Jamie McIntosh's Blog

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

• Use a rake instead of a gas-powered leaf blower or a reel mower instead of a gas-powered mower to reduce carbon emissions, and the need to buy expensive fuel.
• Plant deciduous shade trees on the south side of your house to reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Harvest chemical-free rainwater with a rain barrel, to save on your water bill.
• Use drip irrigation to deliver water exactly where it’s needed, especially important when watering restrictions are in place.
• Make free fertilizer with your compost bin, or take advantage of community composting programs.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

• Keep your cat indoors at dawn and dusk, when bird-feeding activity is at its peak.
• Clear the brush away from any birdfeeders that are within pouncing distance of your cat, to deny him a hiding place.
• Place a bell on your cat’s collar.
• Trim your cat’s claws.
• Consider using a CatBib device to disarm cats that only go outside for brief visits.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Among the many reasons organic gardeners eschew harmful chemicals in the garden is to protect the creatures that visit our plots. However, a report in the British paper the Telegraph reminds us that animals are vulnerable to more than just toxic herbicides and pesticides. Sometimes, even the simplest garden tool used carelessly can cause wildlife injury or death.

For example, the article shares that nesting birds are frequently the hapless victims of a late summer hedge shearing. You can prevent lopping through nests and their eggs by waiting until autumn or winter to conduct your shearing chores.

Not even our bird and squirrel feeders are exempt from scrutiny, as the article reports that many shoddy feeders on the market pose entrapment risks for small animals. If you are unsure about the craftsmanship of your birdfeeder, follow the wildlife food source guidelines provided by the National Wildlife Federation:

• You can plant shrubs that produce the nuts, berries, and seeds that attract wildlife.
• Include flowers that produce nectar, and allow some flowers to set seed to feed the birds.

After reading about this problem and viewing the compelling photos that accompanied the article, I was reminded of the time I was digging some holes in early winter to plant some leftover bulbs. As I neared the bottom of my planting hole, the soil seemed to shirk away from my trowel, as if it were alive. Upon further inspection, I discovered I had unearthed a common toad, preparing for winter hibernation. I gently recovered him, thinking of all the bugs he would consume in the spring.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

The press has made much ado lately about the decline of Whole Foods Market’s stock, likely due to the fragile economy. Critics jokingly refer to Whole Foods as “Whole Paycheck,” probably not very different from the truth for many families with limited incomes. In fact, this unfortunate downturn in Whole Foods’ business does not coincide with a decrease in Americans’ desire to include more unprocessed, natural, and organic foods in their diets.

While penny-pinching shoppers may have cut back on their wheat grass smoothies and fair trade chocolate, consumers everywhere are revisiting the notion of a victory garden to increase their food security. Seed sales are up, and food safety scares coupled with high food prices mean more people have turned their occasional gardening hobby into a utilitarian necessity.

Although some of the labor-intensive methods organic farmers use do drive up the cost of their produce at the market, home gardeners can still reap the environmental and monetary savings of organic gardening at home.

Whether you’re growing a few salad greens in containers on your deck, or you participate in a full scale community vegetable garden, implement the following money-saving ideas into your garden:

• Start as many plants as you can from seed.
• Keep a compost bin. Even a household of one can reap a significant amount of organic matter from an indoor worm bin.
• Recycle your plastic food containers as grow pots.
• Call your local public works department to see if they offer residents free compost or mulch.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

As organic gardeners, we like to consider ourselves stewards of the earth, but did you ever wonder what happens to the garden flats, trays and pots that you bring home from your local nursery or garden center? In most cases, you can’t recycle them. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, we recycle only about 1% of garden plastics. Part of the recycling barrier is the fact that the horticulture industry doesn’t use recycling-friendly plastic in its pots and trays.

If you look at the bottom of your gardening pots, you will notice a “chasing arrow” symbol with a number closed inside. However, this chasing arrow symbol can be misleading. Many recycling programs only accept #1 and #2 plastics, commonly used in food containers. The #4 and #5 plastics commonly used in the gardening industry may not be recyclable curbside, and #7 plastics aren’t recyclable at all.

So, what’s a responsible organic gardener to do? First, start more of your own plants from seed. You can fashion your grow pots from newspaper. Even if you use plastics that can’t be recycled, you can reuse them many times by sterilizing them each season. When you shop for plants, look for retailers that offer biodegradable garden pots. Even big box retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot are offering these pots. Finally, look for pots that you can add to your compost heap at the end of the growing season. Circle of Life makes pots from rice byproducts, and Cow Pots uses manure to make pots that are both biodegradable and nourishing.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Consumers shopping for organically grown fruits and vegetables usually pay more for this premium produce, and in this atmosphere of volatile food prices, we want to know that our dollars are well spent. Similarly, if you’re new to gardening, and you’re considering organic methods, you may seek a compelling reason to put aside that bottle of pesticide when the march of the caterpillars begins.

Two conflicting reports on the nutritional value of organically grown produce fuel the controversy surrounding the benefits of organic foods. On the pro side, the Organic Center at America’s Organic Trade Association argues that organically grown produce is 25% more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. On the con side, Dr. Joseph Rosen of Rutgers University argues that the Organic Trade Association’s study was poorly designed, and there’s no discernable difference in nutritional value between organic and conventional produce.

I would argue that perhaps these nemeses are fighting the wrong battle. When I grow organic tomatoes in my garden, I don’t wonder whether the result will yield a product with 70% of the RDA for vitamin C or 85% of the RDA for vitamin C. Nor do I weigh nutrition into my organic buying decisions.

However, I do think about leaving behind a toxic environmental legacy for my children. I do worry about the bioaccumulation of pesticides that are banned in the United States, but used with abandon in countries from which we import fresh produce.

Good nutrition is vital, but this research takes the focus away from more pressing conventional farming issues, like clean water and occupational farming hazards.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

There are few of us who aren’t aware of the fuel crisis we face. Soaring fuel costs trickle down to raise the cost of everything we buy and every activity we engage in. It’s exciting to read about the new hybrid vehicle technologies, and I’m glad technology is providing us with some answers to our gas-hogging cars and trucks, but not everyone can afford to exchange his vehicle for one of the newer hybrids.

