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Go Organic: Easy to grow your own veg

2012-02-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

I always try to encourage people to have a go at growing their own veg, even if it is just a pot or two of herbs on the windowsill.

Once you get the bug it is quite compulsive.

And if you’re going to take the time to do it all, you might as well grow organically.

Most organic gardening is just common sense and if you are at all like me you won’t want to put anything poisonous on your plants anyway.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8RsL3

Only top-grade Mexican tomatoes making it to U.S.

2012-02-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

Amid reports some Mexican tomatoes destined for U.S. markets are being returned to shippers because of glutted markets, Nogales, Ariz.-based grower-shippers who have found homes for all of their Mexican-grown fruit are counting themselves lucky.

In Florida, meanwhile, the tomato industry continues to lay the blame for sagging markets on overproduction south of the border.

Media reports in late January quoting officials from the Commission for Research and Protection of Sinaloa Vegetables (CAADES) and other Mexican organizations said that tomatoes were at risk of being rejected and in some cases destroyed because there was no market for them in the U.S.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Rsmn

Soil and Water Conservation District Tree & Shrub Sale Underway

2012-02-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

(Madison, NY – Jan. 2012) Spring may be a few months away, but the Madison County Conservation District is already thinking green with its annual 2012 Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale. This year’s sale features a variety of trees and shrubs to fit all kinds of landscaping needs.

Many of the species are ideal for erosion control and many are attractive uses for wildlife food and cover, windscreens, shade, and privacy.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8RrOd

Gardening 2012: ‘Color is the magic word’

2012-02-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

The spotlight in garden shops this year is on color — including easy, long-lasting blooms, bright, healthy vegetables and great native plants.

If you dream in color, your dreams are about to come true: This year’s garden is going to be splashed with every color in the rainbow.

“Color is the magic word” for new plant introductions these days, according to Michael Dirr, a trend-spotter who was among hundreds of professionals swapping ideas and observations in January at the annual National Green Centre trade show for the garden industry in Overland Park. Dirr is the author of garden reference books and is an influential specialist in woody plants, especially hydrangeas and viburnums.

Read more here: http://ow.ly/8RrA9

Virus-resistant tomato may hold hope for industry ‎

2012-02-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Field tomato growersfrom Florida to Texas say a new virus-resistant variety developed by vegetable breeders at Texas A&M University may provide a glimmer of hope for an industry that has been decimated by a raging virus complex spread by the dreaded whitefly.

The disease outbreak has been so intense that it has destroyed virtually all field tomato production in the vegetable-rich Rio Grande Valley and has challenged growers from Florida to Arizona who have been losing ground to Canadian and Mexican tomato imports in recent years.

Read more: ‎ http://ow.ly/8Q9o3

Growbags are ideal for Tomato Growing. Visit www.coirgreen.com for more information.

Restored wetlands no match for real thing ‎

2012-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

How easy is it to recreate nature? When it comes to wetlands, the answer seems to be “not very.”

A new paper examining data from more than 600 restored or man-made wetlands found that in key ways, they don’t measure up to the real thing.

Wetlands perform vital ecosystem functions. They act as fish nurseries, control erosion, clean up water, store carbon, and provide wildlife habitat. But they have been filled, drained and paved over at a steady pace, prompting efforts to restore them in California and across the nation.

Read more: ‎ http://ow.ly/8Q8LQ

For Coir Geotextiles, Waterlogs, Erosion control blankets visit www.coirgreen.com

Starting Seeds Indoors for Your Vegetable Garden

2012-02-02T12:21:00.001-08:00

After saving the seeds of several of my summer garden favorites (basil, cantaloupe, okra, tomatoes and watermelon), this past summer, I thought I’d try my hand at seed starting.

One of my long-time gardening friends recommends seed saving since, over time, plants will adapt to the micro-climate of your yard and therefore have stronger root systems, heartier growth and production.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Q8Af

US: High volume, low prices for tomatoes

2012-02-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

A glut of tomatoes coming from Mexico has increased the volume of available fruit in the United States. With such a large supply of produce, prices for tomatoes are low, while many in the US hope for a rise in price as the year progresses.

