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Praying Mantid The Praying Mantid is a beneficial insect sometimes known as the “destroyer of other insects.” Praying mantises eat an array of pest insects—up to 21 different species including aphids, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, beetles, caterpillars, spiders, moths, and grasshoppers. Mantises do not distinguish between pest insects, neutral insects, and other beneficial insects; mantises are prey

Pre-sprouting vegetable seed will help you avoid over-sowing in the greenhouse or garden. Pre-sprouting also answers the question: Is this seed still viable? To pre-sprout seeds place the seeds on a damp paper towel. Make sure that the seeds are well spaced and not touching one another. Fold the towel in half. Alternatively, place the

The olive is an evergreen plant that can grow as a shrub, hedge, or tree. Olive trees can grow as tall as 30 feet. Olives bear small pitted fruits that can be cured for table consumption or pressed for oil. Some olives are grown for ornamental use, often as shrubs or hedges–the olive’s narrow gray-green

Jack-o’-lantern or pie? That could be the question you ask when faced with a pumpkin in late autumn. The answer is simple. It’s in the size of the pumpkin before you. Pumpkin size: cooking and carving Small pumpkins are best for cooking. They will be sweet and delicious, perfect for pie fillings, breads, muffins and

Raspberries are the most intensely flavored and delicate of berries. The peak season for red raspberries in the Northern Hemisphere is June through September; for the golden or yellow raspberry June through October, and for the black raspberry during July. To best experience the luscious raspberry—many consider it a finer fruit that the strawberry–be sure

There are hundreds of varieties of raspberries. Red raspberries are the most common. Yellow or golden raspberries are a mutation of red raspberries. Black raspberries–which are actually blue-black–are more firm and have more seeds than red or yellow raspberries. Purple raspberries are crosses between black and red raspberries. Everberaring (also called fall-bearing) varieties give an

Viewed from a distance while in bloom, it’s easy to understand how the herb rosemary got its name. The Latin name for rosemary is ros marinus which means “sea dew” or “sea spray. Rosemary in bloom is covered with small clusters of shimmering blossoms of both light and deep blue. This tough but marvelously fragrant

Grapefruits in general are dived into natural types: there are common white or yellow-fleshed grapefruits, and there are pigmented or pale pink to ruby red grapefruits. There are also seeded and seedless grapefruits. Beyond flesh color and seeds, you can generally say that seeded grapefruits are more flavorful than seedless. Grapefruits have a sharper flavor

Russian Red kale is thick, juicy and chewy. Match this kale with grilled sausages, pork or turkey. You can also match Russian Red with grains, roots, dried fruits and nuts. Russian Red has silvery-green to blue-gray leaves that look like a cross between a turnip green and a highly lobed oak leaf. This kale doesn’t