Columnists
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Skaggs: Sprays aren’t only option to kill pests Warm weather is a welcome sight for gardeners. But the problems it brings with insects and disease are not. Fortunately, there are several things we can do to help prevent and control them. As you begin to establish your vegetable garden, put most of your money and energy in the soil. Unless you are one of the lucky few with rich, loamy, well-drained soil, good garden soil must be created. Soil testing will provide a recipe for fertilizer and lime if needed. Maintaining proper nutrition will go a long way to healthier, pest-resistant plants. ... |
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England: Catchfly plants may trap insects, but they don’t use them Question: I recently saw a reference to a plant with the common name "catchfly." Is this the same as a Venus flytrap? Answer: Catchfly is a common name usually referring to the genus Silene. Many plants in this genus have hairy stems and exude a sticky substance that sometimes traps insects, at least temporarily. The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is not related to the catchfly. Unlike the Venus flytrap, the catchfly does not gain any food value from the occasional insect that accidentally gets caught on its sticky stems. The Silene genus contains more than 500 species of herbaceous annuals, ... |
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Murray: Introduce new tastes with a wine party Looking for a way to entertain friends and give them good information at the same time? 
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Rich: Mama’s gift gets her the last word For a couple of years, I had been trying to get Mama to write my column one week. Well aware of how much readers loved her, I knew they would be tickled to get her side of our story. "It's only fair," I told her the first time I brought the subject up. "You should have your say." I smiled. "It's the journalistically balanced thing to do." A look of delicious mischief spread across her face. She grinned delightedly. "Really?" That look made me a little nervous but ... |
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Wilburn: These simple steps can bring back bliss Marital satisfaction tends to decrease during the early years of marriage, and for some it reaches a low point during the middle years. This change in satisfaction is most often related to increased stresses, such as increasing work demands, parenting adolescents, caring for aging parents and planning for retirement. For most couples, it is a challenge to learn how to manage all the changes so that their marriage relationship can continue to grow. But, there are also significant benefits for the relationship in the middle years of marriage. Most of today's midlifers enjoy relatively good health. Their children are in ... |
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Thompson: What? Ear plugs? Yes,they work — and let you hear, too The next time you go to a live concert, don’t forget to bring the ear plugs. I’m serious. Over the years I’ve attended a number of concerts ranging from hard rock to country to contemporary Christian. The one thing they all had in common is that the music was so loud I wouldn’t get my hearing back until noon the next day. A friend recommended the ear plugs tip to me and it works great. Believe it or not, you can still hear the music really well even with the foam pieces in your ear canals. ... |
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Skaggs: Rain gardens provide many benefits, including water conservation Rain gardens are becoming increasingly popular in the home landscape. |
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Wilburn: Keep preschoolers in mind when working in the kitchen As a toddler I cherished the time spent in the kitchen with my grandmother. Her time and patience encouraged and developed my love of cooking and trying new recipes. From experience, I know that food activities provide the chance to learn many skills useful for a lifetime. For your preschooler, food handling skills need to be tailored to his or her muscular development and coordination. Types of experiences Food experiences should be planned as part of the total day's food plan at meals and snacks. Too many children's cookbooks are based on high-energy snacks or empty calorie treats. If children ... |
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Rich: Joining with good friends to come home To be quite frank, I don't remember from where the idea arose. It could have been at the suggestion of one of two friends or - and this is quite possible - it was my own bright idea. Nonetheless, whether it was at the invitation of my longtime friend, Judi Turner, a noted Nashville publicist who oversees publicity for gospel music legend Bill Gaither, or from my best friend, Karen Peck, who is often spotlighted in Gaither's famous Homecoming videos, or I just invited myself, it was a wonderful idea. Thank you to any ... |
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Lunch guys: ‘Rollatini’ translates to ‘wimpy lasagna’ For those Lunch Guys readers who don’t speak Italian, let us translate the name of Olive Garden’s newest dish, the Lasagna Rollatini. In English, that means teeny roll of lasagna. For less than $10, we ordered a plate of it with sausage to go, and it came with the usual choice of soup or salad and breadsticks. So we came away full, but were we happy, too? Chris: Tom, as much as Olive Garden tries to market itself as an authentic taste of the real Italy right here ... |
