Hope everyone had a good weekend. Spring is coming to a close. I was asked recently about something called strawberry spring…. read below.

Is there such a thing as strawberry spring? If so, when is it? Officially, we have no record on strawberry spring, although it is well known that strawberries have a very short season and are usually harvested during the month of June, In fact we refer to the June Full Moon as the “Strawberry Moon” because it coincides with the time of the month when most people are in the fields picking them.

However, based on hands-on experience, the best strawberry years seem to be those when the springtime temperatures averaged slightly below average and precipitation is also below the norm.

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by pgeiger
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Many publications have reported about the sudden die-off of honey bees, often referred to as CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder.

Yet for all this news coverage, it’s not clear what is causing the widespread death of these bees that are not only critical for honey production, but pollination of crops.

In fact, some sources suggest that bee pollination is responsible for one-third of America’s diet. Crops which rely heavily on bee pollination include almonds, apples, blueberries, melons, plums, avocados, cucumbers, pears, cranberries, cherries, kiwis, cauliflower, carrots, onions, celery and sunflowers.

Thus, an answer - and cure - needs to be determined soon.

by Farmers Almanac Staff
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AP

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is an All-Pro defensive end for the Green Bay Packers. But the man known as “KGB” is known for more than planting quarterbacks in the ground–Gbaja-Biamila is also an organic gardener.

As a high school student in Los Angeles, Gbaja-Biamila (whose name translates to ‘Big Man Come and Save Me’ in Nigerian), was involved in an effort called “Food From the Hood,” the first ever student-run natural food company that provided South Central Los Angeles with high-quality organic produce. He’s still involved in organic foods as an investor at “Naked Foods” in Howard, Wisconsin.

More about KGB from his bio on packers.com: http://www.packers.com/team/players/gbaja-biamila_kabeer/

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua, co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Nothing appears as lovely and crisp as a cheery flower garden or orchard in bloom. You can bring the garden party look of foliage, fern and flowers to your next gathering whether its on your patio, porch or inside your home with a few creative yet easy ideas. Don’t feel that you have to use all of these suggestions. Instead, select your favorites to incorporate into your next tea or dinner party.

- To the underside of a glass top table on the porch or patio, tape long fronds of fern.

- Bring fresh pressed flowers to the table at your next luncheon. You’ll need two clear glass plates for each guest being served. Place a fern and a flat flower such as a daisy or pansy on top of a clear glass plate. Top with another glass plate to seal. Plates can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.

- Use fresh lovely evergreens down the center of the table. Boxwood, magnolias, gardenias, citrus tree leaves, long fern fronds and ivy are all excellent choices. Add touches of color to the greenery with fresh flowers or whole fruit such as lemons, pears or pomegranates and candles.

- Decorate a straw hat with colorful flowers and a beautiful bow. Hang on the door to welcome your guests.

- Using a toothpick apply craft glue to the back of ivy or tiny flowers and affix on the base of pillar or taper candles.

- Select floral printed cloth napkins or tie a rose bud to each napkin.

- Serve lemonade with fresh citrus slices or herbal teas.

- Freeze dices of fresh lime, lemon or oranges with water in ice cube trays.

- Serve pudding, sherbet, fruit and yogurt or Jell-O in fresh, hollowed orange or tangerine cups.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Garden fresh vegetables that will be added to casseroles or made into sauces later can be frozen for future convenience. Blanching is a necessary step for most produce and is also thought to preserve the taste and quality of vegetables during freezing. Although most fresh produce requires blanching before freezing there are several vegetables that can be successfully frozen without blanching first, especially those that will not be frozen for extensive periods.

A list of vegetables and tips for a quick and easy freezing process without blanching follow:

Bell Peppers and Chili Peppers-Rinse and cut into halves. Remove seeds. Whole bellpeppers with the caps removed and cored can be frozen for future stuffing recipes. Bags of diced peppers can be frozen for future use in chili, casseroles, quiches and omelets.

Leeks –Rinse leeks. Remove tops, base and outer leaves. Slice and freeze in storage bags.

Onions –Peel onions first. Onions can be frozen in freezer bags, whole, sliced or diced for future convenience.

Tomatoes –Whole tomatoes of any size can be frozen without peeling or slicing. Lay tomatoes on a baking sheet and place into the freezer until frozen solid. Transfer frozen tomatoes to freezer bags until ready to use in cooking.

