NL May 13 by Okaloosa County Master Gardeners

...for discerning weeders May, 2013

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

PLANT SALE SUCCESS!

Inside this issue:

Weed of the

As you all know, we had our Native Plant Sale on April 13th. The plants we purchased from Dodd & Dodd were amazing and the plant shoppers who attended were all thrilled. Here’s to hoping we make this an annual event!

Month Edible of the

Month Pet Scaped Gar-

den Walk on the

Wild Side Backyard Medi-

cine Cabinet Organic Mowing

Wisdom

Likes & Links

Coming Events

Book Review

Save Some $

Puzzle Page

Last Word

A huge thank you to the set-up crew, hospitality, and the sale staff! Heard nothing but good comments about the whole event!

DON’T FORGET TO LOG YOUR HOURS ONTO THE VMS SYSTEM! Click here to enter

WEED OF THE MONTH

By Jenny G.

Dock, Heart-wing Sorrel Rumex hastatulus

Dock is one of the host plants for the Cowpea Curculio, Chalcodermus geneus, a tiny beetle that measures only 4.8 to 5.5 mm. It feeds on legumes like snap beans, and lima beans, but cowpea is its favorite. Other crops attacked are cotton, soybean, and strawberries.

Have you noticed the weed with a reddish colored seed head which is growing along the road sides right now? It has been seen in the median of Rt. 85 between Crestview and Ft. Walton Beach for the last month! In early spring any unmown roadside, in town or in neighborhoods may be host to Heart-wing Sorrel, Rumex hastatulus.

“Of all the Rumexes that grow in the South, Rumex hastatulus is probably the most tasty. The tart intensely green leaves are hard to misidentify—edible wise—and the bloom that turns from white to red is pleasing to the eye. Its nickname, Heart-wing Sorrel, describes the mature reddish, winged seed pods. Rumexes have long been used in salads and as potherbs. They make a good stuffing for freshly caught fish! But, they’re best known in sorrel soup popular in France.”

Commonly called Dock, this weed is in the buckwheat family. It is a medium to tall annual weed. Leaves are basal, which means they grow close to the ground in a cluster. The species name hastatulus is Latin for ‘spearshaped’ which refers to the appearance of the leaves. The flowers start out green, then turn to red when mature. Looking at the individual flowers closely, they look heart-shaped which gives it its name!

Note: A nettle sting is painful because the sting contains acid. Rubbing the sting with a sorrel leaf or any of the docks/rumex can relieve the pain because the leaves contain an alkali that neutralizes the acid and reduces the sting. The same leaves work pretty well on bee and ant stings but soap or bicarbonate of soda may work better.

It reproduces by seed. This weed is common in sandy soil throughout the coastal plain of the southeastern US. It occurs from central Florida to Texas, and north to Montana, Illinois and Northeast to Massachusetts.

Sorrel will not work against wasp stings because they contain an alkali. To neutralize those you need an acid such as vinegar, citric acid, pickle juice or even tomato juice. http://www.eattheweeds.com/sorrel-not-a-sheepishrumex/ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fw036

“What appeals to us in being near to nature is nature's music, and nature's music is more perfect than that of art. It gives us a sense of exaltation to be moving about in the woods, and to be looking at the green; to be standing near the running water, which has its rhythm, its tone and its harmony. The swinging of the branches in the forest, the rising and falling of the waves, all has its music. And once we contemplate and become one with nature our hearts open to its music.” The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan 2

IPOMOEA BATATAS Who? Sounds like that girl from Brazil, right? Naw, this one is a favorite table staple in our part of the country. Sweet Potatoes! No pantry closet should be without. This golden vegetable is available at all the grocery stores in several forms… frozen as mashed, frozen as fries, frozen in chunks, fresh in the produce department, and as dessert! Sweet potato pie has become a Thanksgiving treat in many former Yankee households. The local lifetime Panhandle farmers say “the darker the skin, the sweeter the meat”.

