Photos by Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

Kelly Cummins, 43, a volunteer and WIC recipient, works in the garden amid the cilantro Wednesday. Cummins learned some gardening tips from Kim Kirkbride, a WIC garden coordinator for the Floyd Health Department in the organization’s garden.

Radishes are harvested, along with dozens of other vegetables, from the WIC garden at the Floyd Health Department.

Photo gallery

• See more photos of a day at the WIC garden.

Join the conversation

• Find the recipe for Crispy Kale Chips on Sarah Bruyn Jones’ Med Beat blog
• On Twitter: Follow reporter @SarahBruynJones

Kale could be the superhero.

The leafy green vegetable shunned by many has become the early star of a new public health program aimed at encouraging healthy eating habits among low-income families.

“They loved it, they begged for more,” said Kelly Cummins, 43, of Floyd, recalling how her two foster children consumed mass quantities of the nutritious kale after being introduced to it last month.

The children, ages 4 and 5, had joined Cummins at a new garden started by the Floyd County Health Department. There they helped pick the big leaves from the plants growing in the garden.

Then, with a recipe supplied by the health department, Cummins and the children went home to make crispy kale chips. The children tore the leaves. Cummins tossed the pieces of kale in oil and baked them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

The snack was a hit.

“I had never had kale before,” Cummins said. “Before, I wouldn’t have known to make this. Now we’re going to have to buy it at the store when we can’t get it here. They’ll demand it.”

The garden is a pilot program for the Virginia Department of Health’s New River Health District and aims to educate and feed participants of the Women, Infants and Children nutrition and health program. WIC is a federally funded program designed to support low-income pregnant, postpartum and breast-feeding women, as well as children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

With an extra $5,000 for supplies from the state, and donations from Floyd’s farming community, the garden’s 24 beds were established earlier this year, said Dr. Molly O’Dell, director of the New River Health District. So far 22 varieties of plants and herbs have been planted.

The garden was conceived when O’Dell met McCabe Coolidge last year and the two talked about the role of fresh food options in meeting the health needs of the community. Coolidge is a founder of the grass roots Floyd organization Plenty!, which runs a community garden and delivers free local produce to low-income, isolated families.

Faced with an adult obesity rate in Floyd and throughout Southwest Virginia that is above the national average — nearly a third of Floyd adults are obese compared with a quarter of the country’s adult population — O’Dell’s goal is to reverse the trend by targeting the young families. But simply telling people to eat five fruits and vegetables a day wouldn’t produce results, she said.

“Part of the problem, is WIC is a supplemental food program,” O’Dell said. “It doesn’t cover everything and the allocation for fresh fruits and veggies is minimal.”

Families get between $6 and $10 a month for fresh, canned or frozen vegetables.

That’s two bags of grapes, O’Dell said.

If every superhero has an unsung assistant, then this kale’s is Kim Kirkbride, a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in biology and a history of working on farms. Kirkbride was hired part time in April to run the new WIC garden. Her marching orders are getting Floyd’s 213 WIC families excited about the fresh produce coming from the organic garden.

The Cummins family’s newfound love affair with kale is the precise outcome Kirkbride is eager to cultivate.

“Mothers of young children have incredibly busy schedules,” Kirkbride said. “My goal is to get people wanting this food so badly that they want to put in the time and schedule to come and work in the garden. I think it is a lack of experience with fresh vegetables that is the problem and I think once they are exposed to it they will want it.”

Initially Kirkbride intended to give the harvest to those who volunteered to work in the garden.

Cummins, however, has been the lone volunteer.

Quickly Kirkbride changed course and began giving the freshly picked veggies to all WIC families.

Everyone wins

WIC participants are required every three months to come to the health department for education and to pick up their food supplement checks.

A few weeks ago, when the kale was ready, Kirkbride handed out pounds of it to anyone who would take it. They could take as much as they wanted. Aunts and grandmothers encouraged the younger mothers to try it.

“They said, ‘I’ll show you how to cook it,’ ” Kirkbride said.

