When it comes to choosing a pot for container gardening, the material it’s made of matters.
Every year I look forward to my local newspaper’s holiday haiku contest. Its many ‘winners’ see their poems published in the Christmas edition of the Courier-Journal. In 2014, a sign nailed to a mailbox post stating “Fresh Eggs” inspired me to submit this: ”Fresh Eggs!” shingles read. Yoking to activism, Metro Cluckers flock. When we […]
Garden containers in all sizes and materials make gardening possible for many urban dwellers. Use these tips to pick the right one.
When I started raising my first flock of chickens, I would sometimes start a conversation with something like, “So sorry I’m late! I had to chase a chicken.” It was always true, of course, but it was a great conversation starter about my favorite hobby. Now that I’m more seasoned, I’ve noticed a pattern when […]
Got a pest problem? Mantids on the hunt can help keep pest populations in check.
Because cats are carnivorous predators, it’s common to wonder if a neighborhood cat or stray will leap over your fence and attack your laying hens. But are cats really that dangerous? Stray Cat Strut While my first flock was still quite young—feathered out but not laying—a neighborhood cat would come by to stalk my birds. […]
This beneficial garden spider weaves webs of gold, ensnaring troublesome pests before they get to your tender crops.
Chickens are spooked easily by sudden changes. Where I live, we haven’t had much of a traditional winter, but last week, the sky fell. In fact, an entire foot of sky piled up around my chicken coop. My dearly departed Red Star Mabel would have trudged through the snow like an Arctic explorer, but since […]
It’s a pleasure to find that the winter squashes I hauled home from Vermont this fall are still sound—and delicious, as it turns out. They sat patiently in a corner of the kitchen counter, with no special care taken to store them, and were ready to become a special winter dinner. The recipe below for […]
Spiders, though not true insects, are some of the most beneficial creepy crawlies in the garden, protecting your garden from bothersome pests.
Candying orange peels is fun and special. The thrifty process reminds us that oranges in the winter for the holidays were exotic and rare—no part of the precious citrus fruit could be thrown away. At the same time, the bitter-sweetness of this treat is adult and particular. It’s a sweet grandma would reach for; not […]
If you find yourself in a post-Valentine’s Day stupor, look forward to all the heart-healthy benefits your garden will soon bring.
