Kudos to the Canadian supermarket known as Superstore (Loblaw’s), which has announced that they will now accept plastic pots, flats and even plant tags for recycling. They’ll make them into new pots and flats for use and sale the following year. This closed-loop solution could divert approximately three million garden pots from Canada’s landfills this […]
Archives for May 2008
Ladybugs love aphids: using beneficial bugs to wipe out the bad
Ladybugs: keep refrigerated. I have these euphorbias (E. amygdaloides) in my front garden bed that get crippled by aphids every spring. Despite their aphid problem, they’re quite lovely, which is why I’ve kept them this long. (I’m not sure what variety of euphorbia they are; they are the developer’s last remaining contribution of my garden.) […]
BotaniWipe: redeeming houseplants everywhere
Schefflera with a nasty case of scale. My houseplants are the neglected siblings of my outdoor plants; they get a raw deal when it comes to care and attention. As a result, they’re pretty pathetic specimens. This year, I’ve resolved to be ruthless with them: either they shape up or ship out. Of course, it’s […]
Book review: Hardy Succulents
Hardy Succulents in two words: Eye candy. I love the look of succulents: their drama, their modernism. And maybe, just maybe, I covet them because I can’t really grow many of them all that successfully here, even though I’m in practically-balmy Zone 8. So I was really excited to receive a copy of Hardy Succulents: […]
Growing shiitake mushrooms
Me, the day before Lila’s birth, preparing to drill holes for shiitake mushroom plugs. (I also lifted rocks and pushed a car that was out of gas that day; I figured that at 12 days overdue, it couldn’t hurt). I’ve been wanting to grow my own mushrooms for a long time now, even listing them […]
Thanks, all
Just a quick note to thank you all for your comments and emails of congratulations. I won’t be able to respond individually at this time, but I know you’ll understand! It’s difficult to find 10 minutes to even check my email these days, but I’m loving it. :)
Welcome Lila
She kept us waiting, but when she decided to arrive, she really committed. When we first found out we were having a kid, she was the size of a lentil. From that point on, despite tracking her developmental size as it related to various fruits and vegetables such as eggplants, jicama, cantaloupes, pineapples etc., she […]