucca (leaves)
Yucca baccata - Banana Yucca (leaves)
Yucca baileyi - Navajo Yucca (leaves)
Yucca brevifolia - Joshua Tree (leaves)
Yucca elata - Soaptree Yucca (leaves)
Yucca glauca - Small Soapweed (leaves)
Yucca harrimaniae - Spanish Bayonet (leaves)
Yucca shidigera - Mojave Yucca (leaves)
Yucca schottii - Schott Yucca (leaves)
Yucca Whipplei - Chaparral Yucca (leaves)
Herbal teas are fun to make and enjoy!
Herbal Tea Blends
Herbal Tea Blends
There are so many tasty blends of herbs that you can create! Consider creating a tea garden and growing some of these herbs yourself. You can make herbal tea blends from both fresh herbs and dried herbs.
For all herbal tea blends, steep herbs in 6oz of boiling water for 7-8 minutes or to taste.
Elderflower Tea:
You can use both fresh and dry flowers. Wash them before use. Elderflower usually grows freely in nature and start blooming around May.
1 teaspoon of elderflowers
1 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of honey
Mint and Lavender
1 teaspoon of mint
1/4 teaspoon of lavender flowers
Chamomile and Lemon Balm
1/2 teaspoon of chamomile
1/2 teaspoon of lemon balm
Lemon Balm Blend
1/2 teaspoon lemon balam
1/4 teaspoon lavender flowers
1/4 dried orange peel
1/2 teaspoon rose hips
Ginger Tea
Ginger has a zing that I find really tasty, but might be too spicy for some. Give it a try:
1/2 inch ginger root, minced
1/4 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon honey
You can strain out the minced ginger, but you can also eat it!
There are so many plant dyes that can be made from nature!
More Plant Dyes
More Plant Dyes
There are so many fun natural dyes that you can make! Consider these to add to your dyeing adventures. A good rule of thumb is to use the same amount of dye stuff to fabric. If your fabric weighs 6 ounces, use 6 ounces of dye material.
Annatto
Annatto
Annatto seeds
Annatto seeds are commonly used in Central and South American dishes. Annatto seeds can be found in many grocery stores (Food Lion has them) or specialty markets.
Gently simmer the annatto seeds in water for an hour. Add your fibers and simmer gently for another hour. Leave the fibers in the dye bath overnight. Rinse, dry and enjoy!
Marigolds
Marigolds
Marigold flowers
Harvest marigold flowers from your garden and add them to a pot of water. Simmer for about a half an hour and then strain out the marigolds. Add your fibers and simmer until you like the color. Rinse, dry and enjoy!
Daffodils
Daffodils
Daffodil flowers
SAFETY NOTE: Wear gloves to harvest daffodil flowers. Daffodil sap may cause skin and eye irritation!
Soak daffodils in a pot of water for 3-4 days. If the color is strong enough, use this dye bath or simmer the flowers for a half hour until the water is a strong yellow color. Strain out the flowers and add fabric. Add your fabric and simmer gently for 30 minutes and steep overnight.
More dye plants to explore!
More dye plants to explore!
Research how you can use these plants to make more dyes!
Yarrow
Hollyhock
Coreopsis
Yellow Cosmos
Juniper
Blackberry
Dandelion
Bracken
Click on the photos to see a few flax photos!
Growing a Flax Fiber Garden
Growing a Flax Fiber Garden
Linen clothing comes from the flax plant. First it grows in a field, is dried and harvested, then processed (retted, beaten, scutched, and combed or hackled) and spun into thread to make fabric!
Grow your own flax seeds and harvest the seeds to eat and use the stems to try your hand at extracting the fibers!
Flax is best grown in the garden, but you can try your hand at growing them in a pot if you prefer.
Supplies
flax seeds
garden
Let's Do it!
In late March, sow your flax seeds 1/2 to 1 inch deep in a loamy soil, or up to 1 1/2 inches on coarser soils (such as sandy loams).
Sow your seeds by scattering them with your hand and then covering with soil. Flax grows best fairly close together.
Gently water your garden.
Harvest your flax about 100 days from planting, or 30 days after the crop is in full flower.
To try and make your own linen or at least to extract your linen fibers, you will need to then rett or soak your plants, then beat them, comb them before you have fibers ready to be spun into thread! For more about this process, visit: New England Flax & Linen
Questions on your Grow Box or activities? Contact:
Questions on your Grow Box or activities? Contact:
Liz Driscoll, 4-H Horticulture+Agriculture Specialist | liz_driscoll@ncsu.edu
Elizabeth Overcash, JCRA Children's Program Coordinator | elizabeth_overcash@ncsu.edu
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