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How to Make Your Own Christmas Wreath
Now that Thanksgiving is properly over, we can start thinking about Christmas without everybody groaning. This is especially good news to me, since I love whistling Christmas carols year-round. Finally! The one month of the year I can whistle my rousing rendition of Jingle Bells without causing raised eyebrows. There is so much that I…
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How to Make Liquid Fertilizer from a Granular Organic
After sharing recipes for making your own granular organic fertilizer from inexpensive bulk ingredients, I’ve gotten a number of questions from readers asking how to convert a dry organic fertilizer into a liquid. Why would you want to? Liquid fertilizer is fast-acting. A liquid fertilizer can be faster acting than a dry or granular fertilizer,…
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How to Compost Pet Waste: Making Pet Ownership More Earth-Friendly
With the number of pets people have, the safe disposal of pet waste has become a real problem for local governments. When you put it in a plastic bag and send it to the landfill, for instance, it just sits there forever until the bag is broken. And it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out…
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Don’t Bug Me! How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in the Garden
Ahhh, the joys of summer. . . Sunshine, apple crumble, fresh berries, and – bzzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz – oh yeah, mosquitoes. While theoretically I am glad that mosquitoes exist as they form a valuable food source for birds and bats, I would tend to feel from the number of itchy welts on my skin that perhaps my…
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Gardening Trend Predictions for 2014
There are useful color trends, like this one above, and less “sticky” trends, like this year’s Radiant Orchid. Even a timeless activity like gardening is subject to the ebbs and flows of trends. Though I’m constantly reminded that there’s nothing really new in the world, a cleverly written book, new product, or a general societal…
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Edible Landscaping for Industrial Settings: Tips and Best Plants
Last week, I talked about some of the benefits and drawbacks of edible landscaping in “public” spheres such as commercial/ business landscaping or in a multifamily residence such as an apartment complex. This week, I want to talk more about how to actually succeed with this. Though there are a number of settings in which…
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Edible Landscaping for Industrial Settings: Benefits and Drawbacks
Does edible landscaping belong in the public sphere, which is to say in the landscapes owned by cities, businesses, and in multifamily housing like apartment buildings? It sounds like a great idea, and if asked, I think most people would give an unqualified and enthusiastic “yes”! However, there are a lot of considerations with edible…
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Arcata’s Pastels On The Plaza 2012
For Humboldt locals, the first October weekend of every year means one thing: Pastels on the Plaza. This event pairs artists and businesses to raise money for the North Coast Children’s Center. Each business sponsors a sidewalk square on the Arcata Plaza, and the artists volunteer their time to decorate a square in honor of…
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A Designer’s Take on Wildlife Gardening
Though recent polls show that using native plants and attracting wildlife are big priorities for gardeners, these types of landscapes have a terrible reputation for being messy and poorly-designed. It’s gotten to the point that many landscape designers I’ve spoken with shy away from mentioning native plants to their clients, even if they plan on…
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Summertime Cooking: Mustard Butter Pasta with Fresh Garden Vegetables
With summer’s toasty temps, I don’t want to be standing over a hot stove any longer than necessary. That’s why I love simple meals that can be made with a minimum of fuss and can be easily reheated, or even eaten cold. When I went to P. Allen Smith’s Garden2Blog event, one of the sponsors,…
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Grow Your Own Microbrew! How to Grow Hops
As an ornamental gardener, I’m used to growing hops as a summer screen for chicken coops, bare walls and other elements in the garden that can be unsightly. It’s easy to grow, but needs to be sited just right, as it has an eat-your-home style of rapacious growth that can be either exactly what you…