Care Tips for when Heat Hits

As most of you have been experiencing or are aware, the heatwave has been affecting quite a few people in the Southern Hemisphere in general and in Australia in particular recently. It is not very easy to keep cool in this heat. I hope everyone is trying to look after themselves as well as others these days. Caring for others in this heat could be as easy as  knocking on the door of especially some elderly neighbours just to check up on them and also see if you could help them with anything to stay safe. 

However, we also need to keep in mind that us human beings are not the only living that feel the heat.  

Dark red dominates this image, indicating temperatures that were significantly higher than average between December 27 and January 3, especially in Queensland and New South Wales. (Source: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=82790)  

According to this article here, the heatwave also had some deadly impact on the wildlife. For instance, 100,000 bats have died from the heat in Queensland.

Here are some suggestions that come to mind that I would like to share with you with the hope of making a small difference in the life of a living creature. My suggestions are mostly on keeping your pets and also small sized wildlife safe.

* Keep your pet hydrated. Make sure your pet has an access to some fresh water at all times. In our case, we have chickens and we leave them a few extra sources of water in their pen where they can freely access to in case one gets dirty or evaporates quickly and we don't realise it soon enough.

*Add some ice to their water source at times, if possible/applicable, as the water will warm up quickly in this heat.

*Depending on the type of your pet, you can wet them at times to cool them down.

*Try to offer some cool ground for them. It could be that you have a cool place you can keep them in, or you can put some wet sheets underneath them etc. We wet our chickens' pen as well as the ground under trees at times as they are the places they often stay at.

*Offer some green leafy vegetables if possible as they contain water and are often easily consumed by many types of animals.

*Leave some water outside for lost/homeless animals.

*Leave a shallow bucket with some sticks and/or rocks in it in your garden so that smaller animals such as ants can drink some water too without drowning as Wildlife Victoria has recommended.

Stay safe!

Our First DIY Greenhouse

My initial plan was to blog about the 30 second no-sew breastfeed cover tutorial that I had promised before but unfortunately, I haven't had the time to take photos for it yet. Therefore, it is still on the waiting list. However, I have got something else for you here today.

In Australia, we have happily opened our doors to the beautiful Spring and it has been quite generous to us already. Nice sunny days have definitely warmed us inside and out. There is always something to do in the garden and when it is nice and warm, the idea of gardening is very inviting, even though we've never stopped gardening throughout the whole year, even if it meant wearing a beanie, a scarf, a pair of gumboots, a few layers under a thick jacket and some nice gloves to be able to work outdoors.

Early in winter this year, we decided to build a greenhouse over one of our garden beds, our first-ever greenhouse! It was very exciting indeed. As a family, we worked hard regardless of how harsh the weather had been at times. We achieved building our greenhouse over two afternoons.

We tried to use recycled materials whenever possible and the most unusual recycled item we used was the rods that we saved from our old blinds in the house and used them to make the rooftop frame.

When we completed our greenhouse, we were very satisfied. However, soon after we noticed that it was too early to be happy as we started having many days with strong winds and the greenhouse had too much pressure in it. Some parts of it came undone and we had to find a solution to it. Our solution idea came from Mr. Hubby. As he suggested, we made several little so-called 'windows' on most sides of it and we used some strong tape to secure the ends of the cuts to make sure they would not keep ripping with strong winds. It seemed to be working well even though it was still not the ideal greenhouse. We also put some extra poles to support the frame and the plastic cover better. 

We planted some broad beans, peas, beans, lettuce mix and silver beet in it. However, soon we recognised that the silverbeet seeds were something else and to this date, we still don't know what they are. We have to be a bit more patient before we can make anything out of it. Hopefully it is something edible at least!

The plants started growing beautifully in the greenhouse until one day, one of our gorgeous girls (chickens) found a way to get in it on a windy day! We were happy that she had a feast and was quite a content girl when we found her but unfortunately, it came with a price: bean seeds were everywhere, there was almost no lettuce left, peas were mostly hidden under big piles of soil etc. The two lessons we learned from this experience were that making a greenhouse in a place where there are strong winds, you have to be extra cautious to make it nice and strong; and that chickens don't eat broad bean plants.

