Salam sejahtera.......kongsi2 maklumat je..

Gardening
In recent years I have been learning to garden using organic practices. From my flowers to herbs and vegetables, I have been adding to my knowledge each growing season. It is exciting each year around January when the seed catalogs arrive at my house and I can begin dreaming of the days when the snow will stop flying and I will once again be out in the radiant sun hearing birds chirp, see butterflies meander and bees pollinating the fruits of the earth. There was a time before I started organic practices that I did not see many of these creatures frequenting my gardens. Now, I better understand the return of these lovely creatures to my gardens, growing cycles and nature at its finest.
Weeds
Tip no. 1: Boiling water. I have an old historic 1914 home and the beauty of the cracked sidewalk out to my garden is part of the historic charm, however, weeds love to inhabit those cracks. I am now boiling water and pouring it directly onto the weeds. The weeds are usually dead by the next day. If the water is not boiling it may take longer than a day to kill the weed.
Roses

Tip no. 2: A pair of gloves with rubber pads. I have always loved roses, but the aphids are notorious each year. The only way I knew to get rid of them in the past was to use an over-the-counter chemical. Now, I put on my pair of gloves and grab the rose stem or leaf where the aphids are located and squeeze! This works perfectly and many times the aphids are completely gone for the current flowering cycle after only one or two days of tender squeezing treatments.
Tomatoes
Tip no. 3: Ever see tomato worms? If you have grown tomatoes, I am sure you have seen these big ugly creatures. They will strip a leaf stock quickly if left alone. However, if you see a tomato worm with their green body surrounded by white egg shaped items, do not kill it. This is nature taking care of the ugly pest. These white eggs are the parasitic wasps that have not yet hatched. The parasitic wasp lays its eggs on the tomato hornworm抯 back. Worms with the white eggs on their backs should be left in the garden so the emerging wasps can parasitize other hornworms and naturally control the problem garden pest.
Herbs
Tip no. 4: I have started a number of herbs in my flower gardens for the purpose of decorative landscape. This year, I will have about 7 different kinds of basil growing throughout my gardens. Each can be used in cooking but also have distinctive aesthetical appearances that compliment my landscape. Last year, I began making my own homemade all-purpose cleaning agents with vinegar as a base. To cut down on the vinegar smell and add a beautiful color to the clear bottle, I began cutting pieces of lavender off and adding them to the cleaning bottles for about a week. The purple hue was beautiful and the smell refreshing in my bathrooms. Be sure to extract the lavender sprig, as it will deteriorate after a few weeks and clog up a spray bottle head.
Lettuce
Tip no. 5: Salad Box-This year I am going to try something I learned from Organic Gardening magazine. Take a 1?X 4?piece of wood and create a simple rectangular box of your desired size. Add some handles to the side and attach mesh screening material to the bottom of the box with a staple gun. Add soil to the box, organic fertilizer (you can find this at most garden stores), and sow lettuce or herbs seeds into the box. In a few weeks you will have salad ready to eat. Why am I doing this? This will benefit my gardening practices two ways. First it will allow me to great successive crops of lettuce and have lettuce the entire season. Second, it will allow me to put the box into a cooler shade location in the hot months when lettuce tends to get bitter from the hot sun. And, this is perfect for anyone who is confined by space with gardening.Wishing everyone a happy spring and fruitful growing season!
Michelle McClurg is a registered dietitian working at Reid Hospital. Her family currently operates an organic dairy farm in Coldwater, Ohio.