(ARA) - A colorful fall garden is as simple as knowing what to plant. Although gardening sources may suggest seasonal projects, these might not be ideal for your region. To prepare for autumn, follow these simple guidelines based on your local climate. It's easy to have a beautiful fall garden - no matter where you live.

Settlers of the Southeast: Revive your garden by adding color with plants that thrive in cool weather, like pansies, foxgloves, snapdragons, sweet alyssum and edibles such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, greens and radishes. Container roses love autumn and are an easy addition to any outdoor space. Planting beauties like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses now will bring a splash of color to spring. Start a compost heap for conditioning your soil or feeding your garden.

Citizens of the Southwest: Temperatures are perfect to enhance your fall menu by planting herbs like cilantro and dill, as well as delicious vegetables like peas, carrots, beets and collard greens. Add color to your outdoor space with bloomers like poppies, dianthus, black-eyed Susans and moss roses. Remember, for rose bushes, now is the time to prune and feed to encourage further blooming. Fall is the best time to feed, dethatch, aerate and overseed grass with fescue or rye. Be sure to stop feeding and watering Bermuda grass before overseeding.

Residents of the West: Take full advantage of a second growing season. Bring culinary creativity to your dinner table by planting fall favorites such as carrots, fennel, potatoes, herbs, parsley and dill, which add extra flavor to your cooking. Grow beautiful cool season flowers like snapdragons, pansies, sweet peas and foxglove. Divide spring-blooming perennials, and plant wildflowers, ground covers and roses. Prepare grass for the season by aerating and feeding. Look forward to spring by pre-chilling bulbs like tulips, hyacinth and crocuses.

Members of the Midwest: The vibrant colors and bountiful harvests of summer fade into fall, but incorporating a few simple ideas can ensure the beauty of your garden lasts well into the autumn. Begin by adding colorful plants like mums and ornamental kale that will grow through the coming months. Fall weather is ideal for planting trees and shrubs - insert long-lasting tree spikes into the soil now for winter feeding. It's also a great time to plant edibles: lettuces, broccoli and other quick-growing, cold-tolerant vegetables can still thrive in the temperatures of the fall. Lastly, planting daffodil, hyacinth and tulip bulbs now will ensure a vibrant spring.

Natives of the Northeast: Transition your garden from summer splendor to fall finery in style by planting annuals that will add liveliness. Pansies are perfectly suited for cooler temperatures, as are chrysanthemums, and jewel-toned ornamental kale. While enjoying your still-blossoming garden, dig and store tender bulbs, like dahlias, cannas, gladioli and tuberous begonias, which could be damaged by the chill of winter. Interested in a little landscape? Fall is a great time to plant deciduous trees and shrubs. Feed properly so these have enough nutrition to survive the winter.

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(ARA) - Recycling is certainly not a new concept. In fact, gardeners have been using one form of recycling - composting - for about as long as people have tilled the soil. Composting is a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to give your garden a boost.

Start your compost pile now, before winter settles in, and come spring you'll have a jump on nutrient-rich compost to help your garden produce its best harvest. Composting happens by itself through natural decay and the breakdown of organic matter. Depending on your local climate, the composting process may not be fully completed with useable humus or compost until temperatures warm up.

"Composting is easy and can be done for as little as $10 - or even free if you build your own bin," says Bruce Augustin, senior director in research and development with Scotts. "It's a great way to provide essential nutrients to your soil, while recycling kitchen and yard waste, which helps keep refuse out of landfills."

It's easy to get started composting: find a bin, gather materials, build your pile and compost. Augustin offers the following easy-to-follow steps for getting started:

Begin with a bin

Containing your compost pile in a bin saves space, hastens decomposition and helps keep the pile neat. You can find many pre-made compost bins at home centers and garden stores. Or, you can build your own from plans found on the Internet with materials around your home.

Gather materials

There are two main sources of materials for your compost pile - your yard and your kitchen. From the yard, you can gather leaves, grass and plant clippings, and shrub or tree trimmings. From the kitchen, add fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds (including the filters), tea bags and eggshells. It's okay to toss in shredded newspaper (not colored or shiny newsprint since these don't decompose readily), but avoid meat scraps, bones, dairy products, grease or pet or human waste since these can all harbor harmful bacteria.

