Friday, October 09, 2009

September 2009

Urban Sustainable Living September

September 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
Organic Weeding
New and Featured Video from the Web
William Moss
California In the House
Meet Patti Moreno
SIgn Up for the Message Board
Ask questions, post pictures, talk gardening! Please join by clicking below
(no gmail accounts please they are automatically banned)
Follow me on Twitter!
Garden Girl TV on Youtube
www.youtube.com/user/GardenGirltv
Website
Ezine Archives
Dear Patricia,

Patti in the GardenThis month we have on camera Garden hosts William Moss and Justin Cave contributing inspiring advice! I met both of them at this year's Independent Garden Center show and begged them to contribute.to the ezine. Read their articles below.
We have the return of Annie, The Dirt Diva from her book writing sabatical. I can not wait to read her new books!
Lots of great new video for your enjoyment and don't forget to scroll down to the bottom and see a little micro website my daughter and I made! Let's hear it for Garden Kid TV. Show it to your tweeners! Hopefully they will be insipred to garden too.
Check out my Article at Vegetable Gardener on Composting!
I am traveling what feels like non stop for the next two months so check out my schedule and come and visit if I am in your neck of the woods.
Volunteers Needed!
If there is anyone around this Monday or Tuesday Sept 21st & 22nd from 9am-5pm and can volunteer here at the farm, send me an email please! We'll be doing a variety of fall gardening tasks including harvesting, so you'll be able to go home with some fresh food from my farm, a dvd, and a nice medium impact workout. A light lunch will be provided! Come join me if you can.
From the Sustainable Home Front!
Patti the Garden Girl
William WeemsI am dedicating this issue to my Husbands friend William Weems a 9/11/2001 victim. We miss you Bill! Please Donate blood to your local red cross.

Apple'Organic' weeding
Getting rid of weeds the natural way!
By Justin Cave

There's no doubt about it, organic is the way to go! Maybe you have heard terms such as "organic," "eco-friendly" or "earth conscious." So what does it mean to you, and where can you start? This summer, try an "organic" approach to weed control. Organic weed control is the process of ridding your garden of weeds with out the use of harsh chemicals. Weeds are simply plants that are considered undesirable, growing in places you don't want them to! Weeding doesn't always require hard, physical labor. There are lots of easy ways get rid of those pesky weeds in your garden.

To properly win the battle against weeds, it helps know who your foe is. Identifying weeds is one of the first steps you can take to protect all your hard work in the yard. Some types are incredibly invasive and fast-growing, and others can cause problems for humans if they get too close. Most of us have had the unfortunate encounter with the infamous poison ivy, oak or sumac. However, most common weeds are just a plain, old nuisance. These don't cause skin reactions or breathing difficulties, they just don't look good!

It is just a fact of life that weeds exist in all gardens. Spread in a variety of ways by wind, water and animals, you can even introduce more weeds by the soil amendments that you use to help your garden grow. Greg Hamby of Seed N' Harvest, an Atlanta and Forsyth based company, says that there are a few important steps to take in an organic garden. "Prevention is one of the best tactics in battling weeds. That is why it is important to provide the best condition possible for the growth of desirable plants," he says. Issues like improper watering, insect damage and disease, and soil compaction are all allies to the development of weeds. Once you have begun to create a more nurturing environment in your yard, another step you can take is to remove all offending weeds by hand. Yes, the old-fashioned way. This way, you can eliminate the weed, roots and any seeds to ensure that they won't be back any time soon.

An organic garden and lawn requires healthy soil. It helps if beneficial organisms such as worms and other good bugs are alive in your garden. It is a fact that composting pays dividends. Remember, not all dirt is created equal. Specializing in organic vegetable gardening, Hamby urges, "Using good organic soil is essential to a healthy garden. Vegetables will grow and taste better, and you can have confidence in what you are eating."

BeansHaving your own compost bin is a great way to recycle and create rich soil amendments for your garden, not to mention prolonging the life of your local landfill. Organic waste that is commonly composted includes shredded brush, leaves, grass clippings and garden debris. Kitchen items such as coffee grounds, eggshells, vegetable waste and even fireplace ashes work great.

The use of barriers in the garden is another popular weed deterrent. Lay down a plastic liner to help block weeds. An organic alternative to plastic is ordinary newspaper. This is a great way to reuse the excess paper that you have lying around. Use a layer about 1/4-inch thick, and lay the paper in the desired areas; then wet it down so it doesn't blow away. Since paper is organic, it can be turned into the soil next spring. Once it is in place, cover the newspaper with a layer of straw or organic mulch to give your garden a well-groomed, weed-free look.

