Got Rot? Speed Up Your Compost Pile

photo by Richard Renaldi

Composting is as old as the earth.  There are billions of fun microbes and fungi flitting about making soil amendments in nature.  Just take a look under any log.  But what about bringing this benefit to your backyard?   Luckily composting is one of the easiest skills to posses.  However, learning how to compost can be a dizzying experience.  There are over five million results when you Google composting, which seems a bit daunting. If you visit a local home and garden store, you can find contraptions to help you compost. Not only that, there are books, sprays and additives to help you compost.  If you like to jump into things 100%, you can end up spending hundreds of dollars.  If you are procrastinator, you may never compost due to the seemingly impossibility of doing it “right”.

Remember, ROT HAPPENS no matter how you pile it or style it.  Composting will occur fast or slow depending on your approach.  If you want the process to occur fast, there are few musts to keep in mind:

• Air:  The best microbes get working with air.  So during the composting process, it is a good idea to turn your pile and/or add “fluffy” material like straw.  Note:  grass clippings mat down easily so they need to be turned more often.

• Water:  Hey, no problem here in the Northwest.  We can get too wet here so more “fluff” may be required.  In drier climates, you most likely will need to add enough water to make your pile like a wrung out sponge.

• Food:  Feed your pile leaves or straw.  Then feed it fresh items such as apples, carrot stubs, or coffee grounds.  Fresh items feed the microbes. You can get creative and add manures (but not from your pet dog or cat).  Just be mindful of your neighbors.  Manures can get quite stinky.

Find a nice corner in your yard and start piling if you don’t mind the slow process.  If you use this process be careful of the amount of fresh food you add because it can start smelling putrid so just use a layering method.  One fun part of a chaotic pile of compost is the items that can grow out of it.  You can get some of the nicest cukes, zucchinis and melons just spontaneously growing out of your pile.

Has anyone had something fun and exciting grow out of their pile of compost?

Original article written by Margaret Hoyenga.  Thanks Margaret for your time in writing a helpful but entertaining article!

Nature Inspired Tea Towels

Check out these nature-inspired, hand-printed tea towels by Art Goodies.  What a perfect way to bring the outdoors in this fall, and a great gift idea for any occasion.  Lisa Price, who left her corporate job to start Art Goodies, has been hand printing tea towels with original linocut block prints since 2006.  She also makes hand printed aprons with coordinating vintage fabric and stuffie mini pillows.  Visit her Flickr page to see photos of her printing studio.

The Right Plant for the Right Place

The Fine Gardening Plant Guide has to be the absolute best garden resource I’ve discovered on the world wide web lately. I spend hours researching all kinds of gardening and design stuff online and this plant guide is the best yet. When you get a chance to visit, check out all 13 browsing options to narrow down your search for the perfect plant. This guide covers it all. No more cross-referencing different resources to figure out the plant’s climate zone, if it thrives in sun or shade, is it deer resistant, or if it attracts hummingbirds. Whether you are testing your gardening skills, or you’re a skilled green-thumber, this guide is sure to help you find the right plant for the right place. Really, the only thing you have to know before your search is what hardiness zone you live in. >>Start Browsing The Plant Guide

What Is A Hardiness Zone You Ask?

The United States is split up into 11 different zones by degree Fahrenheit difference in the average minimum temperature. This means that all trees and perennials within a certain hardiness zone can grow in the zone’s lowest average temperature. Growing plants outside of your hardiness zone will take more effort and care to ensure the plant or tree survives winter temperatures. Many tender plants can then be brought inside and enjoyed as houseplants. >>How To Find Your Growing Zone

I just love resources that don’t make me think any more than I have to. Creating the garden of your dreams shouldn’t have to be chore, and resources like this plant guide help you save time researching and more time gettin’ dirty in the garden.

What garden resources do you find the most helpful?

Rat-tail Cactus: A Spectacular Addition

photo by m free!

The Rat-tail Cactus is adored by some and despised by others. I had been admiring this wild, medusa-like plant in a neighborhood nursery for the longest time and finally decided to buy it for myself. I was honestly turned off by the plant at first sight but found myself drawn to the thing every time I would visit the nursery. I now have my Rat-tail hanging outside my kitchen window in a sunny spot, but they should be given dappled shade in hotter climates. In their native Mexican habitat, these cacti grow in trees where they are shaded by branches and leaves. >>More Care and Growing Info

I didn’t include my less-than-spectacular Rat-tail Cactus photo because he is a little lopsided at the time and not as handsome as these photos. However, feel free to visit the Nest In Style Photo Group to see my new cactus addition.

photo by m free

What’s the Wildest Plant You’ve Ever Brought Home?

Compost Tumblers Great For Small Spaces and Tidy Gardeners

I purchased this Tumbleweed Composter from Clean Air Gardening and I love it. The tumbler was expensive but worth every penny, and not to mention my time in the garden. The roll up your sleeves and grab a pitchfork method just didn’t appeal to me. I spend enough energy weeding, mulching, digging, watering, transplanting, and pruning. Don’t get me wrong, I am not against building your bin structure from scratch or buying a cheaper, static bin. I just don’t have the time or the space.

Why A Compost Tumbler?

I have a descent size yard (80 by 90 feet) with established perennial an vegetable beds, so ripping out my plants to build a 3-bin composting system was not an option. I also didn’t have the space for a bin that required a pitch fork to turn and aerate the material. I needed a composter that would produce compost quickly, keep critters out, was low on the odor meter, and used the least amount of space possible. The Tumbleweed was the perfect match for me. >>Compost Bin Buyer’s Guide

Giving Native Plants A Second Look

I have become more and more intrigued with gardens designed with native plants. You may be thinking, native plants are messy and boring. The appeal is not necessarily in their showy flowers, although some have very unique flowers and textures, but in their ability to thrive in natural conditions with minimal care. I am not a purist by any means but integrating natives into your mixed borders just makes sense to me.

My goal is to visit at least one local nursery that specializes in native plants every time I travel. Business trips are much more difficult since we hardly see the light of day. On a recent trip to Tucson, Arizona, I visited my first native plant nursery, Civano Nursery.

About Civano Nursery

Civano Nusery is situated at the entrance of the Civano Development, a sustainable housing community on the Southeast side of Tucson. I was in search of a local nursery that specializes in Arizona and Sonoran Desert native plants. This had to be one of the most colorful nurseries I have ever visited. Although, I shouldn’t be surprised since most desert themes are very rich in color.

The staff were super friendly and took the time to educate me on some of the Arizona natives. A few of my favorites were the desert willow, “octopus” agave, and ocotillo. Ocotillo is a very distinctive desert shrub with thorny spikes that rise out of the ground up to 15 feet tall. During the drought season, this shrub looks dead, but once the rain hits, green leaves suddenly appear and bright, red tubular flowers appear in the spring. The nursery used the ocotillo poles as fencing to keep the rabbits out of the garden. >>More Civano Nursery plant pics

Invite the Outdoors Into Your Home

Lack a green thumb but love the idea of connecting with nature? Plants don’t have to be the only way to invite the outdoors into your home. Botanical inspired linens are a great way to create a relaxing, natural sanctuary in any room. Check out Amenity’s new line of 100% organically grown and organically processed bed linens, pillows, and nursery lines at 2modern.

How do you invite the outdoors into your home?

Words not your thing? Visit our Flickr photo group.

Not All Bugs Are Pests

Soldier Beetle

When controlling pests in your yard, take the path of least toxicity. Not all bugs are harmful or cause damage to the plants in your garden. Beneficial insects, like the ones mentioned below, actually prey on the pests you are trying to get rid of. Pesticides, whether organic or synthetic, can be toxic to humans, beneficial insects, the pests they eat, and other predators like birds, frogs, fish, and cats to name a few.

I recently had aphids all over my Euphorbias earlier this spring. At first, I pinched them between my fingers every morning before work. Over the next couple of weeks, the colonies seemed to double . . . then triple. I reluctantly pruned the chartruese brachts (flowers) in hopes of bringing the population under control. Much to my displeasure, the colonies started migrating to the neighboring Euphorbias. I finally decided to selectively spray the brachts that were about to be smothered by aphids. Then one morning, I discovered the aphids had been replaced with a dozen Soldier Beetles.

Hierarchy of Pest Control

I’ll be honest, taking the path of least toxicity takes patience, a basic understanding of your garden, and commitment to healthy practices. Creating a healthy, toxic-free yard benefits not only beneficial wildlife, but also your pets, your family, your pocket book, and the environment. I’m not a crazed environmentalist preaching for major life changes overnight. I speak from experience that going “toxic-free” is a process that you should take one day at a time. As you come across pests in your yard, start with the least-toxic method listed below.

1. PREVENTION - use native plants, look for disease resistant varieties, annual vegetable crop rotation
2. PHYSICAL - remove whatever pests are eating, hand picking, pruning, blast bugs with the hose, traps
3. BIOLOGICAL - attract natural predators such as birds, beneficial insects, or even bats
4. CHEMICAL - organic or synthetic pesticides (hopefully this article persuades you to take the least toxic path available)

Beyond the Basic Storage Shed

Modern-Shed by Grey Design

This modern storage shed is just one of 5 models by Grey Design. This is the most stylish shed I have come across on the web and you have a choice of eco-friendly building materials. The Garden Shed is great for storing bikes, lawnmowers, and other garden necessities.

Visit Modern-Shed for a list of materials, different models, shipping, customer photos, and more.

An Edible Garden On Wheels For the Eco-conscious

Food Map Container by Food Map Design

This Food Map Container is a stylish way to grow veggies, or any plant for that matter, on small patios. The rubber-caster wheels allow for easy positioning to optimize growing conditions as the weather changes. The container is made from 100% post-consumer High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and the powder-coated frame is made from 40-100% recycled steel.

Shop Food Map Design for more sizes from $205