Plant This Popular Flower By Your Tomatoes To Eliminate Pests In Your Veggie Garden
Few smells are better than the leaves of a tomato plant during peak season -- but few things are more visually horrifying than a tomato hornworm. Those girthy pests aren't the only insects that pose a threat to your delicate tomato plants. Luckily, tomatoes and marigolds are the horticultural dream team to keep harmful pests at bay. This symbiotic pairing is powerful on a number of levels.
Like tomatoes, marigolds love warm, full-sun environments. Their fragrance is appealing to humans but naturally repellent to aphids, hornworms, whiteflies, and thrips -- all of which are just as hungry for your tomatoes as you are. In outside garden beds, a dense thicket of marigolds can also deter slugs and snails, which also want to chow down on your tomatoes. Below the surface, marigold roots emit a toxin that repels parasitic nematodes, which live in the soil and can cause root rot. Simultaneously, those deep marigold roots also aerate the soil, improving overall soil quality and enriching it with biodiverse organic matter.
Do you think marigolds are pretty? So do bees and ladybugs! These beneficial pollinators will be drawn to the flowers, and their presence will increase the size and quality of your tomato crop yield. Tomatoes are already a high-yield and relatively easy beginner vegetable for novice gardeners. Just one plant can produce enough tomatoes to keep foodies well-stocked all season long. Ever made tomato jam? It's a flavorful way to extend your harvest season well into the colder months.
Read more: 20 Healthy Choice Frozen Meals, Ranked Worst To Best
To customize your gardenscape, different species of the flower come in different colors. French marigolds (which are naturally multicolored yellow, orange, and red) emit the strongest insect-repelling aroma of any marigold strain. The bright pop of color provides a cheerful, aesthetically-pleasing contrast to the red and green tomatoes growing nearby. These strongly scented marigolds also attract lacewings and wasps — known predators of the hornworm that will kill unwanted pests without harming your tomatoes. Plus, French marigolds are totally edible and can make a radiant cocktail garnish.
Short on space? Marigolds also thrive in container gardens. Plant marigold seeds 6-12 inches away from your tomato seeds in the same pot for a tactical, beautiful naturescape. Or you could place a separate marigold pot (or two) beside your potted tomato plant. If you have the space in a raised outdoor garden bed, you could also plant a ring of marigolds around your tomato plants as a pretty design element and a functional protective barricade.
In addition to those marigolds, basil, parsley, and garlic also make terrific companion plants for tomatoes. They thrive in the same conditions (full sun, and nutrient-dense, high-drainage soil) and don't grow to spectacular heights, allowing that tomato plant to stand tall and soak up the sun without getting choked out. Plus, many savory tomato-based recipes also include basil, garlic, and parsley, making your home garden a one-stop-shop at mealtime.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
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IOL News
38 minutes ago
- IOL News
The dogs of war: stories from Ukraine's front lines
Former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba plays with his rescue dogs, Marik, 3, and Puzan, 3, at his home in Kyiv. Image: Serhiy Morgunov/The Washington Post Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv's top diplomat made a very personal and little-known policy decision: He encouraged Ukraine's Foreign Ministry staff to bring their dogs to work. Dmytro Kuleba's rule meant employees didn't have to leave their terrified dogs at home during missile and drone attacks. And it meant Kuleba's new rescue, a gray French bulldog named Marik, scooped from the wreckage of the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, would spend the next couple of years overhearing foreign policy discussions as he waddled around the office. Zhuzha, who is around 6 years old, was adopted by Mykola Kulivets while he served in the Ukrainian military. After surviving several front-line postings together, the pair demobilized and moved to Kyiv. Kulivets brought Zhuzha on a first date with Maria Smirnova, who fell in love with both of them. The couple now live together with Zhuzha Image: Serhiy Morgunov/ The Washington Post Such an arrangement might seem unusual for a foreign minister - but not in wartime Ukraine. Russia's invasion has made the security of pets a national priority. Families in front-line towns