Home and Garden 08/26/17

HOME & GARDEN • SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2017

Fall gardening YEAR ROUND GARDENING:

Growing and harvesting herbs KEN MOON:

Attic vs. whole house fan

Look inside for these specials and many others.

YEAR ROUND GARDENING

Growing and harvesting herbs

BY DEBRA STINTON OTHITIS, COLORADO MASTER GARDENER

M

any gardeners are enjoying fresh herbs from their gardens now but, if preserved by one of several easy methods, they can also be used after the first frost and when snow is on the ground. Although it is currently too late in the season to plant most herbs, it’s not too late to be thinking about how to over-winter your perennial herbs; or to start planning now to include these rewarding plants in your garden and kitchen next year. An exception is coriander also known as cilantro, which germinates quickly.

Gardeners find herbs easy to grow, rewarding and fun. Many herbs are droughttolerant, hardy and beneficial in the garden as they attract many pollinators. Herbs can be grown for their color, texture, flowers and/or fragrance, so consider adding them in your flower border for that purpose. Some herbs, such as fennel and dill, have lacy foliage and flowers that complement bolder shapes, and thyme is suitable for use as an edging plant.

Containers are ideal for growing herbs, since they can be positioned in or around the kitchen, where they are convenient for picking; or placed near doorways and garden seats to release a welcoming fragrance.

When using containers, remember that adequate drainage is all-important.

Also, containers will need water daily in the summer and fertilizer once a week, whereas feeding herbs that are growing in good garden soil is not essential.

Although there are many herbs that are used for medicinal, aromatic or decorative purposes, culinary herbs are the most frequently encountered herbs. A culinary herb is a plant from which you gather and use leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, buds, bark or roots for seasoning, flavorings, scents and enrichment of certain foods to make them fresher tasting and more aromatic. Herbs are healthy too, containing many vitamins and minerals.

Herbs can be either annual (completing their life cycle in one year), perennial (growing for more than one season), or biennial (a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle).

Photo by Debra Othitis Annual herbs include coriander, chervil, basil and dill and these should be started from seed. Perennial herbs include chives, marjoram, oregano, mint, sage and thyme, and most of these are started from young plants although chives will also grow well from seed. To over-winter perennials, the crown of the plant should be protected with a loose covering of straw and the plant should be watered occasionally to reduce the chance of winterkill. Parsley is a biennial and if you let it go to seed the second year, it may become invasive. It can be started from seed or from a seedling.

The best time to harvest herbs is when they are at their peak for flavor. You can test this by tasting and/or smelling the herb, but as a general rule they should be harvested just before the flowers

HG 2 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017

first open. Gather your herbs in the early morning after the dew has evaporated to minimize wilting, and avoid harvesting later than 10 a.m. as transpiration occurs after that time. Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere. In simple terms, transpiration is essentially the uptake of nutrients from the soil and evaporation of water from plant leaves.

Harvest herbs down to two sets of true leaves as this has added benefits of preventing your herbs from bolting, while also encouraging new growth on your herb plants.

When harvesting seeds from dill, fennel and coriander, wait until the seeds have turned from green to gray or brown in color.

Herbs can be preserved for use throughout the year by drying or freezing.

For more information about how to preserve culinary herbs, see extension. colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-foodsafety-health/herbs-preserving-andusing-9-335.

When you have questions, Colorado State University Extension has research-based answers. Get answers to your horticulture questions by visiting ask.extension.org any time day or night. Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. you can call 719520-7684 or email CSUmg2@elpasoco. com. For current garden tips visit www. facebook.com/ColoradoMasterGardeners.

EPC. For current classes visit elpaso. extension.colostate.edu.

BEAT THE RUSH Lawn Mower Tune-ups

Mary Grams, 84, holds a carrot that grew through her engagement ring in Alberta, Canada. Grams, who lost her diamond ring 13 years ago while pulling weeds in her garden, is wearing it proudly again after her daughter-in-law pulled it from the ground on a misshapen carrot. Grams, 84, said she can’t believe the vegetable actually grew through and around the diamond engagement ring she had given up for lost. Photo by Iva Harberg via The Associated Press

LUCKY CARROT:

Alberta woman finds mother-in-law’s lost ring

A

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Canadian woman who lost her engagement ring 13 years ago while weeding her garden on the family farm is wearing it proudly again after her daughter-in-law pulled it from the ground on a misshapen carrot.

Mary Grams, 84, said she can’t believe the lucky carrot actually grew through and around the diamond ring she had long given up hope of finding.

Grams said she never told her husband, Norman, that she lost the ring, but told her son. Her husband died five years ago.