However, researchers at Cornell University suggest an absurdly simple way to cut fossil fuel energy use. By reducing our average caloric intake from an estimated 3,700 calories to a healthier 2,500 calories, we may cut fuel consumption in our food system by half. It’s easy to make this change by eating less of the foods that are the worst for the environment and our waistbands, namely, meat and processed foods.

No one needs to become an overnight vegan. You can make a positive change by substituting one meat dish per week with a vegetarian choice. Make a hearty casserole with beans or tofu and cheese, and you won’t miss the meat.

When you do buy meat, opt for one organically certified meat product at the store each time you shop. When you do, you support farmers who grow organic grains used to feed the animals. You also place a vote with your dollars, which lets manufacturers know that we consumers do care about how they produce food, and we want grocers to increase the healthy, organic choices on our shelves.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I’ve been spoiled by our long and glorious spring. Above average rainfall combined with below average temperatures caused my garden to look like an English cottage garden paradise. Now it seems that this paradise has morphed into Hades.

The hot Midwestern wind blows across the landscape, scorching it like a hairdryer. Billowing clouds gather in the late afternoon, but the scant precipitation they offer doesn’t even soak the ground beneath the shade trees. The butterflies are oblivious to the heat, but the bronze fennel I planted to serve as a host plant for swallowtail larvae is succumbing to a spider mite infestation. I’ve planted the right plant in the right location, but some of my drought tolerant plants aren’t living up to their reputations. The coneflowers beside my mailbox looked grayish one day, and the next time I took notice, a few were ready for the compost bin.

As with any extreme weather, not all garden occupants will come through the season unscathed. If there are a few high maintenance plants you’re weary of tending, you might “accidentally” forget to water them this summer, so you can replace them with a new shrub or flat of ornamental kale when temperatures cool.

Any plants with succulent, fleshy leaves, like ice plant or sedum, should be able to survive 90-degree temperatures with no supplemental watering. Other drought-tolerant stalwarts, like Russian sage, won’t slow down in the heat. Help the rest of your flower and vegetable gardens cope with summer heat waves with at least an inch of water each week. Replenish your organic mulch, as it breaks down quickly in hot weather. Reserve organic pest control sprays for milder temperatures, as sprays can burn foliage in temperatures over 85 degrees.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

When I think of large health insurance providers, I don’t usually picture a group of individuals who care whether or not I have access to or can afford organic produce. Rather, I envision a typical stagnant bureaucracy, complete with cost cutting measures and lots of red tape. Therefore, I was surprised to read a story about Kaiser Permanente’s pilot program to offer its employees a box of locally grown organic produce each week.

No health professional can dispute the value of including more fresh fruits and vegetables in our diets. However, not everyone agrees on the value of produce grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Therefore, I was pleased to hear about the way Kaiser acknowledges the need for its employees to not only eat more fresh fruits and vegetables for their health, but takes the extra step in ensuring that fewer toxic chemicals get into the environment and people’s bodies.

This program is necessary at a time when food costs are soaring, and individuals must seek out the least expensive alternative at the grocery store, which may not include organic choices. When people unfamiliar with locally grown organic produce discover the superior flavor and quality of these fruits and vegetables, they are likely to seek them out again. I hope other employers take note of this innovative employee benefit, and follow suit.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, interest in community gardens is increasing. The high cost of food and concerns about food borne illness have heightened the participation in community garden plots.

Community gardens offer local residents a plot of land, access to a water spigot, and sometimes, even seeds, plants, or compost to encourage green thumbs. Community gardens are perfect for apartment dwellers or homeowners with shaded lots not suitable for growing sun-loving vegetables.

Before my sons were born, I had the privilege of participating in a nearby community garden. It gave me the advantage of additional room to experiment with vegetable varieties I didn’t have room to grow on my property. I appreciated the free water the city provided, and I would hook up my sprinkler to irrigate the garden while I went for a brisk walk in the neighboring park.

If you want to claim a plot in your local community garden, call now, as there may be a waiting list. Ask the garden supervisor about herbicide and pesticide regulations for the community garden, as you don’t want any chemicals drifting into your organic plot.

Consider extending the notion of community involvement by planting a row of vegetables for your local food bank, as donations frequently drop in summer months.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Last week, I celebrated the peak of summer’s bounty by going to a u-pick blueberry farm with my family. As we pulled into the farm, I realized this old-fashioned pastime is much more popular than I ever thought. In spite of the midweek workday and the glaring sun, there were at least 1000 other eager berry pickers scavenging the fields when we pulled off the dirt road.

The buckets were all gone, but my boys tore into the patch with their plastic bags, ripping blue, red, and green berries off the bushes in their frenzy. After a quick tutorial in recognizing ripeness in blueberries, they calmed their picking pace and became more selective in their harvest.

Of course, half the fun of u-pick farms is eating ripe berries out of hand, and I think we rivaled a hungry black bear in our feasting. I resembled Violet from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I wondered if I would have to be rolled off to the de-juicing machine.

I didn’t worry about washing the berries, as this family farm uses organic growing methods. The berry patch had several tricks up their sleeves to control marauders, including loudspeakers that regularly piped in unnerving screeches from birds-of-prey to repel avian pests.

If your garden isn’t yielding everything you hoped for this season, visit a local pick your own farm, and support sustainable agriculture.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

This time of year, many organic gardeners anticipate harvesting the first ripe tomato on the block. We nurtured our little seedlings in cold frames or windowsills, we amended the soil with ample amounts of compost, and we plucked hornworms off plants or chuckled as beneficial wasps laid their egg cases upon the caterpillars. However, as the first blush appears on our fruits, there’s one more critter to contend with: squirrels. It seems that the first hint of orange acts as a calling card to squirrels, even if you thought you didn’t have much of a squirrel population.

It might not be as infuriating if the little tree rats didn’t behave as if they were mischievous children sticking their fingers in each chocolate in the box, trying to find a hidden favorite. The wasteful rodents take one or two nibbles, and then discard the fruits on the ground.

