Powdery Mildew

My experience with zucchini and cucumber is they tend to be prone to powdery mildew.  Powdery mildew in the cucurbit family is is a fungal disease caused by Sphaerotheca fuliginea.  In severe cases it will destroy the entire plant as well as spreading to healthy plants.  As with any plant disease recognizing and treating the problem early can make a huge difference as to whether the crop is saved

Chamomile

ChamomileJune 9, 2010
Chamomile is an annual daisy-like herb that gets its name deriving from the Greek from chamaimēlon meaning earth apple or the apple-like scent.  Chamomile is commonly made into a tea for it's calming effect to help relax before sleep.  In the home garden chamomile tea can be used to prevent dampening off in seedlings.  It can also be used as a dye to produce a green colour.

Stump Removal

A Couple of StumpsMay 10, 2010
A couple of weeks ago we did a massive ripout which is rather on par for this property.  We have definitely been doing more ripping out than planting since the property was so over planted and poor planted with inappropriate plants.  This time we got smart and hired out the work.  The guys came in with a small backhoe.  Within 2 hours the two gardens being ripped

Automatic Watering Globe

A couple of days ago I was pondering the problem of container plants drying out and wanted an inexpensive solution to ensuring houseplants were adequately watered when we are away.  Houseplants are as problematic if we are gone for 2 or 3 days but outdoor container plants can easily become too dry in the period of a few hours.  I recently wrote about a gravity fed watering system that I am

Neighbour Complaints Over Urban Gardening

Recently a Vancouver, Canada homeowner, Ken Dyck has done a fair amount of complaining about his neighbour Sara St. Vincent's urban garden.  He has filed complaints with the City of Vancouver because he feels Sara's garden is reducing his property value.  However, Sara and her housemates view their gardens as a way to live ecologically ethical lives.  The goal of their tiny bungalow named The