Towards the end of winter, we first opened the rooftop of the greenhouse and lessened the pressure even more for windy days and a few weeks ago, we took it down altogether to get the garden beds ready for Spring.

Over a few afternoons, we made our three main vegie patches chicken-proof. The kids just loved being a part of the whole process and also playing in the dirt, of course. As for the girls (our chickens), they had a feast every time we turned the soil upside down or dug a hole on the ground. In fact, at times, it was so hard to work for us as they would not leave our sight for a second and their heads were always around our feet. We had to fight for space!

I plan to update you on the progress of our plants and trees in time as well as posting on other topics. Until my next post, make the most of the nature you are in regardless of the season you have there!

Guest Post: HEALTH BENEFITS OF GARLIC

When discussing the aromatic personality of garlic, the question remains, would you be willing to smell a little like this potent herb if you knew that it has gobs of health benefits?  Many would answer yes when they consider what this miracle food does.

Photo: Home of Homemade Treasures

For centuries, garlic has been prized around the globe for its distinct culinary taste and the wonderful flavor it adds to many sophisticated dishes.  Additionally, because of its sustainability, garlic has been shipped and traded across long distances.

Now scientists from several countries, including France, Italy and the U.S., are confirming the plethora of health benefits gained from garlic, specifically because this herb helps to facilitate detoxification and acts as a powerful antioxidant, stimulating immune responses and reducing inflammation.

Studies are finding that the components in garlic, called Allyl Sulfides and Bioflavonoids, may be key to lowering incidences of heart disease and cancer in those who consume large amounts of it.

Many of our modern-day cancers are thought to be caused by damage to DNA, often induced by environmental toxins. A study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that eating a teaspoon of fresh garlic a day increases the levels of a key enzyme for removing toxins in the blood cells.

Clinical experiments have shown that regular consumption of garlic decreases calcium deposits and the size of arterial plaque in coronary arteries, prevented unhealthy blood clotting and improved the circulation of the subjects who were studied.   

What's the Magic Behind Garlic

Garlic produces a chemical called Allicin, which is what seems to make garlic work. Allicin also makes garlic smell. There is a lot of variation among garlic products sold for medicinal purposes. The amount of Allicin, the active ingredient and the source of garlic’s distinctive odor, depends on the method of preparation.  

Garlic also has germanium in it. Germanium is an anti-cancer agent, and garlic has more of it than any other herb. In lab tests, mice who were fed garlic showed no cancer development, whereas mice that weren't fed garlic showed at least some. In fact, garlic has been shown to retard tumor growth in human subjects in some parts of the world.

Taking Garlic for Health Reasons

Current research has shown that garlic not only has major impact on cancer prevention, but it also reduces the risk of other major maladies. Not surprisingly the presence of all these antioxidants in garlic have a very positive effect on the immune system in general and can therefore protect the body against all types of bacterial and viral attacks. Allicin has been shown to not only lower blood pressure, insulin and triglyceride levels in laboratory animals fed a sugar rich diet, but also to prevent weight gain.   

Garlic is an invaluable medicine for coughs, difficulty of breathing, asthma, hoarseness and other disorders of the lungs because this herb promotes expectoration.  The positive effect of garlic on your circulatory system is extremely well documented and it has been proven to decrease platelet aggregation,plus it stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the lining of blood vessel walls, a substance that helps them to relax. As a result, garlic helps to prevent arteriosclerosis and thereby reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes.  Finally, because garlic is famous for reducing inflammation, the herb is an excellent natural remedy for those suffering from arthritis.

Garlic is one of the most valuable and versatile foods on the planet. Known as one of the oldest medicinal plants, garlic is a widely recognized health enhancing supplement, and if you can stand the odor, is considered one of the best foods around to promote your well-being.

David Novak is a international syndicated newspaper columnist, appearing in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV around the world. His byline has appeared in GQ, National Geographic, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, USA Today, among others, and he has appeared on The Today Show, the CBS Morning Show and Paul Harvey Radio. David is a specialist at consumer technology, health and fitness, and he also owns a PR firm and a consulting company where he and his staff focus on these industries.  He is a regular contributing editor for Healthline.com.  For more information, visit here.   

