Landing Ideas, Tips & Guides

Tickle Your Tomato Plant Like This for Bumper Harvest? This may sound absurd, but it is actually true. Keep on reading to find out!

My name is Elizabeth. I am 24 years old and live in Pennsylvania. My grandma is my best friend and has over 10 acres of farm land. On her farm she has a small 40-foot by 80-foot garden. I planted over 20 crops this year with her.

Our Green Planet is facing a crisis and demands immediate action to restore its natural balance. The Earth, our green planet, is a breathtaking tapestry of ecosystems, teeming with life in all its forms. However, in recent times, our planet has been facing an unprecedented crisis that threatens its delicate balance. Human activities, driven by relentless industrialization, deforestation, pollution, and climate change, have pushed numerous ecosystems to the brink of collapse. The urgent need for action to restore our planet’s natural equilibrium has become paramount. It is high time we address these pressing concerns and embark on a collective mission to heal our planet and secure a sustainable future.

If you’ve been asking, “Is it illegal to dig up wild plants,” the short answer is “Yes.” However, you may obtain permission for scientific, personal, or educational purposes. Find out here what you need to know.

Community gardens take on many forms and serve as social, societal, learning and recreational spaces where participants can grow food and other plants. Usually, a plot of land is donated or rented and developed to serve the residents of the area. A community garden layout should present functionality, appearance, and maintenance aspects in a holistic connection with the participants. The design of such a space should first start with an understanding of its purpose, and a conversation with members of the neighborhood.

California is an agricultural powerhouse, producing over a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quarters of its fruits and nuts. It’s also experiencing extreme weather in the form of heat, drought, wildfires and floods, issues experts say will become increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change.

As I waded through bright-leaved hydrangeas that were taller than I was, I came face to face with a plant covered in leaves notched with half-moon chew marks.I dove in, inspecting the foliage for clues about who h

What is growing at the base of this peach tree? These are mushrooms from the fungal root disease Armillaria Root Rot (Armillaria spp.). This soil-borne disease is of major concern for the stone fruit industry as it causes premature tree decline.

No kitchen would be complete without aluminum foil and, more often than not, parchment paper. But what if you’ve run out of parchment and have a cake to bake or vegetables to roast? Can aluminum foil be used as a one-to-one substitute for parchment? Are there any instances in which you absolutely need parchment paper? Well, grab your notebook and take a seat, because we have all the answers for you right here.

Make a DIY concrete butterfly puddling station! Attract butterflies to your garden with a watering station for butterflies.

My name is Helen Stephenson, and I have been gardening in the Halton Region of Ontario for over 20 years. For the past 10 years I have tried to plant mostly native species. I am on the northern edge of the Carolinian eco-region, which is an area that makes up just 1% of Canada’s total land area but contains more flora and fauna species than any other ecosystem in Canada. I believe it is my duty to preserve this little bit of heaven on earth!

Gardeners often select plants for their landscape that are attractive to bees, the world’s top pollinator. Have you ever stopped to wonder about bee vision though? It’s interesting to think about how a bee sees a flower and what factors make that plant attractive to it.

Our easy hanging bird bath couldn’t be simpler to make. As a bonus, it also doubles as a bug hotel providing lots of natural materials for insects to hibernate in.

Demand for allotments is at an all-time high, and it doesn’t seem to be wavering any time soon. With wait times as long as three or even four years (depending on the area), it’s likely that demand will remain high for a while. Allotments can be dated as far back as the early medieval period, according to The Natural Science and Media Museum.

The cost of heating a home, along with the surge in popularity of outdoor firepits and chimineas, has created a huge demand for firewood. An axe is an essential tool if you use wood from your own trees or buy whole logs, as large pieces will need to be split to fit your stove or fireplace. If the logs are still very fresh, splitting also helps them to dry out enough to be useful as firewood. An axe is also handy for making little sticks and slivers of kindling. Making your own kindling is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buying it in plastic bags or using most types of commercial firelighter.

The gardens at Great Dixter.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Attracting and keeping frogs and toads in

Many farmers are well aware that organic farming is a good thing to do. But knowing that something is right and actually implementing it fully are two very different things. Many farmers, even those who are sympathetic to the ideas we espouse and have a favorable option of organic production, may struggle to see how it is actually real-world feasible to make the switch. 

It could be said trees naturally call for attention as they climb toward the sky with their arms outstretched. Yet, it’s still easy for us to ignore them. As we bustle through our own day-to-day lives, trees seem to play the role of a backdrop. An insignificant set piece in the stage production of society.

Soil is far more than just dirt. Treating soil like dirt is one of the worst things we can do. If you underestimate the importance of soil in a garden, there is little chance of creating a successful and productive garden which can stand the test of time.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists 156 species of bees as vulnerable, 20 as endangered, and 11 as critically endangered globally. While those numbers are concerning, there are almost 20,000 different species of bees; in the United States alone, there are around 3,500 species. It’s important to keep these big numbers in mind while focusing on the specific species that need protection.

Treehugger /Design by Amelia Manley

The big question today for any new smallholder, homesteader, hobby farmer, or other small-scale farmer is how best to coax food production from the land. Of course, that question has many answers depending on where they are located and the features of the land on which they grow. 

It’s that time of year. Along with the singing birds and croaking frogs, there’s the sound of chainsaws and stump grinders as some people remove trees from their properties.

Much of what we do in sustainable land management and permaculture design revolves around repairing the damage that humanity has done. How and where we are able to do so is a very important thing to consider and to talk about as we aim to move forwards into a more eco-friendly and sustainable future. 

A new national survey from the Harris Poll shows 94% of Americans agree that trees are good for the planet. 

The ground is undisturbed. Maybe it’s in a forest, in a city park, or in your front yard. The moment is quiet. But the air is charged. It’s fueled by the energy of an impending change and the promise of a new legacy. Then, the silence is cracked open by the slice of a shovel breaking through the seal of the earth. The soil gives way, making room for the gentle roots of a young tree. 

Treehugger / Design by Amelia Manley

I have an old bunk bed ladder that has had quite a few lives while I’ve owned it. It’s gone from being a bunk bed ladder, to an herb drying rack, and now I was looking for one more way to put it to use before I had to throw it out. This ladder pergola was the perfect fit for my old ladder. Pergolas can be quite expensive, costing hundreds of dollars, but this project cost me under $50! It provides the perfect amount of shade for me in the mornings when I let my dogs out into the yard and I love how it has added a touch of decor to my home’s exterior. Learn how I did it in my step-by-step tutorial below!

Now that it's officially summer, the BHG editors have been busy hosting backyard gatherings. Whether you're having the neighbors over for a casual dinner or throwing an all-out garden party, we've got you covered with our favorite outdoor essentials.

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.

In late April, 2000, my partner Davin and I took a 2 week trip through Oaxaca, Mexico. We could not afford airplane tickets to Oaxaca City, so we flew to Mexico City on a cheap deal, took a taxi to the bus station, and a long bus ride to Oaxaca City. After a few days in the city, we got on another excruciatingly long bus ride to the coast, stayed there for a week, and then took a small plane back to Mexico City to depart.

I had to tiptoe and grasp, move slowly, carefully over treacherous ice.

December 17, 2009.

The snow this year has been enormous fun, damaging and rewarding. We have been snowed in twice (so far). You should know that it is almost all hills to get out of this village and we are well off the Council’s salting and gritting route. So, unless you drive a tractor or an old fashioned Land Rover (which of course a number do), the roads have been impassable and virtually empty in the snow until one unknown farmer with a snow plough attachment to his tractor, kindly clears some of the roads in the early morning when he thinks the snowing is over.