If you live in Miami or similar semi-tropical regions, you can expect a high quality, 100-percent acrylic exterior house paint to last an average of five to fifteen years on siding, according to an article in the Miami Herald. If you are looking to paint your siding, you need to take weather, quality of product, and the number of coats you use into consideration to calculate for the longest possible life of the paint job. For example, one side of your home may be exposed to more sun, so may need an extra coat of paint.

Whether you are hiring a Miami painter (or a painter in any other semi-tropical region) or doing the work yourself, preparation of the siding is important according to the article. For example, the article states that paint should always be applied “over a sealant to ensure proper adhesion,” and that two coats of paint at a minimum should be used, even if you are painting the siding the same color. It’s also a good idea to wash the siding periodically to keep dirt and other contaminants from building up and breaking down the paint.

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Farmer D

Here’s a simple experiment for you to try, right there at your office. Find a sunny window that people pass by often or congregate around. Add a simple clay pot filled with soil and a basil plant on the ledge or a nearby table or desk. Watch what happens.

My prediction? It will go something like this: One person will see the basil, stop and smell it, and say how much he or she likes it. Another will ask how it’s best used. Someone will chime in with recipe suggestions. The next person will give a story about a grandmother who used to grow not only basil but many other things as well. A funny story will somehow be told, maybe about the time a new bride made basil pesto and used a whole head of garlic instead of just a small clove, and how the new in-laws smiled through gritted teeth and said it was delicious. People will start laughing and getting a little louder. Others will come and ask what’s going on. Several days later, a few pots of other types of herbs will magically appear. Conversations will continue. Community will grow. All because of that basil plant.

That’s the amazing thing about gardening. It seeds conversation. Here are some more surprising ways to grow community through gardening:

1. Plant a mailbox garden. If you live in a house or condo that has a curb-side mailbox, you may find that it’s a particularly sunny spot, well-suited for growing a small garden. That basil plant from the office? It would also do particularly well (along with other herbs) right there where you get your mail delivered. Now, instead of fretting over bills when you pick up your daily mail, you’ll be figuring out how to accent your dinner with freshly snipped herbs. But that’s just the beginning.

Dog-walkers with whom you may never have spoken might ask you what you’re growing, and, most likely, you will instinctively share the herbs you’re holding in your hand. You may even decide to put a small sign inviting neighbors to help themselves, even if you’re like the growing number of Americans who don’t know their neighbors. The next thing you know, other neighbors may start planting herbs around their mailboxes as well, you may start be getting waves from neighbors as you drive by, and it may almost seem as if the whole world has changed, all because of that mailbox garden.

2. Start a community garden. So, the basil plant at work was a hit, the mailbox garden has the whole neighborhood talking, and you may be feeling pretty energized by the effect of gardening on your expanding community. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, when the vacant piece of land you pass by each day starts calling to you with an increasingly nagging thought. “That would make a great spot for a community garden,” you may find yourself saying aloud, having no earthly idea how to do this. Bored at work one day (if you can even imagine), you may do a quick Internet search, fall upon the American Community Gardening Association’s website, and see that most of the heavy lifting (figuratively speaking) has already been done when you click that simple tab, “Starting a Community Garden.” . It’s all there, from forming a planning committee and choosing, preparing, and developing the site to organizing, managing, and troubleshooting. There’s a pit stop for insurance, and a long list of resources at the end (note the part about visiting a local nursery, and don’t forget about Farmer D Organics as a resource). You may then put the word out in your neighborhood newsletter and to your social media contacts, and the next thing you know, buoyed by the positive response and generous offers of help and supplies, you may find yourself at City Hall asking permission to use that public land. The plots will most likely “sell out” almost immediately, and you may find that suddenly it’s Saturday morning, you’re knee-deep in wood chips, you have about 50 new friends of all ages , and you’re achieving something about which you actually feel proud.

