Hollies . . .

Hollies are a very popular 'shrub to tree' accent in the landscape.
For seasonal interest, the females will produce a red berry in the winter, bringing birds into the area. 
Hollies offer perfectly protected areas for nesting birds, as well.
Several varieties can also serve as protective barriers around property lines, due to their prickley nature.
'Yapon' hollies require little shaping / pruning.
'Nellie Stevens' and 'Burford' hollies are another story.

Burford Holly Hedge

Their growing spurts occur from Spring to late Fall.           
When pruning hollies, I, personally, suggest that you leave the hedge shears in the shed.  Use of them only stimulates more new growth, as each cut will produce 2 new shoots within weeks, adding much more work for you.
The best solution I have found involves hand pruning down to the woody branches that are at least the size of pencils.  Wherever there are multiple branching, eliminate the multiples & cut to the older wood.
When pruning, stagger the pruning so you are not cutting a straight, flat top.  There is a natural, rounded shape to most shrubs.
Step back often to examine your work.  This helps me keep an eye on the overall shape of things to come.

There are some 'dwarf' varieties on the market today that are wonderful and maintain a great shape with little (but some) maintenance required.



Reposting from 6-08-2012

Dwarf Burford Holly



Words to live by . . . .

Joy of Accomplishing More Than You Can Imagine . . . .

Be Bold . . .

BE . . . .

Just Tropical . . . .

2-14-14  

Make a Bird Seed Wreath . . .

Taking care of  the birds is always important.  Their needs are simple :  high energy food and unfrozen water.

A fun option and great gift for bird lovers, of all ages, are bird seed wreaths.


Recipe for bird seed wreaths :

Supplies
4 cups bird seed feed
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
3 Tblspns. corn syrup
1 package of plain gelatin
Non-stick cooking spray
*Options to add include melted peanut butter, raisins ..... crushed nuts

For the mold: used, washed out butter tubs + an empty toilet paper tube for the center to make the hole.  Or anything that has the shape you want.
Bundt pans work wonderfully.

Directions:
Step 1: In a large bowl put 1/2 cup warm water and gelatin mix together and let the gelatin dissolve.
Step 2: Whisk in the corn syrup and flour to create a paste.
Step 3: Add 4 cups of the bird seed + options, to the large bowl and stir well.  ( I would suggest a large serving fork with at least 4 tines. )
Step 4: Spray the mold, generously, with a non-stick cooking spray, then scoop the seed mixture into them as evenly as possible.
Step 5: Tap down the seed with the back of a spoon.
Step 6: After 24 hours turn them over onto little paper plates and then allow to dry for an additional 24 hours.

Tie ribbon on the wreath for hanging.   (I would not suggest hanging a wreath on the door of your home.   Though it would be attractive for a minute, you really don't want to encourtage birds to fly near your door and possibly into your home.)

*Personal Tip:  I usually have scraps of 'hardware cloth' (wire mesh screen) waiting for a project,  I am adding it to the mold after adding 1/2 of the seed, to add extra stability to the wreath.  Once bird and squirrels start eating the seed wreath, they often crumble.  The addition of the metal will help hold it together a little longer.

From Spring Hill Nursery . . . .

Grow Beautiful Caladiums Year After Year

Caladiums are the perfect foliage plant for creating bold, bright colors in shady areas. Caladiums are considered annual foliage plants, and are usually tossed at the end of the season and replaced the following year. But with a little care, your caladiums can be saved year after year and even grown indoors during winter months.
Typically, caladiums are “lifted”—dug up and taken inside, either in the form of tubers (like a potato) or as the whole plant. Once nighttime temperatures drop to about 50 degrees, your foliage will start to look a little sad. This is the time to cut your plant back to the soil line. Then, using a garden fork, lift your tubers and brush off any excess soil. Place the tubers in shallow boxes and just barely cover them with a light medium such as peat moss. Keep that medium moist, but not wet, and in a temperature range of 70-80°F. As spring approaches, they’ll sprout; at that point, replant them in a rich soil full of humus.
If you’re growing caladiums in pots, you can also bring them inside and use them as houseplants during winter months. Sometime around January, the plants will start to look a bit old and cranky. At that point, stop watering them and let the foliage die back, then lop off the foliage and store the tubers as outlined above.
By the way, what exactly is a tuber? And how is it different from a corm? Well, both are underground food storage organs, closely related to bulbs and rhizomes. Corms consist of a dry, papery outer layer formed from semi-developed leaves. These protect the inner structure that houses the food supply and a bud. Tubers more closely resemble potatoes and are formed from a stem or root and develop eyes (or buds) all over the surface from which shoots form. These shoots grow upward and form plants.
See? Everything you wanted (and perhaps didn’t want) to know about caladiums! The point is, you don’t have to throw them away each year. Show the world your gardening prowess by storing your tubers and bringing them back to life next spring. Your neighbors will think you’re a gardening guru!

