All About Basil

Basil is one of the most common herbs grown in kitchen gardens - mainly because it is fast-growing, so it can be prolific even in a cooler climate, but it is also very easy to grow right from seed, dries well, and has many uses. There are several different varieties of basil, from Italian to Thai, and even flavored basils such as Lemon Basil, or colorful purple or red varieties. But the most common by far is Italian Basil.

Image via WikipediaOriginally, Basil was not the most popular herb in the bunch. Actually there were some who simply hated it in ancient times. The name basil means "be fragrant" but still various cultures battled with a love/hate relationship over basil. Americans and Romans loved it while Hindus plant it in their homes as a sign of happiness. On the contrary, the Greeks despised it, and those from India and Persia were not too fond of it either. One place that took a special liking to Basil was Italy, and to this day not many people prepare a classic Italian pasta sauce without the Basil.

To this day basil and tomato sauce have formed somewhat of a marriage almost globally. Basil is very easy to grow as long as the temperature does not fall below 50 degrees and is in full sunshine. It is popularly used both in the fresh form as well as the dried. A rare known fact about Basil is that the longer it simmers in a dish the more the flavor intensifies. This makes sense as to why Italians simmer their pasta sauces for so long, to bring out all of the rich herb flavors. Normally in pasta sauces Basil is used in combination with Oregano. However, Basil is not just used for pasta or tomato sauce, it is also used for flavoring fish, vegetables, meats, and soups.

If you decide to grow an herb garden, you can thank the Basil plants for keeping the flies away as flies are also part of the group that does not care for Basil. Another interesting fact about Basil is that it was considered a royal herb with a strong association pertaining to love. Basil had a relationship with how men of a much earlier time planned on proposing to their fair maidens. The man would bring a branch of Basil and if the woman accepted his gift she silently agreed to love him and be faithful to him for eternity.

Image by henna lion via FlickrBasil is related to the Mint family and just knowing that should give you a good idea that it will have many medicinal uses as well. Right away most people associate anything mint with aiding the digestive system and also for its anti gas properties. Herbalists use Basil quite commonly for health ailments such as stomach cramps, vomiting, constipation, headaches and anxiety. When Basil is used for these purposes it is generally made into a hot tea for drinking. Some also claim that a nice hot cup of Basil tea can contribute greatly to a good nights sleep. At herbal stores you can also purchase Basil capsules as well if you do not care for the taste of the tea.

Basil is still one of the most common household herbs used today and in most areas of culinary art it is a necessity there too. When used in its freshest form, Basil is torn from the plant and then just minced up with a knife. Usually somewhere nearby the Basil you will find some olive oil, garlic, and someone getting ready to prepare a fantastic tomato sauce!

Related Articles on Basil:

• 10 Tips For Growing Basil (casasugar.com)
• Freezing Fresh Basil and Other Herbs (thebittenword.com)
• Windowsill Herbs (awakeninspiration.wordpress.com)
• Cooking With Basil and Its Many Friends (online.wsj.com)

Growing Your Own Herbs

If you’re not the type of person that wants to spend their time managing an elaborate fruit or vegetable garden, you might consider planting and maintaining an herb garden. While the product might not seem as significant, you’ll still enjoy the constant availability of fresh, delicious herbs to flavor your meals with - and they are much easier to grow than many other garden plants.

Image via WikipediaFirst you’ll want to choose the herbs that you’ll plant. You might have a hard time doing this because of the huge scope of herbs available. But the best way to choose is to do what I did; just look at what you have in your kitchen, and what you like to cook. By planting your own collection of these herbs, you can save money on buying them from the grocery store while having the added benefit of freshness. Some of the herbs you might start with include rosemary, sage, basil, dill, mint, chives, and parsley among others.

When choosing an area to put your herb garden, you should remember that the soil should have extremely good drainage. If the dirt gets watered and stays completely saturated, you have no chance of ever growing a healthy plant. One of the best ways to fix the drainage problem for an herb bed in a wet climate is to dig a foot deep in the soil, and put a layer of crushed rocks down before replacing all the soil. This will allow excess water to escape, thus saving your plants.

When you are ready to begin planting herbs, you might be tempted to buy the more expensive plants from the store. However, with herbs it is much easier to grow them from seed than it is with other plants. Therefore you can save a bundle of money by sticking with seed packets. Some herbs grow at a dangerously fast rate. For example, if you plant a mint plant in an open space then it will take over your entire garden in a matter of weeks. The best way to prevent this problem is to plant the more aggressive plants in pots (with holes in the bottom to allow drainage, of course).

