photo credit: Daquella manera

If some may celebrate Christmas in July, then why shouldn’t I write a post about Poinsettia in September?

At the beginning of this year, right after the Christmas season, I wrote an article about Poinsettia (click on the highlighted word to see that post).

I encouraged you not to discard your Poinsettia into trash, but suggested to nurture it until next Christmas, to be pleasantly surprised with its renewed beauty, and to save money by not purchasing a new one.

Since I try to practice what I preach (most of the time), I saved my Poinsettia as well, and will keep you updated with its progress from now until Christmas.  If you can follow the instructions I provided in my first post, we both might have a free blooming Poinsettia for Christmas.

Let’s be optimistic, and don’t worry too much if we both fail, because there will be plenty pretty plants around the holidays to pick from, so we can start all over again.

Just don’t give up.  “They didn’t build Rome in one day either”!

I kept my Poinsettia on my kitchen table all the way until Easter, but had to move it to my living room at that point, so my family wouldn’t think that I had my seasons mixed up.

I did not pamper it much at all.  I just picked off any dried up leaves, and watered it as needed.

Believe me, there were times when I was ready to “throw in the towel”, when it started to look very shoddy.  However, that would have made me a quitter, and would have let you down, so I held on to it.  For a while my poinsettia looked like something from a recycling bin, with hardly any leaves on, but I kept my hope for better days ahead.

Once the weather warmed up,  I took my plant outside and kept it on a window sill in the sun-room.  Watered it regularly, but did not fertilize it at all ( I’m kind of wary of house plants fertilizers, as sometimes they do more harm than good to my house plants).

It started to grow new foliage, and looking like a healthy plant once again. This is how it looks like now, from  this  side.

I must tell you that one branch broke off, when the wind knocked it off my window sill one day,  otherwise it would have looked even better.

Here you have the other side.  As you can see, it looks quite nice from both sides.

Now, if you still have your plant, please read my first article for further, very important, directions on how to care for your revived Poinsettia plant, in order to have it bloom once again in December.

I will keep you posted with my plant’s progress, so check back with us in October, November and December.

I’m just as curious as you are, as this is my first time actually following the care instructions.

I saved Poinsettias before, but was not aware of all the necessary steps to make it bloom again.

Labor Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning a party.  I have already posted several recipes for party foods, but this time I will share one that has been around for a while.

It used to be very popular few years back, and it’s gaining popularity once again.

Actually, one of my readers  asked me to post my recipe for the Rye Bread Dip, so here it is.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mayonnaise (Hellmans Light, is my favorite)
• 2 cups sour cream (see TIP below this post)
• 1 Tbs Italian Parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbs onion, minced
• 2 Tbs dill
• 1 packet Dried Beef, chopped(optional if you are a vegetarian)
• 1 round loaf of Rye Bread

Directions:

1. In a medium size bowl, mix mayonnaise and sour cream.
2. Chop the Dried Beef to small chunks.
3. Blend in the parsley, onions, dill and chopped beef.
4. Slice off the top of the round rye bread loaf (about 1 inch from the top)
5. Scoop out the middle section of the bread, and cut up into 2×2 inch squares.  The bread shell will become  a bread bowl.  The sliced off top of the bread may serve as a cover for the dip before serving, or it may be cut up into chunks, for dipping.
6. Set aside the bread chunks.
7. Fill the bread cavity with the dip (see TIP below this post).
8. Place the filled bread bowl on a serving platter, and arrange the cut up bread chunks around it.
9. Dip in, and enjoy!

TIP: To prevent the “bread bowl” from getting soggy, you can place a serving bowl, filled with the dip, inside the bread cavity, and as begin to run low on the bread cubes, you can cut up the remaining bread, to replenish.

To lighten up this recipe a little further, you may substitute the sour cream with Light Sour Cream, or Greek Yogurt.

photo credit: aaronx

I found another very helpful hint to save energy and money, posted on ecomi website.

This one is about laundry, how to get the job done, and save money at the same time.

You already know that washing clothes in cold water, not only saves energy by not heating your water, but also extends the life and appearance of your clothes, especially the dark colored ones.

Check these out, save energy and money:

Wash Laundry with Cold Water

What?
Save energy and money by washing your clothes in cold water.