And Kirkbride, whose boss, O’Dell, had questioned the popularity of kale, wrote the kale chips recipe for the superfood that is rich in calcium, iron and antioxidants.

“Kale chips are going to save the program,” Kirkbride told O’Dell.

She also included directions for her favorite way to eat the leafy green: kale slaw.

By the next WIC appointment day, held last week, more vegetables were ready. Kirkbride handed out spinach, radishes, green onions, cilantro, parsley, beets and a lettuce salad mix to about 50 families.

Again, she included a list of how to use the food. Mix spinach with eggs and cheese for an omelet, she suggested. Roast beets at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Dip radishes in ranch dressing for an easy snack.

“Talking the families into actually engaging in the garden, that’s our real challenge,” O’Dell said. “The challenge is not the garden. Our edge is going to be in how we engage the families.”

For Cummins the attraction is threefold. First, she has already noticed how the food from the garden is supplementing her grocery shopping. But she also came to the garden wanting to improve her own eating habits and to teach her two children, and the children she fosters, about healthy eating.

Finally, she has seen the value in learning how to grow her own food, and the foster children have enjoyed the experience of tending to the garden, she said.

On Wednesday, after harvesting radishes, lettuce, basil, kale, dill, zucchini and parsley, she left the garden with two packed bags of food and plans for large salads.

“I can learn, the kids can learn, and we can eat well,” Cummins said. “That’s a win-win-win.”

O’Dell is already thinking about next year and bringing gardens to other New River Valley communities.

“I know where we can put a garden in Giles, Pulaski and Montgomery,” O’Dell said. “If we can really integrate this as part of the WIC food supplemental package and get the community support that we had in Floyd, I think we can make this work.”

To see the recipes for Crispy Kale Chips and Kale Slaw visit plateup.roanoke.com.

Sure, you want to ditch the pesticides and grow healthy, organic produce in your home garden. But when bugs and other critters start taking over, it’s tough not to reach for the spray bottle to keep them at bay. Resist the urge, and utilize one of the many all-natural methods for deterring garden pests.

For the inside scoop, Earth911 sat down with organic gardening expert Barbara Pleasant to chat about pesticide-free ways to keep harmful insects and other unwanted critters out of your garden. From crop rotation to herb planting, here are seven back-to-basics tips that you just have to try.

Tip #1: Keep a balance between vegetables, flowers and herbs to attract beneficial critters to your garden. Photo: Adrianna Craff, Earth911

1. Plant more than just veggies

Let’s begin by saying that not all garden critters are bad. Common garden-lovers like bees, wasps, birds, frogs, butterflies and ground-dwelling beetles actually eat harmful insects and help to cross-pollinate fruit-bearing plants – making them a huge plus for maintaining a mini ecosystem in your backyard plot.

“It’s very much a living thing, a vegetable garden,” Pleasant says. “So, the old model where you just wiped everything out calls for a very different approach.”

Instead of trying to keep your garden completely free of birds, bugs and other “wild things,” incorporate a diverse collection of plants to attract beneficial critters to your plot. Once your garden has a good balance of beneficial animals and insects, pest deterrence will be a much easier job. Pleasant suggests planting plenty of fragrant flowers, which are known to attract bees, butterflies and other “beneficials.”

Common culinary herbs, such as thyme, oregano and rosemary, are also magnets for beneficial critters, the garden expert says. She also suggests planting borage, a seldom-grown herb that sprouts dark blue flowers and attracts large bumblebees that stave off harmful insects.

For more information on which plants attract the most beneficials to your garden, check out this guide from the University of Florida IFAS Extension or consult a university extension service in your area.

Get More From Your Flowers: Edible Flowers For Your Garden.

Gardeners should prioritize which areas of their gardens need water. (photo/Becki Lynch)

Whether or not some of Iowa’s “20 percent” chances of rain this weekend come to fruition, it’s a good idea to know how best to conserve this precious resource. Linn County Master Gardener, Becki Lynch, provides tips on water conservation for gardeners:

 

Although our area is not officially in a drought, we have not experienced such low rainfall for at least 10 years, and we are classified as borderline at this time – so, folks may want to start thinking about their priorities for watering our gardens and landscapes.