When it comes time to harvest the herbs you have labored so hard over, it can be fatal to your plant to take off too much. If your plant isn’t well established, it isn’t healthy to take any leaves at all, even if it looks like its not using them. You should wait until your plant has been well established for at least a few months before taking off any leaves. This wait will definitely be worth it, because by growing unabated your plant will produce healthily for months or years to come.

Image via WikipediaOnce you’ve harvested your delicious home grown herbs, you’ll want to use them in cooking. Why else would you have grown them? Well first the process begins with drying them out. This is easily achieved by placing them on a cookie sheet and baking them at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 to 4 hours. (If you live in a dry climate, you can also dry them on a high shelf in a cool dark place with plenty of air circulations, or even on racks on top of the refrigerator.) After they’re sufficiently dried to be used in cooking, you can consult the nearest cookbook for instructions on using them to effectively flavor a dish.

If you want to store your herbs for later usage, you should keep them in a plastic or glass container. Paper or cardboard will not work, because it will absorb the taste of the herbs, and also allow moisture in. During the first few days of storage, you should regularly check the container and see if any moisture has accumulated. If it has, you must remove all the herbs and re-dry them. If moisture is left from the first drying process, it will encourage mildew while you store your herbs. Nobody likes mildew.

So if you enjoy herbs or gardening, or both, then you should probably consider setting up an herb garden. It might require a little bit of work at first to set it up for optimal drainage, and pick what herbs you want to grow. But after these few initial steps, it’s just a matter of harvesting and drying all your favorite herbs.

Good Foods for your Compost Bin

There are some rules to learn and follow about what you can put into your compost bin in order to keep your pile healthy and working properly.  The most common organic material that you will add to your compost will be kitchen scraps.  Kitchen scraps are considered "Green" food as they contain nitrogen – an essential element to the process. (See Thursday's post for more on Green and Brown components.)

Image via WikipediaIt is a good idea to have a container with an airtight lid to store the food waste in your kitchen.  You do not want to attract insects or pests inside your home nor do you want to be running to your compost bin every time you make a meal or snack.  If your kitchen container is airtight you will also cut down on unpleasant odors.

Here is a list of the most common compostable items from the kitchen:

*    Vegetable peels and seeds
*    Fruit peels, cores, and seeds
*    Coffee grounds – you can compost the paper filter too
*    Tea bags or loose tea leaves
*    Crushed egg shells – do not add left-over eggs cooked or raw
*    Breads

Image via WikipediaYou may be tempted to add other food scraps into the bin, but don’t.  You should not add any animal meat or bones, oily products, or fish remains - not only will these be sure to attract unwanted pests but they will make your compost smell bad.  Whenever you are adding your green food to the compost bin, make sure you cover it under a thick layer of "Brown food" (yard waste or other carbon producing agent such as dry leaves, wood chips, sawdust, or small twigs).

If your food scraps are very wet or moist, in addition to putting brown food on top of the scraps mix some in with the waste too.  This will enable better air circulation throughout your pile.

The Greens and Browns of Composting

Imagine yourself as a chef of a fancy restaurant. To cook a delicious meal, you carefully measure the ingredients and combine them to create wonderful dishes. The same can be said when creating compost. This time, however, instead of the people in the restaurant as your customers, you will be answering the needs of your plants. And just like cooking, you are given the task of putting together in the proper amounts the “greens” and “browns” of composting.

Image via Wikipedia “Greens” and “browns” are nicknames which are used to refer to the organic materials used in creating compost. The major differences between these two elements are not so much on the colors of the organic matter themselves but rather on their basic components. The Greens are organic materials rich in nitrogen or protein. Meanwhile, Browns are those organic matters that have high carbon or carbohydrates contents.

Because of their high nitrogen and protein contents, Greens allow micro organism in composts to grow and multiply. Also, the Green components generate heat in compost piles. The Brown elements on the other hand contain the energy that most soil organisms need. Furthermore, because of their high carbon contents, the Browns function as a big air filter, absorbing the bad odors that emanates from the compost pile. The carbons also help prevent organic nitrogen from escaping and also aid in the faster formation of humus from the compost.

