BBQ Deck : Privacy & Heat Proof

Native bees species (like the mining bee above on the wildflower boneset) don’t get as much attention, and other insect pollinators even less, but without our wild pollinators we’d enjoy far less biodiversity, both in plants and animals—because they’re key to the food web, which would otherwise break down. To get to know some of these unsung heroes and the critical roles they play, I spoke with Heather Holm, author of the book “Pollinators of Native Plants,” which teaches us how to identify and attract and appreciate them in our gardens and beyond. (Enter to wi

I was preparing to talk to cookbook author-food activist-cook Bryant Terry about his new cookbook, for an upcoming radio episode (more on that next week). But digging back through his earlier cookbooks, I came upon the idea of barbecued black-eyed peas.They sounded like my barbecued baked lentils–but keeping in mind that “barbecue” never means the same thing in any two places. The difference? My lentils are more of a sweet barbecue sauce flavor; the black-eyed peas I “barbecued” inspired by Terry have a kick, and a smoky goodness. For my latest experiment, I took his idea of adding sautéed green pepper, plus chipotle pepper

It’s a staggering number. That would be a lot of holes to dig, or drill, as the Garden begins to enhance and expand its historic Daffodil Hill display first planted in 1920.What didn’t surprise me was the involvement of Brent Heath, a longtime bulb merchant and daffodil hybridizer himself, who’s acting as an adviser in the ambitious undertaking. Brent, whose grandfather began the family bulb business in 1900, joined me on my public-radio show and podcast from his B

A popular lecturer and author, Niki gardens in Halifax, Nova Scotia, producing harvests in all four seasons and not just your basic everyday edibles, either. I welcomed her back to the program to talk about a wacky wide range of things to grow this year—and especially about eight surprising substitutes for spinach, in case you crave the flavor but have trouble with spinach in some portion of your growing season, like maybe in the hottest part of summer. I learned that we can eat our hosta shoots (well, not if you want to look at the plants all season) and also purple hyacinth beans and more surprises.Plus: Enter to win a copy of “Veggie Garden Remix” at the bottom of the page.Read along as you listen to the Feb. 5, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).unusual edibles to grow, with niki jabbourQ. I see that you’re going to be in my area pretty soon, Niki. In March, I think you’

Heather Holm is the award-winning author of the 2017 book“Bees,” and before that of “Pollinators of Native Plants” (Amazon affiliate links). Her expertise includes the interactions between native bees and native flora, and the bees’ natural history and biology (that’s a small carpenter bee, genus Ceratina, above). She joined me on the podcast to tune us into their needs.Read along as you listen to the October 26, 2020 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).Plus: Enter to win a copy of each of her books!bee-friendly garden cleanup, with heather holmMargaret Roach: As I said in the introduction, in that conversati

TIME FOR A LESSON in winter sowing—sowing seeds in fall and early winter outside in a protected spot, a sort of easy DIY home nursery for making more plants. What we’ll learn to propagate that way are specifically seeds of native plants—both meadow perennials, like asters and Joe Pye weed, and also various shrubs and even trees.

A quick way to add lighting to your deck (with no wiring!)

Here’s a robust storage solution for your tongs, charcoal and other random grilling stuff. Plus a great gift idea for Father’s Day!

When it comes to outdoor cooking, there's something irresistible about the smoky, authentic flavour that only charcoal BBQs can deliver. Whether you're a seasoned grill master or a beginner, having the right charcoal BBQ can make all the difference in your grilling experience. In this article, we'll explore the top 3 charcoal BBQs that will take your backyard cookouts to the next level.

I've seen several DIY projects for privacy fences, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money or put a ton of effort into this project. Unfortunately, I have a champagne vision with a beer budget, but we were able to complete this project for less than $30 in under two hours. Paul (the hubs), was going to be doing most of the work, and I would be the job foreman. I'm happy to report that we're still married, even after our...«lively» debate about why its unrealistic for me to expect full growth ivy winding it's way through the lattice panels, while we sit in cushy new patio chairs sipping Mojitos listening to the gentle gurgle of a three-tier water feature that he could also build that weekend? Geesh, he's such a killjoy.

Whenever we would sit on our finished patio, all we could see was the eye-sore of our under deck. We didn’t like the look of traditional lattice but decided we needed to do something. We came across the idea to use wood slats and fell in love! This was an easy project that made a big impact on our outdoor space.

In this article, we’ll take a look at some Heat-Tolerant Herbs that you can grow without any worries, especially if you live in a warm climate!