K Mueller's blog

This is a Masters Thesis I came across on guidelines for building a hort-therapy garden. I thought it might be useful to someone sometime within this group.

You will have to let go of the "people first" infractions to read but at least some information is getting out there.

If one is interested I suggest downloading the file. Like .gov site, you never know when university bureaucracies will change or eliminate files.

http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0127103-211300/unrestricted/Hebert...

That could be the case. At least for a species of fungus called Fusarium.

Reseachers at Penn State have published recent findings of Fusarium infecting the drains in biofilms of plumbing.

A study examining the prevalence of the fungus Fusarium in bathroom sink drains suggests that plumbing systems may be a common source of human infections.

We got in the broccoli and the cauliflower. He read and spoke "broccoli" but had to have help with the cauliflower tag. That was interesting because the cauliflower tag had a picture and the broccoli tag didn't. So I know he was reading.

But a new trend is emerging which is odd. He's actually trying to stay out of the dirt. Unless of course he has new shoes on and wants to get me in trouble with his mother.

Well, that worked out. He watered thoroughly and systematically without any direction.

It's time to plant in many parts of the country. At least cool season crops. And though I haven't had much luck in directing my son's attention to helping we have discovered something new. Son LOVES raw broccoli and cauliflower. Kid can eat an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting.

So I am trying to make the connection that plant A = cauliflower in time. It doesn't look like cauliflower/broccoli now, and I fear for its early harvest once it does, but at least I found another motivator and a healthy food.

Many of our kids on special diets should avoid synthetic red food colorings which can make them excitable as well as being unhealthy. These researchers are learning how to extract the natural red pigments from peppers in a safer way in order to make an alternative food coloring.

'Green' Chemistry Extraction Method Developed for Hot Capsicum Fruit

see all at:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101116093825.htm

This is an older video but I think it may provide some useful info to some as a source of cleaning up toxins in the area around homes.

Soil Chemists Plant Ferns to Soak Up Backyard Poisons

Planting ferns can be a cheaper, greener way to soak up poisons such as arsenic from the soil. Ferns absorb arsenic through their roots and store it in their leaves, which can then be cut off. Arsenic -- once used to treat wood -- can still lurk in old roofs, decks, and playgrounds.

Link to article and video:

I have picked up on something sort of garden related that is helping me to teach my son to be independent.

Prepare for kinda weird and gross but this is helping me do something I have tried to do for years.

When my son is in the shower he won't do a good job of washing himself. He'd rather get to the job of getting water anywhere but the tub and shower - the fun stuff. Well it has been hard to teach him to properly wash himself. He especially will not wash between his legs.

It's been awhile. Things have been stagnant with our son. Most things have been in "maintenance" mode with everything in our lives lately including our son. I am lucky to have things to maintain. It provides me with work. I have had several friends ask me if they could help me because they are out of work. So I know I am lucky just to have work. We all need some work. I often what if any work my son may be capable of in the future.