peter reinhart’s gluten-free sprouted corn bread with teff

In their original environments, invasive plants are restrained by their natural adversaries, with whom they co-evolved. However, when they are introduced to a new environment without these natural enemies, some plants can flourish and spread uncontrollably, ultimately becoming invasive.

While the advent of Spring is welcomed by most people, for a significant portion of the population season change brings only dread. Bags and pockets will be filled with extra packets of tissues and allergy medicine. That’s right, hay fever season is here and with it come the usual blocked or runny noses, watery eyes, and bouts of uncontrollable sneezing.

A garden that looks gorgeous with zero effort sounds too good to be true, and it probably is. But it’s certainly possible to create a fabulous, flower-filled garden that’s fuss-free and easy to look after. Eminent garden designer and writer James Alexander-Sinclair has designed gardens across the length and breadth of the UK, and in many other countries besides. Here, he shares some of his trade secrets, for creating gardens that are low-maintenance and lovely, including his favourite fuss-free plants and easy ways to tackle weeds.

A happy and pleasant surprise has just arrived through the post at home.

I bet you spotted my weed as soon as you looked at the picture. ‘Where’s Wally’ you may ask, well he is the gardener that not only let the dandelion flower but seed as well. Back to gardening school. Depending how you look at it there has been a great profusion of dandelions this year but you just wait until next year. The ‘clocks’ have been distributed far and wide since the beginning of May, the breezes were light, the conditions just right and the air and ponds filled with seeds so dandelions are not going to be a threatened species anytime soon!

A stroll through a boutique garden store might lead you to believe that filling a garden with happy, healthy plants is only for the well-heeled. But those very plants that have soaring price tags in the store might be yours for free if you are willing to be a little creative. If you are wondering how to get free plants, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for five tried-and-true paths that lead you to free garden plants.

If you want to keep your plants safe from weeds, then we have some really Effective Weeding Tips for a Weed Free Garden for you.

Silver Queen Corn is a favorite; the 8-inch tapered ears fill to the tip with 14-16 rows of tender, sweet white kernels with excellent flavor. Kernels contain moderate degrees of sugar and convert to starch rapidly after harvest; taste best when fresh.

Spice up your popcorn with this pumpkin pie popcorn mix. It’s delicious any time of year and a great healthy snack for kids and adults of all ages. For more ideas on healthy snacks checkout HGIC 4123, Snacks with 100 Calories or Less. Enjoy!

Garden Sprouts is a program I run at the South Carolina Botanical Garden that is designed for preschoolers and caregivers. This class takes place once a week for three months every spring and fall. The goal is to share age-appropriate nature-based activities with children, who are mostly three to five years old, but sometimes younger or older. Over time I have learned the caregivers also learn things they never knew, enjoy the activities immensely, and are able to connect more deeply to the natural world through this program. The structure of this hour-long program is three-fold, we begin inside with a book related to the theme of the day, a walk or outdoor activity, and finally a craft. In this blog, I would like to share some of the books, outdoor activities, and crafts we have done in this class.

Consumer demand for organic food has increased dramatically over the last few decades. Numerous grocery stores and restaurants pride themselves on their selection of organic offerings available to customers. Additionally, home gardeners commonly desire to manage their vegetable gardens organically. While the demand for organic products continues to rise, many believe growing crops organically means they are grown free of pesticides. Is this belief accurate?

We all want eye-catching plants—but we also want (and need) plants with a purpose.Ken and I invite you to a free webinar showcasing the real standouts they recommend that combine both form and function in sometimes unexpected ways.To just