Another effective tactic against weeds is mulching. Mulching is actually one of the most beneficial things you can do to prevent weeds, conserve water and encourage a healthy garden. A two- to four-inch layer of mulch will reduce the germination and growth of weeds-not to mention it will maintain soil moisture, which can minimize watering needs for plants in mulched beds. For this reason, mulch acts as Mother Nature's blanket. It keeps soils cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, protecting your plants year-round. Organic mulches include pine straw, hardwood and softwood bark, compost mixes, leaves and wood chips. As these mulches break down and decompose, they improve soil quality and fertility, so any landscape professional or arborist will tell you that this is a plus.
Weeds are sometimes just as noticeable in the lawn as they are in the veggie garden. Organic fertilizers and proper lawn care practices can subdue weeds in your turf. Hamby reiterates to "be careful with products that claim t
o be organic. Some products may be 15 percent organic and 85 percent synthetic."

Products like corn husk and corn meal are good organic fertilizers. They don't work quite as fast as chemical fertilizers, but your lawn will thank you for it. The fact is that healthy turf grass won't give much room for weeds to grow. Seasonal aerations and mowing to the proper height-2 to 3 inches-will help your lawn. Cutting more than one-third of the total height can cause unnecessary stress. Besides, taller grass will choke out weeds.

Whether you are planting a vegetable garden or tending to your lawn, the weeds have got to go! It is true that you will never be able to get rid of all weeds in your landscape. A healthy garden promotes biodiversity, and weeds are part of the cycle. And just like the change in the season, you can bet that the weeds will be back next spring. So do your part and be responsible by taking an organic approach. Combine organic ideologies with proper maintenance and you are on your way!

Justin Cave of Atlanta is host of HGTV's "Ground Breakers" and principal of Sierra Consulting.

Garden Girl TV Video Links
New Release
Square Foot Gardening:
September Tips
Apple
Saving the harvest!
URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKMkuz5ibUk

Featured Video
A Trip to the Farm!

A COMPOST RETAINING WALL
Apple

URL:
Vegetable Gardening
Patti and Ale harvest from the Three Sisters Garden

Three Sisters


URL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoENDCxWAd8

William MossMoss In The City
Original Urban Gardener: Carl Walton

Urban gardening and sustainability are hot and trendy within certain circles now. But we are well behind the curve. Some have been both urban and sustainable for decades. On the west side of Chicago lives one such pioneer.

Mr. Carl Walton planted his garden in 1970, soon after arriving from Mississippi. It is not expansive, but an average city lot of about half an acre including the house. For Mr. Walton being green or sustainable is just common sense. Sustainable gardening, which limits your inputs and outputs, is both productive and cost effective. His methods include:

  • Collecting rainwater from gutters in trashcans. Once homemade cisterns are full, he redirects the gutters to water grape vines and peach trees.

  • Composting with grass clippings, plant debris, food scraps, fish guts, etc.
    Building and enriching the soil by tilling in leaves, hulls, and other plant waste in autumn

  • Using natural IPM methods, like a cat to protect the grapes and black pepper to deter rabbits.

  • Collecting, saving, and planting his seeds, even peaches and apples.

Walton GrandkidsMr. Walton will be 90 years old on October 8th. You would never guess it. His warm face, encyclopedic memory, firm handshake, and fashionable leather sandals are more typical of a man decades younger. Gardening keeps him young. He states, "It's my daily exercise. That's why I am still here. Most people my age are gone, either dead or in a nursing home." He also credits daily doses of a homemade concoction of pokeweed, mint, sage, garlic, and honey for keeping him vigorous. I'll have to trust him on that one.

From the street the modest front yard with arborvitaes, sunflowers, and impatiens conceals a productive urban farm. The speckled butter beans were seven feet high. Even though Mr. Walton had just harvested them all, the vines were still strong and green. As they fade, he will pull the beans down, till them into the soil, and sow more collards for autumn harvest. He keeps his garden at peak production throughout the season.
Extra produce is given to the community. A stack of giveaway bags and rubber bands are a testament to his garden's bounty. My wife and I were not allowed to leave without taking a couple bags of food.

Walton PearThe number of fruits and vegetables in his small lot is expansive and surprising. There are several varieties of tomatoes, beans, celery, eggplant, cucumber, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, kale, onions, garlic, pokeweed, sage, mint, pear tree, peach trees, apple trees, grape vines, strawberries, a walnut sapling, and a thin-shelled pecan sapling.
The yard is packed. There is just enough room to maneuver through the rows of beans, tomatoes, pokeweed, and cucumbers. You have to squeeze under the grape vines to get to the rear section of the garden. There, mustard and turnip seedlings are emerging near an apple tree. The only down time is middle of winter and even then he can harvest onions.
But he is not just limited to produce. He has a love for flowers. And it was obvious from the bursts of color throughout the garden and front yard. A magnolia tree, canna, hardy hibiscus, cosmos, sedum, rose bushes, tiger lilies, ferns, datura, hollyhock, violas, and bleeding heart were some of the ornamentals I noticed. He says I have to return in spring to admire all the early bloomers.

