Whispers House & Garden

Cool Themed Gardens
By: Jerry Clifford

So many of us use herbs and vegetables from our gardens for regular daily cooking. It's much more practical to plant those species close together for quick picking. When you're tossing up a fresh tomato salad, it's so handy to have the tomatoes, green onions and basil planted close together. All you have to do is pick, throw in a bowl, add some olive oil and your salad is ready to go. The only thing you have to be concerned with, is that all those plants grow under the same relative conditions.

Here are some ideas for themed planting schemes that the cook in your family will love.

Pizza Garden

Coincidentally, many common pizza ingredients thrive under the same sunny, well watered conditions. Some examples include tomatoes, red and green peppers, onions, jalapenos, basil, oregano, thyme and parsley.

Begin with an 8-foot circle of dirt and divide into equal slices for each plant. Put a border around your pizza garden with bricks, or plastic edging.

Suggested quantities for your plants include:

basil - 3
oregano - 1
seed onions - 12
peppers - 3
jalapenos - 3
thyme - 1
roma tomato - 1

The tomatoes should be planted in the northernmost section so that it won't overshadow the other plants.

Salsa Garden

This can easily be planted in a container and displayed on the deck, right outside the kitchen. Include two hot chili peppers, one golden tomato, one beefsteak tomato, cilantro, and one tomatillo plant.

Spaghetti Sauce Garden

For this you'll need a good supply of tomato plants and then you'll have plenty left over for freezing. Start with 5 romas, 5 beefsteak or jet star tomato plants, 3 basil, 1 oregano, 1 thyme, and garlic.

Salad Garden

Keep a good supply of crunchy salad veggies and herbs nearby. Start with 3 plants each of different lettuces such as romaine, ice berg and leaf lettuce. Also include 3 tomato plants, 6 green onions, 1 radish, 2 basil, a row of cucumbers and any other veggies you enjoy.

Tea Garden

I love having a fresh supply of herbs on hand to pick and add to a cup of hot water for tea. Some of my favorites include chamomile, bee balm (also has pretty red flowers, but if you use the leaves this is what Earl Grey tea is made from), catmint, lemon balm, mint (dozens of varieties - even chocolate), and spearmint.

Pie Garden

Imagine making a pie from berries and fruit picked right out your door. Easy growers include:

Blueberries and currant bushes: Plant a whole row just like a hedge.

Strawberries: These are great planted in a container, on a slope for ground cover, or in rows as a decorative border. In the spring they'll be covered in white flowers and in the fall the leaves will change to a lovely russet shade.

Rhubarb: This can be planted right in your flower bed or side by side with purple leaved ajuga or other ground cover.

Raspberries: Once you start these hardy plants, they'll grow like weeds. Be sure to choose the ever-bearing species that produces fruit from midsummer to frost. They grow well in light to medium shade so will not take up all your sunny garden real estate.

PARENTING

How To Communicate With Your Teen When Approached About Sex
by Lorna Darden

Sex is the last thing a parent wants to hear coming out of their children’s mouth. It is a nightmare and an unwanted thought when thinking about your child and sex at the same time. As they get older, there are some curious thoughts that go through their mind. Frightening as it sounds; communication is the key between you and your child when it comes to sexuality. We as parents cannot be there for out children 24 hours a day, all we can do is instill some experience and knowledge into their minds and hope it guides them intellectually to the right decisions in life.

When you child approaches you about sex, take a deep breath, it can be an unnerving and an uncomfortable feeling… It’s not going to be easy at first, but in the end, you will feel better about talking about it. Ask your teen what lead them to ask you this question. If they tell you that someone they have interest in has brought it to their attention, then it is ok. Hopefully they have not done anything yet. With the way society is with our kids growing up in it, peer pressure can be a bit overwhelming and more likely some teens might give in to it.

Explain to them that their body is a precious temple, keeping it pure and maintaining their virginity is a very rare and special thing. State that even though they might be thinking about doing it; they are simply too young for such an experience and the best thing to do is to wait until they are older and more mature. Inform them that just because you have feelings for someone it doesn’t necessarily have to be any sexual involvement, that there are consequences when having sex and even though your teen might think they know all about it, there is always more to tell.

Unprotected sex can lead to you contracting a sexually transmitted disease, like gonorrhea that can cause inflammation of the genital mucous membrane, burning pain when urinating, and a discharge. It is caused by a gonococcus bacterium. Another disease to worry about is PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease) an inflammation of a woman’s reproductive organs in the pelvic area, which can cause infertility.