First, any newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials will need to be the priority as their root systems are not developed enough to withstand the dry conditions.

Second, new lawns or repaired lawns –although if the cost was not prohibitive, you may want to try again when conditions change.  Roots on new grasses are extremely shallow.  Be sure to seed with drought resistant grasses like fine fescues.

Third, plants on sandy soils, windy sites, or other exposed areas.  If you have planted matched plants for these conditions, you will have already placed drought resistant shrubs, trees, and plants, and so will not need to supplement the water immediately.

And Fourth, be sure to supplement water for any flowering vegetables as this is the time they are setting their fruit.

 

What about the lawn?  If water is not available, you can allow grass to go dormant. Unless conditions are extreme for a long period, it will usually begin growing again once conditions improve.  Also, don’t mow grass when it is dormant and not growing. Even when growing, set the mower height at 2 to 3 inches high. High mown grass develops deeper root systems that are better able to withstand drought.

 

Also, here are some tips for watering and general gardening that will help conserve and make the best use of the water we have.

 

• Water in the early morning, when there is less heat and wind, and so less water lost to evaporation.
• Don’t use overhead sprinklers, which may lose over half the water on a hot day to evaporation. Instead use manual watering, soaker hoses or drip systems. Cover these with mulch, and they lose even less water to the air, and are invisible.
• Water deeply and less often rather than for shorter periods more often. Lawns and bedding plants should be watered to at least 6 inches deep. Perennials, shrubs and trees should be watered to at least 12 inches deep.
• Water established plants only if “really” needed and once they begin to wilt. Many perennials and woody plants may wilt, and not perform best if dry, but will survive.

Cultural Practices

• For flowers and vegetables, use wider spacing to reduce competition for soil moisture, mulching in between plants.
• Use 3 to 4 inches (after settling) of organic mulch (pine bark, straw or similar) to prevent soil from drying and losing moisture to the air.
• Incorporate organic matter into the soil, which will aid in water retention.
• Fertilize less, both less in amount and less often, and avoid too much high nitrogen fertilizer.
• Choose and place plants properly. Don’t choose plants that prefer moist, and place them in a dry area. And choose plants more resistant to drought.  Native plants are an excellent choice.
• Don’t apply pesticides that might cause injury to stressed plants, or in heat, or that need to be watered in.
• Avoid pruning when plants are stressed and not growing.
• Use hoeing and soil cultivation of weeds sparingly. Continually disturbing the soil surface will result in it drying out much faster. But keep weeds down, as they compete with more desirable plants for water.

Container plantings

• Move container plants to more shaded areas.
• Use pottery containers that are glazed on the outside, which prevents much water loss. Or use plastic containers, or set plastic containers if unattractive into more attractive outer pottery ones.
• Don’t crowd too many plants into containers, or use large containers for large plants. This will help keep them from drying out so often, and requiring watering daily or more often.

 

Resource – University of Vermont Extension, 2011

 

