Native Plant Workshop

...birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. With only 4% of our wild lands left, urban and suburban native plant gardens will be the “make or break” difference to the support and preservation of bio-diversity. Lisa will show and tell you about several varieties of native plants as well as provide samples for sale. Immediately after the lecture in the garden we will be conducting a tour of the house to show and tell you about green products and renovatio...

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Will We Keep Keeping Chickens?

...operations. There’s a lot of negatives for keeping chickens in our small, urban backyard. We have lead and zinc in the soil, so many predators that the hens have to live in what I call “chicken Guantanamo,” and a small irregular piece of property that makes using a chicken tractor impossible. While I built a generous run for our four hens, I really wish that they could wander more freely, but that’s just not possible where we live. Another big ch...

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Saturday Tweets: Foxes, Library Hand and Pyracantha

Gallery of London's urban foxes https://t.co/Et0md5ATv7 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) February 17, 2017 An Artist Mends Cracks in the Sidewalk with Gold https://t.co/5hGw5RgHln — Root Simple (@rootsimple) February 17, 2017 Library Hand, the Fastidiously Neat Penmanship Style Made for Card Catalogs: @atlasobscura https://t.co/N9MsFVmAb3 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) February 17, 2017 ICYMI on the blog: in praise of pyracantha, by @gardeningshoe1 h...

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What is a Swarm of Bees and What Should I Do About It?

...y’ll take any dark enclosure with a small, easily defensible, entrance. In urban areas, in addition to tree cavities, they might choose the walls of buildings, utility boxes, compost bins and even the inner workings of hot tubs. But before a swarm can find permanent digs, they need a place for the swarm to hang out while the swarm’s scouts go off in search of the perfect home. Where a swarm lands When shopping for permanent real estate most swarms...

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