One way to get children engaged in the garden is to share with them your love of birding. Birds are both helpful to a garden and also a sign of a healthy garden, so encouraging them to visit your yard is a great idea. An even better idea? Getting kids excited about the feathered visitors and the role they play in the larger ecosyst
This summer, I planted tomatoes, strawberries, celery, Swiss chard, pole beans, and a variety of other vegetables and herbs on my deck.
Getting kids excited about nature is always a good thing—but sometimes it can be challenging to pull them away from their screens and the cozy indoors. One way to engage children in the great outdoors is to spend some time doing nature-based crafts. If you’re trying to get your kids inter
If you’d like to see more birds fluttering nearby your home or want to help the local ecosystem stay in or return to a vibrant, natural state, consider planting a bird-friendly yard or container garden.
Are you looking to attract hummingbirds to your yard or garden? It’s a good idea! Not only are they fun to watch, but they’re also pollinators: as they stick their long skinny beaks into flower after flower, they’re doing the same work as bees, butterflies, and other insects that pollinate plants (and we know how important pollination is). Make a conscious effort to invite these tiny birds into your space by planting some of their favorite flowers and plants.
All year-long, my husband and I wait for the day it’s warm enough to leave our doors and windows open and enjoy the summer sunshine. Without screens, however, our house quickly becomes mosquito-infested. Rather than spraying ourselves down in toxic bug spray or lighting noxious insect-repellant candles, we opt for a more natural method around our home: bats and birds.
We are now well into Spring, and the kiddos are starting to be released from school for summer vacation. Now is a great time to get your little ones involved with some nature-based crafts that will benefit both their creative spirits and the outside world! The following crafts can be made at home with materials found in the backyard, recycling bin, and even your local park.
Gardening in May can be delightful—or delightfully treacherous. One year can bring early spring sunshine while another can bring weeks’ worth of downpours. In some cases, frost can continue until the end of the month. While no one can account for freak weather, there are many must-dos during the month that can ensure your blooms are vibrant and your garden productive all summer long.
Several fruits, vegetables, and nuts that are touted as superfoods to humans are surprisingly toxic to dogs—toxic enough, unfortunately, to kill your pet. What benefits us might not benefit our pets, so it’s important to ensure that certain foods always remain far out of reach for a dog, cat, or even bird. Not sure what’s toxic and what’s not? Here’s a list of foods to put on your “Not for Fido” list and another for the open-door policy—whether that means leftovers, treats, or homemade dog food.
