2015

Home & Garden

Local herbalist taps into

area plants Page 3
New watering technique
uses diapers Page 5

A publication of
The Livingston Enterprise &
The Big Timber Pioneer

Decorating for spring

Page 7

Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 2

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 3

Local herbalist taps into area plant life

By Jasmine Hall

Enterprise Staff Writer

With modern medicine, it is easy to forget about the

many plants that can serve as remedies. Not only are
these plants located all over the world, but they can
also be found in Park County.
Local resident and community herbalist Bev
Axelsen, 64, has been working with plants for 20
years. She is secretary and herb and native plants consultant for Livingstons Paradise Permaculture Institute. In May and June she will teach classes about
growing and identifying wild medicinal plants.
For wild medicinal plants in Park County, Axelsen
said she spends a lot of time at Deep Creek Trail with
medicinal plant walk classes because its close to town
and has a great variety of plant life.
Its like a massive class room, she said. We will
be watching the plants throughout the whole season.
Plants that can be found at Deep Creek are air leaf
balsam root (immune booster), yarrow (hemostatic or
stopping bleeding), arnica (muscle aches and bruises)
and st. johns wort (antidepressant/lotions/variety of
other uses).
St. johns wort is used for a wide variety of things
and Axelsens favorite way to use the medicinal herb
in her lotions.
Its a wonderful plant, she said. You can take in
the healing characteristics though your skin. If I have
a message I take along a bottle of lotion.
She also enjoys the taste of the herb in tea.
It tastes really good, Axelsen said. Tea is usually
my favorite way to do it. It actually tastes like lipton
tea.
St. johns wort is one of the few herbs that can both
be grown domestically and in the wild. Axelsen said
this is a rare trait in wild herbs.
They really cant be domesticated, she said. And
thats the way it is with a lot of medicinal plants that I
show people out in the woods. You just cant grow
them domestically.
Although medicinal plants can be found everywhere
in the wild, Axelsen also teaches her classes how to
grow medicinal gardens at home. She teaches with
more than 30 different types of medicinal plants. She
usually only grows unusual plants that are difficult to
find and cannot be purchased anywhere else, but
teaches about a variety of herbs.
I teach about rosemary and basil and all of
those because theyve got really strong healing
powers, she said. But I dont grow those because
you can get those anywhere. I only grow those that

Large jars of arnica tincture are illuminated in the

sunshine Friday afternoon. Arnica is commonly
applied topically to relieve pain from bruises and
muscle aches.

Enterprise photos by Hunter DAntuono

Herbalist Bev Axelsen smells her pots of motherwort Friday afternoon. Motherwort is medicinal herb
often used for heart conditions.
you cant get anywhere else.
Axelsen usually purchases seeds from an organic
seed company in Oregon. Axelsen also teaches students how to grow herbs in their own gardens. Herbs
include camomile (sleeping and relaxation), skullcap
(used as a sedative), gotu kola (brain function/memory), California and Flanders poppies (nerves/relaxation) and mothers wort (heart tonic/menopause).
Her favorite domesticated medicinal plants are her
medicinal marigolds Mexican, desert, French and
African types.
Theyre not the normal species we (usually) see,
she said.
She enjoys using her marigolds in teas as they add
smells and aromas.
Theyre not like echinacea or arnic or things like
that, that are really well known, she said. Theyre
sort of mild a nice addition.
She also has enjoyed great results with mothers
wort. Unlike the marigold tea, she uses mothers wort
in a tincture a alcoholic extract of the herb.
I had hot flashes and it would bring it to a stop, she
said of using mothers wort.
The type of medicinal herb administration depends
on the herb. Medicinal herbs are usually drank in teas
but this isnt always the best method.
While these herbs can be found at our local supermarkets in a pill form, Axelsen cautions buyers about
their effectiveness compared to freshly prepared
medicinal herbs.
They really lose their potency quickly once they

COVER PHOTO: Community herbalist Bev

Axelsen is pictured in her backyard Friday
afternoon with a cart-full of motherwort, a
plant valued for its medicinal properties.

are ground-up and put into capsules, She said. Fresh

ones are the best, dried is good.
In addition, purchasing herbs from other sources
doesnt guarantee the herbs effectiveness. One example is echinacea, which has a variety of different
types.
Axelsen said the best type of echinacea for immune
system boosting is angustifolia echinacea a wildly
grown type.
You can buy echinacea at the nursery, which is the
domestic kind, she said. But it has very little medicinal quality and people try it and it doesnt work.
To learn more about medicinal herbs you can sign
up for Axelsons courses at www.paradisepermaculture.org.

