SWEET POTATOES
Just a quick note after reading the newsletter to tell you of my great Aunt's way of planting sweet potatoes. When she planted the slip she made the hole large enough for a whole dried cow patty in with it. She said if you don't have access to them (which I didn't at the time-thankfully) to use bonemeal. She had the largest potatoes I have ever seen and an abundance of them. ~The Asberys

SQUASH BUGS
I don't like using chemicals to deal with squash bugs. but in no time the yellow squash plants are covered in them. Someone told me to plant radishes all the way around the plants so I tried it. I just left them for the season. I didn't get any squash bugs till the season was almost over. ~Donna

COMPOST BIN IDEA
Pallets make the best composting bins. You just knock off the bottom piece of wood and "plant" the posts- leave a little space before ground level for some air to get in. If they rot in a year or two, just put in some new ones. You'll see discarded pallets along the road all the time. Also, you can grow vines on the outside of the compost bin. Veggies like tomatoes and beans do well too. I make mine three sided and load and unload from the front. I also tie them together where they meet at the sides in the back. ~Margie

MAKE LAVENDER SACHETS
I'm sure you all have stashed in your dresser drawers, lovely boxed handkerchiefs that you've received as gifts over the years. There they sit, just too pretty to use. Well it's time to use them, even recycled as gifts for friends and family!

Iron the handkerchief flat. Often there is at least one corner with flowers embroidered on it. Place the hanky face down with the embroidered corner at the top. Add one to two tablespoons of dried lavender buds in the middle of the square. Fold the hanky by bringing the bottom corner up over the buds to form a triangle. Fold again by bringing the left and right corners of the triangle up to the top point. You now have a small square with the lavender buds in the bottom corner. Carefully turn the sachet over and secure the buds by tying a satin ribbon in a bow to enclose them in the corner of the hanky.

This handkerchief sachet is a fragrant and elegant addition to the pocket of a jacket, tied to a bridal or baby shower gift or even hung from a hanger in a closet (moths don't like lavender!). A small squeeze of the sachet will release the lavender essential oil for years! Susan from www.LabyrinthHill.com

MORE TIPS: How to make your own compost!
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/compost.html
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~Brenda

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