This is something I've been thinking about all through this strange springtime when, despite being home so much more than normal, we are in fact allowed to go outside, to walk all over everywhere, to enjoy the flowers in everyone else's yards as well as our own gardens. Twenty-one years ago, when Daniel and I … Continue reading Spring Flowers and Ex-Boyfriends
gardening
Hope Springs Up Green
Each morning, I've been glancing at the progress of the spring flowers in my garden, coming up from bulbs. Only the snowdrops are blooming so far, but the others are putting up their leaves. I admire the way they push up right through the autumn-leaf mulch, no matter how thick it is or how firmly … Continue reading Hope Springs Up Green
Mulch with Autumn Leaves, Bring a Beautiful Spring!
Last Saturday, I gathered leaves from the edges of my street and the public sidewalk and arranged them in my yard--about 80 pounds of free mulch! You can read all about this technique in my earlier article. Today, here in Pittsburgh, we have snow on the ground that fell on November 12. It's compacting my … Continue reading Mulch with Autumn Leaves, Bring a Beautiful Spring!
A Morning Glory Moment on Earth
Last fall, when I pulled down dead vines from my front yard, I tossed them onto the hillside in the back to help control erosion. Some of the seeds fell into the soil and grew into vines that have climbed over everything that helps them reach the light.
Autumn Leaves: FREE Mulch to Nourish Your Garden
Improve soil quality and prevent erosion without spending a cent! Just take a few minutes to collect this free resource from your neighborhood.
Gardening is Good for You! {infographic}
It's been a tough year for our garden. I'm going to write more about it someday, but at the moment we're busy digging, planting, laying a new stone path, building a new raised bed, and visualizing a beautiful garden next year! Meanwhile, here is an infographic to motivate us by pointing out the physical and emotional … Continue reading Gardening is Good for You! {infographic}
That Time I Bought Ladybugs by Mail
Years ago, Daniel and I made friends with this guy named Vinnie who lived in one of the apartments over the garages behind the cluster of rowhouses where we were living at the time. His apartment was small and shabby, but he'd chosen it because it had a large yard, and he loved gardening. In … Continue reading That Time I Bought Ladybugs by Mail
Darwinian Gardening
I'm writing a 3-part series on composting over at Kitchen Stewardship; here's how to get started with my composting system using 3 ordinary flowerpots, and I also mention two FREE composting systems my family members have used. Here, I'm explaining my general approach to the garden I nourish with my compost. The idea and the … Continue reading Darwinian Gardening
Sheet Mulching Turns Garbage Into Fertile Soil!
Last week's guest post about choosing organic fertilizer drew comments from my brother, urban farmer and permaculture instructor Ben Stallings of Interdependent Web, explaining the good reasons to improve your soil with plants rather than manufactured pellets (even if they are made from organic materials). Until then, I wasn't aware that he had written an … Continue reading Sheet Mulching Turns Garbage Into Fertile Soil!
How to Choose a Safe, Earth-friendly Garden Fertilizer
This is a guest post by Josefine Schaefer of Fertiplus, a Dutch company manufacturing organic fertilizers. Although I have not used their products myself, I support the idea of non-toxic fertilizers made from natural materials. This is not a paid advertisement, and the article also includes advice on making your own organic fertilizers. Fertiplus products … Continue reading How to Choose a Safe, Earth-friendly Garden Fertilizer
Some Plants Are For Eating
Happy Earth Day! Before I get to my main topic, I've got some special offers to tell you about... First, instead of buying anything, check out the beautiful photographs in the Capture Conservation photo contest sponsored by the Student Conservation Association! UPDATE: The sale on PlanetBox stainless steel lunchboxes has ended, but check out our … Continue reading Some Plants Are For Eating
The Earthling's Handbook 