Tag Archives: Urban gardening

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 Fredrica Syren:  I love this time of the year when our homestead is exploding with ripe vegetables and fruits. My tomato plants are producing like never before, and on top of that, I also received tomatoes from a neighbor who does not know what do with her huge tomato …

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By Larraine Roulston: Mint contains source vitamins A, B-6, C, E and K; and minerals, including copper, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, which makes it amazing for eating and/or drinking, skin application and therapy. Its history goes back to ancient times. Dried peppermint leaves have been discovered in several Egyptian pyramids. Greek and …

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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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By Larraine Roulston: Many farmers and backyard gardeners who enjoy their freshly picked organic harvest can seize the opportunity to share their excess bounty with those less fortunate. As they see it, they are delighted that soup kitchens, food banks and pantries are able to distribute much more than just processed foods. In Canada, …

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By Larraine Roulston: To celebrate International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW), May 7-13, composting councils are once again spreading the composting message. Established in Canada in1995, ICAW falls annually during the first full week of May. By 2001, the UK Composting Association, the U.S. Composting Council and Canada joined forces. Each year a theme is …

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By Fredrica Syren: My family (my husband and our three children) and I live on an “urban homestead.” This term refers to a household that grows, through gardening and livestock, most of the food it consumes. The difference between an urban homestead and a farm is that an urban homestead …

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By Diana Smith:  During the 20th century, mankind has shamelessly and ignorantly poisoned our planet; and now we are at the tipping point. It is the “green” mentality that the gardeners from every corner of our green earth have chosen as a way to redeem ourselves to Mother Nature, as …

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By Fredrica Syren: Growing potatoes is so much fun, and they taste way better than store bought potatoes. Most people believe you need a huge space to grow them, when, as a matter of fact, potatoes grow very well in pots. This way, you can plant a few pots and …

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