LOCAL. SEASONAL. SUSTAINABLE.

LOCAL. SEASONAL. SUSTAINABLE.

Friday, April 27, 2007

What's Bugging the Bees?


Here's one possible answer.  The mysterious disappearance of bees (aka pollintors) is a problem we must solve. It's not just about the honey.  Without bees flowers go unpollintaed, and that means much lower crop yields.

Fungus may be behind the loss of bees - Earthtimes.org



Earthtimes.org
Fungus may be behind the loss of bees
Earthtimes.org - 4 hours ago
Diana Cox-Foster of Pennsylvania State University said the pathogen was one of the many being studies for possible role in the annihilation of bees. ...
UCSF RESEARCH: Fungus Killing The Nation's Honey Bees KTVU.com
Experts may have found what's bugging the bees amNewYork
all 60 news articles





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Monday, April 23, 2007

Urban Vegetable Gardening

You really can do a lot with a little. Urban gardeners everywhere are growing their own food.

Be determined to grow at least some of your own food.

Be creative in looking for growing opportunities around your yard or patio or even indoors.

Be flexible, be resourceful.

The payoff is tremendous. It's relaxing, it's meditative and the feeling of eating food you have grown yourself is enormously gratifying. And good for you.


Ithacans embrace urban gardening - Ithaca Journal


Ithacans embrace urban gardening
Ithaca Journal, NY - Apr 18, 2007
ITHACA — As spring planting season begins, some Ithaca gardeners say they don't need big plots in the country to grow vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs. ...

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Are cellphones killing bees?

If this is true, we have a real problem.  We need bees, not just for honey.  We need bees for our food supply, no kidding.  Most plants need to be pollinated to produce a fruit or a vegetable.  Bees do a lot of this pollinating work.  Without them we are in trouble.

Bees in danger - Champion Newspapers



Champion Newspapers
Bees in danger
Champion Newspapers, UK - 2 hours ago
Mobile phone masts have been blamed for the death of millions of bees and Cllr Jones says we should heed this finding. "I had heard a year ago that certain ...
Report links phone masts to cancer Norwich Evening News
all 2 news articles

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

More Plant Choices When You Start Your Own Seeds

Here is the best reason to start your own seeds.  Sooner or later you'll covet plants that you just can't find already growing at the nursery.

If you get really carried away, you'll end up like the woman in this article, with your own greenhouse.  I have a feeling this is where I may be headed.


Start seeds for exactly plants you want - Chippewa Herald


Start seeds for exactly plants you want
Chippewa Herald, WI - 7 hours ago
Start seeds in a specially formulated “germinating mix,” a soil-less mixture that’s pulverized to a fine texture just right for small seeds. ...

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My Kind of Yard

I moved into a house with lots of lawn.  Slowly but surely I am eliminating the grass in favor of raised beds and areas to be planted with pollinator attracting flowers and plants.  And it looks like I'm not the only one.

Out with the lawn, in with edibles - Seattle Post Intelligencer



Seattle Post Intelligencer
Out with the lawn, in with edibles
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA - Apr 9, 2007
"We've seen that growth (in gardening interest) and added so many more programs recently," said Kathy Dang, a teacher at Seattle Tilth, an organic gardening ...

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Monday, April 2, 2007

NewsFlash! Playing in the Dirt Makes You Happy!

Here's something gardeners have known for a long time. It turns out that some of the bacteria and microbes in soil act similarly to anti-depressants.

Play in the Dirt for Your Mental Health!