MULBERRY (and Generosity)

I was hoping to make a post on some boysenberries that I was generously donated the plant of a few months ago. The beautiful Rebecca from Piccaninny Rugs happily opened her doors to me and even gave me some boysenberry plants as well as a strawberry plant on the day we ever met. I am so grateful to have met such a trusting and generous person with a confident look and a warm smile on her face. As for the boysenberries, unfortunately, they didn't work out well for us but we were able to have a few mouth-watering strawberries from her plants. We may have to try planting boysenberries once again next year.

Talking about generosity... I think a lately found friend of mine can be awarded as one of the most generous people alive. Here is only one of the many examples that I have personally had with her: 

One day last year, as I was having some freshly picked mulberries from her mum's neighbour's garden at her place, I said "Mulberries are one of my all-time favourites since childhood". My comment triggered something and made her get up from her seat right away. She simply went to her backyard and brought a big pot with a newly planted mulberry tree in it. She told me that I could have it. I was not expecting it and wanted to turn down the offer as I thought it was too much to take from her but she insisted I would. I cannot thank her enough. We planted the tree on the ground and it thrived immediately! The whole family is in love with the much precious fruit! 

Now, lets move onto the mulberry fruit and look at it in more detail. 

Mulberries come in a variety. Some of the most commonly known varieties are the white, red and black mulberries. The white mulberries come originally from China and the black ones are believed to have originated in Iran but they have all travelled and made home in many other countries and continents in today's world. The main reason it was used initially was not for its fruit, but rather as a food to silkworms. Silkworms seem to enjoy the plant's leaves quite a bit. It was mostly later on that the mulberry fruit became more known and desired. The bark of the mulberry tree is also used for making paper but this post's highlight will be on the fruit. 

Mulberries are refreshingly succulent, tart and sweet in taste. The ripen mulberries just melt in mouth. The immediate look of mulberry fruit is similar to a blackberry. They can be consumed raw or cooked. Mulberries make great jams and syrups but our family favourite is still the raw fruit.

Mulberries' health benefits are as follows.

Mulberries; 

• contain high amounts of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.
• have significant amounts of anthocyanins which have been proved to work against cancer, ageing and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes and bacterial infections. 
• contain antioxidants that protect against stroke risks
• are low in calories
• are an excellent source of vitamin-C
• are rich in B-complex group of vitamins and vitamin K. 
• have vitamin B-6, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. 
• contain small amounts of vitamin A and E
• have the types of antioxidants that protect the retina from harmful ultraviolet rays through light-filtering actions.

PURSLANE

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a very special summer vegetable due to its nutritious values. It is a real survivor as a plant and grows like weed. The succulent (juicy) stem keeps it from drying out. If someone decides purslane is an "invasive weed" and uproots it, it uses the water in the stem to make seeds before it dies, and soon there'll be even more purslane. 

Purslane is very high in Omega 3. In fact, no other green leafy vegetable contains as high Omega 3 fatty acids as purslane does. It is good for lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. It is very low in calories but a rich source of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and copper. It is because of these minerals that purslane is related to bone health, and it may be an excellent food to include in your diet to help maintain strong bones. It also  contains some vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B andcarotenoids).

Purslane can be consumed raw or cooked (Watch this space for some easy and tasty purslane recipes). The stems, leaves, flower buds and even the seeds are all edible. However, consumption of high amounts of stems, just like high amounts of spinach, may cause some health issues such as kidney stones due to the high levels of oxalate in them.

An interesting fact: At night, purslane leaves trap carbon dioxide, which is converted into malic acid (the souring principle of apples), and, in the day, the malic acid is converted into glucose. When harvested in the early morning, the leaves have ten times the malic acid content as when harvested in the late afternoon, and thus have a significantly more tangy taste.

Photo by Tulin Ertuncay

GUEST POST: Getting Started with Container Gardening

Container gardening is a great way for many to get started with gardening. You can start a container garden whether you have a big yard or no yard at all. You can start a container garden on your porch or patio. You can even start one in your living room.

