More Organics

With all this rain, the daffodils are bowing deeply and the tulips are straight, yet closed.  Let’s hope for a little sun soon.

Paseo Prairie Plant Sale Perennials, many native, and a fair selection of annual vegetables and flowers will be on sale from 10am-3pm on both Saturday, May 7th, and Sunday, May 8th, at the Paseo Prairie Garden in Logan Square, located at the southwest corner of Kedzie and Milwaukee (the entrance to the Logan Square blue [...]

Bees are our most widely recognized pollinators.  From bumblebees, to carpenter, to honey (originally imported from Europe), they keep busy pollinating our tomatoes and broccoli that provide us with flowers and fruits to eat.  Some helpful hints for making bees cozy in your garden. DON’T USE PESTICIDES IN YOUR GARDEN use native plants your landscape [...]

May 7th and 8th, 10am-4pm.  Wicker Park Plant Sale! LOCATION: Wicker Park 1425 N. Damen, Chicago, IL 60622 RAIN OR SHINE: West Side of Wicker Park Field House or Inside Gym if Raining CASH OR CHECKS Accepted No Admission Charge to Plant Sale

Bonsai is an ancient art form, as well as a practice in nature, originating in China.  Chinese Bonsai is inspired from myth and appears very animal like, recalling thoughts of serpents and dragons through gnarled stem and roots.  Later, the Japanese adopted it as a form of Zen Buddhism, mimicking a more natural tree landscape, [...]

Save the budding branches you’ve pruned.  They make beautiful centerpieces.  Side note, the United States Department of Agriculture has a nice site with instructions on pruning.

guerrilla gardener-This the the gardener that takes the world to be his/her own garden.  A spot of open soil is enough to inspire the green deed, from seed bombs to planned out spaces.  Just remember, once you start a spot, make sure you check up on it to weed and water. urban farmer-The inspiring do-it-yourself-er [...]

Helen Babbs moved to London and turned her flat balcony roof into a lush garden get-away.  Over the two years, she provided herself with fresh greens and veggies,  flowers for beneficial insects, and a scented night garden with jasmine and tobacco.  Babbs book of the experience, My Garden, the City and Me: Rooftop Adventures in [...]

Earlier we started seeds in egg cartons and then made our closet into a grow room! “i’m helping”-che Now, it’s time to give the roots some more room with transplanting.  You’ll need: larger containers, old plastic pots, peat pots (these are easy for transplanting outdoors) compost container soil seedlings water friend (puppy dogs really enjoy [...]

Arrggh, hmmmph, yuk, and probably many more sighs.  Yep, Chicago got a little layer of snow last night. If you planted cold tolerant veggies and annuals, things should be alright.  A list of cold season vegetables include: Asparagus Beets Boy Choi Carrots Celery Kale Lettuce Onion Leek Spinach Swiss Chard (my seeds had just popped [...]