Another Reason to Garden

We have heard since time immemorial that too much exposure to the sun can cause melanomas on the skin. I don’t doubt that, and have seen in myself. But the trouble with our 24-7 news cycle is that it emphasizes the sensational at the expense of common sense.

Currently, the media is focused upon a study indicating that heart attacks are linked to low Vitamin D deficiencies. But that’s nothing you didn’t know already. Most of us have, at one time or other, told the children: “Go outside, get some sunshine and fresh air.” That seems to have been good advice, acquired without a degree from Harvard Medical College.

The research I’m talking about comes from the Archives of Internal Medicine and shows that the risk of dying from heart disease is MORE THAN DOUBLE in those with vitamin D deficiencies who rarely get the sunshine. You can buy Vitamin D in the stores (for a price) but nature provides it for free in the summer of our Hemisphere. At least ten minutes a day will give you a good boost (about 10,00 I.U), and do that without the sunglasses. Your eyes need the Vitamins, too.

Other researchers believe that Vitamin D from the sun may protect from other physical and psychological ailments, too. The sun is a good psychologist, treating you for the winter blues, also known as depression. That something the Red Rooster knows, and it is no coincidence that your dog or cat like to nap in the sunshine. So finally the knowledge has traveled up the food chain to the “higher levels”…ahem…of planetary development.

So get out there and garden. For longer periods, you already know what to do. Wear a hat and cover that skin from excess exposure.

Gardening: There is still time to grow your own vegetables - Telegraph

Gardening: There is still time to grow your own vegetables - TelegraphThe British are really good at reminding us that literacy in gardening has not gone the way of the horse-drawn plow (except for Lancaster).

News Flash from Tomato Junction: The Salmonella Outbreak

Salmonella: Are Tomatoes From Local Farms Safer? | Newsweek Health | Newsweek.comClick on the headline for the long of it. The short of it is that there's good reason to tear up your lawn to plant tomatoes. Okay, that's x-treme but there a significant factor that runs through it all:

Large industrial producers, with packing plants and other delays, provide more time for salmonella bacteria to spread through the tomato. Small farms and locally grown produce goes more quickly to market and is safer in most, but not all cases. Improper growing habits can cause contamination even among small farmers.

The message is clear. Do it right and grow your own, at least until the FDA figures out where the contaminated tomatoes are coming from. The article cross-linked with this post is from Newsweek magazine, which seems to do a better job of covering the salmonella issue than it does of politics.

Newsweek may want to re-brand itself as a gardening magazine.

Coreopsis: A Can't Kill Plant for Deer Country

Coreopsis is one of my favorite perennials and some of these are blooming early here in the Northeast. One of the most popular from the Coreopsis family is “Moonbeam.” It looks a lot like Potentilla. I planted some last year but they returned to the home of their ancestors. I’ve had better luck with this variety and have found it to be one of the most reliable and can’t-kill plants known to modern man. Beautiful yellow flowers from a plant that can get as high as 2 feet. It loves any kind of soil. It attracts butterflies and, best of all, the deer won’t eat it. We live in heavy deer country and have put this plant in a variety of poor soils with positive results. You’ve got to plant this one. It’s not prissy and requires no work beyond planting and will return year after year.

Gardening Economics: Ask for a Discount on Withered Plants - Associated Content

Gardening Economics: Ask for a Discount on Withered Plants - Associated ContentLearn how to save money when buying plants for your landscaping projects. Click on the headline for money saving tips.