Home gardening offers ways to trim grocery costs [Survival Today, an on going thread]

http://maverickeats.blogspot.com/

Pasta with bitter greens and garlic scapes

Here at Maverick, we have a large stand of garlic plants, which look a week or two away from delivering a bumper crop. While we cross our fingers and await arrival of the revered allium, we’ve been enjoying an abundance of a little-known but wonderful garlic byproduct. About a month or six weeks before garlic bulbs develop cloves, the plant sends out a green shoot that curls downward at its tip, similar in shape to a duck’s silhouette. These shoots, known as scapes, deliver intense garlic flavor and a vibrant green color. If left on the plant, they’ll flower, leeching energy from the bulb. It’s a good idea to harvest them before they flower—and eat them. Here’s one of the ways we’ve been dealing with the scape deluge, in combination with another beloved vegetable that has thrived this year: kale.

Pasta with sauteed bitter greens and scapes
1 pound dry pasta (spaghetti, farfalle, linguini, whatever is on hand)
2 large handfuls greens (such as kale, chard, or mature arugula or spinach), bunched and sliced into ribbons
2-3 garlic scapes, trimmed of tough part, cut into half-inch pieces
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled, and chopped fine
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted for a few minutes at 300 F and chopped coarsely
Extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed chile flakes
Red-wine or balsamic vinegar
Parmeson-style cheese for grating

Put water on highest heat for pasta; prepare ingredients as stated above. Put a skillet (large enough to handle the greens) on low heat. Add a little more than enough olive oil to cover the bottom, and add garlic, scapes, a pinch or two of chile, a pinch or two of salt, and a vigorous grind of black pepper. Give it all a stir, and let it cook until garlic and scapes are sizzling and fragrant; be careful not to let the garlic brown. Add the greens and turn heat to medium, tossing the greens so that they’re coated in the garlic-scented oil. (When the water boils, which might be about now, salt it well and add the pasta.) Now cover the greens and turn heat to low. Cook, checking and stirring often, until the greens are tender. Once they’re tender, remove from heat and taste. If the flavor is bitter, give them a splash of vinegar. Once the pasta is done, drain it and return it to its pot. Scrape the cooked greens into the pot, the walnuts, and a healthy splash of olive oil. Toss and taste; correct for salt and pepper. Serve. Pass the cheese and grater at table, and be sure to have a bottle of olive oil handy.

posted by tom philpott

http://maverickeats.blogspot.com/

Steak with garlic red-wine sauce; sauteed arugula; crispy roast potatoes

Recently, after a day of heavy fall work, I made the following meal. The steak came from a small nearby farm that lets its cows feed on pasture.

Steak with garlic red-wine sauce; sauteed arugula; roast potatoes; green salad
Serves two
2 smallish NY strip steaks
2 medium potatoes
Virgin olive oil
Sauteeing oil (I’ve been using pure olive oil lately; the best thing to use is clarified butter or grapeseed oil)
Vinegar (I’ve been using Sherry vinegar)
Salad greens
Lots of old, down-on-its-luck arugula (the local grocery store should have plenty of this; 1 bunch will probably suffice)
Sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic
Chile flakes, to taste
I cup good solid red wine
2 or so tablespoons butter, cold

Preheat oven to 400.
Dry the steaks well with paper towels and salt and pepper them on both sides generously. Let sit while you continue cooking.
Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Place flat side of each half down on cutting board, then cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl. Dry them with a kitchen towel as well as reasonably possible (this will help them brown); salt and pepper generously, give them a lashing of virgin olive oil; stir with hands until the potatoes are evenly dressed; then place them on a cooking sheet, in one layer. Put sheet in hot oven.

Mash a clove of garlic to a puree with some sea salt, and place in bottom of a salad bowl. Add a bit of vinegar, and about twice as much EV olive oil. Whisk and correct for seasoning. Clean salad greens and place on top of dressing, but do not toss.

Now finely chop two cloves of garlic, adding it to a cast-iron skillet with a bit of EV oilve oil (enough to cover the bottom) over low heat. Add a pinch (or two) chile flakes, and stir. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the other three garlic cloves, setting them aside. Wash arugula, but don’t spin it dry, then tear it (or slice it) to small pieces. Add it to the skillet with the garlic and chile, and raise heat to medium. Add salt and pepper, and stir until it’s wilted (just a minute or so.) Add a bit of vinegar, correct for salt, and divide the arugula on two serving plates.

Turn heat off and wipe the pan with a paper towel. Check potatoes; flip them over and return to oven.

Turn heat on cast-iron skillet to medium and add enough saute oil to cover the bottom. When oil smokes a bit, add the steaks. Brown them on both sides. If you like your meat more than rare, place the pan in the hot oven and let them cook for a couple of minutes there, after they’ve browned on both sides.

When the meat is done to your specs, place each steak on the serving plates, placing a clean plate on top of each one to keep the steaks hot while you make the sauce. (Foil works here, too).

Lower heat under cast iron skillet, pour off any fat that has built up, and add sliced garlic to the pan. Stir the garlic and let it cook until it has given off its aroma. (It’s fine if it browns a little, but take care not to let it burn.) Add the cup of wine and raise heat to high. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the precious brown bits and incorporating them into the sauce. Let the wine reduce by at least half.

The potatoes are done! Take them out.

When the sauce is reduced, lower heat and add cold butter in small chucks, stirring to incorporate each one. Correct sauce for salt. Spoon sauce over steaks. Divide potatoes between each plate. Toss the salad. Enjoy.
Note: The steak technique was inspired by the very good cookbook Simple to Spectacular, by Jean Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman.

posted by tom philpott

http://maverickeats.blogspot.com/

The conference’s content, though, was so interesting, and its schedule so packed, that it wasn’t until the after it ended, on the way out of town, that we were able to escape midtown and head into Atlanta’s neighborhoods for a good meal. We ended up, on a tip from Chowhound’s South board, at a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called C’om, which I heartily recommend to anyone in Atlanta.

