A Better Weekend Gardening Experience

Photo: Flickr

It's vital to start the process of having a hassle-free garden. This article gives you that first step and helps achieve some sound understanding of what you face as a weekend gardener. Our goal is to create a garden that practically takes care of itself.

Unlike my neighbor, Fred.

Fred never found a way to escape the prison of responsibilities and hard, never-ending work required by a high-maintenance garden.

If you want to avoid Fred's fate, you need to start by making a critical examination of the maintenance of your yard and garden.

Start by taking a stroll around your property and make note of how much time you take to tend to various areas.

• Which plants require the most care, right now?
• Are there areas that please you and take less care?
• Are there some areas that you love so much that no matter how much maintenance they take you'd not want to change them?
• Can you visualize any areas being scaled down in size, or that can be improved with a low-maintenance design or gardening technique?
• Where is the problem weeding area?
• Which is the most difficult mowing area of your lawn?

In my book: "The Weekend Gardener"- The Busy Persons' Guide To A Beautiful Backyard Garden, I present very specific ways to combat your problem areas as you think critically about the current maintenance problems you must take into account. Take this tour with a critical eye and a notebook. Make some notes to yourself about what you see, what you imagine, and what you are currently faced with.

As you do this preliminary overview, remember it is okay to consider what you "hate" to do in regards to gardening work. We want to get rid of these areas first and foremost.

Everyone has a different take on this subject. Some hate mowing the lawn, others actually enjoy the exercise and like getting out in the sun. Some find weeding tedious, others will enjoy the process of grabbing weeds by the fistful and yanking them forcefully out of the ground. I have a cousin who has actually been found to wander into neighbors yards yanking the critters up (much to the surprise and cheerful appreciation of his neighbors) after he had run out of them in his own yard.

So, part of your ‘yard tour' is to make note of the areas that require work; how you feel about each one, and listing which are particularly time-consuming.

Once you're done, take your list and make a check mark (!) next to those items that you intend to keep no matter how much maintenance they may require. Then put a question mark (?) Next to the ones you enjoy looking at, but are nonetheless high-maintenance and take too much work. Later you will discover timesaving techniques you can surely apply to many of these problem areas.

Now plan on making your aim to eliminate those areas left UNMARKED. You'll want low maintenance ways to turn these areas into sources of pleasure, instead of drudgery. However, you can't DO anything to lessen the strain until you first SEE the problems out there in your yard. So do this tour as a first step to achieve true joy and freedom in your gardening experience.

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What's A Barbecue Party Without Some Condiments?

Meat Condiments - Photo: Pixabay

Condiments are substances applied to food to improve or enhance flavor. They usually come in the form of powders, spreads, and sauces. A condiment is typically squirted, sprinkled or smeared, with commercially prepared condiment products often packaged in plastic or glass containers. Some are served as single-serving packets too as what is common in cafeterias and airlines. Of course, BBQ parties and cookouts are never complete without a steady supply of condiments.

Some of the more common condiments include ketchup, mayo, pickles, mustard, wasabi, vinegar, salad dressings and salt. Barbecue and hot sauces are other popular condiment choices used to complement or add flavor to dishes. Since people have different preferences when it comes to seasoning their meats, having an assortment of condiment products on hand when hosting a barbecue is always best.

Condiments and Smashing BBQ Parties

Nothing spoils a barbecue quicker than a shortage of condiments. Whether it's ketchup, hot sauce, mustard, relish or BBQ sauce, finding yourself running low on any of these items can spell disaster for a party. You see, a condiment gives food that added a kick to keep people coming back for more. Further, half the fun of eating is being able to adjust the taste of the food to suit each individual's particular taste buds so without condiments, people will have a tough time managing this.

Holding a hit barbecue event isn't easy. But if you keep your shelves well-stocked in the condiment department, you're halfway there. Here are other tips to ensure your next BBQ is a smashing success.

• Get out that old BBQ grill that's been collecting dust in the garage. Fix the patio and wash all the utensils you'll be using before you start grilling.