How?
Avoid using the hot or warm water modes unless it’s truly warranted, such when you need to disinfect something.  Otherwise, leave the dial on “Cold.”

Why?
According to the EPA, approximately 90% of the total energy consumed by a standard top-load washing machine goes to heating the water.

Did You Know?
The average American household does 392 loads of laundry per year.

That’s more than once a day.

No wonder using cold water will save you a bundle.

photo credit: Asha Elizabeth Gupta

To increase your savings even further, here are some additional tips on drying your laundry.

However, before you decide to put out a display of your freshly laundered garments, do your homework, and find out if your neighborhood allows it.

Some developments have special deed restrictions, not allowing outside clothes drying rack, or clothes lines, which could result in a fine, if not adhered to.

If that is your dilemma, then you can dry smaller loads of laundry in your basement, garage, or laundry room.

What?
Save money and energy by line drying or rack drying your clothes.

How?
Do it the old-fashioned way: String up a rope or cord outside, and attach your clothes with pins. Or if you live in an apartment, purchase a rack that you can use indoors.

Why?
After the refrigerator, the dryer is the biggest energy-draining appliance in your home.

Did You Know?
You can potentially save up to hundreds of dollars a year on your electric bill by reducing your dryer usage.

This summer has been so hot, and the thought of using the oven is just not very appealing, except for special occasions, of course.  However, what do you do when your oven is out of commission, yet you still want to make that special cake.  Well… if there is a will there is a way…so here comes my own creation of an ice cream cake.

Last year I made an Atkins diet chocolate cake for this birthday boy, so this time I decided to put together a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and came up with this Super Chocolate Ice Cream Cake with Double-Stuffed Oreo, topped off with Rich Chocolate Ganache.

I love the rich and satiny creaminess of ganache.  Absolutely heavenly!

It would have been even more decadent, had I flavored it with liqueur, but it did not seem suitable for an office party.

If you love ice cream, chocolate, and Double Stuffed Oreo cookies, this cake will hit the spot for you.

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes of Double-Stuffed Oreo cookies
• 4 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 gallon of Chocolate Ice Cream (I used Breyers Triple Chocolate – Milk, White, Dark)
• 1/2 gallon of Vanilla/ Chocolate Chunks Ice Cream
• 1 cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 Hershey Dark Chocolate Bar(4 oz)
• 1 Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Bar (3.4 oz)
• 1 Tbs of Rum, or Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)

Directions for Oreo cake layer:

1. Place the cookies in a Food Processor and pulse/mix until all creamed up
2. Add sugar and cream cheese
3. Mix until well blended into smooth paste
4. Line a 9 inch spring form with a strip of parchment paper, wide enough to extent at least an inch over the top edge of the pan.  For easier fit, grease lightly the sides of the pan so the paper sticks to it. I needed to strips.
5. Spoon the Oreo paste into the pan, and evenly press onto the bottom of the pan, and if you wish, you can extend it about an inch up the side.
6. Set aside.
7. Place 1/2 of second box of Double-Stuffed Oreo cookies, into a plastic zip lock bag, and using a rolling pin, crush the cookies to coarse chunks.
8. Set aside.

Directions for Ice Cream filling:

1. Remove the Triple Chocolate ice cream from the freezer, scoop it out into a bowl, and keep at room temperature for few minutes, until it starts to soften slightly (not too long, so it does not get runny).
2. Scoop the ice cream evenly onto the Oreo “crust”.
3. Smooth the top to with a spoon, dipping it often into a cup of hot water.
4. Place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden slightly.
5. Remove the Vanilla/Chocolate Chunks ice cream from the freezer and scoop into a bowl.
6. Set aside.
7. Remove the cake from the freezer.
8. Sprinkle the crushed Oreo cookies over the Chocolate ice cream layer.
9. Even it out.
10. Scoop the Vanilla/Chocolate Chunks ice cream over the crushed cookies.
11. Using a spoon dipped in hot water, smooth the top of this ice cream layer.
12. Select 12 Oreo cookies, and spacing them evenly (like the hours on the clock), push them halfway into the vanilla ice cream layer.
13. Cover and place it in the freezer to chill thoroughly (at least an hour).

