‘Spring Guide #2 & Whats UP!


TM


UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • MAY 2017 • 11 Beautiful! From Flower to Flower by Kimberly Childers • kimberlychilders@att.net


elegant, yellow sweet flag standing tall and my favorite water poppy, ‘Hydrocleys nymphoides’ floating about. On line there are hun- dreds of sites to help you create the pond you dream of or a facsimile there- of. So. . .what are you waiting for?!


I’ve been spending a bit of time with Alys Fowler, always inspir- ing. Her opin- ions about the importance


of


‘soil first’ in your garden are imperative. Prepare your organic soil first, then plant your seeds.


Santa Rosa, CA. ~ May is here at last with all her floriferousness, beautiful! Raised beds and gardens are ready to plant seeds and starts of everything we love, strawber- ries, carrots and plenty of greens, heirloom wildflowers, chocolate daisies, sunflowers, Persian Carpet butterfly zinnias and climbing ev- erything, for your tall tripods and trellises. Soft orange, lily flowered tulips are fading away next to seed ‘skel- etons’ of once blue-petaled for- get- me-nots which have been cut back and bundled up for the com- post. California native gardens are flourishing and intricately colored butterflies are instinctively ‘flit- ting’ from flower to flower. I hope you’re checking out all of the in- spirational front yards and gardens around town, spectacular spots here and there. I’ve seen a few huge fountains planted in gorgeous collections of succulents instead of water! Nice. Everyone’s new ponds are start- ing to really take hold and support a thriving eco system with Mos- quito fish keeping things in check,


The impor-


tance of compost cannot be over- stated and with our kitchen waste we can certainly make our own, be it worm bins or recycled-pallet compost bins with easily remov- able sides for turning. Order one of her amazing books, used or new. They are priceless. My favorite is, The Edible Garden, How to Have Your Garden and Eat It, Too. Seaweed! Bringing the sea back on to the land with its amazing nutrients seems to be pure magic in the garden. It is thought that seaweed synthesizes an arsenal of beneficial chemical compounds which can be utilized by garden plants. Locally, seaweed products are available at all our favorite nurseries and garden centers. Liq- uid and/or concentrated seaweed powders, you decide.


Is it time to get a real indoor compost bucket that doesn’t stink up the kitchen, attract fruit flies, etc? Look on line for excellent features like stainless steel, last- ing your lifetime at least and size, too tall, too small, charcoal filters or not. Shop around to find the


best deal. You’ve got to have the right tools for the job and kitchen composting is becoming very im- portant.


If you’re tired of ‘sharing’ your berries with maraud- ing birds check out Gardman’s Fruit Cages for all


your ber-


ries. It costs around $50. and seems to ‘be the ticket’ for quite a rea- sonable price. You can stand up inside too! It’s available on line and lo- cally as well if you don’t have access to a good carpenter, a friend, a smart student or your grandfather. You decide.


Many of you still love and enjoy roses as I do. Their evocative fra- grance is unsurpassed. I’ve been spraying a mix- ture of 1 Tbsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp dish soap, and 1 Tbsp. horticul- tural oil, added to 1 gallon of water.


Put the


water in first so your con- coction doesn’t bubble away. Shake to mix. This makes the tasty leaves not so tasty for bugs, helps with black spot, rust and


powdery mildew. Be sure to spray the undersides of leaves too. Make


... continued on page 20 Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 3


Originally the word ‘bacon’ was used for any type of pork.


Bacon is cured and smoked pork. In the U.S. pork bellies are used, Canadian bacon is made from the rib eye of boneless pork loin, and most European countries use the ham (thigh) or shoulder to make bacon.


There are 24,872 people in the U.S. listed on whitep- ages.com with the last name ‘Bacon’(2012)


Modena Italy’s balsamic vinegar is aged at least 6 to 12 years and some are aged for 50 to 100 years. As could be expected, these vinegars can be quite expensive, some costing over $200 per ounce!


LANES Double Decker 300 Golf Course Dr.Rohnert Park, CA 94928 “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ~ Linda Grayson


Sign Up Now! Program Starts June 5th*


*Program runs through September 4th Go to: www.kidsbowlfree.com/doubledecker


707- 585-0226 UPBEAT TIMES, INC. • MAY 2017 • 11


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