But make no mistakes, this is a garden is about producing food. Mr. Walton is nearly self-sufficient. He buys meat, sugar, cooking oil, and a few other necessities; but his garden supplies all his produce. He freezes and stores the summer's excess for the long Chicago winters. His garden also indirectly helps him get animal protein. Like most old-school gardeners, Mr. Walton seems to be a jack-of-all-trades, and that includes fishing and inventing. His homemade electric probe is used to shock worms from the wet ground. He takes those worms to Lake Michigan and other local fishing holes in search of bluegill, crappie, and catfish. I learned of another skill, when he showed me his grape harvest.

In a barrel near the pear tree most of the harvest was fermenting into wine. Truly, a man after my own heart! I could only smile at this Chicagoan making Concord grape wine (on top of everything else) from his little urban plot. The only wine-making secrets he revealed were yeast, sugar, and a wooden masher. But later he slyly took me inside and gave me a bottle of last year's brew, when my wife was not looking. I tried it when I got home and it was good. A little too sweet for me, so I cut it with equal parts chardonnay and sat on my rooftop contemplating this man's accomplishments.

AppleMr. Walton makes me reluctant to call myself an expert. He has practicing sustainable gardening longer than my mother has been alive. Before I was born, he was already an accomplished urban gardener on the west side of Chicago. In these odd times, what's old is new again. Resource conserving methods that date back to 19th century Mississippi are in vogue. I feel honored to have been welcomed into his garden, and hope to eventually follow in his footsteps.

Mr. Walton is a living testament to the benefits of urban gardening. Actual proof that urbanites can live sustainably. But he would not call it sustainability, permaculture, environmentalism, or any other trendy name. It is simply the best way to garden. Saving seeds, collecting rainwater, composting, crop rotation with legumes, and enriching the soil are all examples of top-notch horticulture and they save money. Meeting him has made me re-evaluate my gardening practices.
If a 90 year old man with a quarter acre of growing space can feed himself and his wife, then what am I doing? As food prices continue to increase along with the demand for fresh, local, nutritious produce, Mr. Walton's lifestyle will become more valued and hopefully emulated. He proves that even urbanites can sustain themselves with a little land and a lot of effort.
But when you watch Mr. Walton it doesn't look like work. He is having fun in his garden and he is proud of it. And that's the key. Sustainability is not a task to check off on your list, it's a lifestyle to live and celebrate. So here's to you, Mr. Walton, cheers.

VISIT OUR MESSAGEBOARD

ApplePetaluma Bounty: Send me the Food Posse!
September 2009

It's always mystified me that people who can afford health insurance and can shop at Whole Foods have access to safe and healthy food, while the ones who can't afford a doctor's visit are left to buy cheap processed food, lacking any nutritional value, and increasing their chances of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and a plethora of other debilitating diseases. What dimwit created this unjust food system? That guy is SO FIRED!

FlowersThen one rainy day, Lisa Ludwigsen, resource development coordinator of 'Petaluma Bounty' took me on a private tour of a new organic farm/community garden Petaluma, California. Petaluma Bounty is a nonprofit organization working to address hunger and improve local food options. Not only do they grow fresh food on their two-acre farm in downtown Petaluma, but they also redistribute surplus food and provide affordable fresh, organic food to low income families, schools and seniors. "Our mission is to provide a healthier food system in Petaluma," says Grayson James, executive director of the organization. A growing number of seniors in Petaluma live on fixed incomes and are unable to afford healthy, fresh food, while almost 1 in 3 children in Petaluma City Schools live in families that cannot afford to put healthy food on the table on a daily basis.


Petuluma CountyThe farm received the initial seed funding from the Hub of Petaluma Foundation. Elim Lutheran Church is the fiscal sponsor. "I gave a presentation at the church a few years ago," says James. "After the meeting, the daughter of Mr. Stonitsch, a longtime Petaluma resident, graciously convinced her dad to let us use his property on Shasta Road to grow this community farm." Gottfried Stonitsch is generously leasing the land where he raised his family, to Bounty Farm for five years. Along with support from Clover Stornetta Farms, North Bay Construction, Whole Foods, Green Waster Recovery, Exchange Bank and Kaiser Permanente the vision soon became a reality. "We envisioned this as the visual focal point for a healthy Petaluma food system. People can come here and experience food growing in the ground, look at it, taste it, get their hands dirty and learn. This is an educational forum," says James.

