I'm lucky enough to be on Oprah's email list and about once a month she's sends out a new message (and yes, they are actually written by Oprah herself).
Here's her latest email:
Dear Friends of Fall,
On my way back from Africa, where I've spent the past week teaching my soon to be graduating 12th graders, everything I wish someone had told me before I graduated. I bow to teachers everywhere who care about their students, prepare the curriculum and do their own homework to make sure they are prepared. It's a lot of work.
I received this email from one of my students today which makes it all worth it:
Mom Oprah I would like to thank you so much for the wonderful, exciting and mind blowing workshop on life and it's ways. I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come to South Africa, far away from your home. I have learned so many life lessons that I surely will be taking along with me through the many years to come. The one lesson that I definitely learned was that "It is okay to make mistakes". The reason it struck me so much is because I have had a shadow belief where I believed and told myself that I need to satisfy others and show them that I am good. What I did not realise along the way, is that I then stepped away from certain opportunities because I was too scared to take risks and to make mistakes and disappoint others. But after Life 101 I now know that IT IS OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. Another lesson that I learned is that other people will have their opinions about me and I will need to learn to give meaning to it or not.
Thanks M.
Wow, that warmed my heart.
That one email made the whole exhausting week to the bottom of Africa so worth the trip and rewarding. I'm not a good sleeper under normal circumstances. So my body does not adjust to time change well. So it's been a sleepless week. I had meeting after meeting...then taught class in the late afternoon, so girls wouldn't miss their regular classes.
Mistakes mean move in another direction. And other peopleâs opinions don't define you. Finding the courage to create the life you say you believe in, building from strength to strength, not giving away your power, especially not doing stupid things in the name of pleasing other people. That was my focus for 12 graders.
I'm returning to U.S. excited to be starting Lifeclass 8/7 central this week on OWN. Followed LIVE on the Web. I hope to see you on Facebook, Oprah.com...and if you have it the iPad app.
For Lifeclass we're moving on to even bigger lessons that speak to the power of the heart.
How not to be controlled by your ego. Letting Go of the past. Allowing the Truth of your life to set you free. Using your strength as a weapon against defeat. And Joy Rising moments that will remind you to feel and create your own.
All things I've learned and continue to grow and expand my understanding of how life works.
I want your world to open up, and you be enhanced, and stimulated by new ways of thinking about yourself.
Doing this on TV and the Web is a bold move. I know it. But what would life be without taking a risk!
See you Monday nite
Oprah
Photo credit VTK Productions via Flickr
Do you have times when you feel like you can't control your emotions? I"m a woman; therefore, the obvious answer for me is YES!
Here's a great quiz from Oprah.com that might help you gauge how in touch with your emotions you actually are.
Click here to take the quiz.
I've been lucky enough to be on Oprah's email list (yes she sends it out to thousands of people, BUT it REALLY is an email directly from her - which is cool).
Here it is:
Subject: The Next Right Decision...Friends of Summer,Can you believe it's August already? "Hot August nights with the leaves hanging down and the grass on the ground smelling so sweet"...thank you Neil Diamond. I always want to play that song this month.
I am digitally, technically, challenged but learned a great new thing yesterday.
Please don't LOL, but I did not know that you could play music wirelessly thru the speakers in your house directly from your iPad. And can upload movies directly to your tv screen and the movies maintain their HD quality.
I still think that iPad is a magic box.
I spent my first full week at OWN merging new staff with Harpo folks. Alignment is the first step in getting anything to work. We all had a great week. Although if you saw my tweet, you noticed I could use some better office furniture.
We're working on new shows for fall. ROSIE's on at 7pm ET/PT. I watched in awe this past Friday as she sat in a room full of critics, (Television Critics Association) and made them actually LOL.
OWN YOUR LIFE (the oprah class) will be at 8pm ET/PT. Sign up if you're interested in having a better life at Oprah.com.
By the way did you see the show SERVING LIFE on OWN it reairs this Wednesday night 9pm and 12am ET/PT. Produced and narrated by Forest Whitaker. If you didn't see and can't see when it reairs...DVR. It's worth your time.
I've been emailing Forest all weekend. I can't stop thinking about it. It was really, REALLY good. And a tough subject. But opened my heart and made me drop a lot of preconceived notions and judgment.
It is great television I'm proud to platform on OWN.
@Woodsy1069 asked me on Twitter yesterday if I was "frazzled" by OWN's performance thus far.