Build your pile

You should build your pile in layers, starting with a 4- to 6-inch layer of coarse material such as twigs or shrub clippings. Then, add on 3 to 4 inches of grass clippings. Next, add another 4- to 6-inch layer of leaves or garden debris and soak with water; moisture will help the microbes decompose the material faster. You can modify this order as needed, depending on the types of materials you have. After a few layers, be sure to add a 1-inch layer of garden soil, such as Miracle-Gro Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables.

Maintain compost

"A high-nitrogen fertilizer like Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, spread over each layer of your compost pile, will help the composting process by creating a favorable nitrogen to carbon ratio," says Augustin. Remember to turn or aerate the pile periodically to help move material from the outside closer to the center of the pile, where it will heat up and decompose faster. During the winter - depending on the region where you live - the center of the pile is where decomposition will take place, and adding water to keep the pile moist will aid the process.

Your compost will be ready to use once it has turned dark and crumbly, and gives off an earthy odor. Add the compost to your garden soil to help nourish your plants.

"Composting is not only beneficial for your garden, but it's also an easy, satisfying way to do something good for the environment," Augustin says.

For more tips on composting and other aspects of gardening and lawn care, visit www.Scotts.com. of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - (ARA) - You drained the gas from the lawn mower and stored the string trimmer - fall is officially here. Can winter be far behind? You may think your yard work is done for another year, but don't turn your back on your lawn just yet.

Take care of some essential lawn chores this fall and you'll reap the rewards next spring - in the form of a lush, healthy, beautiful lawn. In fall, lawn grasses need to become especially strong as the weather cools. Give them some TLC now, and your lawn will reap the benefits over the winter and into next spring.  During the fall, your lawn is getting ready to go dormant for the winter. Your grass will rely on its roots throughout the winter season to obtain nutrients until spring.

Following these five (surprisingly fast) simple steps will ensure a sensational start to lush lawns next spring.

1. Start with the soil and aerate
 
The healthier your soil is the healthier your grass will be. Good, aerated soil will make room for water, nutrients, air and roots to move with ease. Aerated, healthy soil will hold water like a sponge, but at the same time promote drainage. Aerating also creates a good environment for the micro-organisms, worms and other life forms necessary for healthy turf. Without good soil you will find yourself doing lots of weed control and over-fertilizing.

2. Don't delay dethatching  

Thatch is the layer of dead grass that settles in between the soil surface and the green foliage of the grass. Too much thatch interferes with nutrient and water absorption. To gauge thatch's thickness, take a 6-inch-deep plug of sod and soil from the lawn and measure the thickness of the packed thatch. If your thatch layer is more than 1/2 inch thick, your grass will struggle to grow.

3. Supply soil conditioners

Also called soil amendments, soil conditioners added to soil improve plant growth and overall health. Soil conditioners are not fertilizers, but they do improve soil's drainage and some will also increase the water holding capacity of your soil.

4. Sow your seeds

Sowing grass seed will increase turf density and improve the overall health and appearance of your lawn. Seeding in the fall helps the lawn recover from heavy summer traffic and it influences the lawn's look for the following spring. A dense lawn is also the best natural defense against weed and insect damage. For a wide variety of grass seed choices specifically formulated for your geographic region visit www.outsidepride.com. increasingly popular addition to backyard beauty is planting wildflowers instead of grass in hard to maintain, problem spots, like slopes and banks. Outsidepride.com offers  a wide variety of blends for nine areas of the country, from the rainy Northeast to the dry Southwest. Adding wildflower seed this fall to your backyard will add beauty and diversity to your landscape next spring.

An

5. The easy way is the better way

When it comes to labor intensive fall lawn chores like aerating, dethatching, and soil conditioning, brute force isn't necessarily the best, most efficient way to get the job done. You could rent a core aerator to pull up finger-sized cores of soil, but it takes a strong back and plenty of time to manage the heavy equipment. If your lawn is small enough, you can do the dethatching job using a thick-bladed thatching rake. But bigger lawns call for a power thatching mower. Soil conditioning is easier, yet still time-consuming.

Try a labor-free, easy, all-natural option that's a liquid product, like LazyMan Liquid Gold. You can tackle the tasks of aerating, dethatching and soil conditioning with a hose-end sprayer in a matter of minutes.

Non-toxic and all natural, LazyMan Liquid Gold's polymers penetrate hard soil and alternately attract or repel water molecules, opening pathways to allow free passage of moisture and nutrients. A brew of microbes feeds on dead plant tissue in the thatch layer, reducing thatch by half with just three applications at four-week intervals. Finally, humic acids and soil fungi promote soil fertility and plant growth.