"The property was once a thriving lumber yard. I can't thank the volunteers enough," says farm manager Amy Rice-Jones. "They've done the cleaning and preparing of the land, and recently 25 brave, strong volunteers built a large greenhouse on the property in practically one day. The community support has just been incredible."
Fields of cover crops of vetch, fava beans, peas and oats are all thriving happily on the day I visit. In the spring they'll be chopped down and worked into the soil as a nutritious fertilizer and amendment before the flower and vegetable seedlings growing in the new greenhouse, are planted in the ground.

"During the summer months, I bring Mr. Stonitsch a flower bouquet every week. He lives here on the property. Periodically he'll come around. He's a big fan of the flower garden," says Jones. "Numerous restaurants in Petaluma cook with our crops; CafÈ Zazzle, Dempsey's, The Tea Room CafÈ and Central Market are a few. Our produce and flowers are also available at the local Farmer's Market. In the growing season, we have a flower subscription business where local businesses can sign up to purchase a fresh weekly bouquet of locally grown, organic flowers."

"Amy showed up here and just plugged into this and started growing flowers. This program is bringing so many people together, thanks to her," says Ludwigsen. "The volunteers are instrumental. Every bit of Petaluma Bounty is volunteers. We have kids from age 3 to age 80 coming here to help out!"
Apple

Besides the 2-acre farm, Petaluma Bounty has 3 other remarkable programs:

1. Bounty Hunters collect surplus fruits and vegetables from the local community. All those peaches you left sitting on the ground inviting pests and fungus, because you're busy tweeting on Twitter, can now be doing what they're supposed to being doing, feeding people. There's even a 'food posse' who will be sent to pick up food at your home if you're unable to drop it off at one of the Bounty Hunter's collection sites. These brave bounty hunters have collected 90,00 pounds of surplus food since August 2006!

2. The Bounty Box Food Club delivers a weekly box of healthy, fresh produce to low-income households at wholesale prices (subsidized by retail Bounty Box sales and corporate sponsorships).

3. Petaluma Bounty has also created community gardens at McDowell Elementary School and McKinley Elementary school and a third garden is located close to Petaluma's historic downtown. Many families who live in apartments now have a place to grow their own food.

"Our mission is to make healthy food available to everyone in Petaluma. To change a food system, it can't be done with just one program. You have to take a broader view. We're connecting with others locally to see how we can all team together so we can really start to shift an entire system," says Grayson James.

To volunteer time or equipment or to make financial donations, contact Amy or Grayson at www.petalumabounty.org or call 707-775-3663.
Visit annie@dirtdiva.com

VISIT THE NEW MICRO SITE GARDEN KID TV!

Apple

MEET PATTI MORENO
SEPTEMBER
Boston, MA-September 23rd
Garden Girl Farm
Tour my farm as part of the Natural Products Expo East Trade Show at the Boston Convention Center.
www.expoeast.com
Nashville, TN--September 27th--Time TBD
Green Power Day--More info to come
www.EarthMattersNetWorks.com

OCTOBER
St. Louis, MO--October 11th--1pm
Saint Louis Science Center
SCI FEST '09--I'll be there on October 10th & speaking on Sun Oct 11th.
www.slsc.org

Houston, TX--October 18th--Time TBD
Olive Barn--Stop by for a great time in Houston!
www.olivebarn.com
DECEMBER
Boston, MA--December 16th Time TBD
Boston Architectural College--Urban Sustainable Living Lecture
www.the-bac.edu/

To book Patti Moreno for an event contact the Lavin Agency at www.thelavinagency.com.
Please support my efforts of providing you with free content by purchasing my dvd and other products at www.OliveBarn.com. Thank You

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

July 2009 Urban Sustainable Liniving Magazine

Joe Gardener USL August 2009

AUGUST 2009
IN THIS ISSUE
Turning Junk Mail into Gardener's Gold
New and Featured Video from the Web
The Best little Horehound in Texas
The Remarkable and Necessary Honey Bee
Making A Difference In The Life of a Child With a Garden
Meet Patti Moreno
Container Gardening Inspiration
SIgn Up for the Message Board
Ask questions, post pictures, talk gardening! Please join by clicking below
(no gmail accounts please they are automatically banned)
Follow me on Twitter!
Garden Girl TV on Youtube
www.youtube.com/user/GardenGirltv
Website
Dear Patricia,