Zucchini –
Shredded zucchini does not require blanching. Pick zucchini before it grows too large, rinse and grate with the skins on. Measure the amount and note on the freezer bag label. Grated zucchini can be used to make zucchini bread and squash puppies.

More tips, recipes and instructions for preserving the harvest can be found in Deborah’s trio set of ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ books. Visit the FATV shop for the best bargain around!

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

See how many of these questions you can answer.

1. Which fruit bearing trees are evergreens?

2. Of all the vegetables, only two can live to produce on their own for several growing seasons. All other vegetables must be replanted each year. What are the only two perennial vegetables?

3. What fruit has its seeds on the outside?

4. In many liquor stores, you can buy pear brandy, with a real pear inside the bottle. The pear is whole and ripe, and the bottle is genuine; it hasn’t been cut in any way. How did the pear get inside the bottle?

5. Name the only vegetable or fruit that is never sold frozen, canned, processed, cooked, or in any other form except fresh.

How well did you do? Review the answers below.

Answers To Quiz:
1. citrus
2. asparagus and rhubarb
3. strawberry.
4. The pear grew inside the bottle. (The bottles are placed over pear buds when they are small and are wired in place on the tree. The bottle is left in place for the entire growing season. When the pears are ripe, they are snipped off at the stems.)
5. fresh lettuce

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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© By Deborah S. Tukua, co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Late summer and early fall is the time when most stinging encounters with caterpillars occur. There are around nine different stinging caterpillars in this country. Physical contact with one of these creatures can be realized as a stinging or itching sensation. The tiny hollow quills on their body are connected to poison sacs. Brushing against the spine triggers a release of the poison. Some caterpillars have a more severe sting than others. Several of the caterpillars in the stinging category do not possess typical characteristics of caterpillars in appearance whatsoever.

Last week our son brought a leaf to me from the snowball bush next to the house. On it was the most intriguing caterpillar I had ever seen. It looked like a miniature Scotty dog wearing a blanket with two stiff tufts of hair on either side of its head. It was rather cute. A little research revealed this to be a Saddleback Caterpillar, definitely in the stinging category.

Stinging caterpillars can generally be found on deciduous trees such as oak and chestnut. However, the Saddleback and Io Moth can also be found on corn plants. The Puss Caterpillar is thought to carry the most severe sting of all. It does not look like a caterpillar at first glance with its fuzzy soft appearance and has been found on English ivy and roses. Probably the most unusual of all stinging caterpillars is the Hagmoth. Its shape resembles a dried, brown leaf. Other stinging caterpillars include: Buck Moth, Hickory Tussock Moth, Silverspotted Tiger Moth, Stinging Rose Caterpillar, and Euclea delphinii.

Prevention-
When pruning shrubs and trees, wear gloves to avoid accidental contact with caterpillars. A good rule of thumb to teach children is that any caterpillars that are hairy, prickly or fuzzy are best left untouched. Being able to recognize these poisonous creatures is the best line of defense. I encourage you to view the superb photographs at
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/pdfs/entfa003.pdf

First Aide Treatment for Stings –
Wash the area in soap and water first. Use scotch tape to remove any spines left in your skin. Applications of baking soda paste, calamine lotion or ammonia have been reported to give some relief to the stinging sensation. If swelling occurs, apply ice packs. Those with allergic reactions may seek professional medical assistance.

Article Sources: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2130.html, and http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/pdfs/entfa003.pdf

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Melons: Cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon are a great summer treat and especially appreciated on the hottest of days. Eating melons is a great way to hydrate the body. Melons are nutritious, naturally low in calories, and sweet enough to enjoy freshly sliced.

Selecting the perfect melon doesn’t have to be mystery. Just follow these tips.

Cantaloupe~

Selecting – Should be firm, but not too hard and unbruised. Don’t select a hard green cantaloupe as it was picked too soon. Give it the whiff test. A ripe cantaloupe will have a nice fragrance.

Storing - Ripe cantaloupes should be stored in the refrigerator. If a cantaloupe has no fragrance and is still quite firm, leave on the kitchen counter for a day or two to ripen. Once the cantaloupe is ripe, slice open down the center. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon and discard. Slice each half into sections, cutting away the rind. Store cubes or slices of cantaloupe in sealed containers in the refrigerator to keep fresh.

Honeydew~

Selecting – A ripe honeydew melon will have a pleasant fragrance at the blossom end. A ripe honeydew will feel heavy for its size and be the color of butter.

