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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Fill Your Garden with Cross Country Nurseries

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ince 1985, Janie and Fernando, owners of Cross Country Nurseries have loved being growers. This small nursery is quickly becoming well-known nationwide for the large, hearty transplants they grow! They offer 500 varieties of live chili and pepper plants, 180 varieties of live tomato plants and 120 varieties of live eggplant plants from April through May. They pride themselves on signing the Safe Seed Pledge and use no GMOs. The plants are raised on an organic diet of fish emulsion and seaweed and produce extremely well.

Each year, the nursery ships over 100,000 plants throughout the U.S., so they have lots of experience with shipping plants safely.

Please understand that plants shipped on the first ship date will be the youngest and therefore smallest plants of the season. These plants may need a bit of extra care and will not be as large as those shipped later in the season. However, the nursery guarantees that its products will arrive true to its name and in a healthy condition.

The nursery is open seven days a week during the season and welcomes visitors. For the strongest, healthiest plants on the web, trust ChiliPlants.com.

Location: 199 Kingwood Locktown Rd., Stockton. For more information on purchasing and planting, call 908-996- 4646 or visit ChilePlants.com.

Local Insights
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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