Container gardens also offer convenience. You can control the quality of the soil entirely, so you don't have to spend a lot of time and effort trying to improve the soil in your yard if it is poor. Weeds are also not a problem in container gardens, requiring less maintenance than a traditional garden.

If you are considering trying a container garden, here's what you need to know about how to get started:

Choose What to Grow

You can grow pretty much any crop in your container garden. The key is to be sure that you have a container that can accommodate the full reach of the roots. Therefore, you need to determine what crops you would like to grow and study their root needs before deciding which ones will be best for the container garden you would like to have.

Large crops like watermelon may be prohibitive since you may not want to get a container that is big enough to hold the patch or you might not be able to afford it. Crops like corn or tomatoes may require multiple containers to accommodate the full amount you would like to grow.

Get the Right Containers

In most instances, any container that is big enough to hold the plant's roots and that has some drainage will be fine to use. You can use old tupperware, empty paint buckets, kiddie pools, or even old tires. However, some containers can make maintenance more challenging. For example, metal and ceramic containers can heat up and dry out your plants more quickly. Clay pots can soak up water and dry out plants, as well. Typically, plastic containers are the easiest to maintain.

Place Plants in the Right Location

Whether your plants are in a container or in the ground, they need to get the right amount of sunlight. The great thing about a container garden is that it can be moved to wherever you need it based on the seasons of the year and the sunlight patterns. However, it is worth taking the time to research how much sun each of your plants will need and to plan out the best place in your house or in your yard to get that much sun.

Plant in the Right Soil

Here's where you may need to do a bit of research. Each plant may require different growing conditions and soil. You may not be able to simply dig up some soil from your yard and plant your seeds. Soil has to be properly nourished and have the right balance of nutrients in order for your plants to grow and thrive. You can check in with your local cooperative extension office for testing or guidance if you want to use your own soil.

You can also start with potted soil that you buy from a local nursery or home improvement store. You can add compost or fertilizer, as well as plant food. Again, talk to an extension agent for guidance or do some of your own research at the library or online.

Give the Right Amount of Water

Most container gardens will only need to be watered once a day, but if you live in an especially hot climate, you may need to water twice a day. However, you must be careful not to overwater or you may drown your plants. The key is to keep your soil moist but not wet.

Container gardening is a great way to get started with gardening, and it makes growing your own produce easier if you don't have much experience or if you don't have much space to grow a garden. These tips can get you started so that you can have lots of fresh fruits and veggies or beautiful flowers for your enjoyment.

Do you have a container garden? Share your tips for success in the comments!

Kay Winders is presently the resident writer for badcreditloans.org, where she researches the best way for people to pay off their debts without damaging their credit. In her spare time, she enjoys freelance writing, the beach and gardening.

PLANTING TREES: Tips and More

Australia is an island continent that has a lot of water restrictions and high water bills as well known by most of us. Even though gardening is great in many ways, it can get quite dear as well. When planting, it is good to consider whether your plants are immune to drought and so forth. It is also wise to use methods and materials that will keep your soil moist for longer. Other ways of saving water are important too but here, I will share with you how we have chosen to plant our trees in a water-wise way. 

We used a drainage pipe (as it makes watering easier, the use of water more efficient and is so much cheaper than many other watering solutions), water crystals and some mulch as our water-friendly materials. 

First, Mr. Hubby dug holes where the trees were to go. We made sure that the holes as well as the tree roots were well soaked. 

Then, we placed the drainage pipe making sure that it was long enough to have both ends out of the ground. 

After that, we put some water crystals in the middle of the hole, around the pipe. 

We also added some organic chicken manure with Blood & Bone.

We placed the tree in in the middle of the hole with the soil that it originally had. After this stage, we filled in the hole making sure that the tree was upright. We firmly patted down the soil on top. Then, we watered the plant generously with some seaweed mixture. (We repeated the application of the seaweed mixture about a week later as well.) Lastly, we layered some mulch (approximately 5cm thick) around the tree trunk and the pipe ends. 

Tree planting - no mulch as yet

All we need to do know is to water the trees (from the pipes) every few days. (We particularly try to water them the night before a hot day). 

