Gardening
Ring in the New Year with Traditions, Fruits, and Vegetables
Increase your good luck and prosperity by growing and serving a cabbage dish on New Year's Eve.
Photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com
Start your New Year with a bit of luck and nutritious eating. Try a few of these food-related traditions and then plan on growing a few of your own to enjoy.
Eating grapes on New Year's Eve is a Mexican food tradition. One grape is eaten with each stroke of midnight and is believed to lead to prosperity in the year ahead. Grapes are low in saturated fats and relatively high in vitamins C and K
If space allows, grow your own grapes in a sunny location on decorative arbors and trellises. Use these as a decorative and edible entryway to the garden, as screening, or to provide shade. Plan for the squirrels and birds that may join you during harvest season.
In the southern United States, black-eyed peas have long been part of the New Year's celebration. Many people believe the swelling of the peas as they cook represents prosperity, while others think their shape resembles coins.
Southern peas are warm-weather plants and should not be planted until the soil is warm and toasty, preferably above 65 degrees. Multiple plantings can be made at three-week intervals to have fresh peas all summer and fall. Space the seeds about two inches apart down the row. The rows should be three to four feet apart.
Southern peas are one vegetable that doesn't require pampering. They thrive in summer heat and stand up to the dry weather without a complaint. Most selections require 50-55 days from planting until harvest in the green pea stage. If dried peas are desired, 65-75 days are needed.
Elevate the fun of future New Year's celebrations by growing your own. Plant black-eyed peas in a sunny spot in your garden. Wait for the soil to warm to begin planting the seeds. Make several plantings to have fresh peas all summer long. Most varieties are ready to harvest fresh in 50 to 55 days. Allow some of them to mature on the plant. These are usually ready to harvest in 65 to 75 days. Pull and hang the plants in a warm location to dry. Then shell and store the black-eyed peas for your winter and New Year's meal.
Increase your good luck and prosperity by including a cabbage dish. This German, Irish, and U.S. tradition is tied to the fact that cabbage leaves resemble money, promoting personal wealth.
You can start your own cabbage plants from seeds or purchase transplants from your favorite garden center. Plant cabbage in the garden in spring for an early summer harvest or plant in mid-summer for a fall harvest. Preserve your cabbage by quartering, blanching, and freezing some for use in your favorite cabbage dishes and New Year's celebration.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables elevates the fun of these New Year's celebrations. It also encourages all of us to eat healthier, a common resolution for many.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including The Midwest Gardener's Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Antiques
Antique and Vintage Cars
I hope that you have been having a wonderful holiday season and wish you a healthy and happy New Year!
We are currently preparing for our first auction of 2023. One of my favorite aspects of our work is the element of surprise with each new estate. We never know what we'll find. That includes two exciting finds that will be up for sale in our next auction: Two popular 1970s cars from two different estates.
Car enthusiasts collect a wide variety of cars ranging from some of the earliest versions like Ford Model Ts and Stanley Steamers to modern vehicles like a 2023 Ram 1500 TRX Havoc Edition Baja Yellow Super Truck, which has a list price of over $100,000.
The auto industry saw many changes during the 1970s. Supercars.net notes that gas shortages forced vehicles to become more fuel efficient and consumer advocates demanded safer cars.
American auto companies and consumers were slow to respond to these changes and many muscle cars (mid-sized high-performance car) were still being manufactured in the United States during the 1970s. Motorcities.org refers to the late 1960s and early 1970s as the "American Performance Generation." A variety of bright colors and high-performance engines appealed to buyers. Plymouth sold fast cars in "Vitamin C Orange" while Chevrolet produced cars in "Rally Red."
As you might expect, some of the 1970s cars that are most popular with collectors are muscle cars. However, there are some surprising choices on hotcars.com's list of “Some of The Coolest American Cars of the 1970s.” The top 10 are:
10. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6
9. 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible
8. 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
7. 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360
6. 1971 Plymouth Hemi GTX
5. 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 W-30
4. 1973 Buick Riviera Boat Tail
3. 1973 Chevy Camaro Z28
2. 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham Talisman
1. 1974 Lincoln Continental MKIVs line
The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle, 1973 Camaro Z28, 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible and Ford Mustang Boss 302 are cars I'd expect to see on the list. But the 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360, 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty-Special Brougham Talisman and the 1974 Lincoln Continental MKIVs line surprised me. The Hornet had a 5.9L V8 engine and offered a lot of performance in a smaller car, which could explain why it made the list. They chose the Cadillac and Lincoln based on how luxurious they are.
Some 1970s muscle cars sell for under $10,000. A 1972 Dodge Charger sold for $8,500 in 2021 and a 1970 Chevrolet SS Camaro in running condition sold for $2,500 in 2016. Conversely, some 1970s cars rank on the list of top 10 prices for cars sold at auction, according to American Legend Wheels (Americanlegendwheels.com). In 2015, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible brought $2.25 million at auction. A 1971 Hemi Convertible topped that, selling for $3.5 million in 2014.
We will be offering a 1970 Plymouth Satellite muscle car from a Watertown, MA estate in our upcoming auction. It is a project car but has already been drawing interest. We will also be selling a 1975 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray from a Westborough, MA estate. This car is in running condition. We'll continue to gear up for this auction and hope some local bidders drive away with something to enjoy when the cold winter weather ends.
This auction will start soon and end in late January. Please visit our website www.centralmassauctions.com for links to upcoming events.
Please contact us at: www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com for antiques and collectibles auction services.