You must be sure to wear gloves, long sleeves and pants, and not contact it with your skin at the time of harvest. If it contacts your skin you will get an itchy rash caused by the itch-inducing needles on the bottoms of the leaves. After harvest you can make a tea or tincture from the fresh leaves. The stalks can also be hung to dry and the leaves stored for making tea in the winter season.

To make a fresh tea, you need to infuse or steep the leaves for at least 10 minutes to avoid the sting from staying in and causing an irritation to the body. The tea is wonderful and usually you do not even need to add a sweetener. The tea can be consumed hot or iced. You should never consume more than three cups per day as this will give you bad diarrhea. Do not drink the tea if you get any kind of allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling or difficulty breathing.

To make a tincture you can use dried nettle leaves. Chop the leaves and place into a glass jar. Add ¾ cup vodka and ¾ cup water to the jar. Seal the jar and shake well. Allow the nettle to infuse for two weeks. Shake the tincture daily as it infuses. After two weeks has passed, strain the nettle from the tincture.

Place the tincture into a dark-colored glass jar with a dropper. Be sure to label it and put the date of preparation on the jar. Nettle tincture can be stored for several years if done properly.

Use 2 ml of tincture three times daily as an adult dose for such conditions as hay fever, seasonal allergies, gout, rheumatism, and arthritis.

After last years composting frenzy, I thought this year the soil would be loaded with all the nutrients needed to get a great big pumpkin.

As you may or may not know. I do not use any type unnatural fertilizers. It’s composted kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, leaves, and that’s it. So there is no secret “blue” formulas, no nitrogen loaded pegs, nothing.

So here’s the quick run down of the great giant pumpkin experiment of 2010.
I planted seeds in the ground early this year, ’cause, you know, it was sunny and warm outside. Those little guys burst forth out of the ground with vigor.
…then it froze.
…and they withered.
…and I cried.

So I “contemplated” meaning -procrastinated- about replanting for about a week, and low and behold one of the little guys just decided he wasn’t about to go visit the great pumpkin in the sky. My little bud poked his head up between the other frost dead leaves and fought back hard. And my friends, you are looking at the proud accomplishments of that little guy.

Note: basketball to show scale. The basketball is not a giant basketball. Repeat: the basketball is regulation size. -just in case you were wondering. And I know you were.

So the 2010 giant pumpkin experiment yielded a completely natural 24 -ish pounder. I’ve decided to try and dehydrate it along with all the birdhouse gourds my daughter grew. haha.

I’m naming this pumpkin Lazerus for obvious reasons (nothing to do with lazers).

Can’t wait til the giant pumpkin growing season of 2011.

There are many things you can do to color your birdbath, or you may want to leave it looking rather natural and leave it the color of the concrete with just a few shades of color left by the leaf. I also experimented with using a liquid concrete dye that you add as you are mixing up the concrete. You can use acrylic paints, spray paints, and even house paint. You will need to apply your color before sealing the concrete though.

It is important to seal the color and concrete with a sealer after about three weeks of drying time to allow it to thoroughly dry and become less porous before filling it with water. You may put your birdbath on a pedestal or just dig it into your existing landscaping to allow your automatic sprinklers to fill it. I placed mine on a tripod of rocks to lift it slightly off the ground and my sprinklers still fill it when they run.

This is a slow process and you may only make about five or six birdbaths a summer. The entire process takes about one month to complete from start to finish. I create a sort of assembly line and there is about a week in between each process.

Not everybody will get rhubarb leaves that are as large as these. You can create smaller versions and also use leaves from various plants and trees as well. You will need to adjust the amount of concrete used and the shape and size of the sand pile to accommodate the size of your leaf. You can also fill them with bird seed to create a lovely meal for all kinds of birds.

I wish you well on creating this wonderful project and don’t be afraid to experiment with colors, sizes, and techniques. They make wonderful gifts, can be sold for a little extra spending cash, and are a good conversation starter. For me, they have been all of the above.

Here is a fun and creative project to do over the summer. This is my second summer of creating these birdbaths using my rhubarb leaves, a pile of sand, and twenty pounds of Quickrete vinyl concrete patcher per birdbath.

There are many things you can do to color your birdbath, or you may want to leave it looking rather natural and leave it the color of the concrete with just a few shades of color left by the leaf. I also experimented with using a liquid concrete dye that you add as you are mixing up the concrete. You can use acrylic paints, spray paints, and even house paint. You will need to apply your color before sealing the concrete though.

It is important to seal the color and concrete with a sealer after about three weeks of drying time to allow it to thoroughly dry and become less porous before filling it with water. You may put your birdbath on a pedestal or just dig it into your existing landscaping to allow your automatic sprinklers to fill it. I placed mine on a tripod of rocks to lift it slightly off the ground and my sprinklers still fill it when they run.

This is a slow process and you may only make about five or six birdbaths a summer. The entire process takes about one month to complete from start to finish. I create a sort of assembly line and there is about a week in between each process.