Nope, not frazzled. And I have faith that if I do what I'm supposed toâallow it to serve my purpose, and you, the viewerâit will succeed.
Everyone in the cable business told me it would take 3 years. Some said 5. I've been here a week.
Lorne Michaels, master creator/producer told me months ago, "it won't start to come together until you're there."
So I made myself CEO and now in the trenches with Erik and Sheri who've masterfully run Harpo, now also Presidents of OWN. We're uniting and building our team.
I will say this; it's 10 times harder than doing my daily show. Doing that show felt like breathing everyday. Now I'm in so many meetings I sometimes have to step out and catch a breath.
But I see every challenge as an opportunity. So no shortage of opportunities here.
I know the same is true for your life.
My experience is a network, yours is whatever is calling you right now.
Get clarity. Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Don't be defeated by mistakes. Learn from them.
We have a new motto..."The next right decision"...what is it?
Onward!
Oprah Winfrey
Photo credit emilydickinsonridesabmx via Flickr
I'm lucky enough to be on one of Oprah's email lists and here is her latest email she sent this week:
Hello friends of Summer,I haven't written lately because my technically challenged self could not access this email account.
So many barriers were put in place to protect the account, I ended up barring myself from access.So here we go... Last week was at Allen Conference, with all the movers and shapers of our world. Met some fascinating people like Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Dynamo woman. So exciting to see women crack that glass ceiling and burst through it.
Came home inspired to work harder and do better.Started out the week taking swimming lessons. Moving beyond my amateur doggy paddle. Learned the breast stroke today.Over a year ago I pulled a picture from O mag of a woman gliding through water. It was such a striking image of Freedom and possibility I put it on my vision board (which I've still not completed). Â Today when I finished my swimming lesson I passed the vision board lying on the table where it's been since 2009. I had an aha moment. I had just become that woman, gliding through the water!For years I've been a challenged swimmer, afraid of the water and fighting it. Today I learned to move with the flow.This I've known forever is the great metaphor of life. "Move with the flow". Don't fight the current.
Resist nothing. Let life carry you. Don't try to carry it.Sometimes we just have to be reminded. A swim lesson did it for me.I've brought the metaphor to life as I try to evolve OWN into it's full potential. Erik Logan and Sheri Salata, presidents of Harpo today will bring their unique partnering leadership into alignment with the network.In all things you must have alignment for "flow" to occur.This I've known forever, but couldn't make it happen, because we were all so focused on ending The Oprah Show.So as of today... Harpo Team and OWN team become ONE.Our intention is to use the cable platform and the internet platform and the mobile platform to create messages that fill you up and bring you to new levels of awareness about yourself, ourselves, and our world; our potential...It's an incredible challenge ahead trying to figure out what kind of shows and programming will resonate with you, inspire you, bring a little piece of light into your already crowded existence. But I feel called to do it, and will be relying on your feedback, emails and tweets and message boards to let me know what you think.We're gearing up for October, The Oprah Show team of producers will be producing the Rosie show in Chicago at Harpo studios.I'll be in L.A working on "Next Chapter".I'm also taking The Oprah Show library of 4560 shows and redesigning them into the 100 best lessons I've learned about everything that can help you live a better life. Â Those will start airing Oct. 10. Â Same day as Rosie.At my core I'm a teacher, masquerading as a talk show host.
And now I'll have a nightly class on OWN.But for now, I'm enjoying every breath of Summer.
I hope you all are appreciating the warm sun and blue sky where ever you are.Everyday I wake up grateful. For the smallest things and big things:Health. Living in the U.S.A. Freedom. Democracy.
Promise and Potential. Growth.
And tiny pleasures like bathing my dogs or picking vegetables.I have a garden, and every Thursday we harvest our veggies. I grew up in Mississippi, too young to appreciate what it means to pull beans from the vine. Then I just thought it was work, now I get a little thrill from every onion and corn stalk. Yes I'm growing CORN in my back yard. And beets and lots of basil.I cook for Stedman, but have a limited repertoire.Next I think I may want to take one of those Tuscany cooking courses.Will let you know how it goes.The Best of Life to you,
Oprah WinfreyPhoto Credit: Pan-African News Wire File Photos via Flick
I've been emailing Oprah since her show wrapped up at oprah@oprah.com and here's her latest email.
Hello y'all, friends of summer.
