A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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by Melinda Myers It's time to begin tackling that gift list for the holidays. Consider gifting your favorite gardener something practical and attractive to enjoy for months and even years. No matter your budget, you can find the perfect gift to generate a smile immediately and throughout the garden season. Stuff a stocking, pot, or decorative tin with small but essential items that are handy for any gardener. A can of twine that prevents tangling yet keeps it convenient is useful for securing...
Cornwall Island Lacrosse Factory, 1973. Photos submitted by Danny David....
By Doug George-Kanentiio Among our Mohawk people the President of the United States has a title name, one carried across the generations and applied to whomever holds office. It is Ranatakaiius (la-nah-dah-gai-yus) meaning "town destroyer". It came from John Washington, the great-grandfather of the first president who would attack and burn Native communities then declare the land vacant, terra nullius under English law, before applying to the Crown for title. He would then ignore the Indigenous practice of crops diversity and rotation by...
Cornwall Island Lacrosse Factory, 1973. Photos submitted by Danny David....
by Melinda Myers Soil is the foundation of a healthy garden, but let's be honest, most gardeners don't like spending time, energy, and money on it. It's more fun to show off pretty flowers or share tasty vegetables. But creating a healthy soil foundation will increase your growing success which means more beautiful flowers, larger harvests, and a healthier landscape to enjoy. When creating a new lawn, landscape, or garden bed, begin with a soil test. Use soil testing to evaluate your...
by Melinda Myers This winter, brighten your mood and surroundings by planting and growing a few amaryllis. Your thoughts may turn to red when considering this plant but now you can find a variety of colors and flower shapes. Select the color that best suits your mood and indoor décor. Fill your home with these beauties for the holidays. Then keep the blossoms coming all winter long. Plant several different types of amaryllis bulbs, from the southern and northern hemispheres, and you'll get a...
by Melinda Myers You've probably read you should remove and dispose of insect pest-infected and diseased plant material to reduce these problems in next season's garden. This is not as easy as it seems. Most compost piles do not heat up and maintain hot enough temperatures to kill weeds, weed seeds, disease organisms, and insect pests. In many locations burning is not allowed and it negatively impacts air quality. So, what's a gardener to do? Start by calling your local municipality and asking...
By Melinda Myers. It's pumpkin season and time to select and decorate pumpkins for your fall display. Keep pumpkins and Jack-o'-lanterns looking their best longer with proper selection and care. Harvest or purchase pumpkins free of holes, cuts, and soft spots for decorating. Damaged fruit tends to rot faster, ruining your fall display. And always carry the fruit cradled in your arms, not by the stem. Once the stem breaks away from the fruit, the pumpkin is more susceptible to rot and its beauty...
by Melinda Myers Grow, harvest and season your holiday meals with fresh herbs grown indoors in a windowsill garden. Add to the experience by using potted herbs and a few holiday adornments to dress up the table. You and your family will enjoy snipping a few fresh herbal sprigs to season your meal to your own taste. Include herbs your family likes, those that complement your menu and are easy to grow indoors like basil, oregano, parsley, chives, thyme, and sage. Purchase plants so they will be...
by Melinda Myers Put fall leaves to work in your landscape. This valuable resource makes a great mulch in planting beds, adds organic matter and nutrients to the soil, provides habitat for many beneficial insects, and is insulation for ground-dwelling queen bumblebees, toads, and more. Leave any disease-free leaves in garden beds but pull them away from the trunks of trees and stems of shrubs. Mulch piles against trunks or stems create a moist environment that is more subject to rot and...
Residents of New England and southeastern Canada are dismayed by this year’s drab fall color display, an unfortunate result of funding cuts at USDA’s Plant-Pigmentation Program. Or at least I assume that’s what happened. Actually, it’s largely due to the abnormally wet season we’ve had. Frequent rains kept foliage damp for long periods, which set the stage for normally weak, opportunistic fungal pathogens to cop an attitude, and set up housekeeping inside leaves. High temperatures and humidity helped speed things along. Anthracnose sounds di...
by Melinda Myers More and more gardeners are adding native plants to their landscapes. These plants provide more than beautiful flowers for us to enjoy. They also support pollinators and other beneficial insects, and provide food and shelter for songbirds, toads, and other wildlife. In addition, these plants help protect and improve our soil and manage stormwater. The plants slow stormwater runoff and help direct it into the soil through pathways created by their deep roots to the groundwater...
by Melinda Myers Welcome spring and create continuous color for several months with a collection of spring-flowering bulbs. After planting in the fall, you'll enjoy an array of flower colors that combine nicely with other spring-flowering trees, shrubs, and flowers. Start the season with early blooming snowdrops. As winter fades watch for the dangling white flowers on six- to ten-inch-tall plants. Include these small flowers in rock gardens, mixed borders, and informal landscapes in sunny and...
