--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA300016 Date: 05/16/97 From: LINDA TAYLOR Time: 03:19pm \/To: SANDRA PEAKE (Read 2 times) Subj: Snails _@/" The whistles, which use the wind to make a whistling sound that most animals can hear but we can't, fit right on the front bumper. I can hear them whistle, just faintly, but I have odd scar tissue on my ear drums that lets me hear such things. Most people never know they're there unless they remember they're there. Deer hear the whistles, though, as do most other animals. I've only hit one raccoon, and that was because he decided to play chicken with me. He lost, and I felt terrible. Bright Blessings Kat --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: VETLink #60 - 554CES(HR) (1:374/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA300017 Date: 05/20/97 From: LINDA TAYLOR Time: 09:18am \/To: AL STERN (Read 2 times) Subj: Plastic Packing Peanu We're all looking for ways to improve our houseplants, and recycling things is also a big thing right now. If it weren't for the fact that the foam thingies were so bad for the environment then your idea would be sound. But one overturned pot, and you have a problem with foam peanuts being blown all over the yard. Actually you can use the foam to make Christmas garlands that will never, and I mean never ever, deteriorate. String the peanuts on string or florist's wire, and then dab just a dab of glue and glitter on the peanut. These pick up the light nicely, and, best of all, cost almost nothing to make and to store. And, like I said, they don't deteriorate at all. I have some that I made as a six year old in Brownies many years ago stored in a box. They aren't even brittle yet. This last year I used popcorn, cereal, nuts and fruit to make my garlands for Xmas. That way I didn't have all of that tinsel and junk to clean up. All of that bright shiny tinsel and such, which originally was supposed to mimic snow and ice on the trees outside, is a bit out of sync for Florida winters anyway. Apple garlands, orange slice garlands, etc., are lovely. Also nuts like walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc., make lovely garlands. Especially if you paint, dye, or stain the nuts after they've been emptied and then glued back together again. I love to do this with walnuts. Another good garland is made out of glass beads, or beads that you can make using Fimo clay. The key is this. Instead of having a throw away society in our own homes why not make it like our grandparents had it. Recycled. My Grandmother used the same Xmas ornaments year after year after year after year. Her tree was lovely, and we looked foreward to seeing favorite ornaments on the tree every year. Best of all, since the tree was artificial, we could save a tree, and we didn't have to worry about sweeping pine needles out of the carpet. We conserved the trees, and recycled too. We have an artificial tree now, and every year I spend well over an hour or two trying to bend the branches this way and that to make it look natural. I never disappoint the family in this. This year my daughter and I are going to go to work early, and get some pot pouri pouches filled, some cinnamon stick ornaments done, and a host of other things done. We want the tree to be as natural as it can be. Which is going to be a feat considering that it's artificial. Bright Blessings Kat --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: VETLink #60 - 554CES(HR) (1:374/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA300018 Date: 06/03/97 From: HOLLY SULLIVAN Time: 2:38Tam \/To: AMY BALLANTYNE (Read 2 times) Subj: Re: Huge Milky broadleaf weed I think I saw Amy Ballantyne say to All on 29 May 97 16:49:08: > We have some huge 3-4 wide weeds in our backyard (we let them get that > big I'm ashamed to say). We chopped them down with an small axe, but > have had an almost impossible time killing them and/or getting their > roots out. They have a milky substance inside. Any ideas what it is > and/or how to rid our yard of this disaster. Could be your common dandelions.. they can get huge. What do the leaves and stems look like? One central stem or many branches from the base? Light feathery leaves or ?? (wish we had a way to share pix in here. :) --- DLG Pro v1.16/DLGMail v2.63 * Origin: Techno-Mages Guild * ==> (619) 549-0278 <== * (1:202/720) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA300019 Date: 05/30/97 From: THURSTON ACKERMAN Time: 08:58pm \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 2 times) Subj: A question on seeds... JF> Hi there! I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to save JF>seeds to be planted for later... Do you dry them first? Or can I get a fres JF>seed from (lets say a bell pepper or a tomato) and re-plant it right away? JF> If anyone has any info... I'd really appreciate it! I have had reasonably good luck keeping them in a sealed jar in the refrigerator (guess they just think it is a really long winter 8-) In fact some seeds need to be cold for about 30 days before planting if one may experience good germination. Ciao,Ack. --- * SLMR 2.1a * I wonder if Bill Bailey ever went home to Ella Fitzgerald * Origin: SKYLINE BBS (617)361-1242 U.S.A. Mail Feeds Available. 1:101/580) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA300020 Date: 06/01/97 From: MARILYN BOISSONEAULT Time: 09:36am \/To: TRUDY SACK (Read 2 times) Subj: worms -=> Quoting Trudy Sack to All <=- TS> My husband thinks I'm nuts and perhaps he's right but I have a TS> question for you. I have a new garden and was thinking that I should TS> go down to my local bait shop and buy a box of earthworms and place TS> them around our yard? Is this a good idea? If you have good soil the earthworms will find their own way to your yard. If you don't the ones you buy at the bait shop will leave. I have very sandy soil, but I've been gardening in the same spot for quite a few years now. When I started gardening I never saw an earthworm. Over the years I've added tons of organic matter to the soil. Now I have a pretty good population of them. They found their way here on their own somehow after the soil conditions got more to their liking. Marilyn ... Lead me not into temptation...unless it's chocolate!!! ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- Alexi/Mail 2.02b (#10000) * Origin: Space Coast REACT, Melbourne FL <407> 255-9069 (1:374/710) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA400000 Date: 05/15/97 From: MARILYN BOISSONEAULT Time: 10:11pm \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 2 times) Subj: Birds vs tomatoes! -=> Quoting Janis Foley to Marilyn Boissoneault <=- JF> UGH!!! I'm glad I don't have that problem with our dogs JF> around... I just now thought that maybe I won't have to worry about JF> the birds since we have dogs... but then my dog likes the ripened JF> tomatoes too... UGH! Great! This gardening stuff sure is complicated! You ever notice that most gardening books don't mention those problems....I don't think I've ever seen the "what to do with a tomato eating dog". That is a harder problem to solve than some of the insects we get. Marilyn ... Young at heart...slightly older in other places. ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- Alexi/Mail 2.02b (#10000) * Origin: Space Coast REACT, Melbourne FL <407> 255-9069 (1:374/710) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA400001 Date: 05/15/97 From: MARILYN BOISSONEAULT Time: 10:11pm \/To: LEAH ROZHON (Read 2 times) Subj: Green Peppers -=> Quoting Leah Rozhon to All <=- LR> Has anyone ever heard of putting matches in the ground around the LR> roots of pepper plants? My mother-in-law claimed the sulpher made them LR> grow bigger and better. I just use miracle-gro myself. I get big LR> plants but few peppers. My neighbor, OTOH, plants the same variety and LR> gets small plants with *large* peppers. And they're plentiful. These LR> are California Wonders. Any thoughts on this? Thanks! I've heard off the matches trick, but have never tried it. If you're getting big plants and few peppers maybe you're treating your peppers too well and feeding them too much nitrogen. That makes for lush green plants, but not many fruit or peppers in this case. Just a possibility. Are you and your neighbor growing the same variety? Marilyn ... Program Failure: (C)old boot; (W)arm boot; (S)teel-toed boot ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- Alexi/Mail 2.02b (#10000) * Origin: Space Coast REACT, Melbourne FL <407> 255-9069 (1:374/710) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA400002 Date: 05/15/97 From: MARILYN BOISSONEAULT Time: 10:11pm \/To: TRUDY SACK (Read 2 times) Subj: cutworms -=> Quoting Trudy Sack to All <=- TS> Can anyone explain what a cutworm looks like? I want to check if TS> this is what has killed some plants over the course of my gardening TS> days. I had never heard of them before talking to a friend who TS> suggested this might be my problem. They're a big fat ugly worm. They do come in diff colors but are usually dark.. They also usually have a diamond pattern on their back. They stay curled up in the ground all day and come out at night to do their damage. They chew and cut off the plant at the base. You go out in the morning and find your plant laying on the ground. Some of them climb plants and do other damage. Usually if you have cutworm damage you can dig around and find the culprit.....if not try some diazinon on the ground. or use cutworm collars when you plant. I saw some other messages that discribed them. I usually use strips of newspaper for my cutworm colors. Marilyn ... Tagline temporarily out of order. Please use the stairs. ___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 --- Alexi/Mail 2.02b (#10000) * Origin: Space Coast REACT, Melbourne FL <407> 255-9069 (1:374/710) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA400003 Date: 05/14/97 From: LINDA TAYLOR Time: 11:28pm \/To: ELLIOT BALLARD (Read 2 times) Subj: Squirrels Actually we just had a gator go after a brood of ducklings. Which is not unusual this time of year. As a friend of ours watched it took off with two of the ducklings from right under them. Of course when the gator takes off with them like that there isn't even time for them to squawk. Sad, but that's part of the natural order down here. It's mankind's soft heart, and his tendancy to try and keep the natural order under control that originally endangered the alligator to begin with. It's coming back, but poaching is still a problem. We see gator bodies go floating down the canal all the time. Usually without their tails. It doesn't help that in our county, one of the largest in the whole state, we only have two outboard motor boats for the whole county, and that isn't enough to go around to all of the canals, waterways, lakes and rivers in our area. Actually my dad is a great photographer. :> Try six concrete and asbestos five drawer filing cabinets worth of photographic slides taken all over the world. Both for the geology of the locations and for the local sights. I think the only countries he hasn't been in is Australia and the Oriental countries. Our yard is only about an acre or so, but it's crowded with twelve trees, assorted bushes, a stand of bamboo, and assorted other plants. On one side is the road, and on the other is the canal. Our yard is shaded most of the year, and we have a plethora of native wildlife who lives here. Oh! We also have the boat house roof. No dock under there right now, but birds do nest in the rafters. Lately we have a whole flock of king fishers who've moved into the neighborhood. Bright Blessings Kat --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: VETLink #60 - 554CES(HR) (1:374/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: EA400004 Date: 05/14/97 From: LINDA TAYLOR Time: 11:36pm \/To: AL STERN (Read 2 times) Subj: Plastic Packing Peanuts Since these are actually foam packing peanuts, and it takes about six hundred years for foam to break down in the environment, then I guess you could safely say that they are just to improve drainage. I would tend to be wary of this practice, however, as I would worry that an accident could result in loosing these environmentally dangerous components into the environment. You know. A pot gets knocked over, or broken, and off they go with the first stray breeze. All you have to do is breathe hard on them, and they fly all over the house. Which is why I've told my dad never to bring them into this house on pain of death!! :> Actually if you really are environmentally conscious then you would never use foam for anything. In shipping things excelsior is inexpensive, natural, and totally biodegradable. If you must have that cup of coffee going to work, then buy one with a lid that you an keep in your car. Heck buy several! The big M place is more than happy to fill your cup with coffee rather than putting it into those flimsy non-degradable foam cups. Most places are. In fact some of the convenience stores are happy to sell you a cup that you can just refill for a minimum cost every morning. Bright Blessings Kat --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: VETLink #60 - 554CES(HR) (1:374/37)