Quote de jour


I confess that my eyes widened when I read about the staggering 40 billion dollars Americans spend on gardening. I am one of the 83 million people in this country who garden which got me thinking: why? Why do we get dirty and sweaty, doing back-breaking hauling, hoeing, watering, weeding,coaxing things in the ground which may or may not grow. Nature makes no bargains with us or hands out guarantees. The beautiful roses from last year may have blight this year. We work with blind faith and hope for the best. 

In the meantime, here's a few eco-green gardening tips I use.
1) I crush eggshells and sprinkle them with coffee grounds in the herb garden. It seems to keep down slugs and other pests.
2) Mulch, mulch and mulch some more. You will need to water and weed less.
3) Plant native plants. Find out what plants are native to your area, They have a natural advantage. Good info at
http://www.nwf.org/
4) Wear gloves. I still don't as much as I should, but every time I get bloodied from a thorn and itchy from poison ivy I regret it.
5) Harvest rain water but add a screen to keep mosquitoes from breeding.
6) Keep flowers and plants pesticide-free to attract butterflies and bees.

If all else fails, go enjoy the beauty of else's garden or natural reserve.