The Human Flower Project, a collaborative, international photo album and discussion of how people live through flowers, wrote yesterday about the Bolivian Fiesta de las Natitas, or, Day of the Skulls. It’s a modern ceremony with ancient roots. Think Mexico’s Day of the Dead, but more, um, earthy. I found this just fascinating: According to […]
Meet peat
Since the 1950s peat has been used by gardeners as one of the finest soil amendments for ericaceous plants (including heathers, azaleas and rhododendrons), as a mulch, and as a growing medium. But peat is collected from wetlands, which harbour many rare and endangered species, and can take centuries to regenerate. “In the past half […]
Guerilla Gardeners
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of guerilla gardening. Of resisting the concrete sprawl and challenging the ownership of vacant lots. It’s not a new idea; the movement started in New York’s Bowery district in the 70s with a landscape painter named Liz Christy. She spearheaded the reclaimation of the streets by turning vacant […]
Top 10 Herbs
Over at his Amateur Gardening blog, Stuart Robinson lists the ten must-have herbs from a chef’s perspective. There’s the usual basil, rosemary and oregano, but also lemongrass and even borage (I’ll admit, I never knew what to do with borage. But that’s why I’m not a chef). Stuart, why no parsley? It’s my standby. In […]
New reason to justify a Prius
Toyota has developed a new shrub called Kirsch Pink. A derivative of the Cherry Sage shrub that is optimized for absorbing pollutants from the air, it is reportedly 1.3 times more effective at absorbing NOx, SO2 and other air pollutants than its parent stock. The new plant, which flowers between May and November, also diminishes […]
Downtown Eastside residents find fulfilling work in gardening
Emerging Hope is a program that empowers residents of Vancouver’s poverty-stricken downtown eastside by providing employment. Many are people who normally have difficulty finding suitable employment due to homelessness and addiction. I spoke with a woman whose life had been changed by this program. She told me that, without Emerging Hope, she’d still be on […]
Indoor composter
I’m pretty sure I need the new Nature Mill indoor composter. Here’s the scoop. Ben and I are moving into our new home within the next three months. And while I’m happy because it’s the first place we’ve owned together, it’s gonna be tiny. And the garden is going to be even tinier. I’ve been […]
Leggo my Eglu
I absolutely must have an eglu. Pleasepleaseplease, sweetie? I need it. And so will you, when you check it out. Here’s what the omlet website has to say: The eglu is a coop for the 21st century, featuring spacious open plan living for 2 – 4 medium size chickens or up to 5 bantams, it […]