often flee Russian shelling with multiple pets in tow, and soldiers feed and care for those left behind. Volunteers then risk their lives to evacuate them to safer cities, where they are often adopted into Ukrainian families or sent abroad. The lengths Ukrainian troops and volunteers have gone to rescue vulnerable dogs has spurred a massive cultural shift, transforming Ukraine - once criticized for its treatment of animals - into an extraordinarily dog-friendly country. Gone are stuffy old rules banning pets from many places. Kuleba resigned in 2024, but the Foreign Ministry confirmed that his dog policy remains in place. Dogs are also now welcome inside most restaurants, cafes, beauty salons, grocery stores and hotels in major Ukrainian cities. They're often greeted with water bowls and treats or, in some cases, their own menus. Kulivets with Zhuzha in his apartment in Kyiv. Image: Serhiy Morgunov/The Washington Post And, like Marik the French bulldog, and Kuleba's later rescue, Puzan, who is from the eastern town of Lyman, many of these dogs were rescued from the front lines. In Kyiv's sprawling parks, families now trade notes about their four-legged mutts' hometowns, describing dramatic escapes from war. Ukrainians' commitment to saving front-line animals 'literally changed how we as a nation are perceived abroad,' Kuleba said. Here are some stories of the dogs of war. 'A basic need' A pack of abandoned dogs roamed the nearly empty village close to the eastern front where Ukrainian soldier Mykola Kulivets was stationed in 2022 - but the smallest, with her long black fur and pointy ears, stood out from the rest. One April morning, she appeared all alone at the door of Kulivets's makeshift base. He fed her a sausage and she never left. He cleaned her dirty, matted fur, named her Zhuzha, let her move inside - and two months later woke up to her giving birth under his cot. The timing could not have been worse: Kulivets's battalion was about to relocate to a village near the front-line city of Avdiivka, and he now had six dogs - including five puppies - in his care. His commander, a dog lover himself, told Kulivets to bring them along. For the rest of the summer, as fierce battles took place mere miles away, the dogs distracted Kulivets and his fellow troops from the horrors of war. 'To have some little one to take care of - I think it's a basic need for every human being,' he said. From afar, Kulivets's mother helped find homes around Ukraine for the four male puppies. His grandparents agreed to adopt the only girl, whom they named Asya. In late August, when the puppies were two months old, Kulivets drove to Dnipro to pass them off to his mom - his first time seeing her since he had deployed. He returned to war the same day with only Zhuzha left. Back east, Kulivets moved with Zhuzha to the city of Bakhmut, which Russia later destroyed and seized. Under intense shelling, he would hurry her outside for bathroom breaks. His team grew so attached that it named the command center Zhuzha, and her name appeared in official military orders. Kulivets and Zhuzha eventually demobilized, and both have settled into civilian life in Kyiv. 'When my commander calls me, his first question is not about me - it's about Zhuzha,' Kulivets said. In villages outside Kyiv, Elina Sutiahyna, 64, and Nadiia Tkachenko, also 64, friends who ran small kiosks in the same market, heard through volunteers about Zhuzha's front-line puppies who needed homes. Sutiahyna adopted one and named him Avdyusha, after Avdiivka, the city Kulivets's battalion defended. The dog now assists Sutiahyna's husband, who had a stroke, acting 'as his eyes and ears,' she said. Tkachenko took another and named him Archie. 'To me it was important to help an animal from the front line,' she said. 'If you see these videos of soldiers with animals, you can't help but just cry.' 'Not normal anymore to buy dogs' Early in the war, Hanna Rudyk, deputy director of Kyiv's Khanenko Museum, left home with her young daughter, Silviia. They moved to Germany, and her husband, Artem, unable to travel due to martial law banning men from leaving the country, stayed behind. Rudyk knew they would eventually return to Kyiv but feared air raid sirens and explosions would traumatize Silviia, who is now 10. Maybe, she thought, a dog would help. But it had to be a rescue - during wartime, she said, 'it's not normal anymore to buy dogs.' Then she saw a Facebook post from a volunteer. Troops fighting in the eastern city of Toretsk, since destroyed by Russian artillery, had been caring for a dog who gave birth at their position. The surviving puppies had been evacuated - and one still needed a home. The remaining dog was a white female with brown spots and big pointy ears like a cartoon character. They named her Latka, Ukrainian for 'patch.' Her goofy personality has helped Silviia adjust to life in wartime. When Russian attacks on the capital send them running for cover at night, Silviia and Latka curl up in the hallway and go back to sleep together. Across town, a puppy from a different Toretsk litter was also settling into his new life. Serhii Piatkov, 35, already had one dog - Leonardo, a Russian toy terrier named for the Ninja Turtle - when he started donating about $25 a month to an animal shelter in Kyiv. In July 2024, the shelter held an adoption drive. Piatkov, who runs an advertising firm, stopped by and locked eyes with a black and white border collie mix with freckled legs. Rescued at just a few months old from Toretsk, he was now surrounded by dogs with severe disabilities. The dog looked like he didn't belong, Piatkov thought. A few days later, he took him home. Keeping with the Ninja Turtles theme, he named him Donatello - Doni for short. 'He's my small bear,' he said. 'Dogs are friends and partners' Three-year-old Lisa doesn't mind when air raid sirens blare in Kyiv, because that means her owner, Olesya Drashkaba, comes to hide by Lisa's bed in the hallway. Lisa is named for the eastern Ukrainian city where she was born, Lysychansk - which Russian forces seized in 2022. Drashkaba, an artist, was abroad early in the war, but when she moved back to Kyiv and opened her empty apartment, she immediately knew she was going to need a dog. Friends shared photos of Lisa, who had recently been rescued from the east, and Drashkaba fell in love with the funny strawberry-blond mutt. Lisa adapted quickly to her life bouncing between Drashkaba's studio, exhibitions and trendy cafes in central Kyiv. She catches the attention of so many passersby that Drashkaba met her now-partner when he stopped to say hello to Lisa. 'I think it's very good that people finally understand that dogs are friends and partners and even maybe more,' she said. Olha Kotlyarska, 29, likes to point out that because of the war, she and her dog, Khvoya, are both on antidepressants. Kotlyarska is a lawyer assisting investigations into alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Khvoya is a shepherd mix who was born in Avdiivka and cared for by Ukrainian troops until volunteers moved her and her siblings to safety in January 2024. Russia seized control of Avdiivka shortly after. Khvoya's adjustment to a more peaceful life in Kyiv has not always been easy. 'In the beginning she was scared of everything and everyone on the street,' Kotlyarska said. With training, medication and love, she's making slow progress. 'It still takes a lot for her to not be in panic mode, and it's still something that we are working on,' Kotlyarska said. 'The saddest dog ever' Russian forces had advanced in the Zaporizhzhia region and were heavily shelling the town of Orikhiv in late 2023 when Ukrainian volunteers drove in, searching for a dog they had been asked to find and rescue. Then a different scruffy black dog ran in front of their car. The volunteers could see he was unwell, with overgrown hair, wounds and a collar digging into his neck. He went running. They chased him into a basement, where they found Ukrainian troops sheltering from Russian attacks. The soldiers helped usher the dog into a crate, and between artillery rounds the volunteers fled with him. Back in Kyiv, Kateryna Lytvynenko, 37, saw a shelter post photos of 'the saddest dog ever.' The human rights adviser at Save the Children had fostered several dogs already, including one her dad adopted. She wanted her own and hoped to find one from her home region of Zaporizhzhia. When she met him, she wept. Here was this abandoned dog, from the front line near where she grew up, hair shaved and with sad brown eyes begging her for a home. She took him home the next day and named him Marko. One week after Marko's adoption, a tiny brown dog was born in the same town on Christmas. Volunteers evacuated the puppy to Kyiv, where so many applications flooded in to take her that 'it was like trying to rent an apartment in a prime location in the center of Kyiv,' recalled Dmytro Kustov, 29, a stretching coach who eventually won out. Born in a desolate place, Kari, whom Kustov calls his 'clever, sneaky little fox,' now attends all his stretching classes and has a wardrobe of miniature winter clothes and boots. 