What do you get when you cross eggshells and coffee grounds with a banana peel?

  Fertilizer! One of my favorite ways to divert kitchen refuse from the landfill is by making homemade liquid fertilizer. We boiled eggs for breakfast one morning. I peeled the shells, returned them to the water I'd boiled them in, and poured the whole thing into the blender. To this, I added the morning's spent coffee grounds and the chopped-up peel of the banana we'd shared. The eggshells provide calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. The banana peels contribute potassium, and the coffee... Continue reading

Networking is for the birds…

...and bees and bears and you and me. What on earth are you doing? You might ask this question, out loud or otherwise, if you walked into my backyard. And with good reason. Next to many of my neighborhood's manicured lawns of green grass, vibrant flower beds, and perfectly shaped well-pruned shrubs my little plot does appear to be a mess. But these grounds are thriving, not just what you can see, but what you can't. The Camden Longhouse gardens are a haven for birds, bees, worms, and wildlife.... Continue reading

Garden Bones and Chicken Broth

  A soft footprint is not what I'm after. I don't want the planet to diminish because of me. My goal is to leave it better. I want nature to start singing the Hallelujah Chorus because I showed up. To that end, I am following the lead of the indigenous people of this continent, the original citizens of North America, in showing appreciation and using my resources without waste. It's not only good for me; it's good for the planet. Here's an idea, and it's pretty simple. Replace... Continue reading

Attack of the Aphids

  Last week, I discovered that one of my hibiscus plants, a small and struggling little thing, was covered with aphids. Well, no wonder it looked so unhealthy, I thought, with its puny buds and shriveled leaves, offering little promise of a lush display. What next? My options Idea #1. I could try a natural repellent-type remedy. Con: This could adversely affect the beneficial flora as well, and there are good reasons not to do this, but that is another story. Idea #2. I could pop... Continue reading