Lots of Trees are still in Danger

Neglected Trees have weak Roots

A walk about after the rain ceased disclosed some very interesting facts. large, very old trees must be cared for or removed. After careful examination of several downed trees, it became evident that these trees should have been removed long ago. The heavy snow and ice had weakened shallow roots damaged by insects. The shallow, insect damaged roots could not hold the massive 40' foot trees upright. The ground was too wet. Most of the trees that fell came up from the ground by the shallow roots.

A massive tree in my backyard fell one July when there was no wind, not even a gentle breeze. It did terrible damage to my neigbor's yards and houses three yards across. Luckily, it fell away from my house. There was insect damage in what I thought was one tree with three trunks. It was really 3 trees growing close together. I was concerned that the 2 remaining trees would fall on my house, so I paid the enormous amount of money it cost to remove them. It would have cost a lot more if they had fell, maybe even loss of life.
More attention should be paid to the trees that help our environment. If anyone cared to really look at the roots of the fallen trees that caused so much damage in the area, they would find what I did. The trees were sickly and should have been removed long ago. The roots were very small and insect ridden, rotted away. There was no way they could have held up against the high winds. Some of them may even have fallen without wind.


This is disturbing since there were two deaths in a neighboring town. Some of these trees fell in parks where our children play.

Too much water for the Earth to Drink

Stocking Up

Preparing for winter is not only something that squirrels do. People have been known to stock up on occasion also. Everyone has not always had a freezer to pack away food. Before freezers were invented,affordable, or popular, enterprising survivors had other ways of preparing for the lean months. Farm families canned vegetables and fruits in mason jars. They cured pork and beef for consumption during the winter months. Root cellars were stocked with sweet potatoes, white potatoes, turnips, radishes, carrots and other root crops. Corn was dried, shelled from the cob and pounded into corn meal and grits. Before the first frost all remaining tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers and other lingers on were gathered and pickled into a tangy sweet mixture called chow chow that was served as a side dish for the entire winter.

Whenever there is a threat of bad weather the supermarkets are filled to the brim with shoppers who are stocking up. The place is abuzz with talk of not being caught without the staples in the house. Canned goods and packaged goods sell out fast.

I stock up on salmon. I buy over a hundred dollars worth of the smaller cheap ones. According to the experts the smaller younger ones contain less mercury while still supplying the essential omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids. The young fish is washed and cut into meal size pieces. The salmon is seasoned and frozen. Lunches and dinners are much healthier and easier when these packets are simply removed from the freezer and baked in a preheated oven with sweet potatoes. Planning for delicious, low salt meals is a cinch, because it is already well marinated in healthy herbs and spices.

A Noreaster is drenching New Jersey

The crocus in the front yard are beginning to peep up through the straw colored grass. Daffodils are boasting fat yellow buds ready to pop open. The ground is heaving up around the mums. Torrential rains have finally melted the great mounds of snow that seemed never ready to leave.

Trees are down all over the place. Power lines tangle in with tree limbs. Shoprite has refrigeration trucks in the rear of the store. No frozen food is available inside. The pharmacy is closed, because terminals are down. Cash registers are being powered by generators. Traffic lights are non functional.

It is amazing that drivers are actually being courteous to each other. The land is in a state of emergency and the ground has had to much to drink. Water ten feet deep in some areas. My basement is dry. The sump pump is working. We have power.

Don't Like Raw Almonds, Make a Smoothie

Almonds have been called a heart healthy food by many Doctors. It has been suggested that one eat a handful of raw almonds everyday. Some people prefer the toasted honey coated version of almonds that were previously served as a "light snack" on airlines. It has been suggested that all of the vital nutrients below have been cooked out by heat when roasted and that almonds shoud be consumed raw.

Almonds are high in vitamin B and protein. One cup of shelled almonds contains 26 grams of protein, 77 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 332 milligrams of calcium and small amounts of vitamins B1,B2, iron and niacin.

The vitamix food processor and mixer has become irreplaceable in heart healthy kitchens. It makes the best smoothie out of most anything. It even makes the raw almond a tasty treat when processed with banannas.