ON THE SHELF: FIRST LADY GIVES READERS LOOK AT WHITE HOUSE GARDEN/pp First lady Michelle Obama takes readers on a virtual visit to the White House garden in her new book, “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.”/pp The story of the garden is the central theme, but the book has the wider purpose of encouraging others to eat and live more healthfully. It describes the joys and challenges of growing food at the White House, offers gardening tips and recipes, profiles public food gardens around the country and promotes the first lady’s campaign to end childhood obesity./pp Essays and photos bring the garden to life, including plenty of portraits of the first dog, Bo./pp The book is published by Crown Publishing and is $30 in hardcover. Michelle Obama did not take an advance for the book, and all author proceeds will go to the National Park Foundation./pp QA: HOSTA VIRUS HAS NO CURE/pp Q: The leaves on one of my hosta plants are curled, but they never were before. The plant came up that way this year. My other hostas don’t look like that. What’s going on?/pp A: Judging from the leaf sample you provided, it looks like your plant has been infected with a virus called hosta virus X. The virus causes a variety of symptoms, one of which is a puckering of the leaves. That’s what happened with yours./pp Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for an infected plant. In an Ohio State University Extension fact sheet on the topic, plant pathologist Dennis J. Lewandowski recommends removing and destroying the plant. Don’t compost it, because that could spread the disease./pp If you want to plant another hosta in that spot, wait until any remaining bits of root have decomposed so there’s no residual virus in the soil, Lewandowski says. It’s OK to put another kind of plant there, because the virus affects only hostas./pp The disease can be spread to other hostas when sap from an infected plant touches a fresh wound on a healthy plant – for example, when the same tool is used to divide or trim both plants. Since a plant can be diseased before it shows symptoms, the fact sheet recommends disinfecting tools regularly, ideally between hosta plants. Tools can be disinfected with a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water./pp Lewandowski’s fact sheet, HYG-3069-08, can be found at http://ohioline.osu.edu./pp WHAT’S NEW: KIT SIMPLIFIES CONSTRUCTION OF RAISED GARDEN BEDS/pp Scotts Miracle-Gro has streamlined the construction of raised garden beds./pp The company has introduced the Miracle-Gro Ultimate Raised Garden Bed, a bed-in-a-box with everything needed to customize and build up to three small beds./pp Assembly involves snapping together modular pieces of composite lumber, made from recycled materials. No tools are required./pp The kit can be used to build three beds, each 2 feet square and 6 inches high. Two or more squares can be stacked to make a taller bed./pp The product is available from online retailers, including Amazon.com, HomeDepot.com and Sears.com. It’s also available at select retailers, but the company couldn’t specify which stores carry it. The suggested retail price is $79.98./pp Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.

Charlotte Weidensee keeps a plaque in her courtyard that reminds her of the reason she takes such great care of her garden of flowers.

“It’s a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson and it says, ‘The earth laughs in flowers,’” she said.

“I like that so much because, to me, a flower garden makes me feel good. … That’s why people are drawn to flower gardens and flowers. It makes them feel good and they notice the beauty.”

Beauty is something Charlotte and her husband, Victor, have made sure there is plenty of at their home in the Woodridge subdivision off Mount Rushmore Road in Rapid City.

When the couple moved there 26 years ago, the courtyard was all cement.

“I thought, ‘I can’t live with this,’” she said.

It inspired a call to a landscape contractor, who helped Charlotte map out what kind of garden she wanted between the courtyard gate and the street.

“I’ve always loved flowers and this gave me the opportunity to put in ones I thought I wanted,” she said. “I have a pretty big variety in this small space.”

Since then, Charlotte has maintained and replenished the plants and flowers, which have grown into a garden the couple have enjoyed every year. Last fall, they planted colorful day lilies, evergreens, blue chip juniper, a variety of grasses, several varieties of yarrow and deep purple salvia.

The purple and the bright yellow make an attractive contrast of colors, Charlotte said.

Gardening is about timing, she added, and she plants varieties that don’t all bloom at the same time.

In the garden this year there are also veronicas, white and red daisies, day and oriental lilies and her favorite — a clematis that has climbed a tall trellis.

“It’s the prettiest one and we’ve had it sine we moved here,” she said.

The labor of tending to a successful garden is worth it, she said.

“There’s quite a bit of work,” she said. “You have to train them and thin them out.”

She spends time among the flowers often; much of it is early in the morning when she “dead-heads” the plants, or snips off dead leaves and blooms.

“I go out when it’s still cool, and make sure they have enough moisture,” she said.

That has become easier recently with the installation of a drip irrigation system that waters the garden.

For more than two and a half decades, the garden has been a place of tranquility for Charlotte, and for neighbors, family and friends.

“It’s a good place to go sit and have coffee, read a book or whatever,” she said. “My family has really enjoyed it.”

Strangers are no different.

“I have people who are walking by stop and comment on them and want to know what some of the plants are,” she said.

Charlotte’s advice to new gardeners is to start small and be organized.

“Plot out a plan, decide what flowers they like,” she said.

And don’t be afraid to call on the experts — such as a landscaper. Charlotte learned a lot from the hands-on help, she said, including how to arrange flowers by height and type of leaf.

