Vines For Your Garden

Posted by Ena Clewes on June 24th, 2011 filed in Garden Design
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Vines are climbing or trailing plants that must have support to grow vertically. They may be annual or perennial, evergreen or deciduous, herbaceous or woody. Vines can fit into the tiniest spaces , provided their roots are firmly planted in the soil, and grow vertically and/or horizontally with great flexibility.
Clinging Vines
Clinging vines can attach themselves almost anywhere by one of several means. Boston ivy has disk like suction cups that allow it to attach itself to almost any surface without damaging it. Climbing hydrangea, English ivy , creeping Fig, Winter creeper, and Trumpet vine, all with their small root-like holdfasts, thrive growing up slightly rough surfaces like bricks, stone or wood. For the gardener, the advantages of these self-clinging vines is that they will grow straight up a vertical surface effortlessly, and require only minimal support to get …

Pesticide Poisoning

Posted by Ena Clewes on May 12th, 2011 filed in Garden Pests and Diseases
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Dandelions in the lawn, bugs in the garden, a little spray here, a little spray there, weeds and bugs disappear, no problem.

THINK AGAIN!!

Pesticide poisoning occurs when chemicals enter the blood stream. Not all poison symptoms occur right away. Most chemicals have cumulative effects. Your liver, lungs, bone marrow, kidneys, nervous system and
skin may all be affected with pesticides.

Pesticides enter the bloodstream through absorption, inhalation or ingestion. Absorption through the skin and eyes are the most common. To help to avoid pesticide poisoning, using protective clothing is the answer.

For example, wear a wide brimmed hard hat, no fabric bands. Fabric absorbs chemicals, and so the head is re-exposed each time the hat is worn.

Long sleeved shirt and full length pants. fit snugly at collar and wrists, made of 100% cotton or cotton blend.

Water proof apron when mixing and pouring, it protects the highly sensitive groin area.

Neoprene or …

Should I get a Compost Tumbler?

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters on May 10th, 2011 filed in Compost
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I am back from the compost hiatus. Last Sunday, we (and when I say “we,” I mean “my husband”) cleaned out the

gutters.  There was some serious composting already happening in there.  My fellow garden tweeters let me know that gutter compost is good stuff.  It sure looked it!  We made a pile of it in the backyard so that I can incorporate it into my new scheme.

 
Compost Tumbler Investigation
I’m trying to decide if I want to have a compost pile, compost tumbler, or a compost bin.  On my last compost post, several people wrote in about their alternate methods.  Zach uses two trash cans.  Chris recommended that Zach rig the cans so that he can roll them around and aerate the compost more.  He should poke holes in them and rig the lids to …

Buying and Maintaining Healthy Bulbs

Posted by Ena Clewes on April 24th, 2011 filed in Bulbs
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In order to have a good display of bulbs in your garden, you first have to make sure that the bulbs you are going to rely on for that display are healthy.

Buy only dormant bulbs that show little if any, root development and no top growth other than a pale fat bud. (Lilies, however, are never really dormant; their bulbs often have fleshy roots attached.)

Look for bulbs that have their papery skins (called tunics) intact. These contain natural compounds that inhibit disease and premature sprouting. Choose bulbs that are packaged in materials that permit air to enter, the package should have some kind of ventilation to achieve this. If the bulbs are packed in plastic bags, then they will often rot.

Select bulbs that are firm with few wrinkles and no soft spots. You may find that healthy bulbs seem heavier than their size suggests. Avoid bulbs with cuts, dark …

Earth Day Eating: “Food Matters”

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters on April 21st, 2011 filed in Organic Book Reviews
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If you regularly read this blog, you know I’m a bookworm.  So, in honor of upcoming Earth Day, and (GASP!) my Birthday, I’m reviewing the great new book by Mark Bittman  Food Matters.  I heard Mark interviewed on NPR right around the time the book came out and thought “That sounds interesting.” Right now, I’m working on a big “grow your own food” project, and have been investigating the health benefits of different foods, growing your own foods, etc.  While Food Matters is not really about growing your own food, it is about how to eat for better health and to help the environment.  That makes this review a great follow-up to my “Gardening to …