First in the green-mango salad, then in the pork bun (grilled pork over rice noodles), I found sharp, precise flavors and crisp, fresh vegetables. Just the thing after a weekend of bland, bad food.

The next day, at the farmhouse, I craved something similar. Not something Vietnamese, per se; but something with clear sharp flavors and fresh vegetables, using whatever was close at hand. No one else was around the house as I began to forage in the kitchen. I found a basketful of fresh eggs, and in the pantry a package of buckwheat noodles. I decided to construct a lunch out of those two items, plus whatever I found in the garden.

From a flourishing patch of Tokyo bikuna, a spicy, tender, light-colored relative of mustard greens, I picked a few big leaves. Next to it a patch of arugula was just finding its legs, not quite ready for harvest. I poached a few of the bigger leaves. A few yards away a patch of Persian cress had come into its own. With this peppery, bright, slightly funky green I filled out my salad. On the way back I spied patch of cilantro. I snipped a handful.

And here is what I did.

Stir-fried eggs with buckwheat noodles and salad greens
Large handfull of salad greens
Cilantro, to taste
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 dried red chile pepper, chopped
1 small knob of fresh ginger
oil, for sauteeing
2 eggs
I serving soba noodles
Condiments:
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar (Japanese if possible)
Chile-flavored sesame oil

Put water on to boil for for noodles. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk until yolks and whites are just combined. Set beside the range-top. Clean salad greens and set aside on a serving plate. Clean cilantro, chop it coarsely, and set it by range-top. Peel and halve the onion lengthwise, and then slice each half thin. Add it to a cast-iron skillet over medium heat with a little cooking oil; stir and let sizzle. Meanwhile, crush garlic with flat end of knife, and peel, and lay it on a cutting board. Trim the chile of its stem, and chop it coarsely, and place on top of crushed garlic. Peel the ginger with the side of a spoon, chop it coarsely, and place it on the pile with the garlic and chile. Using a rocking motion, chop the the three aromatics together until fine. Give the onions a stir; if they’re pretty well-cooked and starting to color a bit, turn the heat to the lowest setting and add the aromatics. Stir and let sizzle lightly.

Now your water is probably boiling. Add the noodles, stirring them into the water. They’ll be done in 4-6 minutes. Be careful that the aromatics don’t burn; if they are about to, remove them from heat. Just before the noodles are done, return the skillet to medium heat. Drain the cooked noodles and add them to the sizzling hot-pan. Stir. Add the beaten eggs. Stir until scrambled. Add condiments—soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, and sesame oil to taste. Add chopped cilantro. Stir to incorporate. Place noodle-egg stirfry directly over the undressed salad. The heat will wilt the salad, and the greens will absorb the flavors of the aromatics and condiments. Mix it all together with chopsticks, taste and correct for seasoning, and enjoy.

posted by tom philpott

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/markres.html

Organic Marketing Resources
By Holly Born
NCAT Agriculture Specialist
©2004 NCAT
ATTRA Publication #IP124

http://attra.ncat.org/pest.html

Pest Management

Tachinid PhotoPest management sometimes seems especially challenging for farmers dedicated to sustainable, low-input practices. If you’re looking to meet the challenge, this series of publications can help. These resources offer a wide array of techniques and controls to effectively reduce or eliminate damage from insects, diseases and weeds without sacrificing the good of the soil, water, or beneficial organisms. Groups of publications available here address:

* Disease Management
* Insect Management
* Weed Management
* Other Pest Management Topics

http://nofany.org/wantads.html

*

FARMLAND AVAILABLE: We’re looking for a farmer/farm couple with expertise in vegetables, berries, mushrooms, fruit, medicinal herbs and / or livestock to help create an organic cooperative on this 150-year-old former dairy farm. It is 200 acres, about 50 acres pasture/meadow, most of the rest forest, in East Meredith, NY (Delaware County, near Delhi/Oneonta). Buildings include a house and garage; there is no barn. The land is organic (unofficially). Would like to develop a relationship beginning with rent or barter, leading to some kind of cooperative arrangement. This is a unique opportunity for the right person. If you’d like to discuss possibilities, call Carl at 607-278-5820 or 718-788-5944

12/5/08
*

INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE: On certified organic livestock and herb/vegetable farm near Ithaca New York. Work and learning with hogs, cattle, horses, poultry, greenhouse propagation, marketing, and fieldwork. Compensation-minimum wage plus education and housing. Available May 09 through Nov 09 (flexible). Please contact Michael Glos at 607-657-2860 or karma@kingbirdfarm.com

12/5/08
*

CERTIFIED ORGANIC HAY FOR SALE: 4’x5’ diameter Round Bales. Stored outside. $45/bale. Also 1st (3000+ bales)and 2nd (800 bales) cutting small square bales. $3.50/$4.50. Timothy/Grass Mix. email: jws@empireaccess.net

12/5/08
*

FARM AVAILABLE FOR LEASE IN DUTCHESS COUNTY: 3+ acres heritage soil, mowed but not planted for years, mostly flat, next to stream, forest and cultivated fields, 200 acres total. Large barn with electricity, water, and new flooring. Charming vintage 3 bedroom farmhouse

http://nofany.org/dbapplet/seedsource.html

Certified and Untreated Seed Sources

Certified organic seed is a growing component of organic systems. The USDA’s National Organic Program requires certified organic farmers to use certified organic seeds whenever they are “commercially available”. If they are not, certified growers must use untreated seeds.

The list below includes seed companies that have at least a few varieties of organic seeds for sale, and farms that grow organic Vegetable. Herb and/or Flower Transplants. The list is NOT all-inclusive.

continues, by state.

http://www.earthlypursuits.com/AllotGuide/DigforVictory1/DigForVictory1_1.htm

e-book:

Ministry of Agriculture
Dig For Victory Leaflet No. 1

Dig For Victory
Leaflet No. 1
Grow for Winter as well as Summer

Ministry of Agriculture

no date
(circa 1940)

Page:
1
2 & 3
4

download pdf version for easier reading and printing (files are large and will take time to view).

