New report has good news about sustainable farming

Mark Bittman at the New York Times writes about a new report from the United Nations that debunks the conventional wisdom that it isn’t possible to feed the world’s population using sustainable agriculture practices.  Noting the toll that conventional or industrial agriculture takes on the Earth’s resources, report author Olivier de Schutter says that in the short term, sustainable agriculture (what he calls “agro-ecology” helps:

small farmers who must be able to farm in ways that are less expensive and more productive. But it benefits all of us, because it decelerates global warming and ecological destruction.

Planning your vegetable garden

Yes it’s already time to start thinking about it. In warmer climates, cool season crops like lettuce and spinach can go in soon. Vegetable garden can be a little bewildering, with all the differences between planting and harvesting times. To get the most out of your garden space, it pays to do a little planning instead of simply plopping seeds or seedlings into the ground. This helps you use space effectively and  harvest more vegetables from your garden.

Here are a few different approaches to think about when planning this year’s garden.

5 shrubs for winter interest

Winterberry holly ‘red sprite,” image courtesy of University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Kent County

It feels like spring’s on its way, at least in central North Carolina. But I know a lot of folks are still buried in snow. For you, spring must seem far away. If you’re still dealing with winter and feel there’s no end in sight, this list is for you: 5 shrubs that add winter interest to your garden.

Happy Memorial Day

I hope everyone is enjoying nature on this beautiful three day weekend!

Sorry for the blog inactivity

Sorry about being inactive in responding to comments and posting for the last couple of weeks….I had to make a last minute trip to visit family and haven’t had regular Internet access. I’ll be back in Rhode Island in the next couple of days and will make a longer post then.

May is not New England’s best month, so it’s a good time to be gone. I’m enjoying the sunny, 70-80 degree days, completely green trees, and flowers in full May bloom here in NC. (Although yesterday we had a uniquely Southern hailstorm and a tornado touched down 5 miles away!) When I’m back in Rhode Island I’ll start planting my new garden plot and write a longer update.

Take care all!!

Native & invasive ornamental grasses

Landscaping and gardening with ornamental grasses is hot. Ornamental grasses provide home gardens with nesting sites, food, and cover for birds and other animals; pleasing and unusual texture and dimensionality; and garden interest in all four seasons. Some varieties can be used to plant lawns that require less mowing and water.