In case you’re stumped whether an organic waste or material belongs to the Greens or Browns variety, one of the easiest way to test it is to wet the material. If you find the material to stink after a few days then it belongs to the Greens variety. Again, remember not to be fooled by color.

For example, although leaves come in green, brown, red, etc. colors, they are classified as Browns. Leaves are high in carbon. Evergreen leaves for example have higher carbon contents than any other leaves. However, there is always an exception. Oak tree leaves do not fall under the Greens classification. Oak leaves contain high amounts of nitrogen which makes them fall under the Greens category.

Other examples of Greens include animal wastes, grass clippings, and left over food from your kitchen. As LONG as you don’t use harmful chemicals like inorganic fertilizers and pesticides on your grass, then the use of grass clippings is okay. Meanwhile, papers, wood chippings, sawdust, bark mulches and other wood products more often than not fall under the Browns classification.

Sugar products are also classified under Browns. These include molasses, syrups, sugar and carbonated drinks. You could use these sugar products to activate or increase the activities of microbes in your compost pile.

Image via WikipediaSome other Greens include vegetable and fruit wastes and eggshells, as well as coffee grounds, filters, and teabags. For the Browns, there are also hay, straw, and cornstalks. Pine needles fall also under the Browns category. However, use moderation when adding these, as using too much pine needles on the compost pile will give the Browns too much of an advantage.

A successful compost comes with the correct ratio of Brown and Green components. Ideally, a “Browns” and “Greens” of composting ratio of 3:1 would ensure a good compost.

This means, you will have three parts or the pile made of components high in carbon (Browns) and one part of it made up of nitrogen-rich ingredients (Greens).  You can fudge this a little, but you will just need to pay attention to it and tweak it in the correct direction if you notice problems. E.G. if it's getting smelly, add some Browns. If it's slowing down or not composting fast enough, add some Greens.

Have fun, and feel free to ask your composting questions below!

What Is Organic Gardening? A Quick But Comprehensive Answer

I know this may seem like a simplistic question, but some people really don't understand what organic gardening truly means, so here is a quick overview - if you already know, this may give you a good answer for those who may ask you at some point!

Image by Nick Saltmarsh via FlickrThe simple answer is that organic gardeners don't use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides on their plants. But gardening organically is much more than what you don't do.

When you garden organically, you think of your plants as part of a whole system within nature that starts in the soil and includes the water supply, people, wildlife and even insects. An organic gardener strives to work in harmony with natural systems and to minimize and continually replenish any resources the garden consumes.

Organic gardening operates on the sustainable concept of recycling. You use animal waste, kitchen scraps, and vegetable waste to mulch and compost. You will use common household items like vinegar and soap to prevent pests and weeds.

Organic growers rely on developing a healthy, fertile soil and growing a mixture of crops. Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards. Many organic gardeners also prefer to grow from heirloom seeds, rather than modern hybrids, although this is not a prerequisite.

Organic gardening is the merging together of plants and soil allowing the Earth to naturally bear what it was made to do. The plants and the soil are one working together to provide food and nourishment not only to humans but to animals and organisms as well.

It’s not a new age science. It’s actually quite simple and can be satisfying to the soul, and the body!

Video - Organic Alternatives to Synthetic Chemicals

Here is a quick and helpful video which shows some organic alternatives to toxic chemical pesticides. Choose these instead of the banned chemicals listed in the video, and be sure to always use caution and apply carefully, even when using organic pest control options in your garden.

Classic Paul James - Organic Alternatives - @ gardenerguy.com
Do you remember which lawn and garden chemicals the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture banned in 1989? Lucky for you Paul James is here to remind you. For more great gardening advice and all new webisodes visit www.gardenerguy.com

Some Good Organic Pesticide Options:
   

The Risk of Chemicals - Part 2

Expanding a bit more on Tuesday's post, here is a bit more in-depth chemical info on how chemical fertilizers can rob plants of valuable nutrients. (Don't worry - we'll try to keep it pretty simple!)

Image via WikipediaTo start off, the colloidal humus particles are the convoys that transfer most of the minerals from the soil solution to the root hairs. Each humus particle is negatively charged and will, attract the positive elements, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, boron, iron, copper and other metals. When sodium nitrate is dumped into the soil year after year, in large doses, a radical change takes place on the humus articles.