Almond Bananna Smoothie
1 cup raw almonds
2 large banannas (the bananna substitutes for sugar so add to your taste)
1/2 cup of soy milk (rice, or skim milk may also be used. I am lactose intolerant)
4 large frozen strawberries (optional)

Put the soy milk into the mixer first. It makes blending easier. Add the almonds and blend on high speed until they are basically liquid. Add the strawberries and blend until they are thoroughly blended. Pour in a glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh peppermint. Some of the smoothie may be poured into frozen ice pop molds and frozen for later. It makes a great pop that replaces ice cream.

It is Almost Planting Time In The Northeast

In the the North, the ground is frozen and not ready for planting until mid March or later. Planting of cold crops like cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, kale, collard greens, carrots, potatoes etc. may be done outside as soon as the ground can be worked. Frost will not hurt these plants. For the following plants, I buy seedlings at the nursery that have been grown in greenhouses and plant in Mid May. Depending on the weather in April or early May I purchase seedlings for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage and strawberries. Some plants germinate and grow quickly in the warm ground so I plant by seed after danger of frost. These plants include cucumbers, green beans, lima beans, carrots all varieties of squash, and okra. Geenerally, it is important to have all plants in the ground by the 15th of May.
If you live in a Northern location, it is time to purchase your seed and begin planting indoors now if you are planting cool crops. There is a colored coded guide found on the backs of almost all seed packets. This guide suggests when to plant that particular produce in certain areas. True farmers begin planning gardens while the ground is still frozen. Seedlings are growing at this very moment under greenhouse covers. The healthy seedlings that we purchase and set out are already growing in flats.
It is much cheaper to grow vegetables from seed. In some parts of the country the growing season is not long enough to make this feasible. In that case plants are sown in greenhouses and indoors in pots under lights and planted outside when the weather and warmth of the ground allows. My parents grew everything from seed, because the planting season began in early March and sometimes February. Sometimes the beds were covered with plastic sheets to give the seeds the much need warmth necessary to germinate. Most Farmers used the Farmer's Almanac and planted on the Moon.

Cold crops cannot stand the heat of the summer and are usually harvested or mulched heavily before the harsh summer heat.
Cool Season Crops – The planting time is nearly here in the north…if planting seeds…start them inside now, otherwise purchase seedlings in your local nursery.
Cabbage: start inside and plant outside when danger of severe frost is over. It likes cool weather
Spinach, lettuce, kale, mustard greens: Sow directly outside as early in spring as possible.
Brussel sprouts and collard greens are late crops and are sweetened by a light frost. Southern farmers did not begin to eat collards until it had been touched by a light frost. It is much more palatable. Farmers seldom removed leaves from and established plant and cooked that way. The entire plant was harvested after being hit by a frost. The collards touched by frost cook faster, are lighter green in color when cooked and have a sweeter taste. Broccoli is sometimes considered a two season crop and is planted in succession. One is planted in early spring (seeds sown inside in green house flats) as soon as the ground can be worked and is harvested in the summer months.
Broccoli does not like hot summers. The second planting is done directly in the garden after danger of severe frost. Kale is considered an all season crop and is not harmed by frost or the cold. We sometimes harvested it in the snow. We also dug into the softening ground to find carrots that had been missed in earlier harvests.
Plan your gardening now. Decide what you are going to plant by seed and what you will plant as seedlings. You have to get ahead of the weather. You might even want to find a copy of the Farmer’s Almanac.

Smothered Green Beans & Potatoes

½ pd. Green beans
2 medium sized white potatoes
1 garlic clove
1 cayenne pepper pod (green)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (powdered)
Slice each green bean down the middle. Peel and cut potato into long slivers. Cut up peppers and garlic clove. Coat non-stick frying pan with the olive oil. Medium heat pan and spread potatoes on bottom of pan. Sprinkle chicken bouillon over potatoes and cover with an airtight lid. Allow potatoes to simmer or smother for 8 minutes. Turn potatoes lightly without mashing together. Cover potatoes with green beans, garlic, peppers and simmer on low heat allowing the steam trapped in the pan to cook the beans. Do not overcook. Beans should still be bright green when ready. Serve as a side dish with salmon or chicken breast.

