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Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2447 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 350 Fifth Avenue, 65th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10118-0110 Fighting Superbugs The Pleasures Of Producing Your Own Produce (NAPSA)—Here’s food for thought: With grocery bills on the rise, many Americans are heading to their own backyards for fresh vegetables. Growing vegetables can be cost effective and enjoyable. There is, however, more to cultivating your own cuisine than picking a sunny spot and putting some plants in the ground. You want your vegetable garden to be productive and appealing. “A well-designed vegetable garden can be beautiful and productive, as well as being an important part of your landscape,” says Bayer Advanced™ Garden Expert Lance Walheim, author of “Landscaping for Dummies.” Here are some tips to maximize space and minimize problems with your produce. • Divide the garden. Splitting the area into square or rectangular beds makes it easier to reach each planting section and showcases the garden as attractive and functional. • Grow up. Use tepees, trellises and fences to train vining crops such as peas, beans and cucumbers to grow upward—saving space and making picking easier. Most plants will stay low to the ground, so vertical structures can give them more visual appeal. • Contain it. Plant in containers or raised beds where space is at a premium or soil is bad. There are a lot of small-space varieties to choose from—and by using pots, you can even grow produce on a porch or balcony. • Mix and match. Plant goodlooking vegetables including lettuce and chard with flowers such (NAPSA)—It seems parents have another reason to get kids to keep their hands clean: superbugs. With warm weather approaching, time outdoors means an increased risk of germs, dirt, the common cold and drug-resistant “superbugs” such as MRSA. Keeping kids’ hands clean could prevent the spread of “superbugs.” Fresh, wholesome and delicious: vegetables from your own garden. as pansies and violas for an ornamental and edible garden. • Protect it. To keep bugs away from your prized produce, you might need a little help. Bayer Advanced Complete Insect Killer for Gardens kills more than 100 types of common garden insects, including Japanese beetles. It’s available in a 24-ounce ready-to-use trigger sprayer for targeted applications and a 1.3gallon power sprayer for easy application on bigger jobs. Complete Insect Dust for Gardens kills more than 60 types of garden insects, and comes with a convenient shaker-top applicator to help deliver effective, long-lasting control. Both can be used on vegetable gardens, fruit trees and flowers when used as directed. Always read and follow label instructions. You can learn more by visiting www.bayeradvanced.com or by calling 1-877-BAYERAG. But as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, proper hand hygiene can stop germs dead in their tracks. “It is the most important means of preventing the spread of infection,” says Jean Fleming, clinical director of infection prevention at Professional Disposables International, Inc. (PDI). “It is imperative that parents choose the most effective cleanser when soap and water are not available.” Fleming recommends a hand sanitizing product called “SaniHands for Kids Hand Sanitizing Wipes” because the wipes kill 99.99 percent of germs. “They’re clinically proven to more effectively kill germs than rub-in, alcohol-based gels alone because the friction from rubbing the wipe over hands sweeps away germs and dirt. That doesn’t happen with gels. You wind up killing some germs and rubbing the rest around.” Sani-Hands for Kids are available in canisters and individual packets so you can sanitize hands anywhere when soap and water aren’t available, perfect for the car, sports games and on the go. Visit www.CoraAndCory.com for information. A Familiar Home Loan Becomes Popular Again (NAPSA)—A growing number of homebuyers are showing renewed interest in a type of mortgage that, some say, has been overlooked in recent years. For many homebuyers and real estate agents, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan has started to reclaim its status as an affordable loan. Plus, it now comes with less red tape and more buyer-friendly features than in the past. It’s important to note that FHA does not make loans. Rather, it insures loans made by private lenders, such as Bank of America. Some say this type of loan— along with companion Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans—deserve to be back on consumer and Realtor radar screens. And for good reason, said Allen Jones, government lending executive for Bank of America. According to Jones, “These loans are safe, sound, easier to use and more buyer- and refinance-friendly than ever.” He also noted that Bank of America is one of the largest government loan providers in the U.S., particularly for first-time buyers who might not otherwise be able to afford substantial down payments. Federal Housing Administration loans require a lower down payment—about 6 percent—than other types of loans. However, until recently, some buyers and real estate agents avoided loans such as these. That’s because the loans had what many considered rigid appraisal requirements, inflexible closing terms with sellers, and bureaucratic steps that Once thought by some to have conditions that were too demanding, a particular type of federally insured home loan has become the loan of choice for many. some found confusing. Fortunately, those pitfalls have recently been amended by administrative changes. As a result, these loans have emerged as the loan of choice for many consumers. Also on the upside: There are no prepayment penalties and the loans are assumable—features considered desirable by many buyers. The loans have retained requirements for full documentation to support the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. Said Jones, “At this point, FHA is considered by many to be the best source of prime rate and lowdown-payment financing for many first-time homebuyers and borrowers with any credit issues.” And there’s icing on the cake: Higher loan limits open the loans to even more borrowers. Because these loans are prime, they tend to be viewed positively by both the lender and real estate communities alike. To learn more, visit www.bank ofamerica.com. Information is also available at http://portal.hud.gov.