I hope all of you have had a wonderful summer so far. This August, I've been harvesting and eating from the garden. After years of doing it, I'm still thrilled when my meals are entirely from my garden.
I had a wonderful event here last Thursday. My friend and neighbor Chef Nadine made a fabulous meal for around 50 guests. It was called Under the Roxbury Sun. Thanks to everyone that came. Chef Nadine out did herself and thank god there were leftovers. Special thanks to Philip for the fantasic wine selection, Alex the sous chef and for my husband Rob on the drum grill. There will be one more harvest event this Fall, October 3rd. Mark it on your calendar! More information to come.
August also brought me back to Chicago for the Independent Garden Center Show. I loved seeing the Mahoney Family that run Mahoney's Garden Center. Their garden centers have such a wide variety of fantastic plants. They are the go to place for me when I need something special. I also saw Jon Pinkus, Leslie, and Niki from North Haven Gardens in Dallas Texas. Their garden center is a resource for gardeners who want to do things organically and with little impact on the environment. The staff is like a family and they are incredibally knowledgeable. I also bumped into Maggie from Thayer Nurseries. A great resource in our community with an eye on design. I can always find things to complete my garden.
I also met some people who have inspired me and taught me alot about gardening along the way. Of course Mel Bartholomew was there. We recently made some new videos together that I can't wait to show you. I'll give you a little hint on what we did...Mel planted a garden with me! I also met Rebecca from Rebecca's Garden in the flesh William Moss of Rally Round the House, as well as Justin Cave from Ground Breakers, Shirley Bovshow from Garden Police and last but not least, Shawna Coronado, the Casual Gardener and Joe Gardener from Garden Smart (This month's cover guy). Of course I have video which I will release in an up coming email blast.
Joe Gardener: The Twenty-Five Dollar Victory Garden Episode #1
This is the first video where I reveal what I've done so far. Just got my video camera, so come along for the ride as I document my efforts to feed my family of four, all summer, from my home vegetable garden on a total budget of twenty-five dollars! Can I do it? Just watch these videos to find out!
The Casual Gardener: Plant a Green Container Garden
Shawna Coronado from www.gardeningnude.com shows you how to plant a green and conservation centered flowerpot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea_IUaivwcw

Package Bee video from Fred Dunn
Package bees, are honey bees purchased by the pound. These bees come from Georgia and the queen is an Italian. I had a complete loss of my honey bees when it suddenly warmed up in PA during winter months. One February day, temps went to the 60's and workers flew out... the temperature suddenly dropped, preventing their return. The bees remaining in the hive were not able to maintain adequate heat and could not reach the stored honey. These package bees are replacements for those lost bees. Backyard honey bee yards have declined 12% in the last 10 years. My studies involve the use of "survivor" colonies, bees that make it without the use of chemical treatments. By continuing with stock from survivor colonies, we will, in theory, end up with naturally resistent honey bees. If you're interested in reading about our environment as impacted by synthetic chemical treatments, I recommend a book published back in 1959 titled Silent Spring. She could have written that very book today, regarding the honey bee.

Reader Pics

Here are a few from my garden. From: Shelby in Denver, CO
Happy harvesting, Patti! Love watching all of it grow~


Turning Junk Mail into Gardener's Gold
by Joe Gardener http://joegardener.com/

My home office shredder gets used a lot! I shred everything and derive great pleasure from doing so. If you think that sounds a little odd, just know that my kids argue over who gets to shred the next stack.

The point is so much that makes its way into our homes in the form of paper is fair game for the shredder. As long as there is junk mail, schoolwork, bills or anything else printed, there will always be and endless source of compostable material from inside the house. And while we're having some good clean family fun reducing unwanted paper to confetti, I am creating a wonderful carbon-rich addition for the compost pile and ultimately the best soil amendment in the world!

With the help of a good shredder, you can make great composting ingredients quickly and easily and finally put those papers in their proper place! Shredders are readily available today from many sources; drug stores, office supply stores and the big warehouse clubs all sell them. I use a high quality, home office version that I purchased for about $150. It can take about 15 sheets at a time, cuts paper into confetti and handles a large volume, all without removing a single staple or paperclip. It can even cut through CDs, DVDs and credit cards. However, knowing that everything I shred is destined for the compost pile, I don't include these.

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, and so it is with shredders too. I've had the small and inexpensive trash can size in the past but to me, they're more trouble than they're worth. The small cans fill up too quickly for all the trash I have. On my current model, I even enjoy hauling out the container of confetti paper to dump into the compost pile. It's quite attractive actually. In short order, all the different colors from the confetti are soon reduced to the same unrecognizable common denominator of finished compost.

Even if someday we do actually become a 'paperless' society, I can't imagine junk mail ever going away. And as long as there is junk mail, there will an endless source of compostable material from inside the house...meaning there will always be an endless source! Besides the true pleasure I get in reducing these offensive mailings to confetti, I must say, I am amazed at how quickly that volume of paper adds up, not to mention that for much of my life, I was contributing so much unnecessary waste to the landfill.

Now, with the affordability of quality shredders for the home, I encourage you to get one and start using it right away, especially since there's not much else going on the compost pile this time of year. Although the extra compost you'll make is the direct benefit, keeping all that paper out of the landfill is a simple and significant way to do something good for our planet too.
Garden Girl TV Video Links
New Release
Square Foot Gardening: How to Install Drip Irrigation

The key to my success in the vegetable garden this year has been my new drip irrigation system. In this video I install one in my raised beds. Please watch the video and rate and comment. Then go to dripworks.com and start planning your water saving drip irrigation system.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScAfQKisLo

Featured Video
Container Gardening: Bare Root Cherry Tree
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMCstzjx5rU

Container Gardening: Drainage Holes

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDB07Ptj70o

This month's videos:

Square Foot Gardening Tips: August


URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldg2RZz-YfY


Grubbin' in the Garden: The Edible Landscape

READER PICS
Hi Patti,
We as a family, watch your you-tube videos and enjoy them tremendously, we took to heart some of the techniques you have shown and I thought I would share some of the results in progress! In this photo you'll see two raised bed gardens. each has a small variety of squash, one houses some potatoes and the other some tomatoes. I have these beds set up all over the garden with trellis like supports located in the center of each bed, running the length. I can access the center of each bed from each of the long sides, and the trellis as well.

Keep up the great work, and happy gardening!
Melissa and Family

The Best little Horehound in Texas.... by Dana Wright
Marrubium vulgare Lamiaceae

Many will probably remember the days of a most popular candy. Old fashioned horehound candy and with autumn fast upon us, it is also time to start thinking about the dreaded coughs and colds that inevitably come with the colder time of the year. Sipping on warm herbal infusions does a lot for the symptoms, if not the soul, when one is in the deepest cavity of misery but there is more that can be done by the frugal self sustaining home gardener. Horehound has been used since early Egyptian times for bronchial afflictions and coughs and even today is popular in over-the-counter cough medicines. A single cup of horehound tea can have profound impacts on accumulated mucus in the respiratory passages, reducing phlegm and easing the gloom of illness. Use for bronchitis, flu, colds, and sinus infections. Have a sweetener on hand, horehound has a bitter taste!

Not only is it useful for coughs but it is also an attractive plant with densely clustered small, white, pleasantly fragrant flowers that bloom during the summer and downy grayish foliage which is the part harvested. It has been used as a grasshopper repellant with some success for as long as it has been used as a cold remedy. Another benefit is that it is a good companion to tomatoes and peppers attracting beneficial wasps and flies to the garden.
Sow seeds about 1/8 of an inch deep, either in containers or in ground, in spring after all danger of frost as past in full sun, soil temps should be holding at around 50 degrees. The seeds need warm weather to germinate. It is hardy to zone 4 and it is not terribly picky about soil as long as it is not too heavy or too wet. It does well in dry rocky areas, needing only 12 inches of water per year to survive. If you have a place in your garden where nothing else will grow, horehound can probably make it and thrive. It will reach about 2 to 3 feet as a full grown plant so one plant will be enough for a family to use. Horehound will bloom in the second year, once you see the flowers, cut them before they have a chance to dry and go to seed to keep the population of this herb in check as it is member of the mint family so it does have a tendency to seed readily and it will take over if you're not watching!

With all herbs, it is important to be safe. Horehound can adversely affect someone with heart conditions, low blood pressure, or anyone taking any type of insulin because horehound can lower blood sugar levels. Never take horehound while pregnant or nursing.

Horehound Drops
published on alt.folklore.herbs 1995
4 ounces of fresh horehound leaves
1/2 tsp crushed aniseed,
3 crushed cardamon seed
2 1/2 c of water, simmer this for 20 minutes then strain
Dissolve 2 cups of sugar, 1 1/2 c of brown sugar in the tea liquid. Boil until reaches hard crack stage pour into oiled try. Score when partially cooled. These can be wrapped in wax paper and then dropped in a zip lock. They will store for a long time but mine have never lasted long enough for me to test the length of time they will keep. This is a pretty easy thing to do especially if you've ever made your own candy before. It takes a little time but the effort is worth it.
Horehound Cough Syrup
from: Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Herbs
1 ounce fresh horehound
1 pint boiling water

Add herb to boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain well, you don't want particles left in the liquid. Measure the remaining liquid and then add to that twice the amount of honey. Mix well and bottle. To soothe cough, take 1 teaspoon 4 times a day.