1&4.pdf
2&3.pdf

Ministry of Agriculture
Allotment & Garden Guides Index

January 1945

February 1945

March 1945

April 1945

May 1945

June 1945

July 1945

August 1945

September 1945

October 1945

November 1945

December 1945

The Allotment DVD
The delights of having an allotment. 15 programmes as seen on ITV. Suit new and established growers. Seasonal guide, top gardening tips, fascinating food facts and insights into what’s really in those sheds!

THE ALLOTMENT SERIES was first shown on ITV 1 West

Allotments UK and other related allotment links

page 1
Cropping Plan for a 90’ x 30’ Plot (Approx. 10 sq. rods, poles or perches)
Grow Vegetables Year Round

Health Benefits of Ginger

Historically, ginger has a long tradition of being very effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Modern scientific research has revealed that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

Gastrointestinal Relief

A clue to ginger’s success in eliminating gastrointestinal distress is offered by recent double-blind studies, which have demonstrated that ginger is very effective in preventing the symptoms of motion sickness, especially seasickness. In fact, in one study, ginger was shown to be far superior to Dramamine, a commonly used over-the-counter and prescription drug for motion sickness. Ginger reduces all symptoms associated with motion sickness including dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating.

Safe and Effective Relief of Nausea and Vomiting During Pregnancy

Ginger’s anti-vomiting action has been shown to be very useful in reducing the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, even the most severe form, hyperemesis gravidum, a condition which usually requires hospitalization. In a double-blind trial, ginger root brought about a significant reduction in both the severity of nausea and number of attacks of vomiting in 19 of 27 women in early pregnancy (less than 20 weeks). Unlike antivomiting drugs, which can cause severe birth defects, ginger is extremely safe, and only a small dose is required.

A review of six double-blind, randomized controlled trials with a total of 675 participants, published in the April 2005 issue of the journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology,has confirmed that ginger is effective in relieving the severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The review also confirmed the absence of significant side effects or adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. In two clinical studies involving patients who responded to conventional drugs and those who didn’t, physicians found that 75% of arthritis patients and 100% of patients with muscular discomfort experienced relief of pain and/or swelling.

Arthritis-related problems with your aging knees? Regularly spicing up your meals with fresh ginger may help, suggests a study published in a recent issue of Osteoarthritis Cartilage. In this twelve month study, 29 patients with painful arthritis in the knee (6 men and 23 women ranging in age from 42-85 years) participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study. Patients switched from placebo to ginger or visa versa after 3 months. After six months, the double-blind code was broken and twenty of the patients who wished to continue were followed for an additional six months.

By the end of the first six month period, those given ginger were experiencing significantly less pain on movement and handicap than those given placebo. Pain on movement decreased from a score of 76.14 at baseline to 41.00, while handicap decreased from 73.47 to 46.08. In contrast, those who were switched from ginger to placebo experienced an increase in pain of movement (up to 82.10) and handicap (up to 80.80) from baseline. In the final phase of the study when all patients were getting ginger, pain remained low in those already taking ginger in phase 2, and decreased again in the group that had been on placebo.

Not only did participants’ subjective experiences of pain lessen, but swelling in their knees, an objective measurement of lessened inflammation, dropped significantly in those treated with ginger. The mean target knee circumference in those taking ginger dropped from 43.25cm when the study began to 39.36cm by the 12th week. When this group was switched to placebo in the second phase of the study, their knee circumferences increased, while those who had been on placebo but were now switched to ginger experienced a decrease in knee circumference. In the final phase, when both groups were given ginger, mean knee circumference continued to drop, reaching lows of 38.78 and 36.38 in the two groups.

How does ginger work its anti-inflammatory magic? Two other recent studies provide possible reasons.

A study published in the November 2003 issue of Life Sciences suggests that at least one reason for ginger’s beneficial effects is the free radical protection afforded by one of its active phenolic constituents, 6-gingerol. In this in vitro (test tube) study, 6-gingerol was shown to significantly inhibit the production of nitric oxide, a highly reactive nitrogen molecule that quickly forms a very damaging free radical called peroxynitrite. Another study appearing in the November 2003 issue of Radiation Research found that in mice, five days treatment with ginger (10 mg per kilogram of body weight) prior to exposure to radiation not only prevented an increase in free radical damage to lipids (fats found in numerous bodily components from cell membranes to cholesterol), but also greatly lessened depletion of the animals’ stores of glutathione, one of the body’s most important internally produced antioxidants.

A study published in the February 2005 issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine sheds further light on the mechanisms of action that underlie ginger’s anti-inflammatory effectiveness. In this research, ginger was shown to suppress the pro-inflammatory compounds (cytokines and chemokines) produced by synoviocytes (cells comprising the synovial lining of the joints), chrondrocytes (cells comprising joint cartilage) and leukocytes (immune cells).
Protection against Colorectal Cancer

Gingerols, the main active components in ginger and the ones responsible for its distinctive flavor, may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, suggests research presented at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, a major meeting of cancer experts that took place in Phoenix, AZ, October 26-30, 2003.

In this study, researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute fed mice specially bred to lack an immune system a half milligram of -gingerol three times a week before and after injecting human colorectal cancer cells into their flanks. Control mice received no -gingerol.

Tumors first appeared 15 days after the mice were injected, but only 4 tumors were found in the group of -gingerol-treated mice compared to 13 in the control mice, plus the tumors in the -gingerol group were smaller on average. Even by day 38, one mouse in the -gingerol group still had no measurable tumors. By day 49, all the control mice had been euthanized since their tumors had grown to one cubic centimeter (0.06 cubic inch), while tumors in 12 of the -gingerol treated mice still averaged 0.5 cubic centimeter-half the maximum tumor size allowed before euthanization.

Research associate professor Ann Bode noted, “These results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal carcinomas.”