After one-step spraying of LazyMan Liquid Gold, you've already accomplished three essential fall lawn care tasks. Now, all that's left to do is seed and feed.

By following these simple lawn care practices in the fall, you can put your lawn to bed and sleep easily knowing that when your lawn awakens from winter it will be healthy and super-charged for spring. To learn more about lawn care, visit www.outsidepride.com. 

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(ARA) - If you haven't yet joined the "grow your own vegetables" craze, it's not too late to join in. You can produce a bounty of vitamin-rich veggies from plot (or pot) to plate this fall, plus you'll save a bundle by growing them yourself.

You may be surprised to find that with just a little attention and effort, growing fall vegetables in the backyard garden and in planters is even more enjoyable than planting a vegetable garden during the spring and summer seasons. Why? Cooler autumn temperatures make it a delight to spend time outside in the garden and also provide an advantage when it's time to harvest your crops.

You'll spend less time caring for your fall crops because of the favorable cool weather growing conditions. Plants will grow rapidly at first and gradually slow as the days become shorter and colder. Destructive insects won't be as numerous in autumn as they are in summer months. Weeds germinate less frequently and grow slower than they do during the warmer seasons. Compared to hot and dry summers, fall usually brings an increase in the amount of precipitation, eliminating another time-consuming chore - watering.

What you need to know:

1. Let the sunshine in.  Most vegetables need full sun - at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. They also require a steady supply of moisture and nutrients from the soil. You can help ensure your plants get both by mixing a 2-inch layer of compost into the soil (bagged compost is available at garden centers). Or spread a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, according to labeled instructions. Plants will need an inch of moisture per week, either through rain or supplemental watering.

2. Start with transplants. Transplants buy you lots of time. Plants are six weeks or older when you put them into the ground, so you will begin harvesting much sooner than if you start from seed. Bonnie Plants transplants in biodegradable, environmentally friendly pots make planting easy and spare the use of much plastic. Just cut off the bottom of the pot, water and plant ... pot and all. Garden centers typically supply optimum fall varieties for your geographic region.

3. Don't fear frost. When frost threatens, cover plants with a floating row cover, cold frame or a cloche. Or, you can grow fall veggies in a container and move the pot to a protected location on frosty nights.

Essential, preliminary planning tips for fall vegetable gardens include:

* Before planting any new plant make sure that you clear the area of summer and spring crops planted previously, as they may decay and encourage bacterial infection.

* Spread a few inches of mulch or compost over the area. Make sure that you turn up the soil's top layer and water well. Allow the soil to rest for a day before planting new fall plants.

* During the fall season most areas experience rain and even frost, so make sure that your soil is well drained and doesn't get soggy.

Vegetables best suited for fall gardens:

After following the essential preliminary steps for fall vegetable gardening, it's time to select vegetables for planting. Here's a list of fast-growing, cold-hardy crops that are ideal for fall vegetable gardening:

Winterbor Kale - This nutritious leafy green is a vigorous producer that endures winter easily, even in very cold climates. Cut the outer leaves so that the center can continue growing. Space transplants about 12 inches apart

Georgia Collards - Another leafy green similar to kale, collards offer a larger, stronger, sweet cabbage-like flavor. Leaves taste best when young.  Space transplants 36 inches apart.

Romaine Lettuce - Romaine packs more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients than other popular types of lettuce. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, romaine is an especially good vegetable for heart health. Space transplants 18 inches apart.

Early Dividend Broccoli - Popular, productive and easy to grow, this broccoli is high in fiber and calcium. Set transplants 18 inches apart

Mustard Greens - Offering spicy hot leaves, this is a very fast-growing, nutritious vegetable. Mustard greens always taste sweeter when nipped by frost. Space plants 12 inches apart

Bonnie Hybrid Cabbage - Bonnie's best cabbage. Grows large, round, blue-green heads. Cabbage is especially high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, K and fiber.

Arugula - These fast-growing leafy greens are great for salads or gourmet recipes. This peppery-tasting green is a super food for your bones. The leaves are "nutrient dense" and low in calories. They are especially high in vitamins A, C, and K.

If you put these practices into place this fall, you'll get your garden off to the right start and set it up for a fruitful season. Preparation is key, but the reward is a healthier, more productive garden - and fresh food that tastes better than anything you can buy at the store.

