Covering Ground
Want less lawn work? Start with the seeds.
If you are a lawn owner, perhaps you’ve wondered if there’s a way reduce the commitment and still have healthy grass. According to some in the turf industry, there is—and it starts with the seeds.
Now's the time to prune all trees and shrubs, almost
Seize the day and seize the pruning saw. It's late winter and time to prune (most) trees and shrubs. The list of exclusions is pretty short, so here goes:
Your Brain on Houseplants: Consider the Research
Houseplants for better mental and physical health? Here's a sample of studies that, one by one, make a positive case for plant life in the great indoors. (Also please see: "Winter Doldrums? Put Your Brain on Houseplants.")
To lawn or not to lawn? Ongoing conversation has long history.
In some parts of the U.S. today, the lawn is disappearing due to droughts. In other places, pesticide bans are pushing both the willing and unwilling towards organic lawn care. Concern for pollinators and the lack of time for meticulous lawn care inspire others to ask a once-unthinkable question:
"To lawn or not to lawn?"
Take a Microbe to Lunch
It's mid-summer. Should we declare a National Be Nice to Soil Microbes Week? Several soil health experts would probably encourage it.
Microbes, after all, form a complex underground community and offer plants much of the sustenance they need.
And if that surprises you, how about this?
Out With the Old, In With the New Garden Beds
Maybe the lawn is so full of weeds you can't stand to look at it anymore. Maybe you're dreaming of a colorful garden bed along the stone wall you can see from the kitchen window.
Starting over may seem daunting. But sometimes it's the only way to go.
4 Bags of Goldfish, a Head of Lettuce
March 2015: What happens when a couple of new college grads get some goldfish and an aquarium? Maybe not what you think. I had the good fortune to visit Fresh Farm Aquaponics recently at a Glastonbury greenhouse.
Podcast: Meadows, lawns, and much more
Meadows, lawns ... How are they different? Where are meadows appropriate?
How we can protect the lawn in winter
Recently I wrote about ice melt products and what they can do to lawns and gardens.
When ice melt products meet lawn and garden
Simplicity is a beautiful thing, but you won't find it among ice- and snow-removal products. A bewildering array of ingredients pop out of these bags when we're on that mad dash down the driveway.
Unfortunately, products that increase sidewalk safety for people may not be safe for the lawn or garden you lovingly tended last summer.