Got bats in your belfry? Lucky you. The much-maligned bat is critical to the health of the environment and our gardens. The Canadian Wildlife Federation says: Bats are the primary predator of night-flying insects such as moths, beetles, and mosquitoes. A single bat can catch hundreds of insects in just one hour, consuming from 30 […]
Card-carrying guerilla gardener
Check out guerillagardening.org, a site dedicated to – you guessed it – guerilla gardening. Run by an English bloke named Richard who seems to do a lot of getting up to no good, the site has a goal of recording 100 acts of guerilla gardening across four continents by September 2006. Good reading and resources; […]
Schnoopette plunges into spring
Warning! Gratuitous, only-vaguely-related-to-gardening (and only then because the photos were taken in my garden) photos follow. But it’s about time you met Schnoopette, my six-year-old calico. And, I couldn’t help myself! She’s totally cuteoverloading. Look: *Hmm… what have we here?* *Let’s give it a try…* *Crrronche!* Schnoopette, I love you. Even if you are going […]
New Category! WTF?
I’ve read somewhere that in designing a Japanese garden a newbie should start with a field of gravel and slowly place rocks, plants and water; this is supposed to remind one that less is more, that everything hangs in an elegant balance that can be destroyed when one tries to fill space. I’m really hoping […]
Organic weed killers?
My WBF (that’s Work Best Friend — I just made that up but I kinda like it) recently bought a house. And it seems my garden obsession is rubbing off on her! I’m so proud. Anyway. The garden needs a complete overhaul, which I’ll be helping with when I have a second. Until then, WBF […]
Ikea alert!
I snapped up a few of these earthenware containers on sale at Ikea yesterday for only CDN$6.99 (USD$5.99) including a matching saucer. They’re only frost-resistant but I figure if I keep them from drowning in Vancouver’s winter rains they should be fine. Check your local Ikea – they’ll be selling out quickly.
Hot houseplants
We went to the Decorate Vancouver “Urban Living Expo” today and met Abby from Kermodi. We saw Kermodi there last year, with their fabulous display of houseplants you’d actually want to own. That’s right, they sell pre-potted houseplants. But (unless you hate repotting) doesn’t that take the fun out of selecting your tropical and a […]
How to: get your plants drunk
Now here’s a worthwhile study. A new Cornell University researcher has found a way to keep paperwhite narcissists from tipping over – by getting them tipsy. The study finds that a touch of booze keeps certain houseplants from getting too tall by stunting their growth. “Dilute solutions of alcohol — though not beer or wine […]