In this first round of experiments, mice were fed ginger before and after tumor cells were injected. In the next round, researchers will feed the mice ginger only after their tumors have grown to a certain size. This will enable them to look at the question of whether a patient could eat ginger to slow the metastasis of a nonoperable tumor. Are they optimistic? The actions of the University of Minnesota strongly suggest they are. The University has already applied for a patent on the use of -gingerol as an anti-cancer agent and has licensed the technology to Pediatric Pharmaceuticals (Iselin, N.J.).

Ginger Induces Cell Death in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Lab experiments presented at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer, by Dr Rebecca Lui and her colleagues from the University of Michigan, showed that gingerols, the active phytonutrients in ginger, kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion).

Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on cells. To investigate the latter, Dr Liu examined the effect of a whole ginger extract containing 5% gingerol on a number of different ovarian cancer cell lines.

Exposure to the ginger extract caused cell death in all the ovarian cancer lines studied.

A pro-inflammatory state is thought to be an important contributing factor in the development of ovarian cancer. In the presence of ginger, a number of key indicators of inflammation (vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8 and prostaglandin E2) were also decreased in the ovarian cancer cells.

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents also suppress these inflammatory markers, but may cause cancer cells to become resistant to the action of the drugs. Liu and her colleagues believe that ginger may be of special benefit for ovarian cancer patients because cancer cells exposed to ginger do not become resistant to its cancer-destroying effects. In the case of ovarian cancer, an ounce of prevention-in the delicious form of liberal use of ginger-is an especially good idea. Ovarian cancer is often deadly since symptoms typically do not appear until late in the disease process, so by the time ovarian cancer is diagnosed, it has spread beyond the ovaries. More than 50% of women who develop ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease.

Immune Boosting Action

Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body’s sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin’s surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans.

Ginger is so concentrated with active substances, you don’t have to use very much to receive its beneficial effects. For nausea, ginger tea made by steeping one or two 1/2-inch slices (one 1/2-inch slice equals 2/3 of an ounce) of fresh ginger in a cup of hot water will likely be all you need to settle your stomach. For arthritis, some people have found relief consuming as little as a 1/4-inch slice of fresh ginger cooked in food, although in the studies noted above, patients who consumed more ginger reported quicker and better relief.

Fifteen Tactics for Maximizing Your Investment in Reading for Personal Growth

December 6, 2008 @ 11:00 am - Written by Trent
Categories: Books, Personal Productivity / Personal Development

One topic that seems to come up time and time again in my reader mailbag columns is the concept of reading for personal growth. I hear questions all the time ranging from how to choose books that are worth reading, how to know when a book isn’t really providing answers for you, how to read faster, and how to actually apply learned information to one’s life.

In response to these questions, I’ve drawn up a list of tactics for people to use to get started on a successful habit of reading for personal growth. Using these tactics will help you get the most out of the books that you read, apply what you’ve learned to your own life, and actually grow (either professionally or personally) as a result of the reading.

Set aside a block of time each day for reading. Each and every day. Fifteen minutes or a half an hour is a good time to set aside for concentrated, focused reading. When you do this, go to a place in your home with minimal distractions - no television, few opportunities for interruption, and so on.

Start a journal to go along with your reading. When you start doing such focused reading, it’s well worth your while to start a journal to go along with it. For the last five minutes of your reading session, jot down your thoughts about what you just read, and do it every time. Doing this forces you to organize your thoughts about what you read and makes you go through those thoughts again. Determine an area of your life that you’d like to improve. Perhaps you’d like to learn more about a particular topic, or maybe you’d prefer to simply improve upon a particular set of skills. Spend some time considering what exactly you’d like to educate yourself on. Perhaps, for example, you’d like to learn more about western philosophy - in particular, you’re trying to determine for yourself what the meaning of life is. That’s a good starting place.

Utilize the library - but do it carefully. It’s tempting to go to the library and leave with an armload of books, but for most readers who aren’t devoting hours to the written word each day, leaving with armloads is often a mistake, as books are left unread and quite often wind up being late returns. Instead, use the library to just find one or two books in your area at a time. That way, you’re more careful with your selection, you’re more likely to actually finish what you check out, and you’re less likely to accrue fines.

Start with the popular “survey” books in that area. Don’t jump in with an obscure book in the area you want to learn more about. Instead, choose a more general book that covers your area of interest broadly. Instead of diving straight into Kant or Nietzsche, choose something like Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy. That way, you can start off with a general background in your field of interest.

Choose challenging books - but not too challenging. An appropriate book is one where you don’t already know all of the ideas before you pick it up, but you’re not completely lost by the end of the first or second chapter, either. You can usually figure this out by reading through the first chapter or two right at the library or bookstore. If it’s over your head, don’t be ashamed at choosing something simpler - you might find that after reading a few other books, that first hard book isn’t really so hard after all.

Don’t worry about the speed of your reading. Many readers write to me, worried that they’re not reading fast enough. My advice is usually that they’re not reading slow enough. Don’t worry about how fast you’re reading. The point of reading is to understand and absorb the ideas, and that’s a process that simply goes at different speeds for different people. The key to reading is to make sure that you’re picking up the ideas - speed will gradually come with practice as your brain becomes attuned to the process of reading.

Couple your reading with extensive use of online resources, especially Wikipedia. Whenever you hit upon something in a book that you don’t understand, don’t keep rolling. Stop. Do some research into the point that you don’t understand. Look up key terms and facts online - Wikipedia is a great place for this. When I’m reading a suitably challenging book, I might find myself stopping on every page to do this, but when I do it, I can move forward in the book without trouble or confusion.

Always try to extract the main point from what you’ve just read. At the end of each reading session, make an effort to try to identify what the main point of what you just read was. What did you learn from it that’s actually valuable? What did the piece you just read tell you about the broader subject in question? These are great things to think about and journal about.

If a book is boring you, figure out why. Some books are going to be exciting. Others are going to be boring. When you read a book that’s boring, don’t force yourself through it. Instead, stop and ask yourself why you’re bored. Is it the writing style? If so, find a similar book by a different writer. Is it the material itself? If so, you might be investigating an area you really don’t care about too much. If you continually force yourself to read things that are boring and unappealing to you, you’ll eventually begin to define reading itself as boring and unappealing - and that would be a huge mistake.

