BORAGE: THE STAR FLOWER

 

 Borage is naturalized throughout Europe and has been used for centuries both medicinally and for its capabilities of attracting pollinators. It is easy to grow in ordinary soil and as you can see freely reseeds itself...although I have not found it to be invasive and seedlings are easy to identify and replant where you wish.

The blossoms of borage have historically been candied and frozen in ice cubes for decorating summer drinks. A tonic made from leaves is said to promote activity in the kidneys and has been used for fevers. It is a good sourced of potassium and calcium.

Borage attracts pollinating bees and is considered a good companion plant for tomatoes, squash and strawberries. It’s even supposed to deter tomato hornworms and improve the flavor of tomatoes growing nearby. I grow it near my squash to attract bees...

Click Here to Read More & see more pictures about this fascinating plant.  

HOW TO BUILD A STRAWBERRY TOWER: using 2 five gallon buckets. A strawberry tower is a great way to grow fresh fruit in a limited space, such as on a deck or patio. Here, Master Gardener Charlene Landreau shows how to build a tower out of cheap 5 gallon buckets. Read  More:   














Supplies

• Two 5-gallon buckets.

• 30" x 36" length of lining material (burlap, weed cloth, or garden cover such as "reemay").

• Potting soil mixed with either finished compost or time-release fertilizer pellets.

• 1 can of spray paint (optional).

• Approximately 30 strawberry runners, starts, or plants.

• 1/4" Soaker hose and a length of 1/4" spaghetti tubing if using drip irrigation.

• A helper to hold things steady while you work. (can be done solo if you are handy).

Tools

• 1 or 2 pair of pliers.

• Cloth or other flexible tape measure.

• Marking pen.

• Hacksaw.

• Safety goggles.

• Hand drill.

• One 2" diameter hole bit.

• Sandpaper.

• Several clothespins.

To Cut the Buckets

Remove the metal handles from each bucket using the pliers. It is easier if you use one pair of pliers in each hand to twist the handle out of its socket. Have your helper hold the bucket still while you do this, or hold it steady with your knees.

Measure up 1/2 inch from the bottom of bucket one, and use the marker to mark the spot in several spots around the circumference of the bucket. Lay the tape measure along the marks and follow it with the marker to draw a line all the way around. This will be your sawing guide.

The line should be high enough on the bucket so that when you saw through, it just cuts the bottom off and not much more.

Do the exactly same thing to bucket two, but mark your line 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch up from the bottom, so that bucket two will be 1/2 to 1 inch shorter than bucket one.

Lay bucket one on its side on a raised surface, hold it still with either your helper or your other hand, and use the hacksaw to cut the bottom off the bucket along the marker line you drew.

Do the same to bucket two.

Use the sandpaper to sand the edges smooth and remove any hanging threads of plastic that remain.

Test your buckets by standing the shorter one bottom up and then inserting the longer one into the first. Because the buckets are designed to nest into each other, and since you cut one shorter and therefore slightly wider, they should go together easily and tightly with just a small twist. If you are having trouble because they seem too tight, you may have to sand or file the shorter one down a little more until you get it wide enough to accommodate the longer bucket. Once you determine that they will twist together snugly, take the buckets apart. Now you are ready to drill the 2" holes in the sides.

Drill the Holes

You may want to mark where you will place the holes with your marker before drilling. Make the holes approx. 4" apart, and stagger them so the spacing seems random. Start the top row just under the thick rim of the bucket. Mark 5 or 6 holes in this top row, 4" apart. They don’t have to be in a straight line, a little variation is better. The second row will have only 4 or 5 holes, approx 4" from the top row, but with staggered placement (not directly below the top holes, but off-set between them). You may have room for 2 holes at the bottom, also in off-set placement. Don’t mark too close to the very bottom. Remember you will be tucking the buckets together in the bottom one inch.

Have your helper hold bucket one steady on its side, or you can lay it down between your legs and hold it that way. Wear your safety goggles for this step to avoid plastic dust in your eyes.

