Unfortunately, just like sometimes we don't care too much for a neighbor or sometimes we just don't get along with someone who lives nearby, plants in the garden also play favorites.
I'm sure you've heard of companion gardening. Companion gardening is nothing more than making sure we place plants that help each other or get along well, near each other. Thus keeping and encouraging harmony in our garden beds.
Following is a list of some common garden plants and their friends and foes.
Asparagus should never be planted close to potatoes, garlic or onions, but loves marigolds, comfrey, parsley, carrots, tomatoes, coriander, dill and basil.
Basil should not be planted near rue or sage, but loves to be friends with tomatoes, peppers, asparagus and oregano.
Beans add nitrogen to soil so anything you plant in a bed where you have had beans growing previously will love it, in particular corn. Use the greens as an addition to your compost pile. Plant cabbage and other brassicas, radish, cucumbers, celery chard, carrots, eggplant and potatoes near your bean trellises. Pigeon peas are extremely beneficial as a nitrogen fixer in your garden beds.
Beets do well near beans except for runner beans. They fight each other and end up stunting each other's growth. But beets add mineral to the soil and are beneficial to lettuces, onions and brassicas, such as kohlrabi, cabbage, turnip or even mustard greens. Beets like garlic and mint, but it is preferable to grow mint separate, since they tend to run over everything and just use mint clippings as mulch around the beets.
Cabbage doesn't like to be near strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, lettuces and pole beans. On the other hand, they get along very well with potatoes, celery, dill and onions. Clover planted along with the cabbages reduces cabbage aphids and cabbageworms by increasing ground beetles that take care of the pests.
Carrots like to be near onions, leaf lettuces and tomatoes, but even though carrots and parsnips or carrots and dill are wonderful cooked together, they do not get along in the garden beds, so keep them apart. If you plant flowers mixed in your edible garden keep asters away from carrots as they can become infected with aster yellow disease.
Celery friends are beans, leeks, onions, spinach, tomatoes and members of the cabbage family. On the other hand, don't put celery near corn or Irish potatoes.
Chards are like celery in that they like to be near beans, tomatoes, onions and members of the cabbage family. Don't plant chard near herbs, corn, melons, cucumbers or squash of any kind; even loofah gourds.
Chives are good friends to tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cabbage and mustard. Keep away from beans and peas.
Collard greens can be planted in or around basil, beans, cucumbers, dill, garlic, lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtiums, onion, potato, radish, rosemary, sage and thyme. Do not plant them near grape arbors, rue or tansy.
Comfrey is great for adding calcium, phosphorus and potassium to the garden beds. Comfrey likes it humid and grows well in spots where other plants would rot and is an excellent companion for avocado and other fruit trees. Also attracts snails and keeps them away from other garden plants. When thinning comfrey, chop the leaves back into the soil or add to the compost pile. Your plants will love you!
Cilantro aka Chinese parsley; some people call it coriander, but actually, coriander are the seeds of the plant. I use ground coriander seeds in cooking but I don't particularly care for the taste of the fresh cilantro. A very small amount goes a longs way in my taste buds but, I like to plant it in the garden for two reasons; one the seeds which I like to harvest after the plant bolts and the other is that cilantro repels aphids, spider mites and harmful potato beetles. A tea can be made from the leaves to spray for spider mites. Cilantro is a good companion plant for potatoes, dill, anise and caraway.
Corn has lots of friends in the garden! It is the perfect tall plant for the garden trinity (corn, beans and pumpkins or squash); plant corn and let bean vines go up the stalk and plant the squash around it. Corn, a heavy feeder robs the soil of much nitrogen while growing and the beans will replenish the used up nitrogen to the soil after it dies; the squash will smother weeds and help the corn roots retain moisture. Other plants that can be planted near or among corn are cucumbers, melons, parsley, peanuts, peas and potatoes.
Cucumbers go great with tomatoes in a salad, but according to the garden gurus, they don't play well when together in the garden. They do like corn and beans; and like beans, they would do well growing up the stalks. Carrots, beets, peas, nasturtiums and radishes do well near cucumber. Both beets and dill planted with cucumber help by deterring cucumber beetles and the dill attracts the good predators.
Nasturtiums improve the growth and flavor of cucumbers (and the leaves, stems and blossoms are edible), so mix them all up!
Dill and cabbages love to grow together and it loves to be near lettuces, onions, corn and cucumber, but don't plant it anywhere near carrots or tomatoes. Trimmings from the dill plants can be scattered among squash type plants to repel the squash bug. If planting fennel in the garden, plant it near dill. Fennell kills too many of the plants around it but thrives living near dill.
Eggplants and peppers belong in the same family and like the same growing conditions, so let them hang out together. They also do well near amaranth, peas, beans, thyme, tarragon, spinach and marigolds. Marigolds act as insect repellent and the petals are also edible.
Kohlrabi can be a bit finicky, but if you can get it to grow, plant it near beets! Other plants that do well by kohlrabi are mint, onion, sage, cucumber, oregano, chives and thyme. Keep it away from strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and pole beans.
Lettuce and cabbage don't do well together. The cabbage will affect the taste of lettuce, but you can plant a lot of other things near and around lettuce; dill, broccoli, carrots, cucumber, onions, radishes, strawberries, beets, bush beans and pole beans are just a few of the things that will do well.
Okra is a much unappreciated veggie in many areas and yet it is so versatile! Place peppers and eggplants around okra stalks and they will protect the brittle stems from heavy rain and high winds. Plant lettuce all around okra and the growing plant will shade lettuce during the hottest part of summer and the lettuce will provide moisture to the okra roots. Other plants that get along well with okra are melons, cucumber, basil and black eyed peas. Plant the peas after the okra has had a chance to grow a bit. Aphids will not bother the peas when planted near okra and black eyed peas and okra also make a wonderful gumbo combination in the pot!
Onions are improved when planted near chamomile or summer savory. Carrots, leeks, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, kohlrabi, cabbages, Brussels sprouts, dill and strawberries also benefit from planting near onions. Remember to keep them away from peas and asparagus, though.
Peas and corn go together. Peas replenish nitrogen used up by corn. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplants, early potatoes, spinach, parsley, tomatoes, turnips, strawberries, sweet peppers, bush beans and pole beans benefit from been planted near peas. Don't plant onions, late potatoes, chives or grapes nearby.
Sweet bell peppers like to be near tomatoes, carrots, onions, parsley, basil, marjoram and lovage. They protect okra stems when planted nearby. They do not do well near fennel or kohlrabi.
Hot peppers enjoy hanging out with eggplants, okra, Swiss chard, tomato, squash, cucumbers, escarole, oregano, basil, rosemary and parsley but don't plant them near beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel or Brussels sprouts.
Potatoes do well near members of the cabbage family, bush beans, carrot, celery, corn, peas and onions. Marigolds planted around them prevent predators. Don't plant any members of the squash family, including pumpkins, turnip, parsnips, fennel, Kohlrabi, cucumbers and asparagus near potatoes. Also tomatoes and potatoes should be kept apart as they can contaminate each other with blight diseases.
Spinach can be planted near peas and bush beans, as they help protect it from harsh sun. Spinach also plays well with cauliflower and cabbage; strawberries, fava beans, eggplant, celery, peas and squash. Planting it along with squash is space saving as by the time the squash starts getting larger the spinach should be getting ready to bolt and can be pulled.
Tomatoes have lots of friends in the garden! Basil, beans, celery carrots, asparagus, chives, cucumber, garlic, lettuces, mint nasturtiums, marigolds, parsley, peas, peppers, onions all do well around tomatoes. Carrots might not grow as large near tomatoes but they do become more flavorful. Don't plant any corn nearby as they both attract some of the same enemies. Other plants that should be kept away from tomatoes are apricot trees, dill, fennel, cabbage and cauliflower.
Turnips benefit from being planted near peas. You should keep other root vegetables away from turnips as they all will compete for the same nutrients in the soil.
As I mention above, there are some plants that behave like people…. some play nicely with others…some are snooty and very elitist, reserving their favors for a chosen few…. and yet others don't play well at all with any others!
It bears repeating over and over; the most important thing you can do for your garden is feed it by providing it with healthy doses of compost.
Waste matter can turn into compost which in turn then converts into lovely growing matter....and reducing waste in our environment.
Living organic matter such as leaves, clippings and pruning of young branches and leaves; mown grass, vegetable pairings and cut-off ends of veggies and fruit from the kitchen; dropped fruit from your trees and poop from stables or barnyard will all break down into organic matter when exposed to the right conditions.
Household or office waste such as shredded paper from computers and even newspapers (avoid the glossy or colored pages); non-waxed cardboard, even the paper bags and cardboard drink holders from fast food joints (not that I'm sending you to eat fast food, you understand; I'm just saying...) can be placed in your compost bins or piles.
I mentioned previously that I like using pigeon pea branches and clippings in my compost pile. Besides providing us with the edible peas and blossoms, pigeon pea plants are a wonderful source of natural nitrogen and just a few chopped up branches and leaves can help enrich the compost mix.
