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The USDA is again offering it's free bird calendar called Backyard Biosecurity: Keeping Your Birds Healthy and it's filled with beautiful color photographs of birds. I found it somewhat difficult to get it ordered though, so I've posted instructions here...

I found the torch shown below at Harbor Freight, and I think it's the best weeding investment I've ever made. I was able to torch the weeds on a good size bank in under an hour and plant Ivy immediately afterwards. There's a little more on that story here...

I've updated our annual spring seed starting and planting schedule, and put a downloadable template that can be modified here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2012/02/26/making-2012s-seed-starting-planting-schedule-wdownloadable-template/ The one I do is for zone 5B, but the template can...

Thought others here might be interested, I just posted details on how to make sun-dried tomatoes in the oven here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/09/11/homemade-sun-dried-tomatoes-oven-dried-really/ It's a great way to preserve some of the tomatoes coming from the garden without...

So I just wrote a blog post on a new process I was following to try and help me build better looking mixed (foliage and flower) borders (it's here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/08/10/building-beautiful-garden-borders/ ) and it made me wonder...

I finally made up my fall planting schedule, and thought I'd share - it always shocks me - I just got the garden in, and now I need to turn around and be planting for fall already! Anyone else feel that way? Anyway, here's what my fall planting schedule looks like to beat the cold weather...

I've used the "thriller, filler, and spiller" concept for creating container plantings for a long time (just did a post on how the concept works here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/06/26/creating-beautiful-container-plantings-thrillers-fillers-spillers/ ) and wondered what other...

We're getting lots of sugar snap peas right now, so here's and easy and good variation on raw sugar snaps: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/06/22/sesame-sugar-snaps/ But I was wondering what everyone else does when they have lots of sugar snaps? Suggestions please!

I'm planning to grow mangel beets this year in the garden, mostly for the chickens and goats, see here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/05/11/growing-mangel-beets-for-chickens/ I was wondering if others had experience with this vegetable, and has anyone used them for anything other than...

I was toying with starting herb seedlings and selling them at market this year, and was wondering what was the best (inexpensive) containers/method to use for starting the seedlings and selling them. I'm planning to use soil blocks to start my garden seedlings, but that doesn't seem like a...

I just put some interesting information I discovered about what "baby" carrots really are on my blog. :barnie Thought many here might be interested, and might plant more carrots this year too - I will be! http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/03/09/baby-carrots-well-not-exactly

I have to organize everything, including when my seeds need to start, get planted in the garden, etc. so each year I create a seed starting and planting schedule. This year I posted it along with a template and instructions for making your own here...

I'm really excited about gardening this year - the critters were fenced out late last year, I've got a new electric vehicle to help me get up and down the hill to the garden (see http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/12/26/christmas-farm-vehicle/), I've been adding the compost made from the...

Since we were starting to compile a nice little list of free seed catalogs to send for, I put the list with links here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/11/21/free-garden-seed-catalogs/ Now we just need to decide on the perfect varieties for next year's garden!

Baker Creek Heirloom seeds will be shipping catalogs starting in December. Get yours by requesting it here: http://rareseeds.com/requestcatalog/index/ I hate getting most catalogs, but I love getting seed catalogs! :drool

I found this recipe for great tasting tomato jam - forget catsup this stuff is better: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/10/06/tomato-jam/ It's also nice that you only have to core the tomatoes and you can freeze the jam. :thumbsup

That's it, I've had it with the hybrid tomatoes. I've got both Brandywine and Early Girl ripening like crazy now, and it's not worth it to grow the hybrid. Pics and story here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/09/22/a-tale-of-two-tomatoes/ Anyone else feel that way about the hybrids...

I found another use for lavender, lavender wands to use as moth protectors in the closet. They smell great, and I think they look pretty neat too: I put instructions and pictures on how to do it on my website here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/09/08/lavender-wand-moth-repellant/...

The potato beetles struck in my garden, so I did a blog post about them here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/08/01/potato-beetles/ Does anyone have any other great ways of preventing this pest and it's damage? :barnie

I was looking into which fruits and vegetables had the highest pesticide loads, and was surprised by what I found. So, I wrote about it, and identified the best and worst here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/07/25/produce-pesticides/ It makes me happy about some of the things I'm...