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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:Last week many of you may have received two copies of the newsletter. We want to appologize for the duplication. It was strange -- at approximately 10:30 a.m. the issue was e-mailed. Four hours later not a single copy was received by anyone, thus we figured they were lost in cyberspace somewhere -- so we decided to send again. Unbelievably, the first one we sent started arriving in people's mailboxes a full eight hours after being sent. I've (Tom) been around the Internet for at least six years and I've never seen anything like that. Again, sorry for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused anyone. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Rex Gregor Tom Krueger 2) Bonsai: What is it?
When we first moved to Minneapolis, I planted two shrubs in front of our home. I started training them to grow as a wind swept mountain tree. In a few years I considered them to be very beautiful shrubs and our neighbors and many visitors complimented me on their beauty. I subsequently sold this home and started a hobby farm and greenhouse. After a few weeks the new owner of our house visited and wanted to know whatever possessed me to plant those ugly shrubs in front of the house. In spite of the fact I explained they were bonsai specimens, she did not like them -- and if I wanted I could come and dig them up! I did! As the years went by, I continued to get many complements on those wind swept bonsai shrubs. I suggest you also attempt to undertake some bonsai culture. You will find new ways to expand your horizons in countless ways. You may find a new sense of appreciation for nature. You may start looking at trees, shrubs and flowers in a different way. You may find yourself looking at a plant or shrub to see what you could do with the worst part of it. The art of bonsai culture is as unpredictable as nature itself. Perhaps the most important thing in bonsai culture is that you commit yourself to the care and culture of the plants or shrubs you choose. You cannot simply ignore them -- it's a responsibility and a hobby. If you practice it with care and patience, the rewards area tremendous. Creating Bonsai culture is NOT immediate, so don’t be discouraged -- think of it as a part of the experience. There are three basic tools to get started with bonsai. These tools will make the tasks easier, quicker, and more enjoyable. As with most things, you will get what you pay for. I suggest you select quality tools. These are the tools I consider essential in shaping your plant or shrub: SHEARS: You will need a pair of bonsai scissors which will allow you to do the fine work of trimming in a small place. Your scissors should be sharp and only used for bonsai work. CONCAVE CUTTERS: These are probably the most important piece of equipment you should purchase. Concave cutters allow you to cut branches and leave a concave wound. This wound will heal faster than a straight cut. It also will callous in such a way as to make it difficult to tell that a cut had been made at all. I consider these is an essential part of your tools. WIRE CUTTERS: I use a special bonsai wire cutter. These wire cutters will allow you to cut the wire used to train your branches. I suggest you obtain several different thicknesses of ANNEALED COPPER WIRE. Copper wire is very flexible until it is bent, then it sets and holds it’s position. You will use this wire to position and train the branches.
(Bonsai Seeds) http://.rexseedco.com/bonsai.htm 3) Humor for Today:A man left his cat with his brother while he went on vacation for a week. When he came back, the man called his brother to see when he could pick the cat up. The brother hesitated, then said, "I'm so sorry, but while you were away, the cat died." The man was very upset and yelled, "You know, you could have broken the news to me better than that. When I called today, you could have said he was on the roof and wouldn't come down. Then when I called the next day, you could have said that he had fallen off and the vet was working on patching him up. Then when I called the third day, you could have said he had passed away." The brother thought about it and apologized. "So how's Mom?" asked the man. "She's on the roof and won't come down." 4) The Miracle of Grape Seed:
As with any major medical problem that has not been solved, Fibromyalgia
has no proven cure Yet there are those touting that they have a magical
cure. I strongly urge that you visit with your doctor or a specialist
-- together you can decide the best treatment to keep you comfortable
until a cure is found.
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Contrary
to popular belief, bonsai is NOT the art of stunting a plant's or shrub's
growth. Bonsai is the art of growing in or outside your home. Generally
you will want to confine it to a space to simulate certain environmental
conditions such as great age, extreme weathering, twisted or contorted
form, landscape, or other factors that your artistic abilities will
allow you to do. Bonsai is often modeled after or taken from an inspiration
of nature. Most bonsai growers will recreate some of nature's most stunning
and beautiful effects.
If
you are the type person who wants to get started immediately with established
bonsai culture, you can email me and I will recommend some sources where
you can obtain some 'started' bonsai specimens to practice with. My
suggestion, however, is that you start by obtaining the seeds of the
bonsai you wish to grow, and start from the ground up.
If
you ever want to find some great information about a spice, be sure
to visit the 
I
don't know about you, but I love hot peppers. If you do too, you might
be interested in some research done in Spain. Apparently biologists
there report that a pepper's pungency is increased as you water the
plant less, even to the point of stressing the plant to the point of
wilt. This will increase the production of capsaicin, the chemical that
makes peppers hot -- I guess the plant senses it is dying and increases
the capsaicin. However, the report didn't have any data on how this
might impact yeilds. (This information was adapted from Yard & Garden
Tip of the Day, February 2002.)