Local farms could be illegal

Germany Bans GMO Corn by Monsanto - MON 810 deemed unsafe for people or ...

Water Wise Gardening

Growing SWISS CHARD

All about delicious swiss chard. How to grow swiss chard. Go to.. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/How-To-Grow-Swiss-Chard.aspx

Jethro Tull Songs From The Wood

Urban Food Growing in Havana, Cuba

Gardening Tips : How to Start a Window Sill Herb Garden

Garden Girl TV: Natural Insect Control with Diatomaceous Earth

Towards Permaculture Centres Worldwide

Worm Guys: WORM GUYS On Growning Fungi

Worm Guys: WORM GUYS On Growning Fungi

Survival Gardening Video

Diners in the basement: Restaurant feeds worms too | The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Diners in the basement: Restaurant feeds worms too The Daily Caller - Breaking News, Opinion, Research, and Entertainment

Gardening Tips With Willie Nelson

Homemade Garden Watering System

Gardening Is Not For Sissies??

Come on now...gardening is SO worth it...eating ' pretty store-bought dead cardboard' food is NOT for sissies. I found this article from PENNLIVE.COM and it has some very good tips for lifting and turning correctly, being careful on ladders etc. , great things to know and I wanted to give everyone the link. So, go here.. http://blog.pennlive.com/life/2010/04/gardening_is_not_for_sissies_t.html

BUT, eating your own safe delicious veggies is so worth it...yumm..your home grown veggies always taste like real food because it IS real food and your body will get some real nutrition from it too. Putting harsh chemicals/fertilizers on your plants and poisoning your body, when you eat those plants IS dangerous! It's easy to learn to grow healthy plants without using the harsh stuff. Let's do it. JA ROSE-BARTLETT ;WORM GUYS' http://worm%20guys/
Photo by ell brown

Life Without Onions?..NO WAY

This week end, we noticed that a 50 lb. bag of plain dried yellow onions that we use to buy for under $7.00 at the grocery outlet store 2 years ago, was now selling for over $30.00 at the same store! Well, that got our attention because we use onions ALL the time...everyday in fact. Onions are so wonderful with all types of beans, in soups, eggs, rice, and pasta dishes. etc...just think about it. We're eating more of these easy on our pocketbook foods now...as living costs rise and wages don't seem to be. 'What would we do without onions?'

I looked today online for yellow onion seeds or sets for our garden, we want heirloom onions too for saving for next year...most places were 'out-of-stock'...'WHAT?' Well, It is spring and some places were closed on Mondays. BUT, I love onions and garlic in my cooking and 'could not imagine' life without onions...cool. So, kept looking.
If you love onions or need more garden seeds etc. TERRORITAL SEEDS in Oregon have done a fine job for us before and have onions still..Go here if you need garden seeds. http://www.territorialseed.com/ Jan
Photo by iLoveButter
JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'WORM GUYS' http://www.wormguys.com/

Top Secret Gardening

A couple of our top secret ideas for our garden this year..

1. Plant our vegtables in a hay bale. That's a bale of hay or straw. Why not? Hay or straw are both great for mulch and will decompose next winter into excellent mulch that will help your 'normal' garden and make a home for worms, hay is affordable. I know hay or straw holds moisture, putting newspapers under the bales may help with less watering and newspapers will turn into great mulch [Steve and I like using cardboard...usually contain less ink than newspapers and worms seem to just love cardboard and move into your garden and help with your garden]....hopefully....less watering too. We'll see this growing season and know more next fall.

2. Another new idea that I like is from Kim Wood .. and we will use this year...using wire fencing in the garden. By that I mean , a a roll of welded wire. cut into several lengths and 3-foot widths, they are placed as a dome over each garden bed after they are planted. This prevents kids, pets etc. from walking on small delicate new plants. The wire also acts as a support for plastic if weather turns cold unexpectly in the spring.
And,all the plants that spread out in a garden, Kim uses a welded-wire cage, around a compost pile of dried leaves, horse manure and other organic material, the wire fence pieces are held together with zip ties. DO NOT plant your garden/plants in the compost inside this wire cage that's been created. The compost will get too hot and damage plants. But, plant your veggies etc. along the outside of the wire fence, the plants can be tied to the fencing if needing support during the growing months so the vegetables are off the ground. Water only the inside of wire cage by hand by pouring a bucket of water in side this compost cage or use a hand held hose to water inside the compost, and let the water run out into the plants, this slowly fertilizes the plants. I think this is a great idea, and I will be trying it this year, I will be be careful and watch the compost pile for heat and use aged manure only.
Kim Wood's favorite book on this subject is “Tips for the Lazy Gardener” by Linda Tiglner, which I will find and read right away.
For Kim Wood..go here.. KIM WOOD's Site
Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'WORM GUYS' http://www.wormguys.com/

Window Farm Video

What Worms Say: 'Be Careful How You Till'

   Dennis Linden, at U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service soil lab in St. Paul, Minn., discovered this about worms...'When worms find a good eating hole...they tend to return again and again.'...Kind of like us. when we you go to the same favorite eating spot over and over. Worms are sign of healthy soil. They loosen the soil, create pathways for plant roots, drain and aerate the soil and spread organic mulch around your garden.

