REAL AROMATHERAPY

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—Marvin M. Kaplan
Casselberry, Ff.

Vacuuming Violets

Growing violets inside is rewarding because they flower much of the year. However, their leaves do get dusty, which not only looks unsightly but isn't particularly good for the flowers. To take care of this problem, I use a vacuum to remove the dust. just use the attachment arm with a soft brush at the end to gently extract the dust. You may also use something softer such as a make-up brush if you prefer.

—Julie Ketcham
Crested Butte, CO

Bumper Crop

Here's a good use for used car tires. Cut through an old tire with a hacksaw. Slip it around a young sapling. Spread mulch between the tire and sapling. The tire will hold the nutrient-rich mulch near the tree's base. The tire will also act as a guard, preventing lawn mower cuts to the developing tree. Once the tree is mature enough, simply remove the tire.

—Mitch Culver
Boulder City, NV

Taking the stink out of skunk encounters.

Wanda's Mostly Natural Bug Spray

My neighbor Wanda, a native of Kansas, is an herbalist and a wonderful cook. When her husband passed away, she decided that gardening would be too much for her in her seventies without him, so she gave me all of her herbs—French tarragon, French thyme, alba thyme, creeping oregano—some lovely rare ones. Among the herbs she gave me was this old-time herbal insecticide recipe that she brought with her from Kansas. Wanda warned me that it wouldn't work on every type of bug, like cabbage moths and worms, but it does keep away aphids and can well deter Japanese beetles. She said that it was up to the user to experiment, so I gave it a whirl. Last spring it got rid of an aphid infestation on my chrysanthemums and dusty millers. Last fall it rid aphids from my spinach. "The trick," she said, "is to spray it every morning for a week to two weeks until you start to see results, and then spray once a week to keep the bugs away."

Wanda's Bug Spray

1 quart cool tap water
4 green stalks and bulbs of winter onions
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
2 1-quart canning jars with screw-on lids
1 cup strainer (with a screen sieve)
1 plastic water mister

Place peeled and chopped onion and garlic in a jar. Add red pepper and dishwashing liquid, and fill to the rim with water. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously. Place your concoction in the sun to brew for a few days. Store in the shade. When you need it, strain the liquid into your second jar or your mister. Add water to your old batch to replenish what you've taken. Eventually, compost what remains and start fresh.

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