Where do the colors in the leaves come from ? ? ?

Many deciduous trees and shrubs provide spectacular color in the fall once they begin to go dormant for the winter. Fall coloring is caused by the pigment remaining in the leaf once photosynthesis slows down and the green chlorophyll is depleted. This color can be intensified by periods of sunny, warm days and crisp, cool nights. Fall color is somewhat unpredictable, but always a delight.

Once summer ends, the days get shorter, due to the changes in the angle of the sun....   

 

Here is a brief description of the science behind Fall Color:

Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose.

Glucose is usable food for the plant’s growth.

Plants turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar.  This is called photosynthesis ("putting together with light").

Chlorophyll is a chemical that gives plants their green color and helps make photosynthesis possible. 

The month of October is often one of the driest months of the year.  This also ques the plants into realizing  that they need to go dormant.

This lack of light and water cuts off photosynthesis, allowing the trees to rest, and live off the food they had stored during the summer (carbohydrates). 

As the chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, the emergence of yellow and orange colors begin to show up. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves since the previous spring, but have been hidden by the abundance of green.

The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall.

In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves to convert the glucose into a red color.

 The brown color of tree leaves, like oaks, is made from wastes products left in the leaves.

"Evergreens" are another science marvel.  They keep most of their leaves, or needles, during the winter and continue to photosynthesize, if provided enough water. Their growth is slowed down due to colder temperatures. Their special leaves, or needles, are resistant to cold and moisture loss. Evergreens may continue to photosynthesize during the winter as long as they get enough water, but the reactions occur more slowly with cooler temperatures.
 

From Garden Supply . . . .

Using Shredded Leaves:

If you have an abundant source of leaves in the fall, shred them. Your garden will benefit in a big way. Here how to use them:

• Insulate Tender Plants: A 6-inch blanket of leaves protects tender plants from winter wind and cold. Cover cold-hardy vegetables—such as carrots, kale, leeks and beets—and you'll be able to harvest them all winter.
• Boost Your Compost Pile: Carbon-rich leaves balance high-nitrogen compost ingredients such as fresh grass clippings.
• Improve Your Soil: Mix shredded leaves right into your garden. Next spring, your soil will be teeming with earthworms and other beneficial organisms.
• Make "Leaf Mold": Simply rake the leaves into a big pile. If you shred them, they will decompose faster, but you can still make leaf mold without shredding. After one to three years, fungus will have broken the leaves down to a special compost that smells like a walk through the woods. Leaf mold is high in calcium and magnesium and retains three to five times its weight in water—rivaling peat moss.

Think Before You Shred

• Be careful with some kinds of leaves. Walnut, eucalyptus and camphor laurel leaves contain substances that inhibit plant growth. It's best to compost these leaves before using them in your garden
• Be sure to chop or shred leaves before using them as mulch. Whole leaves can form a mat that water can't penetrate.
• If you add shredded leaves right to the soil, add some slow-release nitrogen fertilizers to help the leaves decompose and to ensure that soil microbes don't use all of the available nitrogen.

Science of Leaf Color . . . .

Many deciduous trees and shrubs provide spectacular color in the fall once they begin to go dormant for the winter. Fall coloring is caused by the pigment remaining in the leaf once photosynthesis slows down and the green chlorophyll is depleted. This color can be intensified by periods of sunny, warm days and crisp, cool nights. Fall color is somewhat unpredictable, but always a delight.

Once summer ends, the days get shorter, due to the changes in the angle of the sun....   

 

Here is a brief description of the science behind Fall Color:

Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They absorb carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose.

Glucose is usable food for the plant’s growth.

