Can You Help Readers With Garden Questions?
Along with garden tips we solicited and published on the cover of IN Life last Friday, we received a couple of questions from one reader.
Howard Matkins of Coulee Dam planted a row of tomatoes adjacent to a concrete wall and wonders if lime leaching from the concrete stunted the growth of the tomatoes. He also has friends who harvest nightcrawlers from his garden with an electric probe and is curious whether the electric current harms the plants.
Any readers willing to offer opinions or an anecdote about either of these questions can send them to Inside and Out, The Spokesman-Review, 999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201, or e-mail to susane@spokesman.com. We’ll pass them along in a future column.
Start writing
The furniture giant Ethan Allen will celebrate its 65th anniversary with a contest and the grand prize is $2,500 worth of EA furniture.
Here’s how it works: In 250 words or less, write about a special moment or entertaining anecdote involving your favorite piece of EA furniture. For example: the dinner party after you landed a great job, or table that’s been passed from generation to generation.
Send the story, a photo of you and your piece of furniture, address and phone number to: 65th Anniversary Contest, c/o Fleishman Hillard, 1330 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. Entries must be received in New York by Aug. 1.
Do you have old tools?
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Bosch Power Tools is searching for the oldest Bosch jigsaw, or its predecessor, the Lesto jigsaw.
To make it worth your while looking through your toolchest, Bosch will award the owner of the oldest jigsaw a Swiss watch (as a nod to the tool’s Swiss origins), a year’s supply of Swiss chocolate and a new Bosch jigsaw.
To enter: Send a photo of the jigsaw along with the serial number and model number and your name, address and phone number to: Jigsaw Contest, Bosch Power Tools, 4300 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago, IL 60646. Deadline is Oct. 31.
For, well, dummies
If it seems like there’s a book “For Dummies” on just about every topic you can think of, your perception is probably correct.
One of the latest entries in this series is “House Selling for Dummies” by Eric Tyson and Ray Brown ($16.99). The book is widely available at major bookstores.
Grow it round
We normally think of wreaths nearer to the holidays and usually they are made of pine cones or evergreen boughs. But a living wreath can be grown summers and shown off on a fence, alongside a patio or brought inside for a special occasion.
A living wreath can consist of herbs, summer annuals, succulents or salad greens and it can be changed throughout the season. A wire form is lined with moss and packed with potting soil in which seeds or plants are inserted. It does need water so consider that when hanging the wreath.
Wreath rings are available at garden centers or from Kinsman Company, (800) 733-4146.
, DataTimes