When it comes to garden seeds, especially organic garden seeds there are all sorts of kooky sounding terms that go along with it. Sort some of the basics out below.

Genetically Modified Organism: More common is the abbreviation GMO. This term applies to any animal or plant that has been genetically engineered. Most folks who believe in organic gardening do not support GMO due to the fact that much more research is needed before it’s considered 100% safe. Also note, most GMO seeds are sold to commercial not home gardeners. Learn more about the GMO debate.
Heirloom vs. Hybrid: These two terms …read more

I recently heard about Container Gardening for Health: The 12 Most Important Fruits and Vegetables for Your Organic Garden, a book that covers the most important crops to grow organically based on the “Dirty Dozen” list. This is a list created by The Environmental Working Group that tells consumers which fruits and veggies are best and least important to buy organic. The EPA just updated the list in spring of 2009, so this book which came out also in the spring contains the most current Dirty Dozen info.

I like the idea, because not only are the Dirty Dozen list items …read more

The Soil Association’s Organic Farm School, supported by the Daylesford Foundation is meant to help fill the knowledge gaps recently discovered among UK residents when it comes to gardening. According to a recent study a basic lack of confidence may be holding Brits back from taking the plunge towards self sufficiency, with half admitting they have lost the practical skills of their grandparent’s generation.

45% admit they have fewer cooking skills.
47% say they are less able to grow their own food.
48% have lost the rural craft skills that make self sufficiency possible.
51% say they would have no idea how to …read more

Gardening is often promoted as an inexpensive activity, but in truth it’s not always easy to garden on the cheap. That said there are some areas where you can cut gardening costs big time.

Save your old seeds (check to see if they still work).
Compost for homemade soil – even if your yard is small you can compost. In fact, you can compost indoors if you want.
Don’t buy new – garden tools, gardening books, pots, and so on. Most gardening supplies can be easily found at thrift stores. You can also borrow from or share garden tools with friends. It’s also …read more

Earthworms are part of the plan if your goal is to have a beautiful garden without all the chemicals. Of course worms aren’t the only tool for organic gardening, but they are super handy and they love your garden.

Earthworms like to crawl around in the dirt (well, or at least they slither about) and while they move they loosen soil and condition it as well.
They leave their little worm droppings all over the place – which is a lovely thought I know, but actually their droppings carry some of the same characteristics of fertilizer (yay).
Worms are cheap. Compared …read more

A rain garden is not terribly different from a traditional garden but it is a more efficient garden. Rain gardens use rain (shocking right) and stormwater runoff as a perk. They use this extra water to their advantage other than allowing it to cause a problem. A rain garden also incorporates smarter plant choices, such as water loving plants vs. plants that smother with too much water.

Creating a rain garden is something you can do on your own, although it is an involved process and you may want to check with a local landscaper or your local community extension office …read more

According to the National Gardening Association (NGA) organic gardening, or all natural gardening, is growing quickly in popularity with more folks then ever using all-natural gardening methods. Results from NGA’s 2004 and 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden surveys show that “Households that use only all-natural fertilizer, insect, and weed controls increased from an estimated 5 million households in 2004 to 12 million in 2008.”

When the 2008 Environmental Lawn and Garden Survey asked U.S. households, “In your opinion, how important is it that residential, commercial, and municipal lawns and landscapes be maintained in an environmentally friendly way?” 89% of said households …read more

Pesticides and other harmful chemicals you put on your lawn are not only detrimental to the air, water, and soil (i.e. the whole flipping planet) but the health of your family and community. The pesticides you use for lawn care don’t stay on your lawn. You and your family drag them into the house on your shoes. Pets run through the lawn and spread the pesticides. And particles drift off into the neighborhood. Yay! Instead, keep it green and healthy by reducing your overall use of pesticides – in fact, many people don’t use any pesticides at all.

Here’s how to …read more

I thought for the weekend some of you might enjoy a terribly disturbing composting video. I’ll be back a little later today with a longer, more useful gardening post, but it’s also good to have fun. I originally posted this at another blog of mine Tree Hugging Family, but it’s way too cool (um, or scary) not to spread all over the web.
Enjoy!

Go Green Gardeners is an eco-friendly gardening company in California. If you happen to live in Van Nuys they’d be a great garden landscaping company to contact.
The company offers garden design, installation, weekly or monthly maintenance, irrigation, lighting, hardscape, and ponds and water features. But most importantly they’re dedicated to reducing water waste, organic and healthy gardening (i.e. no pesticides or herbicides), and other green garden features.
That’s all cool, but you might be wondering why I’m bringing up some random gardening company. In this case, it’s because of Go Green Gardeners living walls. I recently came across their site and …read more