What Is Aeration? Technically speaking, aeration is the naturally occurring process of air exchange between the soil and its surrounding atmosphere. Practically speaking, aeration is the process of mechanically removing small plugs of thatch and soil from the lawn to improve natural soil aeration. It’s commonly called “core aeration” in the lawn service industry, and
Flower Bed & Backyard
Vegetable Garden Ideas
Among the many joys of gardening is that there’s always something new to try and always something new to learn. If you’re ready to try some new ideas in your vegetable garden or flower beds, here are a few suggestions: 1. Try Something New Every year the seed companies introduce new cultivars (cultivated varieties) of
Give Your Kids the Gift of Gardening for a Healthy Lifestyle
The CDC reports that US children between the ages of 2 to 18 are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, although consumption has increased by 67% since 2003. Children who eat a lot of sugar have an increased risk of obesity and diabetes, are more prone to be diagnosed with allergies, AND can have
Benefits of School Gardening
Should kids learn how to grow their own food in schools? There has been a lot of talk on Facebook asking this question. We decided to list the benefits of school gardening! 1. Gardening teaches kids about more than just nature, but other skills like responsibility and teamwork. That’s right; gardening makes kids accountable for their results. After
Historic American Garden Tours
Plan a tour of these historic gardens of America for a living glimpse into our past. Here are just a few historic gardens on our ‘garden tour bucket list’. We hope you’ll be inspired to tour these historic American gardens with friends and family. Grow inspired! Bartram’s Garden – Philadelphia, PA http://bartramsgarden.org/ Founded by botanist, explorer and
Vegetable Transplants
The best way to get high quality, healthy, and true-to-name vegetable transplants is to grow your own. If, however, you choose to buy transplants from a nursery or garden center, here’s a guide to selecting and caring for transplants. Which Vegetables Should I Plant? If you are a first-time gardener, you may want to start
Small Space Gardening
You Don’t Need a Big Space to Grow a Great Garden Ever think that you don’t have enough space to have a garden? Well, think again! You can grow delicious fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and beautiful flowers. Best of all, you can do it in a small space! Here are some tips for designing and
Chocolate Beet Cake
Here’s a recipe that will surprise you! If most people had to name their favorite vegetable, they probably wouldn’t name beets. Before you dismiss beets, keep in mind this superfood is rich in antioxidants and can lower your blood pressure. And did you know a lot of athletes make beet juice a part of their daily diet? Endurance athletes believe the nitrates in
Composting for Kids: A Great Science Experiment!
Kids and composting are an unlikely match; but we argue that composting is an awesome science experiment that can teach kids a lot. Children learn about the earth through gardening, and the same is true with composting. Make composting for kids a hands-on science experience! Composting for Kids: What Do They Learn? 1. Gardening and composting teaches kids how the
Too Many Green Tomatoes? Try This Recipe!
As we are approaching cooler weather, you may be losing hope that your tomatoes will turn red. Cooler weather is one of the causes for your tomatoes not turning red, resulting in a garden full of green tomatoes. When the temperature is between 50 and 85 degrees, tomatoes produce the chemicals lycopene and carotene which turn tomatoes red. So the colder
Want Clear Skin? Grow and Eat These Vegetables
For some of us the battle for clear skin is a fight into our adulthood. There are many factors that trigger acne, poor diet to hormones to stress are some of the common causes. To get really healthy clear skin on the outside, it all starts with the inside. Proper nutrition, along with water are the first steps to get the
Black Radish Chips
What are black radish chips? Try this black radish chip recipe to serve as a side dish or snack. Black radishes not only add spice to your garden, they’ll spice up your dinner as well! Unlike other radishes, the black radish has a peppery taste that is very unique. Black radishes are so easy to grow and even easier to
Black Radish: Tips on Growing & Harvesting
You can really be creative with your garden! For example you can go bold by turning your front yard into an edible garden or if you prefer to do something low key “spice” things up by growing unconventional vegetables! A black radish is a perfect addition to your garden. This veggie has a peppery taste that will add zing
Zucchini Bread Recipe
Zucchini is a versatile vegetable! You can do a lot with zucchini like sauté them, turn them into noodles or you can make zucchini chips for a healthier alternative to regular potato chips. Though, we’ve got to admit zucchini bread is our favorite way to use all those excess zucchini from the garden. Ingredients: 3 eggs 2 ½
Give Beets a Chance: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Beets!
Beets, the word alone makes a lot of people shudder with disgust. According to a survey from Eating Well, beets are listed as one of the most hated vegetable along with Brussel sprouts, okra, and lima beans. But we want to build a case on why you should add beets to both your garden and diet. Beets are
Composting In Small Spaces
Green Spaces in Small Places Living in the city or in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t have some green space to call your own. Growing fresh herbs, vegetables and flowers on the balcony or rooftop is a growing trend. No pun intended! Balcony gardening is visually pleasing; creating an oasis of green right outside
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites are a quick and easy with less calories than regular cheesecake! This delicious dessert is perfect for picnics, holidays, barbecues……really for anytime. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened ½ cup heavy cream ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 pint strawberries Crushed graham crackers for garnish Rinse strawberries. From each strawberry remove a slice
I Scream, You Scream for….Strawberries!
Nothing screams summer fun more than strawberries! Though you can pick them up from your local grocery store, nothing tastes better than homegrown strawberries. Those who grow their own can definitely vouch for the better taste. Believe it or not, growing them is not as difficult as you think. Add young strawberry plants to your
Kid Approved Garden-to-Kitchen Snack
We mentioned in our last article, Give Your Kids the Gift of Gardening for a Healthy Lifestyle, that kids love to help in the garden by planting, watering, and picking their fruits and vegetables. Getting them involved in the garden and kitchen encourages kids to eat healthier by trying vegetables/fruits that they would generally not try. Here
Rainbow Pizza
This beautiful pizza is healthy, simple, and easy to make. You can grow most of the ingredients in your garden, all the more reason to get creative when you are planning your garden and making your pizza! You can use veggies of various colors but here’s what we picked. Ingredients: 2 1-lb. pkgs. refrigerated pizza
