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Let's Plant Some Sh!t

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2013/03/08 - 2:17pm
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Ron Finley - TED talk

To quote Ron Finley, "Let's Plant Some Sh!t"! Ron is a guerrilla gardner in South Central Los Angeles where he has put shovel to soil and redesigned his neighborhood by planting gardens.

“Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do, especially in the inner city. Plus, you get strawberries.”

It's time to get off my cushy chair and grow some change in my own neighborhood.

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All The Green News That Fits

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2013/03/05 - 1:13pm
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Green Blog Gone

Those of us who live in the U.S.A. are familiar with Freedom of the Press which is a part of the first amendment of our Constitution. But the idea of journalistic responsibility is less familiar, if just as important.

Why I Garden #32

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2012/10/16 - 8:48am
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Fernbush blooming

Once again this summer I looked into the garden and saw new flowers on plant that hadn't bloomed before. Despite the ongoing drought the Fernbush (Chamaebatiaria millefolium) that we planted a few years ago decided to blossom. Scores of small, white, rose-like flowers with yellow centers popped up between the lacy foliage. Here is one more native plant that has thrived in our arid Southwestern climate with little to no attention.

More Info:

New Mexico Plant Materials Center - Fernbush

Why I Garden #31

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2012/08/30 - 8:15pm
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Butterfly Weed

The longer I garden the more I appreciate tough plants. Between the hot, dry summers and cold winters finding plants that can flourish in Santa Fe is tough. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is another tough native (across much of the U.S.) perennial that has thrived in our garden. This example has grown slowly but steadily since it was planted a few years ago. I have another seed packet that I'll plant later this fall to provide more orange blooms for color in the garden and food for the pollinators.

Why I Garden #27

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2012/07/19 - 11:13am
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Firewheel - Gaillardia pulchella

Firewheel, a.k.a. Blanket Flower, is a short-lived perennial or flowering plant native to most of the United States including the Southwest. This example has spread from the original one we planted a few years ago. This Gaillardia has only needed occasional watering to provide summer blooms.

More Info:

Wikipedia - Gaillardia pulchella

Just in Time Rain Barrels

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2012/07/06 - 10:39am
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Rainbarrel Daisy chain

Just in Time Production is a popular manufacturing strategy with the MBA crowd. It's also a popular strategy for the procrastinators among us. At the Santa Fe Master Gardener's Fair this spring I saw a simple demonstration of how to build an inexpensive (Woo Hoo!) rainbarrel.

Put Out to Pasture

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2012/06/20 - 4:15pm
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Salvage Car ready for Auction

Our family listens to a lot of public radio and we even have three local stations to choose from. While I'm not a big fan of pledge drives, I understand the need for them. Recently, I've heard public radio (and TV) stations promoting Car Donation programs as another form of listener support. It just happens that we had an older car that was, ahem, 'fully depreciated' and worth almost nothing as a trade-in.

Why I Garden #25

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2012/06/15 - 1:07pm
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Sulphurflower Buckwheat in bloom

Here's another small but hardy perennial native growing in our front yard. You won't find Sulphur-flower Buckwheat in your morning pancakes (the food crop Buckwheat is another genus) but it is native to the western U.S. While it's not indigenous to New Mexico several varieties grow in Arizona, Utah and Colorado. The little plant in our front yard decided this was a good year to display it's namesake blooms.

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