PLANTING SPRING WILD FLOWERS IN THE FALL

'The black blister beetle, also known as the Yankee bug and just plain 'blister beetle'. . . is a fairly long (up to 3/4") and slender beetle, with soft, flexible wing covers. The entire body is black or dark gray, and the covers may be marked with white stripes or margins. Another species, the margined blister beetle, is distinguished by a narrow gray or yellow margin on the covers. Blister beetles are very active, and frequently appear in large numbers in the latter part of June and through July.

'Handpicking is effective in controlling this pest, but you should protect your hands with gloves, as the beetles discharge a caustic fluid that is harmful to the skin. Some growers achieve control by dusting with equal parts lime and flour. This should be done at the warmest time of the day.

'Blister beetles are usually found in swarms or colonies feeding on the blossoms and foliage of any of a number of garden and field crops--vegetables, vines, trees, and flowers."

We have both species mentioned here--the black/grey and the lighter striped ones. Last year both were out in force, and it was terrible. What they don't completely devour, they ruin with their icky black droppings. I didn't know about that lime/flour solution until reading it just now. It sounds interesting. I would start with that as it is totally safe. Look for lime at a feed/farm supply store or nursery or garden center--it's very inexpensive.

Last year I ordered some Liquid Rotenone-Pyrethrins Concentrated Spray from Gardens Alive. They are a great company that sells all kinds of natural fertilizers, insecticides, etc. They also have a mail order catalog available. Rotenone is natural, but it is pretty strong stuff--usually a last resort option for organic growers. You might also check their catalog or website for other products that kill blister beetles.

I bought it after the blister beetle invasion, and fortunately this year they haven't been nearly as bad, so I haven't actually tried it yet. It's also good for all kinds of other pests, too.

I have read various other 'folk tale' remedies--like that they won't cross wide, empty spaces so you should either leave wide rows between plantings or once they have invaded, clear out the surrounding weeds, grass, plants, etc. I've even read about people yelling at them to scare them away. Who knows. When I'm desperate, I'll try some pretty crazy sounding things myself!

I've never gone the hand-picking route, as there were always way too many of them--hundreds and hundreds last year. They also run fast! But that would be your best bet if you only have a few to contend with. I hope this helps. Good luck!"

She came back and said:
"Thank you kindly for the information! Those terrors seem to be gone for now, but we'll know what to do next time. We thought we had gotten rid of them once, but they showed up a second time. It's good to know some natural remedies to try. Much appreciated!"
taken from inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com

http://www.laurelhighlandslocal.com/

http://www.laurelhighlandslocal.com/

http://www.laurelhighlandslocal.com/

http://www.laurelhighlandslocal.com/

Great Book!

How to Grow More Vegetables   by John Jeavons

sprouting in soil

Our Good Earth

Planting A Tree

Tomato Plants

This was supposed to be my plant shopping week-end.
A time with old friends that I look forward to.
A tradition.Due to a blown out knee and terrible side affects from the pain meds, I didn't go visiting or to the markets this week.

Please tell me who has still got some locally grown plants.

Joy- I still have yours! But what was its name. Green Zebra??

LAVENDER GRILLED SHRIMP

I READ AN ARTICLE ONCE ABOUT GRILLING WITH LAVENDER SO I TRIED IT WITH SHRIMP ON THE GRILL YUM YUM !

I JUST PUT JUMBO SHRIMP PEELED AND DEVEINED

MELTED BUTTER, AND A BUNCH OF FRESH WHOLE LAVENDER (LEAVES, STEMS, AND FLOWERS)   SKEWER SHRIMP AND BRUSH WITH SOME MELTED BUTTER PLACE LAVENDER RIGHT ON THE GRILL RACK, THEN LAY THE SHRIMP OVER THE BUNCH OF LAVENDER GRILL ABOUT 5 MINUTES ON EACH SIDE.

PEACE WITH SEASHELLS

I am bringing a lot of shells home from the coast to put in one of my gardens, I found this post a few years back!

• Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
  
  Sat, Jun 26, 04 at 16:25

There are lots of uses of seashells in the garden. A bunch of large half-shells, like scallops and surf clams, make an attractive mulch, and don't leach too much calcium into the soil. Place them upside down, and they do a good job of suppressing weeds without keeping moisture out. Crushed shells shouldn't be used as mulch, unless the soil is extremely acid, in which case crushed shells will sweeten it up a good deal. Be careful with shell pathways in your garden, though. Unless you know you need to be liming your soil, they will easily over-sweeten adjacent soil. Another interesting use for seashells is as a decorative veneer on just about anything. A modern version of "tabby," the ancient blend of lime, sand and shells as a building material, can be made with quick set mortar covered with crushed shells. You'd be amazed at how nice a concrete block can look when it's coated with such. Another hardscape material that I gather nearby is beach gravel. It's nicely polished by tide and sand, and, once the salt is washed off, has lots of uses.

Ginger root for motion sickness!

Did you know Ginger helps motion sickness, I chew on some when going out on a head boat so I don't get sea sick! I also used to chew on it many years ago for morning sickness when I was pregnant with my daughter.   Ginger is also good for preventing or lessening the severity of the most common cold, the rhino virus.  Chemicals in ginger, help to reduce pain and fever and reduce coughing.  I found wild ginger root in Darlinton while looking for mushrooms before we left for the coast! 

GREAT SPRING TONIC!

RECIPE FOR GREAT SPRING TONIC, FROM THE BOOK "FLAT BELLY DIET"    IT  IS A DETOX,  WILL GIVE YOU MORE ENERGY AND  WEIGHT LOSS DRINK .    RECIPE....

8 CUPS WATER

1 LEMON WASHED AND SLICED

1 MED CUCUMBER PEALED AND SLICED

1 TEASPOON FRESH GINGER GRATED ( DO NOT USE POWDERED)

ABOUT 12 MINT LEAVES

PUT ALL IN A PITCHER 

DRINK THOUGH OUT THE DAY

DRINK IT ALL

 AND MAKE MORE AT NIGHT 

FOR THE NEXT DAY DO FOR 1 WEEK AND EAT (HEALTHY FOOD) AS USUAL!

TIP OF THE DAY

Mesh From Veggie Bags: If you buy veggies that are bagged in nylon mesh, you can use that mesh for various cleaning jobs around the house and yard. Just wad up the bag and use it as a scrubber.
http://tipnut.com/20-things-you-can-use-twice-before-tossing/

Joy is helping me with keyhole gardening

We are supporting each other with our blogs .

Joy is teaching me gardening stuff & I am excited........

go to everyday choices laughter/tips page
she even has a fan page on facebook

MOON GARDENIG

Gardening by the phases of the moon is a technique that can speed the germination of your seeds by working with the forces of nature.

How does lunar planting work?

Isaac Newton established the laws of gravity, which proves the tides are affected by the gravitational pull of the moon. The pull of the moon is stronger than the sun because, even though the sun is larger, the moon is closer to the earth. The strongest effect is felt when the moon and sun pull from the opposite sides of the earth, at the full moon phase, although it also creates high tides when they are on the same side (at the new moon) as well.

"The gravitation of the passing moon pulls the nearest body of water a little away from the solid mass of earth beneath it, and at the same time pulls the earth a little away from the water on the farthest side. In this manner the moon sets up two tidal bulges on opposite sides of the earth." 

These same forces affect the water content of the soil, creating more moisture in the soil at the time of the new and full moon. This increased moisture encourages the seeds to sprout and grow.

Dr. Frank Brown of Northwestern University performed research over a ten-year period of time, keeping meticulous records of his results. He found that plants absorbed more water at the time of the full moon. He conducted his experiments in a laboratory without direct contact from the moon, yet he found that they were still influenced by it. 

Rudolf Steiner was the founder of the anthroposophical movement, which sees a correlation between science, nature, universal laws and spiritual concerns. Out of this movement the Biodynamic methods of planting were developed. He established a relationship between the elements of earth, air, fire, or water that corresponded to specific parts of the plants. Earth corresponds to root, water to leaf growth, fire to seed production, and air corresponds to flowers. Hence, when planting crops for their fleshy roots, you would plant them in an earth sign, and so forth. 

