Blog

By Veralea Swayne, Educator & Garden Coordinator Do you grow lettuce every spring and then get bummed when the plants start to bolt and the leaves get bitter?Good news! There is more life left in that plant — you just need to imagine its use beyond your salad plate. ... Read More

By Anthony Reyes Agriculture is about relationships. It involves creating, maintaining and coordinating several relationships, simultaneously, be it farmer to consumer, soil to crop, food to our health and many others. Among the most important and overlooked relationships is that of pollinators and beneficial insects to the agro-ecosystem as... Read More

The sun is traveling its winter arc low in the southern sky, and we are urged indoors to connect with the restful rhythm of the season. The garden has been stripped of the summer bounty, revealing spaces which invite us to imagine. While the garden is in sleep mode, we can slow down and prepare. Relish... Read More

By Veralea Swayne, Garden Educator Did you know there is a grand balancing act going on below your garden soil? Many living soil organisms are eating, excreting, dying and decomposing each day. They are interdependent and creating dynamic activity that is known as the soil food web. Some of these... Read More

By Jennifer Crouch Beneficial pollinators are one of the secrets to a healthy organic garden, and the most well-known of these gardener’s friends is the honeybee. But did you know that these charming little pollinators aren’t native to North America? Honeybees first arrived with European immigrants in the 1600s,... Read More

Flowers are a valuable addition to any edible or ornamental garden. They add beautiful color and fragrance, act as trap crops, discourage pests, and attract pollinators and predatory insects. Flowers can also provide you with an extended season of breathtaking blossoms that can save you money on decorative bouquets... Read More

Some people think garlic wards off vampires, colds or evil. Embrace the season by planting garlic! Prep: Garlic prefers rich, well-drained soil. Dig-in compost before planting. Plant: Break apart the bulb and try to keep the skin of each clove intact. Plant cloves 2” deep, with the pointy end... Read More

Sleep is good for us. It helps repair our minds and bodies, bolsters our immune system so we can ward off illnesses and provides us with the strength to take on the challenges of our daily cycle of waking, eating, working and sleeping. Our gardens work along a similar... Read More

By Amy Ockerlander Harvesting seed from your own garden is the ultimate act of self-sufficient organic gardening. Saving seed protects our food heritage, supports a resilient local food system and signals the end of the growing season. You might think seed saving is complex or only for those with... Read More