An Organic Urban Yard in Less Time Than a Sit-Com
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Posts from — May 2008

Twenty Minute Planting - Are You Serious?

A friend of mine, a good friend in fact, said “Twenty-Minute Jim, you’re a big fat liar! There’s NO WAY you plant that garden of yours in only 20 minutes a day.” I wasn’t offended. I didn’t even puff out my cheeks or stamp my feet in protest. I knew for a fact that this year, we’d spent quite a bit more than 20 minutes a day so far in the garden. But I don’t think our experience so far this year essentially disproves our hypothesis (i.e. that a lovely organic, urban kitchen garden can be created by two folks working 20 minutes a day.) Here’s why: [Read more →]

May 31, 2008   No Comments

4 Things You Should Know about Raspberry Trellises

If you’ve ever owned or seen a neglected raspberry bush, you might note that they still produce berries. They may look messy and unkept and even dangerous with the thorns and all, but they will still grow and flower and make berries. So, other than for neatness’ sake, why trellis raspberries?
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May 30, 2008   No Comments

Another Way of Looking at 20 Minutes

Stuart Robinson, the host of the nifty gardening website Blotanical, has an inspiring post on the 20 minute theme. If you are feeling unmotivated or overwhelmed or too tired after a day at work to take on the garden, you might find that a quick glance over his list could provide the jumpstart you need to get a little something done.
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May 29, 2008   No Comments

Holy Frost Advisories, Batman!

Over Memorial Weekend, the temperature in southeast Michigan reached 80F. We wore hats and sunblock while gardening. We paused to rest and stop sweating in the shade whenever convenient. In the evening, I had to get the box fan from basement storage so that we could cool our bedroom down enough to sleep.

Frost Advisory News Story

Then yesterday we had overnight Frost Advisories in effect, a full week after our “last frost” date.
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May 28, 2008   No Comments

How to Mulch and How Much

If you have read more than a couple entries on our site, you’ll have realized that we are mulch advocates. We talk about mulch all the time. Maybe you’re wondering what exactly we mean by mulch. Maybe you are wondering, “Where do I buy mulch and how much should I get?”
Tomato plant with heavy mulch around
The answer to those questions is “No.” “No, no, no, no, no.”
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May 27, 2008   3 Comments