Biodynamic methods are based on the heliocentric, or astronomical, position of the moon. This system is more complicated and also takes into consideration eclipses, trine, apogee and perigee as well as descending and ascending moons. John Jeavons, author of "How to grow more vegetables…" adds the influence of the increasing or decreasing moonlight on the growth of plants. When the moon is in it's waxing phases the " increasing amount of moonlight stimulates leaf growth", and " as the moonlight decreases the above ground leaf growth slows down. The root is stimulated again."

naturalized gardening

I like to experiment with gardening and finding ways to use nature's own processes with as little interference from me as possible. It's all trial and error for me but it's really interesting. It's made me rethink lots of things.

Why spend so much money buying spring mix at Giant Eagle when I am working so hard to get rid of the natural salad plants that want to grow for free my yard and garden?

Why spend so much money for herbal teas and remedies when I am working so hard to get rid of the herbs that want to grow for free my yard and garden?

Why spend so much money raking up and removing all the foliage [natural mulch] that falls from the trees, shrubs and other plants and then spend more money and effort buying bags and spreading store bought mulch?

Why buy and spread grass seed in a lawn that has a natural evergreen ground cover that they sell at the nursery for big bucks?

Our little green space in the world has become a long project of creating island natural gardens with perennials and shrubs added that like the light and soil. The end goal is that these garden areas will continue to expand until one day there will be no lawn but instead walkways and smaller green areas that require no mowing since they will be covered by that luxurious evergreen natural ground covering that just wants to grow there.

In the meantime, I leave all the leaves where they fall in the gardens and we still remove the fall leaves from the lawn but we save them in an out of the way spot just in the woods. Over the years, as this wonderful vegetation rots, it creates a rich compost that I add back into the island gardens.

Now as I walk around the gardens each evening, I snack on the berries, rose hips, flowers, salad leaves, whatever is in season and all of the eatable snacks grew there for free.

keyhole garden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7SwlcoG7y0

this is a great link to see how to build a keyhole garden!

I am trying one

WILL WE HAVE ANOTHER BAD WINTER? FOLKLORE WILL TELL

Folklore tells us that the wooly bear caterpillar (the larva of the Isabella tiger moth or Pyrrharctia Isabella) can predict how harsh a winter is in store.  If the brown band in the middle is large, it will be a mild winter; if narrow, a severe one. Severe winters are also forecasted by:

• an abundance of acorns
• very dense feathers on chickens or thick coats on raccoons
• Very thick skins on onions or corn husks
• Crickets in the chimney or on the hearth
• Frequent halos around the sun or the moon.

Old timers swear that winter weather can be forecasted by the shape of persimmon seeds.  Seeds are cut in half, and the shape inside predicts the weather.  If the cut seed has the shape of a knife, the winter will be so cold that the wind will feel like it’s cutting through you.  If a fork shape appears, the winter will be mild with light dustings of snow, but if the seed looks like a spoon, the winter will be harsh with much snow to shovel.

I LOVE GINGER ...SNUGS DON'T!

GINGER IS EXTREMELY POTENT SNAIL AND SLUG REPELLENT, ONE THAT IS NOT TOXIC TO PETS, PEOPLE OR THE ENVIRONMENT. ITS SPICY SHARP BURNING TASTE SERVES TO PROTECT PLANTS FROM INSECTS. SPREADING GINGER POWERED SPICE ON THE GROUND AROUND PLANTS CREATES A BARRIER BEYOND WHICH SNAILS AND SLUGS WILL NOT TREAD.

Padded Handles...

For a more comfortable, blister-free grip on garden tools, slip 3/4 inch plastic- foam pipe insulation over your hoe, rake , spades and shovel  handles. the insulation eliminates the need 

for wearing hot bulky work gloves.

Roasting and Peeling Bell Peppers: the paper bag trick

Roasting and Peeling Bell Peppers: the paper bag trick

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The Time Has Come

to pay attention to ourselves..our habits and our habitats. I think this blog will be exceptionally helpful! I know you have knowledge and skill in this area.

Thank you Joy, for taking things in hand; and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your blog.

GOOD BOOK I AM READING

HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES BY JOHN JEAVONS

THIS IS A VERY GOOD BOOK ABOUT BIOINTENSIVE GARDENING WWW.GROWBIOINTENSIVE.ORG