Plants turn water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar.  This is called photosynthesis ("putting together with light").

Chlorophyll is a chemical that gives plants their green color and helps make photosynthesis possible. 

The month of October is often one of the driest months of the year.  This also ques the plants into realizing  that they need to go dormant.

This lack of light and water cuts off photosynthesis, allowing the trees to rest, and live off the food they had stored during the summer (carbohydrates). 

As the chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, the emergence of yellow and orange colors begin to show up. Small amounts of these colors have been in the leaves since the previous spring, but have been hidden by the abundance of green.

The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall.

In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves to convert the glucose into a red color.

 The brown color of tree leaves, like oaks, is made from wastes products left in the leaves.

"Evergreens" are another science marvel.  They keep most of their leaves, or needles, during the winter and continue to photosynthesize, if provided enough water. Their growth is slowed down due to colder temperatures. Their special leaves, or needles, are resistant to cold and moisture loss. Evergreens may continue to photosynthesize during the winter as long as they get enough water, but the reactions occur more slowly with cooler temperatures.
 

2 Tomato Stew Chili . . . .

From Better Homes and Gardens :


Ingredients

• 1 8 - 8 1/2ounce jar oil-packed dried tomatoes
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red sweet peppers, chopped
• 2 green sweet peppers, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 4 1/2ounce candiced green chiles
• 1 28 ounce cancrushed tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
• Sliced dried tomatoes (optional)
• Toasted baguette slices (optional)

                                                                

Directions

Drain the dried tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Chop tomatoes; set aside.
In a Dutch oven heat the reserved oil over medium-high heat.
Brown beef, half at a time.

Return all beef to Dutch oven.
Add onions, garlic, sweet peppers, and carrots; cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in chopped dried tomatoes, raisins, cumin, and crushed red pepper; cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in undrained green chiles; cook for 1 minute.
Add crushed tomatoes and 2 cups of water; bring to boiling.
Reduce heat to medium.
Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1-1/14 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender. Remove from heat.
Add salt and pepper.
Top with cheese and, if desired, sliced dried tomatoes.
If desired, serve with baguette slices.

  

---

    

Quote from Michael Pollan . . . .

"As long as the sun shines, there IS a free lunch."

Gardening is . . . .

Slow Roasted Salmon With Tomatoe - Ginger Jam . . . .

Slow Roasted Salmon with Tomato / Ginger Jam :

Slow roasting is a fail-proof way to avoid overcooking fish, producing perfectly cooked fish every time. This tasty tomato jam will also pair nicely with cooked chicken, pork, or beef. Great for entertaining, you can make the jam ahead and reheat in the microwave just before serving.
Serves: 4
Prep:  10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (15 ounces) petite diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 3 cups green beans, steamed
• 6 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

 
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place the salmon on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, or until just cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes, stirring, until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, vinegar, ginger, and paprika. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, or until reduced to a jamlike consistency. Stir in the mint.
4. Toss the green beans, almonds, and the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large bowl. Divide the salmon, jam, green beans, and rice among 4 large plates.
Nutritional Facts per serving
Calories     532 cal
Fat     24.3 g
Saturated fat     3.3 g
Cholesterol     78 mg
Sodium     463.5 mg
Carbohydrates     43.2 g
Total sugars     14 g
Dietary fiber     7 g
Protein     34.7 g

Courtesy of the Rodale Healthy Recipe Finder

Remember . . . .

From' New Life on a Homestead' . . . .

It seemed as if nothing could stop my prolific raspberry bushes from running their marathon harvest. And then the worms came.
I started noticing them a little here and there. No big deal, right? I’d just soak the raspberries in salty water {how-to here} and dump off the dead floaters. But then what began as a small nuisance suddenly became an unmanageable infestation.
Where were these worms coming from?!

