background preloader

Horticulture

Facebook Twitter

HLA-6418web. Pennington, 5 lb. Zenith Zoysia Grass Seed and Mulch, 100082871 at The Home Depot - Mobile. How to edge flowerbeds like a pro! via Funky Junk InteriorsFunky Junk Interiors. Once upon a time, my gardener brother showed me how to edge flowerbeds like a pro. And I’ve been doing it ever since. Every so often I get asked how I do it and maintain those edges. So I’m sharing my (brother’s) secrets today. Does this look familiar? It happens to the best of us. And just like my pallet walkway post, you’ll do it if you blog about it, yes?

Not pretty. (my bad for taking photos in the bright sunlight; overcast days are better, I just didn’t want to wait) How to cut pro edges for your flower beds 1. Just like cutting cake. 2. I like to beat off as much soil as possible, then flip them upside down in the compost pile. Here’s the big deep dark secret. A trench creates a place for water to drain and soil to fall. 3. Yes, you can do it with a weed wacker upside down but you will NOT get this quality of an edge. And then stand back and GASP at your awesomeness. Ok, and water the soil too before you take pictures so it looks rich and full of nutrients. How to maintain How to mow? An Experiment in Back Yard Sustainability. Fresh Organic Compost - Redbud Compost, LLC - Oklahoma. Terra preta. Terra preta (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈtɛʁɐ ˈpɾetɐ], locally [ˈtɛhɐ ˈpɾetɐ], literally "black earth" or "black land" in Portuguese) is a type of very dark, fertile anthropogenic soil found in the Amazon Basin.

Terra preta owes its name to its very high charcoal content, and was made by adding a mixture of charcoal, bone, and manure to the otherwise relatively infertile Amazonian soil. It is very stable and remains in the soil for thousands of years.[1] It is also known as "Amazonian dark earth" or "Indian black earth". In Portuguese its full name is terra preta do índio or terra preta de índio ("black earth of the Indian", "Indians' black earth"). Terra mulata ("mulatto earth") is lighter or brownish in colour.[2] Terra preta soils are of pre-Columbian nature and were created by humans between 450 BC and AD 950.[5][6] The soil's depth can reach 2 meters (6.6 ft). History[edit] Early theories[edit] The origins of the Amazonian dark earths were not immediately clear. Location[edit] Bill Mollison Permaculture Lecture Series On-Line. Straw Bale Construction Straw bale construction is gaining worldwide recognition as a viable, high-performance, earth- and people-friendly building technique which utilizes a natural by-product of food production.

The Straw Bale Solution is 30-minute video introduction to straw bale building. It offers viewers an excellent look at $1.50 a square foot straw-bale homes in Mexico and the custom high-end straw-bale mansions of Santa Fe... How and why they are built, why they make so much sense and cents, and how to get started are all covered. " The Straw Bale Solution (#C 01) Building with bales can produce ecological, empowering and affordable housing, and NetWorks' award-winning video provides an entertaining overview of how and why.

The Last Straw The Last Straw, the quarterly journal of straw-bale and natural building, began in 1992 with Judy Knox and Matts Myhrman of Out On Bale (un)Ltd at the publishing helm. Networks still sells back issues (#1-39) of TLS. Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening (Video) Image: Neo-farms Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to give their crops a boost, whether it's coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses. Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth"), also known as an underground or pit greenhouse.

First developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South America, this method allows growers to maintain a productive garden year-round, even in the coldest of climates. Here's a video tour of a walipini that even incorporates a bit of interior space for goats: How a Walipini works and how to build one Image: Benson Institute It's a pretty intriguing set-up that combines the principles of passive solar heating with earth-sheltered building. Image: SilverThunder. GaiasGarden_A_Guide_To_Home-Scale_Permaculture. Introduction to Growing Organic Food Sustainably. Growing your own organic food in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner is becoming a very popular activity. However, many people hesitate at growing vegetables as they are uncertain how they should start and of the kind of work that is needed.

This free online organic food course will introduce you to all aspects of growing garden vegetables in an organic and sustainable manner. The course will give you a thorough knowledge and understanding of how to grow a large variety of vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks and many others. You will also learn about maintaining your garden vegetable plot, how to test and improve soil, make compost, create a raised bed, sow seeds and implement crop rotation. This free online organic food course will be of great interest to all learners who would like to grow their own food in an organic and sustainable manner but would like to follow the advice and guidance of organic experts.

Start Course.