Marimo: Lake Akan in Japan is most noted for housing these Moss Balls. The ones in Lake Akan are the most superb samples of Marimo that can reach diameters of 20 to 30 centimeters. The following is a photo of my Marimo (I have one large and two small ones). For even more information on the history and how they become so round please take a look at this website: http://www.marimo-web.org/en/index.html

Growing Food From Leftovers

Did you know you can grow green onions from the green onions you bought from the grocery store?  It's soooo easy. All you have to do is keep the white end (with roots) after you cut the green part for your meal. Take the white ends put them in a little pot of soil or shallow jar of water and give them some sun. And in a few days you will see new green onions growing just cut and enjoy. You may even get another round. Here is a photo of our leftover green onions.

Another thing you can grow from store bought leftovers is ginger. Just take a fresh root and plant it partially submerged in soil. Arrange so that any nubbins are pointed up or on the side, and keep moderately moist. It should start growing in a few weeks.

Sweet potatoes: Take the cut ends and half submerge in a glass of water until shoots start to grow. Cut into sections and plant. Harvest when leaves start yellowing.

Celery: Take the freshly cut bottom, soak it in warm water overnight, then plant it (cut side up) in soil. Water well for the first few days and within 1-2 weeks you should have a few slim but steady stalks.

Live Lettuce: If you purchase live lettuce (lettuce with the roots in tact) you can use the lettuce and then plant the root end (make sure you leave some of the lettuce butt in tact). Plant with some of the green sticking out of the soil. Give it plenty of water and sun and you will have a new lettuce very soon. This is a photo of the one we are currently growing.

Fun Plant: Catnip. Easy to grow. It likes full sun. Good uses for humans: can be dried and drunk as tea and is said to sooth nerves and the digestive tract. The active ingredient in catnip is said to be ten times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. So grow some around your patio or deck for a natural way to block those pesky mosquitoes.

Fun Plant: Marshmallow. Yep the same one you get the candy from. It's not only good for that but can be used salads (the seeds or the leaves). The sap, seeds, leaves are all edible. It is also used to treat sore throats, coughs, etc. They are fairly hardy plants that are used to cold wet weather. They need to be kept damp.