Beneficial insects are often mentioned as ways of controlling the population of unwanted bugs. And there are quite a few stores willing to sell you pounds of lacewings and ladybugs and such. But will buying beneficial insects this way actually help? Is it worth the money?

Maaaaybe.

Ordering a pile of insects and dumping them in your garden in the hopes they’ll eat the detrimental insects may not work if you haven’t taken other steps.

First off, one of the best ways to keep pest insects from destroying your garden is to choose a method that doesn’t have you growing big blocks or rows of all the same crop (making it easy for those squash borers to find your squash, for example). Square Foot Gardening, for instance, encourages you to plant many different crops in the same bed, confusing vegetable-munching insects with a multitude of smells.

Companion planting is another way to either attract beneficial insects naturally or hurt the pest bugs. Radishes are said to keep squash borers away from squash and pumpkins. Scented marigolds can drive away bad nematodes. Nasturtiums repel wooly aphids, white flies, squash bug, cucumber beetles and other pests of the cucurbit family while attracting many predator insects (marigolds can also useful in keeping pest insects out of your backyard fruit tree orchards).

Lastly, having healthy soil goes a long ways toward staving off pest insects, since vigorous plants that grow faster are better at withstanding pest damage. Make sure you’re doing everything you can for your growing medium before you even plant in the spring.

Dumping a bunch of emergency beneficial insects in the garden may help with short term problems, but much as with our own health, it’s best to treat the whole body, rather than simply trying to squelch individual symptoms.

Sometimes, though, in all our enthusiasm for digging up lawns and planting gardens, we don’t always end up with the prettiest yard on the block (especially in the winter, when there’s not much going on in our vegetable beds). If you couldn’t care less about aesthetics, then this might be just fine, but if you find yourself wondering if there’s a way to keep your yard looking good even as it feeds your family, well chances are there is.

In my area, I’ve noticed more and more landscape designers who haven taken master gardener or permaculture design courses or otherwise become trained in creating eco-friendly–and sometimes even edible–landscapes.

As someone who has priced this stuff, I’ll be the first to admit that hiring a landscape professional to redo your yard isn’t cheap, but it does tend to be one of those things that can pay you back somewhat by improving the value of your home. Even in a tough real estate market (or maybe especially in one) curb appeal makes a difference.

Having the advice of a professional can be especially helpful if you’re working around buried pipes, septic systems, foundations, and the like. These folks will know what you can plant where without worrying about roots making a mess of underground things down the line.

If you are trying to save money, something you might consider is hiring a landscape architect to come out and create a design and then doing the actual work yourself. I’m actually saving my pennies to do this myself since I didn’t inherit the design gene. I have a lot of cool edibles planted around my house, but I’d definitely enjoy having more of a planned outdoor retreat and perhaps something that looks a tad prettier as folks drive by!

Here are a couple of landscape designers who specialize in edible work (if none are in your area, try Googling for landscape design + permaculture or perhaps eco-friendly/green/edible gardens):

• SongCroft Garden Design in Snohomish, WA, specializes in “beautiful edible gardens.”
• Eco Logic Permaculture & Landscape Design is based in Portland, OR, but they have done designs in several states.
• Bountiful Backyards does “edible landscape design and installation” in North Carolina and lists their prices for hourly rates and certain common installations (berry patch, rainwater setup, etc.) on their website.

And for you folks who don’t have the hire-a-landscape-designer dream and want to do it yourself, you might want to check out a couple of these books:

• Landscaping with Fruits and Vegetables
• Landscaping With Fruit: Strawberry ground covers, blueberry hedges, grape arbors, and 39 other luscious fruits to make your yard an edible paradise.

What is compost tea?

Compost tea is a liquid solution made by steeping compost in water, usually for a week or more. It is then used as a natural (and free) fertilizer to promote plant growth, and some say it also helps prevent plant diseases.

How to make compost tea

While you can buy fancy machines that are supposed to make really great tea, the basic process and is simple and can be done with nothing more than a bucket and some cheesecloth or some such for straining.

“Steep 1 part compost in 3 : 9 parts water, with optional additions of a handful of basalt-meal or granite-dust and seaweed powder, and stand at room temperature ( 20 – 25C°) for 3 – 24 days, with frequent stirring. Sieve through cheesecloth or a fine mesh screen.” ~ From the Wikipedia entry on compost tea

I grabbed a discarded bucket I found by a trail while walking the dogs and have my first batch of the season going now.

Now if you want to get fancy, you can also add some molasses and an aeration method and brew compost tea. This is supposed to be chock full of beneficial bacteria that will help prevent diseases in the soil and on the foliage of the plant. This is something I may try in the future.

What about you? Have you tried compost tea or are you thinking of it? What has been your experience?

If you’ve had a herb garden before, you’ve probably tried the standards: dill, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, and mint.  If you’re a fan of tarragon, sage, and fennel, maybe you’ve tried them too.

These are all great herbs, but maybe you’d like to try growing some interesting edible and medicinal herbs that aren’t easy to find at the store (or are expensive if they are).  Here’s a list you can mine for ideas:

5 Uncommon Herbs for Your Garden

Stevia — If you’re into sugar substitutes, you may have heard of stevia before.  The body doesn’t metabolize the sweet glycosides from the stevia leaf–or any of its processed forms–so there is no caloric intake.  And it’s very concentrated so it only takes a bit to sweeten a dish.  Think of it like an all-natural version of Equal (but less bitter).  As for growing it, stevia is originally from sub-humid subtropical climates, but it can be grown in northern lattitudes as an annual.  Try some in your garden, and you may never have to buy sugar or other artifical sweeteners again.

Lavender — We have a lot of lavender farms on the Olympic Peninsula up here in Western Washington, so I’ve been treated to some interesting uses of the pleasant-smelling herb.  Examples include lavender shortbread cookies, lavender chocolate, lavender coffee, lavender salad dressing, lavender mustard, and my favorite (so far) lavender lemonade.  In addition to being useful in food, lavender oil is considered a very good antidote for insect bites, stings, and burns. These shrubs can get quite big, though, with extensive root systems, so if you’re going to try growing lavdender, look for lavender species suitable for container growing.

Garlic Chives — If you’re a garlic lover, you may appreciate chives with the subtle taste of garlic to them.  They’re not nearly as powerful as the real deal, but they can be great for adding a bit of flavor to a dish, and they perform the same function garlic does in a garden: driving off many pest species that don’t care for the scent.  Like many herbs, they are are invasive in a garden, so use containers to grow them.

Grapefruit Mint – Mint is a pretty common garden herb, but why grow just mint when there are so many interesting variations these days?  Orange mint, grapefruit mint, pineapple mint, lavender mint, lemon mint, lime minte, and even chocolate mint are available at speciality garden stores.  And, yes, the leaves smell like their namesakes!  Try them in salads, beverages, or whatever you’d like to enhance with a minty taste.

Lovage — You’ll love lovage (har), since it’s a perennial herb that comes back every year and isn’t difficult to grow.  It can reach six feet in height though so make sure you’ve got some space for it.  In the kitchen, lovage can sweeten up your soup, salad, or turkey stuffing.  It’s similar to celery in taste, but it has a sweeter and more robust flavor.

That’s all I have time to write about right now.  Are there any herbs you enjoy growing?

Well, as it turns out, there are a lot of reasons to grow potatoes.  I’m sure there are more than 7, but that’s the magic number I pulled out of my blog-o-hat for today.  So let’s get started:

