Eco Gardeners

Dahlias are tender perennials, hardy only to Zones 9 to 11, and must be dug out of the ground and stored over the winter.  Here’s how to overwinter dahlias:

• Allow a week for the tubers to adjust to dormancy after the first frost has blackened their foliage. Cut them back to within 6 inches of the ground.
• Gently lift tubers from the ground using a spade.
• Clean the soil off the tubers, and allow them to dry for a day. They can be left in the sun but must not be allowed to freeze.
• After drying, shorten old stems to about an inch.
• Place the roots in crates or boxes, and cover with slightly moistened sand, peat moss, or sawdust to keep them from drying out. Store in a cool but frost-free place, such as a garage or unheated basement (40° F to 50° F is ideal).

Organic lawn care practices allow homeowners to continue the enjoyment of a healthy, green lawn while maintaining a healthy, green environment. Safe for use around children and pets, our vegetarian lawn care helps you build a truly green eco-lawn.

• The last application of fertilizer is the most important one for both high and low-maintenance lawns. If your lawn tests show your soil is lacking in nitrogen, apply a winterizing organic fertilizer. THG’s organic Lawn Feed n’ Weed will not only prepare grass for winter, but also give you a head start towards achieving the green turf you’ll want next spring.

• Do not apply lime routinely to established lawns unless a soil test indicates a need. Excess can be as harmful as deficiency. Established lawn soils seldom need to be limed unless a soil test indicates a moderately to severely acid soil of pH 5.5 or lower.

• Plant or seed new lawns early.
• Aerate where needed to relieve compaction.
• Thatch buildup is a major contributor to lawn diseases. If your soil is highly compacted or a heavy clay, use a plug-type aerator that will loosen the soil, help reduce thatch buildup and allow better penetration of air, nutrients

September 20, 2011 issue of Family Circle magazine features an article “How Moms Made Money from Direct Sales” and included The Happy Gardener’s business opportunity as a reader home business.

“Millions of women are weathering the still-tough economy by earning extra cash through direct sales: supplementing a salary that just doesn’t cover everything or replacing one that vanished. Innovative options include power tools, home decor items, even professionally fitted bras. These moms are all making a home-party business work for them.”

Read the entire article at www.familycircle.com.

Diets in Review.com has compiled a nice list of alternative fundraising programs that are designed to eliminate the sweet treats and expensive giftwrap.

Included are The Happy Gardener’s Eco-Fundraising Programs which allow schools, groups and organizations to raise necessary funds while educating families and communities on healthy living methods.  Products include flowering bulbs, organic bug repellent, chemical-free cut flower/holiday tree preservatives and “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow Kits for veggies and herbs!

Read the entire article by visiting http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/09/guilt-free-school-fundraisers-are-replacing-candy-pushers/

Shopping for fresh veggies at the Charlottesville, VA Market

Choosing to support and eat local food ensures that the family farms within our communities will continue to thrive, and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations.

Though “buying local’ has been gaining exposure and trust with ‘conscious consumers’, we must not neglect the importance of consumer education. As farmer’s markets and CSA’s become more widespread, remember that just because its “local” doesn’t mean its necessarily healthier.  It is our responsibility to ask questions of our local suppliers:

Is the farm certified organic and/or working towards an organic certification?

If the farm is not certified organic, what pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers are used to maintain crop production? How often are they applied? Do they use animal by-products/manure to fertilize?

Asking questions will inform you, the consumer, of the quality of produce you are buying and will provide you with the trust to continue working with your local farmers.

FoodRoutes.org provides a list of benefits to supporting local farmers:

• Exceptional taste & freshness:  Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste rather than from shipping and long shelf life;
• Strengthen your local economy:  Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust;
• Support endangered farms:  There’s never been a more critical time to support your farming neighbors. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your $$ spent on food goes tot he farmer;
• Safeguard your family’s health:  Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations.
• Protect the environment:  Local food doesn’t have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive.

-published on econewsnetwork.com

Instead of sending Dad on yet another grocery store trip, send him out to the garden to grow and pick his own organic fruits, herbs and veggies with the help of The Happy Gardener’s “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow kits!

June is the perfect month for growing vegetables, and these kits are a great gift idea for dads who love to play in the dirt, garden and grow their own produce. The “Just Add Dirt” kits include everything needed for growing organic, nutritious edibles in 100 percent compostable pots. With simple instructions and containers that allow for small-space gardening, even Dads with little experience and little space can reap the benefits of gardening in their own backyard.

The kit also includes organic seeds, SeaResults ™ Organic Plant Food, soil conditioner and water retaining mats, so all Dad really has to do is add dirt!

“Our focus is to help families grow nutritious food while saving money,” says The Happy Gardener’s founder and product developer, Annette Pelliccio. “Growing our own berries, salad mix and a variety of vegetables saves my family of three an average of $380 during the summer months alone,” she says.

With the current economic state, the number of edible gardening projects is expected to rise this year to supplement household food supplies. But saving money isn’t the only reason Dad should start growing his own organic produce. Organically grown fruits and veggies have been shown to retain an increased number of nutrients than those grown commercially.

For more information about the “Just Add Dirt” Eco-Grow kits visit www.thehappygardener.info.