3. Grow your city (and your work skills). After the community garden turns out to be a hit, new garden ideas and projects may start emerging. You may find out that the nearby swim/tennis club has a patch of sunny land by the parking lot. Schools want to get in on the action, and a church or synagogue wants to grow food for those in need as part of its food pantry outreach or commitment to Tikkun Olam, a Hebrew phrase meaning “repair the world.” Someone may suggest planting herbs instead of annuals in those big planters on Main Street and maybe even planting an orchard in the park; a restaurant wants to start growing microgreens on its roof; your next-door neighbors (strangers just months ago) are thinking about getting backyard chickens; and you all discover that a few of these things are technically illegal where you live. You may end up back at City Hall, where you now know the mayor and city council members personally. You may get appointed to a committee where you start to work on city zoning ordinance recommendations that allow your city to grow in all sorts of new ways. You may find you start getting E-mails from neighboring cities with questions about gardening initiatives in their cities, too. And it grows from there. You grow your work skills through these volunteer efforts in ways you never imagined (and your boss has noticed this). You feel healthier and more invigorated than you have in years, and you finally know your work colleagues and neighbors. All because of that simple little basil plant.

Who wants to try this experiment? Simply bring a basil plant into work this week and let us all know how it goes in the comments section. Tune in next week and I’ll share some tips about using gardens for healing.

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

Daron Joffe is a 30-something eco-entrepreneur who lives to make a difference in the world one homegrown organic fruit and vegetable at a time. Known as “Farmer D,” Joffe has grown food for celebrities, private communities, and elementary schools in his “town-by-town mission to re-energize the food culture.” His products are sold at select Whole Foods and Williams-Sonoma stores. Born in South Africa and based in Atlanta, Farmer D is online at www.farmerD.com.

At this point in the season, the garden growth should be in full swing, but mother nature often throws a wrench into the best laid plans: weeds.

And don’t be fooled. Every gardener has to deal with this overgrown annoyance. Some are just better and more diligent than others. There are many great and often easy solutions to this problem.

The Mulch Mat

One simple method that can accomplish a few goals in one step is to add a thick, two to three inch layer of organic mulch (50 percent peat moss) around plants. If the coating is thick enough, the plants won’t be able to pop through and will end up rotting and even supplementing the soil with its organic matter. Talk about two birds with one stone!

But the benefits of a mulch mat does not stop there. That cover will also help trap moisture around the base of the plant and its roots helping to reduce the plant’s need for water during the height of the summer days.

While this technique is virtually foolproof, there may be an occasional stubborn weed that pops through and those will need to be dealt with the old fashioned way. These instances should be few, however, and still leaves only a visit to the garden each day or two for some minor tweaking.

Pulling by Hand

While the mulch mat is a great comprehensive solution to the weed puzzle, some gardeners may  use weeding as a source of exercise or even as a therapeutic hobby. Keep in mind, however, that every time a weed is pulled, the roots to the adjacent plant are disturbed making them more susceptible to drying out and stunting their growth. Plants can be very temperamental and once they have established their roots, they can easily be disturbed during their active growth and flowering phases.

Weeds are often the demise of many gardeners, but they can be tamed and subdued whether it be by a layer of mulch or a commitment to daily care. Whatever method used to deal with these organic pests, embrace the challenge.

By now, if you’ve been maintaining a vegetable garden throughout the summer, it’s about time to harvest some of the fruits of your labor.

If you aren’t a seasoned gardener, then it’s safe to say you’ve got some questions about picking and even storing your bounty.

When should I pick my veggies?

Picking, and how you pick, depends on what you are growing.

Here is the short list of the how and when:

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes it can be hard to tell if they are ripe enough to pick if you don’t know what to look for.

It’s good to find out before you plant what their grow life can be, and what they will look like when they are ready to be picked. Large slicer tomatoes will take longer to ripen on the vine, and some heirloom varieties take even longer than Better Boys or Beefsteak tomatoes.

If you think your tomato is ready to be picked, test the ripest-looking one by giving it a gentle twist. If it pulls easily from the vine, it is ready.

Keep tomatoes in a cool place, outside of the refrigerator. They will last up to a week, that is, if you can keep from eating them.

If your plants are still fruiting up until frost time, go ahead and pick everything, even the green ones, about a week before the frost. You can wrap them individually in newspaper or store in paper bags to aid in ripening.

Or you can make fried green tomatoes!

Herbs:

Once your herbs have gotten about 12” tall, you can start by cutting or pinching them back frequently to encourage more production. This keeps them from blooming.

Keeping your plants from blooming is a good way to keep the flavor consistent, and extra herbs can be dried for future use or shared with friends.

Basil is a heat-loving plant, so it will thrive during the hotter months of the summer. This means you will need to cut it back constantly to keep it from flowering.