• Prepare the outdoor cooking recipes in advance. Visit the market and buy the freshest meats needed.

• When it comes to cooking a whole chicken on the grill, stuff it with a half-filled beer can. The beer aroma will stick to the chicken and give it a great beery taste. If others don't appreciate it, have them slather up some condiments on the chicken.

• When cooking burgers, put holes in the center so they'll cook thoroughly. The holes will close up once they're grilled so don't worry about it!

• Shop around for great condiment and sauce products. Make sure to check out InsaneChicken.com. It's got an online catalog of the best condiments, hot sauces, salsas, rubs and marinades in town.

Condiments play a huge role in the success of a BBQ party. For the best barbecue condiment selections, there's only one place to go really – InsaneChicken. It's got the Ass-Kickin' Mustard, the Ingleby Farms Jalapeno Ketchup, the Smuggler's Run Jolly Rouge Chipotle Creme and a bunch of other mouth-watering condiment delights. Add life to your future barbecue parties – get your condiments and sauces from the best in the business – InsaneChicken. Ah, will someone please pass the 20 Pepper Hot Garlic Pickles, please?

Composting Problems

Composting Tomatoes - Photo: Flickr

There are five problems that can arise when you are composting.  All of the issues are relatively easy to troubleshoot and fix.  During your routine monitoring of the pile keep a look out for signs of a  problem and try some of the suggested solutions listed below.

If you see a swarm of flies around your compost bin chances are you have not put enough brown food (leaves, twigs, hay) on top of your kitchen scraps.  The kitchen scraps are very inviting to fruit and house flies, make sure you don’t leave them exposed.

Your compost bin has a bad smell.  The most likely cause is not enough air is getting through to all parts of the compost.  Give the compost a good turning and add a bulky substance such as woodchips or sawdust.  They are bulky and create pockets where the air can move freely.

If you find that your pile is very dry, add some moisture in the form of water.  You should not soak the pile, just enough to get it wet.  If the pile is continually drying outlook at other factors such as location and what you are adding – you may have to move the bin to a less sunny location or add more wet scraps (fruit and vegetable waste).

Your compost pile seems to be working (it is moist and warm) but only in spots.  Either your pile is not large enough or you are not rotating it enough.  Make sure you are regularly adding new scraps and are rotating the pile every second day.

Like the problem of flies, if you have pests visiting your pile you need to make sure you are covering all kitchen scraps thoroughly.  Moreover, do not add any animal products such as meat or bones.

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The History of Chinese Cuisine

Chinese Meal - Photo: Wikimedia

In China, food and its preparation have been developed so highly that it has reached the status of an art form.  Rich and poor, the Chinese people consider that delicious and nutritious food is a basic necessity.  There is an old Chinese saying “Food is the first necessity of the people”.  

This art has been cultivated and refined over hundreds of years.  Legend has it that the culture of Chinese cuisine originated in the 15th century BC during the Shang dynasty and was originally introduced by Yi Yin, it’s first Prime Minister.  

The two dominant philosophies of Chinese culture both had extreme influences on the political and economic history of the country but it is less well known that they also influenced the development of the culinary arts.

Confucius emphasized the artistic and social aspects of cookery and eating.   The Chinese don’t gather together without involving food - it is considered to be poor etiquette to invite friends to your home without providing appropriate food.

Confucius established standards of cooking and table etiquette, most of which remain to this day.  The most obvious example of this is the cutting of bite-sized pieces of meat and vegetables during the course of the food preparation in the kitchen, rather than using a knife at the table which is not considered to be good manners.

Confucius also encouraged the blending of ingredients and flavourings to become a cohesive dish, rather than tasting the individual components.  Harmony was his priority.  He believed and taught that without harmony of ingredients there could be no taste.  He also emphasized the importance of presentation and the use of colour, texture and decoration of a dish.  Most importantly, cooking became an art rather than a task to be endured and certainly, he was instrumental in promulgating the philosophy of “live to eat” rather than “eat to live”.

