Check out this new brand of moss art by artist Edina Todoki I found via Inhabitat. Todoki, who describes herself as a “culitvator of eco-urban sensitivity,” says of the project, “City dwellers often have no relationship with animals or greenery. As a public artist I feel a sense of duty to draw attention to deficiencies in our everyday life.”  

Some are calling this moss graffiti. It certainly seems like a more successful method than the “moss paint” method I tried. And it’s certainly eye-catching and attractive. I just have to wonder where all that moss came from. I hope it wasn’t wild harvested in such quantities. Wouldn’t that be kind of ironic? What do you think?

On another note, I read this blog post detailing a guerilla art project, and I am so inspired to do the same! Anyone care to join in? 

Last time I posted about our “backyard” (I have to put that in quotations because at 13′ x 15′, it’s hardly a yard) it was to brag about our new fence, step one in our garden renovation. I completely skipped step two, in which we laid 1′ x 2′ basalt pavers, which you can catch a peek at in the photo below, because, well, I have no idea really. Anyway, now I’m onto step three – planting. (Woohoo!)

I’ve got two beds to play with, and this weekend I started on the little woodland bed. It’ll be full of mostly native plants, though dominated by the not-so-native Acer ‘Beni Kawa.’ Supporting characters include some of the wonderful finds from last weekend’s trip to my parents, like this old log, above. My parents live in what was once “the woods” – now it’s rapidly becoming developed into a suburban nightmare. The property next to them, once a favourite haunt for faeries and local children, was recently razed, and, as sad as I was about it, I decided to see if I could make the best of it. Or just steal some rocks.

I love this gnarled old mini nurse log – it’s even got some vegetation starting. Since the property was being cleared anyway, I thought I’d give it a better chance in my mini woodland.

We also picked up two rocks. I love the cracks and lines on this one, above, which is only 1.5′ squarish despite seeming massive in this photo. And finally, the one below, with its intriguing “face.” This one will go in the other bed.

It’s not quite finished (when is a garden ever finished?) but until next spring, here is my modern woodland bed:

Left to right: moss, which will hopefully grow together lusciously and lushly (the back gate swings over this portion so I kept the plantings low). What is that square of blue stones, you ask? It’s standing in for a future water feature – just pretend, okay? Behind it will be some pondside, moisture-loving plants. Behind that is the log, and behind the log I intend to plant a snowberry. Moving right, I’ve got a Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum), Arum italicum, tiarella, Acer ‘Beni Kawa,’ salal and a Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum). I still would like to find room for a huckleberry. No wonder my back is sore today.

Today is Blog Action Day, in which thousands of bloggers will post about climate change and the environment – including yours truly.

Now, if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I’m a bit of a treehugger, and well, this is an organic gardening blog. I was a bit perplexed about what to write about: a new “green” product for the garden? Organic fertilizers? Community gardening? Well, I’ve decided to do it all. A kind of quick-reference list for beginners and hard-core gardeners alike. If you want to garden greener, here are my tips.

Greener Gardening Tips

1. Ditch the chemicals. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides run off into our groundwater supply and evaporate into our air, causing widespread pollution and global warming. Plus, chemical fertilizers just (temporarily) treat the plant itself, while organic fertilizers treat the soil, improving and building it up over the seasons – leaving your garden healthier and more productive in the long term.
2. Compost. You’ll reduce your contribution to the landfills, and make an organic soil amendment at the same time.
3. Remove or reduce the size of your lawn. Lawns are bad news. 
4. If you must have a lawn, use a push mower.
5. Use a peat alternative. Peat is a common soil amendment that is harvested from wetlands – which are home to many rare and endangered species.
6. Grow more food (maybe in place of your lawn?). Reduce the distance (and greenhouse gas-causing emissions) your food needs to travel to reach your plate. Think of it as the one-mile diet. 
7. Be waterwise. Set up a rain barrel or build a rain garden. Use drip irrigation or a watering can.
8. Plant more natives. They’ll do better in your climate, and probably need less water than exotic imports.
9. Buy organic seeds. Buy ‘em local, buy more heirloom varieties, and then save them (keep your coins out of Monsanto’s pockets). 
10. Get involved. Join a community garden. Volunteer to teach a gardening course. Do some guerilla greening. Have fun!

I’m always struggling to find homes for my houseplants away from our baseboard heaters. Imagine if a blast of dry heat actually encouraged flowers to bloom. 

They’re not live blooms, but the wallpaper from Shiyuan Design with Life has flowers printed with heat-sensitive inks that bloom when the radiator is on. Now that’s hot.

Via MocoLoco.

Percy and Louise Schmeiser took on Monsanto. Would you?

Congratulations to Canadian farmers Percy and Louise Schmeiser for receiving the Right Livelihood Award in recognition of their struggle against agro-chemical giant Monsanto. The Right Livelihood Award (“for outstanding vision and work on behalf of our planet and its people”) was awarded to the Schmeisers ”for their courage in defending biodiversity and farmers’ rights, and challenging the environmental and moral perversity of current interpretations of patent laws”.

Here’s the story:

In 1998 Percy Schmeiser and his wife received a letter from the US agribusiness giant Monsanto claiming that they had used Monsanto seeds without a license in planting their 1997 crop. However, the Schmeisers had never bought Monsanto seed nor intended to have it on their land. It turned out that some Monsanto ‘Round-up Ready’ genetically modified canola (rape) seeds had blown over from the Schmeisers’ neighbour or from passing trucks. Thus, genes that Monsanto claimed to “own” under Canadian patent law had ended up in the Schmeisers’ seeds.

Monsanto threatened to sue the Schmeisers for ‘infringement of patent’, seeking damages totalling $400,000 (CAD)…

The Schmeisers took the case all the way to the Supreme Court, and then some. They’re suing Monsanto, ”claiming that Monsanto-”owned” genes are to be regarded as contamination” to their own crops. Ballsy. And so very inspiring!

Read more here.

Photos: RLA Foundation.

I thought this was such a cute idea for a rainy day kid’s project. You like?

Via Goodyblog.