With the book Sustainable gardening for Dummies , Donna Ellis offers readers an endless passion for gardening, and most of all, sustainable gardening. The book becomes more relevant during the free time of the epidemic season. Sustainable Gardening for Dummies by Donna Ellis. Photo: CARD What is “sustainable gardening”? The concept of “sustainability” has been mentioned a lot in recent times, but not everyone understands its application. The title of the book introduced the problem, then went into depth analysis of the aspects of “sustainable gardening” in the following sections: Basic understanding of sustainable gardening, sustainable garden design, construction Building healthy habits in a sustainable space, growing sustainable trees… Donna Ellis points out that “sustainable” means making the most of what we have and conserving all our precious natural resources, benefiting the planet, without harming the environment. Not only trees, but soil, water, and all care and irrigation activities can have a good or bad impact on the Earth. Understanding that, the author provides readers with information from general to in-depth, ranging from garden design, plant varieties, to soil analysis methods and formulas to determine the appropriate capacity. for the water tank. In particular, Donna Ellis confessed that she was a person who used to “rely on chemicals”, causing harm to the environment. Through the book, she reminds readers to limit the use of chemical fertilizers; instead, “take care of and protect the tree in a nature-friendly way”. Gardening in a small space Many people, especially those who live in the city “the land is tight, the people are crowded”, often say: “I only have a small yard, so I certainly can’t do anything”. They did not know that “just a small potted plant on the windowsill, a coriander plant is already a garden”. The book is designed in a smart structure so that anyone, from beginners to those who have been taking care of the garden for many years, can easily grasp the information and apply it right away. For example, readers can choose the topic “Designing a Sustainable Garden” (part 2) to learn how to create a space to grow plants on a small area of ​​​​land. The garden may be small, but the benefits it brings to the family and nature are huge. In addition, Donna Ellis provides interesting side-by-side insights and detailed reference figures. All are presented in a scientific way, easy to help readers grasp. If you are a nature lover, interested in environmental issues or simply want to start gardening then Sustainable gardening for Dummies is a handbook that should not be ignored, especially during this epidemic season. A small garden can improve the mood for gardeners, making the living space comfortable and pleasant, especially without taking too much effort to worry and take care of. Sustainable gardening changes not only people’s lives, but the planet’s. The book with suggestions and easy-to-follow tips, gives readers a passion for gardening and practical lessons to have a sustainable garden where plants and people can live happily, healthy.

Illustration. No one can choose a tube of face wash indiscriminately, even less people with acne. It is the cleansers that cause dryness (which you often mistakenly think they help your skin reduce oil) that will make the skin produce more oil, thereby making acne difficult to control. To reduce acne and prevent breakouts, do not use cleansers that contain too many harsh exfoliating particles, do not use synthetic fragrances or benzoyl peroxide. Choose products that are gentle, with relative moisturizing ability. No need to use expensive acne cream You also do not need to be upset if you do not have enough money to go to the big beauty salons for acne treatment. You just need to go to a dermatologist and consult a doctor to use the appropriate affordable acne medications or creams. Currently, there are a number of acne creams that contain ingredients such as LHA, phe-resorcinol or ferulic acid to help treat acne and reduce acne scars very effectively, and at an inexpensive price. Don’t eat a lot of fat A high-fat diet will affect the oil control process on the skin. Milk and dairy products also increase insulin levels, causing acne breakouts. In addition, foods high in sugar are also the cause of preventing acne treatment. Adjusting the diet by the above foods will help the acne treatment process more effectively. You can replace greasy dishes by cooking such as steaming or boiling. Moreover, plant-based milk and low-sugar foods will be more beneficial for the skin! Never touch your face with your hands Regularly engaging in the following habits will create conditions for bacteria to enter the skin. They are the main cause of increased acne. The habit of squeezing pimples with your hands can cause facial infections. No matter how free your hands are, you should immediately give up the habit of letting your hands come into contact with your face. Moreover, squeezing acne by hand is not an effective acne treatment!

