55+ Living Guide Spring/Summer 2017 55++LG+Spring+17+Spreads | Page 29

even a summer weight to keep things cooler. They can also be used to extend your growing season for all your lovely greens. Watering is a snap, so let’s hoop. We have had great success in our beds and we highly recommend them! Don’t forget to fence in your hard work. Deer, rabbits or some other robber would love to deprive you of your efforts. At the entrance to my garden I had a special gate con- structed, it is known as a Torii gate. The Okinawans con- struct these gates as entrances to their hollow places. When you pass through the gate you go from the mundane and enter the sacred. So this gardening season be reassured that as you enter your special earthly place that the best is in front of you. I would like to remind each of us gardeners out there, big or small, to please share the bounty! Set up a road side stand and offer some free veggies, give someone some cut flowers or some herbs to dry, it’s the very least we can do. To quote Mahatma Ghandi, “To Forget how to dig in the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” Until the next time, may your weeding be light, your fingers dirty and your problems solved many times over as you sink your spade into the Earth so kind. I’ll see you in the garden, Rod Michael leaves, animal manure or cover crops. Organic matter improves the fertility and structure of all soils, and it provides a continuous source of nitrogen and other nutrients that plants need to grow. It also provides a rich food source for soil microbes. Organisms in the soil carry out the process of decay and decomposition; they make these nutrients available to the plants. Be sure not to over water or over feed. Be mindful of bugs and if possible hand remove. Knock on wood, in the past 10 years we have been bug free; from slugs to potato bugs to whatever. With a raised bed the bug will be contained and easier to control. Do remember to trellis, grow up, not out and keep crops rotating within the beds. It is suggested to use a three- year crop rotation system and keep a yearly plan on paper during each season for future reference. When planting in a bed, get rid of the row idea, this maximiz- es space and productivity. Raised beds provide the ability to be transformed into mini greenhouses. In the Capital District a frost can come as late as May 10th to May 30th depending on your elevation above sea level. Use hoops to support a garden quilt for early planting. There are a wide vari- ety of fabrics available. Some are used to manage pesky bugs like flea beetles, birds, unseasonal cold snaps and Ha ng Restaurant NEW! ing Ba Gift Shoppe • Garden Store sk ets ! HydraFacial MD ® Voted the best in-office treatment! Improves: Fine Lines & Wrinkles No Downtime Find us on Facebook Badge Delicious Food CMYK / .ai Immediate Results Elasticity & Firmness Brown Spots Enlarged Pores Potted Plants Eat and Shop in One Stop! Schedule an Appointment Today with Renee Mantello, Esthetician Serving Breakfast & Lunch Daily Open 7 Days a Week: 7:30 am–6:00 pm (518) 346–0002 (518) 399-8359 336 Schauber Road, Ballston Lake, NY 12019 LakesideFarmsCiderMill.com • Dr. Sanjiv Kayastha, M.D. K Plastic Surgery • Capital Region Health Park 711 Troy-Schenectady Rd., Suite 206, Latham, NY KPlasticSurgery.com 29