Gardening

By Larraine Roulston: Help compost councils celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 5-11. The ICAW was createdin Canada in1995, while the UK Composting Association and the U.S. Composting Council were established in 2001. Although composting is promoted year-round, the strength of their message during ICAW is enhanced through their designated annual week …

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By Larraine Roulston: Those of us fortunate enough to have a residential garden, balcony space or a plot in a community vegetable/flower garden can reward themselves with some homegrown vegetables. You’ll find that getting an early start by planting a few seeds indoors will be more economical than buying transplants. Vegetables …

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By Kerry Brooks: Perhaps the most blissful feeling in life is having a house you can call your own. But having a large yard for landscaping is a luxury! Take note, however, that just because you have the frill of a spacious yard, you can’t simply implement every idea your …

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By Kim Robson: For those of us who live in drought-prone areas, having a lush, green lawn is not only a ridiculous luxury, but it comes with a host of requirements including regular mowing, fertilizing, weed-killing, and tons and tons of water. You can opt for a xeriscapeor an edible …

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By Kim Robson: This is the time of year when autumn leaves are falling in droves, and many of us are toiling (or hiring neighborhood kids) to rake and bag piles of leaves. Most municipalities don’t allow the burning of leaves anymore due to environmental and safety concerns, so all …

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By Fredrica Syren: I work very hard to teach my kids about the value of the environment and the importance of preserving the world around them. This, I feel, helps ensure a positive future for the earth. One very simple but fun way to teach kids about recycling, giving back …

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By Stella Ryne:             In this day and age, the easiest thing to do is buy your food from the supermarket. Your children will grow up in that world, too, and carry on what you taught them when they were young. That’s why it’s important …

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By Larraine Roulston: The U.S. Composting Council is inviting entries for its 17th annual poster contest promoting the 2019 International Composting Awareness Week (ICAW) to be celebrated May 5-11. This year’s theme “Cool the Climate — Compost!” connects healthy soil to the climate. Composting returns nutrients to the soil, not …

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By Larraine Roulston: Last month I viewed an amazing nature documentary entitled Sex, Lies and Butterflies. By incorporating sophisticated macro-filming techniques, viewers can observe butterflies’ fragile beauty and survival tricks, and witness one of Earth’s most amazing migratory accomplishments. For over 50 million years, these incredible insects have been pollinating …

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By Fredrica Syren: Composting is a great way to reduce your waste load and at the same time create something earth craves…pure nutrients.  On our homestead we have four ways we compost: a worm compost, a garden compost, chickens and bokashi compost. Last week I hosted a composting for beginners class …

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