It’s a new year; perhaps the year you will cut all refined sugar from your diet, which is a great thing to do. Your resolution to be healthier, however, may leave you with a few extra bags of white sugar – you know the kind that you loved (past tense) to put in your favorite cookies? No worries, that same sugar that you are trying to nix out of your diet is the very thing your garden needs.
For avid gardeners, this will come as no surprise…Gardening is a major stress reliever. Being outdoors, nurturing new growth, creating something with your hands, being productive; these are all ways that growing plants and maintaining a garden reduces stress and promotes relaxation.
Many people begin gardening to support a healthier diet. When you grow your own food, you’re more likely to make healthy meals and snacks. A vegetable garden is a solid foundation for healthy living, and there are no wrong answers when it comes to what to grow. But, if eye health is particularly important to you and your family, some vegetables have more of an impact than others.
You got backyard chickens to become more self-reliant – because isn’t growing your own food supposed to save you money? Unfortunately, those backyard chickens can quickly become an expensive hobby. Plus, if you’re relying on store-bought feed to keep your little egg farm running, then you’re still tied to mainstream supply chains.
Now that your garden is going gangbusters and you have a bit of a reprieve from your planting, it’s a good time to engage in some super fun garden upcycling projects. You will be amazed at what you can make to decorate your garden with items you have lying around. Below you will find a few of my favorite garden recycle projects. Have fun!
Did you know there are hundreds of gallons of usable water going to waste in your home every day? With a little know-how, you can save much of this wasted water and use it for your garden. Many of these water-wise gardening strategies serve more than one purpose, reducing water usage, improving garden soil, protecting plants, and saving money on your utility bill, too. Here are the best ways to repurpose water that would otherwise go to waste and water your thirsty plants.
Although you may be familiar with the host of pollinators that visit your garden during daylight hours such as hummingbirds, butterflies, and bumblebees you may not know about the secret night life in your garden. When these pollinators finish their shift and retire for the evening, the night shift comes on strong. Pollinators, including hawk moths, bats, and squash bees are known as crepuscular pollinators that work hard in the hours when other pollinators are resting. Creating a moonlight garden to draw these hard-working pollinators to your garden is easy and beautiful.
While growing and preserving food is still a widespread activity in many cultures around the world, it isn’t necessarily popular in America. Many people take food for granted, simply going to the grocery store without much thought as to where the food comes from. We just expect it to be there, right?
Don’t let the word “hydroponic” scare you. Although large-scale growers use this system to grow massive amounts of produce in a short period of time, the system is not limited to commercial agricultural use. You can make your very own inexpensive hydroponic system at home and get started right away to grow tasty produce all year long.
Chowing down on any plant material may cause gastrointestinal upset and vomiting for your dog. But some plants, when ingested, can be life-threatening. Certain herbs, vegetables and edible plants that are perfectly fine for human consumption could cause everything from excessive drooling to anorexia for your canine pal. Don’t assume that dogs instinctively avoid dangerous plants. That may be true of some animals in the wild, but dogs have no way of distinguishing between safe and unsafe plants. The following is a list of common plants that could be dangerous for your dog. So, don’t ever plant these if you share your yard with a canine friend.
Perhaps you are ready to add some chickens to your homestead or even to your backyard garden area. Chickens are a great addition to a country or a city home and can bring much enjoyment along with the added benefit of natural garden pest control and delicious and nutritious eggs. If you have been dreaming of chickens but have some questions when it comes to eggs, let me help you on your way so that you can start enjoying your feathered friends today.
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