The Art of Weeding: Part 2 In Part One of this series on organic weed control we learned about how weeds affect our garden and tips to prevent them in the first place. In this article, we'll learn how to get rid of weeds, naturally, tools for the job and how weeds can even be good for you and your garden. Real tips for getting rid of weeds As the saying goes, the bigger the elephant, the harder it is to move it. In the garden, the bigger the weeds, the harder it is to control them. The best--and worst--times to weed Some gardeners prefer to pull weeds early in the morning while the soil is still damp with dew and after they've had a cup of coffee. Develop your own strategy Let's say you return from vacation only to find the garden overrun with strange plants. Still overwhelmed? Dry soil vs. damp soil You only have to try pulling weeds once from dry, compact soil to know that it it's hard work. Small is beautiful Younger weeds are easier to pull because they haven't established a strong root system.
Make your landscaping butterfly-friendly There is something magical about butterflies as they flit from flower to flower in the garden. These winged beauties are not only stunning to watch but they also serve an important role as pollinators, spreading pollen from flower to flower, leading to fertilization and ultimately seed production. The activities of butterflies and other pollinators, like hummingbirds and bees, help to ensure that various plant species multiply and persist. By growing certain combinations of plants and providing the right setting, you can attract butterflies and other welcome pollinators to your garden. Here are some tips for attracting butterflies. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Below is a partial list of both host and nectar plants to attract and feed butterflies. Herbs Fennel – Both the green and bronze are hosts for Black Swallowtails. Parsley – A host for Black Swallowtails. Basil – Provides nectar. Dill – Is both a host plant and a source of nectar. Annuals Cosmos – A nectar source for the Painted Lady. Perennials
Stuffed Hobbes (with pattern) I spent a while digging through my Calvin and Hobbes books studying the Hobbes character when he was in the stuffed-toy form. Early versions of Hobbes were very cartoony, and things like the shape of the nose and the number and placement of stripes were not always consistent. His proportions also appear to have changed slightly over the years. To create the pattern, I broke the doll down into separate basic shapes. This pattern requires creating and stuffing all of the different body parts separately, hand stitching them all in place, and then hand stitching all of the stripes in place individually. If that wasn't completely clear, this project requires a ton of hand stitching. Begin by printing out my homemade Hobbes pattern, preferably on stiff paper like cardstock. You will need orange, black, and white fleece, with thread of the same colors.
5 Secrets to a ‘No-work’ Garden It took over 20 years of gardening to realize that I didn’t have to work so hard to achieve a fruitful harvest. As the limitless energy of my youth gradually gave way to the physical realities of mid-life, the slow accretion of experience eventually led to an awareness that less work can result in greater crop yields. Inspired in part by Masanobu Fukuoka’s book, One Straw Revolution, my family experimented with gardening methods which could increase yields with less effort. Fukuoka spent over three decades perfecting his so-called “do-nothing” technique: commonsense, sustainable practices that all but eliminate the use of pesticides, fertilizer, tillage, and perhaps most significantly, wasteful effort. Here are the strategies we used which enabled us to greatly increase our garden yield, while requiring less time and less work. 1. With ‘no-till’ gardening, weeding is largely eliminated. 2. Gardeners are always on the lookout for free sources of clean organic mulch to add to their garden.
16 Kitchen Scraps That You Can Re-grow All of us want to be able to have fresh fruit and vegetable at our disposal when working in the kitchen, preparing a delicious meal. The truth is you can have your veggies and eat them too! There are a number of plants which you can throw away after eating, not knowing they can be re-grown in the most easy of methods. • Fennel, Scallions, Onions and Leeks can be re-grown if using the white root end. • Cabbage, Celery, Romaine Lettuce and Bok Choi are very similar to the previous category. • Lemongrass is not much different than a normal grass. • Potatoes are maybe the easiest of the foods to re-grow at home. • Ginger is also very easy to work with.
Indoor Water Gardens - Martha Stewart Home & Garden As anyone who has snorkeled can attest, the cool aquamarine light underwater casts an enchanted glow on everything in its domain. Perhaps this explains the allure of water gardens. Small freshwater gardens are fun to create and simple to care for. And all you need are a few floating or submerged greens in a vintage aquarium, an apothecary jar, or a sleek glass cylinder. You'll find appropriate containers at antiques shops, garden centers, or in your own cupboards. Those that can remain entirely submerged in water, such as anubias and parrot's feather (Myriophyllum), are known as true aquatics. When choosing plants, keep in mind that some will need twelve hours or more of bright light daily. Rinse gravel thoroughly to remove dust, which can cloud the water, and salt, which can damage roots and leaves. A few plants, such as black taro (Colocasia) and bamboo plant (Calamus), may be sold potted in plastic containers.
The Milkweeds (Asclepias species) The Milkweeds Every so often in our researches we come across a plant with so many uses that we wonder why it has never been commercially exploited. One such group of plant - all of them ideal for the Permaculturalist - is the Milkweeds (Asclepias species) from North America. The genus Asclepias contains over a hundred species of mainly perennial herbs growing in temperate and topical regions. We will look at four of these species:- All the above are fairly easy to grow preferring a rich light or peaty soil and a sunny position. Virtually all parts of these plants are edible when cooked though there are reports that large quantities can cause stomach upsets. Young flower buds have a delicious pea-like flavour as do the very young seed pods (before the seed floss is produced). All these edible qualities, though, are just one aspect of the plants uses, they have much more to offer. Mature seed pods contain quite large quantities of floss. Database
Travel and Work Abroad | Work Abroad Holidays, International Work Experience and International Co-op Term Abroad for Canadians | International Experience Canada Do you have an adventurous spirit? A willingness to challenge the unknown and identify your own opportunities? Through International Experience Canada (IEC), you can customize your own year-long work holiday abroad by: Deciding what country you want to visitObtaining the appropriate application for that destinationDetermining if you need help with travel arrangements for your work holiday, including job search International Experience Canada secures arrangements and agreements with different countries around the world to make it easier for you to travel and work in another country for up to one year. Choose Your Experience Click on the images below to spark your own travel ideas and get the information you need to choose the right travel and work abroad experience for you. Working Holiday Young Professional International Co-op Add to Your Resumé! Ages: 18-35 * Examples of industries: Science, Law, Health, Education, and Commerce, Finance, Communications, etc. Spend Your Co-op Term Abroad!
No dig gardens - how to grow vegetables by gardening without digging or tilling 10 Gardening Tips For Beginners The rewards of gardening are great — fresh air, exercise, beauty and relaxation, to name a few. But designing and planting your very first garden can feel like an overwhelming task. Luckily, gardens are surprisingly forgiving creations, and the best way to learn is by simply diving in. Here are 10 tips to help get a new garden off on the right foot. 1. Take a leisurely stroll around your property with a notebook and make a rough sketch of the existing planting areas.Add notes to your garden “map” about which areas get the most sun and which are shaded.A simple soil test from your local garden center will tell you whether your soil is well-balanced in nutrients and pH.If you’re thinking of growing edibles (vegetables, fruit or herbs), it’s a good idea to have your soil tested for lead. 2. For instance, maybe you’ll decide your style is Industrial Zen or Playful Modern or Simplified Cottage. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 9. 10. Tell us: Are you a newbie gardener?