Cucumber Bean Salad

15.5 oz. Can of Goya Pink Beans
2 firm fresh cucumbers
2 tablespoons capers
1 firm young tomato
2 tablespoons Italian dressing
Wash and peel cucumbers. Wash the pink beans thoroughly. Strain juice off capers. Wash and cut tomato into wedges. Mix capers, beans, cucumbers, tomato in salad bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator to marinade. Serve as a side dish or as a snack for cucumber lovers.

That Marvelous Green Bean or Snap Bean

Green beans, string beans or snap beans whatever you wish to call them are my favorite vegetable. On the farm in North Carolina, the rows ran from the clothesline by the house to the hedgerow by the Church. Being the oldest girl I was expected to learn to “put away” or “can” every vegetable that we grew. Spring into summer and early fall before frost were times of plenty where vegetables were concerned. My Mother taught me to freeze and can all types of vegetables and fruit for the winter months. It was not an easy job. If one little bit of oil grease or other contaminant got into the mason jar the food would spoil and the lid would pop off. I never liked my green beans canned. I think I took exception to adding the citric acid that preserved them. During the winter months we ate all canned or frozen foods.

I constructed the trellis at left from fencing left over from my above ground pool that took the place of the gigantic garden that my father and I worked while he was able. Yes, my yard is that big. My Nephew says I have three backyards. Now that the pool is there I grow vegetables many unusual small spaces. I mix them in with the flowers and use every piece of spare space there is.
Green beans are very valuable in all gardens. The nodules that grow on the roots add beneficial bacteria to the soil. This good bacteria grabs onto nitrogen in the air and leaves it in the soil. Most plants thrive on nitrogen, there are many plants that love being planted with or near beans. My Mom used to plant pole beans in the corn field after the corn was well established. The corn provided a trellis that the beans ran on and the beans provided nitrogen for the corn.

Soil Preparation: I work in some cured manure, peat moss, and a small amount of phosphorus before planting the seeds. My Dad used to make a fist and shove it into the soil until his arm was submerged up to the elbow. He would smile and say that was good. Sometimes I add a little bone meal or dried blood. This makes for very strong leaves that are very resistant to beetles. Don’t over use, because the plant will put more energy into making beautiful leaves than fruit.
Bush Beans: When planting in containers, read the package carefully to prevent over fertilizing and burning of the small plants. Green beans germinate quickly so buying seedlings is not necessary. Read the package and make sure that you have allowed enough time before frost. The number of days to harvest is always included on the package. Bush beans come in a 30-35 day variety. I usually plant them in succession so they are not producing at the same time.

Pole beans usually take longer to produce than bush beans so they are planted first. Pole beans take much longer, but take up less space, because they grow up. Pole beans may be planted on the patio and staked much like tomatoes. Simply train the runners to go where you want them. All green beans are best harvested when they are young and tender. They should snap when broken. (that is how they got the name snap beans) Picking often tells the plant to produce more, more. Sow or plant in late spring as soon as the soil and weather are thoroughly warm and danger of hard frost has passed. Green beans don’t like having the roots disturbed so don’t cultivate deeply. Pull the weeds by hand and stir the soil on top. Keep the soil pulled up around the legs or stalks otherwise they will fall over. Apply Mulch around the plants to maintain moisture in hot weather. Avoid picking the beans in the morning when the leaves are wet. This spreads disease from one leaf to another. Pole and Bush beans require full sun in order to produce lush crops. My pole bean of choice is the Kentucky Wonder.

Bush beans will actually grow in window boxes on the patio. Again read the package carefully for the height and space requirement. Plant more seeds in the container than you will allow to mature. When the seedlings have at least four leaves or is about two to three inches tall, thin them out.