There are compost bins available for purchase in many garden and plant shops but in keeping with recycling and reusing, you can also make your own using wooden pallets that you can get for free. Many businesses will give them away to save having to pay the city or county a disposal fee.
Here is a simple idea for making a compost bin from wooden pallets.
More than just kitchen waste and garden trimmings can go in the compost bin or pile!
As mention previously, we all know that we can take kitchen peelings, parings and veggie or fruit discards and other organic items such as grass, limbs, twigs, leaves, etc. and add them to enrich our compost pile, but did you know that there are many items we discard after using that can also be added to the compost pile?
Items like used tea bags...yes, the little tag also; used coffee grounds and filters; egg shells; used paper towels and napkins; grocery store paper bags; newspapers (no glossy pages); the cardboard tubes inside wrapping paper, toilet tissue and paper towel rolls; any cardboard box that doesn't have a waxy or shiny finish (yes, even pizza and cereal boxes); used plain paper plates and cups that have no waxy finish; even paper tablecloths and crepe paper streamers that were used for your child's birthday party.
Food items you might not think of that can be added to the compost pile: stale bread, cereal, pretzels or crackers, uncooked or cooked pasta or rice (as long as they contain no sauce or other ingredients); nut shells, old herbs and spices; stale beer and wine (unless you take advantage to use them as an ingredient in sauces and soups); cardboard egg cartons and any cardboard container as long as it has no waxy finish, and even cupcake or muffin paper cups.
Big items such as large boxes or grocery store bags, newspapers, etc., can laid flat on the ground in the lasagna style beds to discourage weeds, or be torn into smaller pieces to speed the decomposing process or put through a shredder. Other unusual items you might not think of: lint from the dryer; used Q-tips (the ones with cotton and the cardboard stem, not the plastic stick); used facial tissue; used 100% cotton balls; discarded cotton and woolen clothing (tear them into smaller pieces to hasten the process); fur from your pet's brushings; droppings and bedding from your hamster/rabbit/gerbil cages; the newspaper used in the bottom of bird cages and even ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit.
From the office you can use torn up old bills and envelopes (tear out the glossy windows); spam mail; subscription cards from magazines; pencil shavings, sticky notes, receipts and business cards (as long as they aren't glossy); computer or fax copy paper can be shredded and used also as long as it is plain paper and not wax coated.
I too have learned to add my coffee grounds to the little 'compost bucket' I keep in my kitchen. I also add any egg shells, used tea bags, parings, peelings and veggie discards…. and since I learned about all the other things from the house I was just throwing away, I am adding them also to the pile.
I have been also adding the empty cardboard cores of toilet tissue rolls (I don't use paper towels any longer, except when I do a demo at a location away from home or take to a picnic; but when I do I will add the used ones to the bucket and also the cut up core) my compost pile has been benefitting from cleaning out the house and at the end of the day, the bucket gets emptied on my compost pile. The worms go crazy and help decompose everything faster!
Not very appetizing, but it is what it is…. and just think….! this smelly pile will produce wonderful, rich dirt!
I also use any coffee leftover in the pot, add a bit more water and empty it around some of my plants as a weak tea….they love it!
Before throwing anything away, think first if there can be another use for it besides adding to the landfills.
Why spend money at a garden supply store on bags of mulch when it's so easy to make your own!
Most of us have trees in our yards that shed leaves not only in the fall when most trees get rid of their leaves to prepare for their dormant period, but also through the summer. All these leaves are usually raked and disposed off or blown off with a leaf blower. We also clip overgrown bushes and trim limbs and dispose of them.
These are precious resources which are usually wasted by being bagged and taken to a landfill or set on the side of the curb for the city or county to come and pick up.
Here is a much better idea! Regardless of how many or how little an amount of leaves and clippings your yard yields, you can rake them all to a sunny corner of the back yard, cover them with tarp, leaving a bit of breathing space here and there, and let them 'cook' under there for a few months.
The result will be rich, leafy mulch that is decomposed and ready to spread around your plants or worked into the soil in a new garden bed.
Photo: Moluccan / Dawn Dewa 'spinach' growing in a bed covered with homemade mulch.
Or you can save the same large black plastic bags which you used to fill with leaves but instead of putting them out by the curb to be hauled away, put them to work for you. Tie up the top, poke a few holes on the sides and let them sit several months in a back corner behind your garage or anywhere they aren't visible from the street or house.
We don't buy these plastic bags any longer, but from time to time have received one or two when I was given items through our local Freecycle. I put them to good use instead of just disposing of them. Other large bags such as 25 or 50 pound dog feed bags, bags that contained planting soil or compost can also be put to use to store and 'cook' your mulch.
Spreading mulch in the 'recycled garden' beds.
How to keep birds from eating your seeds!
This is an idea we tried when we first planted our "recycled garden". This method works best for taller crops, such as corn or okra in your 4 x 4 square garden beds, but we also used it for bush bean plants. .
Plant seeds in bottomless paper cups. The unwaxed paper cups being used to sprout the seedlings in the beds are some we couldn't use due to their being too small for the cup dispenser we already had…so they have been put to seed-sprouting use by cutting out the bottom.
We also planted some Rubeckia daisy seeds in the corners for color and to sort of act as a buffer at each corner of the beds.
The bottomless little paper cups are placed in pockets in the mulch to which some of the planting soil mixtures has been added. Fill the cup 3/4 with soil, add the seeds and cover with 1/4 of soil.
The purpose for using the paper cups (not waxed so they will eventually decompose into the soil) is to discourage birds from digging into the ground for seeds and also slugs and cut worms from getting to the seedlings when they start sprouting.
After the seeds sprouted, we added more soil and covered the tops of the cups so they could decompose faster.
Empty toilet tissue cardboard rolls cut in half can be used for the same purpose In areas where cold weather lingers into the late spring months, you can set the bottomless paper cups or the toilet tissue rolls inside empty ice cream cartons fill partially with growing media and plant individual seeds in each. By the time the weather warms up enough to plant outside, you can dig holes small enough and plant the cups or paper roll cores with your sprouted seedlings into your growing bed.
It also saves on how much of your potting or planting soil mix is needed when you use it just where you need it while your mulch is making more soil.
If this is your first time to attempt to plant a kitchen garden you will find that planting in what the French call a 'potager' garden style will be both easier to work in as well as pleasing to the eye.
Potager gardens are nothing more than kitchen gardens with a formal look. The kind of edible gardens that could grace not only the modest home garden but palatial gardens as well. Our gardens have never looked formal, but we have tried to follow the same basic guidelines of a formal potager garden.
Bay in center, border of parsley and marigolds.
Beds can be round or they can be square, but they should be uniformly spaced. We prefer the 4 x 4 square because the wooden slats we use as our borders are 4 feet long, but a 4 foot round would work also. Four feet gives you lots of room for lots of plants in a fairly small space that is also easy to access from all side.
If you have been reading my previous articles, you know we favor the lasagna method of gardening. There is no digging involved and this simple organic method helps keep the weeds down.
After you have laid out your beds and layered them with your organic matter, start planting. It helps if you plan the whole garden on grid paper first and place your plants where you think you want them on the drawing. When you are actually planting, you might find you need to make a few adjustments, but it helps to start with a plan.
Put the plants that will grow taller to the center and graduate them by the size they will become when grown as you work your way outwards to the borders. The center can be a tall herb growing plant such as rosemary, or it can be a small tepee trellis to hold vining plants such as beans, peas, cucumbers or tomatoes, surrounded by lower plants such as some herbs, peppers or eggplants and then ending with low mounding plants like oregano or marjoram.
Companion planting works very well in these beds; a tomato cage in center with three tomato plants around it, surrounded by assorted basils and peppers, then bordered by marigolds, which act as a deterrent for bugs on the tomatoes and have the advantage of also having edible petals.
Other beds can contain taller corn or okra in the center, plant some runner peas or beans around them that will use the stalks of the corn or okra as a trellis and surround them with lower growing squash or pumpkins.
Heirloom tomato plants surrounded by arugula. Marigolds were added a few days later. The little 4" plastic pots were inserted into the ground close to the base of the tomato plants. We filled them with fertilizer... which was released slowly when it rained or when the garden was watered.
By placing your plants fairly close but still giving them the room they need to grow, each plant will shield their neighboring plants; protect them from drying out by providing shade which will keep the ground moist longer and also will crowd out the weeds.
If your yard is fairly small, a potager garden with just a few square beds should work well for you.
I mentioned the Lasagna Method of gardening in a previous article; that is my favorite way to garden as it saves me from the backbreaking job of turning the soil and digging.
