The holidays are here and we have a few last minute tips to make your holidays green! Green Gifts For friends and family with a green thumb and a spirit to support the planet, here are a few unique gift ideas. For bee lovers, consider the WWF Adopt a Honeybee gift kit For the gardener in your life, visit Seeds Needs for just the right collection of herb, wildflower or heirloom seeds For the recycler on your list, check…
Days are shorter and nights are crisp making this a great time to gather around a fire in the backyard. Creating a cozy winter garden is easier than you think with options for every size yard and every budget. Safety first Before you start playing with fire, consider safety. Make sure your have a space where flames cannot reach plants or structures. Approximately 10 feet from your house or your neighbor’s yard is a standard recommendation for large fire elements…
Leaf season will soon be upon us! Before you get frustrated or start to burn them, consider these smart solutions to eliminate and reuse those carbon rich leaves. Mow them No need to rake – mowing the leaves on your lawn is by far the easiest solution. The dispersed leaves gently settle into the lawn where they decompose adding nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Keep in mind that for mowing to work best, the leaves need to be…
We know that trees make our communities more attractive, but they do so much more. From adding value to our homes, making our neighborhoods cleaner and safer and protecting the environment, they are valued members of any landscape. And the bigger the trees and their canopy, the greater their positive impact on our environment. Whether you are deciding to keep a mature tree or plant a new tree, keep these five amazing facts in mind. 1 Add value to your…
A carpet of green lawn looks great, but with rising temperatures, drought conditions, and increased water costs maintaining your lawn can become a burden. To reduce the time, effort and costs of keeping a perfect lawn, considering ditching some of that green for colorful, low maintenance alternatives. Carve Out a Little at a Time Instead of ripping out all your grass, reduce gradually. Carve out areas under trees, areas that are hard to mow, areas that already serve as a…
Summer may not officially start until June 21st, but for us it has already begun. Temperatures are on the rise and Accuweather predicts that this June could be one of the hottest five on record. Since summer’s scorching sun and extreme heat burns and dehydrates our plants just like us, you need to protect them with these 5 tips. 1 Water early Set your alarm for an early morning watering before the sun pulls the moisture out of the…
As the heat rises and the rainfall disappears, there is one thing you can do now to help the health of your lawn – top dressing. Why Top Dress? Top dressing is like a deep conditioning treatment for your lawn. By applying a thin layer of compost or manure across your lawn you will bring nutrients back to the roots of your grass encouraging strong growth and healthy soil. It can also help even out a lawn with low…
April is National Garden Month, a time to celebrate the many ways that gardening unites people to nature and to their communities. And what better way to celebrate than with one of the many great events in Austin this month. Here are some great events to get inspired, learn from experts and join the community in celebration of all things green! East Austin Garden Show – April 14 This community event features all types of hands-on activities about Earth-Kind…
What’s hot and what’s not in 2018? It doesn’t matter as long as your garden gives you joy. We looked at some of the garden trends this year, however, and we found 3 cool ideas you might want to consider. Wabi-sabi in the garden Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of imperfection. Embracing the less that perfect in your garden means relaxing, having fun with experiments gone wrong and making space for a more naturalistic approach to gardening. Creating a…
Amazing organizations across Austin use gardens and their harvest to transform lives and communities. This season of giving, share the transformative power of gardening with others by donating your time or financial support to one of these groups: Empower Youth with Gardening Urban Roots engages youth in underserved communities to transform their lives and their communities through farming. You can help their effort to develop future leaders and good citizens with your support. Grow a Community Sustainable Food Center…