By Shari F. palousa tribes eating sweet potatoes. The sweet potato became a favorite food item of the French and Spanish settlers and thus continued a long history of cultivation in Louisiana. In the Southeastern United States, sweet potatoes are traditionally cured to improve storage, flavor, and nutrition, and to allow wounds on the periderm (the secondary protective (dermal) tissue that replaces the epidermis during growth in thickness of stems and roots) of the harvested root to heal. Proper curing requires drying the freshly dug roots on the ground for two to three hours, then storage at 85–90° with 90 to 95% relative humidity from five to fourteen days. Cured sweet potatoes can keep for thirteen months when stored at 55–59° with less than 90% relative humidity. Colder temperatures injure the roots. (Too much for this person to consider!)

The history of the Sweet Potato goes back to what is now referred to as BCE. In South America, Peruvian sweet potato remnants dating as far back as 8000 BC have been found.

Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta-carotene (a pro-vitamin A carotenoid), vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and potassium. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to Dr. Daniel F. Austin, postulated that the center of origin of other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carboI. batatas was between the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico hydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According 'cultigen' had most likely been spread by local people to the to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 Caribbean and South America by 2500 BC. providing points over the next on the list, the common potato. Sweet strong supporting evidence that the geographical zone pro- potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carposed by Dr. Austin is the primary center of diversity. The otene than those with light-colored flesh. White flesh sweet much lower diversity found in Peru–Ecuador suggests this potatoes are drier and not so sweet. region should be considered as secondary center of sweet potato diversity. In North Florida planting dates are from March thru June, using transplants or slips of Beauregard, Centennial, or The sweet potato was also grown before western exploraVardaman varieties. Vardaman is a bush type Sweet Potato tion in Polynesia. Sweet potato has been radiocarbon-dated for small gardens. Slips are available locally in most garden in the Cook Islands to 1000 AD, and current thinking is stores mid to late May and are a breeze to plant. that it was brought to central Polynesia around 700 AD, possibly by Polynesians who had traveled to South America Somewhere while researching this luscious veggie, it was and back, and spread across Polynesia to Hawaii and New mentioned that Sweet Potatoes cannot be shipped across Zealand from there. It is possible, however, that South state lines. REALLY! That means the fresh sweet taters we Americans brought it to the Pacific, although this is unlike- buy at the grocers are raised close to home. Fresh from ly as it was the Polynesians who had a strong maritime tra- Florida! dition and not the native South Americans. The theory that the plant could spread by floating seeds across the ocean is Ed note: Dr. Austin not supported by evidence. Another point is that the sweet is affiliated with the Dept. of Biological potato in Polynesia is the cultivated Ipomoea batatas, which is generally spread by vine cuttings (slips) and not by Sciences, Florida Int’l Univ., Miami; seeds. Research Assoc., Sweet potatoes are now cultivated throughout tropical and warm temperate regions wherever there is sufficient water to support their growth. For example, sweet potatoes were introduced as a food crop in Japan in 1735 and in Korea in 1764. The town of Opelousas, Louisiana's "Yambilee" has been celebrated every October since 1946. The Frenchmen who established the first settlement at Opelousas in 1760 discovered the native Atakapa, Alabama, Choctaw, and Ap-

Fairchild Tropical Garden, Coral Gables, Fl.; Emeritus Professor, Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton, Division of Sonoran Desert Studies ArizonaSonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ and author and economic editor of Economic Botany.

THE PET SCAPED GARDEN

By Linda M.

As promised, last month we began this article on pets and your landscape. This month we conclude with pet waste management.

Dumping the entire contents of the litter box down your toilet will cause plumbing problems and prematurely fill up your septic tank or sewer system with indigestible material. Pet waste, urine especially, is a major culprit of lawn damage from dogs. Turf damage usually appears as greener, more vigorous patches of lawn or brown dead spots surrounded by a dark green ring of turf. This can look similar to brown patch and dollar spot, so it is important to monitor animal behavior on your lawn to determine whether the problem is due to dog waste or lawn disease. When dogs urinate on grass, they are dumping concentrated nitrogen and soluble salts onto the turf. This produces a fertilizer “green up” effect in small amounts and burn spots in larger amounts. Urine appears to cause the most damage on turf with low soil moisture, in months when turf is not actively growing, and on over-fertilized turf.

