National Brown Bag-It Day

There’s no doubt that every country in Europe is famous for something – they have their own national symbols like flags, dishes, alcoholic beverages, animals, sports etc. But have you ever thought about the national flowers of European countries?

Today we celebrate Earth Day for the 46th time since U.S. senator Gaylord Nelson suggested the idea for a national day focusing on the environment. After its first celebration on April 22 1970 in the US, Earth Day has grown into a worldwide environmental movement raising awareness of serious issues such as pollution, global warming, deforestation and the detrimental effect of urbanised societies on the environment.

My name is Diane Porter, and I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. We are a Zone 5 area here, so I like pretty hardy plants. Daylilies (Hemerocallis, Zones 4–9 for most cultivars) fit my garden perfectly. I have always enjoyed gardening and  actually worked at a local garden center for a few seasons. The gardening bug hit hard!

Gardeners tips would like to pay tribute to the nation’s trees, past and present and all those that use or care for them. The time to pay this tribute must be during National Tree Week which runs from 24th November to 2nd December 2018.

In 2016 the National Garden scheme donated £2.7 million to a range of cancer and other charities. This furthers the charitable objectives of the society ‘supporting charities, in their work in the provision of nursing and caring, and

Lets get to the root of the problem, we seldom get to see roots in action but they are crucial to most plants and trees.

The title of this post gives the game away but I will pose  the question anyway. ‘What do Croatia, USA, Germany, UK, Cyprus, Portugal, Ireland, Poland any several other central European countries have in common?’

College move-in day can be almost as stressful as it is exciting. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first or your fourth—there are many things to consider and many ways to make your new temporary living place feel like home.

March is typically filled with just about everything green, from St. Patrick’s Day to a great time to start planting your spring leafy vegetables. March 26th is National Spinach Day and is also one of my favorite leafy greens. Spinach can help compliment any meal whether stewed, tossed with other vegetables or blended into a smoothie. Spinach is naturally fat-free, cholesterol free and high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and folate. For more information on folate, see HGIC 4068, Folate.

My most favorite flavor of the Christmas season is gingerbread. I’ve tried several types of gingerbread flavored baked goods over the years (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, trifles, muffins, scones). You name it, I’ve probably tried my hand at it. My newest gingerbread recipe that I have created is this gingerbread loaf that is packed full of Christmas flavor! The key to the recipe is the chopped candied ginger and orange zest. Both of these combined add a perfect combination of flavors. The molasses brown sugar frosting is literally the sugar on top that adds even extra flavor to the bread. Enjoy this Christmas bread with a cup of coffee (tea or hot chocolate) as a flavorful start to your day, or as a dessert after dinner as a nice sweet finale to the day. This recipe would also make a great gift if you are wanting to share some baked goods this year. If you want to double the recipe check out HGIC 4260, Measurement Conversions for Recipes to help you easily double the recipe. Enjoy!

Step into March with a clear vision for 2020 as we celebrate National Nutrition Month. Choosing nutritious foods and getting enough physical activity can make a significant difference in your health.

South Carolina is a very special place. From the coast to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, South Carolina has a diversity of climates and landscapes. The diversity of climates allows for different grasses to flourish. Warm season grasses such as zoysia, St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass, centipedegrass, and bahiagrass flourish at the coast throughout the year, but those grown in the upstate go dormant in the winter. In the dormant stage, the grass turns brown and looks dead, but new growth will appear in spring. Cool season grasses, such as ryegrass and certain fescues, grow best primarily in the upstate but go dormant, or do not survive the heat of summer. Here too, the grass looks dead, with regrowth appearing as the weather begins to turn cool in fall and flourish through spring. Dormant grass still has live roots in the ground that require water, just not as much as when they are actively growing. Unless it has been uncommonly dry or windy, natural rain events are enough to sustain dormant grasses.