Planting/harvesting; tweet with HH the Dalai Lama; celebrate Frida—draw a self-portrait; downtown parking; more.
by Greta Beanger deJong
What to plant now
Beginning of July: There is still time to plant crops of beans, beets, carrots, chard, Chinese cabbage, collards, cucumbers, kale and radishes.
End of July: It is a good time to start planting fall crops of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, spinach, and peas.
No space? Look twice: You can tuck in a plant wherever you get three to six hours of sun each day. In fact, most of these plants prefer less intense light.
What to Harvest or find at the farmers market now
Apricots, basil, bell peppers, blackberries, chard, cherries, chiles, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, most herbs, raspberries, tomatillos, melons, zucchini and zucchini blossoms
Household hazardous waste collection events
If you’re cleaning your basement or garage, you may find yourself with some unsavory stuff that, if put into the trash can, will add to Earth’s body burden of toxins: antifreeze, batteries, fluorescent light tubes, fuels, gasoline, oil, paint, pesticides, transmission fluid, and yard care chemicals. The medicine cabinet and household cleaning shelf can make your pile even larger.
Instead, note dates below and deliver them to your neighborhood’s hoursehold hazardous waste collection event. All events are from 7-10am.
July 9, Aug. 6: Sandy City Public Works, 8775 South 700 West
July 16, Aug. 13: Holladay City, 4626 South 2300 East
July 23, Aug. 20: Salt Lake City, 1602 East 2100 South
Brown-bin compost
When it’s hot and dry, moisture evaporates from the soil quickly. Applying compost or mulch to your garden really slows down evaporation and helps your plants thrive. If you haven’t done it yet, do it now.
All year round you put your grass clippings, branches, fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds and egg shells in the brown bin (right?). Now is the time to reclaim that waste in more useable form: The Salt Lake Valley Landfill ground up that waste, composted it in wind rows for six to eight weeks reaching a temperature of 120 degrees, then ran it though a trommel screen to separate the fine material from the chunky. The fine material is sold at $30 per scoop (one scoop is about 3 yards; limit of 3 scoops per customer). Buy some.
6030 West California Avenue (1300 South). 7am-5pm, Mon-Sat
Hello? Dalai?
Did you know you can ‘follow’ the Dalai Lama on Twitter? Join 4,537,603 other followers (up from 1.1 million just over a year ago). A tweet from June 22: “A genuine change must first come from within the individual, only then can he or she attempt to make a significant contribution to humanity.”
Why choose antibiotic-free?
“Most antibiotics are used to speed animals’ growth and overcome problems caused by overcrowding and filthy conditions, not to treat sick animals,” microbiologist and Science in the Public Interest founder Michael Jacobsen said in an Eating Well magazine interview last fall. The problem is not that antibiotics remain in the chicken, it’s that their use might lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can cause hard-to-treat infections in people. You can help by choosing organically raised meat and poultry.”
How to store a watermelon
While refrigeration keeps them from rotting, it also degrades both flavor and texture, characteristics that start to deteriorate as soon as watermelons are picked. Ideally, keep them a bit cooler than room temperature, but not in the fridge except to chill it just before eating.
Besides the obvious alternative of eating the whole melon immediately, try blending it with a few sprigs of basil and freezing it. Defrost and drink as desired.
Blooming now at Red Butte Garden and Arboretum
While you’re at a concert, take a stroll through the stunning acreage—or make it a separate visit, when you can spend more time. This month you’ll see blooming:
Cacti
Bear’s breeches
Bottlebrush buckeye
Various roses
Butterfly bushes
Sacred datura
Rocky Mountain penstemon
Daylilies
Lavender (later)
Utah natives peaked in June, but you may find some still in bloom.
Draw a self-portrait
Friday, July 6 is Frida Kahlo’s 105th birthday. The famous Mexican artist was romantically involved with Nicholas Muray, whose family owns and runs Alta Lodge; several of her portraits grace the lodge’s lobby walls.
Kahlo lived a life of physical pain after a trolley/bus collision at the age of 18 that left her with serious injuries that had lifelong repercussions. Her art was primarily self-portraits. Honor her existence with a self-portrait of your own. Sit down with a paper and pen or pencil, and a mirror—try it yourself. In honor of Frida.
Downtown Parking
First, if you’re able-bodied and adventurous and don’t live that far away, biking downtown is the way to go. Any of those elements lacking, you’re probably wondering where you’re going to park. We’re told there are over 25,000 parking spaces available. Go here to access a downtown parking map.
Blueberry Allergy Booster smoothie
Thanks to Dr. Todd Cameron, ND, for this delicious recipe which appeared in his monthly newsletter. Be sure to include the fresh ginger—
it makes this extra-special.
Blueberry Allergy Booster Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup goat milk yogurt
1 tsp. local honey
1 tbs. ground flaxseeds
1 small piece grated ginger
1/2-1 cup coconut water
Blend.
drtoddcameron.com