Black Poplar and Balsam Poplar

By Audrey Christopher

The black poplar's natural range of distribution embraces the whole of western, central and eastern Europe, extending into Siberia as far as the Yenisei River. It grows in moist soils, often alongside large rivers, mainly on sand and gravel formations. It is a large true, attaining a height of 35 metres, with a widespreading crown. The trunk is covered with thick, furrowed, grey-black bark. The twigs and buds are yellowish. The leaves, broadly wedge- shaped at the base, arc arranged alternately on the twig. The catkins flower in April and the capsules shed the downy seed in early June.

It reaches heights of 25 to 30 metres and has a sparse, highly placed crown. The bark is smooth and coloured greenish grey, but old trees have fissured blackish bark at the lower part of the trunk. The buds on the twigs are lustrous-brown and sharply pointed. The aspen is a dioecious species (male and female flowers on separate trees). It flowers in March and the tiny seeds, imbedded in cottonwool-like hairs, are shed in late May. The leaf stalk is long and flattened, and even a slight breeze sets the leaf in motion. The aspen is a light-demanding tree and does not require rich soil.

The balsam poplars are indigenous to North America and Asia. The one most commonly cultivated in Europe is Populus balsamifera L., a native of North America, where it grows on alluvial bottomlands in the northern United States and in Cahada. The name is derived from the pleasant balsam smell of the opening buds and leaves. It grows to a height of 30 metres and has yellow-grey bark, thick and furrowed, and coloured blackish at the base of the trunk.

The twigs are yellow-brown to brown, the buds covered with a layer of balsam resin. The flowers and fruit are very much like those of the white poplar. The balsam poplar is a light-demanding tree that requires considerable moisture.

In Europe it is cultivated mainly in parks for its ornamental, light-coloured bark and pleasant scent in spring. Planted occasionally in hill country is the western balsam poplar (Populus trichocarpa Torr. et Grey), a native of western North America. A northern Chinese poplar (Populus simouii Carr.), a native of China and Manchuria, is more frequently planted as a street and shade tree in European cities.

It is an attractive ornamental, with whitish bark, and nearly rhombic, 10 cm long leaves, which appear on the tree in early spring.

About the Author:

Privacy, including protection from the dirt and noise of passing traffic, can be a garden planning problem where the house garden adjoins a busy street.

Babe Ruth

By Denise I Smithson

Who doesn't remember Babe Ruth? Even if you are too young, and are a baseball fan, we bet you've heard of Babe and the House That Ruth Built. Even one of his superstitions remains popular among Major League players-"whenever I hit a homerun, I always make sure I touch all four bases." Babe was a curious man, ferocious in baseball, women, and ideals, and we remember his as "The Babe," fondly so, because there will never be another man like him, in any sport.

Born George Herman Ruth Jr. to parents George Sr. and Kate Schamberger-Ruth in Baltimore, Maryland in 1895, Ruth and his sister Mamie were the only two survivors out of eight children. Ruth did not have an idyllic childhood, often being left to his own devices to get by. When he was only seven, his parents sent him to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, which Ruth looked at more as prison than school. He saw his parents only rarely and rapidly became known by the nuns at St. Mary's as a problem child.

Never find if rules, Ruth chafed under the strict life of the school. The upside for Ruth was that he discovered baseball while at the school, becoming quite the player in his time there. When only 19, he was spotted and immediately signed to the Baltimore Orioles by manager Jack Dunn. He earned his nickname while on the Orioles - his teammates called him "Jacks' new babe"; a name which stayed with him for a lifetime.

It was not long before Ruth's contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox, where he would spend the next six years both as a catcher and in the outfield. Ruth became immensely popular with fans for his flair on and off the diamond. With the Red Sox, Ruth played his first World Series in 1916. Ruth pitched a still intact record of 14 innings. In fact, Ruth achieved a record setting 29 2/3 innings with no hits as a pitcher in World Series games alone! This record would last for 43 years. In 1919, an ill-advised trade saw Babe Ruth traded to the New York Yankees (ill-advised for the Red Sox anyway, a triumph for the Yankees). This began the "Curse of the Bambino"; the Red Sox would not win another World Series until 2004!