Chocolate Ganache

Preparation and Application:

1. About 10 minutes before taking the cake out of the freezer, start preparing the ganache.
2. Crash the two chocolate bars into small chunks in a mixing bowl.
3. Set aside.
4. Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a sauce pan, and bring it to low boil.
5. You must keep an eye on the cream, because it can spill over very quickly once it starts boiling.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Pour hot cream over the crushed chocolate, and mix with a spoon until all melted and a smooth paste has formed.
8. You can add your favorite liqueur flavoring here, if you wish, and mix it in well.
9. Once the Ganache is cooled to room temperature, you are ready to apply it to the cake.
10. Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer.
11. Place it on a plate, or a larger round pan (pizza pan which will be able to fit into your freezer later on)
12. Loosen the spring and remove the sides of the pan.
13. Loosen the cake away from the top edge of the parchment paper.
14. Pour slowly the cooled Ganache over the top of the cake, starting from the middle, so it spreads evenly into all directions of the cake.  It will start to solidify quickly, on top of the cold ice cream.
15. Remove the parchment paper from the sides, and pour some more of the Ganache at the edge of the cake, so it runs down the sides, at even intervals.
16. You need to watch your cake, so it does not start to melt.
17. Decorate the middle of the cake with Oreos, if you wish.
18. Place it in the freezer for about 1/2 hour.
19. Remove the cake from the freezer.
20. Gently loosen the bottom of the cake pan, and remove it (so you do not scratch it while cutting the cake).
21. Place the cake on a plate.
22. Cover the cake with foil paper, and return it back to the freezer for several hours, or over night.
23. Before serving, remove from the freezer for at least 15 minutes.

TIP:  For easy cutting to serving portions, dip your knife in a glass of hot water, as often as needed.

photo credit: cdsessums

I enjoy reading about natural ways of helping our body to stay healthy, heal itself, and even cure itself of various ailments.  The pharmacists in my family do not support my theory of homeopathic treatments, and have a rather very strong opposition towards these type of remedies.

However, I came across an article once, which stated that grapefruit juice does not mix well with some medications, and here is what my daughter told me from her professional medical knowledge:

“It is true that Grapefruit and grapefruit juice prevent metabolism of many medications and it would make sense that it also inhibits metabolism of other things.  However, I don’t believe that estrogen is metabolized by the CYP450 enzyme system in the liver as there are no food-drug interactions of estrogen replacement medications and grapefruit products”.

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice, being natural food items, are good for you for one thing, but could also be bad at other times.  This type of news  makes me think twice about other natural ways of healing, but then again, one should always check with a medical professional, before trying to treat themselves in any way, whether is it naturally or chemically.

My parents and grandparents had a broad knowledge of numerous herbs, and their myriad applications to treat the common cold, soar throat, headache, backache, skin conditions, and even prepare natural hair coloring products.

I am a strong believer is the power of garlic, and a bowl of homemade  chicken soup, plus lots of hot herbal tea with honey, to help the system fight the common cold.   If it will not help you,  it sure will not hurt anything.

Actually, my own pediatrician told me that the best cough syrup for children over 12 months old (children under 12 months should not consume honey), is a mixture of 2-1 ratio of honey and fresh lemon juice, administered by 1-2 teaspoons every couple of hours. I used this natural syrup on my children, and it was quite helpful, and it tasted good as well.

My mom would always prepare for us some hot Chamomile tea with honey, to sooth an achy stomach, or to calm us down before bed time.

A friend of mine from India, suggested a tea made out of hot water and 1/8 teaspoon of Turmeric powder, to get rid of laryngitis. It is not the most tasteful mixture, but I used it for about 3 days, and it definitely helped me to get my voice back.

Vick’s Vapor Rub is another “friend” of mine.  When my sinuses are really bothering me, I massage it gently, before bed time,  into my sinus area in my upper cheeks, cover that area with a warm, damp wash cloth and a heating pad, and it feels very soothing and relaxing, and definitely helps to clear the air passages, thus relieve stuffiness.

My neighbor told me that she chews on Peppermint leaves, rather than chewing gum.  I does create a nice refreshing feeling you your mouth.

Also, to prevent motion sickness, it is helpful to chew on fresh ginger root. And when flying with small children, to prevent their ears from popping, due to the change in air pressure, let them suck on a pacifier.  Chewing gum,  helps adults to avoid this temporary annoying discomfort.

