L.E. Cooke Blog

Friday, 19 December 2014 02:00

Health Benefits of Apricots (Sweet)

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APRICOT -Sweet Apricots are very rich in antioxidants and offer good protection against free radical damage. They rank as a good source of vitamin A and C. Apricots contain quercetin, proanthocyanidin, catechin, epicatechin, hydroxycinnamic, gallic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, and ferulic acid. Vitamin A (from beta-carotene), carotenoids, and xanthrophylls help protect eyesight from damage and lutein protects the retina from blue light. Vitamin C benefits are multiple and well documented. Apricots are high in…
Friday, 05 December 2014 19:15

Grapevine Fall Color

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Blueberry Grape Fall Color Too many years ago I was in the Napa wine country during Thanksgiving weekend. The fall colors were stunning. I only had my point and shoot camera then and have always wanted to go back during peak color with my good cameras and lenses. But alas, I have been thwarted with other duties and will hope again for "next year". Today I made a quick trip to the budwood orchard to…
Wednesday, 03 December 2014 13:11

The Challenges and Effects of Record Drought

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Drilling first of the new wells It rained yesterday! That is a big event considering the last three years of drought. In fact we have had half as much rain in the last two weeks as we had all of last year. But 1 1/2 inches of rainfall is not much. Three years of drought with last year breaking all the records at only a little over 3 inches for the whole year. In spite…
Monday, 03 November 2014 02:00

Apple Health Benefits

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Apple contains quercetin, epicatechin, anthocyanins and triterpenoids which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The apple peel is the most nutritious as the majority of Quercetin (80%) is found in it. Alzheimer's - Apple juice consumption shows higher levels of acetylcholine,  a neurotransmitter that improves brain function Parkinson's - fiber and anti-oxidants fight the breakdown caused by free radicals All forms of Cancer - flavonol rich apples reduce incidence of pancreatic cancer. Triterpeniods in apple peel…
Monday, 03 November 2014 02:00

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away...

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  We have all heard this for as long as we can remember. As it turns out, there is more truth than poetry to this old saw. As modern medicine advances, we are finding increasing evidence that we truly are 'what we eat'.  It is often much better to strengthen and fortify our immune system and whole body health than it is to try to fix a broken machine; so we circle back to a…
Friday, 05 September 2014 03:00

Chocolate Persimmon vs Black Sapote

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Chocolate Persimmon (Diospyros kaki) Question: I had a question about the chocolate persimmon. Is this the same tree as a black sapote? The latin name for the chocolate persimmon on the tag I bought from green thumb from lecooke.com is Diospyros kaki. However, the latin name for the black sapote seems to be Diospyros digyna. When I look on the Internet some sites say that the chocolate persimmon and the black sapote are the same.…
Wednesday, 27 August 2014 17:19

Velvet Touch™ Russian Olive

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What is Wrong with This Picture? Tom Hugging Velvet Touch™ Russian Olive Eleagnus angustifolia (Russian Olive) has two monstrous strikes against it. 1) It is naturally, dangerously throny. The 2-3 inch daggers at each leaf node slices and dices skin very nicely. Makes for a very good barrier if you don't like your neighbors cutting through your property. 2) It is rapidly showing up on many invasive species lists across the country. Rightly so -…
Tuesday, 26 August 2014 14:55

Pineapple Pear

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Large Size of Pineapple Pear (my hand is not small) Doesn't that look yummy? Took the photo this morning. Give it a couple of days to finish ripening off the tree and I will be delightfully devouring it. It has a hint of pineapple flavor to its flesh, hence its name. What is exciting, this pear can be grown in the yards of the majority of homes in the U.S. Pineapple Pear only requires about…
Monday, 21 July 2014 18:42

Water Wise Landscape Trees & Plants

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L.E. Cooke Water Wise Landscape Trees & Plants List As I write this the West is in a serious drought. Droughts or low rainfall years are not uncommon in the West. In the last few years we have seen several drought issues in Texas and even in Georgia and the Southeast. Cycles in rainfall and water availability happen. Surely, I have no desire to open the can of worms as to the causes or engage…
Wednesday, 26 March 2014 00:11

Galaxy Peach History

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GALAXY PEACH Saucer peaches have a long history. Galaxy was a new introduction from David Ramming, USDA - Fresno in 2003. It has Armking x Firebright x Sunfre and numbered crosses not released. We sold Australian Saucer peach prior to 1955 which was very similar to Stark's Donut (Saturn) Peach. The nickname Donut Peach made for good sales even today. Galaxy is a much larger Donut or Saucer peach. Donut, Saucer, Saturn peaches are freestone.…
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