Cucumbers

A friend in Australia just sent this to me.  This is great to know and I hope it is all true.

1. 
Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need 
every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin 
B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin 
B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, 
Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and 
Zinc.



2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, 
put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a 
cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B 
Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that 
quick pick-me-up that can last for 
hours.



3. Tired of your bathroom mirror 
fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a 
cucumber slice along the mirror, it will 
eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, 
spa-like fragrance.



4. Are grubs and 
slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few 
slices in a small pie tin and your garden will 
be free of pests all season long. The chemicals 
in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give 
off a scent undetectable to humans but drive 
garden pests crazy and make them flee the 
area.



5 Looking for a 
fast and easy way to remove cellulite before 
going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or 
two of cucumbers along your problem area for a 
few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber 
cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, 
firming up the outer layer and reducing the 
visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles 
too!!!



6.. Want to avoid a hangover or 
terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices 
before going to bed and wake up refreshed and 
headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B 
vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential 
nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in 
equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and 
headache!!



7 Looking to fight off that 
afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers 
have been used for centuries and often used by 
European trappers, traders and explores for 
quick meals to thwart off starvation.



8. 
Have an important meeting or job interview and 
you realize that you don't have enough time to 
polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber 
over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a 
quick and durable shine that not only looks 
great but also repels 
water.

 


9. Out of WD 
40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a 
cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic 
hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!



10. 
Stressed out and don't have time for massage, 
facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire 
cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, 
the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber 
will react with the boiling water and be 
released in the steam, creating a soothing, 
relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce 
stress in new mothers and college students 
during final exams.



11. Just finish a 
business lunch and realize you don't have gum or 
mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to 
the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 
seconds to eliminate bad breath, the 
phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your 
mouth responsible for causing bad 
breath.



12. Looking for a 'green' way to 
clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? 
Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the 
surface you want to clean, not only will it 
remove years of tarnish and bring back the 
shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm 
you fingers or fingernails while you 
clean.




13. Using a 
pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the 
cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen 
writing, also works great on crayons and markers 
that the kids have used to decorate the 
walls!!

Pass this along to everybody you 
know who is looking for better and safer ways to 
solve life's everyday 
problems..

T & C's Annual Auction

Town and Country Garden Club Annual Auction
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Hope Valley Country Club

11:00am-2:00 pm
11:00  Silent Auction
12:00  Lunch --$20.00
1:00-2:00 Live Auction


Please RSVP to Jo Rotella by November 1st
jrotella@nc.rr.com
919-768-1641

Mail checks payable to Town and Country Garden Club to Jo Rotella

3709 Northampton Road
Durham, NC 27707

Poinsettia Project for VA Hospital

Heritage GC is again having the Poinsettia Project for the Chapel of the VA Hospital.

Grab the Order form here.

GOT MILKWEED?

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By Marna Towne (Mrs_Ed)
October 18, 2012

In Dave's Garden newsletter

Lure these gorgeous black and orange beauties into your yard with the right plants. 

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In more recent times however, the Monarch butterfly population has declined. Like other butterflies, habitat destruction and pesticide use are often the culprits. While gardeners often supply nectar plants for all butterflies, some are unaware of the needs of the Monarch larva. Many others simply do not know or understand the impact of a simple act like mowing a patch of milkweed has on the Monarch.

As the saying goes — Knowledge is Power. Let's go back to science class for a Monarch Butterfly Lesson.

Identification

The Monarch is one of the most identifiable butterflies in the United States. It's orange and black wings stand out brightly in the summer blue sky, while its size makes it viewable from a distance. The Viceroy possesses similar colors and veining — an extra horizontal strip on its lower wings readily distinguishes this butterfly from a Monarch. The Monarch below center shows two oval spots on the lower wings. These are scent glands that can be seen from the front or back of the wing and indicate that this butterfly is a male. Additionally, females have thicker black veining to distinguish them. 