Dino Mainolfi, of All American Farms, says that the market for tomatoes is currently flat.

“We have more tomatoes than we can sell,” he says.

Prices on Monday were reported at $8.95 per case for jumbo roma tomatoes, $7.95 for medium roma tomatoes and $6.95 for small roma tomatoes.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8P183

Growbags are ideal for Growing Tomatoes. 100% Natural, biodegradable product that helps root enhancement, water retention capacity, air porosity.... www.coirgreen.com for more information

It’s time to garden!

2012-02-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

Heber Springs, Ark. —

Vegetables are taking a more prominent place on the table of health conscious people and they are gaining more respect in the gardening world. Once you start eating vegetables picked from your own yard, it is hard to be satisfied with anything less. Some of us are still enjoying vegetables from our fall gardens.
A reader, and devoted gardener, gave me a recipe that she developed using some things from her garden. She calls it Vegetable Medley. She sautés the following chopped ingredients in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter:

Read more: http://ow.ly/8P0J2

Use 100% Biodegradable products for your garden this season. Coco chips, Coco peat, Coir pots, Weed control mats, Coir disk, Growbags... visit www.coirgreen.com for more information.

UK Climate Change Risk Assessment shows the East of England needs to adapt

2012-02-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

A ground-breaking study into the implications of climate change, and the threats the country faces, has revealed that the key priorities for the East of England include responding to water availability, flooding and sea level rise.

The UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) 2012 highlights the top 100 challenges to the country and our economy, and provides the most compelling evidence yet of the need to increase our resilience.

The research also confirms the UK as a world-leader in understanding climate risk to ensure we can make robust plans to deal with these threats. It provides underpinning evidence that can be used by the Government to help inform priorities for action and appropriate adaptation measures.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8P0xO

Legislation to control stormwater advances

2012-02-01T18:51:00.001-08:00

WINCHESTER -- Bills aimed at controlling stormwater runoff and protecting the Chesapeake Bay through local monitoring continue to move forward in the General Assembly.

Regulations that take effect in 2014 would give most of the responsibility for permitting and monitoring stormwater management to localities. But, as Joe Wilder, deputy director of public works for Frederick County, the localities also receive most of the money from permitting fees.

"Really, I can sum up the bill in one little sentence here," Wilder told panel members. "It basically says that 'any locality shall be required to adopt a Virginia stormwater management program.' It's real clear."

Read more: http://ow.ly/8P0tJ

IECA to Celebrate 40 Years of Erosion Control Success at EC12

2012-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

This year marks the International Erosion Control Association's (IECA) 40th anniversary. In honor of this achievement, the association is holding a "birthday bash extravaganza" on February 29 during its annual Environmental Connection conference. EC12 will be held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada 26-29 February 2012. The birthday celebration will include drinks, food, and entertainment. All EC12 attendees with full registrations will be given a free ticket to this end-of-conference bash.

Other highlights of the event will include:

* Greg Schaner, an Attorney Adviser for the U.S. EPA Office of Wastewater Management, will deliver a keynote address at the General Session and Awards Ceremony. Schaner will discuss changes and updates to the Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELGs).

* A number of new full-day training courses will be offered, including How to Analyze & Solve Soil Stability; Stream and Riparian Area Investigation, Rehabilitation and Design Workshop; and Turbidity Control 101: What You Need to Know for This Unfolding Business Opportunity

Source/Read: http://ow.ly/8P0k3

February becomes a beehive of gardening activity

2012-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

Chambers County in February becomes a beehive of gardening activity. Most (not all) danger of frost is past, and this winter has been quite mild, so thoughts turn to working in the yard on the sunny days. Summer, and its heat, come early in Texas, so you need to get the last of the cool season crops into the vegetable bed, giving them time to ripen and fruit. But you also need to remember that it’s too early for the plants that like the heat. They need warm soil to germinate or grow, and will just sit and sulk for weeks if you plant too early.

If you have a permanent bed ready, it’s not too late to plant asparagus crowns and artichokes, as well as strawberries. It’s about as late as you want to plant bushes and trees as well, while they are still in their dormant stages. Blueberries are already starting to flower a little, and the citrus by February in our area is in full bloom. So early is ideal for these more permanent garden gems. You can plant them later, but the point is to get the roots growing to provide more stability and food for the leaves and fruits. And if you do buy peaches, apples, and the like, force yourself to pick off those little fruits the first year. They do the plant no good, taking away the energy from development to stuff into a peach that won’t have great flavor while so young anyway.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8P0a5

How To Maintain A Flower Garden?

2012-01-31T22:57:00.000-08:00

Flowers enhances the beauty of the garden. Few gardeners use small containers or pots to keep flower plants whereas few prefer to have a flower garden. Flower gardens are colorful, lively and spread smell all around. Caring and maintaining flower gardens is important so as to keep the growing flower plants in shape. For easy flower garden maintenance, here are few gardening tips.

Gardening tips to maintain a flower garden:

1. It is best to grow flower plants in fertile soil. Remove weed and then add compost or manure to the soil. With a digging spade, dig the soil inside.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8NEk7

Legislation to control stormwater advances

2012-01-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

Add a veggie wall for a focal point

2012-01-31T22:50:00.000-08:00

When it comes to elements in our landscape, gardeners always are looking for something that will cut down on the weeding and watering and help us reap our bounty with little effort. Oh, and we want it to look beautiful too.

So if you need a focal point in your landscape, a decorative barrier at the edge of the property, or a vegetable garden that is easy to take care of, then I've got a simple weekend project for you.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8NEb5

30,000-year-old bison bone yields new clues on climate-change adaptation

2012-01-31T19:30:00.000-08:00

A 30,000-year-old bison bone plucked from the thawed permafrost inside a Yukon gold mine has helped a team of Australian scientists make a potentially groundbreaking discovery about the way animals adapt to climate change.

A study published in the latest issue of the journal PLoS One describes the Canadian specimen — a bone from the extinct steppe bison, an ancient buffalo that disappeared at the end of the last ice age — as key to unravelling a mystery about how "epigenetic" DNA adjustments can occur more rapidly than full-scale genetic changes in an ecologically stressed species.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Nymp

In the Garden: With spring approaching, it's time to select seeds

2012-01-31T19:27:00.000-08:00

February tends to be 80 percent winter-like and 20 percent spring-like in terms of the weather. But the good news is that the first day of spring is only seven weeks away -- on March 20.

There will be about one hour more daylight tomorrow than on Jan. 1. No more of those long December nights.

By now, some thoughts should be given to 2012 gardening plans. My first step is to look over seed catalogs and see the new offerings. Usually one or two new sweet peppers are selected along with a new tomato. Also the selection of a different wave petunia and at least one new or different perennial. Part of a gardening experience is to grow a few new or different plants. The outcome is unknown and that is part of the fun of gardening -- to see the results, for better or worse.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Nybg

Your say on Tanilba accessYour say on Tanilba access (A CHANGE of access points to the Tanilba Bay Foreshore.. )

2012-01-31T19:25:00.000-08:00

A CHANGE of access points to the Tanilba Bay Foreshore will be the topic of an upcoming community meeting and Port Stephens residents are being encouraged to come along and have their say.

The call comes as part of Port Stephens Council's Tanilba Bay foreshore erosion management plan, prepared by SMEC Consultancy, which proposes that access points to the foreshore change in a bid prevent erosion.

The council is hosting the information evening to be held at the Tanilba Bay Community Hall on Thursday, February 9 at 6pm.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Ny6j

Horticultural grant scheme

2012-01-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

GOVERNMENT Chief Whip Paul Kehoe believes that a new grant scheme launched by colleague Shane Mcentee will be of particular interest to his constituency. The money is up for grabs for commercial horticulture projects, with special terms for applicants aged under 35 years of age.

'As this sector is so strong in County Wexford, I'm asking all of my constituents in the horticultural sector to be mindful of this initiative because some of them may be eligible and could benefit under it,' said Minister of State Kehoe in a statement issued last week.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Ny22

Climate Change Commission says Wales on right path, but more action needed

2012-01-31T02:28:00.000-08:00

Wales is "on the right path" towards tackling climate change, but the Welsh government needs to do more to target additional emissions, a report says.

