After picking out dead honeybees from a honeycomb frame recently, I pledged to use only plants that are neonic free. Neonics or neonicitonoids have been implicated in recent bee declines as well as other factors, such as loss of habitat and the game changer bee parasite- varroa mite. There are a number of studies that …
Continue reading "Pollinator-Friendly Seed and Nursery Directory"
Douglas Tallamy, world renowned and influential ecologist/entymologist, urges Americans to go native and go natural. Many people shorten this and call it 'ReWilding'. For a great article on his philosophy, read all about him in the Smithsonian magazine. For tips on ReWilding your own garden, read on. What is ReWilding? ReWilding, returning your landscape back …
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Walking into the Delaware Botanic Garden on a sizzling hot morning in August, the first thing that I spotted was a a bright orange-painted box turtle scurrying down the pathway into the shelter of a nearby log. Being greeted by wildlife is typical at the soon-to-be-opened 37-acre Botanic Gardens that is located on the shores …
Continue reading "Delaware Botanic Gardens Unveiling"
If you start the day with a steaming hot cup of java, you're not alone. Americans drink 700 million cups of coffee per day, and we create tons of coffee grounds in the process. Instead of throwing coffee grounds in the trash, why not put them to use in the garden? While there are plenty …
Continue reading "Coffee Ground Science for Plants"
Would you like to help out native bees and honey bees? Plant Lemon Queen Sunflowers and start counting bee visits as the flower bloom and mature to add to the data base for North America so that scientists can study bees better.
It happens every August - honey extraction! After babying the bees, feeding, monitoring, re-queening, splitting, and just plain worrying about them, now is the moment of truth. How much honey did they deposit in the combs for me to rob from them? I won't leave you in suspense - I extracted 55 pounds from my one …
Continue reading "Robbing the Bees- A Honey of a Day"
Sustainable is the new catch word for gardening. I hear it everywhere and I think it is overused without anyone really understanding exactly what it means. By definition it means - Conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources. And by working gardens, keeping chickens for meat and eggs, preserving food, adding solar panels, …
Continue reading "Suburban Homesteading – Raising and Preserving Sustainable Food"
The Invasion of the Blues I have been growing blueberries for years and this has been a banner year for picking them. We have had plenty of rain and the weather has been perfect for growing. I have only 5 shrubs but that is enough to keep us in berries, as well as providing the birds all …
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I just came back from a day trip to NYC where I went to experience the 'High Line'. I have heard so much buzz from the media and friends on this new park in NY that I made a special trip to see it and was totally unprepared for the scope and genius of this …
Continue reading "High Line – Container in the Sky"
The Read I just finished reading 'American Grown' by Michelle Obama and it is a fascinating account of the garden and landscape evolution at the White House. From the very first vegetable garden installed by John Adams, our second president, the book mentions a variety of plantings and gardens until it ended up being a hodgepodge of styles …