My grandmother had a Linden tree in her yard, and picked off the blooms, sun dried them, and made tea from these,  to sooth an annoying dry cough.

However, once should be very cautious about herbs, and learn its origin, as some of these might be grown in less than healthy or even sanitary conditions, thus exposed to contamination.  

Herbs are not controlled by the FDA, so you have to do the homework before you buy them, and use them.

Your own herb garden is the best place to get your herbs from.

I would be curious to hear about your home remedies, which you have used and found helpful.  Please share them with all of us.

I enjoy doing so many different things, which makes it quite difficult to juggle my already very busy schedule.  I love culinary arts, creative arts, performing arts, some sports,  and admire everyone’s talent, who creates beautiful things out of simple supplies.

I embroidered an Easter outfit for my granddaughter this past spring, so now the time has come to make something special for my, very soon to join us, grandson.  We are extremely excited, and anxiously awaiting his arrival.

What can bring more love and satisfaction than making something with your own hands, and throughout the whole process keeping that person in mind, and close to your heart?

I have decided to try my crocheting skills, which I have learned at the age of 12, by watching my sister crochet her own black fishnet stockings (some of you might remember that style….), and a matching pair of gloves (I wanted to wear them so badly, but she guarded them pretty well).

I do crochet now and then, without following any specific instructions, but rather creating my own designs.  However, last fall I actually took a crocheting class and learned few new patterns (the blanket reflects one of them).

So, here are the items I have crochet for our baby grandson:

A very soft baby blanket.

Baby hats in two sizes, one for a newborn, and the other one for 3-6 months.

A pair of booties, to keep his toes nice and toasty.

These booties took probably as long to complete, as the whole blanket, since it was more challenging to figure out the correct shape, but with determination, and perseverance, I was finally satisfied with the outcome.   I tried to find instructions for this pattern, but without success, so I decided to “wing” it, and these are the results.

I did not write down my instructions, so this project will remain one of a kind, however, I would like to share  that I used two skein , 50z each, of   Softee Baby yarn , by Bernat, and the hook size for the blanket is H, and for the booties and hats, is G.

It is very relaxing and rewarding to plant your own herbs and vegetables.  You don’t even have to have a “green thumb” for planting these vegetables, and fruits, as you most likely will correct me, and call a tomato a fruit, rather than a vegetable.

I feel that some plants require much more care than others.  I have a hard time planting onions and carrots, as for some reason they just do not turn out as nice and appealing as the ones in the store.  If you have any suggestions, please share them, so I will perhaps give myself another chance with these two.

However, growing tomatoes and potatoes is so easy, and this year especially, as they turned out totally free.

Last year I bought a couple of tomato plants, one Beefsteak Tomato plant, and one Cherry Tomato plant.  They both did very well, and produced lots of fruits.  Some of these fruits fell off the plant and worked themselves into the ground, so this year I noticed free tomato plants sprouting in my garden.  I let them grow into at least 6 inch plants, before transplanting them into a more suitable location.

So, here is my first picking of my free Cherry Tomatoes, which grew even larger in size this year, than last year:

I already mentioned in my previous posts that I like to turn my vegetable kitchen scraps into compost, so I have been doing that during last fall and early spring.  I dug up several deep rows in my garden, kept on filling them up with the veggie scraps, covered them with dirt, and left them there until it was time to prepare the garden for planting.  Most of them were already decomposed, but some still stayed intact.

The excitement came in late April, when I noticed that besides the self seeded tomato plants, I also had numerous Pepper plants(not sure yet what color they will be) and potato plants, sprouting from my compost rows.  Since these plants self seeded themselves, they were hardier to survive any weather changes, as spring has kind of unpredictable weather most of the time.

Eventually I will share the peppers cultivated from these plants, but here are my free potatoes.

These Red Potatoes are a result of one piece of a potato which I must have discarded together with the potato peels.  I was very pleasantly surprised when the potato plant dried up, thus a sign that it is time to harvest the crop, and I found all of the above potatoes under that plant.  Amazing, don’t you agree?

I also told you that some of the potato peels sprouted as well, and these plants of course were much weaker, as the peels did not have much nutrition to feed the plant, unlike the potato chunk.

