1. Weather — this winter’s forecast is sure to leave many hoping we are wrong.

2. Grow You Own - great story by the Garden Girl about how to grow your own fruit and vegetables even if you don’t have a yard.

3. Household Mysteries Solved- tried and true tricks on how to solve the mystery of missing socks, stolen scissors, and streaks on glass.

4. Natural Cures — for headaches, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, stress and more.

5. Survival Tips, Helpful Hints, Best Days Calendars and more!

What are you waiting for? Order your copy today! It’s packed with proven advice, calendars, trivia, weather and a bit of humor. It’s the “go-to source” for frugal and resourceful ideas.

If you haven’t read the Farmers’ Almanac in a while this is the year to pick up a copy. They should start showing up at stores everywhere or you can order a copy here!

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2009 Farmers’ Almanac, Farmers’ Almanac, Almanac, winter 09

by sduncan
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Here at the Farmers’ Almanac we live and breathe weather. Overall, our predictions are calling for “fairly good” conditions for Memorial Day, but there’s always a chance that Mother Nature throws us a curve ball. Thus the risk you deal with when you work in the weather field.

But never fear! The Farmers’ Almanac is a never-ending resource for ideas and ways to turn a rainy parade into a sunny memory.

Here are some of our favorite suggestions on ways to celebrate the holiday indoors. (We’d love for you to share your ideas! Simply leave me a comment!)

1. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. If the weather doesn’t cooperate and you have a household full of family, pull out the video camera. Sit your friends/family down individually, or as a group, and interview them for historical/remembrance purposes. Having a family member talk about the past is a great record to have. If an elderly grandparent is available, it would be a good time to get them talking about the family tree. If young children are there, ask them questions about today – their favorite color, song, friend – and then be sure to re-interview them a year later and see if their answers are the same.

2. Picture Day! Declare Memorial Day a day to go through old photos (and/or watch old family videos) organizing them and perhaps putting them into albums. Share pictures with friends and family members. Better yet, have friends bring baby pictures and play – name that baby with them.

3. Who’s afraid of a little mud? So it’s raining, but if it’s warm and you’re not afraid of the mud, go outside! Maybe a mudslide football game will be more fun the original poolside plans! Go ahead – get dirty.

4. History day. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country in the military. It was called “Decoration Day” because people used to visit graves of service people and decorate the graves with wreaths, flowers, etc. Use this day to learn more about US history and/or wars. If you’re crafty, decorate a wreath or poster with some interesting facts.

5. Inside picnics. Lay the blanket out in the family room, and enjoy your picnic foods indoors (you won’t have to worry about any ants visiting!).

Got a good idea? Share a comment here!
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rainy day ideas, memorial day activities, indoor holiday plans

by sduncan
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1. Harvest your vegetable plants often. The more you pick tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, the more they’ll grow.
2. Place freshly picked, green tomatoes in a brown paper bag to ripen. (Contrary to what many people believe, its temperature, not sunshine, that makes tomatoes turn red).
3. Animal pests don’t like strong-smelling plants. Surround your garden with marigolds, zinnias, or wormwood. Sneaky yet easy: To keep small animals out of your garden, cut an old hose in three-foot lengths. Place the pieces around your garden. These fake snakes will scare away small animals.
4. Plant dill near tomato plants to prevent tomato worms. It works.
5. Start seeds in eggshell halves. It’s economical and earth-friendly. Fill shell 3/4ths of the way to top with planting soil and seed, then store in egg cartons. This will keep the shell safe and allow you to easily carry the seedlings to sunnier locations or out to the garden. When ready to plant, leave the seedling in the shell. The roots will break through and the decomposed shell will act as a fertilizer.
6. When choosing annuals, bigger isn’t always better. When shopping at your local greenhouse, choose the plant that is well proportioned, not the tall one that has become root bound. Watch out for signs of insects or diseases.
7. Sprinkling the lawn out of habit is wasting a natural resource and money, too. A healthy lawn will signal it’s thirsty when walking on it makes footprints.
8. Some vegetable gardeners use newspapers as a mulch when cold weather threatens. This practice is ecologically good but don’t use the colored sheets. They contain harmful chemicals.
9. Position garden stakes so the wind blows plants toward the supports, not away from them.
10. To catch slugs, put a dish of beer in the garden at night. They will desert the plants and drown in the brew.

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by sduncan
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©By Deborah S. Tukua

Roses have long stood as a symbol of love in the gift and ceremonies in which they are integrally woven. Roses retain their preferred standing on the top ten most popular list of flowers for weddings, graduations and special occasions and are popularly used through out all four seasons of the year.

If you are blessed with roses in your garden, here are ten ways to use them to add a special touch to your June celebrations and gifts.
1. Boutonnière – Make memories for years to come, present a rose boutonnière from your very own garden to Dad or your husband for Father’s Day.
2. Add organically grown rose petals to cups of hot tea.
3. Float organically grown rose petals in bridal or graduation ceremony punch bowls.
4. Sprinkle the table with fragrant rose petals when hosting teas or receptions.
5. Decorate iced cakes and cupcakes with fresh, organically grown rosebuds and petals. Cut rosebuds in half first.
6. Make sachets for graduation and bridal gifts with rose petals and lavender.
7. Chopped rose petals add a special touch when making soapballs.
8. Cut tiny rosebuds in half with scissors and glue one half to a place card for each guest at your next garden party.
9. Tie a fresh, stemmed rose around each dinner napkin with ribbon for a lovely token of the event that your guests may carry home. Be sure to remove the thorns from each stem first.
10. Present a rosebush as a gift for Father, the bride or the graduate. Give the gift that lasts, plant roses to commemorate any special event in your family.

~Deborah Tukua is co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom. Many lovely ‘Gifts from the Garden’ projects and ideas abound in her book, including the directions for making soapballs and sachets. Purchase a copy today at the FATV shop while on-line. To receive Deborah’s free e-newletter sign-up at www.hollycreekbooks.com

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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