Deadhead your flowers-or not
By JOAN CROTHERS Sentinel Editor
      Gardeners know the term deadheading means to pick off spent flowers in your flower beds making the plants bloom more and for a longer time, prevents seeding which keeps them from spreading all over the place, and results in healthier plants and a fresher looking appearance.
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Simple Steps help landscape handle drought
BY ROBERT N. BREWER, JR. Extension Service Agent UGA
      We can't accurately predict the future, but our state climatologist says an extended drought is likely this summer. Are you prepared for the inevitable restrictions on outdoor watering? You can't totally droughtproof your landscape. But you can do a number of things now to help it prosper with le...
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Be sure to check for ticks
      Summertime is here and so are ticks, just waiting for you on the ground or on the tips of low-growing plants. And they love bales of hay you might want to sit on. If out hiking, walking in the woods or working in your yard, tuck pants into your socks if possible, and always do a tick check when y...
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This is a hammer
Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Are Safe
BY SAMANTHAMAZZOTTA
      Q: I've heard on the news that the energy-saving twisty lights can cause fire. I have a lot of them -- my place can be dark, and I leave them on a lot, and I like them. Should I get rid of all of them, or is it not that serious? They haven't been taken off the market yet.
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Kitchen tips
      Clean hands with warm water before and after handling fresh fruits and vegetables. Clean all surfaces with soap and hot water and do not use the same cutting board for chicken and meat as for fresh fruit and vegetables without washing with soap and hot water in between.
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Grocery tips
      Cantaloupes: Choose medium sized melons with thick, above surface netting. Rinse well before cutting. It's ripe when it has a good cantaloupe smell. Corn: To store, cut away the base of the ear to the bottom kernels, wrap tightly in plastic film or put in airtight container. Refrigerate.
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Co-existing with coyotes
Education and Prevention best defense as coyote sightings increase
      The distinctive call of the coyote or "song dog" can be heard all across our state - from the more welcoming rural areas of wooded forests and open fields to the less inviting backyards of metro Atlanta neighborhoods.
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