To learn more about vegetable and herb varieties as well as gardening tips, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

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(ARA) - With all the bending, lifting and stretching involved, gardening can be a fun and effective workout - if you know how to make the most of it.

Stacy Walters, registered kinesiotherapist, fitness director and creator of the Fit to Garden program, provides tips on how to turn a day of lawn and garden care into a day of healthy exercise.

Gardening warm-up
Like any other workout activity, gardening requires a warm-up to prepare the heart, muscles and joints. Begin with five to 10 minutes of stretching the legs, ankles, arms, shoulders and wrists as well as light aerobic activity to help reduce the risk of injury and decrease soreness.

Proper technique
Time spent in the garden can be relaxing, and it's important to make sure you're in a comfortable position when planting or weeding. To keep from getting stiff, try alternating between squatting, kneeling on a pad and sitting on a stool. Remember to keep your work close to you and tighten your abdominal muscles to protect your back when you reach and move.

Garden workout
When lifting heavy bags of soil or mulch, remember to keep your feet shoulder-width apart, tighten your abdominal muscles and bend at the hips and knees, not at the waist. This activity helps strengthen the upper body and the abdominal muscles.

Mulching is an important step when gardening and an excellent way to help conserve water in your garden, prevent weeds and keep your outdoor spaces looking neat. Scotts NatureScapes Advanced is a color-enhanced mulch made of natural forest products that comes in a variety of colors and textures to maintain moisture and create a groomed landscape all year long. 

To mulch efficiently, use a wheelbarrow and stand close to your work when shoveling. Scoop and lift the mulch with a shovel while keeping stomach muscles tight and avoid twisting the spine.

Raking is another way to build upper body strength, but make sure to vary your movement during the task. If you've been raking right to left, change direction and alternate arm and hand positions so one arm isn't doing most of the work. When you're finished, use the proper bending and lifting technique to move the product of your labor.

Gardening cool down
Following a garden workout, be sure to cool down. Stretching the hips, hamstrings, back, neck and shoulders will help balance muscle groups that may have been overused and decrease post-gardening soreness.

In addition to the physical health benefits of working in a garden, multiple studies have shown the mental and emotional benefits of creating and working in green spaces. Gardens have a calming effect and can help relieve stress, improve attention skills and reduce feelings of anger, fear and aggression.

For more information on garden workouts, visit Scotts.com or OutdoorLivingWithStacy.com.

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(ARA) - Feeding wild birds is an easy way to add a splash of color and song to your outdoor living space this winter, plus help the birds thrive through the toughest season for them. Attracting birds to your backyard is as easy as setting out bird feeders filled with quality food.

In fact, winter is a perfect time to feed wild birds, as a variety of species, including dark-eyed juncos and native sparrows, migrate south. Other species such as cardinals, woodpeckers and goldfinches will stay around through the winter and will be eager to frequent feeders where they find a ready, steady supply of food. Feeding wild birds not only brings a little life to your backyard during the cooler months, but also helps the birds thrive through the winter, so they - like you - will be ready to enjoy spring when it arrives.

Getting started is simple:

* Offer a feeding station that consists of a birdfeeder filled with a quality seed mix. Choose a blend that is specially formulated to attract a variety of birds. Ingredients should include bird favorites like black oil sunflower, thistle and peanuts, which are attractive to a wide range of birds including cardinals, chickadees, finches, native sparrows and more. Feeding a premium wild bird food like Scotts Songbird Selections ensures birds will get adequate energy and nutrition to help weather the winter. Visit www.scottswildbirdfood.com to learn more about feeding wild birds.

* Choose a feeder appropriate for the type of seed blend you are feeding.  Common types include covered or open platforms for any size seed blend, cylinders or tubes for small seeds, and a hopper or "house" style to hold larger seeds like sunflower. You can easily make your own bird feeder, or purchase one of the many types available in home improvement, hardware and other mass retail stores. 

To attract even more birds:

* Offer more than one feeder with different foods to give birds with varying feeding preferences options and ensure you attract a variety of species.

* In addition to a variety of quality seed blends, consider offering suet as well.  Birds use a lot of energy, especially in the winter, and suet is the high-energy snack that can help keep them going through the tough times. Rich in calories because it's primarily made of fat, suet attracts woodpeckers, chickadees and many other species. Some suet, like Scotts Songbird Selections Multi-Bird Suet with Fruit and Nuts, is embedded with other treats birds love, such as seeds, nuts or dried fruit. Present the suet in a wire cage. The birds will cling to the cage and peck at the suet through the gaps.

