Sitting next to the town pool yestrday, I was reading a gardening questions & answer book.
It's a big 852-page book, chock full of strange questions -- and great answers.
Anyway, I managed to drop the book -- not once, but twice -- into a muddy area.
Serves me right for mixing pleasure with business ... or was it business with pleasure? How about pleasure with pleasure?!?!?
Before the storm hit last night, I had applied a second "coating" of grated Irish Spring to my plants.
I haven't noticed any additional plants being chewed. So -- I think -- at least so far ... the deer have gone elsewhere for their late night snacks. Knockwood!
Wish me and my plants continued success!
On Monday, July 6, The New York Times reported that a company called Sun-Mar is now selling a commode that doesn't use any water. They call it the "composting" toilet.
I have a toilet that uses "less" water, but one that uses no water? Very interesting.
Here is the link:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/cities-contemplate-the-composting-toilet/
The United States market for lawn and garden projects will total 26 billion in 2014, according to "Lawn and Garden Products in the U.S., 8th Edition."
Annual growth rates between 1 and 2% are expected.
"The U.S. Lawn and garden market has help up remarkably well under the relentless pressure of an epic macroeconomic storm," says the report.
More information, http://www.packagedfacts.com/
Keep those green thumbs (and the other eight fingers) out of harms way!
My "From The Ground Up" column this week (Thursday, July 2) was all about keeping your hands clean and safe. Whether you use gloves, soaps or lotions -- there are a number of ways to keep your hands on their toes.
If you can't get to a hard copy of the Record or Herald News, here is the online link:
http://www.northjersey.com/betterliving/gardening/Protecting_those_green_thumbs.html
The New York Botanical Garden's blog, "Plant Talk: Inside The New York Botanical Garden." celebrated its first anniversary on Wednesday, July 1.
The blog features stories and visuals that give outsiders an inside look at the garden.
Check it out, here is the link:
As I was staring out towards my front garden Tuesday night (during one of the torrential downpours of the day), I could swear I saw a deer taking a shower with Irish Spring.
Maybe I was just hallucinating? Or maybe it was kind of a reverse desert/mirage effect?
In similar news -- if we were going to endure all that wet in June ... the least we could have done was broken the record for rainiest June of all time ... no??!?!?!
I am thrilled by the wonderful weather we had over this past weekend, don't get me wrong.
But -- the warm temperatures and sun meant that I spent most of my time in the garden.
As a result, I have new callouses, some slight sunburn and tired and achy muscles.
There was a lot of catching up to do -- what with all the rains we've been having.
The tasks included -- mowing, deadheading, weeding and sweeping.
Hopefully, we are in for a few more weekends like that -- this way I'll be alll caught up with the labor and I can begin to enjoy the 'fruits.'
Do you have bats in you belfry? If you don't maybe you should.
James O'Neill has a front page article in today's (Monday, June 29) Record and Herald News about how 90% of North Jersey's bat population was killed off over the winter by an unusual fungus.
Here is the Web link, in case you can't get to a hard copy: http://www.northjersey.com/environment/environmentnews/NJs_alarming_bat_die-off.html
The August edition of Fine Gardening magazine offers up "100 skills to make you a better gardener."
A seedling gardener should take a way a bunch from this feature. A veteran green-thumber will most likely be already familiar with most of these tips.
I did pick up how to determine soil drainage, how to foil the squash vine borer and how to pinch a pine.
Information: http://www.finegardening.com/
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