Photo Credit: Urban-Waterfall by Trois Têtes (TT) used under CC BY-NC 2.0

City life can be exhausting.

A long daily commute through a concrete jungle of gray and brown is a reality of life for many in and around our urban areas.

But amid this manmade, non-organic reality, small urban yards can be the sanctuary we need to escape, relax and recharge after a tiring day.

You may be fortunate enough to have a lawn, and if so you shouldn’t take this for granted.

Taking care of your lawn can often be an enjoyable and relaxing activity, and it creates a beautiful space for you to enjoy with friends, family and neighbors alike.

The first thing you need to consider when caring for your lawn is how you intend to keep it maintained. In an urban space, it is important to make the most of the area that you have, so you can get the fullest experience from your yard. This invariably means Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: DSC04478 by Rowan used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

What does a wine bag and a root crop have in common?

Well, on the surface nothing but if you look at the design of the bag and know the requirements of these crops then you can figure out the common ground, which is depth.

A wine bag is a very deep container designed to hold wine bottles and root crops need a certain depth of soil. When combined a wine bag is a perfect container for root crops.

But what is a root crop and how do you plant a wine bag? A root crop is anything by which you eat the root and sometimes the leaves. This includes potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

All of these vegetables require a deep soil that is loose and free of stones, which can deform the vegetable if the root hits it. This is where the bag comes into play.

A wine bag is several inches deep and in doing so can address the needs of root crops. First, it can be filled as deep as needed and the soil can be designed to eliminate any stones or soil obstructions.

Second, Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: Using bags of soil to grown a salad garden by American College of Health Care Sciences

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Many years ago, there was a rash of plantings that were occurring in potting soil bags.

This was a great approach for those urban gardeners who had no land or could not plant a garden on their property.

But as ours lives have gotten busier, the potting soil bag garden is coming back into vogue.

Why would one plant a garden in a bag of potting soil? Well the answer is simple and that is the convenience. There is no mixing; no laying down drainage material, no cleaning containers, and the end of the season cleanup is easy. Just dump the soil in the compost bin or throw it away.

While there are pros, there are also cons to this planting approach. First, there could be a health issue with the toxins in the plastic. As the plastic heats up, the chemicals can contaminate the soil and in doing so will contaminate anything you harvest out of that garden.

Second, Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: Custom Pretty Cool Color Washi Tape by Cute Tape used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

When my children were young, we used to walk to preschool.

As we walked, we would review the letter of the week, colors and simple math.

On the way home, we would discuss what they learned in school and stop for snack at our local pizza parlor.

But when spring came, our routine changed. We still continued to review what was learned in school but we also started observing nature.

As luck would have it, my daughter was a flower collector. She could never pass up a patch of flowers and in doing so I was always caring home fists full of poesies. While the dandelions, clover, wild carrot and violets were beautiful, I always was looking for a different way of holding my daughter’s collection.

Then one day it came to me. Why not create wearable flower art that she could take with her to class. So Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: There’s quite a few by Evelyn used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Squash is such a flexible vegetable, not only from a culinary aspect but also from a gardening perspective.

From the culinary side, it can be grilled, baked, steamed, sautéed, and boiled.

In the garden, it can be planted as soon as the local frost-free date has passed and can continue to produce all the way to late fall to early winter.

But not all squashes are the same. Below is a general description of the two types of squashes you may want to plant for an extended season of squash delight.

Summer squash is a one that produces very prolifically from early summer until Read the rest of this entry »