Posts Tagged ‘Garden’

The Easiest Compost Guide Ever

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009

Learning the basics of composting can be an overwhelming task to garden newbies.  Have you ever looked into buying a “how to compost” book?  Just looking at the size of the book and the long blocks of text is enough to make me put it back on the shelf.  I get easily annoyed at books and articles that make gardening, or learning about gardening, more difficult than it needs to be.  The internet can be a great resource, but finding a well written, reliable article can take hours.

Look no further, Home Composting Made Easy is truely an uncomplicated way to start your home composting system.  I have taken classes, read articles, experimented at home, and nothing sums up all the information I’ve learned better than this 32 page, easy-to-read guide book.  Reducing your home’s waste by composting can save up to 3o% of precious landfill space.  Check out your local garden center or buy online for $3.95.

Bird Feeders Add Interest to Winter Gardens

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Perch Bird Feeder

Your garden isn’t dead in the winter, it’s just sleeping.  Many articles on the internet talk about adding winter interest to your garden by using evergreen shrubs, trees with colorful branches or cool peeling bark like the Paperbark Maple.  In many areas of the world, a drab and dreary winter is a garden’s longest season of the year.  So why do we allow ourselves to gaze out the window with nothing interesting to look at?  One of the easiest ways to bring life to a sleepy garden is by adding architectural interest.

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Sustainable vs. Conventional Gardening

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

Does the idea of sustainable gardening intimidate you?  For many people, the idea of learning a new skill and planning ahead are daunting tasks.  Sustainable gardening can save you time, money and energy in the long run with a little bit of know-how.  On the other hand, conventional gardening is pretty easy.  You buy the plants you like, regardless of their needs, feed the heck out of them, and spray them with chemicals to keep them pest-free. What’s wrong with that you ask?  For one, you spend a lot of money buying pesticides and fertilizer to keep your plants happy, not to mention the harm they can have on the environment.

What is sustainable gardening?

RecycleWorks.org has a great definition, simple and not overly technical. “Improve the health of your garden and minimize any negative impact on the environment.”  To put it another way, creating a sustainable garden is a balancing act of resources used and results gained.  For example, using less pesticides and being happy with a few chew marks on your plants.  You’re not perfect.  Why do your plants have to be? I have to admit, transitioning away from conventional gardening practices is a paradigm shift, which involves altering your perception of the “perfect garden” or the “perfect lawn.”

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