It’s hard to know where to start with the global plastic pollution crisis. Different publications site different statistics to help us visualize the scope of the problem. Anyway you cut it, the amount of plastic that is sitting on our earth or floating in our seas as waste is frightening.
What is the deal with mistletoe? Why is it hung in a ball shape and why do people kiss underneath it?
I have to admit, I loved the idea of getting caught under this mysterious plant as a young person with someone I wanted very much to kiss. However, I never questioned the logic or lore of this practice.
It turns out mistletoe has not only an interesting place among world legends but also some exciting properties and an important ecological function!
Are you thinking about building a deck this summer? How about patio furniture? Is there a teak set you’ve been eyeing for a long time? How about a pergola?
Do you know where that furniture comes from? Does all wood pretty much seem the same to you, or do you plan to use sustainable wood? What’s the difference?
There didn’t use to be a difference at all. The trees of our continents seemed like they would never run out. After all, they do grow back, don’t they? Loggers felled millions of trees every year, and it barely made an impression.
However, now it isn’t that simple. We have deforested so much of the world that conservation has become important if we want the human race to survive.
Do you have a favorite summer vegetable or garden-grown fruit that you just can’t wait to come in season each year?
I know I do. Tomatoes, strawberries, and watermelons are at the top of my list. Actually, they are all so much better when homegrown; sweeter, crunchier, with more depth of flavor.
There are times I’ve tasted my homegrown produce and thought I really didn’t know that vegetable was so delicious. Most of the time supermarket staples aren’t even close to tasting the same. It’s a shame, too. I think more of us would enjoy vegetables more if they had a chance to taste them in their fullness.
There is a way!
It’s no secret that more and more of our kids are spending less time outdoors and more time in front of a screen on any given day. The sad news is, so are adults, and we should know better.
People are busy, there is more homework, and parents are afraid to let their kids roam around the neighborhood by themselves.
Why not kill two birds with one stone and create a dream space for the kids. Maybe when you are done, you will want to be out there more, too, and invite the neighbors over while you’re at it!
Are you a fan of the Winter Olympics? It’s one of my favorite indoor pastimes in winter, even though it does only come around every four years.
One benefit of watching the Olympics is that it tends to remind you that people do have the ability to enjoy themselves outdoors in winter.
Let’s face it. Gardeners don’t always make the best winter lovers. However, here is a challenge. How can we get outside and enjoy the season despite the cold? Skiers do it. Hunters do it.
Gardeners can do it too! One pastime enjoyed by many gardeners in warm months is still available to you through the winter! Birding.
If you listened to a recent piece on NPR’s This American Life, or read National Geographic – or if you are paying attention at all to scientists’ newest predictions about sea level rise, you know that some of, or most of the biggest and most populated cities in the world are set to disappear in a permanent flood due to climate change.
Here at Rootwell Products, Inc., we want you to be a gardening success. We know that a green thumb isn’t something you’re born with. You need advice from the pros and you need lots of practice.
To that end, we try to supply you with tips every week on a range of gardening topics. Every New Year, we post a roundup of the top 20 articles from the previous year. We like to keep tabs on what you are most interested in.
So take a peek at this year’s list and see if any of your favorites are there.
This summer marked a huge change for organic food lovers. Amazon bought Whole Foods and immediately marked down prices.
Pink water lilies (lotuses) blooming in a pond in Mai Po marshland – wetlands
Our wetlands are being threatened.