What Is Escarole

Enthusiasm is contagious. I've crossed a number of people with enthusiasm and passion over the years, and each of their faces brings a sweet memory, but last night I reflected on a few specific individuals who have recently impacted me.

Adding more compost will give your huegel a more finished appearance, but this step is a matter of preference rather than necessity. Maybe your city or town is taking down a tree that is interfering with power lines and would welcome help disposing of...

(As was the imminent discovery that my car's driver's side door was frozen solid—it finally thawed Thursday morning, making for some interesting car entries in the early part of the week.) I begrudgingly scraped my car out of the ice and climbed in...

When a mother tincture is diluted, for example, six times it's called 6x potency, because X is the Roman numeral for 10. Suggested uses and dosages are printed on remedy labels, but those are only guidelines.

Tolerance to caffeine is different for everyone, so amounts necessary to produce adverse symptoms vary from person to person. Depression, vomiting and diarrhea are common symptoms winterberries produce in pets.

It may not necessarily be a concrete one, but where else do ideas begin if not with thoughts and dreams? Something will spark one of these thoughts, and I'll wind up daydreaming about my three-armed life or my alternate British self for a minute or two...

Nutritional Powerhouse Traditionally, ashitaba leaf was used for longevity and rejuvenation in Japan. It contains a high amount of vitamin B12, which we do not typically find in land plants.

Assassin bugs are wonderful beneficial insects that consume a wide range of pest species in the garden and should be encouraged. The nymphs of many garden bugs can look a lot alike—work with your county extension office to figure out if what you're...

Determining if the soil is frozen is paramount to your garden's success.Just walking across your soil or patting it with your hand will give away whether it is still frozen or not.

Typically, germinating seeds are killed by the damping-off fungus prior to emerging from the ground, and older, more established plants are seldom affected. Damping off can be alarming to a gardener trying to grow seeds and can leave them asking, “What...

How do we know whether or not the bacteria or virus survived the composting process? This is the Organic Materials Review Institute, an international nonprofit organization that determines which products are allowed for use in organic production and processing.

Chefs say that they have much better taste than other turkeys. Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve.Put the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Except maybe for the large pot of sauerkraut pork stuffed rolls I will cook for Christmas, into which I will add several laurel dry leaves. I just emptied the bags into a large box and stored all the laurel dry leaves in my pantry.

This high-humidity houseplant can grow to heights of nearly five feet.Dracaena sanderiana is considered non-toxic to humans.The ASPCA's Poison Control Center lists lucky bamboo as a toxic substance to dogs and cats.Although Dracaena sanderiana is considered...

Don't plant the same veggies year after year. This is also true in the home garden, as demonstrated by the demise of photinia (Photinia x fraseri, USDA zones 8 through 9) and Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii, USDA zones 6 through 10).Gardeners...

Production won out over soil health. Fields supported by chemical fertilizers were left in constant production, but soil health suffered. Alternating different plants helps keep that balance intact.

The cut wood is not resinous, and lacks any pronounced odor.Okoume has a low density, with a mean weight of 25 pounds per cubic foot. This is similar to the hardness of basswood (367) and redwood (402).

When we informed our neighbors about our new family members, we kindly mentioned that they shouldn't worry about noise because “there will be no roosters.” So now we are trying desperately to find another venue for our gent.

I bought a starfruit at the local food co-op, I tried sushi for the first time, and before I knew it, I was hooked. Novelty is the great parent of pleasure. Maybe you'll even discover a brand-new appreciation for your agricultural endeavors, similar to...

In fact, the University of California rates bougainvillea as a "reasonably safe bet" when it comes to deer-resistant plants.Bougainvillea is desirable for its showy colored bracts, or modified leaves.

State agricultural extension services often provide soil testing services for a nominal fee or no charge. They are not highly accurate but are sufficient for the needs of a gardener.

Fall is also a good time to plant a cover crop. Certain mulches, like grass clippings and straw, can be laden with herbicides that will contaminate the soil and reduce plant vigor.

With renovations kicking into gear—something that seems to happen only when we pay someone else to do the work—it's time to talk insulation. It offered suggestions for areas to insulate now versus later and explained how each would impact the home's...

To answer the reader's question, a Black Sex Link female chick is completely black, but an Australorp female chick is black on the top with a buff color on her neck, chest and bottom.

The length and diameter of the joints and stalk vary by sugar cane species. These raw crystals are then dispatched to a refinery before being sold commercially. If the top part of the sugar cane is cut but the roots remain intact, the plant will regrow...

The carefree vinca provides color all summer in flowerpots and the garden. If you have a deer problem in your region, surround your vegetable garden and other plants deer eat with vinca and other plants that deer don't like.

However, neither of these items contains animal fat.Despite its resemblance to lard, vegetable ghee is cholesterol-free. It is also used as a spread on bread or vegetables.Both traditional ghee and vegetable ghee have a texture and appearance similar...