You can repel squirrels from your organic garden without resorting to chemical squirrel repellants:

• Provide several drinking stations around your garden. Sometimes squirrels bite into unripe fruit seeking moisture, rather than nourishment.
• Choose tomato varieties that remain green after they ripen. You’ll harvest ‘Green Zebra’ tomatoes before the squirrels notice them.
• Distract them with a squirrel feeder. You can buy squirrel food made from compressed corn that lasts longer than kernel corn and leaves no mess behind.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Whenever my children observe a new insect in the garden, they turn to me and ask, “How does that bug help us, mommy?” From a young age, children want to categorize the things in their world into good and bad, helpful and harmful. In a child’s eyes, flies and wasps are always bad, while butterflies and ladybugs are welcome visitors.

It’s up to us to point out the nuances of the insect world to our children. Yes, wasps can sting or behave aggressively, but they also feast on destructive caterpillars. Carpenter bees are another insect whose merits go unrecognized. It’s easy to condemn these plump bees with their shiny black abdomens, who hover menacingly in front of our faces when we wander into their territory. They drill unsightly holes into our decks and roof eaves, leaving a telltale pile of sawdust beneath their excavations.

However, according to the Ohio State Extension Service, carpenter bees are an important pollinator of trees and flowers. You may also be surprised to learn that, in spite of their unnerving appearance, aggressive-acting males lack a stinger. Furthermore, they don’t feed on wood, and the damage they cause is cosmetic, not structural. In light of the current bee colony collapse crisis, organic gardeners would do well to encourage all beneficial bee species, even when they cause a nuisance.

If carpenter bees plague you, repel them by painting all wood surfaces with oil-based paint. When you observe a bee excavating a new hole, fill it immediately with wood putty to discourage the drilling activity.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

“Jamie, where is my cell phone?” “Mommy, where are my tinker toys?” “My sunglasses were here just a minute ago, now where are they?” Objects of all sizes become lost in our home each week, and my husband and three sons look to me for clues of there whereabouts. “I am not the curator of this museum,” I want to tell them. If I were, I would need to cull the collection severely!

Although I’m as befuddled as the rest of my family as to the location of the missing magazine/gas key/model airplane, I’m on top of the tools and the products I need to maintain my organic garden. My time in the garden is limited, so I can’t afford to spend 30 minutes rummaging around in the shed for my horticultural vinegar when I spot a new poison ivy tendril winding its way along the fence line.

If your organizing style consists of a five-gallon bucket filled with some rusty tools and a resident spider, consider some organizing tips to help you manage your gardening implements:

• Hang your favorite weed knife or dandelion digger on a nail beside your garden bed. You’re more apt to use it to grub out weeds while they’re small if your weeding tool is handy.
• Place a bucket filled with a mixture of coarse sand and vegetable oil to plunge your trowels and garden pruning shears into at the end of the day. The sand scours dirt and the oil prevents rust.
• Keep your organically acceptable dusts and sprays locked up in an area that stays between 60 and 80 degrees F. Garden sprays begin to degrade when exposed to scorching or frigid temperatures.
• Store seeds you’ve saved in a plastic partitioned pill box. Place name labels on the lid over each section.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Although I would love to live on a few acres of fertile farmland so that I could garden to my heart’s content, I must make do with my average sized suburban lot. My soil is hardpan clay, typical for this area, provided by the homebuilders after they scraped away the natural topsoil and sold it to topsoil providers. To complete the cycle of indignation, we must buy back our own soil (or someone else’s) from these topsoil retailers if we wish to reclaim what was naturally occurring in the first place!

Placing my grumblings about soil aside, many organic gardeners don't have a plot of earth to worrywart over. Urban gardeners are limited to small container gardens or community plots. Desert and beach dwelling gardeners may yearn to trade sand for loam. For these and other reasons, hydroponic gardening systems are an alternative growing method. You can grow flowers and vegetables in a hydroponic system that nourishes plants with a strictly controlled delivery of organic nutrients. Hydroponic growing systems are self-contained, so you can keep them indoors or on your patio or deck. Gardeners living in low rainfall areas can conserve water using this garden method.

High quality hydroponic kits can require a significant investment, but you can also build a hydroponic system from ordinary PVC pipes, lumber, a saw, and a heat gun. If you’re somewhat handy with tools, you can order detailed instructions and a DVD from EasiestGarden to complete this project over a weekend.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Now that the weather has gotten warm enough to activate the ice cream lobe in my brain, the real estate space in my freezer has grown ever scarcer to accommodate chocolate mint chip, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and whatever other frozen treats beckon. True, we need another quart of ice cream in our house as if we need another hole in our heads, but in my house ice cream is as necessary in June as air.

Last week, as I pondered the trendy new flavors, I noticed a discrepancy in the carton sizes of one of my favorite brands. This manufacturer is in the midst of a product volume downsizing operation, and I caught them red-handed. If the switchover had been complete, I probably never would have noticed. After all, there was no banner proclaiming, “25% less for the same price!” Sadly, I’ve noticed this trend in many pre-packaged food products, from cereal to breakfast sausage. Food costs are rising, and manufacturers must compensate.

Although I’ve yet to churn out my own dairy treats at home, one way I can compensate for rising food costs is by growing organic fruits and vegetables on my property. It’s not difficult to find seed packets for 25 cents or less at the hardware store, and I can save seeds from heirloom vegetables for nothing. I can fertilize my garden with compost I made from lawn and kitchen scraps, and irrigate with runoff water trapped in rain barrels. Contrary to the incredible shrinking foodstuffs at the grocery store, I can grow bushels of zucchini to share with neighbors and giant watermelons for picnics. In fact, I know of a recipe for zucchini ice cream. How’s that for food security?

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Have you ever tried to grow a plant that’s touted as “easy to grow,” only to experience one failure after another? Sunflowers fall into that category for me. I live in the sunflower state for gosh sakes, so you’d think I could tend a small sunflower patch in my yard. Even my husband concurred: “They’re weeds where I grew up,” he claims.

The problem is that many things like to eat sunflowers. Birds pluck the seeds from the earth. Insects mow down tender stems. Squirrels run amok through giant seed heads. Birds return to finish what’s left.

Today, I devised a new way to control a predator that has plagued me in the past, the cutworm. I’ve used physical barriers to keep these caterpillars from wrapping around the young stems, but I haven’t liked the trashy appearance of straws, toilet paper rolls, or 10 penny nails littering my garden.