7 Reasons to Grow Potatoes at Home

1. Food prices are going up – as I write this post, the U.S. government is printing money at a record pace, and there’s a lot of talk of major inflation coming down the pipe in the next few years (lots of other countries are having problems too).  It’s going to make a lot of sense to grow whatever you can that your family will use–don’t count on being able to get a 10 pound bag of potatoes for a few bucks indefinitely.
2. Potatoes can last months after they’re pulled up — unlike those flashy tomatoes and exotic purple peppers, potatoes can be stored through the winter in optimal conditions (root cellar).  And even though few of us city folk have root cellars, we can simulate them: find a spot that’s dark, dry, and cool (around 45-50 degrees).  This can be anywhere from a garage or shed to that wine refrigerator you can’t afford to keep full of your favorite vintages any more.  And if you don’t have a storage spot, there’s always dehydrating, which gives any vegetable an indefinite shelf life.
3. Potatoes can be eaten at every meal — From breakfast hash browns, to lunch scalloped potatoes and ham, to a baked potato with dinner, this vegetable can be eaten for every meal if you’re trying to save money.  Unlike Top Ramen and other things college students are known for living off of, potatoes have some nutritional value too.
4. You can grow cool varieties that aren’t available in stores — The Purple Peruvian, Rose Finn Apple and La Ratte fingerlings, the All Blue potato shown in my picture up there… there are lots of yummy (and cool looking) varieties that you just won’t find at SafeWay (and even the speciality stores such as Whole Foods have limited shelf space) where you’re lucky to get two or three options.
5. They fill you up — Thanks to their high starch content, a potato is going to do a lot more to fill you up than some swissh chard and many other vegetables from your garden.  Again, if you’re trying to save money, there’s a lot to be said for growing something that keeps the family from getting hungry.
6. Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, B6, Potassium, and more — Since potatoes are so often deep fried into potato chips or french fries, we tend to think of them as junk food, but if you can keep yourself from slathering your potatoes in too much butter and oil, you’ll find they can be quite nutritious.  Potatoes are good sources for vitamin C, B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber.  They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have desirable antioxidant activity.
7. You can grow them in tires — Come on, that’s just cool.  Raised garden beds are great for city dwellers with small lots, but they can be expensive.  Some tires reclaimed from the junkyard (or your last auto), not so much.  Read “a new use for old tires” to get the lowdown on how specifically (scroll down to “Potato Stacks”).  If tires sound too dirty for your liking, you could also pick up some of these inexpensive potato bins (I actually bought four from the Gardeners’ Supply Store, and I’ll be trying them out this year), which can be used over and over and stored flat during the winter.

There’s my list of 7 reasons to grow potatoes in your vegetable garden.  Are there any other reasons you like tatters?

Here’s a look at some edible plants that will bring bees to our vegetable gardens and backyard orchards:

• Tomatillos — The tomatillo is the little green Mexican tomato used in making salsa and other Mexican dishes, and it grows anywhere regular tomatoes grow.  It doesn’t require a lot of care, but the bees love it (and the salsa maker in your family will love it too!)
• Blackberries and raspberries — Who could resist such sweet fruits?  And the thorns don’t seem to bother the bees nearly as much as they do us.
• Mustards — If you let some of your mustards bolt (flower), then they’ll attract mason bees.
• Radishes — Here too if you leave some in the ground long enough to bloom, the bees will enjoy visiting them.  How many radishes do you need for a salad anyway?
• Mint — Members of the mint family are attractive to long-tongued bees.  Examples include many popular herbs such as sage, mint, oregano, and lavender.

For more information on plants that attract bees, check out the following sites:

Bee Garden

Urban Bee Gardens

The only problem? You live in an apartment or condo with no yard. Eep. How are you supposed to grow anything in those conditions?

Well, you know what they say about wills and ways…

Vegetable Garden Options for Folks Without Yards

1. Rent a plot in the community garden

Community gardens have been around in many cities for a long time, but with economic times getting tough, there’s even more call and more and more options are becoming available.

Google your city + “p patch” or “community garden” to see if there’s something in your neighborhood. Prices are usually very affordable, and you often have access to rototillers and other fancy farm and garden equipment you might not have, even if you did have a yard of your own.

Renting a patch in a community garden is also a great way to meet like-minded folks in your neighborhood.

2. Find a neighbor willing to let you use their lawn

Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean everyone around you does (okay, it might if you’re in a really dense urban spot, but many of us live in mixed residential areas with houses and apartments/condominiums). See if you can impose on a neighbor or family member in order to start a garden in a corner of their yard. You could always bribe them with a share of your harvest!

3. Garden on your balcony

If you’ve got a balcony that gets nice sun exposure, you could do quite a bit of container gardening right there. Strawberries, herbs, tomatoes, beets, carrots, and salad greens can all be grown in pots. Shoot, you can even get some zucchinis and cucumbers going.

Note: for vegetables, you do need a lot of sunlight, so a southern exposure would be best.

4. Garden on the roof

No balcony? No grass? No neighbor with a yard? If you’re in a high rise apartment building, maybe you’ve got a flat roof. If nobody goes up there, and it’s in good repair (and not in the shadows all day), maybe your landlord wouldn’t mind you going up there and laying out a few pots.

If you live in a condo and have a say, go to the board meetings and see if you can get your community on board with a multi-family condo-community garden up on the roof. With raised garden beds and pots, you won’t permanently damage the structure… you’ll just have some work on your hands hauling the materials (and all that dirt!) up to the roof.

5. Partake in some “guerrilla gardening”

If none of these options are working for you, or you just want more (free) room to garden, you can always start a vegetable garden on a vacant lot. People have even been known to harvest years’ worth of vegetables before the lot owners realized anything was going on. Chances are your garden is prettier than whatever out-of-control weeds were growing up all over the place there anyway.

Some folks even plant fruit trees in hidden nooks of parks. More park trees ought to drop cherries, plums, figs, apples, and pears for visitors anyway, right?

There you go: five ways to start a vegetable garden even if you live in an apartment or condo. Now hurry up and get to planning… Spring is almost here!

We’re seeing more and more outfits that provide fresh organic vegetables to customers who want them delivered to their home for an affordable price.  And where are these vegetables grown?  In some towns, it can be your backyard.

For example, check out Seattle Farm in the Pacific Northwest.

They will come to your yard and set up a traditional in-ground garden or a series of raised garden beds (depending on what makes sense for your landscape and critter traffic).  They’ll fill it with soil and plant it up, and then once a week their folks come out to maintain the garden.  If you don’t have time to do much work yourself, you can still enjoy a harvest straight from your backyard.

As you can imagine all this service isn’t free, but you can significantly lower the cost by dedicating a portion of your harvest to their organic produce delivery system.  This means that the food grown in your yard goes out to feed folks in your community.  Be a farmer without all the work!

In addition to being a space saver, it can improve the health and productivity of your edible plants too. Keeping vines, fruits, and veggies out of the soil improves airflow and cuts down the likelihood of disease and rot.

You’ve probably seen trellises of all sorts, but this vertical gardening kit from Smith & Hawken takes things to the next level. It basically combines container gardening with the trellis idea, tipping a bed on its side and providing columns and rows of individual containers for you to plant. Its made of cedar (a weather-resistant wood) so it can be used outdoors, but if you have a sunny window pouring light into your kitchen, you could also use this kit indoors.

“Get your garden growing—vertically. This ingenious living wall is great for growing a garden in small spaces—indoors or out. Plant one or display in multiples to create a living, oxygenating work of art in your entryway, kitchen, or balcony…anywhere that receives direct sunlight.”

At $400 the kit isn’t exactly inexpensive, but you could check it out and figure out how to make something like this yourself. It’s available at Smith & Hawken: Large Vertical Garden.

There are big gas-powered sod cutters, and then there are manual/kick-type versions. As you might guess, a manual sod cutter is more affordable and more practical for a homeowner (the gas-powered sod cutting machines start around $3,500!).

This manual one costs $300 as I write this:

Quail Manual Kick-Type Sod Cutter & Edger

How Sod Cutters Work

These tools make it easy to create a garden bed or plant a tree or shrub. They tear your grass or sod up into small chucks, which you can put into a yard machine and rework into the bed.

A sod cutter doesn’t remove a lot of the soil beneath (something that’s hard to avoid when you’re digging up grass with a shovel). It does, however, destroy the grass roots, so the area should remain bare for some time.

You can use a manual cutter to clear the grass, as mentioned, and also to dig trenches.

Why Might You Need a Manual Sod Cutter?

If you’ve ever dug up some grass in order to landscape, plant a garden bed, or install your own patio, then you already know the answer to this question. Digging up grass is hard and tedious work. Just removing a garden bed-sized patch can take an hour or more. Doing it with a shovel is fine if you want to harden up those calluses and burn a lot of calories, but for most of us time is a consideration.

If you’re planting a number of garden beds, you don’t want to spend the whole weekend just getting the grass out of the way. A sod cutter can dramatically increase your productivity (i.e. make it faster and easier!).

Renting vs. Buying a Sod Cutter

If you know you’ll only need a sod cutter once, it can make sense to simply rent one of the gas-powered beasts and get the work done in a couple hours.

However rental costs can be nearly as much as buying a manual sod cutter new. And if you realize the next month or the next year that you want to put in some more garden beds, then you’ll have to pay to rent again.

On the other hand, if you buy your very own sod cutter, then it’s a tool you can use whenever you need it. Also, because it’s the sort of thing not everybody on the block has, you can become The Person with the Sod Cutter, the one to whom everyone turns…

Before you chuckle and wonder why you’d want to be in that position, consider that the economy is tough and more and more folks may be putting in backyard fruit and vegetable gardens. It never hurts to have resources to barter with (sure I’ll let you use my sod cutter, and when your bees produce their honey, maybe you can give me a couple pounds…).

If you’re of a mind to pick one up, grab the Quail Manual Kick-Type Sod Cutter & Edger online from Northern Tool (it’s hard to find a manual cutter at the store).