Welcome to this week’s Monday Miscellany!

Have you seen those Sh*t Yogis Say and Sh*t Portlanders Say videos? (Both of which could easily be retitled Sh*t Humboldtians Say, of course!) Well, now we have a Sh*t Gardeners Say video, courtesy of some of my garden writer pals:

Yes, people, I have said nearly all of these things. Hat tip to Shawna C. for takin’ one for the team towards the end. Acidic it is!

Then, adorable Wisconsonite Erin from The Impatient Gardener schools us on an important gardening skill: the bowline knot. This is the only knot you really need in the garden, because it’s super-strong yet can be undone easily. In fact, my Tree Care instructor taught us this knot way back in horticulture school, as it’s the one knot tree climbers use most often.

As Erin says: “Don’t be the person who follows the adage: If you can’t tie knots, tie lots. Learn how to tie a bowline and you’ll never be left tying 15 overhand knots only to watch them fall apart or having to cut the line in the end because they won’t open up.”

Lastly, my latest over at Proven Winners makes the point that attracting beneficial insects through planting is a much easier and prettier way of dealing with pests than spraying. Check out Las Pilitas Nursery for a broad selection of California natives that will help tip the balance in favor of good bugs, and Proven Winners for juiced-up versions of the old-fashioned garden plants that are so good at attracting pollinators and beneficials.

That’s it for this week! And don’t forget to enter to win a copy of Jessi Bloom’s new book Free-Range Chicken Gardens. Giveaway goes till Thursday!