Like a wholesale market of forest products Unlike the markets in the Northwest that usually only meet on one day and then dissolve, the Saturday night Tua Chua market is busy from dusk on Saturday night until almost the end of Sunday afternoon. In the mornings from Monday to Saturday, Tua Chua market has people selling groceries, clothes, food… in cages, but there are few buyers. At noon on Saturday, the market began to gradually crowded with people from the Mong, Thai and Dao ethnic groups in the district bringing goods down to prepare for the fair, the most crowded being the Mong ethnic people. Just bought the orchid from the people, the “mixed touch” person offered to sell it right away On the way from Hanoi to the Northwest and Northeast highlands, people below have never seen a market with a lot of wild orchids, wild ginseng, herbs like at Tua Chua market on Saturday night, like a market. The clues of these goods come from the mountains and forests. Small traders at Tua Chua market said that before, the market was only held on Sunday mornings behind cage houses, the Mong ethnic people went to the market to sell chickens, ducks, underarm pigs, home-grown agricultural products, and herbs exploited in the forest. then buy clothes, farm tools, household appliances. People who buy and sell wild orchids from natural places gather in Tua Chua to hunt orchids of local people to exploit forest orchids or grow wild orchids at home and then sell them. They dated people to buy and sell wild orchids on Saturday night at Tua Chua market. It is always convenient for the Mong ethnic people to go to the market to sell orchids on Saturday night and then stay at the market on Sunday morning. So Tua Chua market has had a Saturday night market for more than 3 years now. The front of Tua Chua market looks very popular, unlike the vibrant scene in the back At first, Tua Chua fair market on Saturday night only had people buying and selling wild orchids, later on, people also brought wild ginseng, special agricultural products of the highland such as small root ginger, black turmeric, cardamom, and herbs. pharmacy… Buyers see many things below that they don’t have or have but are not as good, so they can buy more to use, as gifts. Guests spread the word about the interesting, unique and strange things they bought, making the Saturday night Tua Chua market noticed. However, Tua Chua is far away, not everyone has the conditions and time to come, so orchid hunters make contact with local people, asking for help buying and sending. Seizing the opportunity, some local people became collectors, collectors of business, Tua Chua market on Saturday night became a wholesale market of wild orchids, forest ginseng, precious agricultural products, and highland herbs from Vietnam. when no one knows. It can be said that this is the only night market selling wild orchids and ginseng in Vietnam so far. Mobile technology pervades Those who specialize in buying forest orchids, ginseng through rocks, herbs at Tua Chua market on Saturday night are mostly Kinh people in other localities but living in Tua Chua; a few are young people from the Mong, Thai, and Dao ethnic groups from Sin Ho (Lai Chau), Quynh Nhai (Son La), Tuan Giao, and Muong Cha (Dien Bien). Wild orchids are the most sought after item. Every Saturday, they gather at Tua Chua market to pick up people from the villages to bring orchids to the market. Bought a lot are rare orchids such as scallops; Orchid with beautiful flowers are popular as paint daffodils, kim scallops, square kieu, purple kieu, yellow kieu, royal lap, Hoang Thao, jade point … The price of orchids is high or low depending on each orchid, orchid bush. People in the village who are honest but buy and sell many times also know that they shouldn’t be in a hurry to sell, but just put it out there for buyers to see, tell the price, whoever pays more will sell. “Mixed trim” sells wild orchids Unlike wild orchids, the types that are considered precious from the mountains such as rock ginseng (rock ginseng), three-kid tubers, herbs are almost the same purchase price, the only difference is large, small, and quality. How fresh and dry. At dusk, Tua Chua market on Saturday night began to be bustling. Those who come for the first time will be amazed with the light from the flashlights mounted on the seller’s head and the light from the many smart mobile phones that are directly transmitting images for sale. Perhaps even the big cities in Vietnam do not have a market where the “hybrid touch” sales force is as large as in Tua Chua market far away in this Northwest highland. Buyers who gathered enough goods, began to “mix and trim” to sell online. Each person has 2-3 phones working at the same time, just transmitting pictures of each orchid, introducing, trading, and selling prices continuously: “Is there anyone who closes the ceiling of the earth orchids, is it beautiful? glass is always, beautiful bag, always coffee”, “Mr. Tran Phuc, the price of bare berry is 480,000 VND, is it OK for my sister?”, “Brother Le Trung, please give me the phone number above. Please finish off the overseas spring rolls, price 150,000 VND, please”, “This application for painting daffodils is closed for Mr. Tu Cuong, what is the address in Hue, bro”… The buyer side also responded: “Sister, look at the orchid here, let me see how the orchid is, but 50 million or 5 million dong?”, “50 million, but how can 5 million dong get you, orchids? it’s rare”. Closing any order, the seller immediately took the phone number and address written on the small piece of paper attached to the orchid that had just had a buyer. For precious orchids, the seller “hybrid touch” does not set a specific price, but gives the starting price of each tree for those who love that type of orchid to auction. The highest bidder wants to own that orchid but is far away, must ask an acquaintance at Tua Chua who has knowledge about orchids to check the tree and receive the goods immediately. Unlike the orchid sellers who have booths, sit on the spot “hybrid touch trim”, those who “hybrid touch trim” to sell ginseng and herbs mostly do not have stalls. They walk around the market, holding a tree with 2-3 smartphones, and carrying a small bag with a notebook on their shoulders. Seeing the place of ginseng and herbs of the villagers that are beautiful, the “mixed touch” people put the phone in to introduce, price immediately without asking the villagers how to sell. “Today, my family has ginseng piercing stone cool liver, good health for both men and women, very nice products. The price of big ginseng root is 80,000 VND per pound, small root is 60,000 VND per kilogram. Please order quickly”, “Hey guys, is this ginseng beautiful, put it in glass glue soaked in wine, it looks very nice, it’s good to drink”, “If you like stewed chicken with ginseng, this ginseng is great very”, “Brother Nam in Hanoi 2 pounds right? Sister in Saigon 4 pounds give me the address, phone number too”… After finishing the order with customers online, those who “mix and touch” will ask the price, pay the price with the villagers and weigh the goods. They pay but are not in a hurry to pick up the goods to free their hands to go to another “hybrid touch” to continue. At the end of the night of the market, each person “crossed and touched” sold at least 20-30 kg of ginseng, some people managed to lock up to a hundred kilograms. Closing the order, the person who “preliminarily trims” records the ticket immediately Know “hybrid touch”, sell more goods Ms. Mi Sen and 3 Dao people are all from Sin Ho (Lai Chau province) selling at this market for only one year. They buy ginseng from local people to collect in the forest and then bring it to this market to sell. At first, the girls sold it to a few people who specialized in “hybrid touch trim”, gradually learned how people did it, and then also “hybrid touched trim” sold their own ginseng, only reaching the level of “hybrid touching trim” on one phone. only phone, but the sales are more than before. A teacher from Thai Binh came to Tua Chua to teach, and every time she went to the fair, she went to the market to sell ginger, black turmeric, and cardamom to earn extra income. She said that ginger and black turmeric grown in the highlands are more spicy and fragrant than those grown in the lowlands, so they are very popular. Usually customers close orders of at least 5 kg of ginger or turmeric, at least 1 kg of cardamom. She bought it, packed it, called the “Giaohangtietkiem” party to pick it up and deliver it for her, the “cyp” money (delivery fee) was paid by the customer, for every 5 kg of ginger, the fee was about 30,000 – 40,000 VND. The teacher speaks Hmong, so she has the advantage of fast transactions with the Mong people who go to the market to sell goods compared to other “mixed touch” people. Those who “hybrid touch” work until 23 o’clock, then temporarily stop, bring the goods to pack to deliver in the morning to the “cyp” carrier for the customer. They sleep on the spot or rent a motel to take advantage of a few hours. Around 5-6 am on Sunday morning, this force again went to the market to hunt for beautiful forest orchids, good ginseng penetration, continue to “mix and trim” to take advantage of closing more orders. Over a Saturday night and a Sunday morning, mobile technology has brought goods from Tua Chua market to many buses to all regions. On Sunday morning, returning to the market, the Mong and Thai people saw us handing over our phones to take pictures and videos, and they asked again: “Did you just come here?”. At dusk on Saturday night, the Mong ethnic people bring their goods to the market Meeting day If you go to the provinces in the Northwest and Northeast, if you meet on the right day of the fair, all lowland people will like it. The fair for the highlanders is like a festival to meet each other, trading is simply selling what they can grow and raise in the village or go to the forest to earn and then buy what they need. These very rustic images allow people below to walk up and down the market to learn many unique cultural features of each ethnic minority community.