Got back safely from vacation. Had to come back for Cable convention and meetings with OWN team. Building a network doesn't allow for the long relaxing time I had imagined for myself.
But I'm ready for the challenge.
Thanks for all your good wishes.
I'm sure you feel the same after vacation. Not long enough.
Oddly enough it's not the vacation, but small moments like having time to stop for a cup of coffee at Starbucks, or Friday night going out to dinner with friends that feels so different.
In the past I've been so exhausted that when Friday comes I just want to collapse and sleep.
So I marvel at the spaces of time to do something just normal and not worry about where I have to go next.
I appreciate you wanting to send me ideas for programming but I can't accept unless in real general terms. Law suits; Not my idea of a good time.
And though I empathize with everyone having money problems, even with all the kids I've given scholarships to, I don't give money to them directly but to a school or institution.
I've enjoyed corresponding with some of you. But with 132k emails in my inbox right now, obviously I can't respond to you all individually.
On my way out of country on business. Â Would appreciate if you'd watch BTS tonight 8/7 central on OWN. Tonight's episode is all the Behind the Scenes stuff with James Frey. I teared up watching it and I've obviously already lived it. Why? The true miracle of reconciliation and being willing to see things differently. Of all the BTS shows I think this one is the best so far. Â You really get an insight into all the misunderstanding that keeps people holding on to "stuff" for years. I didn't think I was one of those people until this show. Also looking forward to BTS on the making of United Center surprise shows. I still don't know HOW my team did that. Took over that venue from the Bulls and had less than 36 hrs to build the stage and rehearse, Aretha, Beyonce, Stevie, Jamie, Rascal Flatts, et al..
After Season 25 Behind the Scenes is Finding Sarah, really good I think. Please let me know what you think at Oprah.com
And I need your feedback on the Ryan and Tatum O'Neal show as they attempt a real reconciliation on camera. That's 10/9 central.
BTS.....Finding Sarah... The O'Neals.. Sunday lineup beginning 8/7 central.
I have to say, my experience with James Frey felt like a holy moment. You'll see in tonight's episode how we both came full circle. I would have never imagined of all the nearly 30 thousand people I've interviewed that James Frey would turn out to be a friend.
Amazing Grace..indeed.
Happy Father's day to all you great dads. And to those of you who are trying to be better; recognizing that you're not a man because you can make a baby... You're a man when you can raise one. I salute you for the work and sacrifice and the dream you carry day in, day out for your family.
It's good we take a beat once a year at least, to acknowledge and make sure Father's feel appreciated. And most important VALIDATED.
As I said on last show Everybody wants to know they matter. And every relationship improves according to how valued the other person feels.
I already called my Dad, since I knew I'd be traveling out of the country today.
Blessings and Thank you for your emails,
Oprah Winfrey
The countdown to Oprahâs final show on May 25th is onâ¦AND EVERYONEâS GETTING A CAR! Just kidding. After 25 years of shocking interviews, hard-hitting investigations, invaluable life guidance and a ton of free stuff, itâs no wonder Oprahâs many fans are saddened by the legendary showâs end. Are you one of them? Then you may be suffering from what one psychiatrist has actually dubbed âEmpty Oprah Syndromeâ â characterized by feelings of anxiety and a sense of loss at the thought of a world without TheOprah Show.
Donât worry though- between her magazine and an entire television network devoted to her, Miss O isnât really going anywhere. Weâll never get rid of her.Â
Are you sad about the end of The Oprah Show? How will you fill the void?
How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations.
Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations:
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE.
You can send checks to:
BGCO
Attn: Disaster Relief
3800 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK. 73112.
Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone.
You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 12600
Oklahoma City, OK. 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise.
Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations.
Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations:
American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund.
Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE.
You can send checks to:
BGCO
Attn: Disaster Relief
3800 N. May Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK. 73112.
Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone.
You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to:
The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 12600
Oklahoma City, OK. 73157.
Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website.
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
Grow Your Own Pickles & Celebrate National Pickle Week
Celebrate National Pickle Week by growing a few of your own cucumbers for pickling.
All you need are a few seeds, a sunny location and a bit of garden space or a large container. Train these large vining plants up a fence, trellis or decorative obelisk to save space.
Consider planting National Pickling Cucumber Seeds developed by the National Pickle Packers Association and Michigan Agriculture Experiment station. These were bred for their versatility and perfect pickle shape. You'll be harvesting cucumbers in about 52 days after planting.
