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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Blackberry

Blackberry, the common black berry, not the phone!

Behind the Chapman Habitat, along the bike path in the Summitview Park, there is a patch of wild blackberry (Rubus Species) bush. We knew its existence since last July when we started our routine of walking and biking. Still, it was a surprise when we encountered another biker yesterday, who parked his bike in the roadside and stopped for picking the berries. It was then we found out this year the bush has yielded the best ever ripen blackberries! We went back today to pick up more berries for our before-bed fruit snack.

Wild blackberries are like the ones you buy, but better. Among the best-known berries in America, you can find them wherever you live. The toothed leaves are compound — divided into segments, called leaflets. Since the leaflets, like your fingers, originate from a point rather than a line, the leaves are called palmate-compound. Each leaf usually has 3-7 sharply-toothed leaflets. In the spring, sweet-smelling, white, 5-petaled, radially-symmetrical flowers about as wide as a quarter drape the bushes. The fruit, which ripens from mid-summer to early fall, goes from green to red to black.

Mulberry, also edible, resemble blackberries, but they grow on thornless trees, not thorny canes, in late spring and early summer. We picked those mulberries, too, though the kids lost interest pretty soon. The mulberry is not as sweet as blackberry, kind of mushy, attracts some small insects which is hard to get rid of.

Pick blackberries that come off the bush easily. These are the ripest and tastiest. Eat as is, add to cereal, drinks, pies, cakes, fruit sauces, or fruit salads. Try creating your own blackberry recipes.

Caution:
Kids who race recklessly for the best berries often get scratched. Wear old clothes when you collect. The thorns may tear them, and the berries, which are good for dyeing, may stain clothing.

Poison ivy often grows near blackberries, and they looks somewhat similar, but poison ivy always has three leaflets, no teeth on the leaf margins, and no thorns.

THE SONG OF THE BLACKBERRY QUEEN
by Cicely Mary Barker

My berries cluster black and thick
For rich and poor alike to pick.
I’ll tear your dress, and cling, and tease,
And scratch your hand and arms and knees.

I’ll stain your fingers and your face,
And then I’ll laugh at your disgrace.
But when the bramble-jelly’s made,
You’ll find your trouble well repaid.


THE DEVIL AND THE BLACKBERRIES
English Legend

The English tell you never to eat blackberries after early autumn. Here’s why: When the Devil was kicked out of Heaven on October 11, he landed, cursing and screaming, on a thorny blackberry bush.

He avenges himself on the same day every year by spitting on the berries, which makes them inedible. (Some people say he pees on the blackberries!) He avenges himself on the same day every year by peeing on the berries, which makes them unfit for human consumption.

That really hurt!


Monday, July 12, 2010

Monday - Cleaning Day

I usually do the laundry and carpet vacuum on Mondays, a habit I have got into for not too long, since we had our cat Lyra, perhaps even later when we had our floor replaced completely last Thanksgiving.

Our old front-loading dryer quit working for some time, and the top-loading washer broke a couple of times. We fixed it ourselves, and it was still functioning by the time when we decided to buy a new set of washer and dryer. We chose the front-loading washer and dryer from Home Depot for $800 before last year’s Black Friday. It is said that the front-loading washing machines are highly efficient in saving water and energy. The super fast spin cycle reduces drying time and is easier on your clothing, too.

I used the stocked non-HE Tide detergent for a while. Finally I bought HE Tide liquid detergent to wash the clothes. I don’t think there is a big difference between these two detergents, it is merely for the peace of my mind. I also tried cold water for more energy saving. Neither for bedsheets and towels nor for kids’ clothes.

Be sure to clean out your lint filter after each load — it can decrease your energy use by up to 30 percent. To be even greener, you can sun-dry the towels in a clothesline on your deck or air-dry the jeans, which take longer dryer time and are still quite damp on hand. It is especially beneficial in adding some moisture to your room in dry winter.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Green Driving - Soft Pedal

The other day when I read the book of True Green - 100 everyday ways you can contribute to a healthier planet, I realized the way I drive the car - accelerating slowly, driving at moderate speed, and avoiding the need for hard braking, is also the green way of driving: lower carbon emission, less air pollution, and energy saving.