Storing – Honeydew melons should be refrigerated. Once the melon has been sliced or cut into chunks, it should be kept in a sealable container in the refrigerator to keep it from drying out.

Watermelon~

Selecting – It is hard to tell if a watermelon is ripe at first glance, but here are a couple of things to look for. A shriveled stem is a sign of ripeness. Look at the underside of the watermelon, the portion that lay on the ground in the field. This part of the watermelon should be light yellow in color. If it is white, the watermelon was probably picked too early.

Storing – Whole watermelons can be kept in the kitchen at room temperature until cut. When cutting a portion of a watermelon at a time, wrap the open end with storage wrap and stand upright in the refrigerator. Sliced watermelon can be served fresh sliced or chilled first. Store sliced or balled watermelon in a sealable container in the refrigerator.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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© By Deborah S. Tukua
Watermelon Pig design By Shelaine Michael
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Two must haves for any outdoor, summer barbecue are watermelon and pork. While this little piggy may not be suited for the barbeque spit, it will look adorable on the picnic table serving balled watermelon and other summer fruits.

Supplies:

1 watermelon with vine stem attached
Carving knife
Melon baller, if desired
1 cherry cut in half
2 limes, cut in halves
2 cloves
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Place a 10” to 12” watermelon on its side and cut an opening at the top. Remove and save to cut out the ears and nose.
2. Using the top cutaway portion, cut out a 1 ½” round circle to serve as the pig’s snout. For the ears, cut two triangles, both 1” at the base and approx. 1 ¾” tall.
3. Scoop out the insides of the watermelon, using a melon baller. Discard any seeds. Place watermelon balls in a bowl in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Rinse the entire watermelon under running water, inside and out.
5. Leave the natural, dried vine intact to serve as the pig’s tail at the rear.
6. Insert toothpicks through the empty watermelon on the opposite end of the vine just above front center to affix the snout into place on the pig’s face. Position the snout so the pink portion of the circle faces out.
7. Push two dried cloves into the pig’s snout to form the nostrils.
8. Push two toothpicks into the watermelon rind above the snout and over slightly to hold the cherry eyes in place.
9. Push additional toothpicks into the empty watermelon to attach the ears. Place the pink portion of the ears facing the front of the pig and the points of the triangles toward the top.
10. Affix the four lime halves with toothpicks into the watermelon to serve as the feet.
11. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Add balls of chilled, fresh watermelon to the piggy bank and serve.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua,
co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Hanging baskets of cascading flora add color, texture and shade to your outdoor living spaces. A row of hanging baskets full of lush fern evokes a feeling of coolness with its cool, green color palate.

Nothing is prettier on a porch than hanging baskets of lovely, healthy, thriving plants and flowers. As with all container plants care must be given to keep the plants from drying out, especially in the summer. Essential care tips for hanging baskets follows.

- Determine how much sun the plants will receive in the area you wish to hang a basket before making your plant selection(s). Baskets hung in the lawn from a shepherd’s hook or post in full sun must contain only plants suited for a full sun exposure. Lantana is a lovely annual that thrives on direct sunlight and will nicely trail over the sides of a hanging basket. It will also attract beautiful moths and butterflies.
- Sun loving plants require at least six hours of sunlight a day.
- Shade plants cannot tolerate the hot afternoon sun but are well suited for an easterly sun exposure on the porch.
- Plants that can handle partial shade or partial sun are perfect for hanging on the edge of the porch where the overhang of the roof lends some protection from the direct heat of the sun.
- Trailing plants well suited for planting around the edges and sides of hanging baskets are fuchsia, ivy, ivy-leaved geranium, lantana, lobelia, dragon wings begonia, petunia, sweet potato vine and verbena.
- Bushy annuals well suited for planting in the center of hanging baskets are begonias, fuchsias, impatiens and geraniums.
- Rotate hanging baskets on the porch daily to keep the plants growing uniformly all around. An easy way to do this is to hang all the baskets with the hooks pointing in the same direction, left. The next day, turn each plant so the basket hooks face right.
- Plant baskets hung in full sun may need watering twice a day in extreme heat.
- Water plants in the morning or evening to avoid quick evaporation.
- To water while hanging, use a watering wand for a gentle, yet thorough soaking.
- To water wire hanging baskets filled with porous materials such as moss, lower the basket into a tub of water and allow to soak. Drain a few minutes before returning basket to its hook.
- Generally, plants should be fed a liquid fertilizer about once every month during the growing season.
- Remove dead blooms and leaves regularly.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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