Other tips for winter feeding:

* If you live in a region that receives significant snow accumulation, make sure feeders are raised high enough off the ground to escape the snow buildup. Place feeders close to the house in locations with a good view from a favorite window. If possible, keep feeders a short bird's flight from the cover of protective trees, to help birds feel more secure when feeding.

* Wild birds have a particularly hard time finding fresh water in the winter. Consider adding a few heated birdbaths to your backyard landscape. Heated baths, many with thermostatic controls, are available in most home improvement, hardware and bird specialty stores.

* If you're worried about squirrels raiding and damaging your feeder, consider feeding them too. Offer something the squirrels will find even more enticing than bird food - like corn - and they'll be less inclined to visit your birdfeeder.

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(ARA) - Deer do some of their worst damage to your garden, landscape, trees and shrubs in winter, when other food sources are hard to come by.

"In the early 1900s, there were probably only about half a million deer spread out all over the country," says James Messina of Messina Wildlife. "Today, there are more than 15 million. Deer, it turns out, adapt quite well to life in suburbia. Keeping them away from residential and commercial landscaping can help everyone - deer and homeowners - to co-exist more happily together."

With no place to go and not much left to eat in the dead of winter, deer can wreak havoc in your backyard and destroy new buds and leaves before they ever have a chance to grow.  As seasons change, the preferred food sources of deer change as well.

Deer develop new browsing trails as food sources change with the seasons, and repeatedly follow them through the season until new food sources begin to appear. That's when the deer drama begins ….

Whitetail deer can consume, on average, 12 pounds of foliage a day.  And in the winter, when natural food sources are scarce, they'll give homeowners more trouble than any other time of year.  The more snow we get, the worse the problem becomes.  A winter of consistent snow coverage is great for bulbs and perennials, but evergreens face the toughest challenge from hungry deer looking to survive.
 
Deer are creatures of habit, and contrary to popular belief, the majority of them do not migrate.  Bucks are known to travel more than 100 miles, but does will stay within the same three to four square miles for their entire lives.  This means the deer you see this year are probably the exact same deer you saw last year.  It also means that once they've found a food source, potentially yours, they'll be back time and time again.

Fend off deer by applying repellents before you see the damage, encouraging the deer to move along and not include your landscape in their browse buffet.

Repellents rely on deer's strong sense of smell and range from commercial products to homemade concoctions of human hair, blood meal or chunks of deodorant soap. But traditional animal repellents have become less effective than they were decades ago, Messina notes.

"That's because many of those repellents rely on a bad smell - like the stench of a rotting carcass - to fool animals into thinking a predator's kill is in the area and the predator may be returning for it," he says. "But the number of predators out there has actually declined, and deer know it. They're much less afraid of predators, so relying on 'scare tactics' has a greater tendency to fail over time."

Some deer have also built up a resistance to chemical deterrents. Plus, increasingly eco-conscious homeowners prefer not to put potentially harmful chemicals into the environment.

More homeowners are turning to organic alternatives, like Deer Stopper, a repellent formulated from plant extracts. This organic option works because it confronts deer by using their natural repulsion to certain plant smells and tastes rather than relying on fear of predator tactics.

"We know that deer will eat more than 500 different types of plants," Messina says. "Normally, they're quite discriminating. But in fall and winter, they become less picky and much more of a threat to suburban landscapes. Still, like many wild animals, deer rely on taste and smell to judge if a food may be harmful to them. If your backyard foliage tastes or smells unpleasant to them, one bite and they'll move on."

Deer Stopper by Messina Wildlife Management is the only organic repellent in the country certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI). An effective taste deterrent, Deer Stopper is 100 percent organic and completely safe for use on all types of plants and shrubs. OMRI lists it as approved for use by organic growers. The smell- and taste-based technology also eliminates the need to use foul, odor-based repellent products, which can be quite unpleasant for homeowners' use.

Deer Stopper actually smells good to humans. Lightly misting vegetation once a month, even during the cold and snowy winter, will keep deer away all season long.

This winter protect your plants and shrubs and create your own boundaries for foraging bucks and deer. Now you're in control of the drama. 

