mulch

For many gardeners, summer is the most rewarding part of their work.

Believe it or not, you can actually bring zero waste into your gardening practices. Sometimes, even gardening can be wasteful, after all. Here are a few ways to make it as sustainable, and waste free, as possible. 

Whoever said that summers were not a loving time for a garden hasn’t quite planted a produce-happy summer garden. While winter vegetables are more heart-warming than a summer bounty, summer vegetables still have a lot going for them.

The conventional methods of putting the garden away involve pulling up your hard-grown plants and tilling your soil. While this method works for a few seasons, permaculture has a longer-term view of soil health. Tilling the soil destroys much of the delicate soil structures that allow for high levels of biodiversity. There are little pockets of water and air in the soil where nutrient-carrying mycorrhizal fungi can grow and beneficial insects can reside.

Hydrangea are a member of the family Hydrangeaceae, commonly known as the Hydrangea family of the genus Hydrangea L. or hydrangea P., containing six species according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The lily is a member of the family Liliaceae, which contains about 359 genuses with up to 100 species, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The plant is native to the northern hemisphere that includes North America, Europe, and Asia. Approximately 5000 years ago a tablet found in Sumeria depicted a Persian city surrounded by a field of lilies.

Mulching is an essential but oft underrated gardening tool. Let’s discuss some mulching recipes that are born of nothing but trash that even an amateur gardener can easily get to.

What does mulching do, and why should you do it? Mulching retains moisture so it’s a great tool for the dry season. It helps to maintain a warmer soil temperature and insulates plant roots, so it’s a great growing tool for the cold season. And finally, if you use appealing enough mulch, it adds great visual appeal to your garden.

Thirty years ago and about eighteen miles from Aspen, Colorado, Jerome Osentowski built a “hoop house,” a tunnel made of polyethylene that heats up due to solar radiation. He had in mind a greenhouse and kept adding to it with recycled steel and other materials. Over the years, his original hoop house design expanded into five greenhouses that now produce food via climates ranging from Zones 6 through 12.

Fall officially arrived on September 22, although most people were probably still enjoying a garden harvest and beautiful flowers. Many of us don't think about fall until the temperatures start to ease off and the leaves change color. Both of these are signs that winter is on its way.

However, it is often too late to take care of important fall garden tasks if we wait for cold weather to be upon us. By this time, winter is right around the corner, and we may miss our window of opportunity to dabble in our garden before frost and snow.

I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Having healthy soil is essential to a successful garden. It is always wise to regularly test the pH levels and check which nutrients you be missing in your soil. This can be done by utilizing a soil-testing kit. If your soil does require a health-adjustment, rest assured there are many organic, natural ways to better your gardening soil.  Here are 10 ways to help you improve your garden’s soil.