It's important to clean up after your pet. Pet waste can contain bacteria and parasites that can infect animals as well as people who spend time in the landscape. These microscopic dangers include E. coli, giardia, and hookworm, which cause uncomfortable symptoms or even severe illness. Pet waste left on the ground can wash into storm drains, which empty into the nearest body of water. The nutrients in pet waste encourage weeds and algae growth, and use up oxygen in the water. Make sure to pick up dog waste, tie it in a plastic bag, and place it in the trash. You can even flush pet waste down the toilet (but don't flush "kitty litter"). Never put pet waste in your compost pile. Rodent and rabbit bedding can be composted. Do not add any cat, dog, or ferret waste to the compost pile, many intestinal parasites are transmissible to people. Most, if not all, pet reptiles are carriers of salmonella, so no reptile waste either.

Dog feces also add surplus nitrogen to lawns, but it is released much more slowly than through urine. Solid wastes mainly cause damage through smothering turf, but this can be avoided by raking it up and disposing of the feces. You can heavily water the spot where a dog urinated on the lawn, to dilute the urine and minimize damage. Use fertilizers and pesticides as sparingly as possible, if at all. Even “pet friendly” or “non-toxic” products can cause problems, most notably gastrointestinal upset. The more natural and organic your garden, the safer it will be for your pet.

When cleaning out the litter box, cat waste may be scooped out and flushed down the toilet, and the used litter should be bagged, sealed and placed in the trash.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

It’s May already, and the beginning of summer for our area. July. Warmer days, but we still may get a cool evening now and Reptiles then. Here are some of the wild activities you can look for. Courtship ritual of adult alligators begins, noted by the loud Birds and resounding bellows and water slapping. Continues Brown pelithrough June. can and white ibis young are Loggerhead and green sea turtles begin nighttime nesting now visible in on sandy beaches. Soft-shell and alligator snapping turtles complete egg laying. nests. Least terns and Fish snowy plovers Bluegill are bedding at the full moon. Redbreast sunfish and nest on Panspotted sunfish begin spawning in rivers. Pompano running handle beachin the surf in north Florida. es, sandy flats and flat rooftops. Bald eagles begin migrating north. Breeding begins for many resident and summer Insects songbirds. The last of the cedar waxwings and goldfinches Mating season of the invasive Love Bug species begins and head for their northern breeding grounds. lasts until September. Mammals Gray bats congregate at maternity caves now through mid4

Don’t forget to provide a water source if you are attracting wildlife to your landscape.

THE BACKYARD MEDICINE CABINET Gardening for independence continues. We've grown tea and the sweetener for the tea. This month we'll look at what we can grow in our gardens to stock the medicine cabinet. The subject of alternative medicine is immense and has proponents and detractors on all sides. For this article, I'll focus on plants that we can grow readily in our home gardens that are believed to be useful for some common ailments and problems. Herbal remedies have a long and varied history. A book called “The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine”, was written by Emperor Huang Ti in the year 2697 B.C. and dealt with herbal remedies, acupuncture, diet, and the prevention and cure of physical and mental ailments. Herbal remedies were common in the New World as well. Native Americans used plantain for snakebites, and sassafras for fevers, while birch bark was used as a natural splint for setting fractures. A Native American doctor in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the name of Joe Pye showed the pioneers how to harvest and recognize many herbs, sharing his considerable knowledge about good herbs vs poisonous ones. (And maybe if you also grow Joe Pye Weed you too have always wondered how it got its name. Look no further: http:// tinyurl.com/bjw75qb. Herbalism hasn't always been looked on favorably around the world and in fact at certain times it has been deemed witchcraft and we all know where that led to in 17th century colonial Massachusetts. So, what are some of these plants and the medicinal properties attributed to them? Most of us are probably very familiar with the aloe vera plant and its usefulness in treating minor burns, but other plants are known to have soothing properties for burns and minor abrasions. The use of aloe vera, goldenseal and calendula ('pot marigold') are described here: http://tinyurl.com/ bjmngrp