When you finish a book, reflect on the portions that really spoke to you. In virtually every book I’ve ever read, when I close that last page, some portion of the book sticks in my mind above all others. There’s almost always a thought or two that really speaks to me - and that’s what I want to remember from the book. These key thoughts and ideas are the ones where the book has really influenced your thinking - and they’re well worth jotting down to reflect on later.

Use those “influential” portions as a guide for future reading. The portions of a book that really spoke to you are often great guides for things you should read next. For example, if you were reading History of Western Philosophy and you were particularly struck by how philosophers reflected on great social change, you might want to follow up with philosophical works in that specific area. Doing so not only provides you with exciting reading, it also shines a light on you and what your true interests and ideas are.

Seek out people to discuss your reading with. Whenever I finish a book of note, I almost always go online and seek out places where people have written about the book to see if they drew similar conclusions to my own. Sometimes I find that people have the same ideas as I - other times, they have a completely different take. In either case, I learn even more from discussing the book and reading what others thought about it.

Give a “thirty day trial” to any new tactics you picked up. If the book has taught you a new tactic or two to try in your own life, give those tactics a concerted “thirty day trial.” Make a serious effort to try it out for thirty days and see whether or not it has the impact or results you were expecting. It may be something as simple as observing how people act, or it might be as complex as a new way to work, but you’ll never know how powerful it is until you actually try it.

Keep your eyes open for situations where you might apply your new ideas. Another way to integrate the things you learn into your daily life is to be conscious of situations where you may be able to apply these things. For example, let’s say you read a book on how to handle angry customers. It’s well worth your while to keep your eyes open for customers who are reacting negatively towards their service. Another example: if you learned about a new computer programming technique, look for opportunities to actively apply that technique. Actually doing the things you’ve learned about can go a long way toward making them a natural part of your life.

http://www.earthlypursuits.com/VictoryGardHandbook/VGHv.htm

Victory Gardens Handbook

Gardening e-book:
War Gardens, Victory Gardens

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
VICTORY GARDENS ARE NEEDED
Present Contributions of Vegetables to the National Dietary
THE NUTRITIONAL LEDGER
The Nutritional Value of Vegetables and Fruits
Proteins
Calcium and Iron
Vitamin A
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Tables of Nutrient Content of Common Vegetables and Fruits
VICTORY GARDEN COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
Sub-Committees:
Procurement of Land
Registration, Assignment of Plots, and Soil Preparation
Insect and Disease Control, and Succession Cropping
Conservation and Canning
Fifteen Steps for the Individual Victory Gardener to Follow
PLANS TO FIT THE SIZE OF YOUR VICTORY GARDEN AND TO SUPPLY THE NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
OF YOUR FAMILY
Approximate Contributions to the Day’s Needs of Certain
Nutrients Supplied by One Portion of Major Vegetables
Vegetables to Grow for Each Member of the Family if Space
is Unlimited
Basic Garden Plan
Miniature Gardens
A Medium Garden
Plans for Gardens of Various Sizes
STEPS IN GARDEN ORGANIZATION
Community Gardens
Industrial Gardens
School Gardens
Victory Gardening in a School for Crippled Children
TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR THE VICTORY GARDENER
Seeds and Plants
Preferred Varieties
Hotbeds
Location for a Garden

[Links to other parts of this book are on this page]

http://www.earthlypursuits.com/Links.htm

Links to garden supply, how to, info and more sites.

Very interesting.

http://www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com/

If you prefer to use Paypal go to the paypal shopping cart
or print a price list and order by mail.

We specialize in heirloom vegetable seeds but we also have hybrid tomato seeds as well as untreated open pollinated varieties.

Vegetable Seed Warehouse
410 Whaley Pond Road
Graniteville, SC 29829 USA

Email: orders@vegetableseedwarehouse.com

TOMATO SEED STARTING TIPS

1. Start your own plants from seed so that you can choose the best tasting varieties. Heirloom tomato seeds usually produce the best tasting tomatoes. Similarly heirloom vegetable seeds usually produce the best tasting vegetables.

2. Start tomato seeds about 8 weeks before the last frost. If you live in the South, start some later, too for a Fall crop.

3. Use commercial seed starting mix or potting soil mixed with an equal amount of vermiculite, perlite or peat moss. Cover tomato seeds no more than 1/4 inch deep.

4. Use recycled containers. Like yogurt cups for seed starting. Be sure to punch a hole in the bottom for drainage. Use the lids also to keep the seeds moist until germination.

5. Put the seed containers on top of the refrigerator or water heater to keep the soil warm to aid germination. Optimum soil temperature for tomato seed starting is 80 degrees. Be sure to remove any covers as soon as the tomato seeds germinate and move the cups to a sunny window or grow under florescent lights.

6. About 3 weeks after the tomato seeds germinate start fertilizing with a very week solution of fish fertilizer (about 1/4 strength) or other liquid fertilizer. Mix with rain water or filtered water for best seed starting results. Let the top of the soil dry out between waterings.

For tips on growing tomatoes click here

Links to other gardening sites

http://www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com/growing-tomatoes.html

GROWING TOMATOES
growing tomatoes flower picture

I hope these tips for growing tomatoes will help you have your best garden ever. If you have tips for growing tomatoes that you would like to share, please email seedsout@mindspring.com and I will add them to this list. Also, tell other gardeners about these tips and together we can help create a world where everyone is growing tomatoes in their own backyard.

Becky Wilder
http://www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com
Tips For Growing Tomatoes

1. A good fertilizer for growing tomatoes is dried, composted manure mixed with bone meal or you can use a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10. Sprinkle this around the plants about 6 inches from the stem and cover with a thin layer of soil and mulch. Water in. Do this about once a month.

2. Rotate you crops - growing tomatoes where you have grown them in the last 3 years is not recommended. Changing locations each year helps to reduce disease and insect problems.

