Exploring the world of gardening. Observations, gardens to visit, thoughts on ecology, gardener interviews, and commentary.
Ann Slater of the Ecological Farming Association of Ontario takes on CropLife Canada, a trade association for the manufacturers, developers and distributors of pesticide and GMO products that has been working on a smear campaign targeting organic food production. Why is CropLife Canada so keen to smear organic? According to their survey of Canadian women, …
Guest post by Renee Garner
I discovered another cost of garbage, both economical and environmental, while watching a segment on solar powered trash compactors on Daily Planet. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me, but of course fuel is needed to operate the garbage trucks that haul garbage off your curb and out of the city to a …
The world of gardening containers is a sad carnival of ugly. I grow A LOT of plants, therefore requiring A LOT of pots. Unfortunately, the few stylish containers out there fall outside of a price range affordable to the bountiful, yet thrifty grower. That’s why I was excited to find these gorgeous plant pots at …
I’m currently in Northern California for the Blogher Conference. I’ve been to these parts once before but the massiveness of the plants, most especially the invasives really stand out this time. I assumed this patch of renegade nasturtiums was a random fluke. Until I turned the corner. And the next one. And the next. And …
I came across this low fence made of tree prunings while walking through Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. It’s very simply constructed and relies on the v-shape where one branch joins another rather than fussing with string and wire. Mind you this wouldn’t survive five minutes on my block but seems like a viable design on …
While they are probably meant for kids, these paper model projects featuring assorted plants, insects, and organisms are fun projects for any age. Models include your standard garden fare; lady bugs, and butterflies but take learning about the ecosystem of the garden to another level with nematodes, bacteria, and more. Projects come with simple and …
Guest post by Renee Garner Words like hyperaccumulator and phytoremediation sound like something straight out of a 1960s Sci-Fi movie and hardly verbs describing gardens. But when the conceptual, and socially minded artist Mel Chin creates a garden, you get these lengthy words among others. Mel Chin is a Texas born artist now living in North Carolina; and when he plants, …
Guest post by Christina Radisauskas Last week I went to a film and discussion series entited “Label Me Confused: What organic, free range, and all those other words really mean” at a local theater. Several organic farmers gathered to discuss the benefits of choosing to eat locally produced and/or organic foods rather than typical supermarket …
Guest post by Christina Radisauskas I work at a university that has finally decided to develop a “sustainability initiative.” Because I am a librarian, I was asked to create a bibliography of resources to enhance our faculty’s understanding of the concept and how they might incorporate it into their departments’ curricula. While I worked on …
I gave a workshop/demonstration today at Canada Blooms on growing herbs and other edibles in a strawberry pot but I ran out of handouts. I wasn’t expecting such a great turnout! Thanks to everyone who came. As promised I have posted a printable version of the handout here for those who missed out. Thanks to …
Join me for two events on Friday March 3 Coffee with Gayla: 2:00 pm An informal chat in which I will talk about my own gardening story and life; my personal passions; why I garden the way I do and what gardening means to me. Urban Gardening: 3:30 pm An intro to organic gardening in …