Gardening

By Kim Robson: Gardening can be expensive. Every year, I start a summer container garden. By the time I buy two or three bags of potting soil, a variety of plants, and maybe a few new pots, I’ve spent upwards of a hundred bucks. But it is possible to garden …

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By Larraine Roulston: Gardening has been described as a “happy endeavor.” Research suggests that breathing in the soil’s bacteria can increase the brain’s serotonin levels. This may indicate that gardening offers therapy that acts as a natural antidepressant for young and old alike. My mother, a gardener with a truly great green thumb, …

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By Kim Robson: Most of us have gotten pretty good at reading food labels. But have you looked at the ingredients list on those store-bought bags of “organic” fertilizers? You may be shocked to find these components included: Chicken or Turkey Feathers Manure Dehydrated Manure Chicken Litter Bone Meal Fish …

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By Ann Sanders:  Spring is a stunning and bountiful season when your garden gets the opportunity to be at its best. But before the colorful and vibrant season arrives, you face the aftereffects of a harsh winter. The biting cold and the freezing snow can have some extreme impacts on …

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By Larraine Roulston: In countries that are still experiencing snow, the only compost issue that will arise is that a composter may fill to the top before spring. If this is occurring, try putting insulation around the unit or obtain a second composter. During the cold season, the composting process slows down; however, once …

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Emma Grace Fairchild: Birds all around the world visit feeders during the harsher winter months and often rely on them for survival. Insects, many birds’ primary source of food, are difficult to find during the winter months. Hanging bird feeders through the autumn and winter months provides an important food …

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By Ann Sander: If you are a fan of flowers but cannot grow some due to extreme weather conditions in your area during winter, worry no more. There are several flowers that bloom in the winter time such as Nemesia, Witch Hazel and Pansy flower. These flowers are known to …

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By Fredrica Syren: It’s been almost a year since our chickens moved into our backyard. We bought four hens from a neighbor — along with a chicken coop he had built. “The girls,” as my husband calls them, are an endless joy for our kids and ourselves. The kids named …

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By Larraine Roulston: Layering fruit/vegetable peelings with dry yard trimmings makes a great soil conditioner to enhance your garden. When soil is healthy, the helpful microbes greatly outnumber the harmful ones and keep them under control. Finished compost not only feeds the good microbes by increasing their numbers and diversity but also eliminates the …

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By Victoria Lim: Going green and organic is no longer considered a fad. As global warming is culminating into a very real problem, more and more people feel the need to help in whatever way they can. Tending to your garden in a more eco-friendly manner may not help on …

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