3. Companion plants - tomatoes like to grow near chives, onions, parsley, marigolds, nasturtiums, carrots or garlic.

4. Wait until the soil warms up before mulching your tomato plants.

5. Water tomatoes early in the day so the foliage has time to dry before night.

6. If you smoke, wash your hands before touching tomato plants to keep from infecting them with tobacco mosaic virus.

7. If you stake your tomato plants, strips of old pantyhose make good ties.

8. When temperatures are above 85 degrees, pick the tomatoes before they are completely ripe and ripen inside.

9. In the fall, before frost, pick all green tomatoes. Use the small ones to make pickles and bring the larger ones inside to ripen.

10. Clean up all tomato residue when the season is over and destroy any diseased plants. This will help control insects and disease next year.
Tomato Transplanting Tips

1. Harden off tomato plants for about 10 days before transplanting outside. The first day take the plants outside to a shady, protected spot for a few hours. Gradually increase the time each day and expose the plants to more sun and wind until they are outside all day and night.

2. Be sure the soil in containers is moist before transplanting.

3. Transplant tomatoes on a cloudy, wind free day or wait until the late afternoon.

4. Set plants out in well drained soil in a sunny location. If you live in the south, 1/2 day of sun is OK.

5. Try growing tomatoes in large containers on a patio or plant some tomato plants among flowers or shrubbery in a border. You don’t have to grow them in a vegetable garden.

6. Set the tomato plants out deep. Remove the lower leaves and bury the stem so that only the top leaves are sticking out.
Tomato Seed Starting Tips

1. Start your own tomato plants from seed so that you can choose the best tasting varieties. Vegetable Seed Warehouse has hundreds of tomato seed varieties. http://www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com/heirtom.html

2. Start tomato seeds about 8 weeks before the last frost. If you live in the south, start some later, too, for a fall crop.

3. Use commercial seed starting mix or potting soil mixed with an equal amount of vermiculite, perlite or peat moss. Cover the tomato seeds no more than 1/4 inch deep.

4. Use recycled containers, like yogurt cups for tomato seed starting or use plastic cups. Be sure to punch a hole in the bottom for drainage. Use the lids also to keep the tomato seeds moist until germination.

5. Put the seed containers on top of the refrigerator or water heater to keep the soil warm. This helps germination. Optimum soil temperature for seed starting is 80 degrees. Be sure to remove any covers as soon as the tomato seeds germinate and move the cups to a sunny window or grow under florescent lights.

6. About 3 weeks after the seeds germinate start fertilizing with a very weak solution of fish fertilizer (about 1/4 strength) or other liquid fertilizer. Mix with rain water or filtered water for best results. Let the top of the soil dry out between waterings.

You said it all, but thanks for offering to let me use your soapbox! LOL<<<

Smile....Anytime, I keep it dusted for your use too.

Ginger is one of those foods/herbs that we do not use enough.

I had read that a spoon of ginger in a pot of beans, helped eliminate the gasses they produce.

Thanks for posting this, it had been awhile since I read it or one like it.

http://www.vegetableseedwarehouse.com/links.html

Links to Gardening Sites

Back to Vegetable Seed Warehouse

If you have a garden related website and would like to exchange links, email seedsout@mindspring.com with link exchange in the subject line.

Abc of gardening - Gardening information directory . http://www.abc-of-gardening.com

Alaska Bountea - An all-natural tea system (an advanced form of compost tea) that feeds beneficial microbes in soil, resulting in bigger, healthier plants, increased yields and tastier vegetables. http://www.alaskabountea.com

Aquamiser Garden Watering System - For beds, borders, trees, shrubs, tubs, planters, window boxes. hanging baskets, vegetable garden, green house. The economical way to water your garden. Easy diy installation . http://www.garden-watering.com

Avant Gardening - Creative Organic Gardening - “you can grow” using sustainable organic gardening as a medium for creative expression and spiritual growth. http://www.avant-gardening.com

Bamboo Garden Furniture - We sell a selection of bamboo garden furniture, poles and fencing. http://www.bamboostyle.co.uk

Bamboo Headquarters Nursery - Bamboo plants, exotics, palm trees and more! Wholesale, retail, mail order. Southern California. http://www.bambooheadquarters.com

Basic Info for Organic Gardening - Provides information for the beginner to organic gardening—glossary, beneficial insects, harmful insects, companion planting, fertilizer component list, hardiness zone map, composting, measurements, mulches and gardening tips. http://www.basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com

Birdfeeders and Birdhouses - Quality Bird Feeders and Bird Houses made in the USA. Great looking Birdfeeders and Birdhouses designed for the safety and well-being of the birds in your garden. http://www.bird-feeders-and-bird-houses.com

Bird House Kits - Find bird houses, bird house kits and plans, all at affordable online prices. http://www.best-bird-house-kits.com

Birdhouse Boutique - Birdhouse Boutique offers luxury accommodations for your fine feathered friends by providing high quality, handcrafted birdhouses and other backyard accessories to increase the beauty and pleasure of your surroundings. http://www.birdhouseboutique.com

Bonsai Growing Tips - Discover cutting-edge techniques for creating and maintaining modern bonsai. http://www.bonsaigardener.org

Carolina Gardener - The premier gardening magazine for the Southeast, featuring informative articles and garden tips by southeast gardeners written specifically for North and South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and other southeastern states. http://www.carolinagardener.com

Down to Earth Garden Club - Answers to gardening questions, information on PA gardening, ask a Master Gardener, picture gallery chat room, plant articles Down to Earth Garden Club http://www.downtoearthgardenclub.com

DripWorks - your best source for drip irrigation equipment and supplies. http://www.dripworksusa.com

Earthly Pursuits - cultivating the gardens of the mind and spirit with an eclectic look at old-fashioned and newfangled ideas about gardening and other earthly things. Books, old book library online and revolving bookcases too. http://www.earthlypursuits.com

3D Garden Composer - Software for home gardening. Garden & landscape design, planning, landscaping software and plant encyclopedia with plant care, diseases, pests, gardening tools info. http://www.gardencomposer.com

Gardening Help with Garden-Helper.com - Online gardening resource featuring professionally designed garden plans, gardening forums, calendars, podcasts, recipes, detailed plant information pages, shopping recommendations and more. http://www.garden-helper.com

GardenHere - America’s Favorite Home Gardening Community. We make exchanging plants and flowers fun and easy. And, it’s FREE.

