Tag: organic
Get mosquitoes to bug off – naturally
July 13, 2016With all the talk about the Zika virus this year, on top of the threat of West Nile, mosquitoes are more unwelcome than ever. While sprays with DEET work wonders, there’s always a concern that the chemicals could be doing as much harm as the biting bugs. We found a recipe on diynatural.com for an all-natural…
It’s almost winter, so why not grow an herb garden?
November 16, 2015Most of the trees have dropped their leaves, the days are shorter, the nights longer and the doldrums of winter are around the corner. Wait, weren’t we just picking basil and tomatoes? The garden may be long gone, but you can still enjoy some greenery indoors. Growing veggies might be a stretch, but windowsill herbs…
Make your own all-natural bug spray, ant traps
July 18, 2015It’s been clearly documented that the use of pesticides has led to water pollution, and doctors and scientists have linked pesticides in our food to disease. We’re always looking for ways to reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides in our homes and gardens, so when we saw these two recipes from Rodale’s Organic Life, we knew we had to…
Give your garden some culture: Hugelkultur!
June 14, 2013As you know, at LCA we’re all about saving water and keeping fertilizer use to a minimum. So when we heard about a gardening technique that can mitigate the need for feeding and watering plants — in some cases, for the entire season — we knew we had to share. It’s called hugelkultur, and it’s…
This soil amendment wiggles as it works
May 22, 2013Do you have worms? No, not the kind that calls for a visit to a vet or a doctor. The kind that crawl, mostly unseen, in the soil of your garden, lawn, and flowerbeds. They’re a wonder of nature; veritable living cultivators that churn through hard and soft soil alike, providing nutrients, breaking down organic…
How “green” is your Christmas tree?
December 7, 2012It’s the holiday season, and for a large number of Americans — including many of us here at LCA — that means it’s time to put up a Christmas tree. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, between 25 million and 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year. On the…
Get your garden growing with companions
April 16, 2012If you’re growing a garden this year, give your vegetables some company. Companion planting — also called “intercropping” — is an age-old practice in which plant varieties are arranged in ways that are mutually beneficial. It’s a method of all-natural gardening that helps conserve water, control pests, and even fertilize the soil. A perfect example…
Turn over a new leaf: composting beats burning
November 28, 2011Fall: It’s the time of year when trees put on their coats of many colors; apples fill the bins at roadside stands, carved pumpkins decorate porches, and thick, cough-inducing smoke fills the air. It’s not hard to figure out which of these things doesn’t belong, but for some, burning leaves — despite regulations banning the…