In today’s news, France provides emergency food aid for refugee women and children in Uganda. Severely dry conditions impacting millions in Afghanistan, pilot UK study shows organic farming can have social benefits, US scientists design plastic that remains durable in use but breaks down when triggered, skiers rescued from avalanche on Austrian Alps, health-conscious consumers in South America choosing soy milk, and Australian marine wildlife group rescues stranded stingray-person.
Here's a gardening tip for you. A neat way to rejuvenate your perennials, expand your garden at no cost or share plants with others is to divide mature clumps. Favorites like hostas, coneflowers, irises, and sedums respond especially well to division when the weather is cool, such as in early spring or autumn. When a plant starts blooming less, becomes crowded, or develops an empty patch in the center, it’s a good sign that it needs splitting. Water the plant deeply a couple of days beforehand, then dig around it with a wide margin and lift the root ball carefully. You can separate the sections by pulling them apart with your hands, cutting with a clean, sharp knife, or using two garden forks to pull the clump apart into smaller portions. Each new division should have three to five healthy shoots and a strong set of roots. Replant your new pieces right away, set them in loose soil, and water thoroughly to help them settle in.
Let’s have a little chuckle together with our joke of the day entitled, “Philosophy 101: Less Is More.”
A college student in a philosophy class was taking his first examination. On the test paper, there was a single line that simply said, “Is this a question? — Discuss.” While others wrote pages of philosophy, the student chose simplicity. He wrote, “If that is a question, then this is an answer.” The student received an “A” on the exam.