The very numerous sodium ions (atomic particles) will eventually crowd out the other ions, making them practically unavailable for plant use. The humus becomes coated with sodium, glutting the root hairs with the excess. Finally, the plant is unable to pick up the minerals that it really needs.

So, with chemical fertilizers, in short, you have short-term results, and long-term damage to the soil, ground water and to our health.

Another reason to avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides is that long term use of such chemicals can deplete the soil and leave it unable to sustain further growth. In many cases beds of perennials suddenly stop blooming for no apparent reason, and the culprit is often found to be the overuse of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

Chemicals that are applied to plants can often seep into the water supply thus contaminating it. While it’s true that our drinking water does go through a filtration process, it’s been proven many times over that this process doesn’t remove ALL of the harmful contaminants.

Image via WikipediaIt has also been proven that certain chemicals can cause diseases, birth defects, and other hazardous health problems. All one needs to do is watch the movie “Erin Brokovich” to see what chemical contamination of water can do to a body.

Consumers worry about filthy slaughterhouses, e-coli, salmonella and fecal contamination. The CDC estimates that 76 million American suffer food poisoning every year. On the other hand, at this time, there are no documented cases of organic meat, poultry or dairy products setting off a food poisoning outbreak in the United States.

Consumers are also concerned about toxic sewage used as fertilizer on conventional farms. Organic farming prohibits the use of sewage sludge.

Some also worry about untested and unlabeled genetically engineered food ingredients in common supermarket items. Genetically engineered ingredients are now found in 60 percent to 75 percent of all U.S. foods. Although polls indicate 90 percent of Americans want labels on gene-altered foods, government and industry refuse to label. Organic production forbids genetic engineering.

Eating organic eliminates, or minimizes, the risk from poisoning from heavy metals found in sewage sludge, the unknowns of genetically modified food, the ingestion of hormone residues, and the exposure to mutant bacteria strains. It also reduces the exposure to insecticide and fungicide residues.

Residues from potentially carcinogenic pesticides are left behind on some of our favorite fruits and vegetables - in 1998, the FDA found pesticide residues in over 35 percent of the food tested. Many U.S. products have tested as being more toxic than those from other countries. What's worse is that current standards for pesticides in food do not yet include specific protection for fetuses, infants, or young children despite major changes to federal pesticide laws in 1996 requiring such reforms.

It is certainly in the best interests of the human population to avoid chemicals in our food, but it’s also better for our planet as well. Chemicals can affect the soil making it less fertile. They destroy important parts of the natural eco-system. All plants and animals serve some sort of purpose – even if that purpose isn’t especially obvious. By taking these components out of the natural life cycle, we are endangering our environment in ways we can’t necessarily see outright, but that danger is there.

So it becomes obvious that growing your food naturally is the best way to go. For more on organic, natural, and sustainable gardening, just visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html, or check out the resources below.

 

The Risk of Chemicals - Part 1

We have chemicals in our everyday lives everywhere. Shampoo, toothpaste, many foods, even our clothing all contain or are manufactured with the use of chemicals. Besides polluting the environment, the use of chemicals can be much more threatening. (For more on this, see http://www.newholisticliving.com/toxicload.html, or our Green Living/Toxic Load blog at http://nhltoxicloadgreenliving.blogspot.com/. ) But we’re concentrating on gardening here, and the use of these chemicals on our food. One of the prominent ways chemicals are used in food production is through chemical fertilizers.

Image via WikipediaChemical fertilizers are quick-acting, short-term plant boosters and are responsible for:
1. Deterioration of soil friability creating hardpan soil
2. Destruction of beneficial soil life, including earthworms
3. Altering vitamin and protein content of certain crops
4. Making certain crops more vulnerable to diseases
5. Preventing plants from absorbing some needed minerals.

The soil must be regarded as a living organism. An acid fertilizer, because of its acids, dissolves the cementing material, made up of the dead bodies of soil organisms, which holds the rock particles together in the form of soil crumbs. This compact surface layer of rock particles encourages rain water to run off rather than enter the soil.

For example, a highly soluble fertilizer, such as 5-10-5, goes into solution in the soil water rapidly so that much of it may be leached away into our ground water without benefiting the plants at all. This chemical causes the soil to assume a cement-like hardness. When present in large concentrations, they seep into the subsoil where they interact with the clay to form impervious layers of precipitates called hardpan.