With Ruth on the team, the Yankees would win 4 World Series and 7 American League Pennants. Ruth hit an amazing 54 home runs in 1920 alone. Babe Ruth proved to be just as popular with the fans in New York as he had been in Boston and became a celebrity. The Yankees stadium, built in 1923 soon came to be known as "The House That Ruth Built". Fittingly enough, Ruth hit three home runs on opening day and later that year, the World Series title. Ruth would separate from his wife of 11 years, Helen Woodford in 1925, with whom he had adopted a daughter, Dorothy. It was not until Helen dies in 1929 that he would marry his companion, the model Claire Hodgson. His first at bat that year, he hit a home run out of the park, which he dedicated to Hodgson.

Ruth's 60 home runs in 1927 are another long standing record the player set - it would stand until Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961. Many fans debate the vailidity of Maris' record, being that it took Maris 182 games against Ruth's 154. However, no one will debate Ruth's .690 batting average, which has no equal to date. It wasn't for nothing, after all that he is remembered as The Sultan Of Swat.

Of just as much import was the home run scored by Babe Ruth in the 3rd game of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Legend has it that Ruth said that he would hit a home run over the center stands in memory of Dugout Dora, a stray cat Ruth would feed every time he played at Wrigley Field. Ruth pointed and hit a home run right where he had pointed; it was one of the longest home runs ever hit out of Wrigley Field.

When Babe did not get his desired Yankee manager position in 1935, he left the Yankees and signed with the Brave's as not only a player but also their first base coach accepting the promise of their manager position the following year. With his manager outlook grim, Babe hit three home runs in one of his final games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where only a meager 10,000 fans saw him tip his hat at that last home run-his 714th. Still, with Babe's 8,399 at-bats, 2,211 RBI's and a career 2.28 ERA as a lefty pitcher, The Babe remains a true hero in the hearts and fans of baseball everywhere.

About the Author:

How much do you know about baseball? Nothing But Sports is a great place to brush up on your sports trivia and learn how to swing that bat.

What is Garlic?

By Timothy Tungsten

If we were given a choice of growing only one species from the large genus Alliurn the decision would be very difficult, but many persons would doubtless choose chives. Chives can be easily grown, not only in the garden but also in a windowbox or in a pot on the window sill.

They are frost-resistant and their leaves may be snipped the whole year long without affecting the plants in any way. However, they should be fed frequently and should not be cut too close to the ground so as to avoid damaging the growth centres. Chives may be propagated from seed, but home-growers usually increase them by splitting up older clumps and replanting the offsets, which gives earlier yields. The only requirement is plenty of light.

Nowadays garlic is widely used as seasoning throughout the world, but it is used most by the peoples of southern Europe, north Africa and South America. It plays an important role in lands noted for their excellent cuisine, from France to China. Its uses are many: crushed together with salt in green salads; as seasoning for sauces, vegetables and meat dishes (beef and mutton), sausages and salamis, and fish. Besides being a seasoning it also has many important medicinal properties; it prevents flatulence and destroys intestinal parasites, checks the growth of bacteria, and is used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis. The chief exporting countries are USA (California), Egypt, Bulgaria, Hungary and Taiwan.

Dill is exceptionally good when combined with cream sauces and soups, cream cheese and butter, or with vinegar salad dressings. It is also used as a seasoning with raw vegetables, boiled meat and fish. A simple but tasty dish is boiled and buttered new potatoes or string beans with dill. As a rule it is not used with other herbs because of its distinctive aroma.

In order to have fresh dill in the garden the whole year round it should be sown in succession from March till late July. The leaves will be ready for picking within six weeks of sowing. Dill is an annual herb and plants sown in spring produce seeds in the autumn of the same year.

