Our New Straw Bale Garden–Part I

April 23, 2013

...solution. Bales and fertilizer are easier to carry up the stairs than bulk soil. It will be cheaper than buying soil. No lead and zinc. I was also inspired by this attractive straw bale garden in Arizona. It will be a garden that changes over time. I like the idea of watching the bales turn into compost and their gradual replacement with more permanent structures. I’m hoping that the view from the two Adirondack chairs that face the bales will be...

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Two Easy to Grow Climbing Roses

Mr. Homegrown

March 28, 2016

Gardening

11 Comments

...se I chose two common varieties that I thought could tolerate our horrible soil and dry conditions: Don Juan This stunning, deep red climbing rose was developed by Michele Malandrone and first sold in 1958. It has an intense, complex scent. I chose it because I heard that it was drought tolerant. It’s also easy to find. Iceberg Climbing Rose I refer to this rose as the “gas station rose” for its ubiquity. Frankly, it’s an unimaginative choice but...

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The problem with polar fleece: it’s in the ocean, it’s in sea creatures, it’s on our plates

Mrs. Homegrown

August 17, 2016

Domesticus

24 Comments

...rs here at our house we’ve sent a good deal of these stray fibers into the soil around our house, since we’ve been using a greywater system. I’m not sure what to think about that. I doubt that the fibers are as disruptive in the soil as they are in a marine ecosystem, but still, it’s not good, and I don’t like it. Thinking about my own household, I’m targeting certain items for disposal. I have some very old fleece in my life: a 15 year old bathro...

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Composting: Nothing is Wasted

Mrs. Homegrown

May 7, 2015

Back to the Garden, Composting, Gardening

23 Comments

...e atmosphere. Forget about the great good compost does for the life of the soil. Forget that compost is the alpha and omega of organic gardening, and that any good gardener doesn’t like to see so much as a carrot peel go to waste, because it seems you can never have enough compost. No, just forget the vast practical utility of compost and think about what it symbolizes. Compost is the purest alchemy. It is the nigredo, the black matter of putrefac...

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Saturday Tweets: Naked Gardening Day Edition

Mr. Homegrown

May 2, 2015

Saturday Linkages

1 Comment

...@slate — Root Simple (@rootsimple) April 29, 2015 Where can you find clay soil near your California adobe project? Check out this great soil map from UC Davis!: http://t.co/2L1ENJOn2a — adobeisnotsoftware (@riseupmud) April 26, 2015 Drought Frames Economic Divide of Californians http://t.co/ndTXBBUtsF — Root Simple (@rootsimple) April 28, 2015 So, finally, we've got a thriving downtown with thousands of people on foot, and we're penalizin...

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