Okay. So you've decided to go organic in your garden and stop using all of those chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that you used to rely on. That is a great step in helping to keep local water supplies clean and pollutant free. But what are you supposed to do with all of those foul-smelling bottles of ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 9, 2010
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Clean VA Waterways are providing a Rain Barrel Workshop at Forest Hill Park in Richmond, VA on Monday, September 13th from 6:30 – 7:30 P.M. Learn about the benefits of rain barrels and how to install and maintain them. Each participant will go home with a pre-assembled rain ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 8, 2010
There are two places where I love to get lost – in nature, or in a good book. Thankfully, my mother planted both of these seeds in me at a very early age by often taking me to the beautiful little woods in our small hometown and to the local public library. My love of ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 6, 2010
Fall is a great time to add color to your garden and native plants are a great choice! What could be better than enhancing your garden with environmentally-friendly native plants that need less water, less chemicals and will attract pollinators to your landscape? Friday, September 10th and Saturday, September 11th, Environmental Concern, Inc. a non-profit ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 3, 2010
Someone emailed me this question and I thought I would share it, hoping to find an answer for her: Question: I have lots of container plants to attract butterflies and bees, both larval-host and nectar plants. Blue hyssop especially seems to draw a great variety and number of bees and now I don't see as ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 3, 2010
Sure, chocolate is sexy, in a guilty-pleasure sort of way. But when you are ready for a more meaningful culinary relationship, one that you can really sink your teeth into, nothing is quite as perfect as the pleasures of produce. Consider the tomato, with it’s beautiful, clear complexioned skin. It is firm to the touch, ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 3, 2010
1) Mulch your gardens - Mulch is great for retaining moisture, helping your plants through times of heat and drought. 2) Mow your grass to the right height – The taller the grass blade, the deeper the root system becomes. Grass with deeper roots is more drought-resistant. 3) Water at the right times – Watering in the early morning or late ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 1, 2010
Back in July, I wrote about the 12 Relationship Rules for Gardeners. This tongue in cheek post compared the challenges of creating a healthy landscape with the challenges of building a healthy relationship. Rule number 7 mentioned that choices based on looks alone are often more trouble than they are worth. Such is often the case when we add non-native, ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on September 1, 2010
I recently wrote a post about the wonders of earthworms in a garden. While working on the post, I was going to mention how I sometimes get earthworms for my garden. Every now and then if I accompany my husband to a bait shop, I buy a small bucket of worms and take them home and drop them in ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on August 31, 2010
Did you know that August 31st is National Eat Outdoors Day? This annual event celebrates the end of summer vacation with a day of outdoor dining. Have your coffee and bagel on the patio, take a sandwich to work for an outdoor picnic, or treat your special someone to a night of fine dining under ...
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Written by Betsy S. Franz on August 30, 2010
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