Beautiful No-Mow Yards, The Edible Front Yard, and Why Grow That When You Can Grow This
Book reviews: Beautiful No-Mow Yards by Evelyn Hadden, The Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler, and Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? by Andrew Keys
Weed Control… and Other Jokes?
The minister began the sermon by asking how many in the congregation were gardeners. Then the minister asked what was the first thing they saw when they walked into their gardens. Silence … followed by the obvious answer … weeds! To many of us their very existence seems to ruin an otherwise beautiful scene, leading to countless hours grousing about and cursing their existence. Not to mention the physical labor and money expended in our weed-fighting efforts.
It’s Spring and Everything’s Blooming … including the Weeds!
Interspersed among vibrant spring flowers are the delicate lacy leaves of bittercress, the rich green tufts of annual bluegrass, colorful expanses of henbit and deadnettle, and cheerful clumps of chickweed … In case you’re wondering, remember, a weed is merely a wildflower in the wrong place.
Cedar Waxwings, Windows and Cats
Since many native foods are scarce this time of year, bird feeders can be quite busy. Birds, such as cardinals, finches, chickadees, titmice and sparrows, prefer black-oil sunflower seeds (hulled seeds cause less mess) in hanging feeders. However, if you happen to grow plants like eastern redcedar and winterberry (both are natives with high wildlife value) that still hold their winter fruit, then you may find a flock of colorful Bombycilla cedrorum (cedar waxwings) stopping by for a snack.
Founding Gardeners
George Washington was an obsessive gardener; Thomas Jefferson, a stealthy seed smuggler; and John Adams, so taken with manure, he once examined a pile of it while on a diplomatic excursion in Europe.
The Bountiful Harvest at Organic Vegetable Garden
Organic Vegetable Garden, October 4th As we make our way into fall, our garden still thinks it is summer, as is evidenced by the bounty of warm season crops we …