You can keep cut basil in water for up to a week in the kitchen for use. If you have an abundance of it, try mixing it in with some fresh flower arrangements or making a big batch of pesto you can freeze for later.

Lettuces and greens:

Lettuces and greens are cool weather plants, although they can grow in the heat, depending on the variety. It’s best to pick them before they bolt, which means before they develop a flower stalk that can make the flavor turn bitter.

Start by cutting the largest leaves first, and then come back later for smaller leaves that are younger and more tender. Lettuces and greens are referred as “cut and come again” plants because they keep growing as you harvest.

It’s best to use scissors for harvesting them, and cut only what you plan on eating immediately – a day or so if possible.

To keep your lettuces and greens going throughout the season, plant seeds every two or three weeks, and you’ll have lettuce enough until it gets too hot to grow. Try placing the plants in partial shade to keep plants from bolting in extreme heat.

You can start sowing seeds again once it cools down, and into the fall growing season.

There is no way to store lettuce or greens for the whole winter, but placing them in an aerated container with a paper towel in the fridge can help you keep them for a few days if need be.

Peppers:

Depending on the variety, peppers are ready to pick when they are green. The longer on the vine, the more their color can change – red, yellow, purple, etc.

Leaving them longer will deepen their flavor, but can aid them in loosing their crispness.

It’s true. The longer you leave a hot pepper on the vine, the hotter it gets. Depending on variety and how hot you want your peppers is when you’ll harvest them.

It’s easy to store peppers, and they will last a good while sitting in a cool place on your counter. If you want peppers throughout the winter months, you can dry them or you can chop and parboil them and then freeze for later use.

Cucumbers:

Cucumbers can really be picked in any stage, depending on how you plan to use them. If you want small ones for pickling, don’t hesitate to pick them when they are 3-4” in size. Smaller cucumbers are more tender. They will also have a less bitter taste to their skin and way less seeds which makes them perfect for pickling.

Don’t let their size get out of control, however, because they will begin to become dry and have a wood-like texture. This means they will not be good for eating and would be better served raw right into the compost.

For longer life, pickling is the way to go. Look for my end of the summer pickling article for more on preserving your veggies in August.

Short-term, cukes will last for about a week in the refrigerator. I find the best way to store them is on the top shelf in a small bowl where they don’t collect too much moisture.

The best thing you can do for harvesting is to inspect your garden every day for ripened fruits and veggies, ones that might begin over-ripening or even rotting and glean those from your plants.

If you don’t have your own garden, no worries. These ideas

By now, if you’ve been maintaining a vegetable garden throughout the summer, it’s about time to harvest some of the fruits of your labor.

If you aren’t a seasoned gardener, then it’s safe to say you’ve got some questions about picking and even storing your bounty.

When should I pick my veggies?

Picking, and how you pick, depends on what you are growing.

Here is the short list of the how and when:

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes it can be hard to tell if they are ripe enough to pick if you don’t know what to look for.

It’s good to find out before you plant what their grow life can be, and what they will look like when they are ready to be picked. Large slicer tomatoes will take longer to ripen on the vine, and some heirloom varieties take even longer than Better Boys or Beefsteak tomatoes.

If you think your tomato is ready to be picked, test the ripest-looking one by giving it a gentle twist. If it pulls easily from the vine, it is ready.

Keep tomatoes in a cool place, outside of the refrigerator. They will last up to a week, that is, if you can keep from eating them.

If your plants are still fruiting up until frost time, go ahead and pick everything, even the green ones, about a week before the frost. You can wrap them individually in newspaper or store in paper bags to aid in ripening.

Or you can make fried green tomatoes!

Herbs:

Once your herbs have gotten about 12” tall, you can start by cutting or pinching them back frequently to encourage more production. This keeps them from blooming.

Keeping your plants from blooming is a good way to keep the flavor consistent, and extra herbs can be dried for future use or shared with friends.

Basil is a heat-loving plant, so it will thrive during the hotter months of the summer. This means you will need to cut it back constantly to keep it from flowering.

You can keep cut basil in water for up to a week in the kitchen for use. If you have an abundance of it, try mixing it in with some fresh flower arrangements or making a big batch of pesto you can freeze for later.

Lettuces and greens:

Lettuces and greens are cool weather plants, although they can grow in the heat, depending on the variety. It’s best to pick them before they bolt, which means before they develop a flower stalk that can make the flavor turn bitter.