Standing on the shoulders of other gardening giants, I modified these barriers by inserting a thin piece of florist’s wire beside each seed. I cackled inwardly as I imagined the worms foiled in the night by these nearly invisible wires.

I was filled with mirth until about halfway through planting, when the laborious nature of placing a wire perfectly alongside each seed began to wear on me. As my fingers trembled, I began to feel great empathy for those artisans who create detailed paintings on a grain of rice. Beads of sweat dropped from my forehead into each seed hole, giving the sunflowers their first taste of moisture. Thoughts of 14-foot giants in my front yard stopping traffic compelled me to finish. Check back in 3 months, and I’ll let you know how it worked out.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I was sharing some gardening tips with a friend the other day who’s new to the hobby. I told her about my best-kept “secret,” which is getting a dump truck full of free mulch from the utility company as a byproduct of the tree trimming work they conduct. My friend innocently inquired if it has the same dark red color as the dyed hardwood mulch she prefers. I kept a poker face as I replied that no, alas, it does not.

There is an alternative for organic gardeners who are willing to pay premium prices for mulch that retains its beautiful dark color throughout the season. Cocoa bean hull mulch is a byproduct of the chocolate manufacturing process, rendering a lightweight soil cover that forms a porous mat in your garden. Although a 2-foot cubic bag costs around seven dollars, you only need to apply a one-inch layer over the soil to retain moisture and provide a cool root-run for your plants. You can expect a 2-foot cubic bag to cover about 20 square feet of garden space, so buy accordingly.

I can’t afford to carpet my entire garden with this mulch, but I do use cocoa bean shells around high-traffic areas that receive the most viewing from visitors. As the garden recedes, I apply cheaper mulch or even newspaper and cardboard.

A bonus of cocoa shell mulch is that it appears to repel cats, at least my cat. Max has executed some of his longest jumps ever in his attempts to keep his paws off that crackly textured mulch. A final word of warning: supervise your dog around cocoa bean mulch, as some are said to relish this inedible chocolate imitator as much as the real thing.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Any parent knows that long winters and young children don’t mix. I feel that sentiment in triplicate, being the mother to 3 preschool-aged boys. The novelty of snow boots and hot chocolate wore off around President’s Day, and we’re ready to shed winter like an emerging seedling sheds its seed capsule.

Although I have a very long fuse when it comes to tolerating the mischief of little boys, I was beginning to feel like an extra on the set of Lord of the Flies. Horrible F-words defined our long winter days spent indoors, including furniture Olympics, flying objects, and fighting. When the calendar announced spring was here, our weather didn’t cooperate. When some warm air did dare to trickle up from the Gulf of Mexico, Arctic winds from Canada fought back, producing tornadoes, severe storms, and hail.

I haven’t put away my long sleeved shirts and pants yet, but I think we’ve passed the tipping point where balmy winds will replace frigid ones. My children’s attitudes have undergone the same lovely metamorphosis as my gardens since we’ve emerged from our winter habitat, and I’m thrilled about having 3 little helpers at my side this growing season.

Each child wields his own watering can, and the oldest two boys are learning the difference between a perennial and a weed. I’m as proud as a mother can be as I nurture the next generation of organic gardeners.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

This is the time of year I can assess where my garden is going, and where it has been. If any plants didn’t make it through our harsh winter, I can see a blank spot in my garden. If any plants are threatening a garden coup, now is the time to divide them or transplant them to other parts of the yard.

I have a small woodland garden, and about 10 years ago, I purchased a few ostrich ferns to lend their lacy foliage as a foil to the magenta azalea blossoms. This spring, I watched their fiddleheads sprouting willy-nilly, until it appeared that my woodland garden was to be a homogenous stand of ostrich ferns.

I went out with my trowel and a bucket, and began digging out the exuberant fronds and their underground stolons and rhizomes. The future site of my next woodland garden is currently a stomping ground for 3 boys and 2 large dogs, so I viewed these extra plants as one step removed from a weed.

Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to toss these earnest new ferns into the compost bin. Didn’t I see ostrich ferns going for 15 dollars a pot at the nursery the other week? Suddenly, inspiration struck: These graceful plants, already nearing 18 inches tall, would look fantastic potted up on my deck. Eureka! I had just the pot, and now it’s brimming with mature ferns, at no cost. I’ll have until October to find a permanent home for them, or perhaps a friend who needs some ferns for her garden.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I live in a part of the country that some might say is set up for the perfect storm. In the springtime, cool air flowing down from the Rocky Mountains meets warm, moist air traveling up from the Gulf of Mexico. In its worst permutation, this weather pattern is the reason folks call this area “tornado alley.” In normal years, we must deal with severe thunderstorms, microbursts, flooding, and hailstorms. My exuberance for the generous rains and explosive growth I’ve experienced in my garden over the last few weeks dimmed my memory, or at least cast a glaze over these damaging, if not violent possibilities.

On the eve of Earth Day, a downpour jerked me awake at 2:37 am. I could see the clock clearly, not because it’s digital, but because the unceasing lightening beamed through my window like the probe of a UFO. A minute later, the cacophony of the hail began. Oh, dear, I had forgotten about the hail we’re subject to. I thought back to previous years, when hailstorms reduced my plants to ribbons. Some plants recovered, some did not. I listened for 12 miserable minutes until the stones finally abated.

It was painful to consider the prospect of surveying the damage in the morning, but I finally managed to drag my eyes to the picture window. A bubble of fear in my stomach turned to mirth and escaped as a giggle: not a single petal had fallen.

Some scientists say that violent storms will increase over the next decade because of global warming. However, the Rodale Institute has found that “organic soils actually scrub the atmosphere of global warming gases by capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into soil material.” It’s another way organic gardening positively impacts the earth.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

It was with sadness that we had to say goodbye to an old black walnut tree in our back yard yesterday. My relationship with this tree (yes, one can have an arboreal relationship of sorts) had been a mixed bag over the last 11 years. When we moved into our residence, I was delighted to have a newer home surrounded by so many mature trees. However, I hadn’t been initiated into the black walnut litter club. Nor was I acquainted with the toxic juglone that black walnuts emit from their roots and nuts, which kills many sensitive plants. However, one must accept the faults of a mature tree with the attributes, especially when one’s tree was probably only a sapling at the turn of last century.

A few years ago, I noticed the walnut drop its leaves in late August, about a month earlier than usual. The following spring, the tree didn’t leaf out. Did my muttering curses as I lugged around the wheelbarrow full of nuts hasten its death? No matter, for the tree seemed livelier than ever in its state of decay. A myriad of insect species colonized its trunk, and a red-bellied woodpecker carved out a cavity beside this buffet for its nest.

I might have been content to watch nature slowly reclaim this giant for years to come, but a couple of near misses with thigh-sized branches dropping from its canopy sealed the tree’s fate.

This Arbor Day, I’ll be looking for a sprightly young crabapple, or perhaps a redbud, to turn into a gnarled old specimen for future generations to enjoy. For the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago, but the second best time is today.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Three weeks ago, with a song in my heart, I rushed to the nursery to purchase pansies and seed starting supplies. This weekend, Mother Nature showed us she is as mercurial as a teenager is when she blasted our region with frigid winds and a spitting snowstorm. I accompanied my family to the hardware store to spend a gift certificate we received at Christmastime, and I was prepared to spend my share on something for the garden. However, the swirling snowflakes dampened my garden spirit. I know that the chance of frost isn’t behind us here until the first of May, but how did we go from flip-flops to snow boots in the span of a week?

I should stop my whining. Our gardening friends in the upper Midwest and alpine regions have several weeks of touch-and-go weather to contend with before they can plant the first tomato. If your mind is in zone 8, but your garden is in zone 3, try these tips to deal with winter’s final grip:

1. Call your utility company and see if they deliver free mulch from tree trimming to customers.
2. Buy a fragrant houseplant from your local nursery, and treat yourself to some aromatherapy.
3. Sharpen and clean all of your pruning implements.
4. Try a new vegetable soup recipe with the produce you preserved from last season.
5. Read over your garden journals from past years, and decide what you’ll do differently this year to make your garden the best it can be.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

In 1953, a forward-thinking group of individuals decided to form the non-profit, voluntary organization Keep America Beautiful (KAB). Now, as green living has become so fashionable, more Americans are interested in carrying out the practices and principles that guide Keep America Beautiful’s mission. April is Keep America Beautiful Month, so organic gardeners can consider the many ways we improve our community and our environment by looking at KAB’s three focus areas:

Litter Prevention

When litter happens, it stays on the move, traveling with the rain to waterways, and eventually reaching the ocean. Few of us intentionally litter. However, accidental littering can occur when the wind whisks away the empty bag of potting soil we just used. Take ownership of your refuse, and don’t let a single piece escape your trash can.

Waste Minimization and Recycling

According to KAB, yard trimmings and food scraps comprise nearly a quarter of the waste that ends up in landfills. A handful of fragrant compost is one of the best ways organic gardeners demonstrate the utility of recycling. Remember that you can compost more than just leaves and broccoli stems; napkins, newspapers, and cardboard break down too.

Beautification

Every garden is an act of beauty, even if it’s just a few pots on the terrace. Extend the notion of beautification by organizing a community garden. Site the garden on public property, and ask your Public Works Department to provide maintenance.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

The National Gardening Association designates April as National Garden Month, to encourage everyone to engage in America’s number one hobby. If you’re reading this blog, you probably don’t need any encouragement! However, perhaps you would like to increase your organic efforts, but you aren’t sure how. Or, you might want to encourage your child’s school or home association to replace some conventional gardening methods with organic gardening principles.

According to a survey conducted by the National Gardening Association, if everyone who considered organic gardening made the switch, we could double the number of organic gardeners. We can encourage those who might consider organic gardening by sharing our knowledge, and offering suggestions in a neutral, non-judgmental way. For example, if you’re shooting the breeze with a neighbor about getting geared up for lawn care season once again, and your neighbor laments the onslaught of dandelions, share the success you’ve had with corn meal gluten or horticultural vinegar.

As a hobby, I would argue that gardening is unparalleled in its ability to improve our health, beautify our communities, and connect with the environment. Organic gardening principles further these notions by eliminating harmful chemicals that may cause illness or poison our environment. Bring out the organic gardener in a friend or neighbor, and have a glorious month in the garden.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Last week, I took my three boys to the animal shelter, “Just to look.” Now, raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to the animal shelter just to look. If you have, then you’re probably the same kind of person who can make a batch of chocolate chip cookies without sampling a single chocolate chip, or you must visit the nursery for ideas without leaving with a single 6-pack of flowers.

I was in denial about the true purpose of our shelter visit; therefore, on Good Friday, we brought Max home. He’s a fine cat; a black and white adult Manx with greenish-golden eyes. We’ve been without a cat since our last 15 year old feline passed away in October, and I hadn’t realized what a gap she’d left in our lives.

Now that we’ve introduced Max to everyone in the household, it’s time for him to learn some manners, both indoors and out. As I prepare to begin planting my spring container garden, there are still remnants of last year’s cat deterrents. I used to lay thorny branches pruned from my rose bushes across my containers to keep my cats from digging in the fresh soil and making unwanted deposits. I trust that Max will find these as unpleasant as the last tenants did.

I bought Max his own little container of cat grass to browse at his leisure. I was impressed that the container read, “USDA 100% Organically Grown.”

Perhaps Max will turn out to be as good at repelling moles and mice as the cat we lost in October. Regardless, I hope that Max will enjoy as many carefree years with us as our other cats did.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I'm ready to celebrate the first day of spring as if it were a national holiday (which it should be, so more people can stay home from work and garden)!

I bought a flat of pansies to fill up my window box, and I'm going to put out my little wooden garden placard that reads:

First, a howling blizzard woke us

Then the rains came down to soak us

And now before the eye can focus

Crocus

I’m not sure who originally penned this clever poem, but I love the fact that my yard is sporting some of these cheerful late winter flowers right at this moment. I never thought that crocus had much to offer in the fragrance department, but this oversight must be due to the diminutive stature of these blossoms. My neighbors probably wondered what I was doing with my nose to the ground, but anyone as starved for growing things as I can appreciate the urge to inhale something wonderful that didn’t come from an air freshener. It won’t be long before my hyacinths add their glorious perfume to the environment, and I definitely won’t need to strain my joints to enjoy their strong scent.