Bush types• Burpee's Stringless Green Pod, 50 days (green, heirloom)
• Contender, 50 days (green)
• Rocdor, 53 days (yellow)
• Cherokee Wax, 55 days (yellow), 1948 AAS winner
• Golden Wax/Improved Golden Wax/Pencil Pod Black Wax/Top Notch, 55 days
(yellow, heirloom)
• Red Swan, 55 days (red)
• Blue Lake 274, 58 days (green)
• Maxibel, 59 days (green fillet)
• Roma II, 59 days (green romano)
• Improved Commodore/Bush Kentucky Wonder, 60 days (green), 1945 AAS winner
• Dragon's Tongue, 60 days (streaked)
Pole types• Marvel of Venice, 54 days (yellow romano)
• Blue Lake, 60 days (green)
• Fortex, 60 days (green fillet)
• Kentucky Blue, 63 days (green), 1991 AAS winner
• Old Homestead/Kentucky Wonder, 65 days (green, heirloom)
• Rattlesnake, 73 days (streaked, heirloom)
• Purple King, 75 days (purple)

This wall of Pole Beans performs a dual function as it blocks the neighbors view of my private back yard bistro dining area.

Health Benefits - Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin A and B. They are also a good source of B1 and vitamin C. They are a good source of calcium and iron.
Per 3.5oz raw green beans contain 7.1 grams of carbohydrates, 3.6 grams of dietary fiber,0.1 grams of fat, 1.8 grams of protein,1 milligram of iron and 200 mg or potassium. They are delicious eaten raw, stir fried, smothered with white potatoes, baked in casseroles with almonds or sliced into french cut and sprinkled over salads.
Sprouting Seed Super Sampler- Organic- 2.5 Lbs of 10 Different Delicious Sprout Seeds: Alfalfa, Mung Bean, Broccoli, Green Lentil, Clover, Buckwheat, Radish, Bean Salad & More
Peas Sugar Snap Certified Organic Seeds 85 Seeds
Gourmet Green Bean 70 Seeds - GARDEN FRESH PACK!

Growing and Selecting The Most Edible Cucumbers

CUCUMBERS IN A RAISED BED IN MY BACKYARD
Gathering cucumbers was one of my least favorite farm activities. It was always done in the early morning while the dew was still on the green leaves. These leaves hid the desirable little cucumber s and small animals that had spent the night hiding there while having a delicious cucumber meal. We treaded lightly through the long rows making lots of noise. Occasionally we were chastised for saving undesirable specimens that would not sell at the market.
"That ain't fit to eat. You put another in there and I'll make you eat it. If you don’t get the small ones off the vine you’ll ruin the whole harvest. That one is almost ripe! These ain’t tomatoes! They gotta be picked long before they ripen.” He threatened us by cutting one of the over large yellowing cukes open and displaying the overgrown hard seeds. This demonstration and tone of voice was enough for me. The smaller ones were tastier anyway. The large over ripe ones were put aside for the farm animals.
At the market, each farmer dumped his cucumber crop into a large sorting machine. It separated cucumbers according to size. Think of all the different sized pickles you have seen in the supermarket, they were separated by that machine. Cucumbers that are sold in the supermarket sometimes fall into the category of the ones we gave to the animals. Long into his old age my Dad complained that the produce in the market was not fit for human consumption. He detested the waxy substance that is sometimes added to the outside to prolong shelf life. He never ate the peelings or skins. He taught me that one need not squeeze the cucumber to make the best selection. “Just pick it up, he ordered.” He suggested that the skinny firm ones with no scars or bruises were the best. "Bigger is not the best," he insisted. "All you're getting with the big one is the seeds. They should have been fed to the hogs instead of all them hormones they give'em."

