Option Number One: Trim the stems at an angle to increase the surface area and set in water with two teaspoons of sugar and two teaspoons vinegar. Change water and trim stems every 5 days. Option Number Two: Add a pinch of baking soda to fresh flower water. Always trim the ends of flowers before [...]
City life is full of pollutants. Luckily we’ve got spider plants. Spider plants, a member of the lily family, are air purifiers removing carbon monoxide (produced by the burning of fossil fuels) and nitrogen dioxide (produced from motor vehicles) from the air. Originating from South Africa, this plant enjoys bright filtered light. Direct sun will [...]
Rosemary, an herb for remembrance. The scent calms the nerves. In aromatherapy, it promises love, optimism, and a good nights sleep. Perhaps you got a small shrub during the holiday season and you’ve been snipping off pieces here and there to cook with. While you’re at it, snip off a few longer stems and set [...]
We plant beautiful tulips and vegetables that often times end up dinner to our fellow squirrels and bunnies. Excerpt from Michael Pollan’s Second Nature In regards to a pesky woodchuck. “I had done my research and discovered that woodchucks were scrupulous about personal hygiene. … Confident that I had located my adversary’s Achilles’ heel, I [...]
Just a few pictures of the pleasure of having a bird feeder in your yard through the winter months. It keeps the cat and me busy staring out the window. The Audubon provides some insight and considerations on the issue of whether you keep a feeder or not.
Happy Presidents’ Day! Today we reflect and honor our past and present leaders. I often find myself thinking of FDR and his New Deal in relationship to our present economic stresses. In 1933, Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) who planted over 3 billion trees from 1933-1942, improved National Parks (with public and fire [...]
It’s been warm the last few days in Chicago. The 2011 Blizzard Snow is melting revealing dog poop and trash that was covered with it’s shimmering white blanket. Take a quick 30 minutes and tidy up, you’ll be glad you did. It’s also a great time to get reacquainted with your garden, reflecting on last [...]
What a great idea! HOW? Composting can take many forms. There are piles, manufactured bins, and vermiculture homes. Here’s a little break down. Compost Piles Think about enclosure, will it be open to the world to see, or screened off from view? Start your pile on bare ground so that microbes and air can easily [...]
Avid coffee drinkers love the kick of caffeine. Well, our plants find it pretty great too. Dilute your left over coffee every other week and water your house plants. Coffee and coffee grounds are a source of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and copper that will help keep your plants green and strong. Add coffee grounds [...]
DIG, Development in Gardening, is a non-profit whose aim is to provide sustainable farming for struggling HIV/AIDS hospitals, clinics, and orphanages. Education empowers these people with the lasting knowledge of nutrition. DIG’s Chicago event, Reap Life, Emceed by WBEZ’s Jerome McDonnell Market and silent auction Thursday, March 24th from 6pm-9pm Las Manos Gallery-5220 North Clark [...]