GARDEN TRICKS

It’s almost time to dig out your gardening gloves and tools to prepare for spring planting. Whether you’re a beginner gardener or someone who’s been at it for years,  tips always help to make gardening easier.

• Place egg shells around the bottoms of plants to add calcium to the soil. The shells also discourage pests and small bugs.
• Garden markers can help you easily identify what’s planted where.

• Make your spring gardening chores easier with a DIY watering can made from a half gallon plastic milk jug. Heat a strong needle and poke holes through the plastic cap. It’s a nice size for watering seedlings and small plants.

• Start your seeds in eggshells. By starting your seeds instead of buying plants that have already begun to grow, you can cut your gardening costs.

• Plastic forks inserted stem side down into the ground can help keep little critters (like bunnies) away from small plants. 

• Epson Salt! Because it is rich n magnesium ad sulfate, it is great for plants. a) You can mix it into your soil to help seeds germinate better. b) You can mix a couple of Tablespoons into your watering can once or twice a month. c) Tomatoes and peppers benefit the most because they both tend to grow well in a magnesium rich soil.
• Save veggie cooking water. Let it cool, and then use it to fertilize your garden.
• Not everyone has the skills, tools, materials, or time to make a raised wooden garden bed. How about a cinder block bed?

sources:

http://www.onecrazyhouse.com/gardening-tricks/

and http://www.listotic.com/20-insanely-clever-gardening-tips-and-ideas/8/

Grow a Medicinal Herb Garden; Help Bees

Save time and money by stocking your backyard or windowsill gardens with five basic medicinal herbs. These superstars will treat common ailments such as colds and flu, inflammation, minor cuts, infections, pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, poor digestion and insomnia. Every medicinal herb garden should include chamomile, yarrow, lemon balm, Echinacea and peppermint. These five basics are safe and effective for the vast majority of people when used as simple teas, poultices or salves.

Echinacea: Super Immune-Booster
Echinacea products are among the top-selling herbs in health-food stores. Many gardeners know this group collectively as purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), but echinacea has emerged as the most widely used common name.
The seeds of E. purpurea germinate readily, or plants can be easily propagated by dividing the roots. This species does well in any well-drained soil, will tolerate up to half shade, and is remarkably drought-resistant. Plants and seeds of E. augustifolia are harder to find, and the seeds germinate much less readily.
While most references suggest using Echinacea root for medicinal use, I make a tea of the fresh or dried flowers of E. purpurea: the chemical constituents of the flowers are similar to those of the root. In summer or fall, I simply pour a cup of boiling water over a chopped flower head and steep it, uncovered, for 10 minutes.  For winter use, I make a tincture. I chop an entire plant, place it in a wide-mouthed gallon jar, and pour in around 750 ml (26 oz, or 3.17 cups) of 190-proof grain alcohol (never wood or rubbing alcohol) and a quart of water – just enough to cover the plant material. I put on the lid and set the jar aside for two weeks. After this, the tincture is ready to use. It will retain its effectiveness for at least a year. I swallow about 30-60 drops (1-2 teaspoons) of the tincture four or five times a day when I feel a cold coming on.

Chamomile: Gentle Yet Powerful
Most chamomile tea is made from the dried or fresh flowers of the annual German or Hungarian chamomile (Matricaria recutita, formerly M. chamomilla or Chamomilla recutita). Roman or English chamomile, the flower of the perennial Chamaemelum nobile, is also commonly grown in herb gardens. All can be used interchangeably.
People have used chamomile tea for centuries as a gentle sleep aid (particularly for children), as well as to ease digestion, promote urination and relieve colic. The also used chamomile tea to wash wounds and sores. Today, the pharmacopoeias (official authorities) of 26 countries approve it to treat inflammation, infection, colic, muscle spasms and tension. All uses except sedative claims have been confirmed by recent research.
German chamomile is easily grown from seed. The daisylike flowers usually appear within six weeks of planting. It does best in cooler climates; in the South it quickly bolts and shrivels under the intense summer sun. German chamomile likes a neutral to slightly acidic, well-drained sandy loam and full sun. Plants self-sow freely, so you’ll probably not need to plant it again after the first season. During the several weeks in which chamomile blooms, you can make several pickings. Spread the flowers in a basket in a warm, dark place to dry.
To make tea, just pour one cup of boiling water over one heaping teaspoon of dried flowers. Steep covered for ten minutes then strain into a cup. Sip a cup of tea 3-4 times a day to relieve an upset stomach or have a cup to relax before going to bed.
NOTE: Those allergic to the pollen of other aster family members such as ragweed may also be allergic to chamomile.