16

My guess was that they had something to do with all of the tiny little gnats I’d noticed swarming around my bushes. See that fly on my raspberry there? Look closely, I’m working with a point and shoot camera here. Turns out, I was right. Those teeny, almost translucently white worms are the larvae of fruit flies. The Spotted Wing Drosophila is one type of fruit fly which is becoming a particular problem.
The difference between the SWD and regular fruit flies, besides the tell-tale black spot on the male fly’s wings, is that while everyday fruit flies generally lay eggs in overripe or damaged fruit, Spotted Wing Drosophila have a more aggressive approach. They lay their eggs in the flesh of underripe fruit, making it hard to beat the bugs to the harvest. The eggs hatch, and those nasty little worms are soon to follow.
These pests are actually relatively new here, and are becoming a HUGE pain to berry growers across the US. Not only do they effect raspberries, but blackberries, blueberries, cherries and strawberries as well.
Experts are still testing different methods of control, but there are a few preventative measures you can take to reduce the chances of an infestation:

• Keep plants picked of ripe fruit. Ripening fruit will attract the Spotted Wing Drosophila, and will spread breeding grounds. Do not leave overripe berries on the vine, and do not let them fall to the ground as this will encourage an infestation. Pick the vines clean, and do not compost unwanted berries. The heat from the compost is not high enough to kill the SWD larvae and they will reemerge the following year. I’ve been feeding my overripe berries to the chickens, but you can also seal them in a ziploc bag and leave it out in the sun to kill the worms. You must keep your plants picked clean of all ripe fruit every single day.

• Keep plants pruned. Fruit flies like humid, shady environments. Thin ‘em out and keep sprawling varieties trellised. Burn the prunings instead of composting them.

• Do a ground clean up. SWD larvae can overwinter in the soil and reemerge the following year. It is recommended that you cultivate the soil around your plants to expose the larvae to the elements. They don’t survive well in very cold or hot temperatures. I’m going to go an extra step and sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth around my plants after I thin them out.

• Set traps. You can put out a vinegar or yeast-sugar trap to lure these pesky flies. It won’t catch enough of them to help a bad infestation, but if you set the traps out when the fruits are just beginning to appear, you will be able to monitor the arrival of the flies. Setting traps at the end of the season might also help reduce the population for the following year. Page 2 of this document explains how to make your own fruit fly traps.

• Cover your plants. You may be able to prevent the flies from landing by covering your plants with a very fine row cover before the fruit even begins to appear on your plants. Be sure to close it off so that flies cannot get underneath it. This method, however, can sometimes pose problems with air circulation.

• Harvest in Spring not Fall. Fruit flies tend to be more of a problem with Fall crops, particularly beginning in July. If you have an Everbearing variety, you might want to prune them after the Spring harvest so that you don’t get a Fall harvest that would attract the SWD.

• Spraying. There are two organic insecticides which have been found to be helpful in reducing SWD population: Entrust and Pyganic.

I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to pick quarts and quarts of gorgeous red berries just to open them up and find worms crawling all over them. I’ve continued soaking them in the salt water solution and rinsing, rinsing, rinsing, until all of the worms are gone- then freezing them. This is just one of those mind over matter deals. I’ve resolved that if I end up eating a couple of worms, as long as I didn’t see them first, I’m good with that. Next year, I hope to be ahead of the game.

  

Reposting From www.gardenbetty.com . . . .

A Guide to Curing and Storing Garlic

You waited seven, maybe nine months, for all that homegrown garlic to finish growing. Now that you’ve dug it all up, you want to savor it for as long as possible until the next garlic crop is ready.
This is when curing becomes your friend.
Curing is the process of letting your garlic dry down in preparation for long-term storage. Curing your garlic allows you to enjoy the flavor of your summer harvest well into winter… and one of my favorite things about garlic is that it still stays fresh long after it’s been plucked from the ground. No pickling, no canning. Just a simple head of garlic that looks and tastes the same as the day you pulled it.
Garlic that you want to eat right away can be used right away, straight from the garden.
Garlic that you want to cure should be moved to a dry, shady, airy place — this can be under a tree, on a covered porch, or in a well-ventilated garage. Lay the bulbs out one by one to provide good air circulation. Garlic is susceptible to sunburn (it can literally cook under the sun, which deteriorates the flavor), so you want to minimize the amount of direct sunlight it gets during the curing process.
No need to clean off all that dirt for now — you’ll tidy them up when you trim them. Don’t wash your garlic either… after all, the point is to dry them out!

You can also gather the garlic into bunches, tie them up, and hang them from their stems. If you’re feeling crafty,  you can even braid the stems, just like the beautiful ones you see in Italian restaurants. Braiding only works with nimble softneck garlics, and I find it helps to remove the scraggly bottom leaves first. The garlic is braided while some of the leaves are still green and pliable, and hung to dry in a shady spot.

