Gardening
Occupy Organic Veggie Gardens – Rebirth of the Victory Garden
May 16th
16th May 2012
By JB Bardot - naturalnews.com
During World Wars I and II, private citizens were encouraged to plant Victory gardens in an effort to support the war effort and take the strain off the food industry, providing more food for citizens living at home. Little gardens popped up all over the country and they were called Victory gardens because people envisioned a victorious end to strife, sadness and hardship. Victory gardens in the U.S. produced a staggering 40% of the food supply. The Victory garden campaign resulted in 5 million gardens tended by over 20 million Americans, providing over $1.2 billion in food by the end of WWII.
Victory gardens were planted on every available plot of land — whether postage-stamp sized or covering several acres. The gardening campaign took the country by storm, with people being empowered by raising their own fresh, organic (because there wasn’t anything else back then) fruits and vegetables; coupled with the hope of victory over adversity and better times to come.
Continue Reading – Occupy Organic Veggie Gardens – Rebirth of the Victory Garden
Eight Hard to Kill House Plants
May 12th
12th May 2012
By Marissa Ross - care2.com
Ah, yes, spring. Makes me want to go outside and frolic in some flowers and enjoy some sunshine. You know, all the things our daydreams are made of! But more so than not, I am stuck inside my apartment staring at a computer screen or cleaning up after my kid (‘kid’, ‘dog’- same thing in this house!).
I am probably the least domestic person anyone I know knows. Famous for only eating frozen veggie corn dogs or blocks of cheese when left to my own devices, it’s also not uncommon to hear about me shrinking my boyfriend’s shirts or killing off my roommate’s hydrangeas. But this Spring, I decided it was high time I get some foliage to brighten up my space! So, what does the girl that can barely remember to turn in her Netflix plant in her house?
Here are some low maintenance and highly rewarding houseplants to consider:
Grow a Great Mood Boosting Backyard
May 9th
9th May 2012
By Emily Main - organicgardening.com
Ward off bad moods with a mood-boosting backyard garden.
Just being outside, whether you’re gardening, exercising, or simply taking a stroll, is a great mood booster. But getting your hands dirty in a garden is so effective at combating depression that it’s often used in “horticultural therapy” at psychiatric hospitals. If you feel like your energy levels are dropping or you’re just too stressed out at work, plant yourself a good-mood garden, and get the benefits not just of a little garden therapy but of all the healthy foods linked to lower rates of depression. Certain vegetables and herbs are rich in antidepressant compounds and minerals that can do everything from taking the edge off a bad day to curing full-blown depression.
Here’s a guide to get you started—10 of the most potent antidepressant foods and herbs and how to grow them anywhere.
Vinegar Kills Weeds Naturally. Give Monsanto’s Roundup the Heave Ho
May 8th
8th May 2012
By JB Bardot - naturalnews.com
There’s been lots written recently about the toxicity of Monsanto’s poster child product Roundup, exposing how harmful it is for the earth and how poisonous it is on exposure for both animals and humans. However, what is not common knowledge to most organic gardeners and back yard enthusiasts is how they can manage weed control safely without the need for dangerous pesticides. Use vinegar to kill weeds naturally and safely, with no side effects to you, your pets, wildlife and mother earth. Killing weeds naturally with vinegar allows you to target exactly what weeds to eradicate, and it’s cheap and easy to use.
Vinegar is not choosy and cannot differentiate between broad-leaf weeds, narrow-leaf weeds, grass, flowers or vegetables. If you’re not careful when applying vinegar for weed control, it will kill whatever it touches. So although it’s eco-friendly and biodegradable, it takes a little forethought to manage an effective application.
Continue Reading – Vinegar Kills Weeds Naturally. Give Monsanto’s Roundup the Heave Ho
Gardening with Epsom Salt
May 5th
5th May 2012
By saltworks.us
Epsom salt has become a popular and well-reputed supplement in organic gardening. With the recent push towards “green” living, Epsom salt is an ideal answer to a variety of organic gardening needs. Both cost effective and gentle on your greenery, Epsom salt is an affordable and green treatment for your well-tended plants—both indoors and out.
Completely one-of-a-kind with a chemical structure unlike any other, Epsom salt (or Magnesium Sulfate) is one of the most economic and versatile salt-like substances in the world. Throughout time, Epsom salt has been known as a wonderful garden supplement, helping to create lush grass, full roses, and healthy, vibrant greenery. It has long been considered a planter’s “secret” ingredient to a lovely, lush garden, and is such a simple, affordable way to have a dramatic impact. Just as gourmet salt works with the ingredients in food to enhance and bring a meal to its full potential, Epsom salt enhances fertilizer and soil’s capabilities to bring a deeper level of vitality to your garden’s composition. Ultra Epsom Salt is the highest quality Epsom salt available, and is widely celebrated for its powerful benefits on natural life, ranging from household plants to shrubs, lawns and even trees.
Ten House Plants That Purify The Air
May 2nd
Chrysanthemums
2nd May 2012
By Michelle Schoffro Cook - care2.com
Indoor air quality has become a real problem. Indoor air often contains formaldehyde from carpets and adhesives, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from paints, petrochemicals from fragrances, and a laundry list of chemicals from fabric softeners.
While it’s always important to let some fresh air in, research by NASA found that many houseplants are capable of reducing harmful toxins in the air, such as: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, and more.
Benzene is a cancer-causing agent found in many glues, solvents, paints, and art supplies. Formaldehyde is a cancer-causing agent that off-gases from furniture and carpets. Trichloroethylene is a solvent used with metal parts, dry cleaning, paints and paint remover. Toluene is found in nail polish and nail polish remover as well as foam.
The Medicinal Properties of Dandelion
Apr 17th
17th April 2012
Contributing Writers for Wake Up World
While many people view the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as a pesky weed, many herbalists consider it to be a valuable herb for food and medicine. The dandelion is rich in vitamin A, B, C, and E as well as minerals such as iron, potassium calcium and zinc. Hundreds of species of dandelion grow in the temperate regions around the world.
The Dandelion is a hardy perennial that can grow to a height of nearly 12 inches. They have deeply notched, toothy, spatula-like leaves that are shiny and hairless which help funnel rain into the root and the stems are capped by bright yellow flowers. Contrary to what we have been told, dandelions offer us many health promoting nutrients.
Five Easy to Grow Mosquito Repelling Plants
Apr 17th
As the outdoor season approaches, many homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts look for ways to control mosquitoes. With all the publicity about the West Nile virus, mosquito repelling products are gaining in popularity.
But many commercial insect repellents contain from 5% to 25% DEET. There are concerns about the potential toxic effects of DEET, especially when used by children. Children who absorb high amounts of DEET through insect repellents have developed seizures, slurred speech, hypotension and bradycardia.
There are new DEET-free mosquito repellents on the market today which offer some relief to those venturing outdoors in mosquito season. But there are also certain plants which are easy to grow and will have some effect in repelling mosquitoes from areas of your home and garden.
Continue Reading – Five Easy to Grow Mosquito Repelling Plants
Seattle Creating Massive Edible Forest Filled with Free Food
Apr 12th
By Jill Ettinger - organicauthority.com
Taking the urban garden to the next level, Seattle, Washington has officially broken ground on a dedicated seven acre area of city land set to be converted into an “edible forest” that will produce free food for the city’s residents and visitors, human or otherwise.
According to the Beacon Food Forest’s website, the project’s mission is “to design, plant and grow an edible urban forest garden that inspires our community to gather together, grow our own food and rehabilitate our local ecosystem.” The perennial permaculture forest project, believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S., will eventually be self-sustaining, much like the way a forest in nature works. Creating the self-sustaining environment is reliant upon the types of soil, insect life and companion plants placed strategically within the environment.
Continue Reading – Seattle Creating Massive Edible Forest Filled with Free Food
Ten Herbs for Indoor Growing
Apr 4th
A windowsill kitchen garden: Grow great-tasting herbs indoors.
You can grow herbs indoors this winter and add that just-picked taste to your meals, even when snow is drifting up against the kitchen window. You don’t even need special lights—herbs fare just fine in a bright window. Here are the best herbs for growing on windowsills and the smart techniques you need to keep them happy and healthy until you can plant outside again.
1. Basil
Start basil from seeds and place the pots in a south-facing window—it likes lots of sun and warmth.
Nine Food Cures You Can Grow at Home
Mar 27th
Put your green thumb to work growing a first-aid kit that will keep you healthy all summer.
Why burn a quarter-tank of gas running out to the drug store for Pepto when you can pluck some relief from your windowsill herb garden?
Besides adding another dimension to your cooking, freshly harvested herbs can soothe dozens of common health problems, and it’s possible to grow a selection of home remedies in a couple of pots placed in a sunny spot.
Look for seedlings of these plants and herbs at any garden store, or if you’re really ambitious, buy a packet of seeds and try sprouting your own.
Growing for Compost
Mar 15th
By Beth Hanson - organicgardening.com
These nutrient-laden crops are food for the compost pile.
Cultivating crops specifically for composting is a major tenet of intensive gardening methods like biodynamic and biointensive gardening. Practitioners of these approaches devote as much as 60 percent of their plots to plants destined for the compost pile. But these growing methods may be too, well, intensive for many home gardeners. There are plants you can grow with the compost pile in mind, though, that will benefit the pile, the garden, and in some cases your table.
One approach is to grow a perennial legume, such as red clover or alfalfa, around the edges of the garden or between rows, says Marianne Sarrantonio, Ph.D., a professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of Maine at Orono. Cut back the foliage and add to the compost pile when it becomes hard to wade through or is getting bothersome in general. With extensive root systems that “fix” nitrogen (capture nitrogen from the air and stockpile it in root nodules), these legumes can help balance the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in the compost pile as well as encourage beneficial soil microbes. It’s easy to harvest the clover or alfalfa with a lawn mower but best if done by hand or with a sickle. “It’s extra work, but you’re getting lots of benefit both in place and then on the compost pile,” Sarrantonio says.