Not everybody will get rhubarb leaves that are as large as these. You can create smaller versions and also use leaves from various plants and trees as well. You will need to adjust the amount of concrete used and the shape and size of the sand pile to accommodate the size of your leaf. You can also fill them with bird seed to create a lovely meal for all kinds of birds.

I wish you well on creating this wonderful project and don’t be afraid to experiment with colors, sizes, and techniques. They make wonderful gifts, can be sold for a little extra spending cash, and are a good conversation starter. For me, they have been all of the above.

Lori Voigt
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The more fragrant flower blooms will maintain that fragrance when they dry. Roses are
a great example. Many roses have a wonderful fragrance. The key is not to pile them up
until they are completely dried. You will need to lay them out flat for a few days to a
week to let them dry before putting them together in the bowl.

After you have about a quart of flower petals saved, you can create with them. They can
be used in potpourri by adding lavender buds, oak moss, and sandalwood. You can add
a complimentary spice such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, dried citrus peel or vanilla
beans. You can also add a few drops of essential oil, or if you like, some of your favorite
perfume. Seal your potpourri into a jar allowing it to mellow for about 10 days. Shake
gently every few days to allow the fragrance to mix well.

Once your potpourri is well scented you can stuff pillows with it, or hang it in a
pomander to keep your closet smelling fresh. Small sachets can be used in any drawer
or even in your vehicle. An easy way to make a sachet is to put a small handful of the
fragrant mixture into a lace or linen fabric and tie the four corners with a satin bow or
ribbon.

You can create a special gift for a friend or family member, possibly with the flowers that
you received from them or from some special family memory.

Lori Voigt
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You can plant a fruit tree as early as the beginning of spring, after the frost on the ground has melted away. If the soil is waterlogged, wait until the soil has some time to drain. Select a site with direct sunlight. Think ahead, and figure out what the tree will impact when it’s full grown (power lines, houses, etc.) Growing fruit trees is no small commitment however; the first five years are the considered the “training” years, being the most important stage of the tree’s development. Fruit trees should be grown to have a single, upright trunk with well spaced, spreading side branches. The tree should be cone shaped so that the upper branches don’t shade out the lower branches. Those fast-growing green shoots that grow straight up are called suckers or water sprouts. They don’t produce fruit, and they shade out the spreading branches that do produce fruit. Rather than clip them off, you can tie them down so they grow outward and become productive branches. The most productive branches grow at an angle between horizontal and forty-five degrees.

Pruning Fruit Trees

I can’t really give you detailed instructions, but I can give the timing and purpose of pruning so hopefully you can figure it out. The purpose of pruning is to control the structure, shape and growth of plants and to promote good health. It is very important to start training a fruit tree when it is young. Good structure for most trees means a single trunk with well-spaced branches, which grow outward at a wide angle. The season of pruning greatly affects the growth and flowering of trees. Pruning in the winter when the trees are dormant will increase the rate of growth that spring. Pruning in the summer will decrease growth the following spring.

Pete Skenandore

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On another note, pesticides are being strongly linked with cancer. Parkinson’s disease and lots of mental degenerative diseases are also being linked to pesticide use. Allergies and things like ADHD in children are also being linked to pesticides. In today’s world, with food (especially organic) prices skyrocketing, it’s hard for lots of people to live an organic lifestyle, well; I’m saying you can. The answer is quite simple, plant a garden! A garden may be a lot of work, but the satisfaction of eating a salad you grew, or cutting open a watermelon you had ripened to perfection, even watching the seeds you planted pop out of the ground and blossom is by far worth the work you put into it. I’ve always enjoyed gardening and find it to be a very healthy, and satisfying hobby.

The Mighty Cactus

Ah yes, the cactus, the first thought that enters my mind upon thinking about our spiky friend is the image of Wile E. Coyote somehow flinging himself pell-mell into a giant spiny cactus. A couple fun facts on the biology of the cactus: the bodies of many cacti have become thickened during the course of evolution, and forms water-retentive tissue and in many cases assume the optimal shape of the sphere (combining highest possible volume with lowest possible surface area). By reducing its surface area, the body of the plant is also protected against excessive sunlight. Most cactuses have a short growing season and long dormancy. A fully-grown Saguaro (or taco time) cactus can absorb up to 3,000 liters of water in ten days.

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Tomatoes, of course, love sunlight, so be sure to plant them where you get the most sun. When planting the tomatoes, plant them deep enough so that just the few top leaves are above the ground. Tomatoes can grow roots on their stems, so you want to give it a good root base. When the tomatoes are 3 feet tall, cut off the leaves from the bottom foot of the stem. This will stop fungus from growing on the tomato plants. Just follow these methods, and enjoy some tasty tomatoes in the summer. Check out the garden tip below for watering tips.

Here are some helpful tomato watering tips. Always only water the base of the plant. When the plants are developing, water deeply and regularly. Be sure to water your tomato plant thoroughly, hold off several days, and water thoroughly again. Still, don’t give your tomato plants uneven watering, or the ends of the blossoms could rot. And don’t over-water your tomatoes, or they’ll just grow big and green, with little or no tomatoes. You just need to find that sweet spot in between under-watering and over-watering. Once the fruit on the tomatoes begins to ripen, lessening the water will make the plant concentrate its sugars, which is a good thing, but still, too little water and the plants will wilt and drop the developing fruit. Again, just find that sweet spot.

