A few years ago, I was on a cruise in the Western Caribbean with a wonderful group of friends to celebrate my 50th birthday! It was a MEMORABLE trip to say the least. We promised (like we always do) to get together afterwards and keep up our momentum. My friend, Mark, who was on the cruise, was already an over-committed builder at the time, but I convinced him to help me with my dream project…to have my own greenhouse! Around that time, I was at a fellow Master Gardener’s house and saw some ideas for greenhouses in a magazine she had. In the environmental mind of being cost effective and trying to recycle/reuse, I rediscovered some old windows with wooden frames that had been replaced on my home; this was the catalyst to start the project. They became the framework of my greenhouse dream. Then I searched flea markets and…
Author: Former Members
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…
Planter And Leaf Mold Tuffas
The basic materials for casting planter tuffas and leafmoldings are the same: Portland cement, fine play-sand (because it is clean of debris), and water. You’ll also need a garden or cement trowel and a couple of large plastic dishpan for mixing the cement, sand, and water. In one large dishpan, you’ll need to mix some water with the sand until it can be molded by hand as if building a sand castle on the beach. In the other dishpan, you will mix 1 part Portland cement with 2 parts sand. Add water until the mixture is the consistency of thick frosting. Portland cement comes in 40 lb. bags. They can be resealed after use. Play-sand comes in 40 lb. bags that are easily stored for future use. For a casting planter tuffas, select a mold in the design of your finished product. It can be a simple bowl, tub, or…