On the other hand, Tao encouraged research into the nourishment aspects of food and cookery.  Rather than concentrating on taste and appearance, Taoists were more interested in the life-giving properties of food.

Centuries on, the Chinese have discovered the health-giving properties of all sorts of roots, herbs, fungus and plants.  They have taught the world that the nutritional value of vegetables is destroyed by over-cooking (particularly boiling) and in addition have found that things with a great flavour also have medicinal value.

Home cooked Chinese food is extremely healthy, even though much of it is fried.  This is due to the use of polyunsaturated oils (used only once and discarded) and the exclusion of dairy products.  In addition, the inclusion of animal fat is minimal because portions of meat are small.

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Average spring PLANTING DATES

Tree planting near Austerfield  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So you have decided to take up planting trees, but you don’t know when to plant them. Read on the topic here! In “Know When to Plant What: Find Your Average Last Spring Frost Date” by Cheryl Long, an article published in 2008, Long writes, “The key factor that should guide your decisions is your average last spring frost date. Most cool season crops, like cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and many others, can tolerate a light frost and will grow best when sown a couple weeks before your last spring frost.”

It is important to track the frost dates in your area in order to make sure your plants do not wither or freeze in spring’s transitioning weather. There are many websites that offer advice on the correct dates for optimum planting time depending on the plant. Most dates range from the end of March until the end of April. For instance, http://www.heirloomseeds.com/schedule.htm gives a detailed list of plants and vegetables that should be planted in specific times. Cheryl Long notes that “There are U.S. maps that show last frost dates, but it’s hard to find your exact local dates on them. Your best bet is the National Climatic Data Center. Choose your state and then locate the city nearest you, and it will show your average last spring (and first fall) frost dates, based upon weather data collected by the National Climatic Data Center from 1971 through 2000 from that location.”

According to Landscaping on About.com, “Planting trees when they're dormant is advisable since that's when handling them is least disruptive to them. When do they go dormant? In the Northern Hemisphere, they begin to enter dormancy at some point in the autumn and begin to leave it at some point in the spring.”

Therefore, planting is not just something to do in the springtime; it is something to plan ahead preferably in the fall time. Greenwood Nursery.com explains that there are some pre-planting steps to keep in mind. First is site conditions, “Before you plant, think about the characteristics of your site. Characteristics such as soil type, slope, accessibility, proximity to water, etc, will definitely affect the viability of the trees you plant.” The second aspect of pre-planting is the selection of tree species. “Different tree species have different tolerances to the environment, particularly in their formative years. 

To improve the chances of having strong, healthy trees, think about conditions such as the average amount of annual rainfall, the dates of the first and last frost, and so on. Then select species that enjoy those particular conditions” And finally, Greenwood nursery.com reminds us to control weeds around the “to keep competing for vegetation at bay, use a herbicide suitable for use near the type of tree you plant. Reason? You're less likely to damage the delicate trunks and roots than if you were to use a hoe. Or the neighbor's mower as our reader discovered!”

Good luck with your spring planting adventures and may your trees flourish!

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The History Of The Jelly Bean

Jelly Beans - Photo: Pixabay

Funny as it may sound, but jelly beans do have a fascinating history. Jelly beans have been on the shelves of our shops for around 100 years and have been enjoyed by young and old throughout the world. While Jellybeans only made a there the main appearance in the 1900's jelly beans have been about since the 17th century but were known as Jordan almonds. 

Jelly beans became very popular when they started being sold as penny sweets in many stores across the globe.

Back in the jelly bean early days they were sold in a variety of colors and flavors, but unlike the jelly beans of today they were not sold in variety packets, instead, they were sold in single colors, a bag of reds or a bag of blues etc. Jellybeans then became very popular during seasonal times (eg summer or Christmas) because of the various seasonal colors that were available.