Many artificial chemical fertilizers contain acids, as sulfuric and hydrochloric, which will increase the acidity of the soil. Changes in the soil acidity (pH) are accompanied by the changes in the kinds of organisms which can live in the soil. For this reason, the artificial fertilizer proponents tell their customers to increase the organic matter content of their soil or use lime to offset the effects of these acids.

Image via WikipediaThere are several ways by which artificial fertilizers reduce aeration of soils. Earthworms, whose numerous borings made the soil more porous, are killed. The acid fertilizers will also destroy the cementing material which binds rock particles together in crumbs.

Chemical fertilizers rob plants of some natural immunity by killing off the micro organisms in the soil. Many plant diseases have already been considerably checked when antibiotic producing bacteria or fungi thrived around the roots. When plants are supplied with much nitrogen and only a medium amount of phosphate, plants will most easily contract mosaic infections. Host resistance is obtained if there is a small amount of nitrogen and a large supply of phosphate. Fungus and bacterial diseases have been related to high nitrogen fertilization, and lack of trace elements.

Plants grown with artificial chemical fertilizers tend to have less nutrient value than organically grown plants. For example, several tests have found that by supplying citrus fruits with a large amount of soluble nitrogen will lower the vitamin C content of oranges. It has also been found, that these fertilizers that provide soluble nitrogen will lower the capacity of corn to produce high protein content.

Probably the most regularly observed deficiency in plants treated continually with chemical fertilizers is deficiencies in trace minerals. To explain this principle will mean delving into a little physics and chemistry, but you will then easily see the unbalanced nutrition created in chemical fertilized plants.

We will get into this a little more in our next post, so be sure to check back on Thursday to learn more, including the risks of chemical contaminants in the groundwater, dangers of food poisoning, genetic modifications, and more....

Video - The Rise of Community Gardening

Here is a quick and interesting video on the rising popularity of community gardening here in the United States. Community gardens have been a growing trend in many other countries such as Canada and Australia for some time. The concept is really starting to take hold in the US in the past few years, and this short video gives some good examples. Obviously as I shared on Thursday, even in my small suburban neighborhood, we have one now!

I have also shared a few other interesting articles on community gardening below. Check them out, and feel free to share your comments, questions, or community gardening initiatives you are a part of!

Community gardens blossom
The recession and the concern over the environment have sparked a boom in community gardens across the United States. Reuters Fred Katayama reports.

 

Related Articles on Community Gardening:

• Community Garden Walkabout (franklinmatters.blogspot.com)
• A Heap of a Community Garden Project (fthats.wordpress.com)
• "Your Garden Show" Online Garden Community Launches -- Gardeners Find Inspiration, Grow a Garden and Share with Others (prweb.com)
• Katie Dix '10 Featured in a Documentary About Community Gardens (umbcalumni.wordpress.com)

Tips for Organic Vegetable Gardening

Organic vegetable gardening doesn't have to be hard. But to help you, here are some tips you should know.

Image via Wikipedia1. The most important thing to do is to decide what you want to grow. There are so many vegetables to choose from, but keep in mind that certain vegetables may not grow well in your climate so be sure to take that into consideration. You will want to choose those plants that are well adapted to the soil, temperature, sun and shade exposure of your garden area.

If you live in an area where droughts are frequent, make sure you are planting drought resistant vegetables which don't need as much water and can withstand dry weather.

2. You will also need to determine how much space you have. This will make it easy for you to plot on a sheet of paper the layout of how you want your vegetables to grow. Remember that it is perfectly acceptable to grow a very small garden, patio garden, rooftop garden, or even container garden, if that's all the space you have.

3. You should mulch your vegetables with organic material (i.e. compost). This can be made from food waste, dead leaves or grass and manure. This helps conserve water, and adds humus and nutrients to the soil. (For more on composting, check our archives - we've posted many helpful articles on this.)

Aside from compost, you can also use natural fertilizers and organic material to help the vegetables grow. They also encourage native earthworms that are nature’s tillers and soil conditioners.

4. The biggest threat that could destroy your vegetables are pests. The best organic way to get rid of them is to use other insects, birds, frogs, etc. In cases of some insect infestations, you may spray infected stems and leaves with dilute soapy water and then rinse with clean water. This can be very effective against certain pests (see previous posts for more on natural insect control).