An old spade and rake rest in Bev Axelsens backyard Friday afternoon.

Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 4

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 5

New plant watering technique uses diapers

By Amelia Murphy
Enterprise Staff Writer

ave you ever wanted to

cut your plants watering
schedule in half? Have
you ever wished your
fresh cut flowers would last longer?
Have you ever looked at your water
bill and wished you could have a
greener lawn at half the cost? Do
you hope the neighbors will water
your plants while you are away
from home?
All these questions can be
answered by one product, Huggies
Snug and Dry Diapers. I know what
youre thinking: how can diapers
help my plants or my lawn? Easy.
The Huggies have a crystal that
looks like salt that is super absorbent. You can easily create an amazing, rich fiber hydro gel that is nontoxic and environmentally friendly.
You never have to be afraid of over
watering your plants ever again.
The beads will automatically suck
up the extra water and prevent rot
in your plants. These water crystals
are absorbent and hold five hundred
times their own weight in water.
These crystals will leave your soil
light and fluffy, making the soil able
to aureate.
You will need 32 Huggies Snug &

A full vase of flowers is pictured

recently. A rich fiber gel made with
diapers will help keep the flowers
watered.

Enterprise photos by Amelia Murphy

A bucket of prepared hydro gel is pictured. The material can be used for a
wide range of gardening and lawn projects and will help keep your plants
watered.

Hydro gel is pictured in a vase with

fresh cut flowers. Fill your vase half
full with the hydro gel and the rest
with cool water before adding flowers.

Dry Diapers. Take one diaper and

open it up in a bowl.
Take six cups of cool water and
pour it into the diaper. Let it sit for
about 10 minutes.
You will notice that the diaper can
hold a lot of liquid and can be quiete
heavy.
Next, rip open the diaper and
dump the wet contents into a bowl.
Dispose of the plastic liner and the
cotton top. If you have a little bit of
the cotton in the hydro gel, dont
worry, as the cotton will not harm
your plants. Add two more cups of
cool water. This should make about
12 cups of hydro gel.
For small houseplants, consider
adding a quarter cup of hydro gel to
the potting soil. Mix equal parts of
hydro gel and potting soil with larg-

er plants. Remove your plant from

its original pot and break off old
dirt without disturbing the roots of
your plant. Fill your pot about a
fourth of the way full with new
mixed potting soil and hydro gel.
Place your plant back into the pot
and continue to fill the pot with your
new mixture. Dont be afraid to
really pack this light soil into the
pot. Make sure the plant is firmly
packed in the pot with the soil.
Water your plants after you are
done and repeat watering again in
two weeks.
If you are using the hydro gel pot
soil for trees, do not remove the
tree from its pot. Take tow spoons
and dig a hole between the roots of
the tree and just add the hydro gel
without any potting soil. Cover the

hydro gel with the old dirt from the

trees pot. Dig 4 to 5 holes into the
tree pot to get the full advantage of
the hydro gel. Water the tree after
you have completed placing the
hydro gel into the trees pot.
You may also use the hydro gel in
a vase to keep your fresh cut flowers watered longer. Fill your vase
half way full with the hydro gel and
the rest with cool water. Then add
your flowers.
If you are looking for a lazy way
to start your seeds, just throw your
seeds into a batch of hydro gel and
potting soil. Give the seeds and dirt
a good mix, or you can just place the
seeds on top. Use a container of
your choice and water. Find a place
out of the way where you can leave
it and forget it for a week. The
seeds should sprout without any
strain or stress for you. Using the
hydro gel for your lawn will take 30
diapers exactly. Hydrate two diapers at a time. You will not want
your hydro gel too wet, however.
Four cups of water per diaper for
the lawn mixture should be enough.
Once you have two batches ready in
a bowl, go outside and sprinkle it on
your lawn as thinly as possible. If
you have cats, dogs, or children, you
may want to plan a trip to a local
park for an hour or two just to let
the beads set properly. Run your
sprinkler system, while you and
your family are enjoying a beautiful
day out in the park.

Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 6

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 7

Ask a Designer: decorating with spring pastels

By Melissa Rayworth

the light, she says. So no pinks in a

western-facing room or they will look
like something out of an antacid commercial. Likewise, avoid pastel yellow
in a south-facing room and blue in an
east-facing one.