Native Plants in Your Organic Garden

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters on March 18th, 2011 filed in Garden Design
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What are native plants? Why is everybody so hung up on planting them in their gardens? Are native plants necessary inclusions in an organic garden? Are the words “organic” and “native” interchangeable?
What are “Native Plants?”
The definition of “native plant” is different for every gardener. The definition can be as broad as “a plant that grows on the same continent” of the garden where it is to be planted or as narrow as “a plant that naturally grows within twenty miles” of the garden where it is to be planted. Native is, in some cases, in the eye of the beholder. You can easily distinguish between impatiens that are native to South America and that is native to North America or an acacia that is native to Africa versus a beautyberry that is native to …

10 Easy Ideas for Organic Pest Control

Posted by Cathy England on March 7th, 2011 filed in Garden Pests and Diseases
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Why is it important to make any effort at organic pest control when there are so many insecticides and traps that work just as well? The basic reason is that insecticides do not degrade naturally in the environment, and it means that you are spraying poison on the food products that your family is going to be eating at harvest time.

Additionally, conventional insecticides are not selective in the pests that they control. This means that you are not only killing the troublesome pests, but also the beneficial insects who, left to their own devices, will do a pretty good job of taking care of infestations for you. So, get rid of all of the poisonous controls in your garage or shed, and change your mindset.

Organic gardener’s best friend…Creepy but wonderful. Photo by Amayu
So what …

Tips for Organic Gardening Newbies

Posted by Katie Elzer-Peters on February 27th, 2011 filed in Garden Maintenance
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On twitter this morning, one of the people I “follow” said something intriguing about the push for a Victory Garden on the White House lawn.  He said that he was worried that the current initiative for Victory Gardens 2.0 will end up causing lots of problems with herbicide/pesticide and fertilizer overuse because people don’t undertsand organic gardening, or even, well, gardening!  I hadn’t really thought about this victory garden push in that light, but after thinking about it, I can see why people would be concerned.

The only reason why I know as much as I do about gardening-the scientific stuff-is that I went to school for six years, ending with two degrees in horticulture.  Little did I know, Horticulture is taught mostly as a science, less as an art.  I have come to believe, firmly, that it is both.  I have …

The Right Temperature For Your Plants

Posted by Ena Clewes on February 17th, 2011 filed in Garden Maintenance
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Besides knowing whether a plant is sun or shade-loving, it is helpful to know the range in which plants thrive in order to decide whether you can successfully grow it in your garden.

There are many places that you can find the temperature zones for Canada and the United States. These countries are divided into 11 regions based on the lowest average temperature, starting from zone 1 (sub arctic) to zone 11 (subtropical).

Cold is not the only factor to be considered in plant selection. There is also rainfall, snowfall, and the number of hours of light. However, since cold easily kills some plants, it becomes the most important factor.

How much cold a plant can stand determines its hardiness. Climates tend to overlap so the lines of separation are not always clear. Many plants that are recommended for one zone will do well in the southern part of an adjoining colder …

Learning Self Sufficiency Through Community Organic Gardens

Posted by Cathy England on January 29th, 2011 filed in Garden Maintenance
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Look around your neighborhood.  In a ten block drive, how many places can you count that could potentially become a community organic garden?  Are there vacant lots, or abandoned buildings that are otherwise serving no purpose?  What would it look like instead if there were garden plots, and neighbors working together in those spaces?

There are a number of towns and cities in the nation who are attempting to find out what that would look like; while educating groups of people, particularly in low-income communities, to become more self-sufficient.  This has been largely successful in the areas where a commitment has been made to this effort.

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Why Community Gardening?
A funny thing happens when you get people out of their homes, into the fresh air, and remind them that they can become a provider of some of their own sustenance.  Low income areas in …