“I feel relieved and happy inside,” Grams said this week. “It grew into the carrot. I still can’t figure it out.”

Her daughter-in-law, Colleen Daley, found the ring while harvesting carrots for

supper with her dog Billy at the farm near Armena, Alberta, where Grams used to live. The farm has been in the family for 105 years.

Daley said while she was pulling the carrots and noticed one of them looked strange. She almost fed it to her dog but decided to keep it and just threw it in her pail. When she was washing the carrots she noticed the ring and spoke to her husband, Grams’ son, about what she had found.

They quickly called Grams. “I said we found your ring in the garden. She couldn’t believe it,” Daley said. “It was so weird that the carrot grew perfectly through that ring.”

Grams said she was eager to try the ring on again after so many years. With family looking on she washed the ring with a little soap to get the dirt off. It slid

on her finger as easily as it did when her husband gave it to her.

“We were giggling and laughing,” she said. “It fit. After that many years it fits.”

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fall

Fall vegetable gardens can be worthy endeavors, yielding plenty of crops and providing fun and fulfillment into the fall.

Reap garden rewards even in

G METRO SERVICES

ardening is a rewarding hobby that can help people relax and produce an enviable landscape.

Many gardeners even find their meals are more fresh and flavorful when using items they grew themselves. While many people do the bulk of their gardening in the spring and summer, certain plants thrive in cooler temperatures. That group includes autumn vegetables that are ripe for the picking when leaves begin falling.

Fall gardens provide a reason to enjoy the oft-enjoyable autumn air. So many different vegetables come to life in the

autumn, and they can make wonderful additions to the dinner table. Broccoli, kale, collards, spinach, squashes, artichokes, and beets are just some of the many autumn planting options you can try. Celery also is best in the fall, and its harvest continues through winter in temperate climates. By replacing crops that have been harvested through the spring and summer with fall-friendly alternatives, you can keep your garden productive for most of the year.

Begin the process by counting back 12 to 14 weeks from the expected first frost date for where you live. Begin seeds for your autumn plantings indoors, because summer heat and dryness are not the best conditions to nurture young seedlings.

HG 4 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017

Enrich the soil with compost so that you can replenish the nutrients lost from the last crop harvested.

Each region is different, so learn about when to put plants in the ground for your region. Many plants still need the sun and warmth of late summer to thrive and produce well into the fall. If you are unsure, consult with a local garden center, where you can learn about various aspects of autumn gardening. Onions, shallots and garlic are best planted mid-fall after the soil has cooled.

Gradually introduce seedlings to more sunlight and outdoor temperatures before they go in the ground, as they need time to adjust to the unfiltered sun.

Be sure to thoroughly water the garden.

Newly planted beds should be kept moist to germinate and so established plants can take root. In addition, consider a shade covering so that the soil doesn’t dry out or get baked in the sun. Mulch also can help retain moisture and keep the conditions ideal for your autumn vegetables to grow.

Remember that moisture and cooler temperatures can attract garden pests, so you may need to employ some strategies to keep them under control. For example, insect barriers and all-natural baited traps can keep slugs and snails from munching on your autumn plants.

Fall vegetable gardens can be worthy endeavors, yielding plenty of crops and providing fun and fulfillment into the fall.

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GOREN BRIDGE

WITH BOB JONES ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

weekly bridge quiz q 1 - Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ 10 5 2 ♥ 10 6 4 3 2 ♦ 10 9 8 ♣ A 9 Partner opens one diamond and righthand opponent passes. What call would you make? q 2 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ q J 9 ♥ 8 7 4 2 ♦ J 10 5 4 ♣ k 5 Partner opens one club and right-hand opponent overcalls one diamond. What call would you make? q 3 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ J 10 8 ♥ A 9 ♦ J 5 2 ♣ J 10 9 5 4 Partner opens one no trump, 15-17, and right-hand opponent passes. What call would you make? q 4 - Both vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ 8 2 ♥ k 10 2 ♦ 5 ♣ k q 9 8 7 6 4 SOuTH weST NOrTH eAST

3♣ Pass 3♠ ?

What call would you make?

Pass

AROUND THE HOUSE

Attic vs. whole house fan

BY KEN MOON, SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE

q 5 - North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

Dear Ken: We have had lots of lightning strikes in our area, so I want to know about lightning rods.

— Whitney

♠q942♥q65♦98742♣7 NOrTH eAST SOuTH weST Pass 2♣ Pass 2♦ 2NT Pass ?

What call would you make? q 6 - East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold: ♠ k 7 5 4 3 ♥ A q ♦ k 9 6 4 ♣ J 10 SOuTH weST NOrTH eAST Pass 1♠ Pass 2♥ ?