Syphilis is a serious sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirally twisted bacterium Treponema pallidum that affects many body organs and parts, including the genitals, brain, skin, and nervous tissue, and Chlamydia, which can cause infertility, chronic pain, or a tubal pregnancy if left untreated. Many diseases can be contracted with oral and sexual intercourse. Oral sex is not safe and you still can catch certain diseases in your mouth.

Love can be a cruel emotion. Let you child know that just because they feel strongly towards another person, it does not mean that their feeling are mutual. Sex can be the only issue with the other person; he or she could be out to use you for it. Help them to understand that if they are not willing to wait for the right time, then that person might not be such a good influence on them.

Motherhood is a hard job; a child simply cannot raise a child. They have plenty of time to grow up, get their education and then they can decide if being a parent is what they want. Life is so good; they should be able to enjoy it while they can without any setbacks. Sex is a way of two people showing their love for one another. It is not something to take lightly. Giving up your virginity is a very important choice and you should not be coursed into it.

Trust and communication is so crucial to you and your child’s relationship. Your child being able to come to you and talk to you about the most important things that are going on in their life is so necessary. Knowing how your child feels and what is going on in their life without being too concerned, makes an open and great relationship between you two.

If you think that your child might go that way, then talking to them about birth control is an option. Sometimes talking does some good, but not enough and they still might end up having intercourse. Just be safe, let them know about birth control methods to prevent pregnancy. It’s hard I know, but you rather educate them and be safe about it, then to do nothing at all.

Good luck, being a parent is hard work. We want the best for our babies, sometimes it is hard to separate the day they were born from the day that they became adults. We wish our children could stay the cute adorable babies that they once were. They have to grow up, there might be drama, rebellion, and a lot of hair in the sink, but in the end, we love unconditionally and appreciate every single moment.

About the author: http://lornashealthtopics.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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Time for Spring Cleaning!
by Ronald S. Maier

“Spring cleaning” means getting around to all of those organizational nightmares that have snuck up on you throughout the year. It’s time to start fresh. Get rid of those bothersome junk piles. Heavy winter clothes and coats need to be stored. Closets need to be cleaned and your old boxes of stored junk need to be gone through.

Sometimes we save things that we think we will need later. Whether it’s a project that we’re no longer interested in finishing or a stack of old bills, these things can start to clutter your home and eat away at the storage space that you have available. Go through any boxes or piles of mail that are lying around. If it’s an unfinished project, schedule a time to finish it. If you really don’t have time, consider giving it up. Busy Mom’s especially keep projects lying around half finished for years until their allure has vanished or the kids have outgrown the need for whatever it was. Donate half-finished projects to schools that can recycle them as craft supplies and get them out of your closets. Send old bills and statements to the shredder and get them off of your counters, tables and shelves.

Give whatever you can to charity. If you have trouble letting go of usable items, set a goal for yourself to get rid of 25% or even 50% of what you have stored. Use a garage or living room to separate items into three piles. One is for definite keepsakes like heirloom blankets, the outfits that your children wore home from the hospital when they were born, and photo albums. The second pile should be for things that you know are still good and want to keep, but you might could possibly give away or sell. The third pile should be a charity pile.

Sometimes it helps to bring in a third party. Teenagers are great at telling you like it is if you have too much stuff! A good friend is also nice to have if they can give you honest advice. Some things you may not want to just give away, but you may be more comfortable with selling online or in a yard sale. For example, that clarinet that you haven’t played since high school. It holds sentimental value and monetary value. You may feel the need to keep it, but in your heart you know you’ll never touch it again. Have someone take your picture with it and then concentrate on how it could be making a difference in another child’s life. Focus on not being selfish and feel good about items that you donate or sell.

Once your closets are not cluttered, you can update their look. Get them nice and clean, add a coat of paint and stock your closet with some nice wood hangers. You’ll enjoy the clean look and feel of your new found space.

About the author: About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of OnlyHangers.com, a leading provider of high quality wood hangers,including coat hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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A guide to choose the most reliable and advance dog food
by Smit Mathur

Colorful bags and slick advertisements often confuse these customers while purchasing dog food in Sydney. However, the confusion can be easily eliminated by a careful study of dog/ cat food with respect to your pet. There are in fact a number of aspects attached with the selection of right dog/ cat food for your pet such as: