#doug oster | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

zirhlikuzgun · 5 months ago

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January's crew - Page 26

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[18361] {7345} ♂ Orlando Roos

[18362] {7346} ❤️ ♀ Teryl Roos

[18363] [¯\_(ツ)_/¯ newborn friends and play/roommates]

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[18366] {7347} ♂ Oxx Roos

[18367] {7348} ❤️ ♀ Taylor Roos

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[18371] {7349} ♂ Ob Roos

[18372] {7350} ❤️ ♀ Trixie Roos

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[18376] {7351} ♂ Oster Roos

[18377] {7352} ❤️ ♀ Toni Roos

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[18381] {7353} ♂ Topher Schöne

[18382] {7354} ❤️ ♀ Olga Schöne

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[18386] {7355} ♂ Torbjorn Schöne

[18387] {7356} ❤️ ♀ Olivier Schöne

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[18391] {7357} ♂ Trevor Schöne

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[18396] {71359} ♂ Tomber Schöne

[18397] {7360} ❤️ ♀ Onyx Schöne

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[18401] {7361} ♀ Margot Sparboe

[18402] {7362} ❤️ ♂ Orex Sparboe

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[18406] {7363} ♀ Majken Sparboe

[18407] {7364} ❤️ ♂ OURian Sparboe

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[18411] {7365} ♀ Mandy Sparboe

[18412] {7366} ❤️ ♂ Olly Sparboe

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[18416] {7367} ♀ Macy Sparboe

[18417] {7368} ❤️ ♂ Ospeo Sparboe

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[18421] {7369} ♀ Taylor Blanco

[18422] {7370} ❤️ ♂ Dallas Blanco

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[18426] {7371} ♀ Teryl Blanco

[18427] {7372} ❤️ ♂ Drew Blanco

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[18431] {7373} ♀ Tyana Blanco

[18432] {7374} ❤️ ♂ Doug Blanco

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[18436] {7375} ♀ Toni Blanco

[18437] {7376} ❤️ ♂ Douglas Blanco

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[18441] {7377} ♂ Ulf Kramer

[18442] {7378} ❤️ ♀ Margo Kramer

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[18447] {7380} ❤️ ♀ Miranda Kramer

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[18451] {7381} ♂ Uffy Kramer

[18452] {7382} ❤️ ♀ Martina Kramer

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[18456] {7383} ♂ Üxman Kramer

[18457] {7384} ❤️ ♀ Mandy Kramer

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[18461] {7385} ♂ Ob Maerz

[18462] {7386} ❤️ ♀ Onyx Maerz

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[18466] {7387} ♂ Olly Maerz

[18467] {7388} ❤️ ♀ Olga Maerz

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[18471] {7389} ♂ Orlando Maerz

[18472] {7390} ❤️ ♀ Olivier Maerz

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[18476] {7391} ♂ Oysher Maerz

[18477] {7392} ❤️ ♀ Oakley Maerz

[18478] [¯\_(ツ)_/¯ newborn friends and play/roommates]

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wdcgardener · 5 years ago

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Our GardenDC Podcast Episode 4 features a talk with Doug Oster all about #tomatoes — from the earliest varieties to ripen to combating blight issues. Doug shares his best tips and tricks. Listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. #gardendc #DMV #DC #WDC #tomato #gardenwriter #podcasters #podcastepisode #gardening #foodgarden #gardenpodcast @gardencomms GardenComm #growyourown #podcast #veggiegarden #gardeningisnotcanceled #gardeningtips #vegetables #growyourownfood (at Washington D.C.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAJKF11AnsF/?igshid=sv78f0owp9lf

#tomatoes #gardendc #dmv #dc #wdc #tomato #gardenwriter #podcasters #podcastepisode #gardening #foodgarden #gardenpodcast #growyourown #podcast #veggiegarden #gardeningisnotcanceled #gardeningtips #vegetables #growyourownfood

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leagueofawesomedudes · 5 years ago

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Week 6 Preview

Matt > Mat

Many of you by now have probably noticed I live in Lakewood. Which from first glance probably seems weird if you have ever spent any amount of time around me. There was a time not all that long ago where the only people I thought lived in Lakewood were the gays. Now having lived here, I can say I was right. Knowing that, it’s not surprising at all that most of the squad has lived in Lakewood at some point or is about too. Sup Chad?

I am sure you all are wondering, “where is Bennett going to move next?” It’s a question we all ask each other constantly as our leases come to an end seemly minutes after they start. But to know where I will move next, you have to go back and look at the journey that brought me here. I moved to Columbus and lived there for two years after we all left OU. Next, I got transferred down to Cincy for 2 years. After that I moved to mentor for a couple months while I waited for my apartment to open up. Finally, I slid over to Lakewood to where I am now. But this path, it sounds so familiar you say? Well it is. My path has mirrored Solden’s up to this point but it ends here. I will not allow this madness to continue.

Sam > Jon

I park my car, open up the door, and walk into Canes.

Now, it is a Sunday after long week of reminding Athens who we are. A few of us gathered in Athens for a weekend of drinking Vegas Bombs and hot nuts, reminiscing of our time at OU, and constantly checking the weather report in the bathroom.

Straight ahead of me are my friends who arrived before me and just sat down with a bunch of box combos. As I walk in, I notice something in the air. The kind of thing that makes you know you are in for a meal to remember. As I sit down, there is fried chicken, fries, garlic bread, and canes sauce everywhere. They all begin to dig in and just before I get up to head to the counter to order someone says, “There is some weird shit going on up there”. At that point in time, I had no idea he had just laid down one of the best and most appropriate for the situation that was about to ensue, one liners Id ever heard. I get to the counter and nothing before in my life has been more apparent than “the weird shit” he was referring to. There stood what could only be described as a gay transgender that was having serious problems figuring itself out. It had pink hair, maybe one of the oddest voices I have ever heard, and just a very different demeanor about it. As I struggled to keep my composure and regain control of the urge to giggle, I realized that the moment I was currently in was one of those moments in life you never forget.

Jon thank you for making Burg take engagement photos. We all were worried she wouldn’t want to take photos and post every single one multiple times. I am impressed you convinced her to do that. Welcome to the LOAD where we are all about load management.

Tony < Chad

Just a few days ago I saw a message in the group me that appeared to be making fun of me dancing, or barely dancing at Doug’s party. It is pretty old news that I am not much into dancing, especially if it’s not during the winter. But that is just who I am. I just don’t feel music inside me making me want to dance. If I am dancing, I am faking it to fit in with people around me. Kind of like Tony with Long hair. Just because your roommate invests more in his flow than his Fortnite skins doesn’t mean flow is for everyone. Welcome back Tony quick buzzes.

Chad what happened Bro? I thought I was going to see you at Doug’s. I guess you really do stand with Bobby. Looking forward to having you in Lakewood. Living in the same building together again. It’ll be just like freshman year again. Jared will only come for a short while then leave and we’ll never see Hervey here.

Dom > Jared

Dom, I hear California is nice this time of year. The time of year where it is hot, windy, and THEY TURN OFF ALL OF THE POWER TO PREVENT WILD FIRES. I feel like just turning off the power is a pretty extreme measure to prevent wild fires. To me that is like using abstinence to prevent pregnancy. Yeah, not having power or sex does reduce the odds of wild fire or pregnancy, but is it worth living like we did 200 years ago and not getting laid? Good luck out there. Camping is fun. I’m sure you’ll love it.

Jared, where have the Coors snaps been? I’m not sure we are even snapchat friends anymore. It’s been so long since I’ve seen one. But I know we still are. You wouldn’t leave the squad snapchat group like TJ did.

Casey < Doug

Well we have the two newest homeowners of the group in a battle this week. Casey that house warming party you had in August was just like Chad and Tony at Doug’s house warming party, non-existent. For those of you who missed Doug’s party, which is pretty much everyone, it was just about as you’d expect. When I arrived, Doug was wearing none other than a grey flannel with some white and back mixed in. Doug also painted many of his walls grey which is probably the least surprising thing you’ve heard all year. Doug’s basement sports a projection TV that is 0.002 miles wide. For those who can’t really picture how long 0.002 miles is, I’ll convert it to a unit you all are more familiar with. It is equivalent to the length of 21 PS4 controllers side by side. Or the height of about 85 tuna cans stacked.

Shawn< Paul

I would be remiss if I didn’t not congratulate Shawn on tying the knot. As a big fan of knots, I am very happy for you two. My personal favorites are bowlines and clove hitches. But I will tell you what, when you are in a bind, a trucker’s hitch will always do the trick.

As today is Paul’s birthday, I searched high and low for reasons to drag Paul through the mud on his special day. Mud you say? That reminds me of some gold I found deep in the the Instagram. Paul sports not one but TWO photos with Rachel Mudd on his gram. Yes, you read that correctly, Rachel Mudd. Few things surprise me these days, but that caught me off guard. Another post showed Paul with Hannah Oster captioned “Hottest couple in Athens” as he hugs her while holding his own hand. The gems that can be found deep in the archives not only bring back fond memories, but they remind me that we have been on a long journey that has led us all here together where we are today.

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jodybouchard9 · 6 years ago

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How to Keep Skunks Out of Your Yard: 4 Surefire Tactics to Repel Pepe le Pew

Adrian Wojcik/iStock

Skunks are relatively harmless, but their presence stinks—literally! You don’t have to see these black-and-white critters to know that they’ve taken up residence on your property. As a general rule, skunks will release this odor only when they are frightened (although during mating season, female skunks will spray the mist at male suitors that they don’t find desirable). But whatever the cause, it sure does linger.

In addition to pungent smells, skunks can also carry rabies and wreak havoc on your lawn.

The funk on skunks

While skunks are known for their unique odor, smelling skunks on your property is just one way to identify them. If you see cone-shaped holes in your lawn or claw tracks (skunks have five toes on each foot), those are also clues that a skunk may be inhabiting your yard.

Skunks can carry rabies, so if you do see one, be aware of the warning signs. For example, they’re nocturnal animals, so activity during the day could indicate the animal is infected. Also, skunks rarely approach humans, so if they’re aggressive, beware.

How to keep skunks out of your yard

Fortunately, there are several humane, nonlethal ways to keep skunks off your property.

1. Remove food sources

You may be unwittingly extending a dinner invitation to skunks if your property contains easily accessible food.

“Keep a lid on outdoor trash cans and make sure that any bags inside the can that contain food waste are tied up,” says Chuck Cerbini, executive vice president at New Jersey–based Corbett Exterminating.

“Skunks will forage for human food, but they also like to eat insects and larvae, grubs, small rodents, frogs, snakes, birds, and eggs. So if you have a pest problem in your lawn, this may attract pests further up the food chain,” Cerbini says.

Skunks like grubs in particular. If you eliminate the grubs, you can reduce the chances that skunks will be in your yard, according to Doug Oster of Everybody Gardens. Oster recommends an organic approach.

“For immediate results, use beneficial nematodes that find the grubs and dispatch them—but the nematodes must be applied when soil temperatures are at 50 degrees [Fahrenheit] or warmer,” Oster says.

Since skunks will settle for other types of food, the Montana Department of Agriculture advises against feeding your pets outside. If Fido does take his dinner outside, make sure you provide only enough food and water to be consumed at one time, and remove these items before nightfall.

2. Provide disruptions

You could also use a good old-fashioned scare tactic to keep skunks from coming back.

“Because skunks forage at night, a sudden burst of light or water can be startling enough to dissuade them from entering your property,” Cerbini says. “It’s worth trying to spook them away from your backyard with a motion detector that triggers floodlights or automatic sprinklers.”

3. Eliminate potential habitats

Skunks aren’t just looking for food—they’re also looking for a place to set up shop.

“Skunks don’t like to build their own nests; they prefer to move into abandoned ones that other wildlife have left behind,” says Cerbini. “They also like to burrow and can dig under fences.”

Cerbini recommends looking around your property—including your garage—for signs that other animals, like rabbits, moles, or foxes, have created nests in the past.

Cover any openings in your home’s foundation with wire mesh or sheet metal. However, make sure that these coverings extend a few inches below the soil’s surface or the skunks will just dig under them to get through.

4. Repel them with smells

Skunks may emit a foul odor, but it turns out that they aren’t too keen on strong smells themselves. Three smells that they can’t stand come from citrus fruits (e.g., lemon, orange, or grapefruit peels), predators (e.g., dog or fox urine), and mothballs. These can all be placed around your yard to scare off skunks. If you’re using mothballs, be sure to keep them out of reach of children and pets.

The post How to Keep Skunks Out of Your Yard: 4 Surefire Tactics to Repel Pepe le Pew appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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wendyimmiller · 4 years ago

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‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing.

So, it’s come to this.

As a nation, we are so starved for American garden programming that we are willing to accept that a woman worth over $620 million dollars, stuck for 82 days on her 153-acre estate in Bedford, NY; with her gardener, one of her housekeepers, and one of her drivers; and joined as needed by groundskeepers and their foreman, is going to fill that need and leave us hungry for another season of down-to-earth gardening advice.

So starved, that we are willing to accept HGTV promos that tell us that this immaculately dressed and fully made-up celebrity, sans sweat, sans grimy hands, and sans, apparently, a production assistant to create some small illusion of same, is relatable; and “puts the G back in HGTV.”

So starved, that we are willing to overlook her frequent – and historical – transposition of the pronouns “I” and “they” when discussing the nitty-gritty of projects undertaken on that 153-acre estate.

So. Starved.

Six episodes worth of gilded crumbs. And I’m afraid this gardener has lost her appetite.

It’s not about the money…

Perhaps the best way to launch into my review [and accompanying visual aids] of the first season of HGTV’s Martha Knows Best, (which I watched in its entirety after Susan’s recent review here) is to make it perfectly clear that I have no problem with the [legal] accumulation of wealth.

What wrestling a tiller really looks like.

I have no problem, as it were, with the wealthy.

You earned it. You spend it. Martha Stewart is not just an extraordinary business woman, but a talented creative with an expert eye sharpened over many years.

She also has the genius to recognize, nurture, and promote that spark in other creatives.

If she insists that the 1000+ containers on her property be of the same color family (stone, concrete or marble), and never wishes to see an artistic vegetable in a flower arrangement, and lines utilitarian pathways to peacock enclosures with cut blocks of granite, who am I to criticize her from enjoying the whims that whacking great wads of cash can indulge?

I’ll have to tell my insanely talented friend Louisa Zimmermann-Roberts at Thanksgiving Farms in Frederick, MD, that her summer arrangement of Swiss chard, sweet pea, red raspberries, grapes eggplant, okra, chives, black-eyed peas and banana leaves is not officially sanctioned. She’s going to take it really well.

If I lived across the street as one of her “very many fancy neighbors” I would raise a glass to her abilities at the neighborhood block party, and conscientiously ask her advice when it came to pairing champagne and stemware for a well-lubricated celebrity crowd of twenty on a Saturday night.

I might even ask which echeveria to use in the tablescape.

Wickedly, I’d also try to tempt her hardworking gardener, Ryan McCallister, to cross the street and become my personal gardener. My current gardener, Cutout Andy (though versatile and well-traveled), doesn’t have the same twinkle in his eye.

Cutout Andy and I discussing plans for the garden.

All this to say, I respect what she has achieved and have no desire to set up a mini-guillotine in the exquisitely designed cobblestone courtyard of her horse stables. I won’t even debate aspects of her gardening advice. Susan did that already.

I also respect the fact that she is a 79-year-old woman who is a damn sight more active than your average 79-year-old American.

Let Them Eat Cake

What I don’t respect however, is this laughable attempt to appear ‘relatable’ as someone who is just like me, or like 99% of the gardening public.

I don’t respect the producers of this show having so little awareness of the current suffering going on throughout the country that they felt that a conspicuous display of fabulous wealth could feed the public’s very real (and in many cases, economic) need for gardening advice.

At a certain point it goes from being laughable, to being downright offensive. From the intro:

“I’ve lived on this farm for about 17 years. And like you I’m spending more time at home than ever before. So I’m going to take you behind the scenes as I do my gardening projects. I’m going to help my celebrity friends. And surprise new gardeners.”

Here’s one of my gardening projects – Endlessly Weeding. On my knees. On my own. And I’m one of the lucky ones.

It must be horrific to spend 82 days on 153 acres. With a modified staff.

What about 82 days on a tenth of an acre (like my last house)? What about 82 days in an apartment with a philodendron?

Uhhh….there’s a pandemic going on?

We have been six months at this pandemic. After years in cramped quarters, I now live on ten beautiful acres in a four-bedroom house. And I’m ready to bury my husband’s work-from-home body in a remote corner of the property at this point. It might even be classified as a COVID death.

And no doubt my husband feels the same way.

And yet, every evening of this mess, when I watch the news and see cities in such turmoil, I think of my 10×12′ apartment in New York, when I was 100% dependent on food service jobs and student loans to make my bills.

Each and every morning when I walk through the garden I think of our little upstairs flat in Southeast London when my son was a toddler, and how desperate I was for more than a window box and a few pots by the door.

My very first vegetable garden – a 2x17ft unpaved strip in the parking lot outside our tiny apartment in Southern California. (Photo from Big Dreams, Small Garden, 2017)

And each morning I am deeply grateful for the space around me, and painfully aware that others are struggling in this pandemic under terrible conditions with no end in sight.

No awareness from Hollywood apparently. Or from Bedford.

“When the pandemic started and quarantine became de rigueur,” says Stewart, “I invited Ryan, my gardener, I invited Carlos, one of my drivers, and one of my housekeepers Elvira, to stay with me during this time.”

Quarantine. De rigueur. Alrighty then. So is a floor length gown at a debutante ball Martha. But okay, we’ll just go with it.

Lost in Translation

And if you didn’t study French in high school and are currently running to Google Translate – keep the tab open. To Martha, soil that is ready for planting does not resemble a palm full of pastry dough, but pâte brisée.

It’s actually an excellent analogy that falls short in its delivery. As does dropping mise en place to describe setting gardening tools in place for a project.

While you’re at it, you might want to check out Île de la Cité, where Martha gets “all her seeds.”

No Chanel or Dior for this everyday gardener when she arrives in Paris, she tells us, but straight to those lovely little seed markets.

I didn’t want to bring Marie and her cake into this, but damn.

My husband and I on our way to the seed markets. Regrettably he had to drive us due to some staffing issues.

I remark upon these Gallicisms as someone with five years of French under her belt, a fair amount of experience in the kitchen and garden, and an unfortunate history of dropping sans into conversation, but a young, beginning American gardener doesn’t know her pâte brisée from her pot of ease-ay.

99.9% of low or middle-income gardeners are not jetting to Paris for their seeds and will probably see what’s available at local garden centers before they consider even splurging on shipping fees for online sources, no matter how wonderful they are.

I know I did.

And here. Here is the issue. Pretending that this is a gardening show instead of a celebrity reality show.

The wonderful thing about Cutout Andy is that he is so incredibly portable. Here he is on his way to help my mother in her garden in California.

Just Ask Martha

A few moments of FaceTiming Mitch in Lemoore, California about soil preparation for his carrots; or telling Maggie in Mississippi that she needs “ferns” for the north side of her shady house; or letting Karlin from Florida in on the not-so-little secret that she needs a coop for her ducks to keep them safe from predators; does not constitute ‘hanging with the little people.’

Especially after each performs the requisite sycophantic prelude before speaking to “the Gardening Queen Herself”

Maggie: “I almost started crying but I did keep it together.”

And then there are the celebrity cameos. Hailey Bieber needing dog grooming tips. Jay Leno showing us the kitchen in his garage and asking what a pomegranate is. Zac Posen telling Martha he’s been gardening since March in Bridgehampton.

“Well. It’s SOOO easy to garden in the Hamptons” she laughs.

I’ll just leave that right where it fell.

Cutout Andy taking a few moments away from digging out a new pathway to enjoy a warm tomato from my mother’s garden.

I made my life-long gardening mother watch two episodes with me. When Martha begged Snoop Dogg to join her in Maine on her 63-acre estate, Skylands, for her next party post-COVID, Mom turned to me with a puzzled look on her face. “It’s like digging your heel into somebody’s face.” She said quietly. “I’d be embarrassed to say that.”

Even if I gave millions of dollars to charities each year – as no doubt Martha does – I would too.

To his credit, a tee-shirted Richard Gere sat cross-legged and underneath a tree in his father’s average suburban garden where he grew up – even if they spent the entire time discussing the shade beds at his exclusive Relais & Châteaux establishment, The Bedford Post Inn. He almost seemed a little embarrassed.

Perhaps we have his friendship with the Dalai Lama to thank for that.

She knows her stuff. But she’s forgotten her audience.

Martha’s smart. She’s exceptionally talented. She built an empire.

But she is not the person to put the G back in HGTV.

Those are people like Joe Lamp’l on Growing a Greener World, or Nan Sterman in A Growing Passion, or or down-to-earth influencers like Erin Schanen (www.impatientgardener.com) or Doug Oster (www.dougoster.com), or Ron Finley (www.ronfinley.com) who show you the trials, tribulations and glorious successes without the catchy music and celebrity friends.

Ron Finley of South Central L.A., an activist gardener who has changed thousands of lives by inspiring people living in the food deserts of inner cities to garden (Source: www.RonFinley.com)

For advanced gardeners who have yet to watch ‘Martha Knows Best,’ do. I’d like to know what you think.

But if you’re a brand-new gardener – look to the shows, feeds and podcasts of those who garden with the resources and in the region that you do. I guarantee you there are hundreds on YouTube.

Or, depart these shores altogether and take advantage of UK programming that still respects its population enough to provide polished and professional gardening programs to inspire everyday gardeners, such as Charlie Dimmock’s new endeavor, Garden Rescue, classic episodes of Ground Force, or Monty Don and others truly getting their hands dirty in BBC Gardener’s World. (Please leave your suggestions in the comments for excellent gardening programming in other parts of the world.)

Martha Knows Best is not a gardening show. It’s a celebrity reality show that takes place outside. And in the middle of a pandemic, when millions are out of work, businesses are shuttered, and large segments of the population are watching their future dreams for even a modest home and garden sabotaged by something completely out of their control, we deserve better.

Let’s hope HGTV digs a little deeper and finds it.

‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing. originally appeared on GardenRant on September 10, 2020.

The post ‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing. appeared first on GardenRant.

from Gardening https://www.gardenrant.com/2020/09/martha-knows-best-is-not-great-its-not-even-a-good-thing.html via http://www.rssmix.com/

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turfandlawncare · 4 years ago

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‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing.

So, it’s come to this.

So. Starved.

Six episodes worth of gilded crumbs. And I’m afraid this gardener has lost her appetite.

It’s not about the money…

What wrestling a tiller really looks like.

I have no problem, as it were, with the wealthy.

You earned it. You spend it. Martha Stewart is not just an extraordinary business woman, but a talented creative with an expert eye sharpened over many years.

She also has the genius to recognize, nurture, and promote that spark in other creatives.

I might even ask which echeveria to use in the tablescape.

Cutout Andy and I discussing plans for the garden.

I also respect the fact that she is a 79-year-old woman who is a damn sight more active than your average 79-year-old American.

Let Them Eat Cake

What I don’t respect however, is this laughable attempt to appear ‘relatable’ as someone who is just like me, or like 99% of the gardening public.

At a certain point it goes from being laughable, to being downright offensive. From the intro:

Here’s one of my gardening projects – Endlessly Weeding. On my knees. On my own. And I’m one of the lucky ones.

It must be horrific to spend 82 days on 153 acres. With a modified staff.

What about 82 days on a tenth of an acre (like my last house)? What about 82 days in an apartment with a philodendron?

Uhhh….there’s a pandemic going on?

And no doubt my husband feels the same way.

My very first vegetable garden – a 2x17ft unpaved strip in the parking lot outside our tiny apartment in Southern California. (Photo from Big Dreams, Small Garden, 2017)

And each morning I am deeply grateful for the space around me, and painfully aware that others are struggling in this pandemic under terrible conditions with no end in sight.

No awareness from Hollywood apparently. Or from Bedford.

Quarantine. De rigueur. Alrighty then. So is a floor length gown at a debutante ball Martha. But okay, we’ll just go with it.

Lost in Translation

It’s actually an excellent analogy that falls short in its delivery. As does dropping mise en place to describe setting gardening tools in place for a project.

While you’re at it, you might want to check out Île de la Cité, where Martha gets “all her seeds.”

No Chanel or Dior for this everyday gardener when she arrives in Paris, she tells us, but straight to those lovely little seed markets.

I didn’t want to bring Marie and her cake into this, but damn.

My husband and I on our way to the seed markets. Regrettably he had to drive us due to some staffing issues.

I know I did.

And here. Here is the issue. Pretending that this is a gardening show instead of a celebrity reality show.

The wonderful thing about Cutout Andy is that he is so incredibly portable. Here he is on his way to help my mother in her garden in California.

Just Ask Martha

Especially after each performs the requisite sycophantic prelude before speaking to “the Gardening Queen Herself”

Maggie: “I almost started crying but I did keep it together.”

“Well. It’s SOOO easy to garden in the Hamptons” she laughs.

I’ll just leave that right where it fell.

Cutout Andy taking a few moments away from digging out a new pathway to enjoy a warm tomato from my mother’s garden.

Even if I gave millions of dollars to charities each year – as no doubt Martha does – I would too.

Perhaps we have his friendship with the Dalai Lama to thank for that.

She knows her stuff. But she’s forgotten her audience.

Martha’s smart. She’s exceptionally talented. She built an empire.

But she is not the person to put the G back in HGTV.

Ron Finley of South Central L.A., an activist gardener who has changed thousands of lives by inspiring people living in the food deserts of inner cities to garden (Source: www.RonFinley.com)

For advanced gardeners who have yet to watch ‘Martha Knows Best,’ do. I’d like to know what you think.

But if you’re a brand-new gardener – look to the shows, feeds and podcasts of those who garden with the resources and in the region that you do. I guarantee you there are hundreds on YouTube.

Let’s hope HGTV digs a little deeper and finds it.

‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing. originally appeared on GardenRant on September 10, 2020.

The post ‘Martha Knows Best’ Is Not Great. It’s Not Even a Good Thing. appeared first on GardenRant.

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thearnoldtully · 5 years ago

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Somalis transform vacant Pittsburgh lot into their own farm

Abdulkadir Chirambo (front) is president of the United Somali Bantu of Greater Pittsburgh. The group has transformed vacant city lots into a garden farm located in Pittsburgh’s Perry Hilltop neighborhood. Behind him are the elders that have taught the younger members how to garden and farm the land. Doug Oster | Tribune-Review

The Somali Bantu includes people from many countries — among them, Kenya, Burundi and Congo. Those who spent their lives farming in their home countries longed to continue to work in the soil here.

By Doug Oster Trip Live Aug 16, 2019

Excerpt:

The nearly acre site they farm Pittsburgh’s Perry Hilltop neighborhood was transformed from vacant lots through the city’s Adopt-A-Lot program run by Shelly Danko+Day. Pittsburgh’s urban agriculture and food policy specialist oversees the program, which started in 2014. Currently there are 151 lots covering 11 total acres that are used for a variety of different purposes. “It’s a way people can access vacant city owned lot for food, flower or rain gardens,” she says.

With the group in its second year, the large, lush garden is brimming with tall corn plants, dwarf okra, squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, beans, carrots, collards and more.

This is a showplace for the program, but with over 7,000 vacant lots in the city, it’s just a start. “People are so excited about adopting these lots,” Danko+Day says with a smile. “I love seeing the flowers growing and the communities involved people out enjoying the space that was once just a vacant lot.”

Each garden throughout the city is different; in Homewood that group of gardeners has erected a hoop house to extend the season. Other lots are used for flowers to beautify the neighborhood and some gardens function to deal with stormwater more effectively. “A lot of communities doing a lot of really unique things, she says. “They are like snowflakes, every one is different.”

Read the complete article here.

from Gardening http://cityfarmer.info/somalis-transform-vacant-pittsburgh-lot-into-their-own-farm/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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bestforlessmove · 6 years ago

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How to Keep Skunks Out of Your Yard: 4 Surefire Tactics to Repel Pepe le Pew

Adrian Wojcik/iStock

Skunks are relatively harmless, but their presence stinks-literally! You don't have to see these black-and-white critters to know that they've taken up residence on your property. As a general rule, skunks will release this odor only when they are frightened (although during mating season, female skunks will spray the mist at male suitors that they don't find desirable). But whatever the cause, it sure does linger.

In addition to pungent smells, skunks can also carry rabies and wreak havoc on your lawn.

The funk on skunks

Skunks can carry rabies, so if you do see one, be aware of the warning signs. For example, they're nocturnal animals, so activity during the day could indicate the animal is infected. Also, skunks rarely approach humans, so if they're aggressive, beware.

How to keep skunks out of your yard

Fortunately, there are several humane, nonlethal ways to keep skunks off your property.

1. Remove food sources

You may be unwittingly extending a dinner invitation to skunks if your property contains easily accessible food.

“For immediate results, use beneficial nematodes that find the grubs and dispatch them-but the nematodes must be applied when soil temperatures are at 50 degrees [Fahrenheit] or warmer,” Oster says.

2. Provide disruptions

You could also use a good old-fashioned scare tactic to keep skunks from coming back.

“Because skunks forage at night, a sudden burst of light or water can be startling enough to dissuade them from entering your property,” Cerbini says. “It's worth trying to spook them away from your backyard with a motion detector that triggers floodlights or automatic sprinklers.”

3. Eliminate potential habitats

Skunks aren't just looking for food-they're also looking for a place to set up shop.

“Skunks don't like to build their own nests; they prefer to move into abandoned ones that other wildlife have left behind,” says Cerbini. “They also like to burrow and can dig under fences.”

Cerbini recommends looking around your property-including your garage-for signs that other animals, like rabbits, moles, or foxes, have created nests in the past.

Cover any openings in your home's foundation with wire mesh or sheet metal. However, make sure that these coverings extend a few inches below the soil's surface or the skunks will just dig under them to get through.

4. Repel them with smells

Skunks may emit a foul odor, but it turns out that they aren't too keen on strong smells themselves. Three smells that they can't stand come from citrus fruits (e.g., lemon, orange, or grapefruit peels), predators (e.g., dog or fox urine), and mothballs. These can all be placed around your yard to scare off skunks. If you're using mothballs, be sure to keep them out of reach of children and pets.

The post How to Keep Skunks Out of Your Yard: 4 Surefire Tactics to Repel Pepe le Pew appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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