Some of the things that can be used for lasagna gardening is layers of anything that will break down into organic matter: shredded paper (it's slow to break down so make it a thin layer) from computers and even newspapers (avoid the glossy or colored pages); fruit drop from under the trees; pruning of young branches and leaves), grass clippings; poop from stables or wherever you can get it (from chickens, rabbits, goats, horses, and cows) and finally, the wonderful compost-making discards from your kitchen waste; peelings, parings, cut-off ends; including old and limp veggies forgotten in refrigerator.
Layers do not necessarily have to be in the order above; they can be repeated as many times as you wish to reach the depth you need.
If you know someone who raises barnyard animals as mentioned above, ask if you can collect the manure. If they don't use it, they just might give to you for free if you collect it yourself. Remember it has to ripen before being used for growing edibles. Do not use fresh, especially horse and cow manure, as you can burn the plants easily.
Cover the layers of all your organic matter with layers of cardboard and then start over again. Cardboard also helps in keeping the weeds down. You can simply poke holes in the cardboard and plant something that will last a long time. Eventually, that cardboard will also breakdown and underneath you will find lots and lots of nice healthy worms.
Many stores have to pay to get rid of their cardboard….so they are happy to give it to you. Try to stay away from 'clay coating'…the shinny glossy finish on some cardboard boxes.
(*) One way to age the manure and turn into compost is to collect it in large bags such as feed, planting soil or composting chips, etc., from the feed or garden center. Close it tight and place it in a spot out of the way, where it can get some sun, in back of garage or utility building, etc.; and let it age for a few months. We open the bags always from the top, straight across, and save all of the empty bags to use for composting, twigs, leaves, manure and any other matter. This way there is no offensive odor to share with neighbors as there can be with an open composting bin.
One of my Facebook friends mentioned a system for planting that did not involve any dirt at all….just planting seeds in a straw bale.
I was very intrigued and followed up by searching for more information. I found a site where the process is explained and a small booklet was sold with detailed instructions on how to go about it.
Of course I ordered the booklet. It looked so simple and at the same time it was a way to place a straw bale in a section of our little garden that could eventually use all the compost generated by the decomposing bale of straw.
I should have done a bit more homework before I started, as I went to one place I was told had the urea needed for starting the straw bale decomposing part of the project. I bought a whole 50 pound bag when all I needed was a few cups….Live and learn…but I have used some of the urea to spread around the banana plants and they seem to enjoy it too, so all was not a waste.
Calling around I found a farmers supply store that sold bales of straw. Another thing I learned was that straw bales sell on the mainland for at most $5 a bale…..here they sell for $17!!! But I was on a mission so we got one.
According to the booklet, the bale conditioning takes a couple of weeks of sprinkling urea and watering thoroughly to make sure the urea works its way all through the bale. In actual practice it took about 3 and a half weeks for the center of the bale to start showing signs of decomposing.
I had some seeds for what a friend told me was called Tropical Lima Beans. When the time was right, eight seeds were planted on the top of the bale and in what seemed like almost overnight, seven of the seeds sprouted! In less than a week I had to start building a bamboo trellis over the bale to help support the long streamers of bean plant.
I know you've all heard of the story about Jack and the Bean Stalk, right? Well, this could have been the stalk that Jack climbed! The little plants just took off and grew and grew so fast and before I knew it, they were flowering and all of a sudden there were pods forming!
The lima beans are gorgeous! Creamy white with purple and lilac marking on them but the coloring turns uniformly grayish brown when cooked. In spite of losing the beautiful coloring, the beans were delicious.
Several months have passed since the bale was planted and it is still producing bean pods, even after being attacked by a family of wild pigs that toppled the trellis and destroyed a large part of our garden.
Note: Be careful where you plant it. I planted it near a bed that had a beautiful little pineapple sage plant growing in one corner...the slight down-hill run-off from the watering of the bale to dissolve the urea killed the little plant.
Obviously you can grow herbs from seeds by following the planting instructions on the seed packets, but if you are like me, who likes instant gratification in the garden, rooting from cuttings or buying plants at your favorite nursery is the way to go.
Choose a cool, cloudy day, if at all possible, to plant your herbs. They will adapt better to their new home if they don't have to fight the hot sun their first day in the ground. Water them thoroughly the day before you plant them so that their root system is already moist when you set them in the ground. Another good idea is to also water ahead of time the already cleared and prepared area where you are planting your herb garden.
Since these are culinary herbs, remember to not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides in your herb garden. I like to save all the raw vegetable clippings, cuttings, peelings when cooking and compost them right into the herb garden. To do this, you save all of the discarded bits, including coffee grounds and egg shells, and place them in the blender with a bit of water. Whirl away and pour it all around the base of your plants.
To fight pests, plant companion plants that repel insects - such as marigolds, which are also edible and look beautiful, mixed in with your herbs. You can also make your own pesticide spray with chile peppers! See instructions for making your own quick compost or bug spray below.
In our little garden we have two types of basil; sweet or Italian and Thai; two types of oregano; stick and Cuban oregano; marjoram, thyme, two different mints, tarragon, sage, laurel aka bay leaves, rosemary, two types of parsley, Italian and curly, garlic chives and regular chives.
Fresh herbs are not as strong as dried. If a recipe calls for dried herbs and you wish to substitute with fresh, remember to use one tablespoon of fresh for every teaspoon of dried called in the recipe.
Using a blender, pour in one cup of water and red chile peppers.
Process until all blended and chopped. Add the other two cups of water to this mix and blend again. Pour into a glass jar, cover and let it sit in the sun for a couple of days, as if making sun tea.
Pour into a spray bottle, first passing it through a sieve or fine mesh colander; add the liquid detergent at this point. Spray on your affected plants.
The detergent will help the spray adhere to the plants. Don't spray food that you will eat within a couple of days, as the capsaicin in the chile peppers will still be too strong and can cause finger and mouth burns. Be sure to rinse the vegetables in lots of fresh water before consuming.
A few years ago, one of my friends who, like me, is a member of the Slow Food movement in our area, was thinking aloud and wondered if there might be a way for people who had home gardens or even farms to share the excess bounty with others for items they themselves didn't grow or might be needing.
Thus the "Share the Harvest" group was born!
We opened an Internet group where members can post items they have to trade for items they want.
Barter is limited to food products such as homegrown produce or crops: fruit and vegetables; dairy and dairy products; livestock products such as eggs, etc. or any other food items made at home.
We also accept posts for food-providing plants and seeds, and homemade products such as jams, jellies, preserves, breads, cheeses, butter, etc. in exchange.
Recently one member found she had an excess of wide mouth canning jars and wondered if it would be alright to post them in exchange for some food items. Considering that the jars are used for preserving food, we agreed to let her post them and a good trade was made.
If you would like to start a "Share the Harvest" group in your hometown or area, just let me know. It is simple and free. There are no fees or franchise necessary; it runs along the order of a Freecycle group and it is all above board.
Growing edibles in your garden can be not only fun, but in these days of high food costs it can supplement your market purchases and also keep a few extra dollars in your pocket.
Look around your yard...you probably already grow a few edibles.
Be it fruits, nuts, veggies or herbs, there is deep satisfaction in planting, growing, harvesting and cooking the fruits of our labors.
I have always been quite taken with the stories about the Victory Gardens that were popular during the World Wars, and at our place we try to have something of an edible nature growing at all times. Our efforts at this time are still not what I envision, but at least, it is a start.
It doesn't take a lot of room to plant a kitchen garden. In fact, you can plant some edibles in pots and place them around your deck, porch, lanai or by the kitchen door.
In France, where these type gardens are quite popular, they are called "potager" gardens; just a place where a few snips of this, a few leaves of that, a vegetable or two and couple of pieces of fruit can be transformed into a lovely, satisfying meal.
If yard space is limited, look for containers that are suitable in which to grow things and place near the house; such as large pots, wooden crates, even an old 'retired' wheelbarrow. Anything that can hold a bit of dirt. Of course, make sure these containers have suitable drainage.
Simple things that are easy to grow are cherry tomatoes, different types of basil, mints, rosemary, peppers (both sweet and hot), okra, spinach, green beans (both bush and vining), eggplants and even a few nasturtiums for color and taste (yes, you can eat both the colorful blooms and leaves) which add a nice peppery flavor to salads or sandwiches.
Photo: Curry plant, flat leaf parsley and nasturtiums growing in the holes of cement blocks surrounding one of our garden beds.
In Hawai'i, where I live, we are blessed with great growing conditions for most herbs and vegetables and there is a lot of fruit available, in many cases, just growing wild almost anywhere around the old back roads; ideal for foraging.
Using our garden to supplement our shopping is usually more fun than work.