Start by cutting the largest leaves first, and then come back later for smaller leaves that are younger and more tender. Lettuces and greens are referred as “cut and come again” plants because they keep growing as you harvest.

It’s best to use scissors for harvesting them, and cut only what you plan on eating immediately – a day or so if possible.

To keep your lettuces and greens going throughout the season, plant seeds every two or three weeks, and you’ll have lettuce enough until it gets too hot to grow. Try placing the plants in partial shade to keep plants from bolting in extreme heat.

You can start sowing seeds again once it cools down, and into the fall growing season.

There is no way to store lettuce or greens for the whole winter, but placing them in an aerated container with a paper towel in the fridge can help you keep them for a few days if need be.

Peppers:

Depending on the variety, peppers are ready to pick when they are green. The longer on the vine, the more their color can change – red, yellow, purple, etc.

Leaving them longer will deepen their flavor, but can aid them in loosing their crispness.

It’s true. The longer you leave a hot pepper on the vine, the hotter it gets. Depending on variety and how hot you want your peppers is when you’ll harvest them.

It’s easy to store peppers, and they will last a good while sitting in a cool place on your counter. If you want peppers throughout the winter months, you can dry them or you can chop and parboil them and then freeze for later use.

Cucumbers:

Cucumbers can really be picked in any stage, depending on how you plan to use them. If you want small ones for pickling, don’t hesitate to pick them when they are 3-4” in size. Smaller cucumbers are more tender. They will also have a less bitter taste to their skin and way less seeds which makes them perfect for pickling.

Don’t let their size get out of control, however, because they will begin to become dry and have a wood-like texture. This means they will not be good for eating and would be better served raw right into the compost.

For longer life, pickling is the way to go. Look for my end of the summer pickling article for more on preserving your veggies in August.

Short-term, cukes will last for about a week in the refrigerator. I find the best way to store them is on the top shelf in a small bowl where they don’t collect too much moisture.

The best thing you can do for harvesting is to inspect your garden every day for ripened fruits and veggies, ones that might begin over-ripening or even rotting and glean those from your plants.

If you don’t have your own garden, no worries. These ideas

In some Lowcountry gardens, the real fun doesn’t begin until the sun goes down.

Evening gardens, or “moon gardens,” feature flowers that bloom only at night. The flowers reflect the moonlight and emit unusual fragrances, creating a romantic setting that puts the magic of the garden on full display.

“Moths pollinate the flowers at night just like bees and butterflies pollinate the flowers during the day. They bloom at night to feed night-flying creatures like moths, bats and some insects, but mostly moths,” said Master Gardener Sandra Educate, who will offer advice on moon gardening this Saturday during the ongoing Lunch and Learn lecture series at Heritage Park in Port Royal. The free presentation by the Lowcountry Master Gardeners Association begins at 11:30 a.m.

“When the sun loses intensity, that is the beginning of flowers’ night,” she said.

Any flower that reflects moonlight is considered to be an integral part of a moon garden.

“They include any white flower that reflect moonlight such as petunias, white impatiens, white lilies and white angel trumpets, which elongate at night and grow more turgid as their little skirts flare,” Educate said.

She also recommends Casa Blanca Oriental Lilies, though they may be difficult to grow here.

If you like to actually watch a flower bloom, consider a moon vine (Ipomoea alba). Just as the sun begins to set, the white cigar-shaped petals of the moon vine begin a slow process of three- to five-minutes of unfurling into giant white blooms.

To watch moon vines bloom in the summer, seeds have to be planted in February. It is safe to plant the vine when the nights are warmer than 50 degrees to ensure blooms by mid- to late-summer.

Four O’Clocks stay closed during the day, but typically bloom later than their moniker suggests. The small flowers that bloom very late in the evening are also a part of Educate’s garden. She said Four O’Clocks are self-seeders and should return each year on their own.

“When the seed pods burst, they fall on the ground and nature germinates them,” Educate said.

A moon garden would not be complete without plants that release special fragrances at night. The Rangoon Creeper offers a fragrance lighter than that of a gardenia.

“It is a gorgeous plant by day,” Educate said.

The Rangoon Creeper puts out the scents of citrus and cloves as soon as the sun goes down and the temperature changes. Educate keeps a creeper just outside her back door so that the aroma enters the house with incoming breezes.