• Fresh carp or carp

• Bacon

• Ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chili …

• Green tea leaves

• Country of stock

• Pepper, fish sauce, spices …

Illustration.

How to make fish stock with rice cooker

Step 1: Preliminary processing of raw materials

• Fish scales, gut and gills. Fish should be washed with salt, vinegar, rice water or ginger wine to eliminate fishy smells. Cut the fish into pieces and drain.

• After being cleaned, fish will be marinated with water, salt, fish sauce and pepper for about 30 minutes – 1 hour.

• Wash the ginger and slide it.

• Galangal washed, sliced ​​or minced.

• Lemongrass cut into pieces.

• Fresh tea leaves, washed, slit, and drained.

• The bacon is just washed, cut into large pieces.

Step 2: Fish warehouse

• Arrange galangal, lemongrass, ginger, tea leaves on the bottom of the pot. Then add the bacon and fish on top, doing so one after another until all ingredients are gone. If you eat spicy, you can add fresh chili, green pepper.

• Press the cook / cook button and cook for about 15 minutes for the fish to release water and infuse spices. While red, boil a kettle of boiling water to store the fish.

After 15 minutes, pour the boiled water into the pot to cover the fish’s face. Add seasoning to taste. Continue cooking the fish until the water is almost dry. During the cooking process, the rice cooker will jump to the warm button. Once there, wait about 15 minutes and then press the cook button again. Do this about 3-4 times or until the water is almost dry. Then unplug the power and let the fish cool. Time to stock fish for the first time will take about 1-3 hours depending on the quantity of ingredients.

• To make the fish more delicious, firm and spicy, you should cook a second time. Once the fish has cooled completely, plug in the rice cooker and press the cook button. Before cooking, use a spoon to evenly sprinkle the remaining water on top of the fish. Can season again to taste.

• When the stock of fish stock is condensed and the pot jumps to the warm button, just leave it for a few more hours for the fish and make sure the meat is fine.