Oh my are the chickens everywhere in East Austin! I would wake up in the morning to their chuckles. It seems Austin has embraced the backyard chicken and celebrates it with the Funky Chicken Coop Tour in early April. The benefits of chickens: great addition to your garden ecosystem local protein no need to worry [...]
First off, why is this happening? Thoughts on La Nina, active solar storm season, and global warming all come to one’s mind. With solar storms come beautiful auroras, that were highly visible last Tues in some parts of the world (image above is Matthew Hodges‘). Now, what can one do for the garden? Well, mostly [...]
Here in Chicago, we’ve had little to no snow. None has stuck with temperatures ranging in the 30s and 40s so far this December. Not bad for Chicago, but let’s take a look at the benefits and non-benefits of snow in relation to our gardens. Snow, Uh Oh Heavy snow can break branches on trees [...]
Christmas is just around the corner. Besides your tree and wreaths, you can add a little nature in your holiday spirit with bark, pine cones, and ornaments made of natural fibers.
These are so beautiful, I had to share. With instructions from Ordinary Life Magic, add these ice lanterns to your holiday decor! Collect bits of nature, freeze them in a container, add a smaller container to make the candle’s spot, and keep in the the cold out of doors. Would be a nice substitution for [...]
Evergreens provide interest in the coldest time of the year. Birds find shelter from the bitter winter. Used for privacy and noise reduction, evergreens are a great addition to landscapes. You don’t have to think Christmas tree when wanting to add them to your yard. Sizes and shapes range from ground (think juniper, yew, holly [...]
Use your leaves in the garden. Fallen leaves are rich in organic matter According to Texas A&M University, “they contain 50 to 80 percent of the nutrients a plant extracts from the soil and air during the season.” Three ways to use leaves: Mulching. Shredded leaves will decompose faster, but it’s not necessary. Fall mulching [...]
It is pretty official now, the garden is down for the winter. Perhaps the kale and chard will last a bit longer, as well as the mums, snapdragons, and rosemary. A little end of the season list: dig up remaining dahlia bulbs to store over the winter in a dry, dark spot with a range [...]
After clearing out much of my garden this weekend, I decided to get creative with the seed packet making.I had some old construction paper and stamps….voila….personalized singing dog and cat seed packets. Perfect for snapdragon, cosmos, globe amaranth, and zinnia seed!
I always use random pieces of paper to keep my collected seeds, but Heavy Petal, a Vancouver garden site (lucky them in zone 8), has given us gardeners a template. What an adorable nasturtium design! And…just in time!