Using your drill with the 2" hole bit attached, drill holes in the side of the bucket at your marks.

Do the same with bucket two. After drilling use sandpaper again to smooth down the edges of the holes and remove any hanging plastic threads.

Paint the Tower

If you are planning to spray paint your tower, now is the time to do it. Keeping the buckets separated, spray paint the outside surface with any desired color. Be sure to select a spray paint that is made for plastic or PVC so it will adhere to the bucket.

Assemble and Line the Tower

When the paint is completely dry (see directions on the paint can) you can fit your two buckets together into the final tower. Slide one bucket bottom into the other and twist them together until they are snug. Be sure they are as straight as you can get them so your tower doesn’t lean to one side. Place your bucket in a sunny spot near a convenient water source.

Use burlap, weed block cloth, garden cover material, etc., to line the inside of the tower. This will keep the soil from falling out of the holes. Cut a piece of the material the same height as your tower and approx. 36" wide. The width should be a little wider than the inside circumference of the tower. Place the material inside the tower against the inside wall. Hold it in place with clothespins while you work. A helper comes in handy at this step. Overlap the edge of the lining where the ends meet.

If you are planning to hand-water your strawberries, you can begin to fill the tower with soil at this point. If you are going to use a drip line, see the next step.

Connect the Drip Irrigation


If you are planning to use a drip irrigation line to keep your strawberries watered, run a length of 1/4" spaghetti tubing to the tower and attach one or two 1/4" soaker hoses to the line (use a tee connector if you want two soaker lines). You can run the soaker hoses(s) up from the bottom through one of the holes. If you run the hoses(s) down from the top of the tower, secure the end of the hoses(s) at ground level so they stay in place. The hoses should run vertically through the center of the tower to ensure all the plants get water. Use a helper to hold the hoses in place while you fill the tower with soil.

Fill the Tower with Soil


Potting soil with amendment added is the best medium for your tower. Potting soil has excellent drainage which is critical in a vertical planting like this. But potting soil has minimal nutrients, and they will be used up right away by your plants. So combine the potting soil with about 1/3 finished compost, or mix time-release fertilizer granules into the potting soil in the ratio recommended on the package. These granules will release a balanced fertilizer over a 3 month period. Finished compost will do the same. Strawberries require nutrients to grow and give a good yield of fruit. Do not skip this step!

Slowly add your soil mix into the tower, gently patting it down as you go, to minimize the settling that will occur after you water the first time. As you fill the tower, the soil will hold the lining in place and you can remove any clips or pins that were used. Fill the tower right up to the top because it will settle some after a short time, and you will want to plant 3 or 4 plants at the top of the soil. If you are using a drip line, keep it vertical and centrally situated as you go. For a PDF document with full instructions, click here...

 

Lovely spicy pickled vegetables recipe

   What to do with so many vegetables? Check out this recipe for spicy pickled vegetables. Tickledred.com  blogger gives us this great recipe, in wonderful pictorial detail,           Check It Out....         

Spicy Mixed Pickles-Makes Two Full 3 cup Mason Jars
Ingredients
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrots (shredded or sliced)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers, diced
1 1/2 cup bed bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup radishes, sliced
1/4 cup parsnips, sliced
1/3 cup banana pepper, seeded & diced
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (approx.)
1 cup white wine vinegar (approx)
Directions
Wash the chopped vegetables and allow to dry before pickling.
Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine.
Layer the vegetables in two 3 cup mason jars, leaving approx. 3 inches of space on top. Add celery seeds.
Pour the olive oil approx. halfway up the jar, then fill the rest of the jar with the vinegar.
Close and turn the jars upside to thoroughly combine. Refrigerate for a minimum of three weeks before serving.
Enjoy!!
Shari/Red

© Copyright 2013 - All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

HOW AND WHEN TO PLANT VARIOUS VEGATABLES

How and When to plant various vegetables, according to your location.

We've chosen North America's most popular garden plants and provided "how to" gardening information to help you prepare, plant, and care for them.

For each plant, we've identified the hardiness zone, sun exposure, soil type, soil pH, pests and problems, harvest tips, recommended varieties, and special features. You'll also find recipes, free e-cards, and a dose of wit & wisdom. Just click on an image below to view that plant's growing guide.

Or, click the links below to browse by plant type: Check It Out...

Do You Have Fake Olive Oil in Your Pantry?

Do You Have Fake Olive Oil in Your Pantry? According to www.examiner.com many popular brands of olive oil sold in stores today are not actually olive oil, but a blend of lower-quality vegetable oils that may include less than 20 percent actual olive oil per volume.

Among the list of oils that brands are “cutting” their olive oil with are genetically modified (GM) canola, soy, cottonseed and corn oils. There are currently no genetically modified olives in production, so customers wishing to avoid GM ingredients often look to olive oil as a healthy alternative.

Surprisingly, as much as half of all the olive oil sold commercially in the United States fails to pass the strict testing standards used to qualify it as authentic. In addition to genetically modified vegetable oils, some companies also add flavoring chemicals and dyes to give the illusion of real olive oil.

As odd as it may sound, the promotion of fake olive oil may also have links to the Mob.

"Olive oil piracy is one of the Italian Mafia's most lucrative enterprises, to the extent that it appears that most olive oil on the market is either greatly diluted or completely forged by a massive shadow industry that involves major names such as Bertolli," says investigative journalist Pauli Poisuo about the olive oil conspiracy.

Author Tom Mueller makes the case in Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil that the fraudsters are busier and richer now than ever before.

Bertolli and its supermarket rivals have also corrupted the meaning of extra virginity, a controlled definition of high-quality oil since 1960.’Gentle’, ‘smooth’ and ‘not peppery on the throat’ are the sort of words Bertolli and its rivals used in ads promoting their generic extra virgin oil. But true extra virgin oil is peppery – it bites the back of the throat so fiercely it can make you cough. The flavors are vivid. ‘Peppery’ is an official, positive attribute of ‘extra virgin’ whereas smoothness will reliably indicate a low-quality oil.”

So Bertolli and other brands came to need low-quality genetically modified vegetable oils in order to hoodwink the public into paying a premium for what they assume is natural and high quality oil.

Tests conducted by researchers at the Australian Oils Research Laboratory and the University of California, Davis also found that many major olive oil brands do not pass International Olive Council (IOC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authenticity tests for olive oil. The failing brands in their study included Bertolli, Carapelli , Filippo Berio, Mazzola and Pompeian.

Fortunately, there are a number of simple ways to determine if you have purchased fake olive oil.

Look for the International Olive Council (IOC) label of authenticity. Imported olive oils that bear official IOC labels of authenticity generally undergo strict quality control testing.

Buy local. US growers and manufacturers are often held to stricter standards than companies that export to the United States. The California Olive Oil Council (COOC) seal is a good one to look for.

Refrigerate your olive oil. If authentic, olive oil will thicken and become cloudy.

See if your olive oil is flammable. Real olive oil is flammable. Try putting it in a fireproof pan and lighting it with a match. If your olive oil does not burn, it is most likely not real.

Check out these wonderful recipes from lucerooliveoil.com,Lucero California Olive Grove. 

Olive oil has long been used as a baking essential in Mediterranean kitchens. You can easilyand successfully replace melted butter or vegetable oil in many baked goods. Substituting olive oil provides a rich moistness and exceptional depth of flavor. Plus it supplies a healthy dose of good fats and antioxidants called polyphenols, as well as Vitamin E.
Substitute olive oil for vegetable oil in equal measure, and use three-fourths the amount of extra virgin olive oil as butter. For instance, instead of ¼ cup melted butter, use 3 tablespoons of olive oil. For baking, use a mild olive oil with buttery or fruity flavors rather than an intense, peppery choice. Citrus olive oils also lend delicious fruity flavor to cakes, muffins and breads.

Find the recipe for the Blackberry Wine & Chocolate Olive Oil Cupcakes here!

Check out the many good recipes here...