The Associated Press

After a long winter, the pastel colors

of spring look pretty appealing right
now. Cheerful pastel pinks, yellows,
greens and blues can seriously brighten
up a room.
Decorating with these potentially toosweet shades can be tricky, but worth
it.
Pastels get a bad rap for being
super-girly, sometimes being kind of
80s, and for even skewing babyish. But
they dont have to be any of those
things if you apply them in fresh ways,
says designer Brian Patrick Flynn,
founder of Flynnside Out Productions.
Pastels are like Sandra Bullock or a
little black dress. They are always
going to be in fashion and will remain
classic for the masses. I say, use pastels
however, whenever, and just be sure to
put your own spin on them.
Here, Flynn and two other interior
designers Betsy Burnham of Burnham Design in Los Angeles and Toronto-based designer Meredith Heron
offer advice on making spring pastels
work in your home.

Consider your light

The natural light in a room impacts

how a pastel color actually appears,

Shop cautiously

AP photo

This undated photo provided by designer Brian Patrick Flynn and HGTV.com
shows how Flynn used high-end performance fabrics in pastel tones to create
the lounge the designer describes as rock and roll pastels, due to the mix of
light colors with edgy accents and retro elements.
says Heron. East-facing windows bring
a cool, blue light during the day, while
west-facing windows bring in a redder
light in the afternoon and at sunset.

Heron says south-facing windows tend

to offer a yellower light.
My rule of thumb is to avoid the pastels that correspond to the direction of

The names of paint swatches can tell

you a lot. If something has baby in
front of it baby blue, baby pink be
careful, says Burnham. Youre safer
if you see pale blue. The interpretation can be all kinds of things, from
periwinkle to a gray-blue.
If youre drawn to a true baby pink or
baby blue on a swatch, consider going
with a slight variation on it. Often, on
one paint-swatch card youll find four
or five variations on the same color,
some very saturated and others with
more gray mixed in. Consider picking
one of the grayer, less saturated shades.
Its useful to look through design
magazines for inspiration, but Burnham
notes that what looks great in a photo
might not in real life. Thats especially
true if the photo depicts a show house
designed to highlight a designers talent, rather than a home that people
actually live in.

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 8

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 9

Right at Home: tricks, tools for organizing the kitchen

By Kim Cook

SPACE SAVERS

Associated Press

If youve lived with your kitchen for

awhile, chances are youve got drawers full of stuff you rarely use and
cupboards you just hate. Wouldnt it be
nice to have a well-organized kitchen
that makes food preparation a pleasure?
Some of the latest ideas and products for whipping a kitchen into shape:

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Kitchens function best when divided

into work zones, says Josee Berlin, an
interior designer for Ikea USA. She
cites three: storage (fridge/freezer/
pantry), washing (sink/dishwasher)
and cooking (oven/cooktop/microwave).
Work zones give your kitchen a
practical structure. Placing them well
is crucial to achieving an ergonomic
work triangle, with a natural workflow
and everything within reach, Berlin
says.
If youre planning a new kitchen,
place your oven and stove near sinks
and worktops so you arent walking
too far with hot pots and pans, she
says. A worktop near pantry cabinets
and fridge makes unpacking groceries
easy.
If space is tight, consider a stainless-steel cart with lockable wheels
for portable storage and extra prep
space.

CABINETS AND DRAWERS

Experts suggest taking an inventory

of your kitchen tools, and then outfitting cabinets and drawers so they
work for you.
Use adjustable drawer dividers and
shelf inserts at different depths.
The drawers in Ikeas new Sektion
kitchen system open fully, eliminating
that awkward nowheresville at the
back of many drawers. A new horizontal hinge design allows for additional
slim storage in what was once dead
space above the drawer good for
tools, towels and spices (the last of
which should be kept in a cool dark
space and not on or above the stove).

AP photo

This photo provided by Ikea shows a steel rolling cart like these Flytta carts
from Ikea that can work as mobile prep surface as well as moving storage.
A quiet-close mechanism and optional
LED lights make the system handy for
middle-of-the-night cookie raids.
(www.ikea.com)

TOOLS AND GADGETS

You dont need a lot of stuff, says

Craig Norton, director of operations at
the Prince George Hotel in Halifax,
Nova Scotia.
Buying a pot and pan for every dish
is a mistake. One good large Dutch
oven, one saut pan, one 4-quart
saucepan, one omelet/crepe pan, one
cast-iron pan and thats it, he advises.
He stores lids on the door to free up
shelf space.
If youre a baker, consider consolidating those components. I put all
baking ingredients in one bin flour,
sugar, baking soda, etc. and just
haul it out when making something,
Norton says. Invest in a slab of cool
marble to make pastry rolling easy.
Gadgets are the biggest waste of
space egg slicers, green bean cutters, all that stuff. Just use a knife,
laughs Norton.
However, if youre a proud collector

of small tools, consider a rolling

mechanics tool cart with shallow
drawers that can be tucked in a closet
when not in use.
To hold knives, BASE4s KnifeDock
is a slim-profile slab of magnetized
walnut, bamboo or acacia wood. (www.
ebase4.com )