Do not remove the leaves while the garlic is curing. The bulb continues to draw energy from the leaves and roots until all that moisture evaporates. Keeping the leaves intact also helps to prevent fungi or other lurking garden contaminants from spoiling the garlic before it’s fully cured.
After a month (or possibly up to two months, if your weather has been humid), the roots should look shriveled and feel stiff like a bottle brush, and the leaves should be completely brown and dried.

To clean up the garlic for storage, trim off the roots and leaves to 1/4 or 1/2 inch. More dirt will dislodge and a couple extra layers of bulb wrappers may flake off, giving you a nice and neatly packaged bulb. Remember not to remove too many wrappers in case you expose the cloves.

If you braided your garlic, you saved yourself an extra step and can simply snip a bulb off the braid when you need it.
Set aside your most beautiful heads of garlic with the biggest cloves to use as seed garlic the following season.

Stash it all in mesh bags, woven baskets, old terracotta pots, brown paper bags, or even cardboard beer/soda cases — as long as the container is breathable and the environment stays dry. I have even heard of people storing garlic in old pantyhose by hanging it from the ceiling, putting a knot between each garlic head, and scissoring off a knot when needed — but really, who has pantyhose laying around these days?!

Read more: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2011/07/a-guide-to-curing-and-storing-garlic/#ixzz2X8LvPHVe

Do No Harm . . .

It seems sensible to minimize the use of commercial pesticides when we realize that they kill the beneficial insects that help us in the Garden.
The residual salts left behind by synthetic fertilizers, also, kills beneficial bacterias and microrganisms needed to keep an active balance in the soil and they burn earthworms.
Again, I support the information listed in the book "Good Bugs - Bad Bugs."
Plant asters, bee balms, dill, lantana, lavendars, marigolds, milkweeds, sages, and yarrow, to name a few, to attract the good guys.

*Sidebar:
Remember that fungus needs water to thrive, so minimize overhead watering.
Keep watering deep and off of the foilage, watering in the early morning (particularily, a great practice with roses).*
When I see Lady Bugs in the Garden, aphids are around. Keep an eye on how many of the Lady Bugs show up to know the level of infestation. (Nasturstiums attract aphids. When infested, remove it from the Garden. You can use uninfested, cleaned flowers in salads.)
When pruning the grape vines and butterfly bushes last week, I found several praying mantis nests. They have been relocated. (Watching a zillion baby praying mantis crawl around is very cool to watch ! I first noticed a newly hatched nest in 1976, in downtown Akron, Ohio. A lunch crowd on the Main Street sidewalk parted, like an Old Testament story, to protect them.)

Entomologists have identified nearly 1 million insects.
Less than 1 percent are considered pests to agriculture.
They pollinate, cultivate and prey.
If we provide the healthiest environment, ground up, including a diversely planted garden, we will be doing a great (and easy) service to all.

Hollies . . .

Hollies are a very popular 'shrub to tree' accent in the landscape.
For seasonal interest, the females will produce a red berry in the winter, bringing birds into the area. 
Hollies offer perfectly protected areas for nesting birds, as well.
Several varieties can also serve as protective barriers around property lines, due to their prickley nature.
'Yapon' hollies require little shaping / pruning.
'Nellie Stevens' and 'Burford' hollies are another story.

Burford Holly Hedge

Their growing spurts occur from Spring to late Fall.           
When pruning hollies, I, personally, suggest that you leave the hedge shears in the shed.  Use of them only stimulates more new growth, as each cut will produce 2 new shoots within weeks, adding much more work for you.
The best solution I have found involves hand pruning down to the woody branches that are at least the size of pencils.  Wherever there are multiple branching, eliminate the multiples & cut to the older wood.
When pruning, stagger the pruning so you are not cutting a straight, flat top.  There is a natural, rounded shape to most shrubs.
Step back often to examine your work.  This helps me keep an eye on the overall shape of things to come.

There are some 'dwarf' varieties on the market today that are wonderful and maintain a great shape with little (but some) maintenance required.



Reposting from 6-08-2012

Dwarf Burford Holly



Happy Birthday, Brad . . . .

BEEs vs NEONICS . . . .

