Category: How-to

Aphids: What to Do?

  This post was written to address a question about aphids on milkweed. Any of the steps would apply to aphids on any other type of plant, including edibles.  (Note the image at the top of the page is of a Lacewing adult, one of the beneficials that you want to attract and keep in your […] Continue reading "Aphids: What to Do?"

5 Reasons Why Edible Gardens Need Native Plants

5 Reasons Why Edible Gardens Need Native Plants by Stephanie W We often get asked if it’s ok to grow natives with edibles, and the answer is yes, as that’s what many of us native gardeners have been implementing with great success.  In fact, on a larger scale, many farmers are beginning to experiment with […] Continue reading "5 Reasons Why Edible Gardens Need Native Plants"

Indoor Seed Starting

Indoor seed starting gives you a jump on the growing season. If you wintersowed your flats outside, and they’ve had enough time outside, you can simply bring them and start the germination process indoors.  Or, if you stratified your seeds in your fridge via a medium or paper towel method, you can then sow the […] Continue reading "Indoor Seed Starting"

What’s in a Leaf Pile, Or Why Not to Do Fall Clean-up

What’s in a Leaf Pile? A lot of potential for life is in a leaf pile. Many beneficial (and beautiful) insects overwinter in our yards. For instance, the Katydid (important food source for birds during late summer) and Preying Mantis overwinter as eggs attached to twigs, stems, and/or leaves. Ladybugs and Lacewings also spend the […] Continue reading "What’s in a Leaf Pile, Or Why Not to Do Fall Clean-up"

Rethinking Spring Clean-up

Hold your rake!  Clearing out your garden can backfire.  Raking everything out and tossing into yard bags removes the building blocks of soil and destroys beneficial insects (butterflies, moths, fireflies, etc) that found a safe place in your garden during the winter. You can learn more about some of these animals in this post: What’s […] Continue reading "Rethinking Spring Clean-up"