Until recently the housewife used either fresh or dry garlic bulbs, but nowadays, thanks to modern methods of dehydration, it can he obtained in shops in the form of dry pieces, flakes, grains or powder, all of equally good.

About the Author:

When Alcuin, famous early medieval scholar and adviser to Charlemagne, asked his sovereign what a garden herb is he received the succinct reply: `Friend of physicians and pride of cooks'.

White Ash and Manna Ash

By Kimberly Benson

It is necessary to realize that plants, including trees and shrubs, migrated in the Wake of the new ranges. Some species have not as yet occupied the whole of the area that would suit their needs.

Other species came up against insurmountable obstacles such as mountain ranges, and broad river valleys, though beyond these they would again have found areas where they could thrive.

The manna ash is a tree of south-eastern Europe, where it grows south of the Alps and Carpathians. It occurs in Spain and southern France, but the chief centre of its distribution is Italy and the Balkan Peninsula, where it is found on dry, sun- warmed slopes in oak forests. In the northern areas of its range, it occurs chiefly on limestone soils. In the mountains it may be found at elevations up to 1200 metres.

The general pattern of distribution can lead us to deduce that species found beyond the Arctic Circle, such as birch, pine, aspen, alder and spruce are frost resistant, whereas species growing mainly in southern Europe will probably be more sensitive to cold ; in more northern areas only warm and sheltered sites will be favourable for their growth. When introducing new exotics, a thorough study of their natural environment is the main condition of efficient selection and subsequent, vigorous growth.

The manna ash thrives on well-drained soils that are exposed to strong sunlight in the summer. It is, however, tolerant of soil conditions and will grow in cooler climates. It is an important tree in the afforestation of karst areas and dry slopes devastated by grazing. In former times, the liquid "manna" (sap) yielded by the bark was used for pharmaceutical purposes in Italy.

This practice has continued with greater or lesser intensity up to the present day, reaching a peak during the past two centuries when man was settling the vast expanses of the Americas, Africa and Asia. At first, these plants were imported as novelties for parks and landscape gardens, but, later, economic reasons also prevailed, and exotics were planted in forestry plantations.

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One garden planning tip is that slatted wooden stagings are necessary for standing plant containers on in the garden so excess water can drip through on to the floor.

Southernwood Herb

By Mary Rose

Southernwood herb is a perennial sub-shrub that was very popular with the herbalists of medieval times.

In all probability it is native to southeastern Europe and western Asia and was introduced to central Europe by the Slays during their mass westward migrations. Nowadays it is widely distributed throughout the world, often becoming established in the wild in sandy locations beside ponds and water courses. It was probably one of the `bitter herbs' eaten by the Jews during the feast of Passover.

Southernwood herb is also used as a medicine as well as in cooking ingredients. Southernwood herb is used to this day as a home remedy to aid digestion and as an intestinal antiseptic.

The young aromatic foliage of Southernwood herb is used for culinary purposes, either fresh or dried. Southernwood herb has a bitter flavour, like the foliage of all members of the genus, and smells of lemon. Southernwood herb is used sparingly, mainly as seasoning for fatty pork and mutton, roast goose and duck, as well as to flavour pies, cream cheese, mayonnaise and salads. The French put parts of the Southernwood herb plants in wardrobes as Southernwood herb will protect their clothes against the damage caused by moths and other insects.

Horseradish is a perennial with a large, fleshy tap root. It is propagated only by vegetative means - by root cuttings. It is important to cut off the clusters of flowers so the plant's energies are concentrated into root development rather than fruit formation. The roots should be dug up in autumn or spring of the second or third year and stored in boxes in sand in a cool cellar so they do not dry out. Horseradish is very good for the health because of its high content of Vitamin C and mineral substances.

Southernwood herb is often grown in gardens not only as a culinary and medicinal herb but also for its handsome foliage. Southernwood herb does not flower until late autumn in central Europe and generally does not produce viable seeds. Southernwood herb is therefore propagated by dividing older clumps. Old wood should be cut out during the dormant period in winter, thereby promoting the growth of new shoots and lush foliage in spring.