Nonetheless, they still managed to produce some potatoes.  Can you believe this, growing potatoes from a potato peel?

Here they are, free Russet Potatoes.

These are baking potatoes, so the skin is darker and thicker than the Red Potatoes.  Since these are a product from only potato peels, they are much smaller.  The larger ones are the size of an egg, and the smallest ones are the size of a grape.

I still am in a total disbelief that potato peels had enough nutrition to produce these potatoes.  I could have let them grow a little longer, to give them a chance to get larger, but I needed to dig them up as the tops were totally gone, and they just grew in between my other vegetables, not exactly where I would normally plant a potato.

So you see how easy it is to grow plants in your garden, even from scraps!

If next year to wish to try growing your own potatoes, I will post easy to follow potato growing instructions.

All you will need is at least one chunk of a potato, and a place to plant it.

photo credit: BFS Man

As I mentioned before, I am following this super website on tips for living green, and promised to share some of these with you.

Now that you are becoming more aware of these great ways to save the environment, energy, and money, you can join in and be part of the Living Green Team.

Mother Earth and future generations with thank you!

Today’s post is all about conserving water and saving a bundle at the same time, so read on.

Don’t Just Go with the Flow

What?
Conserve water – and lower your bills – by installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators.

How?
It’s brilliant, really. Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators allow you to enjoy the same water pressure with lower water consumption.

Why?
Conventional showerheads use anywhere between 2.5 and 5 gallons of water per minute, while low-flow showerheads can reduce that number to 1 to 1.5 gallons per minute.

Did You Know?
Installing a low-flow showerhead can save you $100 per year in water usage and water-heating costs.

Scrub, Rinse and Get Out of There

What?
Save money and water by speeding up your shower routine.

How?
The average showerhead uses about five gallons of water per minute. Thus, trimming your daily shower by just three minutes can save 15 gallons of water per day – and 5,460 gallons per year!

Why?
Reducing your water use can save you about $170 per year. In addition, it decreases the amount of fossil fuel energy used to supply, treat and heat your water.

Did You Know?
Americans use an average of 100 gallons of water per day. No wonder 36 states are anticipating severe local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013.

Do the Rain Dance

What?
Save water by installing a water catcher or rain barrel for your home.

How?
Position the barrel to capture rainwater from your gutters. Then use the non-potable water to wash cars, flush toilets, water the lawn, etc.

Why?
A rain barrel can save approximately 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months.

Did You Know?
Lawn and garden watering make up nearly 40% of total household water use during the summer.

Don’t Be A Drip About Water Usage

What?
Save time and water with a drip irrigation system for your yard.

How?
Shop online or visit your local gardening store to buy a system. Once you’re set up, you can retire the sprinkler and put away that hose you keep tripping over.

Why?
Drip irrigation is extremely efficient because it applies water directly to the plant’s roots. As a result, it eliminates excess water usage as well as the misdirected spray that promotes weeds.

Did You Know?
Over 90% of the water used by drip irrigation is absorbed by the plant, compared to only 40-75% for sprinklers.

No Leaking – In or Out of the Pool

What?
Conserve water by identifying and fixing leaks in your swimming pool.

How?
The bucket test. Fill a five-gallon bucket with water, and put it on a step or bench in the pool. If the pool’s water level decreases faster than the bucket’s water level, you may have a leak.

Why?
In a big pool, even a small leak can waste over 100,000 gallons of water per year.

Did You Know?
You can search for pool repair experts in your area at www.poolleak.info.

Are You a Profligate Sprinkler?

What?
Conserve water through responsible lawn watering.

How?
Use an electronic soil tester to measure moisture. Water your lawn in one deep session per week – rather than frequent lighter sessions. And do it in the early morning to minimize evaporation.

Why?
Most lawns need about one inch of water per week, and many Americans go way beyond that. To make matters worse, we’re wasting water while many states have droughts.

Did You Know?
A whopping 60% of water use on the West Coast is attributed to watering lawns, a non-essential usage.

If you love roses, but just do not have the right spot to plant them in, why not go for potted roses to adore your deck, patio,  or any other place around your home.

My sister-in-law, in upstate New York, did just that.  She loves flowers, especially roses, but always had to go through tremendous effort to protect her plants from undesirable visitors, such as deer, woodchucks, squirrels, and others.