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Amphibians, like frogs, eat many flies, moths and flying insects. Building a pond near your garden will encourage a wider, diverse amount of insects that will feed on a wider, diverse population of pests. Bees are also a great addition to any garden. Bees are great at pollinating, and if you need more of that, plant some flowers around your garden, the bees will come. So as you can see, the target here is not to kill all the bugs in sight, but to keep biodiversity in your garden, and encourage the good bugs. Always be sure that you know which pests you are facing before introducing a new species of bugs. So don’t introduce beneficial bugs when their prey is non-existent or else they could actually disrupt your garden’s natural ecosystem and even worsen your pest problems.

I bet you didn’t know [heirloom] carrots come in a variety of colors and nutrients. In Afghanistan, the purple carrot is the most common. In India, the pink; and in Europe the white and yellow carrots reign supreme. Heirloom carrots are tasty, yet their flavor and nutrients vary. Purple carrots contain antioxidants much like blueberries. Carrots also contain Vitamin A, as well as trace amounts of nutrients and fiber. A quick tip for planting carrots, make sure the soil is fine and stays fine deep down. Any rocks or thick pieces of dirt or compost can affect the shape of your carrots. Carrots are easy to plant, and very healthy. Good Luck!

Pete Skenandore

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I then went on to sprinkle the turf builder on his lawn with a shovel, and, I admit, his lawn did get a little greener. The thing that scared me, though, was that within the first 5 minutes or so sprinkling this dust, my throat hurt like there was something stuffed inside it that I was breathing through. I didn’t even inhale any turf builder, and drinking water didn’t help. That was my first and only encounter with fertilizer. I have researched a bit on the web since then, and have read a quite a few stories of the family dog getting sick from the lawn company treating the next door neighbor’s yard. I think the dangers of fertilizer are worth more discussion. I will continue to be on the lookout for more information.

Here are a few tips to help keep your flowers healthy. Start your flowers in the early summer when the threat of frost has definitely gone. You could even start them inside, and wait for the right time to transplant them, or simply move the pot outside to your porch.  Remember to deadhead flowers that are finished blooming, because doing so will increase bloom time and strengthen the plant. Help tall, slender flowers stay upright by placing stakes next to them. When the hot weather sets in, be sure to give your beauties plenty of water to get the roots to dig deeper into the soil. Keeping this up will be sure to give you beautiful flowers through spring, summer, and early fall.

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Menthol, however, does not cause an actual drop in temperature. To put it simply, peppermint is the opposite of a hot pepper, in that where the capsaicin in hot peppers causes a burning sensation in any tissue, menthol causes a cooling sensation. Yet they both do not cause an actual rise in temperature. Health benefits from consuming peppermint can be attributed to the high manganese, vitamin C and vitamin A content. Peppermint is also known to sooth upset stomachs, inhibit the growth of certain bacteria, and help soothe and relax muscles when inhaled or applied to the skin.

Push reel mowers are the most earth-friendly way to mow, if you want to achieve a golfing green look, and for your grass to be the envy of the neighborhood, push reel mowers are the way to go. Reel mowers emit no fumes whatsoever, and spread the clippings evenly on your lawn, which not only provide nutrients and acts as a natural fertilizer, but also provide moisture to the grass. That cuts down on watering time, which, in turn, also protects the environment. Over time, the grass will get so healthy that it starts to crowd out and kill the weeds. Not only are reel mowers 100% earth-friendly, but pushing one around the yard is great exercise.

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First, you want to turn over the soil and make sure there are no clumps. You want a fine, even texture. Next, moisten the soil. There are a lot of ways to spread seeds, but with lettuce, all you want to worry about is leaving about a half-inch spacing between seeds. After the seeds are all spread out evenly on the soil, sift soil or potting mix over the seeds, until the seeds are covered with a quarter inch of dirt. Then sprinkle the newly sown bed with water, water thoroughly but gently. Keep the seedbed evenly moist until germination (about two weeks). They won’t all pop up at once, but should within a week of each other. So how long from dirt to table? You can start to harvest the little lettuces when they are 4 to 5 inches tall (after 35 to 45 days) but be sure to cut them down to an inch or two from the ground with sharp scissors after every harvest.
Keep your salad garden well watered and pest-free for delicious fresh salads every day!

The US is divided into 11 plant hardiness zones. The climate zone you are in drastically affects what you plant. The USDA developed a plant hardiness zone map that breaks down North America into eleven zones based on annual minimum temperature.  Zone 1 being coldest and zone 11 being hottest. Always factor in your climate zone when selecting plants for your garden. Zone is important, but is not the only major consideration before planting. What I mean is, you can plant a zone 5 plant like lavender in zone 5, but if you plant it in wet, clay soil it will fair poorly. So! Always take into account all factors, like zones, dirt quality, and sunlight that will affect each individual plant before planting!

Pete Skenandore

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