Et cetera

Compiled by LYRA SOLOCHEK
© St. Petersburg Times
published October 5, 2002

Avoid mowing injuries

Protect those eardrums and your peepers.

Lawn-mowing brings the chance of ruining your hearing or your vision. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 1,500 people suffer eye injuries each summer while mowing the lawn. In addition, they report that the average lawn mower generates 90 decibels, more than enough noise to damage your hearing. Other power tools are even louder; a chainsaw generates an ear-popping 110 decibels.

The NIH recommends eye protection such as polycarbonate sunglasses, which can be worn over prescription glasses. The ear protectors available in the power tool department of home stores work well with lawn tools as well.

Don't be tempted to think you're protecting your ears by listening to stereo headphones while using lawn mowers or other power tools, says the NIH. Turning the music up loud enough to be heard over the mower is just as damaging as the mower alone.

Save your laundry water

Rinse water from washing machines can be safely applied to garden plants as a conservation measure. Other sources of garden water include condensate from dehumidifiers and air conditioners.

WEB SITES

www.monticello.org/chp/

The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, Monticello, Charlottesville, Va., has articles about historic plants, including those grown by Jefferson. Its shop offers seed samplers, plants and bulbs to bring a bit of the past into your garden.

CLIPPINGS

Occasional excerpts from fertile sources.

"Cultivated for centuries, eggplants probably originated in India and were carried to Spain by Arab traders in the Middle Ages. By the 18th century, they had spread all over Europe. And like their relative the tomato, eggplants were considered ornamental curiosities well into the 19th century. Now, eggplants are still a beautiful addition to the summer garden. Mediterranean varieties are usually shaped like teardrops, ovals or fat cylinders and are most often purple. Asian eggplants, also known as Japanese eggplants, are slender, elongated and cylindrical, growing on compact bushes that produce relatively small fruits.

Eggplants prefer a very rich soil, even watering and regular doses of organic fertilizer, such as compost tea or fish emulsion applied every week until the first blooms appear. They thrive in hot weather and are even somewhat drought-tolerant. Provide a generous mulch to keep their roots cool."

- Compiled by LYRA SOLOCHEK from Times staff and wire reports

If you have any unusual gardening tips you would like to share, please send them to Lyra Solochek, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121 or send an e-mail to lyra@sptimes.com. Include your name and a daytime phone number.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.