Lifestyle

Put away the harsh chemicals and work in concert with nature to manage pests in the garden. Create an inviting habitat for nature’s pest controllers to enlist their help with your gardening efforts. Lady beetles, praying mantis and other beneficial insects feed on damaging pests like aphids. Just tolerate a bit of damage and wait for the good guys to move in and clean up the problem. Grow a few plants to attract these and other beneficial insects to your landscape. Dill and its relatives attract parasitic wasps, coreopsis brings in the aphid-eating lacewings, and milkweed attracts lady beetles as well as monarch and other butterflies. Add some hyssop to attract the pirate bugs that eat thrips, spider mites and leafhoppers. Then plant members of the aster family to attract spiders that eat a variety of insects. Invite songbirds into your gardens. They add motion and color to the landscape and help manage garden pests. Most songbirds eat a combination of fruits, berries, seeds, and insects. Their diet varies with the season. During spring and summer, they eat lots of insects and spiders when they are plentiful, easy to catch and an important part of their hatchlings’ diet. A birdbath will help attract them and beneficial insects to the garden. Select one with sloping sides for easy access to the water. Add a few seed producing flowers like Black-Eyed Susan’s, coneflowers, salvia, coreopsis and more. If space allows, include a few berry producing shrubs like dogwoods and evergreens for shelter. Leave some leaf litter under trees and shrubs and in the garden for toads that dine on slugs and other insects. Include a shallow pond or water feature. Even a shallow saucer filled with chlorine-free water is effective. Place rocks in and around the water for added toad appeal. Purchase or make your own toad abode from a ceramic or clay pot. Place it in a shady location near a garden filled with protein-rich insects. Set it directly on the soil and elevate one side with stones or use a cracked or broken pot that provides an entryway for the toad. If you can’t wait for nature’s help, look for more eco-friendly options. Knock aphids and mites off plants with a strong blast of water. Trap slugs with shallow cans filled with beer. Trap and kill aphids in yellow bowls filled with soapy water.

Hello everyone, I hope this week finds you in good health and happy spirits. Spring is upon us and it is my favorite time of year. I hope you enjoy these refreshing recipes and enjoy the beautiful weather to come. Make some great memories with the family this spring. As Always remember the Little Things in Life!

Chipmunks are small, ground-dwelling members of the squirrel (Sciuridae) family known for their burrowing habits and love of nuts. Despite their size, chipmunks can cause significant damage to homes, yards, and farms.

Pat, Master Metalsmith, is looking forward to the 2022 season as she displays her handcrafted jewelry and hair accessories at the Farmer’s Market in Yellville. Again, the market will be located on the lawn of the historic Marion County Courthouse, located in the downtown area.

LITTLE ROCK — Col. Brad Young isn’t just chief of law enforcement for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, he’s a dyed-in-the-wool hunter who was introduced to the turkey woods by his grandfather when he was 7 years old. During more than 30 years in the turkey woods, he’s learned quite a few tricks through trial-and-error and has seen many faces frustration when they wear a turkey vest for the first time. While he’s not about to give up the goods on his favorite turkey hunting locations, Young does have some great advice for everyone as we begin to see people heading to the woods in search of their first Arkansas gobbler.

LINCOLN, Arkansas — The artwork for the fourth edition of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Northern Bobwhite Conservation Stamp will be unveiled in a ceremony at the Historic Cane Hill Gallery at 2:30 p.m. April 16.

Celebrate National Arbor Day, the last Friday in April, by planting new trees and caring for established ones in your landscape and community. This special holiday was first celebrated in 1872. Arbor Day celebrations continue to recognize the important role trees play in our environment and more recently their impact on our mental and emotional well-being.

CASSCOE — As the old adage states, the dogwoods are blooming, so the crappie are biting. With that, spring is a great time to fill a cooler full of slabs. With a statewide limit of 30 crappie, a few good days of spring fishing can yield many meals for friends and family. While crappie is most often fried, there is no law that says it must be. The mild flavor of crappie makes it a great choice for a variety of dishes. My favorite non-fried crappie dish is Cajun crappie on the half shell.