For those of us with arthritic joints, gardening can be a challenge; however, it can be made enjoyable. Gardening helps maintain joint flexibility and improves your quality of life. Here are some tips, techniques, and tools that can help keep an arthritic gardener active and happy in the garden. Work only during the time of day you feel your best. If you are stiff in the cool of the morning, conduct garden tasks during the warmer afternoons. Before starting, warm up your muscles and flex your joints with some gentle stretching exercises. Ask your doctor or physical therapist to recommend some warm-up and stretching exercises. I usually start each day with about 20 minutes of Tai Chi since it puts very little stress on my joints and increases my flexibility. Since I take arthritis medication, I usually protect my skin with sunscreen and wear a hat to make me less…
Author: Dan Willis
Wild Chanterelles And Their Look-a-Likes
Wild chanterelles are truly a beautiful sight to see in early June until early July here in the Atlanta area. Not only do they add color to the forests and woodlands but they are also a gourmet’s delight. I recently meet a young couple, however, that became violently ill after eating what they believed were wild chanterelles. Unfortunately, none of the “wild chanterelles” were kept for identification purposes. When picking and eating wild mushrooms of any kind, always save a few for later identification in case there is a toxic reaction. The following describes a number of mushroom species that could be mistake for chanterelles. I do not recommend eating any wild mushroom unless you personally can identify them. Common Name: Golden Chanterelle; Chanterelle: There may be as many common names for Cantharellus cibarius as for Boletus edulis. From the French we have chanterelle and from the German we have…
Home Propagation of Plants: Division And Layering
CROWN DIVISION One simple and reliable method for propagating plants at home is crown division. As a general rule, plants that flower in the spring and early summer should be divided in late summer or fall. Those flowering in the summer and fall should be divided in early spring before new growth begins. For crown division of herbaceous plants, such as irises, the clumps should be carefully lifted and some soil removed from the roots. The crown may then be cut into sections with a knife or other sharp tool. Individual shoots that contain roots may be used to form new plants, or if a larger plant is desired, several shoots may be left together. In large, old crowns, it is often best to discard the older, center portions and replant the young, more vigorous shoots that have developed on the edges of the clump. Table 1: Some common perennials…