About the Author:

A small herb garden which is part of a larger garden, forms a complete and satisfying entity in itself.

What Makes New Balance Tennis Shoes The Best Shoes in America?

By Ron Jordan

When we speak about sport shoes, we speak about making performance. Professional runners need professional footwear to meet their training needs. The more attention sportsmen pay to their equipment, the better their results can be. One brand came into their attention: New Balance tennis shoes offered them the stability, the comfort and the innovation needed for performance.

New Balance sneakers are a traditional US brand, dating since the beginning of the 1900s. Their ranges of shoes are targeting females and males, in different product lines. The recipe for creating a big name in shoes for New Balance was the permanent care for innovative ideas and creativity.

The initial New Balance shoe for runners was made in 1938 and it was a success. The shoe was targeted at professional runners. In case they were not happy with the performance, they were promised to receive their money back.

It took several more years until the first running shoe for common people was issued. This happened in 1960. Trackstar was the brand that revolutionized running for ever. They were based on an innovative concept regarding fitting, so they practically could fit every person.

In 1982, the famous 990 New Balance sneaker was born, with thorough research beneath its launch. They were flexible, stable and supportive, so sales were really boosting. This was a premium running shoe.

As technology improved, New Balance incorporated the state of the art processes and materials in their shoes, so the 990 was significantly improved. The look was also changed in order to match the fashion of the 90s.

Continuous innovation made New Balance preserve its place in the gallery of the greatest sport shoes manufacturers, even in 2009. Actual models such as the 993 have modern shapes, better cushioning and pronation control. The midsole is one of the best innovations in sport shoes design since long time ago.

About the Author:

Read more tips about shoes on this New Balance shoes website, written by a fashion passionate and sports footwear addicted.

The Importance of Shrubs

By Adam Parker

Climbing and scrambling shrubs are valuable assets that have few substitutes. Ideal for covering and concealing ugly walls and fences as well as for adding a touch of green to terraces, pergolas, archways and pillars are members of the genera Ainpelopsis, Aristolochia, Clematis, Euonymus, Hedera, Hydrangea, Lonicera, Rosa, Vitis and many others.

One example is the high mountain shrub community above the tree line consisting of dwarf pine, European green alder, dwarf willows, rhododendrons and other shrubs whose limited height coupled with a protective blanket of snow permits them to survive the icy winds and sub-zero temperatures of the winter months.

Some deciduous shrubs are often used to form hedges of varying height and thickness because they stand up well to pruning. These include also certain thorny species that form practically impenetrable hedges. For this purpose, shrubs may be divided into two groups: those that form hedges more than 2 al high and those that grow to a height of 1-1.5 m.

At the first hint of spring the sallow provides bees with their first nourishment of pollen and nectar after their long winter sleep. In March sun- warmed hillsides in central and eastern Europe are covered with the yellow blooms of the cornelian cherry, which likewise attract swarms of bees.

And with the actual arrival of spring, there is a wealth of blossom in shades of yellow, pink, red and other hues, as shrubs in hedgerows, pastures and forest clearings entice their many and varied insect pollinators. The fruits and seeds of shrubs are disseminated, as a rule, by birds and animals that cat the sweet pulp or protein-rich and oily seeds. The fruits of the common elder, red elder, currants, privet, English holly, blackthorn and many other shrubs are favourites with birds and their seeds are dispersed far and wide. For songbirds, however, shrubs are not just a source of food. The dense and sometimes thorny branches of many shrubs provide them with maintain for lack of light.

These general criteria, however, do not always apply. Some species of shrubs may include specimens with a clearly evident main stem (Cornelian cherry, common buckthorn, English holly), and in rare instances some may even attain a height of more than 8 m (hawthorn, English holly). These general characteristics, however, apply to the majority of shrubs.

About the Author:

When the contours and layout of the garden have been plotted on a flat garden plan, you can begin to translate the shapes into walls, steps and paves areas which will form the basic skeleton of the garden.