Articles by Chris Field
Chris is an avid gardener, and began gardening without chemicals or pesticides ten years ago. The first few years were tough, as his lawn and garden were too addicted to synthetic fertilizers. After lots of research, testing and consulting other organic gardeners, he realized he was thinking the wrong way - it's a multi-year process of building up the soil back to health, adding natural soils and fertilizers like manure and compost.
Today, after moving to a new house and starting the process over, he has a garden repeatedly full of tasty, nutrient-rich tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. With two young children, and a pair of active dogs, he's glad he has a yard free of chemicals and pesticides, and when not in the garden he edits and updates this website.
You might have heard a lot about beneficial insects in your garden, and how they fight on your side to keep your flowers, shrubs and vegetables safe. Well, it's time to meet these tireless, hungry soldiers, how to attract and keep them in your garden, and the pros and cons of using them as your organic insecticide. And how effective are they, really?
Introducing Your Garden Soldiers
If you are an organic gardener, chances are you will ...
Posted in Garden Pests and Diseases | 4 Comments »
We all know that organic gardening is better for your health and better for the environment, yet people new to organic gardening have way too much confusing information thrown at them. Worse, they may turn to organic gardening with the mind-set of a conventional gardener. Many conventional gardeners who go cold turkey and switch to organic fertilizer will ...
Posted in Garden Maintenance | 4 Comments »
Butterfly conservatories are a favorite tourist attraction in any city lucky enough to have one. You don’t have to wait for a vacation to a far-off place to enjoy bountiful displays of butterflies! Planting a backyard butterfly garden is easy and fun. The key to raising your own butterflies is to grow plants for the larva to eat, for holding the chrysalis, ...
Posted in Garden Design | 1 Comment »
As an organic gardener, you know that the soil is the most important factor in creating a successful garden. Rich healthy soil means healthy, beautiful blooms and juicy vegetables.
Compost
Compost is made from decayed organic materials such as straw, grass clippings, newspaper, leaves, certain food wastes, spent plants, hay, chipped trees/brush, and farm manures. You can easily make your own compost using a bin, tumbler ...
Posted in Soil and Fertilizer | No Comments »
Download a Printable Guide for Your Fridge (PDF)Composting in your garden is very easy to do, however, to achieve quick and optimal compost, it should be well balanced with green and brown waste materials.
What are green versus brown materials, and why should you care? Think of compost as a healthy meal for your soil life - those worms and microbes that do the actual work ...
Posted in Compost | 7 Comments »
