I often dream of hens clucking around in a small garden pecking at bugs and laying fresh, organic eggs but alas that is not going to happen living in the cold, white north with no backyard or shelter against raccoons and minus will-it-never-end winters. And seriously, that was an actual question. Will winter never end? …
Last spring the world aligned in such a way leading to what I can only describe as a collapse in judgement wherein I purchased an actual device to start my seeds in. Firstly, I am a gluttonous gardener and had compiled a frightening collection of seeds to grow, and then Lee Valley had the gall …
…Of which there are many when it comes to gardening since I can so easily convince myself they are for “work” rather than enjoyment. Nope. No enjoyment here. Purely for work. Incredibly necessary for The Very Important Work. Clockwise from top: Herbs: Partners in Life: Healing, Gardening, and Cooking with Wild Plants by Adele G. …
It’s really far too early to start getting supplies or thinking about tomatoes but with the weather outside being in the minus kill-me-nows I can’t help but start peaking at the Lee Valley catalog. I’ve already decided that I’m going to sacrifice a couple of my tomato plants to “research” and give red plastic mulch …
It’s a tad pricey at $13.00 for 2 yards but this fancy-pants woven ribbon from the Cooper Hewitt shop would make fantastic trim on your garden apron. Or maybe use just snip a little piece for a bookmark in your gardening journal. And well… it’s not just ribbon, it’s ART! via Julie Jackson
I recently discovered that what I have been identifying as ‘Deadly Nightshade’ since childhood is actually ‘Bittersweet Nightshade’ or ‘Woody Nightshade’ (Solanum dulcamara). I can see where the mistake could be made in terms of similarities in their foliage but both the flowers and berries are completely different. Deadly Nightshade’s Latin name is Atropa belladonna. …
I’m not one to go nuts with the gardening products since a lot of required gardening materials are either one-time buys (like good shears), tools and containers that can be purchased used, or items that can be fashioned from recycled materials (i.e. plastic water bottles) — I am the queen of the plastic water bottle. …
I discovered these compostable cups made of a sugar industry derivative called “bagasse” while partaking in my weekly cup of solar-roasted cacao drink at the Farmer’s Market. That’s my used cup in the photo above. Online environmental products store Branch carries a complete line of “bagasse” dinnerware, and at $2-4 for a pack of 50 …
I have just returned from my local Farmer’s Market (which also just happens to be the best Farmer’s Market, ever) where I was lucky enough to score a piece of Maria Solakovski’s amazing organic Spiced Fruitcake. I’ve been buying Maria’s cake for the last few holiday seasons and while I have tried other fruitcakes I …
I’m really exposing my inner geek here when I say that I’ve recently become interested in a BBC television series that is now playing on TVO called, “Tales from the Green Valley.” The program follows a group of experts as they attempt to run a Welsh farm using materials and resources only available during the …
I recently sat down and watched, The Future of Food, a documentary that investigates the problems we face in the industrialization and corporatization of food production. Wow, I can’t say enough about this film and am sorry it took me this long to make a point to watch it. If you have any questions about …
Good on Mountain Equipment Co-op in implementing the use of compostable, biodegradable bags in their stores. We use canvas bags and avoid taking plastic whenever possible, but I am really happy to see a real alternative moving into the marketplace. From the site: “Unlike older “biodegradable†plastic bags, BioBags are 100% compostable and biodegradable, and …