“Sometimes some of these flowers are intoxicating. You just go ‘Ahhhh,’ ” she said.

“Some are very heavy and some are very elusive. Sometimes when the temperature is right and the breeze is right, they are all very different and can be overwhelming.”

A sweet almond bush, another flower with white blooms in Educate’s yard, is fragrant both night and day.

“I can smell it halfway across the yard,” she said.

The Lady of the Night (brunsfelsia americana), which can grow as a house plant or as a shrub, blooms during the day and releases its fragrance at night, shd. Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) can offer yet another scent to a garden.

Educate is pouring over garden seed catalogs now in anticipation of expanding her moon garden next year.

“There is always something new that you want in your garden,” she said.

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Lowcountry Master Gardeners Association

Plenty of backyard magic in Beaufort County’s Garden-A-Day tour

Beaufort County Clemson Extension Office

Niagara Gazette — Gardening’s not so hard. Really. 

Water and fertilizer. That’s all you have to do, said garden expert Bob Brackikowski, greenhouse and garden coordinator at Opportunities Unlimited in Wheatfield, a nonprofit that provides programs for those with developmental disabilities. 

“You can grow a five-foot tree in a little container this size if you give it enough fertilizer and water he explained, holding his hands in a circle the size of a kitchen plate. “You control the growth of the plant through fertilizer.”

Brackikowski, who is holding a series of container garden courses at the greenhouse — which are open to the public and help raise funds for programming — offered a few other gardening tips to those whose plants are struggling through the recent drought. 

Among the tips:

• Water plants twice a day, fertilize once a week, to keep plants actively growing. 

• Cross pollinate flowering vegetable plants, especially tomato plants, by “wanding” their flowers with a small paintbrush or by shaking them gently. “Every morning you wand those flowers and you be guaranteed double the amount of tomatoes,” he said.

• Also, don’t be afraid to mix it up. “It’s nice to mix flowers with tropical plants, to give your garden an extra summer flair,” he said. 

The tips work, at least for Brackikowski, who said that this summer “My porch looks like the hanging gardens of Babylon. My plants are as lush as can be.” 

Clearly, successful gardening seems to make gardeners happy, and the same seems true for the many Opportunity Unlimited’s clients, called “consumers” who help out in the greenhouse.

“I like working in the greenhouse. It makes me feel wonderful inside,” said Bobby Golding, 30, from Niagara Falls, a consumer who is also active in Gliding Star skating club and who is planning a rap dance for Opportunity Unlimited’s winter talent show. 

Golding helped Brackikowski create a sample garden for Niagara Gazette readers.

The easy steps are as follows.  All supplies are available at any garden center and will be available at each class:

1. Get some potting soil and place in a shallow bowl inside a wicker basket. (See photos above.)

2. One at a time, add several small tropical plants.  Brackikowski used an umbrella plant, a prayer plant, an arrowhead, a dracenea, a spiderwort, a jade and a eugenia. 

 3. Add several small river stones for dimension and finish off with a few handfulls of colored aquarium stones. Scatter some moss around the base of the plants. 

4. Add a few plastic or real flowers for color. Brackikowski use a couple stems of plastic flowers as they are easier to keep. “Just to give it some color,” he said.

When the container garden was complete, Brackikowski and Golding wore big smiles. “Look at what we just did!” Brackikowski said proudly. (See top photo for finished product.)

For more information about the classes, which are open to the public, see the box above or call 504-2617, ext. 244.

Contact features editor Michele DeLuca at 282-2311, ext. 2263.

Boerner Botanical Gardens: Education classes and events, led by experts who offer hands-on experiences and useful tips. Registration required. 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. (414) 525-5659.

Burlington Garden Center: Gardening, planting and lawn care workshops and seminars; prices vary. 5205 Mormon Road, Burlington, (262) 763-2153.

Great Gardener’s Rummage. Aug. 4-31.

The Elegant Farmer: Enjoy an array of farm kitchen bakery, cheeses and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Open year round 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Highway ES and J, Mukwonago. (262) 363-6770.

Elmbrook Garden Club: Monthly meetings with guest speakers. New members welcome. Brookfield Library, 1900 N. Calhoun Road, Brookfield. (414) 578-2513.

Greater Milwaukee Rose Society: Monthly meeting, 7 p.m. Boerner Botanical Gardens, 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners.