By Karen H.

article contains lots of advice for what to use and how to use it to combat headaches: http://medicinalplants.us/headache Indigestion and stomach aches may respond well to several herbs including chamomile, licorice, anise, ginger, thyme and fennel. Suggested remedies: http://tinyurl.com/ate46tj Or you can try using dandelions. I love it that they're described below as 'cost-effective'. At last, reasons to love dandelions! http:// tinyurl.com/amgpv7x For skin problems, aloe vera makes the list again along with sandalwood, tea tree oil and neem. Neem?? Hmmm, I'm not sure I want to use the same product on my skin that we gardeners know to be an insecticide, miticide and fungicide. But here's the information anyway: http://tinyurl.com/ a8fu5ml Insomnia and anxiety are both treated by many of the same preparations. These articles describe pros and cons of several of them. I am intrigued by the claims of the hypnotic effect of valerian but perhaps not enough to want to try it as a sleep aid. And red poppies? Not too sure about that one either. For my money, I think I'll stick to my nightly cup of chamomile tea during times of stress... and perhaps add a salad to that! Did you know that lettuce has a calming effect? When I read that, I remembered my mother telling me that wilted lettuce, one of her favorite dishes, always made her sleepy.. It does seem that there is a basis in fact for that: http:// www.botanical-online.com/remediesinsomnia.htm This morning I happened to catch a show on the Cooking Channel with the intriguing title of “Grow Your Own Drugs”. Future episodes to be broadcast include “Petals” May 1; “Shrubs and Trees” May 8; and “Wild Plants” May 15. The full episode list: is here: http://tinyurl.com/a6n56aj

Headache? There is a long list of plants that are believed to proAnd here is a handy guide to growing many of these plants: vide relief, including honeysuckle, rosemary and peppermint http://tinyurl.com/bauvzcv among many others. One of the most effective is said to be lime flowers. Curses. My lime tree only blooms once a year so perhaps I'd better look into growing an everbearing lime variety! This Natives in Bloom courtesy of Jane M.

Spring garden courtesy of Karen H.

GREEN LAWN CARE

courtesy of Lynn F.

Those clever French have adopted a new organic lawn mower. It runs on grass and is being used to keep the grass mowed around the Eiffel Tower and even City Hall in Paris.

grass trim without costing the earth. Earlier this week, the city enlisted four black sheep as part of a pilot project to munch away a section of the city’s gardens in northeastern Paris.

The gas savings alone would justify this move but this lawn mower produces the fertilizer necessary to keep the lawns green and growing AND the fertilizer is organic and biodegradable.

Eco-efficient and petite in size, the four legged lawnmowers are Ouessant sheep, named after a small island west of Brittany. “It might sound funny, but animal lawnmowers are ecological as no gasoline is required, and cost half the price of a machine. And they’re so cute,” says Ferme de Paris sheep keeper, marcel Collet.

Even the Louvre is getting in on the act. These mowers are motorless and independent and work with only minor maintenance. Unlike the workers who drove the gas powered mowers, these new mowers are not mindful of the 35 hour work week observed in France.

Between April and October, the new “park workers” will graze grounds the size of eight tennis-courts in three towweek-long sweeps in a move to promote biodiversity and make the grooming of the capital’s green areas more sustainable—replacing both chemicals and lawn mowers. Out of work, they will be resting back at a farm on the outskirts of Paris. http://tinyurl.com/cycgm4k

Welcome to the world of ovine mowers with some of the genus capra also working the lawns of Paris. What??? You don’t know your sheep from your goats? Just wait until they join the union. Paris has come up with an unconventional way to keep its urban

MOTHER’S LESSONS

courtesy of Sandie O.