Jellybeans remained the same, with their semi-hard shell and soft chewy center until the mid-1970’s. When the Herman Goelitz Candy Co., Inc. revolutionized the jelly bean forever. This company made the jelly bean into a delicacy by making unusual flavors, such as peach, melon, grape and sour fruit flavors.

The new jelly beans were completely different, they donned a different taste as well as look, and the center was even changed in several flavors from the classic clear jelly to a matching color of the bean.

According to few independent sources, jelly beans were the favorite of former president Ronald Regan. Of all the famous people who loved jelly beans throughout the ages, Regan was the number 1 fan. During his administration, it was quite common to find jelly beans in every almost every room in the white house.

One fact about jelly beans is that many of these little drops of heaven even went into space. One of the space shuttles took up a load of jelly beans for the shuttle crew to snack on while they were up there. I guess that even astronauts need to satisfy their sweet tooth now and then.

The history of jelly beans is not finished evolving as of yet. Every year more and more creative flavors of the jelly bean hit the market. In a few years time, there will be a whole new history for people to talk about and record.

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Partial Shade: Its Vital Role in Organic Vegetable Gardening

gardening Tent - Photo: Wikimedia

Why does partial shade play an important role in organic vegetable gardening? And how can such shade be done? And is it really vital for your product to grow?

For gardeners, they know that shade plays an important role in what they are doing as much as the sun. This is especially true if one is into organic gardening of vegetables. The exposure to sun and its need to be in shade still depends upon what plant you want as produce. But learning all about the plant and its needs first will lead a gardener for a better output.

Being one with nature, being in touch with your product, is the main responsibility of an organic farmer, in the first place. So before you might want to delve into this, you must first be ready to be patient and hardworking because of the holistic approach being used in such type of gardening, everything depends on the farmer, they have no one to turn to except for themselves and the natural environment.

Organic Horticulture

The word horticulture comes from two Latin words, hortus that means garden plant and cultura or culture. It is both an art and science of planting and producing vegetables, flowers, fruits and even ornamental plants. 

Horticulture has five parts of study; floriculture for floral plants, landscape horticulture for landscape ornaments, pomology for fruits, postharvest physiology is about keeping the harvested produce fresh and how to prevent these from rotting quickly. 

The fifth area of study for horticulture is olericulture, which you might be interested in if you are into vegetable gardening because this tackles the process from producing the crops to marketing such.

Partial Shade

You may know that a plant needs soil, sun, and water to be able to survive. But you must also be aware that it needs shade, especially the vegetables because not only one must protect it as a plant but must also care for it to produce a good harvest.

In organic vegetable gardening, by exposing the plants to a range of 30 to 50 percent of shade can actually lower the leaves' temperature by about 10 percent or even more. For the northern and coastal climates, 30 percent shade is recommendable while 47 to 50 percent in hot and summer-like places.

By doing what's stated above, vegetables like lettuce, arugula, mustard greens and mesclun mix would produce better qualities. 

The shade also lessens the temperature of the soil by three to six degrees Fahrenheit. This will benefit vegetables such as cabbages, mustard greens, broccoli, chard, radishes, turnips, and spinach that grow in the soil. It is because these products will germinate better when the soil temperature is below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Shade Tent

You can also provide your plants with handmade tents. This will be most beneficial if you have a large produce and you can't attend to each plant one-by-one, placing cloth as shade at top of each one.

To do a shade tent, you would need sturdy plastic tubing that is about 1/2 or 3/4-inch in diameter. Cut this tubing into 6-foot in length, just enough for it to arch a foot length above your crops. For each arch that you've made, place a bamboo or rebar stakes, each one at about 18 inches. Put these in the ground at the sides of the plants' bed until about 10 inches of each of the stakes are visible. Now you can bow your tubing by sliding its ends at the stakes. 

With the foundation ready, you can now place a shade cloth over the arches for it to cover the plants' bed. Make sure to clip the cloth at the tubing so that it will remain in place.

Remember, if a partial shade is not readily available when you are into organic vegetable gardening, make one by just doing the abovementioned procedure.

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