Each spring, there comes a point in the winter when I’ve had enough. I’m longing for longer days and warmer weather, so I’ll bring a little bit of spring inside until things warm up enough for spring bulbs and blooms outside. I’ll head out to the yard (usually sometime in March) and snip some forsythia branches, so I can force them to bloom in a vase indoors.
READ MORE » about Forcing forsythia and other spring-flowering branches
Invest in a beetle bank
One of the most important – and yet often overlooked – facets of gardening is its ability to increase backyard biodiversity. And not just within the plant kingdom. When a garden is composed of a wide range of plant material, the animal kingdom also benefits. Especially insects. Most gardeners know that having a diversity of good bugs in the garden means better pollination and fewer pests. While there are thousands of species of beneficial insects in North America, one of the best bugs for your garden is the ground beetle.
READ MORE » about Invest in a beetle bank
Growing beans: pole versus runner
I love growing beans! In my garden, I grow primarily pole beans, while my mother-in-law grows runner beans. My preference is a result of my childhood veggie garden where tender snap beans occupied at least half of the plot. For my mother-in-law, runner beans are a nod to her own youth in the mountains of Lebanon where the meaty pods were slow simmered into flavourful dishes.
READ MORE » about Growing beans: pole versus runner
Insects and climate change: The study of phenology
It turns out that life is more predictable than you might think — well, at least plant and insect life at any rate. Phenology is a jaw-dropping science that examines recurring plant and animal lifecycle events and their connection to the weather. Plants and insects don’t use clocks. Instead they use the conditions of their environment to keep time. The growth and development of both plants and insects is intimately connected to temperature. Phenological events like the blooming of a maple tree, a songbird’s spring arrival, the migration of a monarch, and the egg hatch of Eastern tent caterpillars are all tied to environmental conditions. Nearly all natural phenomena are.
READ MORE » about Insects and climate change: The study of phenology
The onslaught of introduced insects – And why it will change EVERYTHING
We’ve got a problem. And by “we,” I don’t just mean you and me; I mean every single human being living on this planet. It is a problem of epic proportions, a tidal wave of sorts. And it’s only going to get worse.
READ MORE » about The onslaught of introduced insects – And why it will change EVERYTHING
Plant fast-growing vegetables for a homegrown harvest in six weeks or less
In my vegetable garden, I want to grow as much food as possible. Planting fast growing vegetables like arugula, leaf lettuce, radishes, Asian greens, and turnips allows me to do just that by succession planting from early spring through late summer. Who says fast food can’t be healthy? I like to call these my super speedy superstars and they’re ready mere days or weeks from seeding.
READ MORE » about Plant fast-growing vegetables for a homegrown harvest in six weeks or less