From SUMOFUS.org :
Bees are dying off around the world in record numbers -- but big retailers are still selling the poison that is killing them.
Last season, 37 million bees (!) died on a single North American farm. Scientists now know why – study after study shows that deadly pesticides called "neonics", manufactured by Bayer, are killing them.
Home Depot and Lowe's are still selling the deadly pesticides, but pressure is mounting. If one of the stores commits to stop carrying the pesticides, it could start a snowball effect that sees rival stores drop the bee-killing chemicals too.
In just two weeks, SumOfUs' activist beekeepers will travel to deliver our petition to the corporations on their home turf. Can you add your name now, so the retailers see the tide of public opinion and commit to stop selling bee-killing pesticides?
Tell Home Depot and Lowe’s to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.
Earlier this year, SumOfUs supporters called on these retail giants to stop selling neonics, with thousands flooding their phone lines and speaking out in store. Now, we've learnt that Home Depot could be on the cusp of doing the right thing and taking the bee-killing chemicals off its shelves. We need to send a message to tip Home Depot over the edge, and pressure its rival Lowe's to act as well.
The dangerous chemical Bayer makes is a neonicotinoid, or neonic. Neonics are soaked into seeds, spreading through the plant and killing insects stopping by for a snack -- and sold in garden stores around the world, too. These pesticides can easily be replaced by other chemicals which don’t have such a devastating effect on the food chain. But companies like Bayer and Syngenta make a fortune from selling neonics -- so they’ll do everything they can to protect their profits.
History shows that consumer pressure on retailers works. Europe's partial ban on neonics was caused by a huge movement that pushed some of the biggest retailers in the EU to voluntarily remove neonics from their shelves. If we can make sure that Home Depot and Lowe's drop neonics, smaller North American retailers are bound to follow. But there is not a moment to lose. Please take action now to keep the pressure on Home Depot and Lowe's so we can protect our bees and our planet's future
Call on Home Depot and Lowe’s to get rid of the bee-killing neonics.
SumOfUs has been right at the front of the global campaign to save our bees. We came together to fight Bayer at a huge independent garden store show in Chicago, where the German chemical maker was out in force. We're taking legal action in Europe to defend the EU's ban against Bayer, and just last week spoke out at Bayer's annual shareholder meeting in Germany. But to win this fight, we need to push the retailers to drop these bee-killing pesticides now.

Seed of Mindfulness . . . .

Every one of us already has the seed of mindfulness. The practice is to cultivate it.

 

 

 

 

Thich Nhat Hanh

Planting a tree in India 2008

 

A Good Reminder . . . . .

"We should practice this year with the flavor of right thinking to plant good seeds. Will our speech carry the language of love and compassion? We should only use loving speech and harvest the fruit of right speech."

Native Azalea . . . .

This Native azalea is about to bloom at our cabin.

Photo taken May 3, 2014
by
Bhadra Kali 

What is Bt . . . .

What is Bt?

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a spore forming (flash animation) bacterium that produces crystals protein (cry proteins), which are toxic to many species of insects.

Where is Bt found?

Bt can be found almost everywhere in the world. Surveys have indicated that Bt is distributed in the soil sparsely but frequently worldwide. Bt has been found in all types of terrain, including beaches, desert, and tundra habitats.

How many kinds of Bt are there?

There are thousands of different Bt strains, producing over 200 cry proteins that are active against an extensive range of insects and some other invertebrates.

What type of bacteria is Bt?

Bt belongs to the family of bacteria, Bacillus cerus (B. cerus). B. cerus strains produce toxins that cause gastroenteritis (food poisoning) in humans. Bt is differentiated from B. cerus because it contains a plasmid (flash animation) that produces the protein crystals that are toxic to insects. Bt does not cause food poisoning.

Where is Bt used?

Bt is largely used in agriculture, especially organic farming. Bt is also used in urban aerial spraying programs, and in transgenic crops. 

Youtube Video on Pollination . . . . .

This video is a 4+ minute wonder to enjoy :

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4?rel=0

 

From PIKE'S Nursery's Blog . . . . .

