Yes, yes to most of what you got goin’ on here :) I’m just compelled to stick up for watermelon lol! nah, it’s a really good source of nutrition and worth highlighting to promote more frequent consumption. Here’s a few bits on why:

1. https://www.nwhealth.edu/news/11-top-watermelon-health-benefits/
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/well/eat/watermelon-health-benefits-recipes.html
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9692283

Some people may need to choose between foods they can actually have and could use more information to make the healthiest decisions for them or their family. Many of the supporting sources I found state that one could and should eat more servings of these nutrient dense foods (and that many people do not eat enough of the good stuffs like these examples)

Anyway, happy watermelon eating hahaha 😸

Thanks for starting this trend! I hope we can keep it up. It’s fun getting to know our garden community here better 😸

I’m trying my best to make my gardens explode with color and opportunities for local bugs and whatnot to enjoy. I’m also giving a go at planting large batches of companion and complimentary plants to keep the baddies at bay and promote best outcomes. First time planting nasturtiums in the mix and I’m very into how gigantic they’ve become!

My other big project is placing various plants along one fence line to create a living fence that should block the view into the backyard and provide a bit of a sound barrier. After visiting the International Flower and Garden festival at EPCOT recently, I fell in love with their use of Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ and I can’t wait to add some to my design.

This link seems a tad sponsored, but it happens to sum up my suggestions pretty nicely: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/gardening/21015382/foundation-planting-basics

I also vote for some forsythia, rhododendrons, and hosta plants 🌱 best of luck! I hope we get to see some progress pics 😸

https://abcbirds.org/program/cats-indoors/trap-neuter-release/

The gist of this: “The scientific evidence regarding TNR clearly indicates that TNR programs are not an effective tool to reduce feral cat populations. Rather than slowly disappearing, studies have shown that feral cat colonies persist and may actually increase in size.”

From the article they mentioned that has a nuanced outlook: “While there are potential welfare impairments with indoor restrictions, a number of enrichment strategies have been suggested for counteracting these effects to promote the health, affective states, and performance of natural behaviors of indoor cats. Further research is needed to assess the efficacy of these strategies and to determine whether the welfare of cats is impaired by restriction. To develop effective educational strategies aimed at reducing the impact of uncontrolled outdoor access for cats, further research is necessary to improve our understanding of owner practices and attitudes towards outdoor access for cats.“

Pet owners that are responsible should be enacting enrichment strategies to keep them happy and healthy. Further research is needed to conclude strategies are effective, but I’m not sure the conclusion is no pet cats for all because “cruel”. My anecdotal evidence points to the strategies being effective, at least.

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Keep pets inside and everyone gets along :)

The author could have supported their statements a little better, but scattered throughout the articles are reasons like:

• Ginger is harvested in winter and will decline in quality over time, so it may be best to harvest and use sooner rather than later. It will help with the side effects of meat stored for harsh and long times
• Nutmeg is harvested in August and then proceeds through processing routes that may take enough time to complete and be ready for use by winter
• Cinnamon is largely harvested after monsoon season June-December, so will be available for use in time for fall and winter time