ECO TIPS In the Garden

Grow your Own

Gardens aren’t just for flowers. Even if you don’t have much land, you can still grow enough veggies to keep your family eating yummy meals "from soil to soul."  Short on outdoor space? Plant high-yielders like zucchini, fava beans, and tomatoes. They'll keep producing all season long. And please, please, be good to Mother Earth, and keep your garden free of pesticides and herbicides. So what if a little bug chomps on your tomato? Cut around it, and wish the planet well.

Every Bit of Pollination Helps

If your fruit trees or vegetable plants aren’t producing as much as you'd like, you might have a pollination problem. With the rapid decline of honey bees around the world, getting enough of those little guys to pollinate your plants can sometimes be a bit tricky. The best way to boost pollination is to have a bee colony on your property, but if you’re a beekeeping suit isn't your style, try planting bee-magnet plants like lavender, sage, and basil. They'll pollinate your plants while they’re visiting.

Compost Happens

Instead of tossing your fruit and veggie scraps or the clippings from your garden, you can compost them to make a rich, dense soil that your plants will love. You can even compost paper towels and other paper products. If your compost is healthy, you'll see a happy, thriving tribe of earthworms crawling around in it. Measly worm population? Start composting your coffee grounds! Worms love coffee and your plants love the castings all those caffeinated worms leave behind.

With mulch, mulch love,

Josie