   When worms find a good food source they remember the location and keep coming back for more..Worms eat organic matter...leaves, old vegetables, fruits etc.,... now if you till your soil and till this 'worm food' deeper than 6 inches, worm tunnels will tend to be horizonal and when the worms look for their meals, they create horizonal holes. BUT, if you keep this mulch--organic matter closer to the surface, the worm tunnels or burrows will tend to be vertical instead of horizonal. This is much better for your garden's health.. Your garden's soil will have better air and water penetration, helping with removal of chemical toxins. Vertical tunnels also encourage more beneficial microbes growth, these microbes break down pesticides and fertilizers.

   Let's keep our earthworms happy and have them coming back for seconds. They will remember our gardens and return year after year.

JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'WORM GUYS'   http://www.wormguys.com/

Photo by [177]

Water Features In Your Garden

Running or quiet still water features add a great deal to your gardens, they can provide lots benefits. In addition to the natural beauty of the water, a water source is important for the well-being of beneficial insects, birds, wildlife , plants, trees and shrubs and give your family a calming 'oasis' to unwind, relax and focus.

   I believe an artistic, beautiful calming water focal point in your garden is well worth the time and expense in creating one, and the peace of mind they give is priceless. Adding lighting and music to the water are are just two creative ways to make your garden very unique and special to you...who would want to live indoors with this beauty at your doorstep? Really, it extends the living area of your home. We find that we spend more time in our 'special' space and in the warm weather months than ever before...in warm weather that's where you will find us.

Think about creating your own unique 'water space' in your garden too.

JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'Worm Guys' http://www.wormguys.com/
Photo by pvera

What Do Composting Worms Really Want?

Well, have you ever asked yourself...'What do composting worms really want?' I didn't think so, I hadn't either... until I started learning about these wonderful creatures and all they do for us. And, we started raising them for our garden.

   I'll give you my answer first. The Answer: Composting worms want to COMPOST, of course. So, how do they do that and how can we help?
1. Give worms a home...Welcome them into your life. See them as helpful creatures, which they are...don't go running off into the night after seeing a worm. Teach your children how they safely turn kitchen wastes into valuable rich soil, so,we can all raise safe healthy food, taking care of ourselves without putting harsh chemicals in our gardens or our bodies. Our children will keep this with them and pass it on to their kids too.
2. Raise some worms. Yes, this is fun and easy. Just get some worms. Where? Worms can be found online and can be shipped right to your home. That's easy. Some composting worms are named Red Wigglers or Red Worms...there are about 900 to 1000 Red Wigglers per pound..they are small, but eat lots of kitchen wastes and make great castings or soil for our plants. Put them in a worm bin [there are several types also found online or most gardening stores, or easily make one yourself with a big plastic or wooden tub]. You can also raise worms indoors or outdoors. You can read more about worms in a book by Mary Applehof called 'Worms Eat Our Garbage'.
Worm castings are safe for even the most delicate of plants. Just sprinkle a small amount on the top of the soil around your plants..castings are food for plants. Plants love castings. It is dark rich crumble sweet pleasant earth-smelling 'worm poop'. Compost tea can be made with castings too, by mixing water with the castings and pouring this on your plants. You can more read about this in a book by Dr.Elaine Ingham PhD , called..'The Compost Tea Brewing Manual'.
3. Feed worms your table scraps. That's what they like. Worms like vegetables, peels and scraps, fruit rinds and peels, some coffee grounds. tea bags are fine, things we throw away. Just don't feed them meat, meat products, milk, milk products or grease...these things will spoil and start to smell up your worm's home and attract flies too.
4. After raising your very own worms. In no time, you will see how really easy and fun it is. How happy your plants are and how much safe and delicious food your garden produces. You'll wonder why we didn't know about how wonderful and safe worms were before now.
I just love worms. JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'WORM GUYS'. http://www.wormguys.com/
Photo by Comrogues .

So..You Don't Have Room For A Garden...Now What?

So,You do not have a yard to plant a garden, there are veggies and flowers that that grow well in containers: Like.. beets; cabbage; cucumbers; lettuce; lima beans; onions; peppers; radishes; spinach; squash and tomatoes, tulips, grasses and any annual plants.