When I was younger, an old-time arborist I knew used to say “The best time to prune trees is when the tools are sharp.” This guy was beset with shoulder injuries and knee problems because he also believed “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Sadly, both of these old saws are dangerous lies. Although tree-care companies have year-round expenses and need income in all seasons, a truly professional arborist knows there are two times of the year when pruning should be avoided. Late spring between bud-break and full leaf-out is one period...
More than 6 million Americans receive earned benefits for military service - including disability compensation, education benefits, caregiver assistance, burial benefits and more. It is critical for spouses and caregivers to know how veterans’ benefits are accessed and what could happen when or if a veteran dies. Consider this scenario. A veteran has not told his spouse much about his veteran’s benefits. The veteran dies suddenly. His spouse grieves and plans a funeral, which she pays for out of pocket. The $2,500 tax-free payment from the VA f...
By Melinda Myers. It creeps along the ground covering the soil surface with its leaves. Then it climbs any stem, plant or upright structure it contacts by winding its twining stems around and over its victim. The culprit is field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) and as you may have discovered it is one of the most persistent and difficult weeds to control. It is native to Eurasia but is now found throughout the world and is believed to have arrived here on contaminated farm and garden seeds....
by Melinda Myers There never seems to be enough room for all the plants you want to grow. If space allows, create new garden beds to expand your planting space and increase the beauty of your landscape. Start by evaluating your current landscape design and plantings. Perhaps, expanding an existing garden bed or connecting two smaller beds is a better option than creating a whole new garden. No matter the option selected, start by laying out the planned expansion or new bed. Always start by...
Ohiarihko:wa/July 26, 2024 Dear Akwesasne Community, It has now officially been determined that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA) 2024 General Election results have been set aside, and a new election will be held. The details and dates will be forthcoming but for now, I am sharing what we have learned through the appeals process and multiple internal reviews. First, as the Executive Director (ED) of the MCA, I am extending my deepest apologies on behalf of our organization for the confusion and short...
By Doug George-Kanentiio The Native North American Travelling College is celebrating its 50th year as a formal entity. It has long served the Akwesasne community by sponsoring many artists and teachers over the past five decades while giving visitors and students from the northeast insights into the culture and history of Indigenous peoples. In the spring of 1974, the founder of what was then the North American Indian Travelling College, the late Ernie Benedict, passed on the duties of directing the College to his daughter Salli Benedict, a stu...
by Melinda Myers Another summer of above-normal summer temperatures in much of the country may be taking its toll on your vegetable gardens. Temperature extremes can interfere with flowering and fruit set, resulting in poor flowering, blossom drop, and a lack of or misshapen fruit on tomatoes, peppers, squash, and more. The impact of temperature on plants depends on the stage of the plant’s development. Plants ready to flower or developing fruit during times of optimum temperatures will be fine but plants that are ready to flower or develop f...
by Melinda Myers Low in calories and versatile, cucumbers can flavor beverages, perk up a salad, served as a snack, or made into pickles. This popular vegetable is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamin K. Plus, they have a high water content, making them a mild diuretic to help in weight loss and reduce blood pressure. To ensure the best flavor and greatest nutritional value, grow your own or purchase cucumbers fresh from the farmer's market. Harvest cucumbers or purchase them based on...
by Melinda Myers You can double the benefit of every gardening task while keeping your garden looking its best. You'll reduce your workload, help your landscape flourish, and have more time to enjoy its beauty. Don't spend time and energy bagging and hauling landscape trimmings to the recycling center. Put it to work in your garden. Use shredded leaves, evergreen needles, herbicide-free grass clippings, or other pest- and weed-free organic material as mulch. Spread a one-to-two-inch layer of these materials over the soil around annual and...
by Melinda Myers No matter the weather, weeds seem to thrive and reproduce, and if left unchecked, they can overwhelm the garden and gardener. These unwanted plants find their way into your garden as seeds, roots, rhizomes, or whole plants. Seeds can be carried in by the wind, birds, and other animals, or on the soles of shoes. Roots, rhizomes, and even plants hitch a ride in the soil or with plants that we move into the garden. Start early managing weeds in your garden. Smaller weeds are easier to pull and removing them before they flower and...
by Melinda Myers Have fun growing some delicious and nutritious microgreens on your kitchen counter, in a sunny window, or under lights any time of the year. In as little as a week to ten days you'll be making your first harvest to use as a garnish, snack, or add to your favorite sandwich or salad. Simply purchase seeds of lettuce, greens, mustard, radishes, beets, peas, and even sunflowers. Buy organic seeds or those labeled for sprouting or use as microgreens to ensure they have not been...
By Doug George-Kanentiio. Akwesasne has a long history of inclusion from the relocation of the Massachusetts born Tarbell brothers in the 1750's to the current population which includes Natives from many nations: Navajo, Onondaga, Anishinaabe, and many others. The area has long sustained a Native presence for many thousands of years. The Mohawks took advantage of the natural beauty and its wealth of natural resources from the vast forests of pine, oak and maple to the best fishing grounds in the northeast part of the continent. Given its...
