Friday Fluctuating Features, Week 4: Fresh Fruit; Fragaria (Strawberries) Just a little more than a week from now, some lovebirds will celebrate Valentine's Day with Flowers, Ferrero Rocher chocolates, or maybe Fresh Fruit- like edible arrangements, or chocolate covered strawberries. For those fine folks feasting on fresh fruit, I thought I would give you some fun facts about Fragaria, better known as "the Strawberry". From episode 29 of 'The Nelson Gardens; Garden & HomeCast', October 24, 2023: "In the world of perennials, we have a Genus that is both grown as an edible fruit, and as an ornamental Plant: Fragaria. Fragaria ananassa, a cross between F. chiloensis and F. virginiana, is the name for your typical hybrid June bearing and Everbearing Strawberry plants, hardy in USDA zones 4-8, but there are over 20 different species of strawberry. In most cases, F. ananassa will produce fruit for 3-4 years in fertile, well-draining soil, in full sun, and then should be replaced with younger plants. Some varieties of Strawberry to grow for fruit include: Ever-bearing varieties like: Ozark, Fort Laramie, All Star, and Sequoia, and June-bearing varieties like: Northwest, Benton, Olympus, and Douglas, but there are several more in each category. Strawberries are not actually true berries, which would be a "fruit containing seeds". The part of the strawberry that we eat is technically a receptacle, and the parts on the outside that we call “seeds” are actually ‘achenes’, or a tiny, dry, hard fruit in which the true seeds are encased. Of the several species of Fragaria, Fragaria alpinia or Alpine Strawberry, have much smaller leaves, and produce much smaller, usually very sweet receptacles. Fragaria alpina is hardy in USDA Zones 3-7. Also hardy to Z3-7 are some of the hybrid Fragaria that are edible, but grown more for their pink, hot pink, or red flowers. Two varieties worth mentioning- include Fragaria x ‘Lipstick’ and Fragaria x ‘Gasana’. Both have the classic strawberry foliage, but more full, compact, and mounding plants and red or pink flowers. The coolest fun fact might be that Fragaria is a member of the Rosaceae or Rose family." So, if you give that special someone strawberries and roses this upcoming Valentine's Day, your two gifts are even more closely related than you may have known. Join me, @KevinMNelsonUSA every Friday for 1 or more (maybe Four) Friday Fluctuating Features, including Fun Facts, Founding Fathers, Food (like Fresh Fuit), Faith, Finance, Fragrant Flowers, - pretty much all the F words (except that one). #FridayFeatures Your subscription is appreciated.

Friday Fluctuating Features, Week 3: Ice Ice, Baby. Friday Fun Fact: 32 Degrees, the Fahrenheit temp for Flow and Freeze. Most people know that water freezes at 32°F (0°C). This often leads to the assumption that ice must melt at 33°F (0.55°C). However, that is not the case. 32F is the equilibrium temperature at which both freezing and melting can occur. So if you want to make sure your Ice stays frozen, shoot for 31F or below, and if you want to keep your water from freezing, aim for 33F or higher. 32F is just too unpredictable! Additional Ice Info.: Impurities and air bubbles can lower the freezing point of water. This is the reason chloride salts (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride) are often applied to walkways and roads, to lower the freezing point of any water that is present, thus preventing it from freezing, and simultaneously melting the frozen water (Ice) and preventing re-freezing. However, when temperatures fall below 15F, plain rock salt (sodium chloride) can be almost ineffective. This is also the reason that certain fast-food ice is said to persist long after your drink is done: a lack of air bubbles in the ice-making process, and the use of purified water. Join me, @KevinMNelsonUSA every Friday for 1 or more (maybe Four) Friday Fluctuating Features, including Fun Facts, Founding Fathers, Food, Faith, Finance, Fragrant Flowers- pretty much all the F words (except that one). #FridayFeatures

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#FridayFeatures #AvGeek #USArmy #RollTide: US Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, Alabama is a semi-shrine to the Sikorsky company! Sadly, Igor Sikorsky's son Sergei Sikorsky has just died at age 100! Here is @Sikorsky's tribute video and great footage:

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Meet your new crush 😍! Tomas from @koridor_ua 🇨🇿 We really love day when #Czeck team comes to the Coast! That mean we will be able to much more. This cooperation help us to cope with things that are impossible when you out of 🙌. If @koridor_ua have more free hands they go CF “Help2win” to make camp nets. #FridayFeatures #StrongerTogether #NAFOExpansionIsNonNegotiable