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”

My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.” My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. “Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck.” My mother taught me about STAMINA. You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”

My mother taught me RELIGION. “You’d better pray My mother taught me about WEATHER. “This room of yours that will come out of the looks as if a tornado went through it.” carpet.”

My mother taught me about HUMOR. “When that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don’t come running to me.”

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week.”

My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”

My mother taught me LOGIC. “Because I said so, that’s why.”

My mother taught me GENETICS. “You’re just like your father.” My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. “If you fall out of the swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.” My mother taught me about my ROOTS. “Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?” My mother taught me FORESIGHT. “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.” My mother taught me WISDOM. “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”

My mother taught me IRONY. “Keep crying and I’ll give you something to cry about.”

And, my favorite, my mother taught me about JUSTICE. “One day you’ll have kids and I hope they turn out just like you!”

Don’t forget. This is YOUR newsletter! Let us know subjects you’d like to see covered. All submission appreciated! 6

LIKES & LINKS During the past month, we’ve had a lot of links forwarded to us. We’ve included some really good ones for you to check out!

search by distance to your location, view pictures, pricing and descriptions, sort your results by price, distance, size, etc. and so much more! www.plantant.com

Interested in wildlife? Ever wonder where our migrating wildlife goes? Check out http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ for a cool web site for tracking wildlife migrations.

An interesting Ted Talk on greening the world’s deserts and the possible effect on climate change. http://tinyurl.com/ chtyecq

plantAnt.com is now an official FNGLA locator! By using Chicago, home to the nation’s largest vertical farm http:// this absolutely free service, you’ll be able to: search all types tinyurl.com/9wmbzah of plants, view FNGLA member map & directory, automatically search botanical or common names, narrow your

COMING EVENTS May 4 Escambia County Master Gardeners Spring Garden Discovery Day and Plant Market, 8am-noon, Stefani Road Extension Office. May 4 Gardening Friends of the Big Bend will host a “Birds in Your Backyard” workshop at the Quincy, FL UF North Florida Research and Education Center (I-10 exit 181) from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Registration is $20 for non-members and $15 for members. For more info Friends@ifas.ufl.edu May 7 Lawn Care in Northwest Florida. 10:30am at the Crestview Public Library, Crestview. May 10 National Public Gardens Day! May 11 Niceville Garden Club invites children ages 8-12 to “Make a Floral Design for Mother”. 10:00-11:30 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Emerald Coast, 1295 N. Bayshore Drive, Valparaiso, FL. Reservations required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. May 11 Dogwood Garden Club of Gulf Breeze presents Advanced Floral Design Study course 7. Registration at 8:30, class begins at 9am in the north room of the Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church. $65 for the 3 advanced classes. For more info contact Linda Henderson 936-4950 May 13 “Monday’s in the Garden” presents “Raised Bed Gardening” with Tina Tuttle, 10am. Milton Gardens at PSC Milton campus. Master Gardener CEUs available. This will be a handson demonstration so come prepared to plant the beds.

ganization of the Valparaiso Garden Club, to meet at Eden State Park (Walton County, Hwy 395N) for a discussion on antique roses. 10am. Free, no membership or dues, men are welcome. For more info, contact Marie Harrison at 678-2842 marieharrison@valp.net or Joyce Waters-Smith at 269-2170 joycews@cox.net May 17 Landscape Problems: Diseases and Weeds, Okaloosa County Extension, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. $10 8am to 12:10pm. To register call 850-689-5850. May 17 Navarre Flower Show open to the public (Judging on May 16) May 18-19 PFGC hosts annual Secrets Gardens Tour. Nine gardens will be featured over 2 days. $15 tickets. May 18 Dogwood Garden Club of Gulf Breeze presents Advanced Floral Design Study course 8. Registration at 8:30, class begins at 9am in the north room of the Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church. $65 for the 3 advanced classes. For more info contact Linda Henderson 936-4950 May 23 FFGC District I Meeting, Christ the King Episcopal Church, Santa Rosa Beach hosted by Green Thumb Garden Club and DeFuniak Garden Club. May 25 Dogwood Garden Club of Gulf Breeze presents Advanced Floral Design Study course 9. Registration at 8:30, class begins at 9am in the north room of the Gulf Breeze Presbyterian Church. $65 for the 3 advanced classes. For more info contact Linda Henderson 936-4950

May 13 You are invited to join the Valparaiso Garden Club field trip to the Dragon’s Mead Daylily farm just north of Panama May 25 Bromeliad Society of NW Florida presents its annual City. A lovely day in the garden at the peak of the daylily bloom. Spring Plant Auction, 2:30 until dark. 519 Palisades Rd, PenYou’ll view beautiful plants and have the opportunity to buy the sacola. For info: 476-9960 or 476-0928. plants straight out of the ground. May 16 Tri-County Horticulture Study group, an outreach or7

BOOK REVIEW

by Marg S.

This time I’m going to highlight a few of the titles available through the UF/IFAS bookstore.

tailed descriptions. $24.95 If you have a Kindle, don’t forget to search “free” garden books. There are loads of titles under the free section that won’t cost you a dime.

First, SP 437 Invasive and Non-native Plants You Should Know, Northwest Florida, is being discontinued. While supplies last, they are being sold for $20. Second, SP 467 Best Native Plants for Southern Gardens, by Gil Nelson. This 412 page, illustrated volume is $29.95.

For example, there is a free book, The Garden, You, and I. This book was originally published in 1906, written by Mabel Osgood Wright. It’s a delightful read.

Third, SP 370 Common Mosquitoes of Florida ID Deck. Helps identify 33 different mosquitoes you might encounter in Florida. $12.00 Fourth, SP 462 Sustainable Gardening for Florida. Half of all royalties from sales of this book will be paid directly to the Florida Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. $24.95 Lastly, SP 459 Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities. 384 pages with over 500 color photos and de-

“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” Henry Ward Beecher

SAVE SOME $

by Marg S.

Some creative ideas for helping save some planting containers! Remove the plastic of our hard earned dollars when it comes bottom insert and cut off the handles. Fill to gardening. with potting medium and plant away! The bags will break down over the season and HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR can be composted. Combine one part plain white sugar and four parts water. Slowly heat the solution CLEAN IT UP! for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the sugar to Gardening tools aren’t cheap. Keep the dissolve and slow fermentation. Allow the ones you have in good working order. Alsolution to cool completely before filling ways clean your tools before you put them feeders. Unused nectar may be stored in away. Keep the edges sharp. You’ll save the refrigerator, covered, for up to one time and money in the long run. week. CHECK OUT SALES PLANT MARKERS Don’t discount yard sales. Especially movTake a lid from a tin can or a plastic lid, ing sales and estate sales. Take the time to write (or stamp) the plant name you need. make the rounds and score inexpensive Insert the lid between the tines of an old containers and tools! fork and insert near the plant. START WITH SMALLER PLANTS MAKE SEED SPACING EASIER When you get plants from a retail location, Take an old measuring stick (wood kind) choose smaller plants. They usually cost and drill holes at the one inch marks (or less and will transplant better than large whatever spacing you prefer). Make sure specimens. the holes are large enough to allow a pencil or dowel to go through. Lay your yard- GROW WHAT YOU EAT If you are growing vegetables, grow what stick along the plant row and mark your you’ll eat! Try growing the more expensive planting holes! foods that you buy in the store all the time. REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS If you find yourself spending a lot of monReusable shopping bags can be used as ey on fresh herbs, get that herb garden 8

going! KEEP A RECORD Not only keep track of what you planted where, but keep a running record of your garden expenses. You’ll be able to see where most of your money is going and maybe find a less expensive solution. AND SOME OTHERS -Buy only the quantities that you need. -Use local sources for heavy stuff to save on shipping costs. - Make friends with someone who owns a pick-up truck. -Be nice to garden center clerks. You’d be surprised at the money saving information you may glean from them. -Purchase late in the season when there are more likely to be discounts. We all love to garden and saving money while you’re at it makes it all that more enjoyable! Don’t forget—time is money as well. If you can find an easier and less time consuming method for doing something—do it!