Picking, Planting Pruning. Aug. 14.

Vermiculture. Sept. 11.

Hawthorne Hill Farm: “Barn Rummage” weekend event features home décor, antique and vintage items, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 11-12. 16370 W. Small Road, New Berlin.

Interiorscapes: “Clean Air” Plant Sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 4, 5600 W. North Ave., (414) 871-7444.

Milwaukee County UW-Extension Office: Horticultural Helpline will offer free, walk-in diagnosis and identification of plants and insects on Wednesdays from 4-6 p.m. (through Aug. 29). Building A, 9501 W. Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa. Information: (414) 256-4600.

Ozaukee County: Master Gardener Training Program begins Sept. 5 with weekly classes through Nov. 28. Registration fee $160. Classes will be held at the Administration Center of the Ozaukee County Court House, 121 W. Main St., Port Washington, (262) 284-8288.

Pringle Nature Center: Environmental education programs. Registration required. 9800 160th Ave., Bristol. (262) 857-8008.

Retzer Nature Center: Programs and classes with a focus on the natural world and sustainability. S14-W28167 Madison St., Waukesha. Information: (262) 896-8007.

Reading The Woods. Aug. 4.

Family Trail Rally. Aug. 11.

Rain Gardens Rain Barrels. Aug. 25.

Schlitz Audubon Nature Center: Environmental education programs. 1111 E. Brown Deer Road, Bayside, (414) 352-2880.

Shady Lane Greenhouse: Open year-round, with seminars taught by area professionals for every level of gardener. W172-N7388 Shady Lane, Menomonee Falls. (262) 251-1660.

Sweet Water Organics: Tour the urban aquaponic farm, 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, noon on Sundays. Admission $10; children under 10 are free. No reservation necessary. Retail Store sells fresh perch, produce and gardening supplies. 2151 S. Robinson St., (414) 489-0425.

Taliesin Preservation, Inc.: Frank Lloyd Wright’s private estate and specialty tours are offered through October. Advance reservations recommended. Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Highway C, Spring Green, (877) 588-7900.

Urban Ecology Center: Environmental education organization with two community centers offers a variety of programs that offer ways to live more sustainably, using the array of resources. Prices vary. Registration required. (414) 964-8505.

Succession Planting and Growing Greens. Aug. 4.

Local Resource Fair. Aug. 25.

Seed Saving Workshop. Aug. 30.

Wellspring Inc.: Certified organic farm and retreat center offering programs in wellness, ecology, gardening and the arts. 4382 Hickory Road, West Bend. (847) 946-5565.

Home Gardening Class: Harvest Techniques. Aug. 25.

HOME

Alverno College Telesis: Professional and community education courses for women and men. 3400 S. 43rd St. (414) 382-6200.

Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion: Guided and self-guided tours of this Flemish Renaissance revival mansion are available year round. The Pabst Mansion features elaborately handcrafted woodwork, original wall coverings and furnishings, leaded glass and 19th-century artwork. Tour prices and hours are subject to change. 2000 W. Wisconsin Ave., (414) 931-0808.

Cedarburg Cultural Center: Architectural Treasures Tour, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 4; noon-4 p.m. Aug. 5. $13 advance; $15 day of tour. W62-N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, (262) 375-3676.

Cedarburg Kuhefuss House Museum: Educational and historic public tours of 1849 home, 1:30-4 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, (through Aug. 25). Admission $3. W63-N627 Washington Ave., Cedarburg. (262) 375-3676.

Charles Allis Art Museum: The mansion holds Charles and Sarah Allis’ collection featuring 19th-century French and American paintings. The collection spans 2,000 years and includes original and antique furnishings. 1801 N. Prospect Ave., (414) 278-8295.

Dousman Stagecoach Inn Museum: Tour the 1840s inn and learn what life was like in the 1800s. Open 1-4 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month (through Oct.). 1075 Pilgrim Pkwy., Brookfield.

Arts At The Inn. 2-6 p.m. Aug. 10.

Historic Milwaukee Inc.: A nonprofit educational organization, dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of Milwaukee’s historical and architectural heritage, by providing walking tours throughout various neighborhoods of the city, guided bus tours, slide shows and lectures. (414) 277-7795.

Lowell Damon House: Colonial home open for visitors and tour groups throughout the year. 2107 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa. (414) 273-8288.