Eat brains. Don't get shotgunned. In Zombie Dice, you are a zombie. You want braaains – more brains than any of your zombie buddies. The 13 custom dice are your victims. Push your luck to eat their brains, but stop rolling before the shotgun blasts end your turn! Whoever collects 13 brains first wins. Each game takes 10 to 20 minutes and can be taught in a single round. Each turn, you take three dice from the box and roll them. A brain symbol is worth one point at the end of the round, while footsteps allow you to reroll this particular dice. Shotgun blasts on the other hand are rather bad, cause if you collect three shotgun blasts during your turn, it is over for you and you get no points. After rolling three dice, you may decide if you want to score your current brain collecti..
Zombie Dice 2: Double Feature includes three new dice for Zombie Dice and – true to its name – is two expansions in one package. The first "movie" on the billing is Big Summer Action Movie with two heroes: the Hunk and the Hottie. The Hunk has a double-shotgun icon, but if you eat his brain, you score double. The Hottie is a hot-pink die with two shotguns and three feet icons, making her fast AND dangerous. The other offering is Santa Claus Meets the Zombies, with a cheery red-and-white Santa Claus die brimming with brains. The Santa die has three special gift icons: a helmet, an energy drink, and a double brain! You can also add all three dice to see whether Santa can rescue the heroes in The Direct-to-Video Sequel. https://youtu.be/N6CoDg4eaQU ..
Zombie Dice 3: School Bus, an expansion for Zombie Dice, adds a 12-sided die to the game that's rich with tasty teenage brains, jam-packed with nutritiousness from all their time at school — but those kids are packing shotguns, too, so you might find yourself chowing down on a brain bullet, chasing runners off the bus, getting run over the bus(!), or finding yourself on the receiving end of multiple shotguns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeUOf-JTeZA ..


Flat U.S. and Canadian stock futures, sluggish commodity prices and weakness in Asian and European markets point to a weak start for Canadian shares on Monday.
With hopes about U.S.-China trade deal fading once again and the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision due on Wednesday, the mood is likely to be very cautious in the market. Investors are also looking ahead to the U.S. mid-term elections on Tuesday.
Activity may well remain stock specific with quarterly earnings reports setting the trend.
On Friday, the benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index ended down 30.87 points, or 0.20%, at 15,119.28.
Crew Energy Inc. (CR.TO) reported net loss of $0.94 million for the third quarter ended September 2018, as against net profit of $2.12 million in the year-ago quarter.
The Second Cup Ltd. (SCU.TO) reported net income of $766,000 or $0.04 per share for the third quarter, as compared to net loss of $2,962,000 or $0.19 per share in the prior year.
Energy Fuels Inc. (EFR.TO) announced it posted net loss of $13.9 million in the quarter ended September 2017, as compared to net loss of $4.88 million in the year-ago quarter.
Pattern Energy Group Inc. (PEGI.TO) reported net loss of $31.5 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to a net loss of $48.4 million for the same period last year.
Ensign Energy Services Inc. (ESI.TO) reported third quarter revenue of $288.7 million for the third quarter, an increase of 17% from revenue for the third quarter of 2017 of $247.1 million.
Asian markets ended lower on Monday as hopes of an imminent U.S.-China trade deal faded and investors looked ahead to the U.S. mid-term elections as well as the FOMC meeting for cues.
In Asian economic news, China's private sector expanded at the weakest pace in more than two years in October with both services and manufacturing noting weaker performances, survey results from IHS Markit showed.
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said that the Japanese economy has clearly improved and the central bank will consider both positive and negative effects of its monetary policy in a balanced manner going forward.
According to the minutes of BOJ's September meeting, domestic demand is expected to continue on an upward trend, while annual inflation is predicted to maintain its gradual climb to the target of 2%.
Meanwhile, activity in Japan's services sector continued to expand in October, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed with a PMI score of 52.4, up from 50.2 in September.
European markets were mostly subdued amid fading hopes about a U.S.-China trade deal and due to cautious moves by investors ahead of the U.S. congressional elections.
A report on U.S. services sector activity in the month of October is due at 9.45 AM ET.
The Institute of Supply Management will release its ISM Non-Manufacturing Prices Index and the New Orders Index for October, at 10 AM ET.
In commodities, crude oil futures for December were down marginally at $63.10 a barrel.
Gold futures for December were edging up $0.80, or 0.08%, at $1,231.70 an ounce.
Silver futures for December were declining by $0.066, or 0.44%, at $14.690 an ounce, while Copper futures were down $0.028, or 1%, at $2.775 per pound.


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While down in Oxford visiting my mum at the weekend, we decided to pay a visit to Upton House, a large National Trust property in Warwickshire.
We wandered around the huge gardens.
Then we took a look inside the house. Lady Bearsted's bedroom looked very inviting.
Lady Bearsted's bathroom was also rather dramatic.
Compare and contrast with Lord Bearsted's bathroom!
And of course we just had to round off the day with a proper cream tea!
Don't worry, normal birding business will now resume!


One of the best observatories in the world is McDonald Observatory, run by the University of Texas at Austin, my alma mater (hook 'em!). It's situated on a few mountain tops in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. McDonald Observatory is a mind-bending place to visit–-so many great minds accumulated in one place, researching our vast universe, completing all that advanced math….
This was our third trip to the observatory, and as always, it was overwhelming, but in a good way.
Even though the primary purpose of McDonald University is, of course, research, education is also a high priority. The public outreach coordinators want everyone to get excited about science and astronomy. The observatory offers several programs for visitors, including a Solar Viewing Program and tour of two of the facility's most important telescopes, which takes place during the day, and then the nighttime Star Party, which is just as awesome as it sounds (more below).
William Johnson McDonald, a lawyer and banker from Paris, Texas, loved astronomy, and when he died in 1926, he donated a million dollars to the University of Texas to develop an observatory. He had no children, but his extended family contested the will. After arbitration, the university still received the bulk of McDonald's gift–over $800,000–and the process of building an observatory began.
There was another problem, however: UT didn't have an astronomy department. They turned to the University of Chicago, the top astronomy program in the nation at that time, and the two partnered in developing the observatory. The University of Chicago ran the facility for the first 25 years, and when their contract ran out, UT assumed responsibility.
The observatory was built atop Mt. Locke, 6800 feet above sea level. The Davis Mountains were chosen as the location of the observatory for several reasons: it's far from any large cities and has some of the darkest night skies in the country. Also, about 2/3 of the nights are clear. The high elevation was a bonus, and the southern skies can be viewed from this latitude.
The 82-inch telescope built by the observatory was the second largest in the world at that time. The dome encompassed not just the telescope but the entire observatory, including living and sleeping quarters for the astronomers. The telescope has been in use since 1939 and continues to be used today. Unnamed for many years, it was dedicated in 1966 to Otto Struve, the first director of the observatory.
Today, McDonald has numerous telescopes and a large staff. Our tour guide said that 70 people live on the grounds (comprising the third largest settlement in Jeff Davis county), and this includes astronomers and technicians who keep the telescopes in perfect condition as well as a full-time meteorologist. Many of the researchers are from the University of Texas, but astronomers from all over the world come to McDonald. In order to obtain telescope time, scientists have to submit a request that goes through a committee process; once their project is approved they are given access to the telescopes.
While we of course regard our sun as something special, it is in fact just one of many trillions of stars in the universe. And it's not even all that big–-it's a medium-sized star.
We don't see sunlight in real time–-it takes light from the sun eight minutes and 20 seconds to reach Earth.
The sun came into being about 4.6 billion years ago, formed by the gravitational collapse of a gas and dust cloud. The material at the center of the cloud was compressed so compactly that it ignited a nuclear fusion and produced our sun.
Like all stars, the sun is a powerful nuclear fusion reactor at its core. Most of the energy that makes its way from the core to the surface is released in the form of light, and that's how we get sunlight.
The sun is 27 million degrees Fahrenheit at its core and between 9000-10,000 degrees F. on its surface.
After the mini-lecture, we watched fascinating footage of solar phenomenon. If the day had been cloud-free, we would have seen live telescope images; however, since it was a cloudy afternoon, we watched recorded footage. We saw sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and hedgerow prominences, among other phenomenon.
Dan said some people believe that the occurrence of certain phenomena, such as coronal holes, indicate that the sun is possibly disintegrating, but he offered some reassurance: yes, the sun is volatile, and yes, as it nears the end of its life, it will grow into a red giant and quite possibly consume the Earth, but there are no signs that it is going to implode anytime soon. It has been this way for 4 1/2 billion years and should burn for another five billion years or so. Whew!
Immediately following the Solar Viewing, Dan took us on a two-hour tour of two of McDonald's largest telescopes, the Harlan J. Smith and the Hobby-Eberly.
The observatory describes telescopes as "windows to the universe," which I thought was both poetic and precise. Astronomers use telescopes to study not only our own solar system but also galaxies that are millions of light years away, and their research digs into the very origins of the universe.
Most research these days uses spectroscopy rather than visual astronomy (i.e., peering through an actual telescope). The telescope captures light from stars or galaxies or whatever the target is; it is then broken down into its spectrum of colors by instruments attached to the scope. According to an introductory video that we watched, studying an item using spectroscopy is like reading a bar code, the spectrum being the bar code. Different colors = different elements, and if you know from what elements an object is made, you can gain all kinds of information about that object, including temperature, mass, and composition. (NASA gives a much better explanation of spectroscopy here).
Harlan J. Smith (1924-1991) was director of McDonald Observatory from 1963 to 1989. He took over management of the observatory at a time when the Space Age was in full swing, and he saw an opportunity to get McDonald involved. NASA wanted the means to survey our solar system for potential future exploration, and Smith convinced them to build a telescope at the observatory. NASA co-funded the telescope (which would later be named after Smith). Construction was completed in 1968, and NASA used it for decades for planetary study and for a project called Lunar Laser Ranging.
The Smith Telescope weighs 320,000 pounds and has a length of 32 feet, and at the time it was built it was the third-largest telescope in the world.
The bigger the mirror, the more light that can be gathered; the Smith mirror, 107 inches wide and weighing in at 7800 pounds, gives the telescope a light-gathering power that is up to one million times greater than the unaided eye. Today the telescope is used to further map our solar system and to study distant stars and galaxies.
The telescope is used every clear night of the year. The mirrors on older telescopes (such as Smith's) are subject to contracture and expansion, so every effort is made to equalize the temperature within the dome. In order to minimize the telescope's exposure to humidity and temperature changes, the dome is opened only at night, and temperature inside the dome matches that which is projected for the coming night.
The base of the Smith Telescope; various instruments can be attached to the scope depending upon the research project being done.
The Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) came out of a joint project in the 1990's between UT-Austin, Penn State University, and two German universities: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. It sits atop Mount Fowlkes (elevation: 6640 feet). The HET is currently the third largest telescope in the world.
The HET was designed specifically to use spectroscopy and is completely data-driven, with no capacity for visual astronomy. Astronomers look at data and numbers, and no visual images are produced.
In your average telescope, the primary mirror consists of a single piece of glass; however, the Hobby-Eberly mirror is made up of 91 identical hexagonal segments that fit together like floor tiles, allowing for the creation of an immense mirror at a much lower cost. The segments are also made out of a special glass ceramic that doesn't expand or contract like traditional glass.
Another innovative and cost-saving feature: instead of tilting up and down like most telescopes, the HET is always angled at 55 degrees above the horizon. The tracker mounted to the telescope moves in six directions, and this makes it possible for users of the HET to study 70% of the visible sky at any one time (still a significant amount of space). Because any one area of the sky is visible for only a short period, time is of the essence, so rather than training various scientists to use the HET, the telescope has a dedicated staff of four resident astronomers and four assistants. No one else is allowed to touch it!
The HET is taking part in a ground-breaking study called HETDEX (Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment). In the 1990's, astronomers discovered the existence of a "dark energy" that comprises approximately 70% of all the matter and energy in the universe. This mysterious force is causing the universe to expand as it ages (rather than contracting, as would be expected). HETDEX research is trying to shed light on the composition of dark energy and its impact on the universe. Fascinating stuff.
We returned to McDonald Observatory at about 9:30 that night for their most popular program, the Star Party. I heard one little girl ask her mother, "Will this party have dancing?" There was no dancing, but it was still quite an event.
Proxima Centauri, which, excepting our sun, is the star nearest to us. The light from Proxima Centauri takes 4 1/2 years to reach us. With current technology, it would take a rocket launched from earth 25,000 years to reach Proxima Centauri!
The Milky Way, which is actually a collective glow from stars, dust, and gas.
The Hubble telescope and an iridium satellite, both of which were cruising within view across the night sky at high speed.
Arcturus, one of the brightest stars seen from earth. The light from Arcturus takes 40 years to reach us; in other words, the light we were seeing at 10:00 that Saturday night was 40 years old!
Which was our favorite? Everything was fantastic. The moon is always amazing to see up close, and Saturn, with its rings, was beautiful, as was the ring nebula. Mars was merely a hazy red spot and not very impressive, and, unfortunately, Jupiter was lost to us—the lines for seeing this planet were long, and by the time we got to the front of the queue, the view was obstructed by clouds. Overall, though, we had a wonderful experience.
Note that Star Parties are held regardless of weather every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, but if the sky is cloudy or weather is inclement, the party moves indoors and the itinerary is altered. This happened to us on one of our previous visits. Instead of looking at live views of constellations and planets, we participated in demonstrations and lectures. While we were initially disappointed that we wouldn't be outside under the stars, it turned out to be a lot of fun and an excellent learning experience.
There are an estimated 125 billion galaxies in the universe containing a trillion, trillion stars. Scientists estimate that there are more stars in space than there are grains of sand on all of planet Earth's beaches.
Thinking about the enormity of the universe can make one feel mighty small, and a visit to McDonald Observatory always makes us contemplate where we fit. But Dan, our docent, pointed out something rather profound: we are made of the same matter as the stars themselves—oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and so on. We may be tiny, but we are literally a part of the universe, not separate from it; we are not insignificant.
And, as Dan also pointed out, scientific research is critical because "the more we learn about the universe, the more we learn about our place in the universe." (Dan was pretty darned wise). McDonald Observatory is not just compiling cold, hard numbers about distant places from which we are far removed; with each new fact discovered, we learn something about ourselves as well.
A McDonald Observatory program that I didn't have time to get into is The Dark Skies Initiative. We're being "robbed" of the night sky by light pollution, which is noxious to our health and sleep patterns, wasteful to the tune of billions of dollars a year, and a significant contributor to greenhouse gases and global warming. Check out the The Dark Skies Initiative and International Dark Sky Association, which offer suggestions for reducing light pollution both at home and in the community.


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These guys are keen to take the lead on the future development of Checkstyle, and have been active extending Checkstyle for a while. They are behind https://github.com/sevntu-checkstyle/sevntu.checkstyle. I am very happy to have them on board.
Source code repository - replacing the Mercurial repository on SourceForge.
Issue management - replacing the Bugs/Feature/Patches on SourceForge. All new issues should be raised at GitHub, and pull requests are now the preferred way to submit patches.
SourceForge will still be used for website hosting, binary downloads and mailing lists.


text:
DHL launches twice a week B747 freighter from Oslo to Seoul and Shanghai
Norway's Oslo Airport has teamed up with DHL Global Forwarding to establish a twice a week chartered Boeing 747-400 freighter link to Seoul and Shanghai, with the ambition of establishing a scheduled service.
The Norwegian seafood gateway, with a 32% general cargo growth so far this year, said that it is "further strengthening its role as the largest and preferred Nordic freighter hub".
The aircraft, chartered from Atlas Air, will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays. It will start in Brussels and pick up the seafood at the DHL terminal in Oslo. From there it will be flown to Seoul, where the plane will be discharged and loaded with general cargo for its next destination in China.
This procedure repeats at the next stops in Shanghai and Cincinnati and prior to the return to Brussels.
Martin Langaas, director of cargo at Norwegian airport operator Avinor, said: "For the past year, we have been working closely with DHL Global Forwarding to establish new flights that can serve the strong global demand for Norwegian seafood and bring the different regions in Norway closer to the world markets.
"Avinor's close co-operation with DHL has resulted in several new routes such as Lakselv and Seoul, increasing the competitiveness of Norwegian seafood exports and strengthening the position of Oslo Airport as the leading freighter hub in the Nordics."
This move has government support, with the involvement of Norway's minister of transport and communications, Ketil Solvik-Olsen, who said: "Seafood from Norway is popular in markets around the world. It is important to facilitate good international transport for these products."
The market has been trying to find a way to transport seafood from northern Norway to Asia for some time, said Alvinor. Earlier this year DHL opened a cargo route from Lakselv to Oslo.
It added: "A new service from Oslo to Seoul and Shanghai will make it possible to transport fresh seafood all the way from Lakselv to Asia in a fast and efficient manner.
"We note that the service is starting out as a series of charter flights, which will be the basis for scheduled flights if the service is economically viable. We are pleased that this new service now becomes a reality."
Henk Venema, senior vice president and global head of network carrier management at DHL Global Forwarding, said: "DHL aims to be the leading seafood logistics provider in Norway. Our work with Avinor has been very constructive, and we are delighted to be able to present yet another service designed for the seafood industry.
"This route will save our customer's time on connections to South Korea, Shanghai and to the rest of DHL's global network."
Trond Ørjan Olsen, head of airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding, Freight Norway, said: "From Northern Norway, we will be providing an absolutely unique product for the region, with a connection to our existing service from Lakselv.
"We will be delivering seafood from Lakselv to the market in South Korea and China in less than 24 hours. With the launch of our new service to Seoul, we also expand our service from Lakselv from one to two flights a week."
Oslo Airport expects its seafood traffic to increase by around 50% in 2017 thanks to the addition of new freighter services.
The Norwegian Airport expects to handle a total of 90,000 tonnes of seafood as air cargo this year as freighter services flying directly to import markets have been added.
Ingo-Alexander Rahn, global head of airfreight, DHL Global Forwarding, said: "Given our expertise in temperature controlled logistics solutions and rapid transportation by plane, we make sure that the seafood arrives at its destination in the best possible condition.
"Cutting the lead-time by more than 50% and providing seamless logistics processes, can furthermore help the Norwegian fishing industry to grow and win considerable market shares with high quality seafood around the globe.
"DHL does not only provide greater transportation capacities of fresh seafood to Asia, we overall contribute to the logistical accessibility of the region and improve the global supply of the time-sensitive goods."
AvinorOslo Airport
Parcel volumes to grow 17%-28% a year says new report
Miami International closes as Florida is hit by Irma

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Drivers to get £130 fine under new cycle-lane law from June 22
Local authorities will get new powers and can use CCTV to effect prosecutions
Local authorities will be given new powers to crack down on misuse of cycle lanes, the Department for Transport has announced.
Councils in England will be able to use CCTV to fine drivers who park illegally in cycle lanes under new laws coming into force on June 22.
It is hoped this will reduce the number of cyclists forced into the flow of traffic because a cycle lane was blocked.
Drivers will face fines of up to £130 in London and £70 in the rest of the country.
The new laws relate to cycle lanes marked by unbroken white lines.
Face masks combined with lockdown prevent future waves of virus
Riots could break out across UK this summer, scientists warn
Cycling minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: "Across the country there has been a surge in the number of people dusting off their old bike from the back of the shed and cycling, or taking journeys on foot, to get from A to B.
"Giving local authorities more powers to stop cycle lanes from becoming blocked will make it safer for cyclists.
"These new measures also build on our recent £2 billion investment to create a green, healthier legacy and see more people travelling by bicycle or on foot."
Charity Cycling UK welcomed the announcement but described it as "marginal compensation" for law changes made four years ago which mean parking in cycle lanes with solid white lines is no longer automatically prohibited.
It urged the Government to protect cyclists further by reversing the changes made in 2016.
Cycling UK is currently celebrating Bike Week, which encourages people to get on their bike to boost fitness and protect the environment.


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text:
Q: Stream filter.findfirst try {
    Stream<String> stringStream = Files.lines(path, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
    stringStream.forEach((String e) -> {
        if (e.contains("12")) {
            System.out.println(path);
            break;   // как остановить работу если нашёл нужное
        }
     });
} catch (IOException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

не могу понять как воспользоваться filter.findfirst покажите на моём примере

A: Из вопроса не совсем понятно, что хочется, но предположу:
Stream<String> stringStream = Files.lines(path, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
Optional<String> firstStr = stringStream.filter(i -> i.contains("12")).findFirst();
firstStr.ifPresent(System.out::println);

A: Он и так при использовании filter и findFirst остановится на первом найденном элементе.
Как проверить? Вот так:
Stream<String> stringStream = Stream.of("345", "12", "789", "101112");
Optional<String> found = stringStream.filter(s -> {
        System.out.println(s);
        return s.contains("12");
    }).findFirst();

345
12

Если вам нужно дополнительно выводить подходящие под фильтр значения, то рекомендую писать так (в данном случае выведется только "12", поскольку peek уже после фильтра стоит):
Optional<String> found = stringStream
        .filter(s -> s.contains("12"))
        .peek(System.out::println)
        .findFirst();

A: Вам действительно нужен .filter
А дальше проверяете, если ли что-то в optional.
Stream<Integer> stringStream = Arrays.stream(new Integer[]{5, 7, 15 , 7});
Optional<Integer> result = stringStream.filter(integer -> integer == 7).findFirst();

Раскрытая лямбда
new Predicate<Integer>() {
        @Override
        public boolean test(Integer integer) {
            return integer == 7;
        }
    }

A: Я так подозреваю, что path отвечает за имена файлов, которые просматриваются и если в файле есть искомая подстрока ("12"), то выводится имя этого файла (path). Если автор хотел такую логику, то лучше использовать .anyMatch():
Например, есть 3 файла: 1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt
    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
        Path path = new File((i + 1) + ".txt").toPath();
        try {
            Stream<String> stringStream = Files.lines(path, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
            if (stringStream.anyMatch(s -> s.contains("12"))) {
                System.out.println(path);
            }
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mind & body, Research, Science & environment, Technology & engineering
Campus poised to join Obama's BRAIN initiative
By Robert Sanders, Media relations| April 2, 2013 July 9, 2015
April 2, 2013 July 9, 2015 Robert Sanders
Three UC Berkeley scientists were among a gathering of the nation's top scientists at the White House this morning (Tuesday, April 2) as President Barack Obama announced a major national initiative to develop new tools to create real-time traffic maps of the human brain.
In a White House briefing, Obama proposed an initial $100 million investment this year in the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative, which "ultimately aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury," according to a White House press release.
"There is this enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked, and the BRAIN Initiative will change that by giving scientists the tools they need to get a dynamic picture of the brain in action and better understand how we think and how we learn and how we remember," Obama said. "That knowledge could be — will be – transformative."
John Ngai, director of UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and professor of molecular and cell biology, Paul Alivisatos, director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and professor of chemistry; and Jay Keasling, associate director for biosciences at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CEO of the Joint BioEnergy Institute and professor of chemical engineering, were invited to the White House to support Obama's initiative, which was proposed last year in a paper coauthored by Alivisatos and five brain scientists.
"This is our moon shot," said Ngai. "The president is giving U.S. scientists the support and resources to develop the tools we can use to really start to understand how the brain works. This is a lasting legacy that will be felt for generations."
In a video accompanying the press release, National Institutes of Health (NIH) director Francis Collins said that BRAIN will "bring together nanoscience, engineering and neurology to make sense of how the brain works, how those circuits in the brain allow us to do all those complicated things that we currently don't understand. … Out of this is going to come a foundation for understanding the brain that we have dreamed about all through human history."
Obama assembles "dream team"
NIH, the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, along with private foundations such as the Kavli Foundation and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will partner to support the research, which will be guided by a "dream team" of scientists led by Dr. Cornelia "Cori" Bargmann of The Rockefeller University and Dr. William Newsome of Stanford University.
"The Brain Activity Map is a very promising project for developing revolutionary new tools to advance neuroscience and to enable improved understanding of neurological diseases," Alivisatos said." It is exciting that the nation will lean forward to make progress in this important area."
The BRAIN initiative aims to not only map the brain's 10 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, but understand how signals travel along these circuits and what modulates those signals, Ngai said.
Ngai and others on campus and at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been meeting in recent months, in part with the assistance of the Kavli Foundation, to identify the tools needed and how Berkeley scientists can contribute. The foundation has hosted various meetings around the country to gather input to help shape a national research initiative.
"We want to produce a roadmap with all the traffic patterns," Ngai said. "The brain is a beautiful, efficient biological computer, and we want to understand how that computer works, how it learns and adapts, and how it goes awry. If we can understand the biology that underlies thinking and emotion, perhaps one day we can understand the basis of human consciousness."
The project will involve not only neuroscientists like Ngai and chemists like Alivisatos and Keasling, but also computer scientists, physicists and engineers to develop tools and techniques that scientists don't have today, such as the ability to record the electrical activity of thousands or even a million brain cells simultaneously, image the second-by-second flow of chemicals into and out of neurons, or capture in real time the waves of activity that allow communication between distant areas of the brain.
What scientists learn may also help design the next generation of computers. Faster and more efficient computers are needed to keep pace with the massive increase in data that's being generated, and computer scientists are looking to the brain for inspiration, Ngai said.
President Obama's remarks on BRAIN initiative (video)
Transcript of President Obama's remarks
Fact sheet on BRAIN initiative
Topics: biology, engineering, health, neuroscience
@bobthesciguy
How @CITRISFoundry @UCBerkeley nurtures @DeepTech as a good bet for investors ... via @forbes https://t.co/FllQrHtcrk
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