If your garden is still barren, head to the nursery and pick up a flat of pansies or some transplants of cole crops. Keep them in a sheltered area of the yard until you can get them into the ground.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

This year, National Poison Prevention Week falls on March 16-22. This is an excellent time to take stock of your garden products, and make sure you are practicing safe handling and storage techniques. Although organic gardeners eschew the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides in the garden, that doesn’t mean that our natural alternatives won’t cause any harm if ingested. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children are at greater risk for accidental poisoning when in the care of others, such as friends or family members. If these caregivers don’t have children, they may not be accustomed to locking up their dangerous household chemicals.

Here are some tips to keep your family safe:

• Keep garden products in their original containers. Never store excess garden products in old food containers, such as margarine tubs or milk jugs.
• Install childproof locks on cabinets that contain garden chemicals, even if the cabinets are in an out-of-the-way place like the garage.
• Post the phone number of the poison control center (1-800-222-1222) near your garden product storage area. Call 911 and/or the poison control center if you think a child may have ingested any garden product.
• Know that poisoning can happen by other routes than ingestion. Some garden products, including organic garden products, can harm the skin or release vapors that can damage the eyes or lungs. These types of exposures may require medical attention as well.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

The lights began to dim in October, when I found myself finishing my raking and other fall clean up tasks in the dark. Then, one weekend, I don’t remember when (it seems like an eternity ago now) the news anchor reminded us to set all of our clocks back. That was the death knell of my gardening activities for the remainder of the year. Sure, my compost pile continued to work its magic, albeit with the urgency of a snail, in the cold winter months. However, even the most enterprising gardener must take a three-month respite in this part of the country, unless he’s lucky enough to possess a nice greenhouse.

This past weekend, the scales tipped in favor of the gardener. Even if you’re still buried under a foot of snow, it’s still daylight when you get home from work! You can hunt for signs of life in the soil on the way to the mailbox without a flashlight.

Here are some things I’m going to do with my extra hour this month, weather permitting:

• Apply corn gluten meal to my lawn to prevent weeds from germinating
• Plant pansies in my window box
• Remove winter mulch from my marginally hardy plants as growth begins
• Gather materials for seed starting
• Turn my compost pile regularly to finish it in preparation for spreading on my garden beds

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

While I browsed a store that features home interior products last night, I noticed a strange trend that seems to affect all shops this time of year: all kinds of glassware, furniture, linens, and knickknacks have adopted Easter egg hues. I’m as full of spring fever as anyone after this dreariest of Midwestern winters, but I’m stymied in my efforts to spruce up my house when I’m confronted with every shade of soft teal, baby blue, and lavender on the color wheel. Do designers expect me to reupholster my couches temporarily with a flowery brocade to usher in the season? I still face the same taupe couches and burgundy accents at home, which are at odds with pale yellow vases and wreaths, no matter how buttery and delicious they appear.

The solution to this dilemma is the fresh flower arrangement. Organic gardeners have a wealth of home décor material readily available, usually starting around Easter and continuing through late autumn. If you live in a northern climate, you can float a handful of pansies in a large crystal bowl full of water. If you live in the south, you can arrange a few stems of magnolia or dogwood in a vase. I’m not the most artful florist, so my arrangements are spare: I like to place a few hyacinths in the corner of the room, so I can enjoy their perfume all day. For me, fresh flowers are more indicative of springtime than a wreath made of plastic eggs ever could be.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

This is the time of year when winter has truly worn out its welcome. I’m on my 14th bag of birdseed; all that’s left is for some errant ivory-billed woodpecker to make a surprise visit to one of my birdfeeders. I’ve perused all the seed catalogs, and I’ve decided that my eyes are bigger than my garden, as usual. I’ve examined the soil every time I go to the mailbox, and just as a watched pot doesn’t boil, neither does a watched sprout hasten its development.

If you’re looking for a way to contribute to your garden while winter continues to hang on by its left pinky toenail, consider making a craft for your garden. March is National Craft Month, and you don’t need the skills of an artisan to create something special for your organic garden.

When I want a new ornament for my garden, I look for inspiration in items that otherwise might become discards. I think that keeping things out of the landfill complements the earth-friendly philosophy of organic gardening. Here’s an example of something I created in one afternoon: I took a circular wire tomato cage with broken soldering, and painted it with a coat of bright green paint formulated for metals. Using a pair of needle-nosed pliers, I twisted the free ends of the cage into curlicues. I fastened the large circular end to the soil with u-shaped stakes, and planted cypress vine at the base of my homemade trellis.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

There’s something deeply elemental and satisfying about starting your own seeds. It’s difficult to explain to someone who’s never taken up gardening, much less staked their entire summer on a handful of particulate matter that one could fit on a 3x5 index card. A group of scientists in Longyearbyen, Norway understands the thrill. This week the Norwegian government opened the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which will safeguard millions of seeds from catastrophes ranging from tsunamis to nuclear war. The vault maintains a strictly controlled frigid environment, so that the seeds may remain viable even after 1000 years. That’s something to think about as I ponder seed packets from a few years ago and wonder if they’ll germinate or not.

A $9 million frozen Garden of Eden just 620 miles shy of the North Pole captures the imagination. Such a grand undertaking for a mere seed collection may seem like much ado about nothing. However, reporters in the remote region for the vault’s opening ceremony witnessed climate change in situ: a helicopter tour revealed melting glaciers around this Arctic archipelago.

No one knows exactly what changes global warming will bring in the next 10, 20, or 50 years. However, we can all acknowledge that we will each experience a limited number of springtimes. This spring, start a packet of seeds on your windowsill or in your garden, and see what all the fuss is about.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

When I was expecting, I found it difficult to balance my cravings for sweets with my body’s need for healthy fruits and vegetables to nurture my growing fetuses. (The plural isn’t a typo; my first pregnancy was with twins). However, a choice that was never questionable for me was whether to grow or buy organic produce. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but I felt that I couldn’t knowingly ingest foods contaminated with toxins.

In their book The Complete Organic Pregnancy, Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu describe some of the toxic effects of pesticides in frightening detail. For example, they share that, “permethrin, an insecticide, is a suspected carcinogen, endocrine toxicant, neurotoxicant, and reproductive toxicant.” No, thank you. I didn’t care to introduce these to my body or the vulnerable bodies of my developing fetuses.

In the winter, when locally grown produce items are scarce, it’s easy to consume an even wider range of pesticides that aren’t as strictly regulated in the countries our fruit is imported from. The next time you’re shopping at the grocery store, notice if the fruit you’re putting in your cart originates from another country. Perhaps you can’t change your entire produce lineup in one shopping trip. Instead, pledge to switch at least one conventionally grown produce item for the organically grown choice. In addition, if you’re an organic gardener, grow that item in your garden this year. You can freeze or can your harvest to enjoy your own locally grown, pesticide-free produce next winter.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

As I consider the contributions that former presidents have made to the United States this President’s day, I like to think about the presidents that enjoyed the same hobby I do: gardening. Many of the early presidents were accomplished organic gardeners, simply because that’s the only kind of gardening that existed. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides weren’t widely used until the 1930’s and 40’s.

In spite of their greatness, many former presidents faced the same humbling challenges we face in our gardens today. Worms ate their broccoli; black spot disfigured their roses. Although we can supplement our crop failures today with a trip to the grocery store or farmer’s market, gardening was more than a hobby for early American presidents and citizens: the food consumed in the White House came from directly from the garden in the early years. In fact, one of the principle goals of the Lewis and Clark expedition as ordered by Thomas Jefferson was botanical discovery. Americans hungered for new plants that had culinary and medicinal merit.

The presidents also faced the same winter doldrums that affect many of us in February. According to The White House Garden by W. Seale and E. Kvalsvik, an orangery was constructed on the White House grounds in 1835 to provide fresh winter fruits to the President, his family, and his staff. A larger greenhouse replaced the orangery in 1857, which provided a respite to the presidents from politics and war.

On this President’s Day, remember the horticultural struggles our early leaders endured. They deserve as much recognition as some of the other leaders’ accomplishments.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

This morning I went out into the frigid February weather to drop several day’s worth of compost scraps into my compost bin. It’s a slow time of the year for gardening around here, but I feel like I am Doing Something when I make this trek to my bin. I lifted the lid and dropped in banana peels, apple cores, a stray paper plate, and copious amounts of coffee grounds and tea bags. I hesitated before lowering the lid, scrutinizing the pile that seemed unchanged from the last three visits. Suddenly, I let out a small gasp as I realized the steam I observed was not my own breath, but emanated from the pile. Was I such a master compost-maker that my pile was creating steam on this 15-degree day? Before I ran inside to enter a self-congratulatory note in my garden journal, I realized that I had just deposited a scalding hot pile of coffee grounds fresh from the coffee maker into my bin.

To keep your compost pile active during the winter, continue layering vegetable scraps and leaves in the bin. Keep the pile moist, and turn it occasionally to bring oxygen into the interior. If you have at least one cubic yard of compost in a black bin in a sunny part of the yard, perhaps you will be lucky enough to see steam wafting from the pile.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Although roses are the number one flower bestowed on loved ones as Valentine’s gifts, in the 19th century Victorians used flowers to convey a variety of messages. In fact, not all flowers shared loving feelings in Victorian England. If a relationship was marked by a sense of distrust, the recipient might receive a bouquet of lavender. A tussie-mussie arrangement filled with cyclamen could signal the end of a relationship.

If the simple elegance of a red rose seems lackluster after years of presenting this commonplace flower as a gift, consider a small arrangement of gardenias. One whiff will tell you why this flower represents ecstasy. I’ve always loved the fresh appeal of daisies, which represent innocence. If your romance is long distance, send an arrangement that includes jasmine, which acknowledges separation.

In addition to the symbolism of flowers, there’s another reason to consider an alternative to roses as a gift this Valentine’s Day: the bulk of the conventional rose trade thrives in South America, where pesticide regulation is weak or absent. The sensitive environments in these countries suffer because of our quest for the perfect Valentine’s rose, and workers in the floral industry must suffer a miasma of chemicals as they tend these hothouse beauties. If your loved one must have roses, explore the growing number of organic florists available.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Have you ever considered how many global acres it takes to sustain your lifestyle? How many earths would we need if everyone lived the same lifestyle as you? National Public Radio attempts to answer these fascinating questions by posting an online interactive quiz that examines our lifestyle choices and renders a final tally that graphically reveals the consequences of our consumption.

Global acres refer to the amount of biologically productive land it takes to sustain an individual. If your lifestyle requires more than 4.5 acres to sustain, your score will reveal that you need more than one earth to survive.

A quiz subject can enter several pieces of information on several subjects, ranging from the electricity one uses to one's transportation choices and the impact of the food one eats.

Time for full confession and disclosure: I was horrified to learn that it would take 4.9 earths to sustain my lifestyle. I ranked well in some areas, but poorly in transportation and home. Fortunately, the kind authors of the quiz provided ideas to help me improve my score.

How are we reducing our carbon footprint with our organic gardening choices?

• Increase your produce consumption: It takes 11 times more fossil fuels to produce a pound of meat than a pound of grain.
• Reap what you sow: Eating out is a treat, but increases your environmental footprint. Prepare and eat food at home.
• Buy organic: Organic foods are good, locally grown organic foods (your garden!) are better.

Take the quiz, and drop me a line if your tally is less than 1.5 earths. I’d love to hear about your green lifestyle.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which continues for forty days until Easter. During Lent, the church asks Catholics to pray and sacrifice, to recognize the sacrifices Jesus made for us.

Although it’s common to give up candy, video games, or some other guilty pleasure for Lent, I would argue that we can extend our organic practices to live our Christian commitment to God’s creation more fully.

This year, for Lent, consider making some of the following changes or sacrifices to allow life to flourish on this planet as God intended it to:

• Purchase organic produce and other goods at your local supermarket. You are voting with your dollars when you buy organic, and you are nurturing your body with healthy, unadulterated foods.
• Adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet on most or all days of the week. This is an extension of the Lenten requirement of fasting and abstinence from meat.
• Recycle trash at your curbside or in your garden.
• Replace at least one conventional gardening product with its organic alternative. If you already practice organic gardening principles, take your conservation a step further by replacing your gas-powered mower with a reel mower.

Some of these ideas may seem out of your comfort zone, but these sacrifices may help you to deepen your spirituality by responding to God’s calling to revere, protect, and respect his creation.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

February is the time of year when our fresh produce options dwindle. Alternatively, if they don’t dwindle, the price tag encourages us to consider other choices. Take strawberries, for example. Why are strawberries so closely associated with Valentine’s Day, when the berries are running $5 a pint or more in my local grocery store? If we wanted to honor that which is in season in February, we should give our loved ones a fresh bunch of collard greens. Root vegetables are another option; who wouldn’t love a hearty basketful of parsnips and turnips? Surely, your loved one could appreciate that you’re only trying to expand her culinary horizons with a crisp serving of bok choy or antioxidant-rich kale.

Alas, none of these under-utilized vegetables has the appeal of a rosy red strawberry dipped in chocolate. I’m not quite ready to shell out a premium price for winter strawberries, but I can resolve to grow these in my organic garden this year. Strawberries are one of the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide residue when grown conventionally. Is there a better way to show that you care than to protect your loved ones from nerve-damaging organophosphates?

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to recycle my plastic grocery bags. I had done this once upon a time, but fell out of the habit when I nearly suffocated under an avalanche of bags that had fallen from its perch in the garage. It would be lovely if we could set the bags out with our regular recycling materials at the curb, but I have to take them an offsite drop-off point. This requires the use of my memory, something that seems to be in short supply since the birth of my third child.

So, my resolve fortified with a twinge of guilt, I’m back in the same boat, lousy with plastic bags. Perhaps it’s time to find a new way to keep these sacks out of the landfill.

Consider the possibilities:

• Use plastic bags to line terra cotta pots for better moisture retention. Tuck the ends of the bag over the top of the soil and cover with mulch.
• Cram several dozen bags in the bottom of your largest planting container. Most annuals only send their roots down into the first few inches of soil, so this saves expensive potting soil and lightens the weight of the containers.
• Cut the bags into strips and use them as plant ties.

Do you have any other ideas? Email me and let me know.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I love making big batches of fresh vegetable soup to feed my family of five on frigid Midwestern winter days. A bonus of this soup-making activity is the wealth of vegetable scraps I get to add some green matter to the volumes of carbon-rich dead leaves in my compost bin. However, when the weather is especially bitter I don’t always feel like hauling a handful of carrot peels to the compost bin. Here’s how I save my scraps until the winter storms pass: I throw them all into a giant zip-lock bag, and put them in the freezer. I dump the frozen glob into my bin, and save the empty bag in the freezer for next time. Happy composting!

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I first noticed the swarm back in late October, when we were still enjoying unseasonably warm weather. We could scarcely open the door without letting dozens of ladybugs inside. If the insects had been swarms of flies, ants, or any other bug with lesser charms, we wouldn’t have tolerated such nonsense. After the first hard frost of the season, the ladybugs stopped congregating on the windows, and it seemed that they had gone off to find a brush pile or some other suitable place to spend the winter. I didn’t realize that we had so many refugees still hiding inside.

Now, the stowaways are revealing themselves. Every morning, I find their dehydrated carcasses in the sink, on the floor, or in the toy box. What a waste! I hate that these misguided insects chose poorly, and now they won’t be around in the spring to consume aphids and other pests in my garden. This is the first time in more than ten years in our home that the ladybugs have sought shelter indoors, so I hope that next autumn they find a cozier spot in one of the unkempt areas of our property.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

Like many Oprah admirers, I’ve been motivated to increase my physical fitness by taking part in her Best Life Challenge. I like the fact that her trainer, Bob Greene, describes the Best Life Challenge as a lifestyle and not a crash diet. Since working in my organic garden is part of my lifestyle, I feel like I’ve already accomplished something without making a big change.

If you want to improve your health and increase your energy by doing something you already enjoy, consider that you could burn up to 500 calories per hour engaging in common gardening activities that include lawn mowing, raking, and general weeding, mulching, or hauling. Isn’t it serendipitous that all of this expended energy also yields chemical-free vegetables to nourish our bodies?

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I was poised over the sink with my sharpest shears, prepared to administer a between-the-beauty-parlor-visit bang trim. I stretched my wet bangs taut across my brow, and positioned my scissors. Distracted by the cacophony of my three young children, I moved the shears across the hair above my grasping fingers instead of below my fingers. Oh, dear. A copper fringe arranged itself around the drain, winking at me like a giant eye. My ridiculous visage in the mirror reminded me of someone. Oh yes, Angelina Jolie from Girl, Interrupted, that’s who I see. I now have the half-inch bangs of a crazy woman. Only, I don’t look quite as lovely as Ms. Jolie. Not one to cry over spilled milk (or butchered locks), I gather the hair from the drain, and add it to my compost pile.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

After whining and shivering through my first few days back in the Midwest, a balmy breeze blew into town. On the first day, all of the snow melted. On the second day, I broke out my pruning shears and lopped down my dormant butterfly bush and a large tangle of last season’s morning glory vines. On the third day, a flurry of foolhardy gnats buzzed around our heads. What gives with this strange weather pattern? I’m not sure, but I’m glad I accomplished some cleanup in my flower garden before spring arrives.

Posted by Jamie McIntosh

I was sad as we began our 1000-mile drive back to the Midwest this week, after two weeks of mild Florida weather. I knew that there would be no transition to ease back into my winter reality: single digit temperatures and dirty snow were waiting. As we wound our way northward, I noticed trees blanketed with thousands of shaggy brown tendrils, stretching from the highest canopy to the ground. The hairy stems reached out to one another at all levels, effectively encasing acres of forests. These were dormant kudzu vines, waiting for spring to resume their foot-a-day growth. Kudzu can survive zone 5 winters, but our growing season isn’t long enough to produce fruit and seeds. If our frigid winters prove inhospitable to this invasive menace, perhaps snow isn’t so disagreeable after all.