Tips & Inspiration
- Details
- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
The idea of creating an edible landscape, also known as foodscaping, can seem like an undertaking that many of us hobbyist gardeners didn't have the time fore. But this summer, with a little more time on your hands and an interest in taking your garden sanctuary to the next level, imagine having a truly edible landscape right outside your door.
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- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
If you just can’t wait for your favorite vacation destination to open up, try the next best thing. Bring the vacation to you by creating your own “six feet away” oasis in your backyard. Here are 3 easy tips to decking out your deck for summer relaxation.
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- Jessica Petersen
- Garden Recipes
I know it's tempting to simply eat all your fresh berries right off the plants in your garden. But with a little self-control, and some fresh basil leaves, you can easily make this delicious Strawberry Raspberry Basil Jam in canning jars, and preserve them for enjoying later. Your future self will thank you!
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- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
Summer is beckoning you to come outdoors, to congregate with your friends over drinks and good food. We’ve waited indoors long enough. Let’s get outside and enjoy it. No, we won’t be traveling as much; we might scrap plans to fly and many popular vacation spots won’t yet be operational, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to soak up every minute of this summer.
Joe Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health tells The Harvard Gazette that our summer plans don’t have to be totally restrictive. It may mean that a family visit takes place on a spacious deck instead of in a living room, and with everyone an adequate distance apart.
- Details
- Eve Hansen
- Al's Video Tips
To help get you in the right beachy, tropical mindset we are creating sunny pineapples from Jester Crown ferns. We will be using the kokedama method to contain the roots and soil of the fern. This cute project can be displayed many ways and is happy inside and out in the sunny summer months. Get ready to get a little messy!
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- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
The sun is finally out so it must be summer! Time to break out the hammock and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
But if you’re like me, you can’t seem to relax as you look around the yard. There’s always more to be done; an empty spot just begging for some color, or an established plant in need of a little pruning. You deserve break. Why not put your yard on auto-pilot with a few smart choices in landscape plants?
- Details
- Eve Hansen
- Al's Video Tips
A moon garden is a beautiful sensory garden that you create by using white flowers, silver or variegated foliage, and fragrant flowers and plants with blooms that open at night. Each child will create their own mini-oasis to reflect the moon's lunar glow and enjoy on moonlit nights.
Click HERE for the written lesson plan.
- Details
- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
We love to spend our time outside, digging in the dirt, watching the growing and blooming of our vegetables and flowers. But when it’s time to go indoors, we are forced to leave all that behind for the birds and squirrels to enjoy.
What if we could bring a bit of that sunshine inside with beautiful arrangements of cut flowers from your garden. Not only will it brighten any room, fill your home with amazing aromas, but it is a proven fact that flowers in the home will lift your spirits!
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- Anna Wagner
- From Al's Experts
So you’re all done planting for your summer menu - fresh tomatoes, peppers, and berries - but you still want to go play out in the garden? This is a perfect time for squeezing in a few more plants for winter and spring. Canning and preserving for the winter is a time-honored tradition that connects us to the generations that have gone before.
Today, we are concerned about making sure we know what is in our food and providing the healthiest options for our family. With canning, we enjoy the benefit of opening up a jar and knowing exactly what ingredients are in it.
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- Laura Hammond
- From Al's Experts
Concerns for the environment and local ecosystems have forced us to reconsider many of the current farming and gardening practices we use today. Traditionally, systems of farming would prioritize short-term yields while underestimating the adverse effects these crops might have on the environment.