Go to this site for great info..http://www.njeffersonnews.com/local/x552029592/Great-gardening-tips-for-beets-and-cabbage

Photo by Maggie Hoffman

Grow Upside-Down Tomatos Easily Video

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

http://accad.osu.edu/~ayoungs/digestive.html

Look at this...A digestive table...Worms are composting table scraps at the dinner table. Go above link to read it all.
Photo by kevindooley

Container Gaardens For NEWBIES

New? Don't be afraid.... anyone can grow a garden. Great ideas here.  .http://homegardeningblog.com/?p=11
Photo by NatalieMaynor

THE WORM INN..Award Winning Worm Composting System

Great Place For Trees And Plants

Well, we planted 4 more fruit trees yesterday. We love fruit trees and know it's safe fruit when we grew it. RAINTREE is located in Morton, Washington, but, they ship Nationwide. We've gone to their store in Morton, and had trees shipped to us...they did a great job. Go here.. http://www.raintreenursery.com/

Photo from their site.

Grow Edible Bamboo Shoots Video

How To Properly Plant A New Tree

We have lots of fruit trees. Here's info on how to properly plant a new tree. Go here... http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20100314/LIFESTYLE/3140347

Photo by chesbayprogram

What Do Worms Do With The Things They Compost?

Get all your questions answered here.. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_do_the_worms_do_to_the_things_you_compost
Photo by USFS Region 5

Start Global Worming

Found this link on SUSTAINABLEHOME. Looks like good info. Go here... http://www.sustainablehome.com/wp/?p=224

Photo by Comrogues

Canned Garden Seeds

Do you want to store or plant high quality non-hybrid open pollinated seeds year after year? Then this is for you! Go here..http://www.foodforeveryone.org/vegetable_seeds/

Photo by LollyKnit

Raise Your Best Ever Garden in Your Custom Built Waist High Raised Beds

OK...this got my attention:This is what this site says....You've had to give up gardening because of pain and stiffness in your neck, back or kneesYou love to garden, but don't have a lot of roomYou've never gardened before but would love to give it tryLove to garden but hate to weedHave only a few minutes a week to tend a garden but want to be able to pick vine-ripened veggies or cut fresh flowers whenever you want.Go to... http://www.garden-rack.com/?hop=tradersnz

Photo by Linda N.

Divide And Move Rhubarb

Rhubarb coming up? Mine too...if you want to divide it and give some to your mother for her garden OR make a second rhubarb patch for yourself. Here's great information on how to do that...Go here....http://www.backyardgardeningtips.com/new-brunswick/dividing-our-rhubarb-patch-to-add-to-our-home-garden/

Photo by TimWilson

Control Garden Insects Safely..Article And Video

There's lots of great safe garden information at this site. Control insects in your garden safely and easily. Go to.. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/green-diy-tutorials-ward-pests-away-the-natural-way-1916542.html

Photo by photogirl7

More On Making A Butterfly Garden

This is what this site says.."Making a butterfly garden involves growing leafy plants for caterpillars and planting fluffy blooms like leatrice, lavender and Black-Eyed-Susan. Create a butterfly-friendly garden with tips from a professional gardener" . Go here.. http://www.gardeningcaretips.com/gardening-tips/gardening-tips-how-to-make-a-butterfly-garden

Photo by aussiegall

How To Make A Butterfly Garden Video

How To Use Earthworms As Animal Feed

Have chickens? Have a garden? Here ya go...castings and animal feed too..http://www.ehow.com/how_6002731_use-earthworms-animal-feed.html
Red Wigglers are also known as red worms and tiger worms...Jan

Photo by LollyKnit

Worm Grunting Video

Create A Garden Entrance

Beautiful garden ideas here. Creating a garden entrance. Found this on GARDENINGTIPSNIDEAS. Go to this site for great ideas. http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2009/04/creating_a_garden_entrance.htmlPhoto by Garden Entrance by madaise

Worm Farming Or Composting?

What's the difference? Well, they're both great for gardens aren't they? YEP. How do I decide? Composting breaks down green matter..clippings, wood chips, leaves etc. producing heat when breaking down and making great natural garden mulch/fertilizer. Usually the compost pile needs to be turned to help break down the matter...Some compost tumblers are made to easily turn the compost and break it down. The compost has to be completely broken down and not 'hot' to place on your plants.Now, worm farming or worm bin composting is not the same thing. worms eat and break down kitchen scraps fruit rinds, banana peels etc....[don't use meat or dairy], creating wonderful worm castings that are put on the garden..worm castings are always safe for even delicate plants, has NO smell and can be created in your home or outdoors. Worms can be raised in plastic tubs or wooden boxes. Many folks buy worm compost bins, there are several types available online for sale. Castings also make compost tea for plants or gardens.Worms love the aged compost in your garden..BUT,they can not survive in the first type of compost above if it is still 'hot'.Does this help you decide? JA ROSE-BARTLETT 'Worm Guys' or 'Western Worms' www.wormguys.com
Photo by "D Sharon Pruitt"

The Absolute Best For Your Garden..Could It Be Worm Castings?

