The simple joy of growing food from scraps

Backyard gardeningAiyana FraasJuly 31, 2021garden, gardening, healthy, vegetable gardening, vegetable garden, celery, how to, how to garden, gardening tips, garlic seeds, garlic growing, growing garlic, garlic, gardening advice, container gardening, Herbs, herb plants, herb planters, windowsill herb garden, plants for home garden, basil, scapes, kitchen, leftovers, small space gardening, regrowing food scraps, upcycling vegetables, growing food from vegetable scrapsComment

How to grow strawberries

I’m not alone in my admiration for strawberries. In ancient Rome, the strawberry symbolized Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shape and color. In medieval times, stone masons carved strawberries on altars and churches because they symbolized perfection and righteousness. Much more recently—last month, in fact—strawberries have become my ticket to sanity, a means of dealing with the stress of the ongoing pandemic.

8 top pollinators, and how to invite them over

Butterflies and bees tend to get top billing when it comes to identifying pollinators, likely because people tend to be less enthusiastic about wasps, moths, and flies. But these creatures also play a vital role in helping plants reproduce. Learning to identify them, and where they like to get their pollen, is an important part of supporting them.

Bees & pollinatorsRachel KrasnerMarch 9, 2021Bees, butterfly, butterflies, insects, pollinators, wasps, beetles, bats, birds, hummingbird, moth, garden, flowers, gardening, balance, healthyComment

How to grow garlic

Allium sativum, or garlic, is my spirit vegetable. It’s my way of expressing massive appreciation for this plant, which I have used as a medicine, an herbal flavoring, a culinary staple, and a standalone treat. Its fans are legion, gathering at events like the Gilroy Garlic Festival in California, the state that grows the vast majority of the country’s garlic (most of which is then dehydrated into powder for processed food), and the North Quabbin Garlic & Arts Festival in central Massachusetts, where heirloom varieties from small farms reign supreme.

What are the best organic pesticides for my garden?

Pest populations can explode even if you keep your soil healthy and maintain a balanced garden ecosystem. Pest management is a natural part of growing plants and occasionally gardeners need to rely on external control measures like spraying pesticides. Organic gardeners shy away from using pesticides for some very good reasons. Sprays, particularly if they are not organic, can kill beneficial bugs and insects, like the bees that pollinate your raspberries or the insects that cycle nutrients through your soil. Pesticides also find their way into the food chain because plants absorb chemicals through roots and leaves. Fortunately you can mitigate the risk of using pesticides by relying on ones certified for organic use, which tend to be derived from plants or bacteria.

ORGANIC & SUSTAINABLE GARDENING