To this day, I reject the over large, soft, damaged on the outside cucumber. If there are no young firm ones, I do not buy any that day. He was right after all. The over ripe ones rot in the refrigerator faster and the large seeds are not as palatable as the young firm ones with tiny juicy seeds.
in season, I grow my own. The hybrid bush varieties are great for suburban gardens. They grow quite well in containers and along fences. They may also be trained to grow on tomato cages or in hanging baskets. They germinate quickly from seed when planted in full sun. Young plants may also be purchased from plant exchanges and green houses.
Seeds: Purchase drought and disease resistant brands. Burpee has a disease resistant 60 day variety that is also considered a bush cucumber. Poinsett is a heavy yielder, disease resistant , and it produces well in the south. Salty hybrid is an early breed that matures in 50 days. China longs are my favorite. The grow on a trellis and grow to a length of two feet.
Soil: Well drained soil. Loves raised beds, because of moisture retention during hot dry spells. Medium textured soil, not to light and sandy or too heavy. When the soil is too sandy, dry hot spells will dry up in midsummer months. Heavy wet soils retard root growth and can lead to fungus and disease problems causing plants to produce later in the season.
Pests: Two species of beetle pester cucumber plants. They are the spotted one and the striped one. Later plantings help ward against them, after they lay eggs. Equal amounts of wood ashes and hydrated lime mixed in two gallons of water makes an effective spray. Do not allow this mixture to coat the leaves of the plant. Marigolds should be Companion planted in with the cucumbers. The beetles don’t like the smell.
Organic materials: Produce more when organically fed. Ground up cottonseed, dried blood, dehydrated manures, bone and fish meal. Aged manure should be worked into the soil before planting. It feeds the plants and helps retain moisture during the hot spells while keeping the soil porous. Dad used to make a fist and shove into the soil up to his elbow and grin. It was a good thing if his whole arm went into the earth with little or no resistance.
Rotation: Loves to be planted after clover or beans.
Planting Season: Any time in May after danger of frost is past. My father always planted on the moon. He used the Farmer’s Almanac religiously. This always turned out to be mid-May. Plant seeds one inch below the surface to prevent rotting and encourage germination from warm spring sun.
Cultivation: Begin when plants are three inches high. Remove weeds and keep the soil loose around the plants in order to promote growth. Stop cultivating when the vines are about 18 inches long.
Trellis: The plants will grab onto almost anything you place in or around them. I used tomato cages. Be careful of the shallow roots. Pull any weeds by hand from this point on.
Early germination: For an earlier harvest simply cut the bottom out of a plastic milk jug and place it around the heal of planted seeds. Check your almanac or listen to the weather forecasts so you can put the lids on the jars if frost threatens. My Dad used glass jars, but I never perfected the task of removing the bottoms. (He simply sat the bottom in boiling water for few minutes and then quickly placed it in ice water.)
Harvest: Six to seven weeks after planting little cucumbers begin to appear. Watch them closely because they grow very quickly. Pick them quickly and often in order to promote the plants to produce more. For juicy little pickles, pick when two to six inches long. For salads and larger dills, pick when six to ten inches long.
Soil Cultivation: My Dad always prepared the soil in the fall after harvest was done. He said the land had to be prepared for winter. “The Lord made winter to freeze the land and kill all things that could harm the spring crops, and he made spring to thaw, mellow and loosen the subsoil.” In the spring he did what he called “turn the soil over about 8 inches deep. The manure placed on the ground in the fall would then be thoroughly mixed into the land.
Tools for Suburban Gardens: Hand tools are cheapest and all that is necessary: a good spading fork, a round pointed-spade, a garden rake, hoe, and a three-or four-prong cultivator. I have a large wheeled, hand pushed-cultivator that is pushed between the rows for cultivation. Smaller gardens do not require this. A small tiller can be used in larger gardens. For raised beds, containers and along fences hand tools are sufficient.
Container Gardens: Cucumber bush varieties grow very well in large pots on patios or in the yard. The long vine varieties grow well in hanging pots and outdoor window boxes.
Kid friendly Recipe: My granddaughter’s favorite veggie is the cucumber. She likes it peeled and marinated in Italian dressing.

Food uses: soups, pickles, salads. Only 8 calories in and average serving.
Beauty Uses: On eyes to treat dark circles, facials. They are 90% water so are used to hydrate the skin.

St. Ives Moisture Therapy Lotion, Cucumber Melon & Vitamin E, 18 Ounces
Therabath - 2340 - Pro Hot Paraffin Wax Skin Therapy - Cucumber Melon - 14 in.

The cucumber is a fruit and (Cucumis sativus) is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon.