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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 31, 2012 9:13 PM
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Sneaking onto derelict housing estates to plant trees and commit other crimes of beauty may sound a little odd, but mounting frustration with the eyesores left over from Ireland's construction boom has finally reached a tipping point. Ireland's "ghost estates" -- empty shopping malls, abandoned hotels, unfinished housing projects, skeletal office buildings and half-completed golf courses -- are a vivid reminder of the profligacy of an Irish property rush which imploded more than four years ago, bringing down the rest of the economy. Read more from the source here: http://goo.gl/8Eqjs
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 30, 2012 9:24 AM
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From their home in a quiet stretch of Marin County near San Geronimo, two entrepreneurs are hoping to take gardening back to a time when an abundance of plant diversity was the norm. Matthew Hoffman and Astrid Lindo grow, source and sell seeds of rare and heirloom edibles. Their young business, the Living Seed Co., hung up its virtual shingle just last year. Read more: http://goo.gl/saN6l
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 31, 2012 9:34 PM
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The starling, famous for its winter displays known as murmurations involving up to hundreds of thousands of birds, has seen a steady decline in numbers since the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch survey began in 1979. This year's survey of garden birds by members of the public revealed an average of just over three starlings per garden, compared to 15 in 1979, a fall of 79%, the wildlife charity said. The RSPB also warned that the numbers seen in the murmurations, when the birds gather above roost sites at dusk and fly in patterns before settling down for the night, are also dropping. Read more: http://goo.gl/VJE3m
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 21, 2012 6:28 PM
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The list of plants which will attract this butterfly caterpillar can be found by following the "read more" link below. Be sure to view the video at the end of the article - children will especially love it! Read more: http://bit.ly/GEKu0c
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 20, 2012 10:26 PM
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Growing your own pest repellents is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy gardening, create beauty and have a functional result that spares you from being the target of pests! This article will start you out on growing such a garden. Read more: http://goo.gl/PuDt9
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 20, 2012 9:20 PM
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Warm up to the idea of a simple, stacked-stone fire pit with this easy project. Read more: http://goo.gl/b6RfH
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:56 PM
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Phenology is the science of appearances, or knowing which plants can tell you when to start weeding, planting, fighting insects or tackling any other gardening priority. Once the forsythia begins to bloom, for instance, it's time to renew your war against crabgrass. When to fertilize the lawn? Think apple blossoms falling. Time to set out tomatoes? Yes, if dogwood trees are in flower. Read more: http://goo.gl/837za
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:49 PM
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The 17th annual Master Gardener's Spring Conference is coming next month. Read more: http://goo.gl/9SiOU
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:11 PM
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Spring is around the corner, and for those who have been chafing at the bit to get going and start munching on your home grown edibles, here are recommendations for putting in your Spring Edible Garden. Read more: http://goo.gl/2laa1
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:17 PM
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With the Easter season around the corner, April 8 this year, spring is waking up earlier than usual. It's like Mother Nature took out her magic wand and waved it overnight. Read more: http://goo.gl/Ks1Ve
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 9:03 PM
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Garden design is an art, not any kind of exact science. The "best" design is the one that satisfies you. But there are certain guidelines that have been proven over the years to be more or less universal when it comes to creating pleasing gardens. Read more: http://goo.gl/hoFxt
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 4, 2012 10:01 PM
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The best time to plant a moss garden is when evaporation is low; usually in the spring or fall (in seasonal areas). Mosses can withstand drought better than grass; moss suspends its growth while waiting for water. A shady area in your garden, where flowers and shrubs have difficulty growing, is a perfect spot for a moss garden. Moss does require some light for growth. Mosses cannot grow in full sunlight nor can they grow in deep shade. More: http://bit.ly/w3HHfP
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 4, 2012 9:44 PM
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Divided into colored zones, the map represents the average annual lowest temperature at any location. These average lows are a crucial factor in the survival of hardy plants for any given place. The extreme annual low temperature in a winter is often the most important stress factor for a perennial plant, especially in the colder zones.id not come up last year. More: http://goo.gl/HWZZx