This year she outsmarted these nuisance animals, and decided to plant her Chihuly Roses in large pots on her deck and front porch.

She was kind enough to share with me, her pictures of these beauties, and I am showing them off to you, in case you are looking for some ideas.

Cream-Yellow rose, not only it is so delicate and beautiful, but also very fragrant.

Don’t you agree that these are gorgeous,  and very healthy looking?

Not only the flowers are perfect, but the foliage is so vibrant green, without any blemishes, or imperfections.

If you grow roses in your garden, you know that it could be quite challenging to keep roses in such perfect condition, so I asked her to share some of her tips.

She informed me that she let them remain in their original containers, for a couple of weeks after purchasing these from a nursery.  After the two weeks, she replanted them into larger planters, leaving intact the original soil around the plants, and adding Miracle Gro soil which contains built-in fertilizer.  For additional nourishment she used liquid Miracle Gro.

Also, to protect her plants from infestation and disease, she applies Sevin powder and spray, per manufacturers directions.  Potted plants need to be watered daily, as the soil gets warm, and the water evaporates easily.

Best way to water is close to the roots, as not to get water on the leaves, to prevent formation of mold and mildew.  Preferred watering time is in the early morning, or after sun down, so the roots have a chance to absorb most of it, rather then losing it to evaporation.

I would like to ask you all to share your tips on gardening in pots, whether it is flowers, herbs or vegetables.

Who wouldn’t love raspberries?   They look so succulent, fresh, inviting and delicious, right? While all of this is true about the fruit, growing them in your garden is another story.

As the old saying goes “every rose has it’s thorns”, and the same is true about raspberry bushes.  Despite the great appeal of the fruit,  the plants require quite a bit of TLC, which I learned after I planted mine (ignorance is bliss…sometimes).

Before you decide to add them to your gardening plan, please click on the highlighted words above, to familiarize yourself with the whole process.

You will find out that there two different types of raspberries, those that produce fruit once a year, during early summer, like mine, and the overbearing ones, that produce fruit at least twice during the year (summer and fall).

They begin producing fruit in their second year of growth, as during the first year they try to establish themselves, and strengthen their Primocanes, which develop into Floricanes, thus fruit bearing canes.

Raspberry bushes are scratchy and full of fine thorns, thus tending to them requires wearing protective gear, mainly long sleeves and gloves.  The canes need to be thinned out and pruned.

These are my raspberry bushes with new growth this late spring, after I pruned them in early spring.  Here again, read the linked article on the pruning method.  I pruned mine to about 3 feet tall canes, and cut out all the dead canes, and removed the very thin ones (the suckers).

I also would not recommend planting raspberry bushes close to your vegetable garden, like I did, because it creates additional weeding, as the roots spread into my garden, and new (unwanted) plants spring up everywhere.

This picture was taken at the beginning of June, and as you can see, there are lots of raspberries getting ready to ripen, and to be picked.  How exciting is that? So far, the birds have been behaving pretty well, and not beating me to the ripe fruit.  It almost makes me forget how many times I have been scratched by these  prickly bushes.

Raspberry bushes need to fertilized twice per year, pruned regularly, kept weed free, and supported by trellis ( I planted mine against the fence).  Raspberry plants, just like rose plant, do not like to be watered from the top, over their foliage, but rather close to the roots, to prevent the growth and spread of mold and disease.

Since I try to keep my garden as close to organic as possible, I only use natural fertilizer.  Actually, since I planted my raspberry bushes in mushroom soil, two years ago, I did not use any additional fertilizer yet.

I am dreading the Japanese Beetle season, since I try to pick them off, rather than spraying my plants with any pesticides.  They will love to get on these lovely leaves and chew away,  so I really will have to keep an eye out for those pesky beetles.

I used to strategically post these special beetle traps, but found out that these actually attract more beetles to my yard, due to the aroma of the lure, which does lure them towards the traps, but not all of them end up in the traps, but rather attack other flowers and plants they find just as attractive and tasty.

I also, prepare my own organic bug spray, by mixing hot pepper sauce, vegetable oil, water and dish detergent.  It works on bugs, but it needs to be applied often, especially during a rainy season.

Please share your gardening tips and stories with all of us, and leave a comment.