Gardening
Beautiful and Tasty Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most nutritious foods with antioxidants that fight cancer, disease, and the effects of aging.
Photo credit: photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Blueberries are a summer favorite, great for snacking, baking, topping your oatmeal and so much more. This nutritious fruit also adds a bit of brain power to your diet and beauty to your landscape with spring blooms, fall color, and of course tasty and colorful fruit.
Blueberries are one of the most nutritional foods loaded with antioxidants that fight cancer, disease, and the effects of aging while helping preserve your eyesight. Boost the benefits by growing your own blueberries. The act of gardening helps strengthen our muscles, increase flexibility, fights stress and boosts our mood.
Do a bit of research to find the best blueberry for your garden and dining pleasure. Planning ahead prepares you for placing your order when you are ready to plant. Anxious gardeners can put their research to work immediately. Blueberry plants are still available from some nurseries for those who are ready to plant now.
Select the blueberry plants suited to your growing conditions. Northern highbush blueberries are productive and suited to moderate climates with at least two months of temperatures below 40- degrees Fahrenheit. Southern highbush blueberries only need 200-300 hours of 32-45 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to produce fruit. This makes them a good choice for those gardening in milder climates. Lowbush blueberries are low-growing varieties native to Northeastern United States. Half-high blueberries are a cross between low and high bush blueberries, tolerating -35 to -45 degrees Fahrenheit, making them a good option for colder climates. Rabbit-eye blueberries are large shrubs and suited to areas with long, hot summers and mild winters.
Newer compact varieties allow small space gardeners, apartment dwellers and those with less-than-ideal soil the opportunity to grow their own blueberries. These smaller plants are suitable for containers as well as the garden. In addition to their compact size and tasty fruit, several have attractive foliage, adding to their ornamental appeal. The Leaves of Pink Icing variety is a mix of pink, blue and deep green. Boxwood enthusiasts will enjoy the foliage and dark blue fruit of Blueberry Buckle. And for those who cannot get enough fruit, check out Perpetua that produces two crops a year.
Find a sunny, well-drained location where your plants will thrive, produce a bountiful harvest and you can enjoy their beauty. Although most blueberries are self-fertile (you only need one plant to produce fruit), you'll get better results when growing several in your landscape or containers. Consider including several varieties with different ripening dates to extend the harvest season.
Blueberries are particular about their growing conditions. They prefer moist, well-drained and acidic soils. Properly prepare the soil by adding organic matter like compost, aged manure, or peat to the planting bed. Or grow your blueberries in a container filled with quality potting mix. Water in-ground and container plantings often enough to keep the soil moist. Mulch the soil with shredded leaves, evergreen needles, or shredded bark to keep the roots cool and moist and add organic matter to the soil as the mulch breaks down.
And don't forget to protect your harvest from hungry birds. Cover plantings with netting or try scare tactics to keep the birds and other wildlife from devouring your harvest.
Once you harvest your first ripe blueberry, you will discover there is nothing better than the flavor and satisfaction of consuming something you grew yourself.
Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Antiques, Collectibles and Estates Profile: Kris Casucci
This week's column will focus on a local antique dealer. Kris Casucci of Brookfield, MA runs an antique shop, an auction house, antique shows and antique tailgate shows. She also sets up at antique shows in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. Somehow, she still finds time to garden in her spare time.
Along with her husband Paul, Ms. Casucci ran successful antiques tailgate shows at the Walker Homestead in Brookfield, MA. The pandemic led them to move the tailgate shows to New Hampshire. Their Flying Pig Antiques group shop and Flying Pig Auctions were already located in Westmoreland, NH, about 20 minutes from Keene, NH and Bellows Falls, VT.
In a recent phone interview, Casucci traced her love of antiques back to her youth. Growing up in her parents' mid-century home, she was surrounded by antiques that had been passed down through her family. In 2008 or 2009, she made a career change from her real estate title examiner job and opened an antique shop. Casucci said that she has a passion for antiques and the personalities of each item. She specializes in country and primitive antiques with stoneware as one area of focus.
Like all types of antiques, the country and primitive antiques market is always changing. Casucci said that "Simple Life" magazine was popular with her customers. She would see items in "Simple Life" and know that her customers would be looking for those items. "Simple Life" went out of publication and things are less predictable now, but she did note several recent trends. She finds customers have "a greater interest in early stoneware." Her businesses sell a lot of painted furniture and she told me that "blue seems to be making a comeback." She also noted that shaved brooms (from the 18th and early 19th centuries) have been selling well, with some bringing over $1,000.
Casucci had some good advice for collectors, suggesting that "they buy what they love," adding that "someone else is going to like it too." She also offered helpful perspective when looking for items saying collectors should look for "something that makes that piece more special than the one next to it."
Beginning with her own grandchildren, Casucci finds time to help young people who are interested in antiques. She believes it's important to "encourage each child that's in your life to appreciate old things." She added, "I think it is really important, especially in this technical age where everything is instantaneous." Casucci also helps mentor young people who are interested in antiques. For example, she and her husband have been helping a young man who is about 20 who has been picking since he was 12 to pursue his interest in antiques.
Casucci's next antiques and primitive goods show will take place at the Walker Homestead on September 25th. You can see the 1698 estate and you could even find that special piece that will be perfect for your home.
We have three upcoming auctions. We'll be auctioning a 1962 Corvette, two 1950s Corvette project cars, boat motors and other memorabilia. We will also be running a sports card & memorabilia auction as well as a model railroad and die-cast car auction. I'll be appraising items at the John B. Gough House in Boylston, MA on Saturday, August 7th from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Later this year, I'll be virtually appraising items on November 13th for the Townsend Historical Society. My "Evaluating your Antiques" class will take place at Bay Path Evening School in Charlton on Wednesday, November 10th. Please visit our website for more details on upcoming events: www.centralmassauctions.com
Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com