If you would like to read more about our garden tips and what we have been doing there this year, you can click here, here, and here. 

A FRESH START IN THE GARDEN

I have been writing about our new garden adventures recently. Even though this is the third post of mine on this topic after this and that, this was actually what we did on one of the first days after taking the plunge on the transformation of our garden.

We had some big old native gum trees in the garden and they started posing a risk for us in the last few years and we noticed it better after one of them broke in half on a stormy day last year. We were lucky that it didn't cause a huge issue as it only landed on our washing lines and damaged that only while we were all asleep at night. It could have been much worse. This was one of the main reasons why we preferred not to keep them any longer. There were a few other reasons too.

We contacted a few places regarding tree cutting and mulching and decided to work with the company (Mets All Tree Cutting Service) that offered us the best deal. One morning, the owner, Paul, and his assistant from Mets company came, cut our three big trees, mulched them, cleaned the area and left within an hour. We asked them to leave the mulch with us as we wanted to use it in the garden. They couldn't bring their work machine to our backyard, so the mulching happened at the front yard and we transported it to the backyard later on the day.

After they left, another company started its work in our garden. This time, it was Sontec (0409 695 927) that came in and using their small excavator removed all the roots and dug up the whole area which had lots of old root pieces, stones and large rocks, which we separated from soil using our handmade tool later on. 

Now, our garden has so much more usable space that we have already started utilising excitedly. Stay tuned to see what else is happening there!

The stones that we have saved from our garden before distributed evenly. 

A HANDMADE SIFTER FOR THE GARDEN

We thankfully worked with Sontec Plumbing. They were great. Recommended: 0409 695 927

As I have mentioned here, there are things happening in our backyard this year and we are excited about it all as a family. There will be other posts on other aspects of what is going on there and what we have done or learnt throughout this process. Today, here is one of Mr. Hubby's ideas and our handmade tool that worked wonderfully for us.

As you know from my previous post on our garden that we have some stones and rocks on the sides of our backyard along with the fence and we wanted/needed to take them off from there and use them elsewhere. There were four reasons for that: 1) We need to dig up some parts of the garden and the stones are very hard to work with when doing so. 2) Where we are planning to dig up the soil, stones are unneeded and are not welcome. 3) We need all those rocks and stones elsewhere. 4)We have enquired about some walk in bins to take all that dirt away from quite a few places and the quotes for a 6-8 cubic meters walk in bin started from approximately $300 and went up to around $600 which too made us think of other possible options.

Mr. Hubby is a person with bright ideas and can think outside the box. He is skillful too which is a great advantage on our behalf. He started thinking of possible solutions (can you tell he is an engineer?) and voila! This is what we did on the same day after he suggested it:

We bought a metal mesh for about $20 from a local hardware store. We came home and got working. We picked some pieces of wood that would work well for our little project from our little 'unwanted-for-the-moment' wood pile, took our drill set and some nails out out, and started to make our rectangle metal sifter. We kept one side's two wood ends a bit longer to make it easier to lift it up when heavy.

We placed the sifter on top of the wheelbarrow that we have borrowed from a family member (which we should really give back sometime soon).

The rest was pretty straight forward. We loaded the sifter with dirt using a shovel, sifted it through our handmade sifter, most of the soil and some small sized beneficial rocks went through and went into the wheelbarrow, we separated the big chunks of branches, twigs and grass roots and the rest stayed on the sifter which we then poured into buckets to make it easier to transport.

During this work which went for over a week on and off, Mr. Junior was very helpful finding all sorts of bugs and worms and informing us of his new findings. As a person who would not go to his Grandparents' house unless they make sure that their pet dogs are locked away or on leash, he did really well with bugs and all those slimy little creatures!

As for Miss Junior, she helped us out with the rocks the most by making sure that we did not miss any unwanted bits in the rocks section. She was an excellent supervisor and a worker. She inspected the rocks that we collected in a container in detail and whenever she didn't like it, she took them out of the container and put them on the ground so that we would know we needed to do it again, this time, more carefully.

Once again, it was hard work but was well accomplished and we surely had a smile on our face when it was all completed.

We even found some surprises in the garden where they were least expected!