The Remarkable and Necessary Honey Bee by Frederick J. Dunn
Consider owning and managing your own Apiary
Rearing your own colony of bees a.k.a. Apis Mellifera Domestic Honey Bee

About four years ago... I became keenly aware, that my property in northwestern Pennsylvania was absolutely void of honey bees. Dandelions as far as the eye could see in the spring sunshine, and not a single buzzing honey bee! I soon became familiar with the term CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder...

At that very moment I resolved to bring in my own bees and manage them... what better way to learn about their order? I sought out experts via the Department of Agriculture and soon was on my first field trip, camera in hand, with the Bee Inspector.

I quickly located and procured my bee keeping supplies... a complete beginner bee keeping setup. There are several sources for equipment, but I honed my search down to a company called Betterbee, Inc. On the advice of the bee inspector, I decided to start several hives/colonies so I would be able to make comparisons as to their general health and progress. A complete 10 frame starter kit $259.95 plus shipping, completely assembled, but un-painted. I was so excited! Bee helmet, veil, gloves, smoker, pierco frames... telescoping cover, screen base with landing platform. And of course I special ordered my white bee keeper jumper with a special zipper around the neck to accommodate the veil. I was so excited when our UPS driver delivered the kit and hives.

I located my hive bodies on a southern exposure, out of strong wind and in a spot that would receive shade in summer and sun in winter... you may see a video of my hive set up at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F33-fbeammU in this video short, I show the hives and how to install package bees which may be purchased via the U.S. Mail.
Once you are properly set up, equipment wise, you'll have to procure honey bees. I recommend joining a bee keeper association, I belong to the NW PA Bee Keeper's Association. This way you will become aware of issues with honey bees in your area and which type of domesticated honey bee will be most hearty in your climate. Expect to shell out $85.00 for 3 pounds of honey bees and a queen. This is enough to get a single colony going. You may purchase package bees... honey bees sold by the pound and shipped with a mated queen of your choice. Or, you may purchase nucs, (nucleus bees), which are honey bees purchased with their drawn comb and brood, this is the quickest start for a colony. Nucs are generally picked up and not shipped through the mail.

If you have a worker colony and want a specific type of queen bee, you may order her separately via overnight mail. I have purchased queens via overnight mail before and they came in a Fedex envelope.. the delivery guy couldn't believe what he had been carrying. I was happy to introduce him to the queens as I had to open the package to verify live delivery. Worker bees are also inside the queen cage, as they must attend the queen during her transit. Always something new at Fred's Fine Fowl.. he gets a laugh out of me.

Next month, I'll write about honey and how I go about collecting it from the hives.
Here are some other sources for honey bees and supplies:
www.dadant.com www.beeweaver.com www.beesource.com I recommend that you look for survivor colonies... those which make it without medications and synthetic disease controls.
Until next time,
Fred
www.FredsFineFowl.com

Hi, I thought I would send photos of the raised garden I did this year. Although I live on 5 acres, I love having this right outside my kitchen door. I was very much inspired by your videos and e-zine. I planted 7 tomato plants, 6 cucumber plants, 3 zucchini, 1 Roma Grape tomato and 6 bell pepper plants. Mary
Making A Difference In The Life of a Child With a Garden
by Shawna Lee Coronado
Indeed, this type of energy is the type of energy we want our children to have instead of caffeine- or sugar-generated. It is longer lasting, healthier, and stimulates lasting memories. Bottom line; gardening and being outdoors in nature is fun and makes kids and adults alike feel happy. Testimony to this claim is the sunflower garden adventure my youngest daughter and I had together. One afternoon I dumped a handful of sunflower seeds in my hand and said, "Will you look at that!"
"What?" said my youngest, leaning low to my hand so she could get a close-up view of the seeds.
"That!" I smile, "This is a sunflower!"
"MOMMMMM, it is not, it's too little!" she answered incredulously.
"It will be in a few months," I said. "Let's go outside and plant them." We got our old shoes on, grabbed a shovel, some popsicle sticks, and a watering can and headed out behind the fence.
Grinning, my girl and I set about digging up the ground. We laughed with each other and she asked a lot of questions about how little seeds can grow. Of course, half way through she found a few worms and I lost my digging mate, but she gained much from that experience as she sat and played on the sidewalk with the worms while I finished digging.
Finally she came and helped me plant the little seeds in the ground, placing a popsicle stick next to each seed so we would know where to water in the coming weeks.
Every other day or so we would get out in nature and spend some time talking about those seeds. We always had smiles on our face when we went out to water the little babies. Our experience together, being out in nature, was awesome for both of us.
One lazy summer day, my little one came screaming into the house, grabbed me by the hand, and dragged me tooth and nail out to the sunflowers shouting I had to see something. When we got out to the garden, the flowers towered over twelve feet high; their heads enormous. Neither of us could believe how big they were.
"I can't believe it!" she said.
"Pretty big aren't they?" I replied.
"HUUUGGGEE Mom! They're just HUGE! Bigger'n Dad! Bigger'n a tree! I think they might be bigger'n our garage! And this big, giant flower came from our little-bitty seed, right?"
"Right!"
"The worms are in the ground around the seeds, so they helped too, right?"
"Right!"
"Let's get the camera!"
There we were out in nature, gardening, laughing, taking photos of the biggest darned flowers we had ever seen. Neighbors from our community were walking by and hugging their congratulations with us on the marvelous accomplishment of those glorious flowers. I remember every day we watered and the great feeling it gave both of us to be outside together. I remember seeing the sunflower grow inch by inch every day of the summer. And I remember the joy in the heart of my little girl when she realized how nature works together and how we helped it along. I cannot wait to do it again next year.
This is the gift we should be giving every child - the gift of understanding the connection between good health, community, and the natural world. Remember that life is what you make it - make it about being out in nature with your children!
Shawna Lee Coronado is an author, locally syndicated newspaper columnist, energetic speaker, and environmental and health correspondent. As a greening expert, she is focused on teaching and living a green lifestyle.
To learn more about Shawna visit www.thecasualgardener.com
or either of her blogs - green blog - www.gardeningnude.com
or garden blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com