The Climate Change Commission for Wales has set out 37 recommendations in its first annual report.

The body, which advises the Welsh government on climate change, wants to see houses being made more energy efficient and businesses to go green.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8MjZt

New proposal would govern Lake Ontario levels

2012-01-31T01:18:00.000-08:00

The international panel that oversees water levels in Lake Ontario released a proposed new regulatory plan this morning intended to help restore the lake’s ecosystem by allowing greater fluctuations in levels.

The International Joint Commission, a joint U.S.-Canada treaty organization, said the lake would be allowed to be a few inches higher, on average, in the spring and fall than the current regulatory plan provides. Allowing more fluctuation in lake level should restore diversity in plant and animal life in and around the lake, the group said.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8MgPD

Horticulture enthusiasts will flock to Vero Beach's Gardenfest! this weekend

2012-01-31T01:16:00.000-08:00

A spring of new possibilities will flourish under the oaks of Riverside Park in Vero Beach this weekend as the 11th annual Gardenfest! attracts thousands of horticulture enthusiasts from the Treasure Coast and across the state.

Hosted by the Garden Club of Indian River County as a way to raise money to support the organization's civic projects, Gardenfest! gives visitors the chance to stroll through more than 80 exhibits displaying and selling a wide variety of plants, pottery, fountains, lighting and other garden accessories at a low cost.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8MgG9

Chicago Botanic Garden has a good year

2012-01-31T01:10:00.001-08:00

For the third consecutive year, the Chicago Botanic Garden set an all-time attendance record in 2011, generating 953,864 visits, representing a 5.4 percent increase or 49,000 more visitors than 2010. This number equates to a 29 percent increase since 2009. During 2011, the Garden experienced three record-setting months: August was the highest attendance month ever in the Garden’s 40-year history with 134,049 visits; October had 97,289 visits and December saw 70,509 visits. The Wonderland Express winter exhibition exceeded 2010 attendance by 15,000 people, with overall attendance reaching 65,000.

The 385-acre Garden features 24 formal display gardens and four natural areas, including the 100-acre McDonald Woods, the 15-acre Dixon Prairie, the Skokie River Corridor and 60 acres of garden lakes. It is home to the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center and the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Mgud

Expand your vegetable garden with containers

2012-01-30T00:20:00.000-08:00

When the vegetable garden’s beds, as outlined on the coming season’s planting plan, are all spoken for and you wish there was just a little more space for a pepper plant or two or a small patch of that new lettuce variety, think pots. Vegetables in pots are a moveable feast. The pot that this year will grow lettuce in a shady corner of the perennial bed was used last summer to grow basil on the sunny porch steps.

Almost any container will work, provided it has drainage holes in the bottom and suitable capacity. Use the following list to determine the container size needed for various vegetables.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8KH4A

Scientists say global warming changes currents

2012-01-30T00:17:00.001-08:00

ELEANOR HALL: And staying with climate change, another international group of scientists says it has new evidence that ocean currents around the world are being affected by global warming.

The scientists said it was not news to them that the East Australian Current was a hot spot but when they examined several other currents near Japan, Africa and North America, they found a worldwide trend of warming waters, as Felicity Ogilvie reports from Hobart.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8KGYu

Finding Fossils in Lake Forest

2012-01-30T00:14:00.000-08:00

While we’re still in January—the month of beginnings—I've decided to put El Toro’s pioneer story on hold, focus on another type of beginning, and travel even a bit further back in time.

How much further? Well, how about to when this area was underwater?

And no, I’m not talking economics. I’m talking about a time, millions of years ago, when what we call the Saddleback Valley was completely immersed by what is now known as the Pacific Ocean.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8KGSi

This generation will win or lose the wilding war

2012-01-30T00:08:00.000-08:00

Continuing our series focusing on the wilding pines issue, a 13-strong group, headed by Prof Sir Alan Mark, penned this response to several opinion articles published on these pages recently.

