The Earth and its ecosystems are our home. In order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth. April 22nd, Earth Day is an annual event created to celebrate the planet’s environment and raise public awareness about pollution.
While spring is in the air, your yard may still be looking quite bare without proper care. Make your lawn the envy of the neighborhood with these tips for maintenance throughout the season. To obtain optimum performance from your lawn it is important to employ the appropriate management practices at the correct times of year. As the world outside finally begins to turn green after a long winter, it’s time once again to pay attention to your lawn. To create a thriving, beautiful lawn, you need to hit the ground running in the spring. Here are some of the best practices for a beautiful lawn you can employ this spring and summer.
Cranesbill, or commonly known as geranium are a perfect choice for someone looking to add a touch of color to the garden this year. With a diverse selection within it's genus, it is a great choice for a native plant to provide an array of colors while attracting a diverse selection of wildlife at the same time. Varieties range in their uses, and with over 400 species resistant to pests, geranium are a perfect plant for a novice gardener looking for an easy to handle, hardy flower that spread easily. Utilizing many low growing, carpet like plants like geranium in your garden is a cost efficient way to fill in areas while also vastly improving the appearance of the area. At the same time, cranesbills make for very fragrant flowers that have no trouble attracting and feeding plenty of welcome garden guests, like butterflies and bees.
Lawn and garden season is once again rapidly approaching us. Ah, the great outdoors where once again our children will frolic on our lawns, there will be croquet games and badminton, and lush green lawns to manicure. But it all comes with a down side. Studies have shown that Americans apply approximately 70 MILLION pounds of pesticides to their landscapes, lawns and gardens each year!
A native plant of North America, Golden ragwort is an easily grown garden plant with large clusters of yellow flowers that brighten shady areas of the spring garden. This species is very widely distributed in the eastern North America in USDA hardiness zones 3 – 9. Habitats include wet deciduous woods, meadows, banks of rivers, streams and lakes, slopes of rocky ravines, and roadsides.
If you’re like me, and I’m quite sure you are, then your thoughts are drifting in the direction of this year’s vegetable garden and flower beds, and with Spring just around the corner this is the time to order and start your seeds. It also gives you time to consider last season’s successes and setbacks. Planning is key in developing organic systems.
Cynoglossum virginianum, also known as the wild comfrey, is a plant native to North America. It is also sometimes called the blue houndstongue. The drooping, tubular, pink flowers of Common Comfrey are a familiar sight to many gardeners. Sometimes considered a 'weed', this hairy plant can be used as an organic fertilizer and a form of slug control.