I drive this way in particular to show someone that you don't need to suffer being a passenger, let alone saving the fuel and money. I really appreciate those drivers who drive smoothly with the passengers' feeling in mind. Even though I am not a perfect driver, at least I have been trying. When we have kids in car, we would like to compete who is the first one to buckle up the seat belt. The kids are now pretty used to the seat belt without reminding. Thank goodness!

When I stop for a long traffic light, I switch to the neutral gear, and I try to plan my weekly shopping trips to combine multiple errands: return and pickup the library books, shop groceries, go banking, etc. I avoid short trips, such as dropping kids to school when it is very late. A car engine produces about 40 percent emissions when cold. I would rather see them to be tardy for school and get a lesson to speed up next day. Luckily, the school is very close, and it takes less than five minutes for the kids to ride bikes to school when it is not raining.

Other green ideas for driving: turn off the engine if you are stopping your car for more than ten seconds, as an idling engine consumes more fuel and produces more CO2 emissions than just restarting your car. Keep your car well maintained and your tires inflated to the correct pressure level which helps improve fuel efficiency. Avoid high speeds and use cruise when driving the highways. At 75 mph, your car uses 15 percent more fuel than it does cruising at 65 mph. This is something worth rethinking!

Friday, July 9, 2010

Controlling Garden Pests the Natural Way

How can you keep your garden pest free and your lawn beautiful without wreaking havoc on the planet and your health, while saving money? Try Nancy Sleeth’s suggestion on the following natural alternatives for controlling unwanted insects and fungi in the garden, which are easy to make. Some can also be used for house cleaning and insect control.

1. Basic insect spray – Repels insects; kills fungi and mites.
Mix two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid soap into one gallon of water. To target fungi, add one to two tablespoons of baking soda. Add sulfur to kill mites.

2. Peppermint tea – All-purpose insect spray; ant repellent.
Brew peppermint leaf tea. Cool and place in a properly labeled spray bottle.

3. Garlic spray – Repels insects.
Mix two teaspoons of garlic juice, one teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and one teaspoon of liquid soap in one quart of water.

4. Banana peel repellent – Repels aphids.
Place banana peels around roses and other plants.

5. Lemon spray - Repels white flies and soft-bodied insects.
Also get rid of fleas. Boil three lemon peels in one quart of water. Let cool, remove peels, and put solutions in a properly labeled spray bottles.

6. Lemongrass wasp repellent - Repels wasps and the like.
Place lemongrass in a vase on your picnic table to keep wasps away.

7. Vinegar spray – Combats fungal disease and black spots on roses.
Combine three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one gallon of water.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Lawn and Garden - How to be greener?

So back to the topic – how to make our lawn and garden greener?

The only vegetable we kept from our previous veggie garden is the roots of chive, which is a perennial, meaning it can come back year after year. It can also grow back once cut off above the ground several times a year, and in July the flowering buds can be harvested as well. The chives are great fried, sauteed and in soups, especially great for making dumplings!

We compost our kitchen scrapes, weeds, and lawn clippings in our self-made compost bin. Though I do not turn it over often, the free natural fertilizer would be ready for the vegetable garden in summer.

We seldom water our lawn, though I have to admit, our backyard grass is ugly-looking compared to our neighbors’ lawn. I have tried reducing the area of grass by planting flowers along the fence and growing ground cover plants in the shady area.

I plant most perennials over annuals in the flower bed. When I introduce a new variety into my flower garden, I take good care of watering at the beginning, then let it be itself to withstand our natural climate. Only the fittest survive, aha, Darwin’s natural selection. My jewel in the garden is Peony (Paeonia species), though not a native plant in eastern North America, which grows happily and blooms splendidly now in May. A must-have.

When we first moved in our house in April nine years ago, we had the most dandelions in our court. One neighbor showed us Weed B Gon he used to kill those pretty yellow flowers. We pulled and dug the weed year after year, and finally we have fewer and smaller dandelion plants in our lawn this year. We control its growth by skipping those poisonous lawn chemicals, which filter into our watersheds, and are ingested by people and animals.

This year we have another weed problem with abundant green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) seedlings. One dead ash tree was cut off last year, leaving space and resource for its offspring to compete. I pull and pull the seedlings whenever I step on the lawn, and wonder what the lawn would look like in a couple of years if I do let them grow. Many state park campgrounds don’t allow firewood from outside source, one of the main reasons is being afraid of the high germination rate of ash fruits (called samara).