The Valley Breeze Newspapers serving the Northern Rhode Island towns of Cumberland, Lincoln, Woonsocket, Smithfield, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, North Providence, Scituate, Foster, and Glocester
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18 SPRING IN THE VALLEY – HOME EDITION MAY 13-19, 2020 | VALLEY BREEZE & OBSERVER think outside the box and recycle items that can be used for gardening. "Be creative. I grew strawberries last year in sneakers," he said. He also advises going with natu- ral or homemade ways to fertilize and control weeds, testing your soil, and planting some flowers near your vegetables. "Anything that will attract bees to your garden. Those are the workers," said Rossi. Lilley suggests beginners plan ahead, "thinking about where in your yard gets most sunlight," searching vegetables that will do OK in partial shade, etc. "If you have flower beds, you can put things in your flower beds, tuck stuff away," she said. Lilley said if you're new, "Find your neighbors that are gardeners and ask them questions. They'd love to talk to you, and they will be out in their yard. Every gardener I've ever met has been helpful." She suggested that while out in your neighborhood, "If you see older people that used to have gar- dens – why not volunteer to help them start a garden, and maybe share the space?" Rossi said, "Please share your overabundance of vegetables," sug- gesting bringing your extra produce to a neighbor, someone who can't leave their home, or a senior. Even during a time of social dis- tancing, a common theme with gar- deners seems to be a sense of com- munity. And of all the reasons to start a garden, maybe this is one we all need more than ever right now. TOM ROSSI advises being creative with ways to begin a garden. Here, he uses an overturned fish tank as a do-it-yourself greenhouse for his early arugula and lettuce. Above left are some of Ann Lilley's GOLDEN GATE FLAT PODDED BEANS. At right are some RED AND YELLOW BEETS and LETTUCE harvested from her gar- den during a previous growing season GARDENING From Page 4 sewing masks when friends in the health care industry began expe- riencing shortages, but she's also taken on other projects to show her appreciation for those on the front- lines. Earlier this month, she invited friends to tag essential workers they knew on Facebook, then sewed homemade wallets to send to them as gifts. "I was hearing all these stories about what nurses are going through, and I just wanted to brighten their day a little," she said. Boni works for Amerisewn in Cranston as a patternmaker and prototype stitcher and has continued to report to work every day to help the company's efforts making masks for health care workers. At home, she estimates she's made close to 130 masks and sent them to friends and family. For many, the social distancing measures have offered the perfect time to take on new projects outside. Ainsley Cantoral and her husband, Mario, have started raising baby chicks and turkeys at their home in Burrillville. Though Mario grew up on a farm, Cantoral said it's her first time raising the animals. "He's trying to get more of them (there is talk of dedicated meat birds), but I'm holding firm at 50, for now," she said. "(My daughter) Ofelia calls them 'her stubborn tur- keys' because she picked all the ones who don't listen." Cantoral said her kids have enjoyed helping with the birds and also taken on new projects in ceram- ics and wood burning. Even her 15-month-old, she said, has started picking up new words like "turkey" and "chick-chick." Others have turned to cooking and baking as they eat more of their meals at home. At Juliana's Italian Bakery in Cumberland, owner Lee Hall said he was flooded with so many requests for yeast and flour they started selling it in one-pound and three-pound bags. The bakery buys it wholesale from their suppliers and divides it up into smaller por- tions for customers. "We've gone through probably a hundred pounds of yeast already and close to 250 pounds of flour already," he said. "People, they can't find it anywhere." Hall said he's not making much of a profit on the yeast and flour sales, but thinks of it as one way to help out his customers. Baking, he said, is a good activity to do with kids at home, since it can teach them math and other skills. "It's creating a demand I think that the market didn't anticipate for baking needs," he said about the pandemic. "If we're able to help that, then so be it." Sisters OFELIA, EVA and JORGIANA CANTORAL show off their family's new hobby, raising chickens and turkeys. HOBBIES From Page 10 • Complete Heating Systems • Remodeling • Repairs • Water Heaters • Complete Sewage Ejector Systems for Basement Baths • Senior Citizen Discounts C. J. Nemes, Inc. Plumbing & Heating 24-Hour Emergency Service 769-4776 Master Plumber, R.I. #1911 Mass. #25011 Member of The Better Business Bureau Drain & Sewer Cleaning 4 Tag Drive, No. ProviDeNce, rhoDe islaND Body & Fender Work expert refinishing corveTTe reBuilDers 24 hour Towing -Complete Collision Services -Quality late model vehicles -Specializing in insurance work 401-231-9000 www.ginosautosalesandbodyworks.com Gino's Auto Sales & Body Works