What call would you make?

Look for answers on Monday.

(Bob Jones welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001.

E-mail: tcaeditors@tribpub.com)

End of Summer Sales!

First, the odds of any one home being struck by lightning are infinitesimal — virtually zero. Even though a rod and cable system is not a panacea for every potential strike on or around your home, it does offer some peace of mind.

A direct hit will still do damage, but the cables will direct the current flow quickly and directly back to the earth, where it wants to go anyway. That will minimize damage to the structure and help protect the people inside.

For non-direct hits, a good grounding system is vital. Most homes don’t have a large enough copper wire leading from the electric panel to water piping and to a ground rod. Check with an electrician for the latest code requirements. Surge protectors also will help. You can install them on the electric, TV and phone lines coming into the house plus computers and other delicate — and expensive — electronic equipment.

KEN MOON

Dear Ken: Would there be much cooling difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan? Also, what about energy rebates?

— Bill

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They both help, but I like the whole house fan better. It not only purges the day’s heat from the attic, but it also lowers the temperature in the living space as well, as you draw in that cool evening air. The attic-only fan works mostly in the daytime during the hottest hours of the afternoon.

It’s thermostatically-controlled, but some folks disable that function and install a plain switch, so it can be run manually after sundown. It will, indeed, lower the interior attic space temperature, and that helps keep the bedrooms cooler so you can sleep.

Of course, as always, there are tradeoffs. The smaller attic fan simply hangs on the end wall blowing out a gable vent (although there are versions you

mount under the sloped roof deck). The whole house fan requires framing changes in the roof truss system, and, perhaps, some sheetrock work and painting. But either one will lower your air conditioning costs and help make your nights more restful.

I’m not aware of any rebates available for these devices, but keep checking the websites of the state and federal Departments of Energy and your power provider.

Dear Ken: I have a 1968 boiler, and want to know if I should replace it to gain energy efficiency. It does work fine, but am I wasting money?

—Pat If it’s chugging along like it has for more than 40 years, and isn’t giving you any trouble, I would do some arithmetic before I ripped it out and replaced it. It’s not economically justifiable to save energy regardless of the costs, unless your only motive is to save the planet — not your pocketbook.

Here’s an example of what I mean: Suppose your heating bill is $150 a month for six months each year. And suppose you want to install a new $5,000 boiler to gain another 30 percent in efficiency (the minimum standard for new ones, around 80 percent; minus yours, which is in the neighborhood of 50 percent). That’s a saving of about $270 a year. Divide that into $5,000 and you get 18.5 years before you start saving any money at all.

Of course, that time will shorten up if gas prices start to climb again. If you plan on staying put for a long time, it could be worth it. But if you move, you won’t have amortized the capital cost, and so the new buyer will get all the benefits (this same calculation applies to hot air furnaces, but their payback time will be less).

For now, keep your boiler in tiptop shape by having it looked at once a year, and insulate the hot feed pipes under house with Styrofoam, so they don’t leak energy unnecessarily.

Ken Moon is a home inspector in the Pikes Peak region. His radio show airs at 9 a.m.

Saturday and is carried on KRDO, AM 1240 and FM 105.5. Visit AroundTheHouse.com.

denniS The menaCe

The Family CirCuS

by hank ketcham

Sherman’S lagoon

PiCkleS

by Brian Crane

mr BoFFo

by Joe martin

by J. P. Toomey

by Bil keane

rhymeS wiTh orange by hilary Price

marmaduke

by Brad and Paul anderson

Baldo

by hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos

SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 7

Blondie

by dean young and John marshall

muTTS

by Patrick mcdonnell

Funky winkerBean

luann

by greg evans

PeanuTS

by Charles Schulz

by Tom Batiuk

HG 8 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017

loS angeleS TimeS CroSSword

non SequiTur

by wiley

edited by rich norris and Joyce lewis

lola

by Todd Clark

BeeTle Bailey across 1 One who’s often over a barrel?

7 Band member with a vihuela 15 Use a combine 16 Tiny orbiter 17 Not shrink from 18 Maintain control 19 See 38-Across 21 “The Owl and the Pussycat” poet 22 Watched 23 Chocolate-flavored spread 25 Gets misty 29 Welcome item?

30 Online shopping offer 31 Testimony opener 33 Glitterati member 37 IV sites 38 She said, “It’s better to be 19-Across than 55-Across” 40 Bedazzlement 41 Rwandan ethnic group 43 One of Pop’s partners 44 “Roast beast”-eating people 45 Adobe file format 47 Shelley dedicated an ode to one of them 49 Musical star who received a 1949 Honorary Award Oscar 53 Big heads?