For more information on Deer Stopper, retail store locations and other wildlife management repellents visit www.messinawildlife.com. of ARAcontent

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(ARA) - As fall harvest season begins, many gardeners find themselves with bushels of tomatoes, baskets of cucumbers and armfuls of lettuce. So when your garden is overflowing with produce, how do you make the most of your harvest?

Gardeners know that the best way to experience fruit and vegetables at their prime is to grow them in their own backyards or in community gardens. Some of the most popular veggies grown in the United States include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, beans, lettuce, corn and carrots, while the most popular homegrown fruits include apples, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.

The experts at ScottsMiracle-Gro offer some top tips to help you take advantage of your fresh produce:
 
* Harvest your food the same day you plan on using it. This ensures it will stay fresh and won't dry out or wilt.
* Do your picking in the morning when fruit and vegetables are most fresh.
* Once you've picked your produce, store in a cool place and don't wash until you're ready to use it.

How do you know when your produce is ready to be pulled from the ground or plucked from the plant or tree?

* Tomatoes are ready to pick when they're smooth, heavy, glossy and red or orange.
* When sweet peppers are between 3 and 4 inches wide and are firm, they're ready to pick. The longer you leave them on the vine; they'll turn red, yellow or orange and become sweeter.
* When your cucumbers are ready to come out of the garden, they'll be firm and the spikes will easily rub off.
* When lettuce leaves are young and tender they're ready for a tasty salad.
* Tasting apples is often the best way to know if they're ready to pick, but you can also grab one and lightly tug. If it easily comes off the branch, there's a good chance it would make a great snack.

One of the biggest challenges for gardeners this time of the year is having too much produce at the same time. In many cases, it's simply too much to eat on your own. So this harvest season, ScottsMiracle-Gro is asking Americans to donate their extra produce to a local Feeding America food bank for their neighbors in need. One in eight people is at risk for hunger and, with record numbers of people turning to food banks, it's more important than ever to contribute fresh, delicious and healthy produce.

To make sure your extra harvest doesn't go to waste, visit GroGood.com to find and donate to your local Feeding America food bank.

"I believe that everyone should have access to fresh produce and the GroGood campaign allows Americans to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their gardens and share their extra harvest with others," says celebrity cookbook author Katie Lee Joel. Inspired by her mom's vegetable soup, Joel created this recipe for GroGood Garden Vegetable Soup to use produce fresh from the garden.

GroGood Garden Vegetable Soup

Makes eight servings.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped
1 pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 3/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (can substitute a 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes with juice, chopped)
2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup baby lima beans
One 15-ounce can great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Instructions:

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and bay leaf and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnip, and Brussels sprouts and continue cooking until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the beans, salt, and pepper, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

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Includes recipe

(ARA) - The end of the year can be a great time to take stock and plan ahead for your home and landscaping improvement projects.

Richard Childress, owner of Childress Vineyards, Richard Childress Racing and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team, has done his fair share of home improvement projects over the years and knows what it takes to get the job done. There are a lot of decisions and key steps that are part of the planning process for any project. Whether installing a pool, putting on an addition or simply planting trees or bushes, Childress has a few tips to help make the process safe and easy. 

Don't get caught off guard
Before starting your project, make sure you have a structurally sound design, the right materials for the job and the proper funding. You never want to find yourself part way through a project and realize you've not taken the proper planning measures to get the job done. Any one of these elements can set you back and cause major problems that could affect the completion of your project.

"You don't want to be caught off guard by anything," says Childress. "When we were creating the business plan for Childress Vineyards, one of the key components was coming up with a comprehensive environmental impact plan as it related to the chemicals that would be used in the vineyards. We were able to draw upon a similar plan that had been revised and improved over the years at Richard Childress Racing. Those lessons learned over time at RCR paid big dividends from the very beginning at Childress Vineyards."

Call 8-1-1 before you dig
Nothing is worse than hitting an underground facility and knocking out power or gas to your entire neighborhood. You are risking injury to yourself and those around you in addition to potentially causing harm to the environment.  Call 8-1-1 before you do any digging. A quick and easy call to 8-1-1 will connect you with a local One Call Center operator who will take down information about your dig location and notify the underground facility operators to contact you so they can mark underground utilities such as natural gas and oil pipelines below your project.  Once the lines are marked, you can begin to dig confident that you know what's below.