“There’s a lot of things you think about,” she said.

If getting help isn’t an option, just go for it, she said.

“Get a big piece of paper and plot it out yourself,” she said. “Try it on your own and make a plan, and start out small.”

Contributed by www.scgardenguru.com

• June is the time for daylilies. Daylilies need very little care once established, and repeat bloomers provide color all season long.

• With the hot days of June, it is important to keep your plants watered. Stressing plants can lead to disease and make them susceptible to insects.

• Planting new plants this month is not a problem, but you must keep an eye on newly planted flora and not allow them to dry out. Using a good 2-3 inch layer of mulch will help in keeping the roots cool and moist.

• Regular fertilizing should be done to keep your plants healthy and blooming. There are many fertilizers available on the market. Just follow package directions for the correct application.

• Houseplants can be put outside on your decks, porches, or patios now. Place in an area not in direct sun.

• Keep deadheading those flowers. A flower’s job is to reproduce by making seeds. Seeds are made from the flowers, so if you keep your flowers deadheaded, it will continue to produce flowers.

A gardener and a chef give tips on growing and cooking with lavender — and rice — including a great recipe.

By

Anne K. Moore and Linda Weiss /
June 13, 2012

Sprigs of fragrant lavender add taste and color to many dishes. They’re especially tasty when combined with Thai jasmine rice, in this easy-to-prepare dish.

Courtesy of Linda Weiss

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Growing lavender can be a challenge, especially in hot weather, which many of us seem to be suffering through lately, says gardener Anne Moore.

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Choosing the best variety for where you live will give you the finest results. There are many types of lavender rated for my USDA hardiness Zone 8 garden, but they will not withstand the high humidity that hot summers bring.

In the South, Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas), with its tight flower heads topped by “donkey ears,” is the chief perennial for our hot and humid summers, coming back year after year.

I have decent results by growing Spanish lavender in pots. I suspect any lavender will do best in a container, since this plant really requires good drainage. but it does not tolerate drying out. If you have sandy loam, then by all means, plant your lavender in the ground.

Lavenders also benefit from a shearing down to good strong growth right after you harvest the flowers. This will often not only strengthen the plant but also trigger it to bloom again.

How to grow rice

Growing rice is not for the faint-of-heart or the gardener in a hurry. Nor will you get much of a crop in your backyard garden. However, it can be fun to try something new.

A passive hydroponics system is a great way to grow rice. You can use jasmine rice from the supermarket as the seed, or you can also order rice seed from an online source.

Plant the rice into a large, clean bucket with the bottom covered in wet, heavy clay soil. Add about 2 inches of water to the top and leave the buckets in the sunshine. Add more water as the plants grow, making sure the roots do not dry out.

I doubt I will be growing much rice, but lavender to me is like catnip to kitties. I love the perfume of it and once I discovered lavender laundry supplies, washing day became a whole lot more pleasant.

I have not tried cooking with lavender, however. Linda’s Jasmine Rice With Lavender and Pecans recipe will change that.

Simple recipe combines lavender, rice

Where I live, says chef Linda Weiss, rice is a very popular food. Not only is one brand of rice grown here in South Carolina, but we even have special rice spoons for serving it.

This easy rice recipe has a lot of flavor, first from the bouquet of the rice and then from the lavender. When it is cooked and ready to serve, you add pecans or hazelnuts, so you have extra texture as well. Cooking the rice in butter before you add the liquid helps every grain to stand alone when it is ready to serve.

The recipe below uses Thai jasmine rice, but if you want to use plain long-grain rice, just follow the package directions as to water ratio and do everything else the same as in our recipe.

Here is a menu idea to serve with the rice: Strawberry-Parmesan salad with fresh baby greens and poppy seed dressing, pork tenderloin with Jezebel sauce (green peppercorn sauce), oven-roasted green beans, fresh rolls, and cold lime soufflé.

Now you have a great special or Sunday dinner menu. Enjoy!