'It's our dog' Days after Russian troops retreated from their bloody assault on the Kyiv region in 2022, Dmytro Slivnyi, 41, was rushing supplies to the besieged areas when he came across a big, lonely dog by the road. When it was time to return home, he called his wife, Oleksandra Berezovska, and told her, 'I'm coming back - but not alone.' The couple, who already had two dogs, washed her, named her Golda and fostered her until a friend adopted her. 'When they left, I said to my husband, 'It's a mistake - it's our dog,'' Oleksandra recalled. When their friend deployed to the front line, Golda ended up back with Dmytro and Oleksandra, and eventually they decided she would stay for good. Around the same time, Ukrainian photojournalist Anastasia Vlasova was documenting the aftermath of Russia's atrocities near Kyiv when her colleague saw a little face poke out from behind a burned-out tank. 'It was definitely the worst time imaginable to get an animal,' admitted Vlasova, 32. Her schedule was packed with assignments. She brought her home that day and named her Javelina, after the U.S. shoulder-mounted anti-tank weapons that helped Ukraine defend Kyiv in 2022. Sometimes, Javelina's traumatic past comes out when she panics from loud noises, like explosions or thunder, that send her into hiding. Vlasova said her strategy is: 'Okay, I'm going to cuddle her.' 'Our moral values' For three years, combat medic Roman, 33, had seen all kinds of pets - dogs, cats, horses, cows, even ostriches and a turtle - abandoned across the front line. One dog his unit took care of for six months died when she stepped on a grenade. So when he was deployed to Russia's Kursk region last August and found a fluffy tricolor dog cowering in an abandoned garden, Roman, who can only be identified by his first name because he remains on active duty, feared going through the pain of losing a war dog again. But when he sent photos to his partner, Nadiia, she said his only home would be with them. Roman's deputy company commander, who had already adopted two cats, approved the dog's staying with Roman's unit until he could evacuate him to Nadiia. The troops initially named the dog Sudzhyk, for Sudzha, the Russian town Ukraine had seized during the operation. But when the dog moved in with Nadiia farther from the front, she renamed him Leo.
IOL News
38 minutes ago
- IOL News
France takes a stand: smoking is banned in outdoor areas accessible to children
France has announced a moe to ban smoking in areas accessible to children. Image: Unsplash In a significant public health move, France's Health and Family Minister, Catherine Vautrin, announced that the country will implement a ban on smoking in all outdoor areas accessible to children from July 1. This includes popular venues like beaches, parks, bus stops, and outside schools - places where the presence of young children is significant. The new regulation aims to protect children's right to breathe clean air, a directive that the French minister stated is crucial as "The freedom to smoke stops where children's right to breathe clean air starts." As France gears up for the bustling summer travel season, the implications of this ban will be notably felt by smoking travellers. Historically renowned for its café culture, where patrons leisurely smoke while enjoying their meals, travellers planning to visit must now adapt to tighter regulations. While smoking in iconic café terraces remains permitted, their outdoor excursions will be limited in various public spaces, requiring smokers to choose designated areas more carefully. The legislation is part of a broader strategy outlined in the government's National Anti-Tobacco Programme (2023-2027) to propel France toward a "tobacco-free generation" by 2032. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Current statistics share that around 35% of the French population is smokers, higher than the European average of 25% and a global figure of 21%, according to the World Health Organization. The initiative aims to reduce the annual toll of approximately 75 000 deaths due to tobacco-related illnesses in France. With fines of up to €135 (approximately R2 750) awaiting those who violate the ban, smoking travellers must also consider the potential penalties of not adhering to the new regulations. Moreover, the move comes as 62% of the French population expresses support for stricter public smoking regulations, reflecting a growing awareness and desire for a healthier environment, especially for children. Interestingly, the new ban doesn't encompass electronic cigarettes, which have seen a surge in popularity, adding another layer of complexity to the smoking landscape in France. Additionally, as many as 1,500 municipalities across the nation had already independently established smoking restrictions in public spaces, signalling a grassroots movement towards tighter controls. Ultimately, while the ban may be seen as an inconvenience for some tourists, it underscores a significant shift in cultural attitudes towards smoking in France - an evolution that prioritises the health and well-being of its younger populations over the longstanding freedoms associated with tobacco use. France has announced a moe to ban smoking in areas accessible to children. Image: Unsplash
