by Stan Logan | Aug 19, 2018 | Container plants
Pot Bound?
No, I’m not asking whether you are heading to the closest pot dispensary. Nor am I referring the condition of a plant that has cemented itself into a pot with excessive root growth. I am asking if you are bound to your garden because you have so many potted plants that you can’t go anywhere because they have to be watered so often.
I suspected we had pot bound disease, but it really came to light as we left the last SPPC meeting. I was trying to get rid of some pots left over from the tools and treasures table, and I asked Pat McKnight if she wanted a pot. She exclaimed that the only plants she had were in the ground. What a smart lady! On the other hand we have pots . . lots of pots. I decided to count them and I came up with over 200. So if anyone is pot bound, it is we. This year we scheduled no trips between March and August. In August we have a gardening friend who will come over a couple times to keep all the potted plants alive. My goal for the future is to reduce the number of potted plants so that we will be vacation bound when the weather heats up. What’s your situation? Do you likewise feel the urge to be pot free?
Stan
by Stan Logan | Aug 19, 2018 | Container plants
If you want to seal a clay pot so you can apply mosaic materials, or if you simply want to cut down on the water loss through the pot wall, there are many products designed for this purpose. For instance, if you Google “How to seal flower pots,” you will see a product called “Clay Pot Sealer” that is available at Walmart. The site also explains how to apply it. If you have left over granite or grout sealer around, that will also work.
by Stan Logan | Jul 5, 2018 | Recipes
Almond-Chocolate Truffles
Servings 24
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped and pitted soft dates
1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 3 hours and then drained
3 tablespoons almond butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup date sugar (can substitute brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ground almonds for coating
Instructions
Combine the dates and cashews in a food processor and process
to a paste.
Add the almond butter and process to combine. Add the cocoa powder, date sugar, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of water. Pulse until well combined.
Pinch some of the mixture between your fingers to see whether it holds together.
If it’s too dry, add a little more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture can be shaped into balls.
If the mixture is too soft, refrigerate it for 20 minutes or longer to firm up.
If it’s still too soft, add a little more cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Use your hands to shape and roll a small amount of the mixture into
a 1-inch ball and transfer to a plate.
Repeat until all the mixture has been rolled into balls.
Place the ground almonds in a shallow bowl. Roll the truffles in the almonds until they’re coated, pressing on them if needed to cover completely.
Transfer the coated truffles to a plate and refrigerate until firm before serving.
Recipe Notes
Note: If your dates are not soft, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes; then drain and pat dry before using.
From: The How Not To Die Cookbook, by Michael Greger, M.D. & Gene Stone
by Stan Logan | Jul 2, 2018 | Music
I know you love gardening—otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this blog. How about music? If you enjoy music, then I suggest you combine the two. Now you could simply turn up the volume of your sound system (whatever that might be) and indoctrinate your neighbors with your particular brand of music. But I can guarantee that your neighbors do not have the same appreciation for the genre you enjoy. It has been my experience that it is really unusual for any two people to like the same tunes—just ask my wife. So create your own personal auditory concert by using your smart phone and a set of ear buds.
Then start a subscription to Spotify. Spotify is a music streaming service that provides and almost unlimited source of music selections. The cost is $10 a month and for an additional $5 you can have a family plan that allows others living in your home to have the same experience. Once you download music, it will be in your phone and won’t require an internet connection to play. You can organize different playlists—like one for gardening, one for a brisk walking pace, or one for relaxation to prepare for napping.
One more thing: Your ear buds should be blue tooth. You won’t want to have a wire dangling about when you are gardening. Skullcandy has a good blue tooth set of ear buds for about $25. LaVille bought hers at Target. She bought a red set and wears it around as a fashion statement.
There you have it—a way to double your gardening pleasure while not affecting that of your family and neighbors.
Stan, The Blog Man
by Stan Logan | Jul 2, 2018 | Garden tools, Weeds
You know well the saying, “Do as I say–not as I do”. Well, guess who was burning weeds with his torch when there was no breeze. I was getting rid of the last moss plants in the garden. Smoke billowed up and surrounded my face burning my eyes. I moved side to side to no avail. I don’t think another saying applies—“Smoke follows beauty.” applies here. (Does that bring back memories of sitting around the camp fire?) So I smelled like burned weeds the rest of the day—big deal. But the next day my wife was alarmed at my sight. (Not an uncommon occurrence.) Sure enough, my right eye was bloodshot. Actually bloodshot is hardly sufficient to describe the sight of this valuable little orb. So I e-mailed my Doc. and the response was to apply eye drops and notify her if my eyeball falls out (a slight exaggeration). Sure enough after a couple days, it disappeared . . the blood, that is. So once again, if you use a torch to burn weeds, do so when there is a slight breeze so that smoke doesn’t rise directly up and turn you into a smelly, scary creature.
Stan, The Blog Man
