Special reports - page 3

The world of gardening is as vast as the imagination of each of us gardeners can make it. These reports highlight some of nature’s surprises.

Worms, welcome wonderful wrigglers!

The total weight of earthworms in our country weights more than that of our entire population! This astonishing number hints at the colossal and indispensable work these unseen laborers accomplish. Let’s dig a bit deeper underground to better understand the crucial role of the earthworm in the garden. Also read: Organic tips for soil health […]
earthworm

WWoofing as a host: a great experience

Come with us! We’re going to meet a Franco-British couple who decided to start a lavender farm project near Montpelier. For years, these farmers have been welcoming volunteers. They’re now sharing their experience about WWOOFing from a host’s point of view.
Wwoofing host in France

How to WWOOF? Three steps to start trying it out

For you too, is getting started with WWOOF now an obvious choice? After all, it is a very affordable way to travel, a great way to learn about farming, and an excellent source of enriching experiences. To get started, it’s very simple: explore, join, and make contact. Then, all you have to do is prepare […]
WWoof how to try

3 powerful reasons to try WWOOF

The number of organic farms and volunteers joining the WWOOF network is increasing rapidly. You may be wondering why you should try WWOOF and what the benefits are. There are several possible answers, and they all have one thing in common: you’re certain to experience something different from anything else!
Reasons why to try wwoof

What is WWOOF? A farm experience based on sharing!

WWOOFing is a concept created in 1971 in the United Kingdom. At first, it just aimed to make exchanges easier between organic food farmers and city dwellers. Today, it’s a rapidly-growing organization that connects volunteers and welcoming host farms. But what is WWOOFing in reality?
WWOOF definition

Out for the holidays, how to deal with the watering

Before leaving to go on holiday, a few good tips can ensure that your garden plants will still be in great health when you get back. But in case of dry spell, watering must be both carefully planned and not excessive. Are you traveling away from the garden for a week or more? First on […]
How to water when absent

Harvesting Mahonia berries – easy but watch for stains

Mahonia berries are delicious, tart berries! Learn about how and when to harvest them. Key Mahonia harvest facts Harvest season – late fall Northern Hemisphere: Sept. → Nov. Southern Hemisphere: Jan. → March (depends on species, too) Yield – 4 to 8 pounds (2-4 kg) for a shrub 1 yard/meter wide Fruit type – berry […]
Harvesting mahonia

White flower beds, best white flowers for a pearly-white garden

No need to worry about whether colors match and pair well. Perfect harmony is so hard to master! A clean, white garden is pleasing in its simplicity. The goal? Introduce as many white blooms as can be, without forgetting rich, textured foliage to give the eye a focal point.
White garden flowers for landscaping a garden in white

How to improve cross-pollination

It’s easy to enhance and improve cross-pollination for your target species. These different tips will help you cross-pollinate plants.
improve pollination

Make soil mix from household items

Convert ordinary stuff into perfectly good soil mix! Especially useful to recycle things into useful potting mix for beautiful plants.
Homemade potting mix

Keeping mahonia berries

Just discovered Mahonia berries were edible? Extend the joy and learn all the best ways to keep and preserve
mahonia-berry-keeping

Use dowsing to set your garden up!

Should you plant here, or rather there? What if you relied on dowsing to find the perfect spot and work towards a bountiful garden? Also helpful: How moon planting works Moon planting calendar Eco-friendly garden practices Why rely on dowsing? Dowsing is the study of the relationship between an environment and its inhabitants. When used […]
dowsing garden

Ace your eco-friendly gardening practices

Mulching, composting, natural and organic produce… Are you hoping to learn more about environment-friendly gardening? Start right this winter or during the next dry spell!
Eco-friendly garden

9 outdoor plants that resist cold winter weather

Brrr, winter is just along the corner, bringing along those cold temperatures and foul weather. Not all plants can cope when the outdoors gets colder than freezing. Luckily, there are quite a few cold-resistant plants for the garden.
Plants that resist freezing

Designing a sensory garden

A sensory garden has a simple goal: maximize the sensory experience of its visitors. Designing such a garden isn’t very difficult. You can follow various themes, set portions up into dedicated areas, or fuse all the experiences together as a whole.
Sensory garden design

Gardening tools, basic gardening equipment

Small hand gardening tools make a gardener’s work easier in flower beds and vegetable patches. They also help flower garden boxes and pot arrangements on terraces, balconies and decks.
Gardening tools

Predator wasp, a voracious feeder… of pests!

As soon as the word wasp is mentioned, we all shudder at the thought of that insect that somehow always finds ways to turn a nice family picnic into a frenzied gaggle of panicked people! But did you know there were a great many wasp varieties? One of which is particularly interesting: the predator wasp.
Hunting predator wasp with caterpillar prey

Indoor and outdoor succulents

Succulents are attractive for their ease of care, their great diversity and their waxy or velvet-covered leaves. They do great both indoors and outside!
Jade plant succulent growing indoors and outdoors
Any questions? Ask them on the forum!