Healthy and Green Living » Lawns & Gardens

Serene Solar Birdbaths and Water Gardens

Annie B. Bond — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:00:23 +0000

What is it about flowing water that is such a balm for the soul? Having just spent a week�s vacation at the ocean staying on a salt marsh, I think I can authoritatively say that the idea has merit and the idea of having this in my yard is inspiring. Joyfully I’ve been learning that solar [...]

Double Potting Beats the Heat

Hilary Rinaldi — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:00:04 +0000

Hot summer days are on the way, and if you have outdoor plants in containers, this tip will help your plants survive the heat, and retain moisture. By using two pots–which is called double potting–you can prevent the roots of sun-baked containers from overheating by placing the plant, pot and all, into a bigger container. After you [...]

A Green Touch for the Tiki Torch

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:00:10 +0000

Aren’t Tiki torches designed to put you in a festive mood? Not for me. Instead of inspiring me to party, Tiki torches billowing smoke and fumes make me withdraw. It isn’t just that I know I won’t feel very well from all the fumes, and that I won’t be alone. While most Tiki torch lamp [...]

Get Roses that Bloom Again and Again

Hilary Rinaldi — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:00:48 +0000

Most heavy pruning of roses is done during the dormant season, and we are pruning for health, shape, vigor and superior flowers when we do so. Some pruning however does need to be done during the growing season but our goals at this time of year are different. Pruning in the spring or summer usually is done [...]

The Healing Weeds in Your Yard

Annie B. Bond — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:00:33 +0000

Many of the lawn-and-garden weeds that people kill with toxic herbicides actually contain health-giving properties and vital nutrients often missing from foods grown in depleted soil.

Green Girl’s Wow Weed Killer

Lily Berthold-Bond — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:00:22 +0000

So last week my task in the garden was to pull weeds from between the cracks of the brick pathway. Despite the fact that it is a surprisingly calming task, it did hurt my thumb and forefinger after a while. My gardening glove even ripped from all of the rubbing against the brick! [...]

13 Deer-Resistant Plants

Annie B. Bond — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 19:00:42 +0000

A challenge many of face is making pretty flower pots, planters, and gardens from which the deer won't eat the flowers. Deer have a wide range of plants in their diet, but there are a few that they stay away from unless the plant is outside in the middle of a brutally cold winter.

Butterfly Bait: How-To Formula

Annie B. Bond — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:21 +0000

We love butterflies! They have lifted human hearts for millennia with their fragile, colorful beauty. There are specific flowers that butterflies love, but what if you don�t have the space or time to grow butterfly-attracting plants? We can make Butterfly Bait! Because not all butterflies are only attracted to flower-nectar, this magic stuff will attract butterflies to your yard, even if all you have is a balcony.

All-the-Time Blooming Gardens

Annie B. Bond — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:00:54 +0000

Colorful blooms in our gardens renew the spirit every time we see them. But to have a garden that blooms all the time requires choosing plants for a sequence of bloom, and including some long-bloomers in each bed or grouping of containers to sustain interest during lulls in seasonal blooming.

Natural Swimming Pools

Melissa Breyer — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:00:48 +0000

It�s starting to warm up up here in the northeast, and that means pool season is just around the corner. But as sublime as swimming is, what about those pool chemicals? The thought niggles me. Pool chemicals include various kinds of disinfectants and sanitizers which work to control the growth of certain kinds of [...]