54 Split hairs?

55 See 38-Across 60 Blathered 62 Current quantity 63 Antlion relative 64 Squanders, perhaps 65 Dramatic break 66 American of Japanese descent down 1 PC key 2 Its state quarter displays the Wright Flyer 3 “... __ it seems” 4 Gives a sidelong glance 5 Respect 6 Onetime Botswana neighbor 7 “Jeopardy!” first name 8 Sci-fi staple

9 Shining example of mirrorwriting?

10 Curling surface 11 Shoe endorser 12 Angler’s wicker basket 13 Every 60 minutes 14 Hindu weather deity 20 Responsibilities 24 Diplomatic asset 25 Kilt wearer 26 No __ traffic 27 Right in the atlas?

28 Potential queens 32 Not so potent 34 Memorable big cat portrayer 35 Furry Endor native 36 Catfish Row heroine of opera 38 Modest skirt 39 Pirate’s viewing aid 42 “CSI” evidence 44 Showed willingness to listen (to) 46 Cavort 48 Oompa-__: Wonka worker 49 Big __ 50 Leftovers cover 51 Political essay 52 Ceremony, e.g.

56 Border 57 Guy dolls 58 Mahler’s earth 59 ’50s sitcom name 61 Longtime Howard Hughes asset

by mort, greg, and Brian walker

hagar The horriBle

moTher gooSe

by Chris Browne

by mike Peters

Friday’s Puzzle Solved

Tundra

by Chad Carpenter

SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 9

Bizarro

by dan Piraro

argyle SweaTer

by Scott hilburn

CeleBriTy CiPher by luis Campos Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

B.C.

by hart

ziTS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

JumP STarT

Frazz

by robb armstrong

by Jef mallett

HG 10 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017

dilBerT

by Scott adams

Sally ForTh

by Francesco marciuliano and Jim keefe

BaBy BlueS

by Jerry Scott and rick kirkman

PearlS BeFore Swine by Stephan Pastis

PooCh CaFe

by Paul gilligan

SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017 I THE GAZETTE I HG 11

TAKE OUR ADVICE ADVICE

Dear Amy: My son got married about five years ago. His wife and I got off to a bad start right away.

I try to be nice, but she seems to take everything I say the wrong way. She is the child of divorced parents. She overanalyzes everyAMY thing, and I feel like I have to DICKINSON walk on eggshells around her.

There are many things I admire about her, but when I compliment her, she takes it as patronizing.

I have made some mistakes, such as being too involved in their wedding, but she has made mistakes, too.

I always let her poor behavior go, but she is so unforgiving. I don’t know what to do, because she is married to a son with whom I have always been very close, and honestly, despite the way she treats me, I really love her. I can’t sleep at night because I’m so worried about this relationship. — Trying Dear Trying: I give you props for wanting to improve this relationship, and also for admitting your own role in its dysfunction.

At this point, you have nothing to lose — and much to gain — by owning your role, and expressing your desire for things to change.

You should contact your daughter-in-law, privately, and ask her if she would be willing to help you to “reboot” this relationship. Say that you still regret overstepping at their wedding, and that you realize this got you off on a poor footing. Tell her that she is family, that you love her, and that you hope she will learn to forgive you your own flaws, in order to move forward in friendship.

Dear Amy: Responding to “Not a Sister,” when I started college, I became best friends with a girl who already had a much-beloved sister. I became close to her family, but I never thought of us as sisters until after all four parents had passed. We changed our relationship to “Sisters of the Heart.”

It works and doesn’t diminish the love she has for her sister. — Happy “Sister” Dear “Sister”: I love it.

—

ADVICE

DR. OZ AND DR. ROIZEN

Question: How would a cancer vaccine work, and how close are we to getting one? — Phyllis J., San Diego

Answer: Much of the work that’s going on with cancer vaccines now involves personalized medicine. Scientists tailor each vaccine to YOUR immune system and train it to kill cell mutations (that’s the cancer) that are unique to YOU. In the U.S., a small clinical trial of what’s called a neoantigen vaccine focused on folks with melanoma. It targeted 20 predicted personal tumor neoantigens in the participants; neoantigens are a peptide — two or more amino acids — that arise from tumors. Four of six vaccinated patients had no recurrence of the disease 25 months after vaccination. Two who had recurrence were then treated with anti-PD-1 (anti-programmed cell death-1) therapy and had complete tumor regression.

