…e. I have also been legally blind since birth. But as my parents taught me, when things happen, you need to pick up the pieces and keep going. So after my stroke I did that. I couldn’t lift, so by having raised beds at 18.5″ high, I could reach my plants from my wheelchair. Gardening is therapy for me. It is something I can do in spite of my disabilities. “My favorite things to grow are the things I can eat, such as tomatoes,…
…nd what went into producing it. So how come I can’t have the right to know what’s in the food I buy in the store? That’s the goal of the Just Label It campaign, which last month submitted a record-breaking 1.1 million signatures to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in favor of labeling genetically engineered (GE) foods. And in polls by ABC, MSNBC, NPR, the Washington Post, Consumer Reports and others, consistently…
…o know about poinsettias: They are not poisonous. This rumor has persisted for decades, possibly starting with a report from Hawaii about a fatality that happened 75 years ago. The myth was busted after research done in the 1970s at Ohio State University. However, there are a few holiday favorites—such as mistletoe and holly—that are indeed poisonous. Learn more in Leonard Perry’s article, Holiday Plant Toxicity. In general, let the fact…
After thorough testing of the Fast Start® Seedstarter, we are excited to finally send it out into the world. Because it’s brand new, we are eager to hear what gardeners think. The Fast Start® Seedstarter The culmination of four years of research and testing, our new system represents a breakthrough in seedstarting. The new planting tray is made from a cornstarch-based material that offers the sturdiness of plastic yet breaks down in a land…
We love to hear and see how you use our products. You tell us when you call, you send e-mail, letters and pictures. We see your photos on our wall on Facebook. Check out some of the shots we’ve received in the last few months: We love to hear and see how you use our products. You tell us, you send e-mail, letters and pictures. More and more, we see your postings on Facebook. Check out some of the shots we’ve received in the last…
Though cold winds chill the air and snow blankets much of the U.S., pesticide use remains a hot topic — and not only among gardeners. The most recent comments come from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Environmental Health, whose December 2012 policy statement makes a clear link between pesticide exposure and children’s health problems. Published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the 60,000-member AAP, “Pesticide Ex…
…tes hosts a trailer, brings it in when it is full, and returns with an empty one,” Cline says. Steve Cline sorts plastic pots and cell packs at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s recycling program, where they collect 100,000 to 140,000 pounds of horticultural plastic every year. Cline, former director of the Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening, started the program in 1998. The botanical garden’s Pots to Planks program s…
Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…
Flat-leaf parsley I used to do much more canning and freezing than I do now. With our household down to just two, we’re cooking smaller meals and don’t need to have as much food around. But there are still quite a few garden crops that I squirrel away in my freezer or pantry, and one of those is parsley. I can chop and freeze a huge basket of fresh-picked parsley in about 15 minutes. With a half-dozen sessions like that throughout the…
…en the earth-friendly ones. At first, I tried neem, a relatively harmless spray that does wonders on aphids and controls blackspot on roses. It worked to control the larvae the first year, but I had to spray frequently (every 10 to 15 days). The second year, I couldn’t keep the larvae under control. My lily crop was hit hard, and I got few blooms. Last year, I decided to resort to a systemic called imidacloprid. The results were instantaneo…