North Point Lighthouse: View artifacts, artwork, and photographs of old Lake Park and marine memorabilia in the Keeper’s Quarters. Volunteers are available during designated hours to provide information and limited guided tours that allow visitors to climb to the top of the 74-foot tower. 2650 N. Wahl Ave. (414) 332-6754.

Old World Wisconsin: Tour historic buildings as interpreters depict life in 19th-century rural Wisconsin. W372-S9727 Highway 67, Eagle. (262) 594-6300.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum: An Italian Renaissance-style villa that features fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries, and a formal garden cascading down to the lake level. 2220 N. Terrace Ave. (414) 271-3656.

Renaissance Garden, self-guided tours available during public hours, 1-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

By now, if you’ve been maintaining a vegetable garden throughout the summer, it’s about time to harvest some of the fruits of your labor.

If you aren’t a seasoned gardener, then it’s safe to say you’ve got some questions about picking and even storing your bounty.

When should I pick my veggies?

Picking, and how you pick, depends on what you are growing.

Here is the short list of the how and when:

Tomatoes:

Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes it can be hard to tell if they are ripe enough to pick if you don’t know what to look for.

It’s good to find out before you plant what their grow life can be, and what they will look like when they are ready to be picked. Large slicer tomatoes will take longer to ripen on the vine, and some heirloom varieties take even longer than Better Boys or Beefsteak tomatoes.

If you think your tomato is ready to be picked, test the ripest-looking one by giving it a gentle twist. If it pulls easily from the vine, it is ready.

Keep tomatoes in a cool place, outside of the refrigerator. They will last up to a week, that is, if you can keep from eating them.

If your plants are still fruiting up until frost time, go ahead and pick everything, even the green ones, about a week before the frost. You can wrap them individually in newspaper or store in paper bags to aid in ripening.

Or you can make fried green tomatoes!

Herbs:

Once your herbs have gotten about 12” tall, you can start by cutting or pinching them back frequently to encourage more production. This keeps them from blooming.

Keeping your plants from blooming is a good way to keep the flavor consistent, and extra herbs can be dried for future use or shared with friends.

Basil is a heat-loving plant, so it will thrive during the hotter months of the summer. This means you will need to cut it back constantly to keep it from flowering.

You can keep cut basil in water for up to a week in the kitchen for use. If you have an abundance of it, try mixing it in with some fresh flower arrangements or making a big batch of pesto you can freeze for later.

Lettuces and greens:

Lettuces and greens are cool weather plants, although they can grow in the heat, depending on the variety. It’s best to pick them before they bolt, which means before they develop a flower stalk that can make the flavor turn bitter.

Start by cutting the largest leaves first, and then come back later for smaller leaves that are younger and more tender. Lettuces and greens are referred as “cut and come again” plants because they keep growing as you harvest.

It’s best to use scissors for harvesting them, and cut only what you plan on eating immediately – a day or so if possible.

To keep your lettuces and greens going throughout the season, plant seeds every two or three weeks, and you’ll have lettuce enough until it gets too hot to grow. Try placing the plants in partial shade to keep plants from bolting in extreme heat.

You can start sowing seeds again once it cools down, and into the fall growing season.

There is no way to store lettuce or greens for the whole winter, but placing them in an aerated container with a paper towel in the fridge can help you keep them for a few days if need be.

Peppers:

Depending on the variety, peppers are ready to pick when they are green. The longer on the vine, the more their color can change – red, yellow, purple, etc.

Leaving them longer will deepen their flavor, but can aid them in loosing their crispness.

It’s true. The longer you leave a hot pepper on the vine, the hotter it gets. Depending on variety and how hot you want your peppers is when you’ll harvest them.

It’s easy to store peppers, and they will last a good while sitting in a cool place on your counter. If you want peppers throughout the winter months, you can dry them or you can chop and parboil them and then freeze for later use.

Cucumbers:

Cucumbers can really be picked in any stage, depending on how you plan to use them. If you want small ones for pickling, don’t hesitate to pick them when they are 3-4” in size. Smaller cucumbers are more tender. They will also have a less bitter taste to their skin and way less seeds which makes them perfect for pickling.

Don’t let their size get out of control, however, because they will begin to become dry and have a wood-like texture. This means they will not be good for eating and would be better served raw right into the compost.