House Beautifuls editor in chief,

Sophie Donelson, likes OXOs stackable Greensaver containers, which
have carbon filters in the lid to reduce
spoilage. But her favorite small space
storage solutions are from Joseph
Joseph. Measuring cups, a whisk and
nesting utensils are part of the colorful collection. (www.josephjoseph.com
) Some experts suggest checking out
restaurant supply houses for highquality, affordable items. Commercialkitchen-grade, stainless-steel pans
come in a variety of squares and rectangles that you can stack to save
space. If your kitchens a workhorse,
dont worry about keeping it showroom ready. Your food processor,
scale, utensils and blender should be
right out where you need them.
Norton likes to keep a lazy Susan
next to the stove with olive oil, a dish
of salt and a pepper grinder.
Hanging rails with S shaped hooks
provide extra storage without taking
up real estate. Sturdy racks can hold
pots and pans, plates, utensils, sieves
and even a small herb garden.
Ikeas Rimforsa wall system combines steel rails and hooks with bamboo containers. Elfas bonded-steel notools wall and rack system turns a
door into a handy pantry. (www.containerstore.com )

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Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 10

Ask a Designer, from Page 7

A little goes a long way

One pastel is really great, Burnham

says. It stands out and shines on its
own. But the effect is lost when you
bring in additional pastels; you dont
want the room to feel like a basket of
Easter eggs.
If youre having trouble choosing just
one shade, Flynn suggests blue: Robins egg blue is probably the most iconic pastel used for interiors, he says.
Believe it or not, robins egg is almost
like a neutral. It works with almost any
color in the spectrum. I like putting a
transitional spin on it by layering it
upon itself in different shades and
tints. It creates a classic, timeless look
thats applicable to all ages, styles and
both genders.
Once youve chosen your pastel, its
safest to bring the color in gently
through an accent piece, such as a
lampshade or artwork. Or paint your
walls a white or gray shade that has
just a dash of your favorite pastel
mixed in.
I always warn clients that pastel
shades can get about 20 percent brighter when you paint them on a wall, so
opting for something that appears to be
a white with a hint of color is often
your best bet, says Heron. I think
people often choose colors that are too
literal too bright, too saturated,
when just a dash will do you. If you
want to dabble in pastels, start with a
grayed series and then ease your way

This photo provided by Meredith Heron Design shows a kitchen in pastel

pink shades designed by Meredith
Heron. The Brushed Bronze of the
faucet adds a rich contrast to the soft
pastels and grounds the space, preventing the pastels from becoming
too sweet.
AP photos

This undated photo was provided by designer Brian Patrick Flynn and HGTV.
com. Flynn suggests light blue-grey tones for homeowners apprehensive
about using springtime pastels, which can make rooms feel feminine. Flynn
claims that blue-greys and robins egg blues work almost as new neutrals and
gel with a wide array of accent colors, plus these hues are also gender neutral.
into something a bit brighter. Layers
are always the key.
The safest way to layer a pastel is by
mixing in neutral colors like taupe,
Burnham says, and organic materials
like natural wood.

Dont forget the edge

In spaces where Flynn uses pastels,

he says, Im all about adding a ton of
edgy elements to make the overall look
fresh and anything but sweet. My biggest tip is to balance the Easter tones

with street art or modern furnishings,

which create excellent tension between
the soft sweetness and whatever elements are used to give it more of a
masculine, urban or fresh edge.
Heron often does the same, using animal prints, say, or art deco furniture to
include some bold statement.
Her goal: to inject a little bit of
ugly into a room, to keep it from being
overly saccharine. ... Ugly makes a
room look and feel lived in, like it has
evolved over time.

Time to get
growing!
It's spring gardening, mowing and planting time. Check the articles and the ads
in this special section for tips on methods
and merchandise that will make your job
easier and more productive.

Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 11

Feel like planting tomatoes?

How to time them just right
By Lee Reich
Associated Press

Occasional warm, spring-like breezes and longer hours of sunlight kindle

an urge in me to plant tomatoes, starting them indoors, of course.
After all, the sooner the seeds are up
and growing, the sooner Ill sink my
teeth into a garden-ripe tomato, right?
Not necessarily.
Earlier planting leads to better harvests only when tomato seedlings have
consistent, near-perfect growing conditions. Even with a greenhouse, such
conditions are not easily created. And
the earlier tomatoes are planted, the
harder it is to give them what they
need.