This link has some great and useful worm composting/garden ideas. Fun read. Go here.. http://digitalmeter.fitsblog.com/2010/02/27/the-absolute-best-for-your-garden-could-it-be-worm-castings-and-worm/

Photo by Per Ola Wiberg ~ OFF, Computer crash

How To Store Emergency Water

Store water..here's how.. http://www.organicgardentip.com/informative-sites/how-to-store-emergency-water-2/

Photo by darkpatator

Flower Garden Tips

I love flowers...You? Go here for some ideas on getting started in your flower garden.. http://flowergardeningtips.com/index.htm

Photo by NATALIA PHOTOS

Why Compost With Worms?

This site has lots of reasons. Check it out..Go here.. http://www.children-and-kids.com/worm-farming/understanding-worm-farming.htm

Photo by Comrogues

GARDENER'S QUOTE

By Felder Rushing: “Remember to plant the green side up.”

Photo by gina pina

How To Grow Artichokes You'll Be Proud Of

Love artichokes? Me too. Know how to grow them? Me neither. Let's go here and learn.. http://www.organic-gardeening.com/how-to-grow-artichokes-you-can-be-proud-of.htm
Photo by La Grande Farmers' Market

NEW AWARD WINNING Worm Composting Bag...THE WORM INN

'Worm Guys' new exciting product. From theworminn website.. 'Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which the breakdown of food scraps is facilitated by Red Wiggler worms. Vermicomposting can be conducted indoors and is a great set-up for people who live in condos, apartments or other places where traditional outdoor composting is not an option.

Most often, vermicomposting takes place in a bin, such as a plastic recycling container. After several weeks the contents have to be separated into piles so that the resulting compost, or vermicast, can be collected for use on plants or in gardens.
This can be a time-consuming and tedious process. The Worm Inn makes this process much more efficient...'
Photo from theworminn website.

Common Worm Bin Problems

This is a favorite site of mine. Lots of great information. Go here.. http://wormdigest.blogspot.com/2010/01/some-common-worm-bin-problems.html

Photo by jeffschuler

Milk carton makes cheap and easy flat to start seeds

I'll be trying this real soon. Go here for information...Milk carton makes cheap and easy flat to start seeds

Photo by "D Sharon Pruitt"

How Many Worms To A Pound?

Well, spring is in the air. Time to check our worms and get the worm beds ready. WOW. What a wonderful sight-- our worms. Just love them.Since we're in Washington State and it can be colder our worms needed some winter protection to be on the safe side. If you live in the north or where it may get below freezing often during the winter, we recommend. putting your worm bin under cover or in the garage if possible. We found even covering your worms with cardboard helps if your bin is in a inside spot this is not needed.Our bins that during the fall had one pound of worms --now have over 5 pounds. Wow. Yea.Now, that reminds me --'What is a Pound of Worms'? Composting Worms are small-900 to 1000 worms per pound. European Night Crawlers-about 450-500 per pound and African Night Crawlers are hugh--with only about 100- 150 per pound. We have raised the composting and European Night Crawlers as the African Night Crawlers do better in warmer conditions, and we're in Washington State.If you're lucky and can pick your worms up when buying them--check them over. Recently we know of a Worm Farm selling about 1/2 pound worms with 1 1/2 pound of bedding as 2 pounds of worms. Worms are packed in bedding when shipped--BUT a pound of composting worms 900 to 1000 worms make up a pound. Usually one pound of worms comes in about one pound of bedding.Happy Gardening. J.A.ROSE-BARTLETT 'Worm Guys'.
Photo by dsc00076.jpg by mlinksva
http://www.wormguys.com/

Quote

If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. ~Jim Rohn

Photo by Richard0

Did Ya Know?

Got this info from 'Worm Farm Secrets'. http://www.wormfarmingsecrets.com/

DID YOU KNOW?

More and more farmers in India are seeing the benefits of usingorganic fertilizers. One of the components of organic fertilizersare earthworms themselves!

In Kothiya (Bihar), farmers are using cow dung mixed with earthworms. The resulting mixture allows earthworms to create their worm castings as well as mixing the soil. At 250 rupees a kilo(about $5USD) it is more expensive than chemical fertilizers, butis preferred due to a reported benefits of 90%!Full article here: http://www.dailyindia.com/show/351808.php

Photo by schizoform