Sustainable Gardening News

In the News

The New York Times reports on young, educated farmers as a social movement, confirming a growing consensus among gardeners that the future of gardening is young people growing food.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that all sorts of chemicals — like detergents and pharmaceuticals — are turning up in earthworms from fields fertilized by animal manure and "biosolids" — that's the nice word for sludge from human sewage. Seems that more substances get into our digestive systems than we ever imagined.
The American Hort Society's 2008 book awards are out and the winners are: Foliage by Nancy J. Ondra, A Natural History of North American Trees by Donald Culross Peattie, Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier, and Viburnums by Michael Dirr. Citations of Special Merit went to revisions of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's All-Region Guide series and Sunset's Western Garden Book.

The big news in the gardening blogosphere are the many posts about our Gardenblogger Spring Fling in Austin just last weekend. Here's the link to all of them. It was a blast, y'all.
Your wood chip wisdom is needed! The very wise Linda Chalker-Scott weighs in in favor of them (a controversial stand) and get this — to a depth of 4-6 inches. What do you guys think?
Organic Gardening Editor is High on Grass is about his defense of the much-maligned lawn, which he confirms in a comment.
Here's my article about the Sustainable Sites Initiative, bringing sustainability to the landscape part of developments across the U.S., finally.
Here's Ed Bruske's review of the new Complete Compost Gardening Guide and here's my review of Linda Chalker-Scott's The Informed Gardener.
Here's horticulturist Terry Ettinger's explanation of why bare-root planting is best, and don't miss the comments.
Christa tells us all about sod-removal techniques. It seems she'd rather grow tomatoes.
Landscape architects have launched a cool new Green Roof Education site.

Something that coaching clients always ask about is Edging, so here's how to create my favorite kind. Down with ugly plastic!
Photinia shrubs are profiled — not because I recommend them but because so many people have them (along with leaf spot fungus).
The newest addition to my Tools & Stuff is the Winter Wardrobe page, which was the occasion for taking that picture of me on the right.

Here's what you don't see in this lovely picture:

In the back, what used to be lawn is now a bunch of groundcovers that haven't filled out enough to look really good. Grow, damn it!
In the front, what used to be lawn is a little kitchen garden, bisected with brick paths and planted with all sorts of edibles. Photos coming soon.

Speaking to writing classes and library groups has evolved into yet another coaching gig for me — helping people set up blogs and then make them successful. Here's the website with all the details, called Blogging Coach Susan Harris. It's fresh off the keyboard and I welcome your feedback.