Spring Tonic

With the winter we have just experienced many of us are feeling used up, and sluggish. While we want to tackle the spring work we seem to be lacking the get up and go.

The practice of taking a spring tonic is an old one;  your grandparents may still have the recipes or have stories of having to force one down.  If you are of a certain age you may have fond memories of Granny making and taking her “spring tonic” on the television program Beverly Hillbillies. One of our co-workers who grew up in Kentucky remembers her grandmother insisting that everyone have a heaping serving of poke salad every Spring. 

It was a means to purify and energize the body from a winter of being indoors with a diet heavy in meats and root vegetables.   What went into the spring tonics of decades ago?  Dandelion greens, nettle and burdock were popular ingredients.  Another type was sulphur and molasses.   Many were mixed with alcohol as a base.  Keep in mind these were only supposed to be taken by the spoonful!

Modern day tonics can be made from many easily obtained ingredients and you don’t have to be an herbalist to know what to use.  They can taste a lot better as well.   New greens are often at the markets and grocery stores.  Honey, ginger, cider vinegar, lemon and springwater can be quickly put together as a quick tonic.  Your blender can take any number of greens and turn them into an enjoyable and energizing drink.  Even a fresh, healthy green salad can boost your energy and serve as a tonic. 

Here’s an example of one of the many websites on the history of spring tonics.  I also found this recipe that looks pretty good so I think it will be my tonic of choice this spring. Cheers! 

-Patricia Milner, Head of Reference Services

Straw Bale Gardening

Springtime means gardening for many people, myself  included.  There was a time when every spring meant  the planting of a  vegetable garden  that  would entail the use of a tractor with plows, harrows, hillers, seeders and  then rakes,  hoes and many hours of weeding.  It gave us all the vegetables we ever needed and more.

On my return to the workforce full time the vegetable garden became a thing of the past.  There was no longer time to spend working the soil and keeping the weeds at bay.  In time flowers satisfied the gardening itch when I discovered how a perennial bed once well established would need minimal care with maximum reward.  

I still missed the just-picked taste of a tomato, pepper, or carrot though, so I have been thinking and reading  a lot lately about alternative ways of vegetable gardening . I wanted to find some way to have a garden without the intensive ground preparation and maintenance of years before. There are lots of options, from container gardening to raised beds but one method caught my eye – straw bale gardening.

I had never heard about it before and came across an article on the internet that explained how one could have a garden without having to prepare any ground at all.  In a nutshell, the straw bales are conditioned with water and fertilizer until the inner portion begins to compost.  At this point you can make small indentations and plant seedlings or spread a layer of potting soil and plant seeds on top.  Slowly, over the season, the bale will continue to compost and the plants continue to grown inside with weeding not being needed.  Just type “straw bale gardening”  in your browser  and  several websites come up that explain the concept  - for example, this one.

 The library also had a book on the subject, and after reading that I have decided that this method is worth a try.  I have just purchased the bales and look forward to this experiment.   Gardening  is a hobby that I think makes me a happier person,  so hopefully I will be able to report success this fall but even if it doesn’t turn out as advertised I will have had fun playing the growing game. 

Patricia Milner, Head of Reference Services

Spring Babies

Are you anxious for spring to begin this year?  Spring officially began on March 20. There are signs that it is on its way:  bulbs peeking through the earth, insects migrating across the snow, geese returning, and spring babies are being born. 

Our Middleton branch is offering a ‘Welcome Spring’ program on Tuesday, March 25 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm.  Come and learn how to make a colourful flower arrangement, plant some seeds to take home and see baby lambs and bunnies. There will also be delicious snacks to enjoy. Bring the family to welcome spring and say goodbye to winter!

A very special baby is growing up at the Oaklawn Farm Zoo. He is an African Lion and his name is Obi. Our Youth Services Librarian, Angela Reynolds, and I were fortunate to meet him this week. When entering the kitchen, Gail said “And here comes the lion, you’ll need to put your boots on top of the fridge!”  The Oaklawn Farm Zoo is an incredible destination for families to visit. At this time of year, a belted Galloway calf, a horned Dorset lamb and many other species are welcoming new babies. This year Oaklawn Farm Zoo is opening on April 12.  Check out their website for more information.  Stay tuned for a surprise partnership with the zoo this summer!  You will be as happy as we are to see what we have planned.

Young families can share baby animal storytime with some of these Baby Animal books.

For many more selections for all ages, browse our online catalogue. Reading about baby animals is a wonderful way to get excited about spring.

Wendy Kearnes, Outreach Services Manager

Special thanks to Oaklawn Farm Zoo for allowing us to use pictures from their Facebook page.