GardenLife Newsletter July 8

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Quote of the Week

"The trouble is, you cannot grow just one zucchini. Minutes after you plant a single seed, hundreds of zucchini will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables. At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake as more and more zucchinis erupt."

...Dave Barry

GardenLife's Sneak Peeks

This week's radio shows

Saturday, July 9

8-9am PDT / 11am-Noon EDT
Lao Tzu believed, "To see things in the seed, that is genius" and when Diane Ott Whealy and her husband founded Seed Savers Exchange in order to save and share heirloom, open-pollinated seeds; that too was genius. It all began when Diane's grandfather gave her seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott's morning glory and German Pink tomato that were originally brought by his parents when they emigrated from Bavaria to America in the 1870s. From her Iowa Heritage Farm, Diane will share her journey of collecting heirloom seeds. Call Sharon, John, Bryan or our guests with your questions at 1-866-606-TALK (8255).

Sunday, June 10

8-10 PDT, 11am-1pm EDT

If you love the look of a lawn, but are concerned about the environmental issues of water, chemical pesticides and fertilizers, product manager Paul Thorson for Nebraska based Todd Valley Farms has a solution that will make your lawn practices "green." Based on prairie grass genetics, it is possible to enjoy the beauty of a lawn while dramatically reducing the use of water, fertilizer and pesticides no matter where you live in the United States. Be sure to tune in this morning to learn about Buffalograss, how to plant and maintain it.

Jere Gettle's Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds business took root because of his childhood love of unusual vegetables and fruits that were open-pollinated and GMO-free. Now another seedling has germinated from the fertile mind of Jere, a National Heirloom Exposition to be held in Santa Rosa, California at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds from September 13-15. The first-of-its-kind extravaganza where farmers, gardeners, artisans and musical performers will gather for tastings, displays and fun entertainment and we're invited to this special event! Call Sharon, John, Bryan or our guests with your questions at 1-866-606-TALK (8255).

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Did You Know?

Sundials were once the main measurement of time, tracking the movement of a shadow cast by the sun. When mechanical clocks were invented, the British created the hands of the clock to mirror the direction that the sun moves across the sky. Years ago, many called this direction "sunwise" but today we call this direction "clockwise".

Just Imagine.... ..... a turfgrass that greens up in the early spring, remains green until late fall, uses 75% less water and requires 50% less mowing. Imagine a turfgrass that is highly resistant to insects and diseases. Imagine a turfgrass that will grow in the heat of the southern states all the way to the cold northern U.S. You can have it with Legacy® Plus. Click here for more information.

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Note of Interest: While strict conservationists berate the lawn as an expensive consumer of natural resources, it is actually a natural provider for our ecosystem. Healthy, dense lawns absorb rainfall 6 times more effectively than a wheat field, four times better than a hay field, and prevents runoff and erosion of our precious top soil, keeping additional phosphorus from entering our streams and rivers. A healthy lawn also traps much of the estimated 12 million tons of dust and dirt released into the US atmosphere annually.

IT'S TIME TO HARVEST, BUT KEEP UP THE CHORES

by Sharon Asakawa

Crunchy green beans, glossy peppers, succulent squash, sweet-sweet corn, fragrant melons, shiny eggplant and sun-kissed tomatoes are ready for harvest in our summer gardens. After spring's diligent preparations,it is time to savor the rewards of an edible garden, but don't sit back and rest on your laurels because hot weather demands that we give our veggies some extra tender loving care. Here are some tips to maintain a healthy garden and to ensure a prolonged harvest: