Archives

Calendar

February 2012
M T W T F S S
« Sep    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
272829  
-->

Library Thing

  • When Birds Recycle February 3, 2012
    I was out and about on Sunday, cleaning up after the dogs and looking for wildlife of interest. January is not always the best time of year to find things, but Florida has experienced a relatively warm winter and spring is in the air so we have our fair share of resident wildlife meandering around.... [Continue Reading] […]
    Loret T. Setters
  • Orange Moon and The Grandmother Tree February 1, 2012
    Exploring the wonders of nature with the children who come to visit my wildlife garden is one of the greatest joys of my life. We turn over rocks to look for the Worm Snake who lives there. We watch the bugs with our hand lenses. We are amazed when the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis.... [Continue Reading] […]
    Carole Sevilla Brown
  • Green Healthy Lawns and Yards without Chemicals January 31, 2012
    In cased you missed it, last week our very own Carole Brown took the wildlife gardening world by storm with her exposure of the National Wildlife Federation/ScottsMiracle-Gro partnership, which quickly escalated into a widespread social media storm of protest by organic gardeners, farmers and environmental writers. On Sunday, amazingly, the NWF’s reversed th […]
    Ellen Sousa
  • Counting Birds in the Garden January 30, 2012
    I could not have guessed how timely this post would turn out to be.  I thought, I’ll get a head start promoting the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).  After all we want to see more birds in the garden.  But who would have guessed that while I was gazing out my window this past gray... [Continue Reading] […]
    Donna Donabella
  • Feels Like the First Time January 29, 2012
    [Guest post by Jan Bills] “For me the only things of interests are those linked to the heart” ~Audrey Hepburn When I read the email from Carole asking if I would like to write a guest post for her highly regarded, well-respected website, I nearly dropped my teeth! Me, I thought to myself. I am... [Continue Reading] […]
    Guest Author

#GardenChat

Projects

Any project is as easy as you make it…and we like to make it easy around here. With four kids budget-friendly is a must and “green” is always best. With that in mind, here are a few how-to’s for the newbies and some easy-to-do’s for the creative!

Newspaper Plugs:

Supplies: Newspaper (black and white pages only), drinking glass

Directions: Lay a single sheet of newspaper on a flat surface (Cut double sections in half). Fold the paper in half lengthwise to form a long strip. Place the glass on its side at a short end of the strip with the paper extending 2″ above the glass rim. Roll the glass along the entire strip until the paper is wrapped around it. Secure by wadding the excess paper that extends above the glass into the top of the glass.  Remove glass and fold top 1/4″ of the newspaper plug towards the inside.

That’s all there is to it! You can make a whole lot of these in no time at all and, if the kids help, even faster than that! Line them up in a water-proof tray, fill with starter mix and plant your seeds.

Seed Tapes:

These are great for planting tiny seeds like carrots and lettuce to ensure even spacing in the garden. They are also fun to make so get the kids involved!

Supplies: Newspaper (black and white pages only) OR a double thickness of white paper towels, organic flour, water, seeds, plastic storage bag, squeeze bottle OR paint brush OR icing decorator bag

Directions:

Cut the newspaper lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2″-2″ wide. Mix enough water into the organic flour to make a paste. Measure the spacing needed for the seeds you are planting (check the pkg.) and dab some flour paste using your applicator of choice at each interval. Place a seed on each dab and press gently so it sticks. Let dry. When dry, roll gently and store in a plastic bag until ready to plant. Plant at the recommended depth.

Hypertufa:

Hypertufa is fun for creating one-of-a-kind planters that last a long time in the garden and actually look better as they age.

hypertufa

Johnny Jump-ups growing in a bowl-shaped hypertufa planter

Supplies:

Recipe 1:

3 qts. each Portland cement, peat moss, perlite

1 qt. water

Recipe 2:

2 qts. coir

1 1/2 qts. perlite

2 qts. portland cement

Water to right consistency.

dust mask, rubber gloves, wheelbarrow or very large tub for mixing, large plastic bags

Directions:

WITH YOUR MASK AND GLOVES ON combine the dry ingredients thoroughly. Begin to add water and combine well until the mix resembles mortar. It should be completely damp but not soaking. Cover your mold (a large bowl, a small cardboard box nested inside a larger one etc.)with a heavy plastic bag (like a garbage bag) and form the hypertufa until shaped how you want and 2″-3″inches thick. (Note: for a square or rectangular trough, fill the larger box bottom 1/3 of the way with mix. Center the smaller box on top of the mix and fill in the space between the small and large box with mix to the desired height.)

Cover the completed form with plastic and let dry without moving for 36 hours. After 36 hours, test for dryness. If you can scratch the surface, let dry longer. You shouldn’t be able to scratch the surface when adequately dry. When dry, gently remove the mold. Rub the entire surface all over with a stiff wire brush (not too hard!) Move the planter outside to a shaded area and let it cure for 3 weeks. After 3 weeks it’s ready to use!

Hot Caps:

  • Roll of wax paper
  • Tape
  • Bowl or round object

Easy to make and useful during late-spring frosts. Tear off  two pieces of wax paper about 18″ long. Tape together down long edge forming one wide sheet. Drape over a bowl and pleat the paper to lay flat against the bowl sides, taping as you go, until a wide dome is formed. To use, cover the plant and bury the edges of the cap under 1″ of soil or use pins to hold in place.