 

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Like most butterflies, Monarchs experience four stages in their month long life cycles — egg, larva, pupa and adult. Females lay eggs on host plants (milkweed, see below). The oval eggs are about the size of the head of a pin — large enough to be seen by the unaided eye. Approximately four days after eggs are laid, the larva will begin to eat its way out of the hard shell by eating the shell itself.

In the larval or caterpillar stage, the Monarch undergoes five phases, or "instars" lasting nine to 14 days. The body of the caterpillar features a head, abdomen and thorax. They have six pairs of eyes but their vision is poor. To aid them in sensing their way around the milkweed, they have front and rear tentacles. They breathe by taking in oxygen through holes in the sides of their bodies.

During their phases the Monarchs are eating machines, growing so large between phases that they must shed their skin. The molting starts at the head and peels back to the rest of the body. The caterpillar then eats this shed skin before continuing to eat more milkweed.

When a Monarch is ready to pupate, the caterpillar crawls to a spot where it can hang and form a chrysalis. First it makes a silk pad (on a branch or such) to which it attaches its rear end by a spike called the "cremaster." They it forms a "J" shape and begins to split its skin for the last time (to see a wonderful pictorial display of this, check out the pictures from 'kennedyh' in the Bug Files). This last skin is the "chrysalis" — it begins soft but later hardens. During this stage, the Monarch must continue to hang to form properly. When it is close to emerging, the wings will develop their orange and black pigment and the pupa will darken.

The adult Monarch emerges in 10 to 14 days. The wings are still wet at this time and need about three to four hours to dry. After this waiting period, the adult butterfly is ready to fly, provided temperatures are warm enough (60º). Summer adults are ready to mate in three to eight days and the process begins all over again. The summer adult Monarch lives from two to five weeks. The last generation of the summer however live much longer, about nine months, in order to migrate and reproduce in the spring.

Eastern Population Migration

In late summer and early fall a portion of the North America Monarch butterfly population migrates south. Some from the east coat overwinter in southern Florida, but most find their way to the mountains of central Mexico. The University of Kansas Biological Research department operates Monarch Watch, a Monarch butterfly education and research program. According to Monarch Watch, migration dates begin in Canada as early as August 18th. By October 10th, Monarchs in Houston, Texas will begin their journey south.

The Monarch Lab at the University of Minnesota offers wonderful research on the fall migration. They cite day length, temperatures and host plant quality as factors in creating the physiological differences in late season Monarchs. These Monarchs are those that will make the journey south where can overwinter. Journey North, an educational site monitoring seasonal change, tracks both fall and spring migrations of Monarch butterflies. Tracking for Journey North’s 2008 fall season begins August 28th.

The winter roosts in Mexico (and in California for western populations) enable scientists and researchers to monitor and provide colony counts each year. With this data, researchers can see population growths and decline from each year. When the overwintering Monarch's make their trip back north into Texas in March, they will produce the first generation of the year and die. This first generation will continue the migration north through June.

Habitat

Monarch butterflies can be found in many habitats: country roadsides, suburban gardens even city parks. If they find a source of both nectar and host plants, the Monarch will be happy. Host plants are those on which the female butterfly lays her eggs and on which the caterpillars will feed. For Monarch butterflies, the host plants are those within the Milkweed (asclepias) family.

My Mother tells a story about walking country roads as a child and collecting the silky portions of seeds from milkweed pods. The silk was used for life preservers for World War II servicemen. Growing up, this common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) was the only milkweed that I ever knew about. According to the U.S. Government however, there are over 100 species of milkweed — a portion are known important hosts for Monarchs. .

Monarch Watch offers the "Monarch Waystation Program" to help increase and protect Monarch habitats. They encourage citizens to develop Monarch Waystations in any areas possible (gardens, parks, schools, roadsides, unused plots, etc.) This program hopes to restore milkweed habitats and provide feeding stations for migrating butterflies. Waystations sites may be certified and/or registered and provide wonderful educational opportunities. The program sells seed kits of the following host and nectar plants. If you are looking to entice Monarchs to your garden, these plants are ideal choices.

 Butterfly Weed

 Milk Weed

 Cosmos

Joe Pye Weed