Yarrow: First Aid in the Garden

Color variations include white, purple, pink, orange, yellow, and tan

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), another member of the aster family, contains achilleine, an alkaloid responsible for staunching blood flow. Yarrow contains more than 120 other chemical components, some of which have been shown to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms, and to relieve pain. Others are believe to ease digestion, calm anxiety, treat baldness and relieve hypertension.
Nearly all yarrows require no care, remain pest-free and are winter-hardy in Zones 3 thru 9, blooming June thru September. Plants are easily grown from seed or propagated by dividing the roots in the spring or fall.  Yarrow adapts well to many soil types but thrives in moderately rich soil in full sun. Harvest the stalks when in full bloom and hang to dry.
Minor cuts should first be washed thoroughly since yarrow doesn’t inhibit bacterial growth. Crush leaves or flowers and apply to cut.
To make tea, pour a cup of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb and steep, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Lemon Balm: A Tasty Healer
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a favorite of bees as its generic name attests: Melissa is Greek for “bee.” Traditionally, lemon balm has been used to reduce fevers and treat colds by inducing sweating, calm the digestive tract, relieve spasms related to cramps and headaches, and overcome insomnia. Recent research confirms the plant’s ability to calm anxiety, relieve spasms and inhibit the growth of fungi and bacteria.
Reaching two feet in height, lemon balm is easy to grow from seeds sown in the spring or early fall. It is hardy in Zones 4 thru 9. A fertile, moist soil is ideal with a wide range of acidity – from pH 5 to 7.8. It likes a cool habitat, grown under shade. It can be invasive, so prune the flowering tops before they go to seed.
It is most effective when used fresh or freshly dried. Use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water, steeping for 10 minutes.

Peppermint: Spicy-Sweet, Digestive Aid
Mint is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, the world’s oldest surviving medical text, believed to date from the 16^th century B.C.E.  Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is actually a sterile hybrid of spearmint (M. spicata) and water mint (M. aquatica).
Traditionally used to ally insomnia, upset stomach, indigestion, nervous tension, colds, cramps, diarrhea and nausea, recent research has shown that the essential oil contains substances that relieve muscle spasms and inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses. Its primary constituent – menthol – gives this hardy perennial herb its spicy-sweet scent and flavor.
Grow mints in containers as they can be highly invasive. Since you can’t grow plants from its sterile seeds, you can increase your stock by dividing the roots. Plant in moist, but well-drained soil and full sun. Harvest leaves as soon as they mature and dry them in a warm, dark place.
One teaspoon per cup of boiling water makes a delicious and refreshing tea, up to three times a day to aid digestion

NOTE: People prone to gastric reflux should not drink peppermint tea, as it relaxes the esophageal sphincter, allowing gastric juices to flow into the esophagus, possibly irritating it and/or causing inflammation.

By Steven Foster
The Herb Companion
Read the full article, with historical backgrounds, in the May 2011 issue of The Herb Companion.

How Can You Avoid Genetically Modified Food?

 
It is estimated that about 75 percent of processed foods sold in the U.S. contain at least some genetically modified food ingredients.

Unlike many other countries, there is no law in the U.S. requiring the labeling of foods that contain GM ingredients, but if you know how to identify which foods are most commonly genetically modified, you can reduce how many GMOs you eat.

The best way to avoid GMO products is by buying unprocessed 100% certified organic LOCAL WHOLE FOODS.

Here are some ways to avoid genetically modified foods:
Read the PLU labels.

If the five digit PLU number starts with "8," the food is either genetically modified or genetically engineered.
If the five digit PLU number starts with "9," it's organic.
Also, by watching for the absence of either the 8 or 9, which means the produce is neither organically grown or genetically modified, you can recognize traditionally grown produce.
Ensure your produce is not genetically modified by reading the number on the sticker, and by buying 100% certified organic. 100% certified organic is by law never genetically modified!

• A 4-digit number indicates the food was conventionally grown and may or may not be genetically modified.
• A 5-digit number beginning with an 8 is a genetically modified food. However, not all GM foods can be identified because PLU labeling is optional.
• A 5-digit number beginning with a 9 indicates it is organic, and thus a non-GM food.

Read more @ PLU Codes and How They Can Help Consumers Avoid GM Foods
Shop at natural food stores. Shopping at a natural or organic food store does not eliminate the possibility of purchasing genetically modified food, although it does increase the possibility of having a wider variety of non-genetically modified fruits and vegetables.

Purchase a share of a Community Support Agriculture (CSA). Basically, a CSA share is purchasing a portion of a farmer's harvest. The farmer provides you with a basket full of fruits and vegetables every week. Sometimes, CSA can also offer raw milk and fresh eggs. Some farmers refuse to grow genetically modified fruit and vegetables. Be sure to ask your farmer before you purchase the share!

Buy direct from the farmer. You can ask the farmer at your local farmer's market if they grow non-GMO produce. If they don't know, don't buy. Be aware that most seeds and plants out there today are genetically modified or engineered. Again, by buying 100% certified organic we can avoid genetically modifed foods as much as possible.

Grow your own produce. Look in the seed catalog or on the package for the "Non-GMO" label. If there is no label, you can assume that the seed or plant is genetically modified. Here is a list of heirloom seed companies and an amazing source of 100% Certified Organic, Non-GMO, non-hybrid seeds.

Urban Gardening: How to build a Raised bed and Hoop House

• Start saving a non hybrid, heirloom seed bank of 100% certified organic NON-MONSANTO SEEDS!

Buy foods labeled "100% certified organic." Laws in both the U.S. and Canada do not allow food labels that say "100% certified organic" to contain any genetically engineered food, including animals that have been fed genetically modified feed. Be aware, however, that if the food is simply labeled "organic" it can still contain genetically modified ingredients up to 30%.

Look for the labels "non-GM" or "GMO-free." These can be hard to find, but if you are able to support manufacturers that produce foods that are not genetically engineered you encourage other manufacturers to follow their lead.

Buy whole, fresh foods rather than processed ones. Foods that you cook and prepare yourself are almost always healthier than anything you can buy ready-made. Cooking healthy food doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. There are many simple but delicious and healthy meals that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes that do not involve any genetically modified food.

Know which foods and the products that are made from them are most likely to have been the result of genetic engineering. 

For example:

• Corn- The ingredient derived from corn that is hardest to avoid is high fructose corn syrup. A huge percentage of processed foods and baked goods contains it, not to mention soda. Any food with a label saying there is corn of any kind in it should be avoided unless it states it is 100% certified organic. Popcorn is an exception, as there is currently no popcorn on the market that is genetically modified.
• Soybeans- Products made from soybeans include soy flour, soy isolates, soy lecithin, soy protein and isoflavones. Be sure that soy based products such as tofu, soy milk, edamame and such have a label stating it is 100% certified organic to be sure it isn't genetically modified.
• Canola or Rapeseed- Made from the rapeseed plant, canola oil almost certainly is derived from genetically engineered crops, unless you are located in the EU, where no genetically modified crops of rapeseed are yet grown. You find it used mostly as cooking oil and in margarine, and though it is high in monounsaturated fat, it is not a healthy oil to use regularly due to its high levels of omega-6 fatty acids and because it goes rancid easily when heated. Olive oil is a better choice.
• Cottonseed oil- Cottonseed oil is a primary ingredient in shortening, vegetable oil and margarine, none of which are healthy fats, and many of which contain trans fats. It is also used to a great extent in processed foods like potato chips and other fried snack foods.
• Dairy- Some farmers inject cows with the genetically engineered hormone rBGH or rBST in order to boost milk production. Cows also may be fed genetically modified food in the form of grain and alfalfa unless the milk specifically states that it is organic. Look for products that advertise themselves as rBGH- or rBST-free.
• Sugar beets- There is unfortunately no way of knowing if something labeled as containing "sugar" comes from just sugar cane or if it also includes sugar made from beets, since there is no special labeling required. Beet sugar can be avoided by buying products labeled as being made with evaporated cane sugar, 100% cane sugar or organic sugar.

Avoid aspartame as a sweetener. The sweetener used in many products such as NutraSweet and Equal, Aspartame is derived from genetically modified microorganisms. Any artificial sweetener is usually worse for your health than sugar, and should be avoided whenever possible.

Buy 100% organic fruit juices. Though most fruit juices are not derived from GM foods, the sweetener used in many of these juices (and sodas as well) is high fructose corn syrup, which is almost certainly from genetically modified corn.

Buy meat that is 100% grass-fed. Most cattle in the U.S. are grass-fed until the last three to four months of their lives. At this point they are usually shipped to feedlots where they may be given GM corn and other genetically modified foods in order to increase the amount of "marbling" in the meat. Meat from these feedlot animals has higher levels of saturated fat and less of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids than grass-fed and grass-finished animals. To avoid meat that has been fed GMOs, make sure the animal was100% grass-fed or pasture-fed (sometimes also referred to as grass-finished or pasture-finished). For animals such as pigs and poultry that cannot be 100% grass-fed, it's better to buy meat that is labeled as 100% certified organic if possible.

Buy wild caught fish. Farm raised fish are fed fish meal containing GM grains and sometimes meat and bone meal.

Buy 100% certified organic Eggs. Eggs should be labeled 100% certified organic, as those with only a "free-range," "natural," or "cage-free" label are not necessarily free of GMOs.

Buy your meat and produce at local farmers' markets. Most genetically modified food is grown on large industrial farms. The farmers' market allows you to talk directly with the farmer to find out how the food was grown. These markets also usually provide a range of other products, such as organic honey, grains, baked goods, etc. Another place to find healthy, non-GMO products is your neighborhood co-op.


Read the rest of this article at Debra’s Green Living Q&A. 
SOURCES and RESOURCES:
Greener Living
Animals Don’t Want to Eat GMOs, So Why Are We?
Has Your Physician Warned You About GMOs?
What’s a “GMO” and Why Should You Care?

http://mkokopelli.blogspot.com/2011/03/organic-company-food-chain.html

by Healthy Child Healthy World

Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of
Healthy Child Healthy World.

Comments:

• • Nikolas Morato Is that possible in America? To avoid GM foods?

    
    
  • Carrie Hoover Bennett Its difficult to find organic seeds or plants for gardening....is it the safe to plant seeds and just not treat with pesticides? Or must I find "organic" on label and pay the extra cost?
  • 
    

    Amber Fensler I don't know if you have a Vons by you but we bought organic tomatoe seeds there and then got organic soil from the 99 cent store.

    about an hour ago 

     
  • Shari Fill Yes! Grow your own! You can have a hydroponic window garden even in the winter or in a city. And organic only, whether buying or growing.

    
    
  • Felicia Powers I wish this article covered how GMO alfalfa was approved for all use and how this is going to impact our entire food system in the US. It won't be long until GMO's infiltrate our entire food supply - yes, even organics - with the USDA's move to deregulate GMO alfalfa.

     
  • Stacy Lynn Brunscheen Hancock monsanto bought burpee, fyi. and they have ties to several organic brands, like earths best. def do your research if you're wanting to avoid giving one cent to those awful people.

     
  • do you have any links or articles concerning monsanto owning earths best? I thought that was a safe brand
  • http://mkokopelli.blogspot.com/2011/03/organic-company-food-chain.html

    
    

    Alexandria Christmas And we wonder why our cells change and turn into cancer or unexplained blood diseases!!
  
  
  

Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms

A wonderful organic gardening project or science project!

RESOURCES: http://www.fungifun.org/mushworld/Oyster-Mushroom-Cultivation/
http://www.oystermushrooms.net/

Garlic Fire Spray and More!

 Non-Toxic Organic Garden Pest Control Solutions

GARLIC FIRE SPRAY is the stuff of legend. There are many recipes, but they consist of some or all of the following: garlic, chilli peppers, soap, vegetable oil, kerosene and water. Don't leave home without a concoction of this. Depending on its strength it will slay dragons and ants (must have dragons if we mention legends)!
The brew I use at the moment is very effective and goes like this:

• 2-3 garlic bulbs (about 6-10 cloves per bulb)
• 6 large or 12 smaller hot chilli peppers (any variety will do, or if unavailable try 1-2 tablespoon hot chilli powder)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 squirts of liquid detergent (approximately 1 heaping tsp) recommendation: LEMONBRITE
• 7 cups water. (Use about 2-3 cups in the blender, and top up with the rest later)

Put the whole lot into a blender and vitamize well, then strain through muslin, a coffee filter or similar. Pour what you need into a spray bottle for use and keep the rest in jars with lids on in a cupboard or on a shelf somewhere, well labeled.

Experiment with it if necessary. Check for results or any damage to young plants. If it fixes the problem and your plants are happy, you have the perfect mix. If you still find a few pests, albeit struggling, then lower the water dilution rate or change the ingredient quantities slightly.
This great concoction is a lovely garlicky, pungent mixture, but the smell dissipates quickly once it's been sprayed around.

This garlic fire mixture needs to be re-sprayed frequently - for example after rain and dew. It's best to spray every few days until there is no sign of pests. Thereafter, apply about every week to 10 days for any eggs or larvae that may have hatched out.

Uses for this natural garden pest control are unlimited. Because it has oil and dishwashing liquid in it, it sticks to plants and suffocates pests such as scale and mealy bug. It will kill ants, aphids, caterpillars, grubs, bugs and just about anything small.

SO BE VERY SELECTIVE — MIND THE LADYBUGS, LACEWINGS, BEES AND OTHER BENEFICIAL FRIENDS.

Spraying this mixture around the edge of your garden will deter pets. Rabbits, gophers, woodchucks and other garden gate crashers will also be discouraged.

Here's another version, that requires NO blender.
Put a whole garlic bulb through a garlic press and let it set in a glass jar with several ounces of mineral or salad oil. Mix a few spoonfuls with dishwashing liquid, hot pepper sauce and water in a spray bottle.

You can make a pure smothering oily mixture. Blend together ½ cup of liquid or grated pure soap in 1 cup of vegetable oil. Any inexpensive salad oil from supermarket is fine. Use a blender or beat by hand and it will become a thick white consistency. To use, mix 1 tablespoon with 1 litre of warm water and spray every bit of plant where you find the pests you're after.

Fish Fertiliser is another useful jack-of-all trades deterrent for unwanteds, such as mites, caterpillars and even nematodes. It seems some gardeners, orchardists and farmers noticed that when they sprayed their plants with fish fertiliser, the pests held their noses, packed up and left, spreading the word as they did so.

Exactly why it works is not yet clear but there are a couple of possibilities:

• fish fertilizer is oily, this smothers nematodes and mites
• butterflies and moths find their host plants by their acute sense of smell. So they are not going to hang around breeding caterpillars when the smell of cauliflowers or apples is masked by fish!

Be considerate of your neighbours though, as they might not like the fishy aroma that lingers around for a day or so.

Natural Aphid Control

I highly recommend Garden's Alive's Lady Bugs. Here is their information:

Adult lady beetles and their larvae are an excellent, non-chemical way to control aphids, Colorado potato beetles (egg stage) and other insect pests in your garden. But unlike the lady beetles sold by most other companies, ours are:

• screened to remove patasitoid-infested beetles
• ready to lay eggs the day you release them
• hungry for pests!

Up to 20% of the lady beetles shipped by other companies are parasitized. So, not only will their lady beetles die shortly after you receive them, but they'll also release parasitoids that will kill any lady beetles previously in your garden.

Our Sta-Home lady beetles arrive healthy and ready to feed on pests! Females immediately lay eggs, which provide a second wave of pest-eaters within a week. And these larvae, which can't fly, have an even bigger appetite than the adults!

• 
  We precondition our lady beetles by feeding them a healthy diet to encourage egg laying. We also remove all parasitoid-infesting beetles so they don't attack your purchased or existing beetles.
  
• 
  One package of about 900 Sta-Home adults will produce more than 10,000 pest-eating larvae in your garden within 30 days! We ship at the proper time for your area or on the date you specify.
  

Note: We take great care to ensure that your insects arrive safely and in good health, ready for your garden. We normally ship them on Monday or Tuesday so they arrive before the weekend.

Pricing? Here it is. Go to Gardens Alive to order. This is just a cut and paste. :-)

1 pkg of Sta-HomeTM Lady Beetles (covers 1,000 sq ft)
1+	$13.95	Qty
1 of 3 pkgs of Sta-HomeTM Lady Beetles (1 package each of 3 shipments at 3-week intervals)
1+	$35.95	Qty

Cross-posted @ The Best Nest

Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells for Your Roses

Coffee grounds are good for any plants in the garden as they contain a small amount of nitrogen. They also act like a mini compost for the soil.

You simply scatter a little amount around the base of the rose and then have to water it in or it won't work.

Eggshells are a good source of calcium - wash them out well. Let the egg shells dry, break up/crumble, then apply around the base of the roses, and dig into the soil a little bit (or put them under mulch - eggshells are not very attractive). Eggshells are safe to apply all year long and will not hurt the rose, but only help them (roses need calcium too!).

Visit Rocks in my Dryer for lots of different Works For Me Wednesday Tips. I am #256!

Path to Freedom

Please stop in @ Path to Freedom.
This is the welcome message there:

"Let's face it. Our world is in deep, deep trouble and we are the "troublemakers." We have to make real, difficult changes yesterday.

Despite the obvious benefits, we are not going to recycle, compost, or talk our way out of this.

Our leaders, being politicians, are not leaders at all but are bound to be followers, who just won't be there for us in a crisis. So, it's up to me and you to make the choice of becoming responsible stewards of the earth.

Let's turn the world right side up as demonstrated through this website. Join us on our journey towards a sustainable present and future. Let's walk the path to freedom!"

Their older Path to Freedom site is wonderful, also. Here is the preface at that site:

"Here we present a self-sufficiency resource center and on-going report on our urban "homestead" which we have been recently developing. Since our aim is to break free from the system, we have taken some small steps in our yard and lifestyle to make it happen. Great goals, however, come at a great price. Thus, it has been a real, sweaty struggle to learn a new way of living. Things don't turn out the way we want them to. The pace is so painfully slow and, most of the time, after moving three steps forward, we end up going back two.

By showing what we are doing locally at our home in Pasadena, California we hope to prove that Living Free is possible one day. Until that time, we intend to offer encouragement with this website to all who desire to join us along the way, along the path to freedom."

Growing Food

Growing food is fundamental to sustainable living and good health. Fresh food is simply better; flavors, vitamins and enzymes decrease rapidly as food ages.

The majority of people who live to a ripe old age, and who seem to enjoy good health right up to the end, seem spend a disproportionately large amount of time puttering around in their gardens, and comparatively little time out driving around in traffic or managing the hostile takeover of corporations.

There is a lot to know about growing food, and information varies depending on geography, climate, etc. It takes years to become an accomplished farmer. This site will simply guide you to the resources that you need in order to do it. But first, a few basic principles:

* Pick a sunny location. Most food does not grow well in the shade. You need at least six hours of direct sun a day to be very successful.

* Establish buffer zones. Your garden may need protection against wind, automobile traffic, deer and other pests. Hedgerows, fences and perimeter beds can help. Surrounding a garden with perennial herbs confuses pests with its strong scents. Fencing a garden with pollen-bearing perennials provides critical habitat for for the predatory insects which keep pests in check. Establishing the perimeter first can help ensure success when actual crops are planted.

* Establish permanent pathways and garden beds. Arrange beds running north - south. A good-sized bed is 3-4 feet wide and as long as you want it. (If it is much wider than four feet, you will not be able to reach the center without stepping or kneeling in the bed.) Cultivate your beds year after year, adding compost and organic fertilizers as needed, and rotating crops. Do not walk on your garden beds; it compacts the soil.

* Build your soil: This is the cornerstone of organic farming and gardening. Healthy soil supports good plants. The best way to build healthy soil is to add lots and lots of compost. You cannot add too much compost to your soil, but if you add too little, it will get hard and your plants will be puny and weak, and thus susceptible to disease. If you cannot make enough compost (most homeowners fall into this category), then buy it from your city, a local farmer, or your neighborhood landscape supply house. A few sustainable businesses have developed products out of recycled plastic which help urban and suburban residents compost.

* Buy a good spading fork: The digging fork is by far the most useful cultivation tool. You will use it every day for digging new beds, re-digging old ones, cultivating around crops and trees, even weeding and pulling out nasty unwanted trees and cactus. The best forks have big, fat forged steel heads; short, stout, unbreakable handles and a D-grip.

* Cultivate diversity: Monoculture attracts pests; so grow a little of everything. Learn which plants grow together, and which do not (the science of companion planting). Harvest your own seeds and purchase heirloom variety plants. Keep a steady stream of flowers available to feed predatory insects (which need to eat even when there are no pests in your yard); multitudes of small flowers feed more predators than big, showy flowers.

* Water carefully: Plants show many of the same signs when over-watered as when under-watered. Established plants typically prefer deep, infrequent watering; that is, soak, let the soil dry out completely, then soak again. Check the soil to be sure. Dig down six inches. If the soil will hold in a ball, then it does not need to be watered. Daily, shallow watering causes or exacerbates many plant diseases, including blossom-end rot.

* Learn about Integrated Pest Management. Avoid using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which already plague the commercial food supply. Most homeowners wind up misusing chemicals far more egregiously than farmers.

* Learn how to tell when fruits and vegetables are perfectly ripe.

source: http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/Body/garden.htm
picture sources: http://archive.rhizomecollective.org/Images2/Photos/Tour/polyPond.jpg

Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells for Roses

Coffee grounds are good for any plants in the garden as they contain a small amount of nitrogen. They also act like a mini compost for the soil. That is all it will do for the roses. They will not help in any way to make the rose bush bloom better. You simply scatter a little amount around the base of the rose and then have to water it in or it won't work.

Eggshells are a good source of calcium - wash them out well. Let the egg shells dry, break up/crumble, then apply around the base of the roses, and dig into the soil a little bit (or put them under mulch - eggshells are not very attractive). Eggshells are safe to apply all year long and will not hurt the rose, but only help them (roses need calcium too!).