5. If you decide to buy vegetables that are grown instead of using seedlings, most of these come in plastic containers. Be careful when you remove them so you avoid tearing the outside roots especially if these have grown solidly inside the container.

Image via WikipediaWhen planting vegetables, don’t stick with just one but plant many different kinds because this invites insects to take up resident in your yard. But wait - I thought we were trying to get rid of insects??

Believe it or not, only 2 percent of the insects in the world are harmful. Many others are beneficial for your garden. Some examples of these include ladybugs, fireflies, green lacewings, praying mantis, spiders and wasps since they eat insects that try to eat your vegetables. Another thing they do is pollinate the plants and decompose organic matter.

6. Don’t forget to remove weeds that sprout in your garden. You can pull these out by hand or spot spray  with a full strength of household vinegar. Best of all, it is safe for the environment.

7. Practice crop rotation. This will make sure that the soil is always fertile, and discourage pests and fungi from taking hold on certain crops. When planting the new vegetable, avoid regular deep cultivation as this will damage the roots, dry out the soil, disturb healthy soil organisms and bring weeds to the surface that will soon germinate.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to have a successful organic vegetable garden, and supplement your table with your own home-grown organic produce - what a feeling!

Other Helpful Organic Gardening Articles:

• Friend or Foe? Learn to ID Your Garden Insects (casasugar.com)
• We Are Loving Vegetable Gardening (backyardgardeningtips.com)
• How Do You Source Your Garden Soil? (casasugar.com)
• HealthierOrganics.com: An Online Community and Blog about Living Organically (prweb.com)

A Community Garden Right in My Backyard!

This week I had a very exciting surprise....I came home a little early from work, and decided to take a walk - which I haven't done since I don't know when. Across the street is a small elementary school, and one of my favorite walk circuits takes me around the block and behind the school. It's a nice walk through a nice neighborhood, and takes about 15 minutes, so it's one of my old favorites.

Image via WikipediaThis time, as I came up behind the school, through the trees I noticed some people in a garden, but as I drew closer, I realized it was actually on the school grounds.  I stopped in amazement (guess it has been longer than I thought since I took a walk!) and then I just had to go over for a closer look.

As it turns out, it is actually a community garden, started by the school's third graders last year - this is the first full summer of production.

It is a very small garden, but absolutely beautiful! The raised beds are lined with beautiful tiles painted by the children, and the entire garden is encircled by a border of lushly blooming marigolds (to keep out rabbits and insects). I spoke to the woman who was watering - Tish was her name - she is a volunteer and it was her week to water. Her 4th grade son was there helping her (he helped start the garden last year).

As I was there, a young woman who spoke little English came up with her 3 little girls, and we loaded them up with vegetables. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, Swiss Chard, broccoli - all kinds of goodies.

Image via WikipediaTish was very excited to see the community using the community garden, and she said many times they just donate food to a local food pantry - she said this small garden has donated almost 100 pounds of food so far this year.

I thought it was so awesome and amazing to see such an initiative - especially at such a small school. This such a great idea, and I think every school in the country should have a garden like this! The kids get a closer connection with the world and where their food comes from (and probably become more adventurous and healthier eaters because of it), the school could benefit by producing some of it's own food, or even like this one - serving the local community and providing healthy fresh, organic food (this garden is run by organic principles, and they are even planning on installing rain barrels to make the garden more self-sustaining) to those who need it most.

Sorry I didn't take a picture, so the one above is just an example, and not of this particular garden, but I will try to remember to take one on my next walk (which will be soon!).

More Cool Organic & Sustainable Gardening Resources

Wrapping up our week on great gardening resources, here are some good ones to bookmark in your browser (besides this blog, of course)!

Cover via AmazonCheck out these links to find organic gardening tips and ideas, sources of organic seeds, new organic and sustainable gardening products, and much more. And if you haven't already, be sure to check out our main sustainable gardening web page for another good list of suggestions!

