Kelly Gilliam Today I was eyeing the plants at my grocery store. We all know not to ever expect much from the grocery store plants, as they’re usually completely neglected, dry, and limp looking if not half (or totally) dead. However, the grocery store plants are the closest and easiest for me to get to, …
Make Herb Tea Fertilizer Did you know you can make liquid fertilizer for your plants using other plants? Sounds like floral cannibalism but it’s not unlike compost when you think about it. Some plants are high in particular nutrients which can be extracted in the same way that you would make a medicinal tea for …
Guest post by Emira Mears Sometime around last weekend the lilac in my backyard burst into bloom. Since then we’ve been enjoying stunning cut blooms and scent in the house. As I was bringing the cuttings into the house, I was reminded of last year around this time when I made my partner go out …
Leafscapes Spring in Chicago Thursday, May 18. 4 – 7 P.M. 1820 North Wells Building (N. Wells & N. Lincoln) Please RSVP to attend (Note that you must be 21 years of ago or older to attend). I’ll be giving urban gardening demonstrations at four Leafscapes events this year. Take a look at the schedule …
Fruit crates are just tall enough to accomodate leafy greens or herbs with shallow root systems. I decided to fill this one up with a crop of mache. Mache is the de rigour green of the uppercrust and a good choice if growing lettuce feels like a waste of time and space. The succulent leaves …
While they are probably meant for kids, these paper model projects featuring assorted plants, insects, and organisms are fun projects for any age. Models include your standard garden fare; lady bugs, and butterflies but take learning about the ecosystem of the garden to another level with nematodes, bacteria, and more. Projects come with simple and …
– From: Canadian House & Home (May 2006 – Green Issue) “Ripe with tips and anecdotes geared towards the urban gardener, the book is an offshoot of her flourishing website yougrowgirl.com, where a growing community of gardeners share inspiration and advice.”
I hate to be so Toronto-centric but there are a number of local and very good plant sales coming up that ya’ll should know about. They’re more bang for your buck, the experience is fun, and often times the haul is of better quality than your typical garden super centre. FoodShare’s Plant Sale When: Saturday, …
Guest post by Ariane Khachatourians I know this isn’t exactly about gardening, but it is about a fellow avid gardener who passed away earlier this week. I don’t know how many people know of Jane Jacobs, myself having studied human geography and urban planning in university, she is one of my idols. If you haven’t …
Guest post by Renee Garner Words like hyperaccumulator and phytoremediation sound like something straight out of a 1960s Sci-Fi movie and hardly verbs describing gardens. But when the conceptual, and socially minded artist Mel Chin creates a garden, you get these lengthy words among others. Mel Chin is a Texas born artist now living in North Carolina; and when he plants, …
Guest post by Emira Mears Try saying that three times fast. TrugTubLove. TrugTubLove… Anyway. Gayla’s post about Lee Valley got me to thinking about my last Lee Valley impulse purchase. I had stopped there on my way back from picking up a load of compost, and tried very hard to restrain myself from making too …
The one-stop crack distribution depo of the Canadian gardening world recently opened a store in downtown Toronto, and… ummm… I have been there twice in two days. I want to state for the record that prior to this I have never purchased a Lee Valley product, somehow managing to walk past the booths at garden …