Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 5:08PM 
Whether the gardener on your list is just learning the difference between a shovel and a spade, or an expert well versed in the subtle differences in regional bat guano, all of these gifts are sure to delight and inspire this holiday season.
Monday, November 28, 2011 at 2:51PM 
Every morning, the Taub home looks on as a stream of joggers and cyclists pass by on their way along the’ Booty Loop’ in Myers Park.“ We love the tree-lined streets and convenience of being near the city,” says Kelly. “ I used to garden with my dad, right up until I left for college,” she continues, examining the leaves on a spinach plant. “I remember every summer we’d grow all the ingredients to make gazpacho. Growing our own produce really gave me a greater appreciation for food, and I want to share those lessons ad experiences with my daughter.”
Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 4:57PM While you nudge your cool season plants along through the dark winter months ahead, draw inspiration from some of the classic titles on the organic farming movement. Natural farming isn’t a new concept of course. Some of these books are based on direct observations of simple farm cultures in the east that, though sustainable methods like combining vegetation and animal manure to create humus, have maintained or improved soil fertility on tiny parcels of land that have been farmed continuously for thousands of years. Other works illustrate how organic methods like sheet composting green manure crops, restored modern era farms that had been rendered sterile by the use of chemical farming techniques, and abandoned. By the time you’ve put all these classics back on the bookshelf, you’ll be heading for the garden to create your own story on sustainable agriculture!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 11:09AM 
The Smith family’s European style potager, or kitchen garden, sits neatly in the back corner of their tree lined Foxcroft property. A rose covered arbor welcomes visitors into the garden, while rose bushes and assorted herb plants line the inside of the garden’s ornamental white picket fence. Eight raised beds, each measuring 4’x6’ , sit neatly down the center of the garden in two columns. Tiffany Smith loves gardening, but life as a busy mom of three made it difficult to keep the garden maintained.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 7:21AM 
Raking up leaves and putting them in clear plastic bags to send to the dump makes about as much sense as washing your car in the rain. Organic matter like leaves, grass clippings, coffee grounds, and vegetable scraps can be turned into humus ; an amazing material that creates rich, living soil and healthy plants.
At Microfarm, we endorse the proven, three bin design used by organizations worldwide to recycle large amounts of organic material. Research has shown that the ideal size of a compost pile is about four cubic feet- much larger than the average store bought, plastic compost bin . The mass of a four cubic foot pile facilitates rapid decomposition, but isn’t too big to turn with a simple handheld garden tool like a spading fork.