Easy Jasmine Rice With Lavender and Pecans

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup Thai jasmine rice (I used Mahatma)

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth or equivalent of water

1 (3-inch) leafy stem of fresh lavender

1/3 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Salt to taste*

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir until rice starts to turn golden.

Add chicken broth and lavender stem. Turn heat up and let the rice start to boil. Stir, and then immediately turn heat down to the lowest level. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn heat off and leave for 5 minutes. Flake into a serving dish with a fork. Add pecans to the top. Makes about 4 servings.

* NOTE: I did not need to add salt, but you probably will if you use water instead of chicken broth.

Editor’s Note: To read more of Anne and Linda’s “how to grow and prepare” series, click here.

Fans of lavender will also want to return to Diggin’ It on Friday to read about growing lavender and roses together.

—–

Linda Weiss is a personal chef. She attended Le Cordon Bleu of Paris’ catering program and is a professional member of the James Beard Foundation and the Southern Foodways Alliance. She has wriitten a cookbook, “Memories From Home, Cooking with Family and Friends.” Anne Moore is an award-winning freelance writer and member of the Garden Writers Association. She is the horticulture editor, gardening consultant, and e-newsletter editor for GardenSmart.tv.  You can follow Linda and Anne as they also blog at www.thegardenerandthechef.com

June 12, 2012 — Now that summer is weighing down on us, our gardens are in need of special attention. Whether your are an avid or reluctant gardener over doing it can be a pain in the back. Positioning your body correctly reduces the strain on muscles and joints. The Ontario Chiropractic Association offers these tips to help you plant and rake without the ache.

1. Alternate your tasks. Switch between heavy chores such as digging and lighter, less physically demanding tasks such as planting.
2. Do the “scissors” when you rake. Stand with one leg forward and one leg back when you rake. Switch legs and hands every few minutes.
3. Kneel to plant and weed. Constant bending can put strain

on your back, neck, leg muscles and joints, so kneeling is recommended. Use kneepads or a kneeling mat (with handles) to minimize the amount of bending required, and to make kneeling more comfortable. Keep your back straight.
1. Change positions frequently. Make a point of changing position every 10 to 15 minutes. Move from kneeling to standing, from planting to digging.
2. Pace yourself. A minimum of three brief breaks each hour is recommended. Take a few moments to move around, stretch your muscles, have a drink or simply sit and relax. Spread the work over several days — you will still achieve the same great results.

Source: Ontario Chiropractic Association, chiropractic.on.ca.

In the past, Alabama Cooperative Extension System agents were bombarded with questions each spring from gardeners wanting to know what chemicals to use on their crops.

Now, many of the calls and emails regional extension agent Chris Becker receives from gardeners are seeking tips on how to grow crops without using harsh pesticides and other chemicals.

“A lot of gardeners want to grow their fruits and vegetables organically,” Becker said. “Some commercial farmers are also starting to grow crops organically.”

Those interested in organic gardening can find answers to many of their questions at a field day from 8-30 a.m.-2 p.m. June 20 at Jack-O-Lantern Farms in Muscle Shoals. Becker said extension system specialists and Steve Carpenter, owner of Jack-o’-lantern Farms, will offer tips for reducing the use of harsh chemicals.

The field day also includes demonstrations of growing crops in hoop houses and harvesting rainwater for use on farms and in gardens.

Lunch will provided at the free workshop. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 256-386-8571.

Becker recommends participants in the workshop register early.

“We should have a huge crowd. We are expecting farmers and gardeners from throughout north Alabama and southern Tennessee and north Mississippi,” Becker said. “There’s huge interest in organic farming and gardening throughout the Tennessee Valley.”

Denise Ryan, external relations director for the California-based Organic Farming Research Foundation, said organic farming offers money-making opportunities.

During the past year, sales of organically grown farm products in the United States have increased more than $3 billion, she said.

“It’s a good time to start farming organically,” Ryan said. “The demand for organically grown products has quadrupled during the past decade.”

Jim Gerritsen, president of the Maine-based Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, said growing crops organically is not difficult.

“When you grow organically, you work with nature rather than being adversarial and working against nature,” said Gerritsen, who began growing potatoes and other crops organically 36 years ago.