Garden Humor - To boldly grow where no one has groan before. http://www.gardenhumor.com

Gardeners Choice - Your online source for Bulbs, Live Flowers and Vegetable Plants for every Garden. Plus Trees and Shrubs for every home. http://www.gardenerschoice.net

Gardening For All Seasons - Guide to perfect gardening with articles and tips for seasoned and novice gardeners from planning to composting, your local weather, special features, house plants and Monthly gardening calendar. Recipes. http://www.amagickgarden.com

Garden 4 Less - competitive prices on a wide selection of branded garden watering products for delivery within the UK. All products are clearly illustrated and include an appropriate description to help you select exactly what you are looking for. www.garden4less.co.uk

Garden Fountains - A variety of outdoor fountains for home, garden and patio. http://www.garden-fountains.com

http://www.gardenguides.com

Garden Magic - Garden design, garden designs, landscape garden design, garden design ideas. http://www.garden-magic.us

Garden Ponds And Waterfalls - Choose from garden pond kits,indoor-outdoor waterfall kits, and pond fountains when wanting to add a nice water theme to your home. http://garden-ponds-waterfalls.com http://garden-ponds-waterfalls.com

Garden pottery - haletropicalgarden is a manufacture and exporter of true Bali pottery design piece of work, planters, garden furniture and garden ornaments. http://www.haletropicalgarden.com

Garden tools with a “Heart” - where you’ll find patented garden tools that make gardening easier and a great gift for a gardener. http://www.hearthoe.com

http://www.greenpeople.org

Green Living - For green living tips, product reviews and environmental health updates and advice. http://www.thegreenguide.com

Going Organic - Organic gardening made easy! http://www.goingorganic.com

Gotta Grow Gardening Articles - Provides information from gardening articles on many different topics and many different authors. http://www.gotta-grow.com/index.html

Great Wind Chimes - Great sounding wind chimes make great gifts! http://www.wind-chimes-free-shipping.com

Growing Matters Garden Project - We sell quality gardening materials to the general public including plants, furniture, crafts, gifts, and dried flowers. We are also a Therapy Project providing voluntary work for people with mental health needs. You can also find a message forum and a plant directory on our website. http://www.growingmatters.co.uk

Home and Garden Treasures - Your source for garden gifts and patio products including gazing balls and globes, decorative oil bottles, wind chimes, birdhouses, outdoor furniture, home decor accents for the gardener, and much more! http://homeandgardentreasures.com

Home For Garden Gnomes - Adopt your garden gnomes today! http://www.garden-gnomes-need-homes.com

Jacksons Nurseries (UK) - Jackson’s online plant nursery offers an excellent mail order plant service. Choose a garden plant from our excellent range - by dealing with the grower you can buy plants online at massively discounted prices. We also offer wholesale nursery and garden landscaping services. http://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk

Landscape Design by My Deer Garden - Design services developed with you interactively over the Internet. We specialize in the use of deer resistant plants. http://www.mydeergarden.com

Lawn and Garden Equipment - Lawn mowers, Wood Chippers & Tillers Quality, heavy-duty lawn equipment for homeowners and professionals alike. Free Shipping to 48 States!

Lewis Bamboo - Bamboo Nursery specializing in cold hardy bamboo to add tropical beauty to your landscape, provide privacy screens and put ornamental plants in your gardens. http://www.lewisbamboo.com

Little Greenhouses - http://littlegreenhouses.com

MyLandscapes - garden design London: contemporary solutions for your outdoor space. http://www.mylandscapes.co.uk

My Shade Garden - Garden plans developed with you interactively over the Internet. We specialize in the use of shade plants and shade trees. http://www.myshadegarden.com

Old Time Wheelbarrow Company - Antique style wooden wheelbarrows and carts crafted from western red cedar, featuring steel spoke wheels and accents. http://www.oldtimewheelbarrow.com http://www.oldtimewheelbarrow.com

Outdoor Lighting - Outdoor Rock Lights, Landscape Lighting, Gardening Tips! http://www.buzzerz.com

Pacific Callas - Wholesale and Retail Calla Lily Bulbs. Pacific Callas is a wholesale supplier of premium quality calla lily bulbs, direct from the world’s best calla lily growers on the West Coast of the United States. http://www.pacificcallas.com

Patio Furniture & Market Umbrellas - BackyardCity.com has quite an assortment of Patio Furniture, Patio & Market Umbrellas and much more for your backyard or outdoor patio at great prices. http://www.backyardcity.com

Patio Perspectives - Patio Furniture, Decks, Fences and More... http://www.patioperspectives.com

Seeds For the South - Vegetable, herb and flower seeds selected especially for your zone 7, 8 and 9 garden http://www.seedsforthesouth.com

The Greenhouse Guys - For all of your gardening and nursery needs. If you like dirt, you’ll love this site! With plant containers, plant pots,fertilizers, sprayers, polycarbonate, siphon mixer or any other products and accessories they are sure to have what you need. http://www.Growerssolution.com

Vegetable Gardening Club - http://www.vegetable-gardening-club.com

Virtual Flowers - flower gardening Australia. our free virtual guide to growing flowers throughout Australia. http://www.virtualflowers.com.au

Pressed flower cards and pressed flower art on handmade paper.

http://elizabeths-flowers.com/

She has her way and then there is this granny’s way.

You will need:
Cut-rite waxed paper
Scotts tissues [you know like Kleenex]
Dry pressed flowers, grasses, leaves, weeds, I used old phone books to press them in.
Elmer’s white glue

Lay down the size of waxed paper you will use for front and back of card.

Lay pressed flower on the front portion, as it pleases you.

Split the layers of the scotts tissue, so you have on thickness of it, lay it over the flower on the wax paper and paint it gently with a mixture of glue and water, I don’t remember exactly and suspect it also is related to how dry the air is.