Or save some space with Bush pickle. This cucumber forms a 3 to 4 foot wide mound and produces an abundance of 4-inch fruit. It's a perfect size for containers. And save even more space and grow straighter fruit by training these smaller plants up a cage or trellis. Cucumbers are ready to pick in about 45 days.
A bit more information: Cucumbers are generally ready to harvest in 45 to 60 days after planting. This makes them a great option for mid and late season plantings. Just calculate the number of frost-free days left in the growing season to see how late you can plant. And further extend the season by using floating row covers like ReeMay, Harvest Guard, and Frost Covers to protect plants from frosty weather.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Celebrate Clean Air Month – Grow Some Air-Purifying Houseplants
Celebrate National Clean Air Month by growing a few houseplants to improve your indoor air quality.
NASA teamed up with PLANET (Professional Landcare Network, formerly ALCA) and found adding 15 to 18, 6 to 8 inch diameter container houseplants will improve the air quality in an 1800 square foot house. Keeping them healthy will increase their beauty and ability to cleanse the air.
Consider adding a bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii). Use this large houseplant to create a warm welcome for guests, dress up a blank wall or mix in with other houseplants for an impressive indoor garden.
This palm is an understory plant in Central America. It is hardy in zones 10 to 11 and adapted to the lower light conditions indoors. Grow it in a brightly lit location and keep the soil slightly moist.
Cut off fronds as they die, leaving the leafy stem covering intact. Once it is fully dried, remove to expose the attractive stems.
A bit more information: Start new plants by division. Remove suckers and offshoots that form at the base of the plant. Slide the bamboo palm out of its pot. Use a sharp knife or drywall saw to separate the offshoots from the main plant. Repot the parent plant and offshoots in a container slightly larger than the remaining root ball.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
We get your letters...
What an amazing weekend!
First of all, a very big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Grafton and Mukwonago and waited in line amid cold, windy and rainy conditions for those Wisconsin Dells Season Opener Cards.
For me, it is a chance to meet / hang out with YOU the listener and give you goodies!
Second, got this letter from our 99.1 The Mix Contact Us forum, from the Dawson family of Port Washington and was truly surprised that my "simple gesture" warranted the following...
Question: Your Name:
Answer: Michelle
Question: Your City:
Answer: Port Washington
Comments:
Yesterday I took my parents to Grafton to wait for season opener cards. It was quite a cold morning. We arrived at 10 because in the past there have been huge lines. My mother is recovering from a recent open-heart surgery. She is a very petite older woman.
Van McNeil was interacting with people people in line and I asked him if it would be possible for my mom to going to the bank to warm up. He unexpectedly took my mom's hand and escorted her into the building. He was so kind to her and gave her a hug. He made sure she was warm and dry and took very good care of her.
My mom and dad are thrilled to be going to the Dells. Unknown to Van my dad just got out of The hospital last Friday after 4 1/2 weeks of being in. It's been a very rough couple of months for my parents and their health. My mother was just beaming about how nice Van was.
I wanted to thank you for the season opener cards which will allow my parents and my family to enjoy a vacation in Wisconsin this summer, and send a special thank you to Van for being so wonderful to my parents.
You're welcome and THANK YOU Michelle!
Just doing what I do because that's how my mama raised me!
Enjoy the Dells!
-Van
#everylistenermatters
Perennial Garden Renovations
Give your tired perennial garden a boost without a total renovation. Topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most if not all the nutrients your perennials need.
Pull back the mulch if needed. Then spread an inch of compost over the soil surface. You can buy a quality compost or make your own.
Leave the compost on the surface or lightly mix it into the soil. The earthworms, ground beetles, and other organisms will take it from there – moving the compost into the soil and around the plant roots where it is needed.
Or, do a bit of vertical mulching. Use an auger bit on your cordless drill. Simply drill holes into the soil between plants. Then fill the holes with compost. This gets the compost closer to the plant roots and soil organisms that will help mix it into and improve the soil.
Soil preparation and repair will help transform your garden.
A bit more information: Apply a plant strengthener such as JAZ spray to increase plant vigor and their natural ability to tolerate environmental stresses, insect attacks, and disease problems. These natural products aren't fertilizers or pesticides. They can be applied to established plants at the beginning of the season to boost their ability to deal with stress or as soon as problems arise.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Growing Banana Plants Indoors or Out
Add a bit of the tropics indoors or out with a banana plant.
The large leaves are great for screening views and creating a bit of privacy on a balcony, patio or in the yard. Add a wicker planter or chair and you have your own tropical get-away.
The fiber banana (Musa basjoo) is hardy in zones 5 to 11. It grows in full sun. It will die back to the ground and benefit from winter mulch in northern areas of its hardiness zone.
Less hardy and smaller, the blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina'), has large leaves with red markings on 6 to 8 foot plants. It's only hardy in zones 10 to 11, but can be overwintered as a houseplant or allowed to go dormant in other areas.
Combine these tropical beauties with palms, ginger and bird-of-paradise. Or add some hardy tropical look-alikes such as Japanese forest grass, large leaf hostas and trumpet vines.
A bit more information: Push the limits of your growing region with special wintering techniques developed by Dr. David Francko, author of Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths: Warm-Climate Plants for Cooler Areas. And for those in warmer regions check out Creating the Tropical Look.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Preserving the Asparagus Harvest
Preserve the flavor and nutrition of asparagus to enjoy year round.
This flavorful vegetable is low in calories and high in Vitamins A and C as well as fiber. Unfortunately, it is most readily available and at the best price in the spring.
Insure the best flavor with proper harvesting. Select young tender spears 8 to 10 inches tall. Wash, remove the ends, and then cut to fit the freezer bag or container.
Blanch the asparagus before freezing to lock in flavor, color and texture. Dip the asparagus into boiling water. You'll need a large pan with a lid. Blanch small spears for 2 minutes, medium spears for 3 minutes and large spears for 4 minutes.
Remove and immediately set the blanched spears in ice water for 5 minutes to cool. Drain and freeze.
And, if you don't have an asparagus patch, you may want to consider planting one this year.
A bit more information: May is National Asparagus Month. For tips on planting and harvesting asparagus listen to my audio tip. And check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation website for helpful tips and guidelines for preserving your harvest.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Add a little color and flavor to your garden and salads with Mexican tarragon.
This subtle beauty is really a type of marigold, but the leaves and flowers have a tarragon fragrance and flavor.
Wait until after the danger of frost has passed to plant this zone 8 to 10 hardy plant. Grow it in full sun to part shade and well-drained soils. It is somewhat drought tolerant. Northern gardeners can treat it like an annual and those in the northern range of its hardiness zone may see it die back to the ground in a hard freeze. But don't worry its root hardy.
The yellow flowers appear in late summer and persist through fall. The 14 to 20 inch tall plants make a nice addition to herb gardens and flowerbeds.
Harvest the new growth to use fresh. Preserve the flavor by freezing the leaves or storing in vinegar. They tend to lose their flavor when dried.
A bit more information: You can find this plant listed under several common names including Mexican tarragon, Texas tarragon, pericon, and sweet mace. No matter the common name you can use the leaves and blossoms in soups, sauces and chicken dishes as well as salads. Some gardeners even seep it for tea. Visit Bonnie Plants for more information and gardeners ideas for growing and using this plant in the garden.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Year of the Watermelon
Year of the Watermelon
The National Garden Bureau has declared 2013 the Year of the Watermelon. Be part of the celebration and consider planting watermelon in this year's garden.
Don't let the sweet flavor deceive you – these are nutritious as well as delicious. High in Vitamin C, low in fat and calories - it is a great way to boost your energy. Plus, all parts are edible.
You can pickle the rind, eat the fleshy portion fresh or roast or grind the seeds for flavoring. In china they stir fry watermelon while the Russians often pickle it before eating. You may want to try some new ways of enjoying this tasty summer treat.
Grow watermelon in full sun and well-drained soils. Save space by growing these plants on a trellis or decorative obelisk. Just secure the heavy fruit to the support with a cloth or macramé sling. Or plant a few seeds in a container and let the vines wander over your balcony or trellis.
A bit more information: Try planting one of the large picnic-type watermelons that can weigh 15 to 50 pounds. These are sure to get everyone in the family excited about growing and eating this, the largest edible fruit in the United States. Or perhaps you want to try one of the icebox melons that is much smaller at 5 to 15 pounds and easier to squeeze into the fridge. And don't forget about those with unique colored rinds and flesh and of course those that lack seeds.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Clematis Stem Wilt
Clematis Stem Wilt
Your clematis looks beautiful until suddenly the stems and leaves start turning black. Though it looks bad your clematis will survive.
The fungus that causes this disease enters your plant through wounds and cracks in the stem near ground level. Fortunately new growth arising below this point will be disease free.
Reduce future problems by pruning out and destroying infested stems. Disinfect tools between cuts to reduce the risk of spreading this disease.
As new growth emerges from the soil carefully secure it to the support to reduce the risk of cracking and damage. Eliminating the entryways for the fungus will reduce the risk of disease.
In the future consider planting the crown of the clematis below the soil surface. This allows the plant to produce new shoots below the point of infection.
Try growing small flowered clematis that tend to resist this disease. Alpina, macropetala and the viticella types are a few to consider.
A bit more information: For a disease to occur you must have the causal organism (fungus, bacteria, virus) present, disease-promoting weather and susceptible plants. Remove one of these factors and you eliminate the disease. Keep this in mind when managing clematis stem wilt and other plant diseases in your garden.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
I'm a fan, are you?
Who doesn't LOVE a good Roller Coaster? Am I right?! I've been so very lucky to been have rasied in the Midwest, a stones throw away from Six Flags Great America, where I practicaly spent my summers as kid with my best bud Edgar!
Mom and dad would drop us off at open and pick us up at close. 10a-10p. Don't think I could handle that now. Heck, I could barley make it on one run of Batman The Ride Backwards!
Yes, that's right, for a limited time this season, (BTW... I tried to find out when from officials, they wouldn't budge, so get there soon!) Batman The Ride will be running BACKWARDS!!
MOBILE USERS: Click here to WATCH Van rides Batman: The Ride Backwards!
www.SixFlags.com
My Lucky Brewers Socks
I've been wearing these sock to the last few games I have attended at Miller Park and the crew always wins when I have them on. Do you think my socks lucky?
Matt Nathanson AND Plain White T's coming to Festa!
YES! That headline is correct...Matt Nathanson AND the Plain White T's will be performing at Festa Italiana, Saturday night, July 20th and I have the honor of being your ON STAGE HOST!!
I'm super stoked and looking forward to hanging with Platinum-selling singer-song writer Matt Nathanson, and Grammy-nominated Chicago-bred Plain White T's again!
Check out the videos from both groups last visit to The Mix Studios:
WATCH Matt Nathanson Interview and Performance.
WATCH Plain White T's Interview and Performance.
Watch for and Prevent Borers on Trees and Shrubs
Extreme heat and cold, droughts and floods can leave our plants stressed and more susceptible to damaging borers.
These insects are the immature stage of moths and beetles that feed under the bark and inside the stems of plants. Their feeding weakens and in some cases kills the plant.
Many borers are opportunists, attacking already stressed trees. We can't control the weather but we can help reduce stress on our plants. Start by growing plants suited to the climate and growing conditions in your landscape.
Mulch the area under and around the base of trees and shrubs. Organic mulches like wood chips keep the roots cool and moist and reduce competition from grass and weeds.
Be sure to water new plantings thoroughly and as needed the first few years. And do the same for established trees and shrubs during extended drought. This will keep them healthy and help ward off borers.
A bit more information: Incorporate trees and shrubs into perennial planting beds. You will create an attractive garden and better environment for the plants. Plus, planting beds as well as mulching will reduce the need for hand trimming and will keep weed whips and mowers away from the trunks of the trees. And don't pile soil or mulch over the stems of shrubs and the trunks of trees. These practices create entryways for pests and encourage disease problems.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
Lawn Revival
If sparse, bare spots or lots of weeds describe your lawn, it is time for a little lawn revival.
Start by evaluating the current state of your lawn. If more than 60% is bare or filled with weeds, it is time to start over. Look at this as an opportunity to properly prepare the soil, select a more drought tolerant lawn or convert it into a no mow or low maintenance lawn or planting bed.
Overseed thin sparse lawns. Core aerate first or use a slit seeder to insure good seed-to-soil contact. For small bare spots use a lawn patch kit or make your own. Mix a handful of quality grass seed into a bucket of topsoil. Remove any dead grass and roughen the soil surface. Then sprinkle the commercial or homemade lawn patch over the prepared bare spot.
Keep the soil moist until the grass seed begins to grow.
A bit more information: Larger areas will benefit from the addition of organic matter into the top 6 inches of soil before sowing the grass seed or laying sod. Keep the soil moist until the sod has rooted into the soil below and the grass seed begins to grow. Consider overseeding the lawn to help create a more uniform appearance in the lawn. For more information, click here.
For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