SLOW AND STEADY

The ideal tomato seedling (also called

a transplant or start) plods along,
growing steadily, making a seamless
transition to the outdoors when transplant time finally comes. Consistently
moist soil and regular feeding, both
easily provided, are part of this prescription. Keep tabs on your watering
by periodically poking your finger or
an electronic water meter down into
the potting soil, or by lifting the container to check its weight.
There are a couple of ways to feed
your seedlings. One is to add soluble
fertilizer to the water; use a fertilizer
formulated for this purpose and follow
the instructions, because too much fertilizer can be as harmful as too little.
Fish emulsion is a good, soluble organic
fertilizer.
An even easier way to feed is to mix
into the potting soil some insoluble fertilizer that slowly but steadily releases
nutrients. No need for high-tech, slow
release fertilizers here, although they
will do the trick. My potting mix
includes one-quarter, by volume, compost, and this, along with a smidgen of
soybean meal, steadily feeds my potted
plants in sync with their needs. Cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal and feather
meal are other organic, slow-release
fertilizers that can be added to a potting mix.

POT ON

To avoid any hesitation in the plants

growth, they need to be shifted to larger pots as they grow. Dont start those
tiny seedlings in large pots, because
theyll just sulk in a large volume of
wet soil. Ideally, repot whenever plants
grow taller than one-half to two-thirds
the height of their container. Like
watering and feeding, repotting is not
difficult, but does demand attention.
The only problem is all the window
space that lots of large pots eventually
gobble up, even moreso the earlier
seeds are sown.
So much for the easy part of keeping
tomato seedlings that were planted ear-

AP photo

In this undated photo, a tomato plant

is planted in a garden in New Paltz,
N.Y.

ly growing happily. The plants also

need abundant light and relatively cool
temperatures ideally around 65
degrees Fahrenheit, and this is a combination not easy to provide on a windowsill or, without care, in a greenhouse. A
sunny window in a cool room is ideal.
Artificial light is another option. Use
a fluorescent light and keep adjusting
its height so its within inches of the
plant. Many seedlings can bask under a
double fixture of two 4-foot-long fluorescent bulbs. The light from an incandescent bulb isnt the right spectrum,
and the heat the bulbs give off if hanging close above the plant will scorch
the leaves.

A LITTLE STRESS IS GOOD

One more thing a tomato seedling

needs for good growth is stress. It
sounds harsh, but a bit of stress indoors
prepares the plants for buffeting wind,
pelting rain, bright sunlight and cooler
temperatures (early in the season, at
least) outdoors. Whats more, stress can,
to some degree, make up for insufficient light and too much heat. Brush
your hands over the leaves or shake the
plants one or two times a day and theyll
develop into stocky, dark green youngsters.
Then, a gradual introduction to outdoor conditions is beneficial. Harden
the plants for a week by setting them
outdoors in a spot protected from the
full brunt of wind and sun before planting them in the garden. Bring them
indoors if frost threatens.
Dont let anxiety over perfect growing conditions keep you from growing
your own tomato seedlings. Doing so
gives you the choice of the tastiest varieties. (I suggest Sungold, Belgian Giant,
Rose, Brandywine, Amish Paste and
Carmello.) Also, tomatoes are forgiving
plants. The worst-case scenarios for
early sown plants given less than ideal
growing conditions is an early crop that
peters out, or a delayed first crop followed by tomatoes right up until frost.

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APR2

www.SkyFCU.org

Stop by or call. Were in your neighborhood!

We welcome everyone living or working in Park, Gallatin
or Sweet Grass Counties.
APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Rates as of 04/17/15. Rates are subject to change without notice. All loans subject
to customary due diligence, underwriting, credit approval and documentation. Other terms and conditions may
apply. For all mortgage loans, certain closing costs may apply based on loan-to-value (LTV), credit score, loan type
or collateral type.
Home Loan example: *APR based on $150,000 loan amount with 1% origination. Representative Example: Make
360 monthly payments of $684.08 each month at 3.706% APR. Payment amounts do not include taxes and
insurance premiums.
Auto Loan examples based on $25,000 loan amount. 1 Make 35 monthly payments of $736.07 each month at
1.99% APR. 2 Make 60 monthly payments of $443.98 each month at 2.49% APR. All loans subject to customary due
diligence, underwriting, credit approval and documentation. Certain conditions apply for as low as rate; call any
branch for specific details. Actual loan rate will be based upon the borrower(s) creditworthiness, an active SKY FCU
checking account and automatic payments.

FEDERALLY INSURED BY NCUA

Spring Home & Garden

Thursday, April 23, 2015 Page 12

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Come to Rosedale Gardens!

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