...and other news. Here are a few stories that we've come across in the past few days that we think you might find interesting. School Wildlife Habitats We loved this one in particular. We all know about the life-enhancing lessons that kids take away from school (food) gardens. Well here's another powerful way to engage... Continue Reading →
Tuesday’s Tips — July Gardening
It's getting really hot pretty much everywhere, so we're going to focus on keeping your plants well-watered. Plants transpire (evaporate) water vapor through tiny holes on their leaves — mostly on the underside. This helps to cool the plant and draws nutrients from the soil and roots to the upper parts of the plant. On hot... Continue Reading →
Sunday Zen
Block Island, Rhode Island Irvine, California
Tuesday’s Tips — Spinosad for Garden Pests
Of all the organic products we can use to eliminate pests in the garden Spinosad (spin-OH-sid) has perhaps the most curious back story. A scientist who was part of a team that was searching for new naturally occurring pest controls was on vacation in the Caribbean in 1982. He was poking around an old abandoned... Continue Reading →
Sunday Zen
Block Island, Rhode Island Irvine, California
Tuesday’s Tips — Time to Think Citrus
Gardens in coastal Southern California are really starting to come to life. Night-time temperatures are warming up and so is the soil which encourages bioactivity to start up again after its winter dormancy. March is primetime for attending to your citrus trees. Truth be told, I should have started feeding mine last month, but it's still... Continue Reading →
Tuesday’s Tips — Disappearing Bumble Bees
We've written a lot about Colony Collapse Disorder and the nearly overwhelming problems that affect honey bees, but things are at least as dire for our native bees, most notably the lovely bumble bee. Bumbles are the stuff of our childhood memories. Who, when remembering walks through wildflower fields, doesn't see in their mind's eye... Continue Reading →