Another study, in Germany, used what are called personalized RNA mutanome vaccines to effectively mobilize immunity against cancer mutations in melanoma. The approach was to do very thorough genetic sequencing of a person’s tumor and compare that to a genetic sequencing of healthy cells in that person. The researchers then identified parts of the “healthy” genome that they thought would activate immune system T cells to efficiently kill tumor cells. From that information, they made a vaccine. The German study included 13 people with melanoma; all had experienced multiple relapses of the disease, but eight of the 13 were tumor-free when they got the personalized vaccine. Over the 23-month follow-up, all eight remained tumor-free. The other five patients had relapses before they received the personalized vaccines, but one of them saw measurable tumor shrinkage and another became tumor-free after receiving the vaccination.

Many other approaches are being considered as well. Some researchers are even testing vaccines that prevent the disease! Stay tuned.

—

Send questions to askamy@tribune.com or to Ask Amy, Chicago Tribune, TT500, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.

Email your health and wellness questions to youdocsdaily@ sharecare.com.

ADVICE

Dear readers: Wearing shoes in the house? Maybe you shouldn’t. Here are some reasons: • Shoes you wear out of the house can get really dirty! They may pick up germs and dirt from HINTS streets, office buildings, elevaFROM tors or public restrooms.

HELOISE • Hardwood floors can be damaged from high heels!

• Feet need to “rest” and relax — you know, when you take off work shoes, heels or boots and say, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Consider your lifestyle: Your feet should be happy and healthy, and if so, you will feel better.

Barefoot gal in Texas! — Heloise Dear Heloise: I’ve discovered a delicious way to infuse fruit flavors into my iced tea. I skewer blueberries, strawberries or raspberries (sometimes all of them) and set them in the teapot when I brew tea for my iced tea. This adds a little bit of flavor. — M.M. in Texas Well, as a Southern gal who drinks of lot of “home-brewed” iced and hot tea, I love this! I take a peek in the refrigerator to see what fresh fruit is there. I’ll rinse and cut up strawberries, blackberries, peaches and even apples to drop into the teapot. This makes delicious tea for a cup of hot tea or a glass of iced tea! I brew it strong, so when poured into a glass filled with ice, the tea still has that wonderful quenching effect.

If you would like to learn a little more about tea and coffee, I put together a pamphlet filled with my favorite tea and coffee hints. Visit Heloise.com to order it, or send a long, stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope, along with $3, to: Heloise/Coffee and Teas, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. — Heloise Dear readers: If you or a family member uses a shower seat, the plastic seat can be slippery when wet. Cover the seat with shelf liner. Some, you will find, has a “nubbly” texture that is nonslip.

This will give a more comfortable and safer place to sit. — Heloise —

Send hints via email to heloise@heloise.com or via post to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio TX 78279-5001.

TODAY’S HOROSCOPES BY JERALDINE SAUNDERS ARIES (March 21-April 19) You will excel at projects that require precision and a keen eye for detail. You will be focused on whatever you choose to do. You may enjoy yourself more on your own rather than with others.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) It’s all in your head. You may feel guilty over indulgences, but there’s no reason that you shouldn’t live it up once in a while.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.

The odds will not be in your favor when it comes to taking a risk or a chance, so play it safe.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Speak your mind. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself if you feel that someone is holding you to unreasonable standards. Matters of the heart may require some extra attention.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Stretch your legs. Don’t collect cobwebs lounging about the house when you can stay in shape at the pool, playing tennis or taking a walk in the park.

Hold off on starting new projects.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A bargain isn’t a bargain if it’s something you don’t need. A useless item is still useless no matter what the price. Save your cash.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22.)

Nobody’s perfect. You may find it difficult to get along with others if you hold them up to lofty expectations.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Not everything goes according to plan. Unexpected events could throw your schedule out of whack.

Your charms may attract the sort of people you’d do well to avoid.

HG 12 I THE GAZETTE I SATURDAY, AUG 26, 2017

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) No one is keeping score. Don’t let a setback get you down, as you will have chances to make up for it in the near future. Friendly competition could be a great way to blow off steam and clear your head.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Organization is the key. Everything will run more smoothly if you maintain an orderly and tidy environment.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Stay out of the spotlight. Being the center of attention is nice, but sometimes it invites criticism as well.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Leave a tense situation alone as any action, for better or for worse, could cause a flare-up. Stick to people and places you know well for the next few days so you can relax and be yourself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aug. 26 Focus on networking and investigating the limits of your freedoms during the next four to five weeks. You may be placed in the spotlight or find new people and ideas to occupy your mind. You will have an opportunity to put important changes into action successfully during October when your judgment is at its best. This is a time when you are attracted to the people and things that are good for you and when you can ask for and receive help.