Plants that Attract Ladybugs and Other Beneficial Insects

Plants that Attract Ladybugs and other beneficial insects
Why would you want to attract ladybugs to your garden? Ladybugs are beneficial insects, or good bugs. They eat bad bugs, the pest insects like aphids, thrips and spider mites that feed on your garden plants. A single ladybug can eat over 5,000 aphids in its life. So, they are great workers in your garden helping you to keep out the bad bugs. Encourage ladybugs into your garden by adding plants that they are attracted to. These plants include:

Coreopsis - is another hearty perennial that blooms profusely through the heat of the summer. While ladybugs and butterflies love it, its not a favorite of deer and can be planted in a deer resistant garden. Plant in full sun. 
Lobelia - has brilliant blue or white flowers that are a favorite of hummingbirds. Plant them in container gardens and beds that receive full to partial sun. 
Dill - has feathery green foliage that stands tall in the back of herb gardens. But, don't just plant it there, mix it in with your perennial flowers. It attracts butterflies and ladybugs. Dill has clusters of pretty yellow flowers. Its also great used to season fish dishes or to incorporate in salads.
Scabiosa - is known as the Pincushion flower. If you look closely at it's blooms you will see why. The lavender flowers look like a pincushion with sewing needles. They bloom profusely from early spring through summer. Plant this perennial in a sunny spot for you and the ladybugs to enjoy.
Coneflowers (pictured) - Echinacea, or Coneflowers are a favorite summertime perennial that attract ladybugs, butterflies and hummingbirds. Best known as the Purple Coneflower there are many different varieties available today in all sorts of shades of purple, white, orange, yellow, pink, red and peach. Plant in full sun and enjoy these hardy perennials that don't require much extra water once they are established.
Lavender - there are many different types of lavender and they all attract ladybugs and butterflies. Their spikes of lavender or blue flowers are also prized for their fragrance and used dried in potpourris. Plant them as a hedge in your herb garden, in a mass in a waterwise landscape or in container gardens in full sun.
Milkweed (Asclepias) - is also called Butterfly weed and is known as a butterfly magnet, but they aren't the only beneficial insect that loves Milkweed, ladybugs do too. The beautiful flowers of Milkweed  are either yellow, orange, or red and yellow mixed. Plant them in a sunny spot.
Yarrow - is one of the easiest perennials to grow. Beautiful clusters of flowers in yellow, pink, or white sit atop fern like foliage. Yarrow is beautiful planted in mixed perennial borders and makes an excellent cut flower for drying. Plant in full sun and once it is established it requires little extra water.
Cosmos - has pretty daisy-like flowers that are available in pink, white, red, and yellow. They are easy to grow in beds and containers. Ladybugs are attracted to their delicate fern-like foliage. Plant them in full sun for spring and summer blooms.
Sunflowers - the iconic blooms of sunflowers have large seed heads that are surrounded by yellow petals. The flowers face the sun turning with it as it moves across the sky. Sunflowers come in many different sizes from giant varieties that are many feet tall to compact varieties. They also come in an array of colors yellow, red, and burgundy. Plant sunflower seeds in your garden in a sunny spot.




 

Controlling APHIDS . . .

A lady bug showed up on the windshield of my car, as I was leaving one of my gardens.  
They are a mixed blessing, often indicating the return of aphids to a garden.  They'll suck the sap out of any new, tender growth on everything from flowers, fruit trees . . .  vegetables . . .
Females produce without mating, about 2 weeks from their 'nymph' stage.   They lay eggs that over winter and then wake the following spring with a HUGE appetite. (in mild climates, the problem is ongoing!)
Adults and nymphs suck plant sap, which usually leaving distorted leaves, buds, branch tips, and flowers.
Aphids excrete a sweet, sticky goo called 'honeydew.' This goo creates an environment for 'sooty mold' to grow, which, blocks light from leaves.

Poem By Phillip Larkin . . .

THE TREES

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,...
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die too.
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

–Philip Larkin, "High Windows" (Faber and Faber 1974).

Beaver Tree . . . .

This tree (a hardwood) is being worked on by beavers, on the property of our cabin.

 

 

 

  It's original diameter is about 20". Truly. . . . there are a zillion + trees in this area that could have been chosen for their building project. In th...eir wisdom, the beavers have chosen a tree close to the river, for 'easy' transport & one that is far away from any structure. It is 40' + tall.
When it falls, it will alter the river's path, significantly, for a short time . . . . . but it won't stop the flow.

 

Nature, yet again, provides another metaphor for my life.