One way organic farmers and gardeners work with nature is by releasing lady bugs and other beneficial insects to help protect their crops from insect pests rather than using chemicals, Gerritsen said.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 256-740-5746 or dennis.sherer@TimesDaily.com.

“My favourite food-saving tip is to freeze any ripe bananas that we’re
not likely to eat in time. Peel and freeze them, then later use them in
smoothies, or defrosted in a bowl to use in my favourite banana loaf recipe.
I’ve even started freezing left over egg yolks after making home-made
meringues.”

Marlene, Northampton

“Instead of buying ready-to-make Mexican meal kits such as fajitas, buy
the parts separately. You’ll only need to buy the wraps and then you can
make the salsa and spice mix from what you already have at home. Buying the
ingredients separately means that they’ll spread much further and you can
use the spices time and time again.”

Jennifer, Manchester

“I always find it hard to save, but decided two months ago to start
saving all my coins from my wallet every day, apart from £1 and £2 coins.
I’ve already started to see the jar mounting up. This money would have
usually been spent on food for work but I make sure I cook too much food the
night before so I’ve got enough for lunch the next day.”

Stephen, Teversal

“I save all my old washing tablet tubs, large milk cartons and old
plastic buckets over the winter time to plant vegetables in for the summer,
instead of buying expensive planting tubs from gardening centres.”

C. Kinson, Ellesmere Port

“Freezing is a excellent way to avoid any food waste. If it’s more
cost-effective to buy a bumper pack of peppers – but I know I won’t use them
all in time – I chop some up on the day of purchase and freeze them. When I
next need a pepper for a stew or a spaghetti bolognese, I just whip one out
of the freezer. I also put dregs of wine into ice cube trays in the freezer,
these are excellent to add flavour to stews and casseroles.”

Joanna, Wiral

“Use open fire or solid fuel central heating – I’ve had it for years and
won’t change. Rethink food and leftovers, plan your menu. Dig up your garden
to plant a vegetable plot. Get a dog, we did, a rescue one and he is great,
long walks do a lot for the mind and body! We live in the centre of a town
yet have a peaceful, lovely life by the sea. We are struggling financially
and have often thought of giving up the house but we need to hang in there
for the family.”

Julia, Exmouth

“We don’t buy any pre-packaged food or ready meals, every thing we eat is
made from scratch. If we have a roast whatever meat or bones is left is
turned into soup. We have recently taken over an allotment so that will be
producing all our vegetables for free later this year. The fastest
money-saving tip we use is that all our change gets put into a tub and
banked at the end of the month. Every month when we go shopping we over buy
things we use regularly so after a couple of months we can cut our monthly
shop in half. Also batch cooking saves you a lot of money, and is even
better if you have a freezer to keep it in. A big pot of chilli can feed a
family of six for about £5.”

Ewan, Airdire

“Buy a 500kg packet of rice instead of the boil-in-bag packs, it’s easy
to cook and costs less.”

Sandra, Merseyside

“Something I was told to do was put £1 in a pink piggy bank every day. At
the end of the month, empty it out and put half of it into a savings account
and spend the other half on yourself. It takes about six months, but then
it starts attracting money to you – not millions, but every little helps.”

Denise, Stanford-le-Hope

“I have certain budgets for household items such as soap powder and
toilet roll. So when the supermarkets have offers on these items I really
stock up, sometimes buying enough to last for six months. I find this gives
me enough time (and enough toilet rolls) to keep me going until the next
offer that is, of course, within my budget.”

Joanna, Wiral

“Plan all your meals for the week before you do your weekly shop. Have
meals sorted so that nothing is wasted, for example, buy extra mince, cook
it up and use two thirds for a lasagne or shepard’s pie to freeze until
later in the week. Use the remaining third for spaghetti bolognese, and buy
just enough vegetables for the week. I prefer going to my very well priced
grocer as vegetables always used to go off in my house, but not anymore!”

Sian, Willesden

“When you make a pot of tea, fill a flask so that you can have another
cup later without having to boil the kettle again”

Terry, Wolverhampton

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