As Digital Content Editor Christine Alexander explains, pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and we should all be doing our part to support their populations:
24.07.2023 - 12:25 / hgic.clemson.edu
Home canning season is just around the corner. Having equipment ready and recipes selected before fresh produce is available will allow a smooth transition to a busy time of year. Only choose recipes that have been developed specifically for the canning method you are using. Safe canning methods include the boiling water bath method, the atmospheric steam canner method, and the pressure canner method. Recipes should only come from research-based sources like the USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Extension sources and should include the ingredients, preparation instructions, and processing times.
Check canners for signs of wear and corrosion on the body and lid. For pressure canners, gaskets should be inspected as well as gauges, petcocks, vents, and safety valves. Your local extension office may have the ability to check the canner and test the accuracy of dial gauges on pressure canners. Dial gauges that are off more than two pounds of pressure should be sent to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. Consider shipping time to and from the manufacturer to be sure your canner is ready when you need it.
Pre-season Canning Checklist
Other essentials that may need to be inventoried include canning jars, lids, and ring bands. Mason-type jars specifically designed for home canning should be used and are designed to withstand the heat treatment during processing. Jar size plays a role in process time. Use the size jar called for in the recipe. Two-piece lids are used to seal the jars in home canning. The lid, or flat metal disc, is only used once. The ring band may be re-used until it becomes rusty or dented.
Following research-based recommendations for home canning will lead to a safe product.
As Digital Content Editor Christine Alexander explains, pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem and we should all be doing our part to support their populations:
After 20 years of having a lawn that took, I wanted a yard that contributed: to the planet, to local animals, to biodiversity, to my neighbors, to my mental health. With the sage (native plant pun intended) design work, counsel, and collaboration of David Godshall of Terremoto and David Newsom of Wild Yards Project—and a plant-friendly paint palette from color consultant Teresa Grow—another little garden that gives was born.
Ah, garden dreams. We all have them. You drive by someone’s front yard and gasp at how original, yet welcoming it is. Or you go to a friend’s garden party and get positively green with envy over their, well, greenery and the overall flow of the space. To achieve such greatness, you decide you need to hire a landscape designer. And then you realize you have no idea what to do next.
It’s well known that the housing market is so competitive right now, but prospective home buyers aren’t the only ones hurting—renters are, too. According to personal finance website WalletHub, inflation has impacted rental prices, and 2022 saw the second-highest price growth in decades with a 6.2% year-over-year increase.
For those who are looking to buy a home for the first time, the feat can seem like quite the hurdle. With housing prices and interest rates still high, and a competitive market, it’s tough out there! And the number of first-time home buyers are dropping, too, because of those high prices—according to personal finance site WalletHub, 26% off home purchases were made by first-time home buyers in 2022, down from 34% the previous year.
All the latest garden news and the best UK garden events to look out for in August.
California is well known for its trees and this article shall provide a list of the most popular California’s Native Shade Plants. So let’s begin!
A stroll through a boutique garden store might lead you to believe that filling a garden with happy, healthy plants is only for the well-heeled. But those very plants that have soaring price tags in the store might be yours for free if you are willing to be a little creative. If you are wondering how to get free plants, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for five tried-and-true paths that lead you to free garden plants.
From trying cottage cheese ice cream to adding protein powder and bananas to morning coffee, the internet is ablaze with protein hacks lately—but Trader Joe’s just announced a bit of extra protein in its Unexpected Broccoli Cheddar Soup that you may not want to try.
Nothing says Christmas more than a poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). Did you know that December 12th is known as National Poinsettia Day? Plant breeders have developed a wide range of colors in hues of white, purple, orange, and pink, but red poinsettias continue to be the most traditional color of the holiday season.
Every spring, all over in South Carolina, we see yards, abandoned lots, natural areas, roadsides, and, in some cases, forests filled with white flowers. These first white flowers of the year are nearly all from the Callery pear tree (Pyrus calleryana). This tree is native to China, and while they may look the same, many of the trees planted in yards, around businesses, and in other managed landscapes across South Carolina are cultivars of P. calleryana. One of the most common cultivars is the Bradford pear. For more information on Bradford pears, see HGIC 1006, Bradford Pear. Bradford pears, by themselves, cannot produce viable seed. But, if pollen from a different flowering pear cultivar (or a wild Callery pear) pollinates a Bradford pear flower, then viable seed can be produced. The fruit are often eaten by birds, and birds doing what birds do (hint: they poop), spread the seeds across the land. When these new plants grow, they’re now Callery pears, the wild relative of Bradford and other cultivated varieties of Pyrus calleryana.
Winter weather and rising food prices can make folks eager to get started in their gardens. Some gardeners even want to rush to “correct” last year’s mistakes.