PUZZLE PAGE Q

BENCH

GLOVES

NURSERY

SHADE

WATER

CLEMATIS

GRAFT

PLANT

SHRUBBERY

WEEDING

CLIMBER

HOE

POTTING

SHOVEL

CUTWORMS

HOLE

PRUNE

TRANSPLANT

DRAINAGE

HOSE

RAKE

TRELLIS

FERTILIZE

MULCH

SEEDLING

TROWEL

Marg S.—Editor Shari F., Karen H. and Linda M.—Co-Editors

Have pictures or an idea for an article? Send it in! Articles and pictures are always welcome.

Your member site: www.ocmgamembers.org

The Foundation for the Gator Nation.....An equal opportunity institution.

LAST WORD I have come to the conclusion that I am very glad that (a) I do not have nosy neighbors (b) the homes in my neighborhood are single story ones and (c) that my back yard has high fences. To begin with, I got the genius idea that I wanted an outdoor shower. I never liked walking through the house after a day in the garden. Usually, you could follow my trail of garden dirt and plant parts. Thankfully I had help with the construction part and I now have an outdoor shower. I hook up a camp shower when I first go out and by the time I’m done with the garden chores, the water is warm. Lattice work was installed for privacy but to be quite honest, it doesn’t hide much. So, I installed roll up blinds. In theory, this would have worked wonders—in practice....refer to (a) (b) and (c) above. I have to admit that I do enjoy the shower—even with the questionable coverage. At least it’s in the back yard and the UPS driver only goes to the front (otherwise he could be struck blind). It rained today so I know that I’ll be out slug hunting again tonight. Sure, I could put down slug bait but I’d rather not. I put on my head lamp, gather up a can with salt and a rubber glove. With any luck it will be before midnight (that’s when I was out there yesterday). Refer again to (a) (b) and (c). Then there was today, a baby bunny decided to go into my greenhouse. I don’t have a problem with rabbits but I didn’t want the little guy in there. I’m not the most nimble person in the world and anyone who has been around baby bunnies...let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. He finally left but I swear I heard him laughing as he exited. So indeed, I’m really glad that the 10

By Marg S. neighbors can’t view my ‘escapades’ most of the time. But I can’t help thinking about when I was growing up and we didn’t have all this ‘privacy’. Back then, we lived in row houses (what they call townhomes now). The backyards all faced the alley and everyone had a back gate into the alley. There were fences between the yards but they weren’t high wooden things. No, these were just the right height to lean on. Not so high you couldn’t ‘hop the fence’ to go play with your friends but high enough to provide a comfortable leaning spot. Those fences heard a lot of stories during the summer months. Who was where, prices, politics, and sports. Debating on who was growing vegetables the wrong way and passing over a warm pie. The front porches were occupied as well but these were for ‘visiting’ or for watching the world go by. It was a more proper place, to be on the front porch. You never knew who might be walking by so you behaved yourself. But the backyard fences, that’s where friendships were made, arguments took place, and apologies were accepted. Babies were admired and grief was shared. You were raised to mind your own business and not gawk into a neighbors yard. You had your ‘privacy’ because everyone ‘minded their manners’. The fences marked property boundaries, not boundaries between people. Today, we build high fences. We say it’s for privacy, to keep the kids safe, etc., etc. We build fences to keep the world out. Actually, I think those fences don’t keep out the world as much as they keep us in. Well, time to go hunt slugs and enjoy the evening. The neighbors won’t see me. Gee, I miss the leaning fences.