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 30, 2012 10:19 AM
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Creating a prairie style garden is an excellent alternative to a traditional lawn or landscaping scheme. Plants for prairie gardens may be annuals or perennials and span flowering or grassy types. Caring for prairie gardens is a low maintenance project, where most simply self-seed annually or arise anew from stolons or roots. Read more: http://goo.gl/PT7AI
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 28, 2012 1:06 PM
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Do you need insect control in your garden? Toads survive on insects and can devour thousands of them. Read more here to find ways to attract toads to your garden: http://bit.ly/y4ZBfz
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 30, 2012 11:01 AM
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A boxwood blight, caused by an aggressive fungus disease, has started to invade the North American continent, after it had spread throughout Europe and New Zealand. The boxwood blight, caused by the Cylindrocladium fungus, was unknown before the year 2000. By mid-January, the fungus has turned up in at least five more states in the US — Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Oregon — and in British Columbia in Canada. Read more: http://goo.gl/NRxyU
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 21, 2012 6:16 PM
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Rigid livestock panels do double-duty as a fence and support for tomatoes, plus they can be bent to create an arched entry. Saplings or bamboo poles are easy to use for pole bean tee pees; pea tendrils love to cling to twiggy brush; and so-called “tomato” cages work better to support peppers and eggplants. Read more: http://goo.gl/ewgJ0
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 20, 2012 8:57 PM
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Compost is like liquid gold to gardener, it amends the soil and is its own form of recycling. We are big fans of composting . You don’t need a lot of room to compost either. Even we lived in a little townhouse and only had a patio I practiced a form of composting, (much to my husband’s chagrin). What can you Compost? the following is a list of things that I may have composted at one time or another. Read more: http://goo.gl/Qze4U
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 9:09 PM
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Even in cold climates, tropical plants can transform beds and borders from the hottest temperatures in summer until frost. When combined with hot-blooded annuals such as tithonia, amaranthus, scarlet sage and various celosias, the garden pulsates with tropical drama right through the fall. Read more: http://bit.ly/x3jGym
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:28 PM
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The bald eagle is no longer an endangered bird in New Jersey and Laura Nally has firsthand evidence of the growing health of the majestic raptor. Read more: http://goo.gl/8HYmA
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:21 PM
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We are still a week away from the equinoctial start of spring, which is a bit of a joke if you look about the garden: Spring has been quietly raging for weeks. The hellebores are in full flight, the rhubarb has begun to sprout and the early daffodils are hoofing it off the stage. Put in the work now to clean up last year’s detritus, and you’ll be rewarded with a garden that’s ready for when party really gets going. Read more: http://goo.gl/cBuUW
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:34 PM
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A conservation project underway in Cornwall aimed at securing the future of one of Britain's rarest butterflies is proving to be a success, thanks to the creation of special 'butterfly corridors' and the revival of traditional woodland management. Read more: http://goo.gl/Y4AwM
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 13, 2012 8:44 PM
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There’s no better time than spring to get out and garden, but gardeners getting ready to dig in might want to do a few limbering-up stretches before they get started. Read more: http://goo.gl/ia7WB
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 4, 2012 10:19 PM
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Too cold to work outside? Gather up all your house plants and give them some attention. Take cuttings from some that have become long and lanky and either put into water for rooting, or plant. To start in soil, be sure it is potting soil. Use a rooting compound, create a hole for planting with a pencil, plant, water and put into filtered, not direct, sunlight. When plants have rooted, re-pot and give as gifts. Check to see if some of your houseplants have become root bound and need re-potting. This is a good time to give them a bath to rid them of dust and check for diseases and insects. Choose a sunny day, brew a cup of tea and invite the gardener from next door over to visit in that welcomed sun. All gardeners love to share ideas, plans, dreams and plant material, too. More: http://goo.gl/twe7q
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Scooped by
Debra Anchors
March 4, 2012 9:49 PM
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One of the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of gardening is starting your own plants from seed. The varieties of vegetables and flowers you can grow are endless. Seed-starting supplies include clean pots and planting flats, finely milled sphagnum moss, sterile germination mix – made of peat moss and perlite or vermiculite – and grow lights or a sunny spot to set the containers. More: http://goo.gl/eWpO0
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