Small Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson

March 30, 2012 98 comments
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Longtime readers will know I’ve been a fan of Fern’s stylish blog Life on the Balcony for some time. Fern’s like an approachable version of Martha Stewart for container gardeners – while her photos and ideas are gorgeously inspiring, her projects are never so difficult or time-consuming that I feel I couldn’t possibly fit them [...]

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Contemplative Spaces: The Garden Designers Roundtable

March 27, 2012 26 comments
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When creating a space for calm contemplation, what you leave out is much more important than what you put in. It’s as true in the garden as it is elsewhere; clutter isn’t soothing. Whether you’re creating a small nook for restful solace or overhauling an entire garden, these essential elements will keep you on track [...]

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The NEW Sunset Western Garden Book

March 22, 2012 65 comments
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16 years ago, when I took my first horticulture class, The Sunset Western Garden Book was the very first book I bought. Its status in the West is such that I owned three copies by the end of my first year: one old edition which had the best basic gardening tips, one new edition with [...]

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The Worm Factory 360 and The Earth Moved (With Video!)

March 21, 2012 124 comments
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When I first bought my own home years ago, there was one fact that made me particularly happy: as a responsible grownup and a homeowner, I was now allowed to get any pets that I darn well wanted, so long as I could take good care of them. No landlords or reluctant parents to tell [...]

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The Tuff-Guard Hose is Lightweight and Doesn’t Kink

March 20, 2012 81 comments
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One of my most dreaded tasks is when clients have a hose that hasn’t been rolled up properly, so it’s bent and folded and won’t go back into place. Being the responsible horticultural professional I am, if I touch something, I have to leave it perfect. However, rolling up a heavy, kinked hose is a [...]

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Monday Miscellany: It’s Giveaway Week! Plus the SF Garden Show and Worms

March 19, 2012 2 comments
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Yes, people, it’s giveaway week here at North Coast Gardening. And I use the term “week” loosely as there will be more giveaways to come in the weeks after, including a rototiller, cold frame, and some other neat goodies. But first, some cool links from around the web. . . Kicking things off, there’s two [...]

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The Chicken Encyclopedia by Gail Damerow

March 18, 2012 47 comments
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I grew up a big-city gal, so when I moved to Humboldt County to go to college, I was amazed to find a field of cows just outside the backyard of my apartment complex. Passing by each day, I’d watch them grazing with an odd sense of unreality. Cows! Right there in town! With their [...]

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EZ-Walls Plant Protector Extends the Season and Keeps Chickens Off New Plants

March 13, 2012 44 comments
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When I tell people I live in coastal California, they get this delightful image in their heads of sunshine, warmth, and many opportunities to suntan. Unfortunately for my vitamin D quota, I live at the other end of the state. It’s foggy, rainy, and doesn’t get all that warm, even in the middle of summer. [...]

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Monday Miscellany: Giveaways, Rocky Mountain Gardening, and St Patrick’s DIY

March 12, 2012 3 comments
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Kicking things off this week, we have two very cool giveaways, both for my favorite type of loot – books! Timber Press has a giant edible gardening giveaway happening right now where you can win five edible gardening books (including my fellow Roundtable member Ivette Soler‘s The Edible Front Yard), a bare root fruit tree, [...]

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Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom

February 28, 2012 75 comments
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Jessi Bloom‘s new book Free-Range Chicken Gardens seems sure to be a new bestseller, because while the backyard-chicken trend has taken off, nobody has really stepped up to offer guidance on some of the issues common to owners of free-ranging hens, until now. In just four years of keeping my own tiny flock, I’ve had [...]

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