MEET PATTI MORENO

SEPTEMBER
New York City, NY--September 12th & 13th--12pm
New York Botanical Gardens
Visit their edible garden exhibit and join me for Home Gardening Demonstration.
www.nybg.org/edible_garden/

Winchester, MA-September 19th Time TBD
Mahoney's Garden Center
Workshop: Composting, Fall Plantings, Getting your garden ready for winter

Falmouth, MA-September 20th Time TBD
Mahoney's Garden Center
Workshop: Composting, Fall Plantings, Getting your garden ready for winter
www.mahoneysgarden.com

Boston, MA-September 23rd
Garden Girl Farm
Tour my farm as part of the Natural Products Expo East Trade Show at the Boston Convention Center.
www.expoeast.com
Nashville, TN--September 27th--Time TBD
Green Power Day--More info to come
www.EarthMattersNetWorks.com

OCTOBER
St. Louis, MO--October 11th--1pm
Saint Louis Science Center
SCI FEST '09--I'll be there on October 10th & speaking on Sun Oct 11th.
www.slsc.org

Houston, TX--October 18th--Time TBD
Olive Barn--Stop by for a great time in Houston!
www.olivebarn.com
DECEMBER
Boston, MA--December 16th Time TBD
Boston Architectural College--Urban Sustainable Living Lecture
www.the-bac.edu/

To book Patti Moreno for an event contact the Lavin Agency at www.thelavinagency.com.
Container Gardening Inspiration by Mark Highland
Our garden is three years old this fall and just getting started. Our garden is a testament to our travels and experiences. A large number of our specimens are in containers. Containers have allowed us to maintain our collection across the country and "easily" move our plants from home to home. They have provided instant interest in a new space and allowed us to gradually claim a space as our own.

Containers can be quickly rearranged for a different impact, or moved to better intercept the changing light of the season. They are a sustainable way to create a new bed and you can easily see if a plant will do well under proposed conditions before actually sinking it into the ground. This is how you will find any young garden: in a constant state of growth and movement. The garden will never be "done." There is always a new vegetable that could use fertilizer or a plant needing a bigger pot. These essential activities give life and motion to an ever changing garden. Gardening connects us to the natural world and inspires imagination.
The best ideas for container combinations come by sitting in the garden and appreciating plant beauty. Most perennials are in smaller containers waiting for a future home, so I can quickly see how the 3 or so plants would look next to each other before actually planting. Containers tend to look stunning when they have a unifying theme to bring the plants together. It can be as simple as color or leaf shape, or as complex as you like. Choosing plants with similar watering and fertilizing needs helps overall long-term health of the container. Herbs that like it dry do not pair well with plants that like it moist. High quality potting soil helps reduce watering and provides plants with nutrients and support. Fertilizer is not always needed, but can help many plants reach their fullest potential.

One of my favorite containers planted last year was in a broken pot (top half sheared off), with a Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa), Toad Lily (Tricyrtis 'Sinonome'), and Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa 'Aureola'). The unifying theme was different shades of green and long, thin leaves. Different sized plants create a tiered effect in the container. "Spillers, fillers, and thrillers" has been a mantra at many independent garden centers. Don't have excess plants just sitting around to inspire you? Head into your closest independent garden center. Independents tend to have amazing displays to inspire you, plus they tend to have great staff who really know their stuff and give free advice!

Please support my efforts of providing you with free content by purchasing my dvd and other products at www.OliveBarn.com. Thank You