When the Scott layer is coated with glue, set it out to dry and do another.

You will have a parchment like piece of paper with flowers in it.

The Scotts and Cut-rite are the best grades of paper that I found.......other tissues would not stay whole when wet with the glue.

LOL, almost forgot to iron them, a medium iron, and I suspect that I used another sheet of waxed paper on top of the card to put the iron on, this will flatten any ridges and gives the final look of parchment. Use medium temp and no steam.

When dry, trim to the size of the stationary you will write on, fold it and enclose in the parchment cover. You can use pinking shears for an edge, or now they have scissors in the craft stores for making interesting edges.

I poked 2 holes in the folded side with a hole punch, maybe an inch apart, threaded a tiny ribbon through and left it flat.

Use about 3 inches or what will give a balance, in one hole, through both or really all 4 layers, out the other and leave about an inch of ribbon on top, outside each hole.

I made larger sheets for lamp shades and book covers.

I have also tried using shaved pieces of crayons, in place of the flowers, glue the tissue down and then iron it when it is dry to melt the crayons and get the colors to run, but cute as it was, it did not match pressed flowers.

I still have a couple cards, I think that were made in 1967.

http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/heirloom.htm

The Heirloom Vegetable
Gardener’s Assistant

Home
What is an heirloom vegetable?
What to grow: 10 easy heirlooms
What to grow: more suggestions
Heirloom Seed Companies
Seed Exchanges, Swaps
Searching for seeds?
Public Display Gardens
About this site

Heirloom vegetables—those old, open-pollinated varieties that have stood the test of time—have become popular all over again, and for good reason. The best of them are among the finest vegetables ever known. They would be well worth growing for their mouth-watering flavors alone, but they also have other important qualities. Heirlooms are living artifacts. Popular in living history exhibits, these old-time varieties offer a glimpse of life in earlier times. Heirlooms are also a reservoir of genetic diversity. Traits encoded in their DNA may someday prove critical to feeding the world.

And there is more. Heirlooms invite passion. There is just something about all their wonderful shapes, sizes, colors, and flavors that sparks a sense of wonder. Take heirloom tomatoes, for example. They can be big, small, fluted, smooth, red, orange, pink, purple, yellow, green, white, striped, round, pear-shaped, determinate, indeterminate, potato-leaved, and more. They also vary in traits you can’t see—taste, hardiness, adaptability, and the like. While tomatoes may be the most popular heirloom, many other vegetables are just as diverse. Peppers come in all kinds of colors, sizes, and shapes. So do corn, beans, kale, eggplant, squash, lettuce, potatoes, and nearly all the other crops.

Today, seed companies and seed savers offer literally hundreds of heirlooms. Some are standard varieties that have never been superseded. Others were popular once, but disappeared from the seed trade. Many of these would have been lost, but seed-saving gardeners kept them alive. Still other heirlooms never made the big-time. They were regional or family favorites, passed down by generation after generation of gardeners rather than sold by seed companies.

As interesting as heirloom vegetables are, they also raise many questions. Gardeners new to heirlooms may wonder which ones to grow or where they can find a certain variety. Researchers encounter problems documenting the history of these plants, since source material is often scarce or at least buried deep in the stacks of research libraries. The scientific side of these plants is no easier, covering, as it does, everything from inbred lines and F-1 hybrids to biodiversity and gene pool issues. The following pages will address these and other issues. In doing so, I hope they will help both beginning and experienced heirloom gardeners.

Comments? Feedback?
Return to Heirloom Vegetable Gardener’s Assistant: Home
Return to: Top
On the Web since 1999!
Last updated: January 25, 2008
Copyright © 1999 - 2008 Kathy Mendelson, All Rights Reserved

http://www.backyardgardener.com/greenhouse/index.html

Greenhouse Gardening Tips

Great greenhouse tips and useful information to keep your greenhouse running efficiently.

::Construction Tips
::Garden Tips
::Articles

http://www.backyardgardener.com/greenhouse/5_3tech-tips.htm

[The drawings will work for a nice greenhouse to be attached to a building...granny]

Looking for Greenhouse or Garden supplies? Please visit our Greenhouse store.

How To Build With Fiberglass

1. Use any good quality wood for your greenhouse framework. Be sure to treat the pieces with a wood preservative before assembly, even cedar or redwood. Copper or zinc based preservatives are safest.

2. 2 x 4 lumber is adequate for framing, but use heavier lumber in snow zones or where rafter length is more than 8 ft. (Check your local building code.)

3. Space rafters and studs 2 ft. apart and install blocking every 24” to 36” in walls and between rafters.

4. Flat fiberglass is rolled out horizontally on roof, but can be installed either horizontally or vertically on walls. (Corrugated fiberglass should always be installed vertically.)

5. Caulk all fiberglass seams.

6. Secure flat fiberglass with wood lath on rafters and studs (no horizontal lath). Nail fiberglass to blocking with aluminum washer-head nails.

7. Provide for ventilation with an exhaust fan system, or large vents in walls.

You do need to be able to open part of the roof for air flow, it can be fancy roof openers, or home made/invented.

I always cracked the door as much as I needed for air circulation or opened the doors or windows into the house and used that for an air exchange.

I do like a door wide enough to get the wheel barrow through.

And that then means you can get the 55 gallon barrels in for the growing of fish or passive heat storage.

And make the wall studs and roof strong enough to nail platers to and hang from the ceiling, in one year it should be a jungle, even if it is only food.

Bill always intended to use a Quonset hut frame for me, but never did, the straight pieces LOL, made good roof timbers and shelf supports.

granny

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/index.html

The alpha listing contain thousands of plants with useful information about your plant of interest. Do you want to learn how to plant a shrub, tree, perennial or a vine? You can learn how hardy the plant is before you plant it in your garden. Do you want to know the common name of the plant... it’s provided.

How to Fertilize your Trees, shrubs, annauls or perennials and general plant care... WOW!

The following gardening information or garden guide is provided: