Mother Earth's Garden

Check out all the Lifestyles blogs taking a Quantum leap on the b5media main blog. It’s all great fun, taking a look at where we were 4 years ago, where we are today and where we expect to be 4 years from now.
What will you be doing on the extra day you’ve been given this year? I’ll probably be starting some seeds since I’m way behind on that this winter. I’m way behind on getting any seedlings started this year. I usually have most of my seedlings started by mid February. I only have a couple things started. That’s my …read more

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There are just a couple days left to vote in the current Mother Earth’s Garden poll. Let us know where your garden seeds come from. We’ll have the results, and a new poll the first of March.
What would you like to know about fellow gardeners? If you have a garden related question you’d like to see answered here feel free to contact me. Maybe your question will become our next garden poll.
Don’t forget about the Mother Earth’s Garden reader’s tips page.  Do you have a favorite gardening tip you’d like to share? I would love to hear it. I shared …read more

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Since this year is a leap year it’s a great time to reflect on where you’re going with your garden. Where will you be in your gardening efforts in 4 years, where were you 4 years ago?
I have  always leaned toward gardening naturally and organically, but I think I pay more attention now to where my seeds come from, and what is in the soil I start my seeds in than I did four years ago.
I pay more attention to where the produce I purchase comes from, I buy locally whenever possible and I buy organic produce whenever I can …read more

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Here’s whats happening around the Lifestyle Network this weekend:
Tree Hugging Family is giving away 2 free tickets to the First Eco Wedding & Lifestyle Show in Canada. If you’re interested in going head on over and leave a comment by February 29th. The show starts March 1st in Toronto, Canada. Good luck!
Simply Thrifty has 15 Things You Can Do In The Snow. My husband pulled our son around on the sled with the tractor for about a couple hours today. It’s not on the list but they had fun!
Unplugged Living tells you how Solar Power Helps Water Crops.
Lifestyles has recipes, …read more

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Last weekend I wrote about Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, this Sunday 60 Minutes is running a segment called What’s Wrong With The Bees? If you’re interested in finding out more on this subject check it out. I hope to watch.
On a related subject Garden Rant has a post on the reappearance of a disease that’s wiping out the bat population.
Many people don’t like bats, but they’re an important part of our ecosystem. I enjoy watching them fly around our barn catching mosquitoes on hot summer nights.

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During the winter when gardening is slow, I love to watch the birds. I enjoy watching the action around my bird feeders. Birds don’t just eat birdseed. There are as many different snacks for birds as there are types of birds.
Bluebirds and woodpeckers enjoy the occasional dried mealworm and orioles love jelly.
Many birds will eat fruit slices, cranberries, raisins, or grapes if you place them around your feeder or hang the fruit from a tree.  I posted a recipe for bird seed ornaments that works as a bird snack all year long.
Here’s another bird feeder recipe.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 …read more

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A hyper tufa trough looks like a stone trough but it’s much lighter. It makes a great container for plants. You can make them in any shape or size, and the material cost is very cheap.
A hyper tufa trough is a planter made with one part cement (not concrete or mortar), one part peat moss, and one part perlite. Some recipes call for a little less cement. You’ll need two nesting containers, bowl shaped or boxes as molds.
Before mixing everything up you’ll want to lay down a large sheet of heavy plastic. You can mix the ingredients in a large …read more

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I love spring! It’s my favorite time of the year. I love it when everything starts growing and turning green. I know some would say I’m wishing my life away, but I wish for spring from January first until March.
I’m usually good through December, I think it’s all the holiday bustle. I love the
Christmas season, so I’d never want to skip that. I usually get a big poinsettia, and we have the Christmas tree to give me my green fix.
After Christmas I go into hibernation for the next couple months. Most of the year I love to be outside, but …read more

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Here are a couple gardening links I thought you might find interesting.
You Girl Girl tells you how you can make your own seed starting mix. The best part? It’s all organic, and contains no chemicals.
Garden Rant has chocolate plants (Yum!). Plants that have a chocolate scent, rich chocolate color, or are just dark in color. One of my favorite plants in my garden is a chocolate mint. I love going out and plucking off leaves just to smell them. I feel a chocolate themed garden coming on!
This Garden Is Illegal talks about Orchids as houseplants. This post …read more

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Bee Colony Collapse Disorder is a phenomenon that Scientists have been trying to understand for the last couple years. Worker bees leave their hives and never return. Whole hives disappear within a couple hours. Leaving the queen and her offspring to fend for themselves.
Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, also known as BCCD is an epidemic in the bee community, and is threatening the worlds food supply even more than Global Warning. Scientists have been scrambling to determine the cause of BCCD, and have narrowed it down to a combination of things. One of the main culprits is a virus. The virus …read more

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