Online Organic Gardening Resources: Garden Websites Give ...
Beginning gardeners, experienced green thumbs, and organic farmers can find flower and vegetable growing answers from garden associations and online chat forums.
Publish Date: 03/02/2009 23:24
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/online-organic-gardening-resources-a99907

Buying Organic Garden Seeds: Gardeners Can Find Online Sources ...
Each year more nurseries are increasing their organic seed offerings, giving a choice to gardeners who want to eliminate chemicals in every step of the growing process. ... combined with the research and breeding activities at the 40-acre Maine farm, means that Johnny's can offer over 300 organic seed varieties to gardeners, including cover crop seed. The company is a valuable resource to organic farmers as well, offering many organic seed varieties by the pound. ...
Publish Date: 12/28/2009 22:24
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/buying-organic-garden-seeds-a183614

New Organic Garden Products for the 2010 Growing Season ...
Organic gardeners can choose from several new fertilizers on the market to enrich the soil and boost flower and vegetable growth. Bridgewell Resources, LLC introduced a balanced organic fertilizer, Par 4 3-3-3, enriched with ...
Publish Date: 07/05/2010 10:38
http://jamiemcintosh.suite101.com/new-organic-garden-products-for-the-2010-growing-season-a256815

Cover of Natural GardenCold Climate Gardening Resources You May Not Know About ...
I was just helping out a gardener who moved from California to upstate NY. (I think she's over the shock.) It made me realize that not everyone who stops by thinks to look at the top menu bar to see.
Publish Date: 04/13/2011 21:10
http://www.coldclimategardening.com/2011/04/13/cold-climate-gardening-resources-you-may-not-know-about/

Organic and natural Garden Helpful Concepts and Ideas ...
Marigolds make the organic garden border colorful, and ward off a lot of pests. Onions and garlic are also wonderful deterrents to pests that would like to break in and steal natural make. Resources for Much more Organic ...
Publish Date: 08/28/2011 11:24
http://seenewcaledonia.com/2011/organic-and-natural-garden-helpful-concepts-and-ideas/

Yum & Yuk: More Gardening Resources
More Gardening Resources. Wow, thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Here are some more books (and one blog) on gardening, food politics, etc: * The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart ...
Publish Date: 07/22/2011 11:15
http://yum-and-yuk.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-gardening-resources.html


Be sure to visit www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html for more great sustainable gardening resources!

Gardening Magazines - Some of the Best

If you're an avid gardener, a gardening magazine can be your best friend. There are many gardening magazines available, on just about any topic you can imagine, ranging from the most basic beginner gardening info, to advance strategies for experience gardeners. But would you like to know which stands out from the rest? Here are a selection of gardening magazines that anyone in love with his or her garden will appreciate.

For organic gardeners, ORGANIC GARDENING MAGAZINE is the ultimate guide to gardening. Since 1942, Organic Gardening has been delivering well-researched, practical and timely information and useful products and services. As the essential resource for any gardener, it provides current and authoritative information, with a focus on making the process of gardening fun and easy.

Image via WikipediaOr how about a gardening magazine for those who want to become a better gardener? FINE GARDENING MAGAZINE from The Taunton Press brings you amazing design ideas, beneficial techniques, and the know-how to get the best results from your gardening endeavors.

In each issue you'll find eye-opening bits of advice from the experts, detailed information on all types of plants, effective techniques and time-saving tips, straightforward tool reviews from editors and readers and planting suggestions for specific regions.

But for more intensive information on how to maintain a garden packed with style and color, then you'll want to read GARDEN DESIGN. This gardening magazine brings out eye-popping photos, illustrations and useful recommendations on how to create a picture-perfect garden. It is written and designed for those who are passionate about their homes and gardens. Garden Design is more than just a dig-in-the-dirt gardening magazine; it's for people who enjoy bringing in more aesthetic value for their homes through their gardens.

Garden Design encourages you to create stylish outdoor living spaces and rare gardens through cultivating rare breeds of plants, with updates on the best tools and techniques. It contains magnificent photographs and articles that capture the imaginations of gardeners everywhere.

Or check out NATURAL HOME & GARDEN, the authority on green lifestyle and design. With an up-to-date outlook on current trends in sustainable building and wholesome living, Natural Home & Garden gives today’s eco-conscious homeowners the information they need to live in nurturing, healthy homes, and grow lovely and sustainable gardens in their own backyards.

And for Brits, THE ENGLISH GARDEN often showcases the more unusual gardens around the UK. An English-style garden is, arguably, the quintessential ideal of every serious gardener; THE ENGLISH GARDEN magazine is a magazine devoted to this idyllic gardening tradition. It introduces wonderful new ways to enjoy garden sights and scents, and features lovely photographs of amazing gardens to delight and inspire.


Gardening Magazines: