Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Winter garden clean up/feed
Perennials...
Cut back old leaves on Helleborus so you can enjoy the full beauty of the flowers
Cut back all Epimedium, evergreen varieties, so you can enjoy the winter blooms, make sure to watch out for the emerging buds
Start cutting down deciduous grasses, (do not trim evergreen types, unless you only cut back by 1/3-personally I'd save it till late March)
Start mulching....preferably with manures in the perennial borders- steer manures, chicken manures....I know you like the look of Cedar Grove-but it has no food for your plants.
It's a dead over processed material. (Like hot dogs and fishy crackers...)
Fertilize your lawns (if you do lawns) with an organic blend that includes (why YES! we do carry these!) rock phosphates and kelp- among other fabulous ingredients
IF you have an area that is depleted, or if you moved in a house and never see worms when you dig in the soil (probably chemically fed- all life is killed off) use worm castings (nice word for poop)
Why yes we do sell it-as a matter of fact we are THE only West Seattle retailer for YELM worm and castings
Seed clover in the lawns (again if you have lawn) to feed the soil, a natural nitrogen source and stays green all year! plus!!! a very good source of nectar for HONEYBEES
Cut back old leaves on Helleborus so you can enjoy the full beauty of the flowers
Cut back all Epimedium, evergreen varieties, so you can enjoy the winter blooms, make sure to watch out for the emerging buds
Start cutting down deciduous grasses, (do not trim evergreen types, unless you only cut back by 1/3-personally I'd save it till late March)
Start mulching....preferably with manures in the perennial borders- steer manures, chicken manures....I know you like the look of Cedar Grove-but it has no food for your plants.
It's a dead over processed material. (Like hot dogs and fishy crackers...)
Fertilize your lawns (if you do lawns) with an organic blend that includes (why YES! we do carry these!) rock phosphates and kelp- among other fabulous ingredients
IF you have an area that is depleted, or if you moved in a house and never see worms when you dig in the soil (probably chemically fed- all life is killed off) use worm castings (nice word for poop)
Why yes we do sell it-as a matter of fact we are THE only West Seattle retailer for YELM worm and castings
Seed clover in the lawns (again if you have lawn) to feed the soil, a natural nitrogen source and stays green all year! plus!!! a very good source of nectar for HONEYBEES
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Worm composting/worm bin
I love worms. Pink/grey/red what color are they anyway?
I have no clue how they see where they are going or if they can smell anything...
They have very simple lives, when no chickens or birds are hanging around...or potential fishing experts.
These critters are amazing. They multiply by the thousands very rapidly, so if you want to keep a worm bin, the worm part is easy.
I harvested 5 gallons of fresh worm manure tonight from my worm bin...that will literally be enough castings for about 300 square ft of vegetable gardening. That's pretty impressive, I think.
Keeping a worm bin is easy, low maintenace and odor free if you pay attention to the ingredients going into it. I personally use old newspapers shredded up as bedding, lighlty moistened, then pile the food wastes on it, add a scoop of garden soil for grit and another layer of wet paper. The worms like cool and dark, so don't worry about covering them too deeply, they will be fine.
Do not overload them with food...a few cups of food for about 2 cups of worms seems about right. Give them a few days with that amount, and then check them. Overfeeding can lead to a smelly worm bin.
Give them a week and check them again, if they need more food, give them another cup of veggie scraps. They will start to multiply rapidly, at first you won't really notice, but you'll be amazed.
Every time you feed them, make sure to cover them with moist shredded paper. They prefer dark, cool, damp areas for eating and burying themselves. They are kinda shy.
A worm bin can live outside on the cool north side of you house, or in the basement or garage. In my experience, as long as it's somewhere you will have easy access and they will be out of the direct sun, and enough food, they will be happy to make great soil for you, free of charge.
happy worm composting!
I have no clue how they see where they are going or if they can smell anything...
They have very simple lives, when no chickens or birds are hanging around...or potential fishing experts.
These critters are amazing. They multiply by the thousands very rapidly, so if you want to keep a worm bin, the worm part is easy.
I harvested 5 gallons of fresh worm manure tonight from my worm bin...that will literally be enough castings for about 300 square ft of vegetable gardening. That's pretty impressive, I think.
Keeping a worm bin is easy, low maintenace and odor free if you pay attention to the ingredients going into it. I personally use old newspapers shredded up as bedding, lighlty moistened, then pile the food wastes on it, add a scoop of garden soil for grit and another layer of wet paper. The worms like cool and dark, so don't worry about covering them too deeply, they will be fine.
Do not overload them with food...a few cups of food for about 2 cups of worms seems about right. Give them a few days with that amount, and then check them. Overfeeding can lead to a smelly worm bin.
Give them a week and check them again, if they need more food, give them another cup of veggie scraps. They will start to multiply rapidly, at first you won't really notice, but you'll be amazed.
Every time you feed them, make sure to cover them with moist shredded paper. They prefer dark, cool, damp areas for eating and burying themselves. They are kinda shy.
A worm bin can live outside on the cool north side of you house, or in the basement or garage. In my experience, as long as it's somewhere you will have easy access and they will be out of the direct sun, and enough food, they will be happy to make great soil for you, free of charge.
happy worm composting!
Monday, January 30, 2012
What to do with old cotton or wool rugs? Recycle it in your garden!
I love old wool and cotton rugs.
you know the ones... beautifully patterned and threadbare? No way any thrift store will take them and no way to display them in your home anymore...they are just too far gone.
And too heavy to pay to take to the landfill, let alone add another 'thing' in the deep caverns of our precious mother that could be useful...but how?
Well, one way is to use them for mulch. Yep, that's right, mulch.
Stay with me here...
Need a pathway, but don't want to dig up the sod, or pay for gravel/sand?
Ok, cut up the rug, literally.
I have to be clear here, it MUST be natural fibers.
Wool or cotton only.
I also must add...old wool or cotton clothing can work just the same, be sure to overlap. Think about it....covering the ground with your fasvorite old sweater, the one that needs to be buried!!!! Give it a nice place to carry on in another useful way.
I have quite a few work sweaters that I really need to repurpose, maybe you've seen me wear them, and were too polite to tell me. Thank you for giving me the time to work it out. Winks.
Yes, cut it up, lay it out in the pathway formation you like. Over time (a long time-years) the rug will break down and add back to the soil...and will not add to landfills.
Here we go back to arborist wood chips...if you have any, or can get some, lay 4-6 inches over the path/rug and it will stay weed free for years!
This is no different than burlap coffee bags.
I know, it sounds crazy, but I've done it so many times and it's amazing, listen, I have lots and lots of land to cover, so I need to reach outside the box and I am always trying to use what I have, rather than buy more!
I've also used old canvas tarps. They work great. The only thing that has ever been able to push up through after a few years, were the woodland hyacinth...oh my goodness, don't get me started on those!!!! Wretched little beasts!
Now, we are not talking about using this in Edible gardens, however, this could be used in any area that you want to eliminate lawn, the downside is that the rugs are too thick to dig a shovel in to plant anything, unless of course you pile soil over it and are creating a 'berm' effect, of at least 12 inches deep or more. Keep this in mind as you decide where to try this.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Maybe I'm not the first one to have ever tried this, but I've never heard or read about this anywhere else...I learned by trying, and have used this technique for nearly 15 years, never to be disappionted.
See ya in the garden!
you know the ones... beautifully patterned and threadbare? No way any thrift store will take them and no way to display them in your home anymore...they are just too far gone.
And too heavy to pay to take to the landfill, let alone add another 'thing' in the deep caverns of our precious mother that could be useful...but how?
Well, one way is to use them for mulch. Yep, that's right, mulch.
Stay with me here...
Need a pathway, but don't want to dig up the sod, or pay for gravel/sand?
Ok, cut up the rug, literally.
I have to be clear here, it MUST be natural fibers.
Wool or cotton only.
I also must add...old wool or cotton clothing can work just the same, be sure to overlap. Think about it....covering the ground with your fasvorite old sweater, the one that needs to be buried!!!! Give it a nice place to carry on in another useful way.
I have quite a few work sweaters that I really need to repurpose, maybe you've seen me wear them, and were too polite to tell me. Thank you for giving me the time to work it out. Winks.
Yes, cut it up, lay it out in the pathway formation you like. Over time (a long time-years) the rug will break down and add back to the soil...and will not add to landfills.
Here we go back to arborist wood chips...if you have any, or can get some, lay 4-6 inches over the path/rug and it will stay weed free for years!
This is no different than burlap coffee bags.
I know, it sounds crazy, but I've done it so many times and it's amazing, listen, I have lots and lots of land to cover, so I need to reach outside the box and I am always trying to use what I have, rather than buy more!
I've also used old canvas tarps. They work great. The only thing that has ever been able to push up through after a few years, were the woodland hyacinth...oh my goodness, don't get me started on those!!!! Wretched little beasts!
Now, we are not talking about using this in Edible gardens, however, this could be used in any area that you want to eliminate lawn, the downside is that the rugs are too thick to dig a shovel in to plant anything, unless of course you pile soil over it and are creating a 'berm' effect, of at least 12 inches deep or more. Keep this in mind as you decide where to try this.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Maybe I'm not the first one to have ever tried this, but I've never heard or read about this anywhere else...I learned by trying, and have used this technique for nearly 15 years, never to be disappionted.
See ya in the garden!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Ciscoe Morris visits Village Green Perennial Nursery
April 15th 1-2pm
Village Green Perennial Nursery
10223 26th Ave SW Seattle 98146
Oooh la la!
Join us for some springtime garden talk and plenty of laughter!
Spring flowering perennials...such as
Trillium
Hellebores
Anemone blanda
bleeding hearts
groundcover dogwood
hardy geraniums
and so much more!
plus soil amendments and fertilizers
Hendrickus organics
Yelm worm castings
Put this on your Calender now!
Street parking ONLY. This will be a full house!
Village Green Perennial Nursery
10223 26th Ave SW Seattle 98146
Join us for some springtime garden talk and plenty of laughter!
Spring flowering perennials...such as
Trillium
Hellebores
Anemone blanda
bleeding hearts
groundcover dogwood
hardy geraniums
and so much more!
plus soil amendments and fertilizers
Hendrickus organics
Yelm worm castings
Put this on your Calender now!
Street parking ONLY. This will be a full house!
Art camp, summer garden day camp
Experience a whole new kind of Summer Art Camp! Not only will your children return home with beautiful handcrafted clay sculptures, miniature gardens, paintings and collages, they'll always remember spending three days in nature surrounded by trees, songbirds, chickens and flowers.
Our Garden Art Activities Include: Drawing, Painting with Watercolors, Sculpting with Clay, Collage, Sun-print, Wire Garden Ornament Sculpture, and Planting Miniature Gardens.
Get inspired by the colors, textures and sounds of Village Green!
Art and Gardening materials included.
Please pack a lunch and plan for the weather.
Ages 8 - 12
Wednesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Session 1: July 11 - 13
Session 2: July 18 - 20
$250 per session, per child
Registration...
http://www.sarahbrowning.com/uploads/Garden_Art_Summer_Day_Camp_Registration_2012.pdf
Our Garden Art Activities Include: Drawing, Painting with Watercolors, Sculpting with Clay, Collage, Sun-print, Wire Garden Ornament Sculpture, and Planting Miniature Gardens.
Get inspired by the colors, textures and sounds of Village Green!
Art and Gardening materials included.
Please pack a lunch and plan for the weather.
Ages 8 - 12
Wednesday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Session 1: July 11 - 13
Session 2: July 18 - 20
$250 per session, per child
Registration...
http://www.sarahbrowning.com/uploads/Garden_Art_Summer_Day_Camp_Registration_2012.pdf
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)