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Page 8B The Braselton News Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Killer plants can be useful for weed control It is a well known fact that the roots of black walnut trees emit a chemical that kills many other trees and shrubs for a consider able distance from their trunks. This is a natural defense mecha nism for eliminating competing vegetation that might otherwise rob the walnut trees of sunlight, moisture, and nutrients. The black walnut is not the only form of plant life capable of kill ing off the competition. And, with growing concern about the overuse of chemicals in the environment, that’s a good thing. Vigorous groundcovers like English ivy and kudzu can do this simply by smothering anything and everything in their path. But, some accomplish the same thing without becoming a stronger pest. It is this quality in the penicillin mold that led to its discovery as a miracle drug, capable of destroy ing a number of bacterial diseases. And farmers have noted that fields grew fewer weeds where sorghum was planted as a cover crop and later plowed under. According to retired Cornell pro fessor of weed management and natural products chemistry Leslie Weston, when sorghum breaks down in the soil, it gives off a chemical that inhibits the photo- Gardener’s Grapevine with Fil Jessee filwrites@aol.com synthesis of crabgrass, barnyard grass and velvet leaf. “And, this chemical actually works better than many synthetic herbicides,” she noted. Well, that might work for those of us who plant large vegetable gardens, but it seems a little impractical for flower gardeners. On the other hand, a number of desirable perennials show simi lar weed-fighting ability in their chemical make-up. In shady areas, pachysandra and the Japanese painted fern accom plish this both through chemicals and their smothering growth habit. In sunny locations, catmint, heu- chera, and ornamental golden rod are similarly effective, according to Weston. Broadleaf perennials, such as hosta, lily-of-the-valley, and ajuga are effective in killing many annu al weeds, simply by shading out their sprouting seeds. But, they are not too useful in fighting peren nial weeds that grow tall and fast enough to poke through the lower foliage canopy. Other plants give off chemi cals that don’t really kill any thing, but are noticeably offen sive to a variety of pests that run the gamut from Japanese beetles to deer. And, though some of these plants don’t grow here, you can obtain their repellant extracts in a number of organic pest control products. Notably among these is the neem tree, a native of tropi cal India. An extract of this tree’s seed is so offensive to Japanese beetles, they’ll avoid chewing any leaves on which this compound is sprayed. I’m sure this list of environ mentally friendly killer and repel lant plants and plant products will grow as research continues. And in the meantime, I would love to hear from any of my gardening readers who may have made a few discoveries of their own in this regard. Fil Jessee lives in Braselton, where he works as a freelance jour nalist. He is a Georgia Certified Plant Professional with experience in ornamental horticulture and landscape design. Reader ques tions relating to gardening can be sent to Fil atfilwrites@aol.com. The Braselton News now available in stores FUNDS DONATED TO BARROW COUNTY HOLIDAY CONNECTION The Winder-Barrow Community Theatre recently donated $211 to the Barrow County Holiday Connection to pay for toys for needy children. A portion of every ticket purchased at Winder-Barrow Community Theatre shows is donated to a non-profit group in the community. The money was given out of the proceeds of the Hometown Christmas Show presented the first weekend of December. Jennifer Cantwell, executive director of the Barrow County Family Connection, is shown receiving a check from Pam Veader, president of Winder-Barrow Community Theatre. Timmons named consultant for Tastefully Simple A number of new newsstands have been set up for patrons to pur chase the new weekly newspaper, The Braselton News. The newsstand charge is 25 cents. The Braselton News will continue to be inserted into subscriber edi tions of The Jackson Herald. It will no longer be inserted into Herald newsstand copies. Copies of The Braselton News are also mailed directly to selected areas of Gwinnett, Hall and Barrow counties. In the Braselton area, the follow ing stores have newsstands for The Braselton News: Vineyard Shops (Dollar Superstore), Select Brokers, Hoschton Cafe, Frankie’s Hair Salon, West Jackson Mini Shops, Mulberry Walk Shopping Center, P & G Superette, Duncan’s Comer Bottle Shop and Barberito’s restau rant. Other locations include: Quality Foods and Ingles, both in Winder; Food Lion and Bell's Food Store, both in Jefferson; and Quality Foods, Prestos and Ingles, all in Commerce. The Braselton News began two years ago as a separate page of coverage in The Herald and then expanded to a separate section last year. Stores that would like to carry copies of The Braselton News for sale should contact Sharon Hogan at 706-367-2350. Eleanor Timmons, Flowery Branch, has become an indepen dent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct- sales company featuring easy- to-prepare gourmet products. As a consultant, Timmons offers the company’s gourmet foods and beverages to guests at home taste-testing parties. Guests receive samples, meal ideas, recipes and serving sug gestions. “The Tastefully Simple oppor tunity is designed to be life friendly,” says Jill Blashack Strahan, Tastefully Simple Inc. founder and CEO. “Consultants find a great deal of satisfaction through its fun nature, flexibil ity, unlimited earning potential and top-notch products.” For more information about Tastefully Simple products, taste-testing parties or the busi ness opportunity, contact Eleanor Timmons at 678-714-6695. For more information about Tastefully Simple, visit www. tastefullysimple.com. iCjaUertf ofo *ees &. Ornaments Fred's Lamv Rev air Bring you broken lamp any day of the week. Reasonablefees. 'MU Passing Stories through the history of Hoschton and Braselton, Georgia * Open 7 AM with continental breakfast and the good taste of Pendragon Coffee * Lunch - Try one of our deli sandwiches with fruit & cookie * Gift items include Willow Tree angels & Never the Rock photo souvenirs. * We can make a delightful Christmas basket for a friend or employee. * Located at the traffic light across from Braselton Antique Mall. * Call for extended holiday hours - 706-654-9145 fl<3 £?« Visit our website - www.1921acountrystore.com ^^e&scn's meetings 5134 Hwy. 53 • Braselton, GA Antique Station 3880 Hwy. 53 • Hoschton, GA Ye Ole Station 3699 Hwy. 53 • Braselton, GA 2008 Hess Truck Available Lady’s Sweaters Open Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. 1921A Country Store The best little coffee shop in Braselton! Kids’ Clothing TOP QUALITY & HAND PICKED Open Friday & Saturday 10-6 Sunday 1-5 Gas Up with good savings 20-75% Off throughout the store! (ZhvlstPHAS e&s In iEoevy Great Furniture and Home Decor Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6 & Sunday 1-5 Interior Designer available for consultation *** Sales throughout the store ***