Plastic free gardening
Plastic use has encroached into most areas of our lives, and that includes our gardens. Plastic is often cheap and convenient. But there is a heavy price to pay for […]
Gardening
Composting with kids
Composting is a great activity to practice with your children. Sure, they learn all about the “Circle of Life” from the Lion King, but kids generally don’t understand how the […]
Common plants that are unsafe for pets
Thanks to Emily Cline (from CertaPet) for this insight into pets and our plants Pets are more popular than ever. And along with them, so are houseplants including plants for […]
Harnessing the power of bokashi as a soil amender: how-to and benefits
Bokashi bran is not just for composting. Each handful of bokashi bran is teeming with plant friendly microbes. A simple way to harness the power of these microbes is to […]
Microplastics in our garden soil
Did you know that microplastics are a threat to more than just our oceans and beaches? There are worrying levels of microplastics in the air as well as in freshwater […]
The benefits of microbes in your garden
People have become fascinated by microbes in recent decades. Historically, microbes have been mis-characterized as the bad guys, and unfortunately associated with infections and diseases. However, more recently, microbiologists have […]
No-dig gardening
What is no-dig gardening? No-dig (or no-till) gardening is exactly as the name suggests; gardening without digging the soil. Once a bed is established, the surface is left undisturbed except […]
Podcast: The fascinating relationship between microbes, exudates and your plants
Most people don’t realize that about a third of the energy that plants are getting from the sun is used to send out exudates on the plant roots. Exudates are […]
7 things to do before you plant your spring garden
Thanks to Ann Katelyn from Sumo Gardener for this blog piece. Spring is a fantastic time to be out in the garden. The ground is finally becoming less soggy after […]
Soil acidity and pH
Why is soil acidity and pH important? Different soils have different dispositions. Soil can be acid, alkaline or neutral. Most plants prefer a soil with a neutral or slightly acidic […]