Thinking about the bombings in Boston and fertilizer plant explosions as I drove between projects in Bethesda and Garrett Park, the play list was all Bruce Springsteen. Easy to feel like the speaker in ‘Reason to Believe’ sometimes...
Read moreThe Favas are Coming!
We’ll be picking them in May- peeling first the outer shell, then the white membrane around each individual bean. Worth it? Yes. Parboil the bean with membrane for a few seconds and it will pop off. Saute the fresh favas in olive oil with...
Read moreAsparagus!
So far, the only 2 in the whole patch…At a client’s last week where they were all coming up, some over 2′ high, in a bed that is less than a year old. Fingers crossed, the rest aren’t gone.
Read moreOrganic weed control…and compost at the same time!
Cover soil with 1/2-1″ thick layer of wetted newspaper. Top with mulch. Skip weeding all summer and feed your plants at the same time. One really good reason to still get the newspaper…
Read moreWhat’s happening to the bees????
According to the NY Times, 40-50 percent of the honey bee hives needed to pollinate our fruit and vegetable crops have collapsed this year. The suspected culprit: a new pesticide engineered into plants themselves. More info...
Read moreGoodbye, Mahonia…
One of my favorite plants is on the Maryland Invasive Plant list: Mahonia bealei, aka ‘Leatherleaf Mahonia’ or ‘False Holly’ or ‘Oregon Grape Holly’ When I go to a client’s garden and see a Burning Bush...
Read moreBeware genetically altered seed
A friend sent me this link to an article about Monsanto and genetically altered seed: 4 Steps for Keeping Monsanto OUT of Your Garden!
Read moreThe art of Kusamono
Young Choe demonstrating how to create a Kusomono container at the Lahr Native Plant Symposium. Check out the Trillium…An exhibit of her work is currently on display at the Bonsai Museum at the National Arboretum. Inspiring...
Read moreWho says global warming is all bad…
Just harvested this broccoli for dinner. It grew through the winter with no protection….
Read moreWeakened Clean Water Legislation Alert
According to ‘Beyond Pesticides’ ‘U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Mike Johanns (R-NE) re-introduced legislation that would reduce the review requirements for pesticides applied directly to water.’ Kudos to MD’s...
Read moreWhy are Canandian doctor’s lobbying for a ban on lawn and garden pesticides????
According to an article published in CBC news March 5, 2013: ‘A group of Canadian doctors and citizens concerned with rates of diseases thought to be caused by chemicals are calling on the B.C. government to institute a ban on all...
Read moreThe Soil Chronicles: Episode 5: Waste is a Human Term
In nature, everything is re-used. Lots of organisms beyond earthworms live in soil. These organisms decompose organic material, grab nitrogen that might otherwise head to the groundwater, fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, make the soil more...
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