"Calling 8-1-1 is like having a spotter when you're digging," says Childress. "The spotter for the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team lets Kevin Harvick know whether or not it is clear before he makes a move on the track helping him to avoid a collision that would put everyone in jeopardy. 8-1-1 will help you make sure you're clear to break ground and that you're keeping your neighborhood safe."

Take your time
Building projects are not a race and rushing can lead to both poor quality work and dangerous situations.

"Patience is important to the success and safety of your project," says Childress. "When we broke ground at RCR many years ago, we knew it was going to be a long process, but we also knew that we wanted it done right and done well. That same focus and care can keep you, your love ones and neighbors safe while building a stable, beautiful structure for your home or business."

These tips have helped Childress through numerous improvement projects and have lead to his success as a team owner in one of the top motorsports series in the world. So, next time you start a building or installation project or are looking to spruce up your landscape, be sure to plan ahead, call 8-1-1 before you dig, and take your time - and you will have a safe and successful project, too.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

(ARA) - Now is the perfect time to do much-needed maintenance on your ATV/UTV.  Many ATV/UTV owners are preparing to store their ride away for the winter, but with a little planning, any enthusiast can utilize their all-terrain vehicle throughout the year without having to pay a shop's expensive fees.

By following a simple maintenance checklist you can be ready to ride by the time the cold winter winds start to blow.

Change your oil and filters: Some professionals recommend changing out your ATV's oil for a winter formula for better operation in colder climates. By using the right kind of oil, you'll ensure proper engine start and less wear and tear on your machine. 

Stay energized: Checking your battery to make sure it's in tip-top condition will ensure you have the starting power you need on those cold blustery days. If your battery has seen better days, it's best to replace it now instead of trying to jump-start your ride in the bitter cold. Some professionals also recommend installing a carburetor heater in certain ATV models.

Keep the fuel flowing: If any moisture is allowed to condense in the fuel tank you could have problems with your fuel lines freezing up. It's best to keep your tank as full as possible and to use fuel additives when necessary to keep the fuel flowing.

Make tracks: During winter months, many riders replace their stock tires with larger diameter tires for more ground clearance and increased traction. Another option is adding a track conversion system to your all-terrain vehicle, which enables your ATV to ride on top of the snow, much like a snowmobile. Before using a track system or tire chains, make sure they are legal in your area and the right fit for your machine.

Accessorize: By adding a few accessories you can turn a winter ride into a toasty excursion. Everything from cabs, windshields, heated grips and hand warmers are available to make a winter ride more enjoyable. Also, be sure to keep your hands and face protected from frostbite by investing in the proper winter apparel necessary to keep you covered and warm on a winter ride.

Now get out there and ride:  While some ATV riders go off-roading, others stay close to home and use their ATV as a valuable tool during the winter months. Jack McGregor, an ATV rider from Jamestown, N.D. enjoys using his SnowSport All Terrain Plow to clear his driveway.

The SnowSport All Terrain Plow is manufactured by Agri-Cover, Inc., a North Dakota truck accessory company. This utility plow is made specifically for all-terrain vehicles and can be used 365 days a year for not only snow removal, but also landscaping projects.

"Plowing out the driveway is one of those tasks that has to get done, so why not have fun doing it? My SnowSport All Terrain Plow has literally turned my ATV into my most valuable winter tool. It's so easy and fun, my wife and I often fight over who's going to use it," says McGregor.

The SnowSport All Terrain Plow is perfect for plowing in tight spaces that traditional full-size plows can't reach and is terrain-friendly, so you don't have to worry about it tearing up your grass or landscaping pavers. With no wiring or hydraulics to get in the way, all you have to do is attach the plow and drive. The best feature of the plow is that it doesn't get in the way of using your ATV  this winter. The complete system can be easily installed and removed in a matter of seconds. You can plow your driveway or path, remove the system, and go on a winter ride without any hassle.

The SnowSport All Terrain Plow is available for ATVs, UTVs, and Zero-Turn Mowers and comes in six different blade lengths. It has a three-point angled blade, which allows users to maneuver hard-to-reach areas in the yard and driveway. The blade connects to your all-terrain vehicle by a 1 1/2 inch interceptor that slides into a front mount, so there's no tricky wiring or complicated install. The manufacturer offers a three-year warranty on the complete plow system, plus free shipping. For more information, call (888) 405-4159 or visit www.snowsportatv.com. of ARAcontent

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