Volume 2, Issue 12
From the Gardening Answers Knowledgebase:
Is hydrogen peroxide really used to break seed coats?
investigated by Carrie Bowman

Q: I wonder about soaking morning glory, nasturtium, and other seeds in hydrogen peroxide to break down the seed coating. Is this a recommended practice or a garden myth?

A: The short answer is "No, this is not a myth." I consulted the American Horticultural Society's Plant Propagation (edited by Alan Toogood, DK Publishing, 1999), online resources, and Wendy Gibble (of the University of Washington's Rare Plant Care and Conservation program).

Scarification is one method used to break a seed coat so that moisture can enter and germination occur. Knives, sandpaper, and hot water can all accomplish this, depending upon the type of seed coat. Some seeds have a period of physiological dormancy, often broken by cold or warm stratification and moisture.

  Display area features ecological restoration for wildlife

Visit the periodical display area near the library's north windows to browse a selection of resources for habitat restoration projects to support biodiversity, including bumblebees as well as other insects, salmon and other stream-dependent species, and birds and mammals living in wetlands and forests.

The 1994 collection of essays pictured at left, Place of the Wild, delves into the philosophical and moral underpinnings behind this type of work. Why does the world need wilderness? What is valuable about wildlife? How does human culture in all its forms rely on the natural world, and how can we build on that connection to protect wilderness? 

Art and Gift Sale December 4th through 23rd

Get your shopping done and support local artists! You'll find a selection of locally made arts and crafts available for purchase, with 25% of the proceeds to benefit the Miller Library.

Artists and crafters participating this year include:

• ANN GIRARDE, garden-inspired wreaths
• AL DODSON, textural photographs from nature
• DOROTHY CRANDELL, elegant jewelry
• JENNY CRAIG, Notta Pixie Press vintage letterpress cards and gifts
• MOLLY HASHIMOTO, nature-inspired watercolor paintings, prints, cards and calendars
• JENNIFER CARLSON, felt veggie ornaments and lavender wands
• MICHELLE SMITH-LEWIS, cyanotype botanical prints on fabric
• JOAN HELBACKA, hand-bound notebooks
• JOEL BIDNICK, mini aqua-systems
• SYLVIA PORTILLO, The Human Hand Card Company cards, prints, dioramas and botanically-inspired felted-wool wearable flowers

The artists invite you to a reception at the Library on Friday, December 4th, from 5 to 7 pm.

New to the Library November 2015