Rally the Troops: It's Beneficial Insect Time!

As we move into March, early pests begin to emerge - mites, aphids, white flies, and other soft little 'suckers' perfectly time their hatching schedule to match that of the newly unfolding and tender young leaves of springtime. A healthy flush of rose leaves or new juniper growth can turn yellow and curled seemingly overnight, and the gardener's natural reaction is to run for the bottle - of pesticide, that is. Even botanical and natural pesticides (although an improvement upon their synthetic chemical counterparts) are often 'non-selective', and...

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The Bohemian Homestead: A House. A Home. A Homestead

We all know the difference between a house and a home. A house is but a mere structure, a place to hang one's hat, a roof over our head; but a HOME, ah, a home is where the heart is, it is shelter from the storm, and where we long to be when we are away. When a "house" becomes a "home", it is because we are more emotionally invested in it, having banked love, memories, and a sense of place.I have come to discover that the distance between 'home' and 'HOMESTEAD' is just as great; although the words to describe the additional investment required...

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How often do you really play croquette, anyway?

Lawn space is awesome for entertaining and as a place for the kids to play. Think about your own for a moment,,,ahhh, refreshing! Lemonade, the smell of cut grass, children running through sprinklers; no wonder we have such a love affair with our lawns. BUT - do you really need as much as you have? Is one pick up game of football on Thanksgiving honestly worth an entire year of mowing and trimming? Besides a place to lay a beach blanket or set up a croquette wicket, what does your lawn give back to you, your homestead, your community?For ideas...

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Musings: On Garden Snobs and Dope Growers

This link comes from one of my favorite garden blogs: GardenRant. I am in such awe of what the gals at GardenRant produce I almost didn't share it for fear of looking like a rank amateur against their impressive background. But they are just too awesome to hoard. In particular, I love their honest, quick-and-dirty approach to gardening.This post, by a guest 'ranter', addresses Garden Snobbery from the interesting point of view of a marijuana grower who couldn't get his book published because he 'wasn't a REAL gardener'. Um, untrue. There are many...

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Edible Estates

Ok, so it isn't the most easily navigated website, but once you get used to the little pull down tabs the garden eye-candy and amazing urban/suburban landscape transformations are worth it~A wonderful initiative with an accompanying book.Bueno, we likey! Way to help Guard'n the Planet! Click here for link to Edible Esta...

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Homesteading Video Series by University of San Francisco

This is a very interesting site that hosts a video series called "How to Homestead". The website and video series is made by a small group of professors and students at the University of San Francisco. Additionally, they have put together a wonderful tour of homesteads in each of the San Francisco districts with videos and demonstrations at each site! An idea whose time may be coming to Texas:)Link to 'How to Homestea...

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Little Homestead in The City

I just found the most beautiful small homestead, right outside of Los Angeles. It is called The Little Homestead in The City . The link brings you to a wonderful video on their blog...Wonderful inspiration! The Dervaes Family have been Backyard Homesteaders since the 1980s, and their site is chock full of beautiful photos as well as interesting statistics about their garden operation.Enjo...

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Why People DON'T Garden, and how to change their minds

To garden is to use the Earth as a canvas on which we create beautiful and sustainable works of art. Garden time is play time. Garden time is meditation time. Garden time is exercise time, 'me' time, couples time, or family time. We all know the many benefits of digging in the dirt - physical, health and nutrition, environmental, financial and emotional - it is why we are here after all: to learn more about gardens, backyard homesteading, and how to share our passion with others. Some folks are tough recruits though; no matter how much they love...

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Winter Gardening

Hands down, the most beautiful photographs of a winter garden are found at The Gardener's Eden. Clearly, Michela is a more experienced garden designer and author than I, having done freelance writing and photography for the mighty Martha Stewert. Michela's grasses, particularly, have amazing sculptural structure.The picture at right, yoinked from The Gardener's Eden site, shows winter scene to die for: the three cardinal evergreen colors (green, deep red, and pale green/yellow) are perfectly balanced by the simple and strong gray of the concrete....

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Mademoiselle Oiseau

: : .Mademoiselle Oiseau. is the result of the collaboration between Swedish China company Rörstrand and Swedish fashion designer Lovisa Burfitt. The series consisting of five pieces tell the story of Mademoiselle Oiseau. See more of Lovisa Burfitt's work here. I adore her mix of contrast; color, textures, line weight, media. So delicate.Tack Erica för tipset! (Thank you Erica for the t...

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arrows and more

 : : love these colorful kites, masks and handmade arrows from .fredericks and mae. (found via oh.joy). I wish I could afford a few handmade arrows up on our wa...

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Gardening: It's for the Birds!

Succulent berries ripe on the vine; rosy red fruits dangling from branches; thickets of ornamental grasses; seed laden perennial flowers...Whether your green space consists of a condominium courtyard or a multiple acre estate; when you increase the proportion of land dedicated to garden areas, the birds are sure to follow! Adding birds to your property will yield many rewards - with their playful antics, beautiful songs and brilliant colors, it is no wonder backyard bird watching is such a popular pastime. Their appetite for insects and other garden...

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Sculpture and Sky

Garden Sculpture tends to be small in stature: little creatures on the ground, saints and angels, gazing balls and bird baths...But I like to look at my art where I tend to need it the most here in Texas: against the vast, unbroken sky. No sense adding to more confusion on the ground amidst the plants with all of their colors, the soils, and all of the mulchy textures of leaves, barks, and other debris.Right: Steel bubbles reach for infinity. This piece is about 7 or 8 feet tall, and is made of cast off pipe fittings from the gas wells down the...

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