For longer life, pickling is the way to go. Look for my end of the summer pickling article for more on preserving your veggies in August.

Short-term, cukes will last for about a week in the refrigerator. I find the best way to store them is on the top shelf in a small bowl where they don’t collect too much moisture.

The best thing you can do for harvesting is to inspect your garden every day for ripened fruits and veggies, ones that might begin over-ripening or even rotting and glean those from your plants.

If you don’t have your own garden, no worries. These ideas

Not all compost is created equal.

Chuck Ingels of the UC Cooperative Extension’s Sacramento County office discovered what many gardeners suspected.

The results of that research will be part of the upcoming Harvest Day, set for next Saturday at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center in Fair Oaks Park.

Billed as “Sacramento’s ultimate gardening event,” Harvest Day annually highlights the summer calendar for many. About 2,000 gardeners will turn out to the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center to pick up fresh ideas while also problem solving.

“For Harvest Day, we try really hard to give home gardeners something they can really use in their gardens,” explained Judy McClure, Sacramento County’s master gardener coordinator. “Instead of some big complex theory, our presentations are very practical. We get questions all the time – what do I buy and how do I use it?”

Soil amendments are one of those mysteries. That’s what inspired Ingels’ talk, titled “What’s in the Bag?”

“With the help of master gardeners, we purchased all kinds of soil amendments around town,” said Ingels, the extension’s horticulture adviser. “I then took samples to a lab to be analyzed.”

What the analysis found was a wide variation in products with the same basic name. Depending on compost ingredients, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen could be 10 to 1, 20 to 1 or more.

“If it gets higher than 20 to 1, it can tie up nitrogen,” Ingels said. “Plants stop growing. Microbes die off. Eventually, you’ll get a release of nitrogen, but it could be several weeks later. It’s more common then people think.”

Ingels also found that many amendments were 30 percent to 40 percent water.

“Some – such as animal-based manure composts – can be very high in salts, too,” he added. “By adding too much of them, you could be creating saline soil that’s toxic to plants.”

That’s the kind of practical advice gardeners expect at Harvest Day, McClure said.

Other featured speakers include Quentyn Young of Fair Oaks Nursery (“Gotta Have Them: Tools for the Garden”), Rose Loveall of Morningsun Herb Farm (“Tried True Heirlooms, Too: Winter Herbs Vegetables”) and Master Gardener Rosella Shapiro (“Small Space Vertical Gardening”).

“Vertical gardening is very popular as more people want to know how they can garden up,” McClure said. “Rosella came up with this great way to recycle used electrical conduit. Instead of throwing it into the landfill, you can use it as an attractive way to grow more vegetables.”

Making compost – particularly vermicomposting with worms – also is a popular topic. The master gardeners will demonstrate how along with other techniques. In addition, they’ll lead tours through the center’s gardens and trial orchard.

“Every disease and insect available right now has visited our orchard,” McClure said. “We know how to help you.”

Visitors get the opportunity to taste many varieties of fruit, grapes and tomatoes, too.

At the Plant Clinic, master gardeners try to untangle backyard mysteries. Got an unknown weed, volunteer or pest? Bring a sample in a zipped plastic bag for identification.

Harvest Day also marks the annual debut of the popular Sacramento County master gardeners’ Gardening Guide and Calendar. The 2013 theme: “Gardening Demystified.”

State Fair’s bounty

Wandering wondrous rows of corn, jewel-tone egg- plant and perfect peppers, it’s easy to be impressed by the bounty of fresh vegetables growing at the California State Fair, which wraps up this weekend.

On 3 1/2 acres next to the livestock pavilions, the State Fair Farm showcases agriculture in a people-friendly way. The farm grows about 80 different crops.

New this year, QR codes posted next to the crops allow visitors to use their smartphones to learn more about what’s growing.

Patrons can take some fresh fruit and vegetables home, too. Run by volunteers from Friends of the California State Fair, the Farm’s Certified Farmers Market offers a wide range of fresh produce. Proceeds are donated to the Friends’ scholarship program.

What about the rest of the harvest? According to Nancy Koch, who oversees the Farm, the produce will be donated to local food banks.

Said Koch, “They’ve already picked up several large boxes.”

HARVEST DAY

When: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. next Saturday

Where: Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, Fair Oaks Park, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks

Admission: Free

Details: http://cesacramento.ucdavis.edu/, (916) 875-6913

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