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US doubles steel, aluminum tariffs as OECD ministers gather
The United States doubled steel and aluminum tariffs Wednesday, casting a pall on a gathering of OECD ministers as President Donald Trump's intensifying trade war weighs on the world economy. Trump's sweeping tariffs on allies and adversaries alike -- including levies on imported steel and autos -- have strained US ties with trading partners and sparked a flurry of negotiations to avoid the duties. And pressure is mounting as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a 38-nation grouping of mostly developed countries, cut its global growth forecast on the back of Trump's levies. Trade, consumption and investment have been affected by the tariffs, OECD chief economist Alvaro Pereira earlier told AFP, warning that the US economy will see the biggest repercussions. While some of Trump's most sweeping levies face legal challenges, they have been allowed to remain in place for now as an appeals process is ongoing. Against this tense backdrop, the Paris-based grouping is holding a ministerial meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic are set to hold talks on the sidelines of the gathering, with the bloc seeking to stave off higher levies from July 9 absent a compromise. Similarly, UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met Greer on Tuesday to try and avert fresh tariff hikes on steel and aluminum. Despite the doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs Wednesday, imports from the UK will remain at 25 percent for now, while both sides work out duties and quotas in line with the terms of their trade pact. In their talks, Reynolds and Greer discussed a "shared desire to implement" the pact, including agreements on sectoral tariffs, as soon as possible, a UK readout said. But Trump's latest salvo raises temperatures with various partners. The European Union has said it "strongly regrets" Trump's plan to raise metals tariffs, cautioning that it "undermines ongoing efforts to reach a negotiated solution" with the United States. The bloc added that it was ready to retaliate. - Looming deadline - The Group of Seven advanced economies -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- is due to hold separate talks on trade on Wednesday too. "We need to come up with negotiated solutions as quickly as possible, because time is running out," German economy minister Katherina Reiche said Tuesday, on the sidelines of OECD talks. French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin added: "We have to keep our cool and always show that the introduction of these tariffs is in no one's interest." Mexico will request an exemption from the higher tariff, Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, arguing that it is unfair because the United States exports more steel to Mexico than it imports. "It makes no sense to put a tariff on a product in which you have a surplus," Ebrard said. Mexico is highly vulnerable to Trump's trade wars because 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, its main trading partner. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the Trump administration sent letters to trading partners to push for offers by Wednesday as a deadline approached. Besides imposing 10 percent tariffs on almost all US trading partners in early April, Trump had announced higher rates for dozens of economies including the EU and Japan as he sought to pressure countries to correct practices Washington deemed unfair. These higher rates were paused for 90 days, but the halt is due to expire July 9. All eyes are also on rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. Trump has taken special aim at China this year, imposing additional levies of 145 percent on Chinese imports -- triggering Beijing's counter tariffs of 125 percent on US goods. Both sides agreed to temporarily de-escalate in May, but Trump accused China of violating the deal. The issue was China "slow walking the approval" of critical mineral exports and rare earth magnets, US Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender told CNBC on Monday. But he maintained Washington is making "good progress" overall in talks. alb-aue-bys/jgc/dw