The range of views expressed recently in the Otago Daily Times on wilding conifers is in cases concerning, given the enormous threat these pests pose to the high country.

All such wilding conifers have initially escaped from trees or stands planted for one of several purposes: erosion control, windbreaks, small woodlots, commercial plantings or landscaping. To this end, several species are involved, the most aggressive being the lodgepole, or contorta, pine. The critical factors are masses of viable seed in the right place and favourable weather. Capable of rejuvenating from single needles, these trees are a daunting foe for conservation.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8KGFc

Hydroponic gardening may aid food supply ‎

2012-01-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

I grew up in NASA’s Apollo years from 1961-72, when space-age technology yielded such essentials as memory foam, smoke detectors and water filters.

The agency helped fine-tune other products, such as cordless tools for Black & Decker, to make them better suited to space.

It shows how a new industry can have an unexpected impact on everyday life. That was on my mind recently as I strolled through the Maximum Yield Indoor Gardening Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Such expos focus exclusively on hydroponics, the science of cultivating plants in soil-less media with little more than water and nutrient solutions.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8KGqv

JOHN BEGNAUD: Time for gardening season is now

2012-01-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Rains continue to tease many of us and give us a sense of the end of dry times. Vegetable gardeners in particular may be in a wait-and-see mode. But if you are a gambler or have water now, you may want to begin the gardening season.

Onion plants are being planted now, along with seeds of many other cool-season vegetables. These include beets, turnips, carrots and greens (mustard, collard, chard and leaf lettuce). Seed potatoes also are being located and scheduled for February planting.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JjdJ

Gardening: Still time to plant winter vegetables

2012-01-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we still can plant a last round of winter vegetables right now.

Instead of protecting our vegetables from freezes like we would in a "normal" winter, we might be shading them from the hot sun. Though vegetables like chard, baby beets or newly sown carrots can be susceptible to a strong frost, lettuce and sweet peas can wilt or bolt with too much heat.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JiYx

Restored wetlands may never recover

2012-01-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

“Once you degrade a wetland, it doesn’t recover its normal assemblage of plants or its rich stores of organic soil carbon, which both affect natural cycles of water and nutrients, for many years,” says David Moreno-Mateos, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. “Even after 100 years, the restored wetland is still different from what was there before, and it may never recover.”

Published in the journal PLoS Biology, a new analysis calls into question a common strategy used by land developers: create a new wetland to replace a wetland that will be destroyed and the land put to other uses. At a time of accelerated climate change caused by increased carbon entering the atmosphere, carbon storage in wetlands is increasingly important, Moreno-Mateos says.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JiSR

Protecting Working Forests

2012-01-27T18:10:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Forest Service recently announced grants totaling $52.2 million for 18 conservation and working lands projects across the U.S. this year. The landscapes are some of the country’s most beautiful spaces and will now be protected for future generations to enjoy.

Since 1990, the Forest Legacy Program has protected more than 2.2 million acres through public-private partnership using federal and leveraged funds of more than $562 million. We work with private landowners, states and conservation groups to promote sustainable, working forests.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JiLS

Efforts to control Mississippi result in flooded farmland, permanent damage

2012-01-27T18:04:00.001-08:00

URBANA, Ill. — When the water in the Mississippi River rose to 58 feet with a forecast of 60 feet or higher in May 2011, the emergency plan to naturally or intentionally breach the levees, established more than 80 years earlier, was put in motion.

The flood of 1937 did top the frontline levee and water passed into and through the New Madrid Floodway, but being flood-free since then caused area landowners to oppose the plan being put into action.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JiEz

Start the last group of cool-season vegetables soon

2012-01-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

If gardeners know the best planting time and best adapted variety with the best flavor that mature in less than 80 days for each vegetable crop, they could make wiser choices and expect better production. The date that a vegetable crop is started will be a major factor toward success of production every season in this area.

A big challenge to grow annuals is starting early enough to harvest before the heat prevents normal maturity. The hot temperatures last year were examples of the reason many gardeners know that the heat is a problem for growing food crops in this area.

The last group of cool-season vegetable crops should be started now or soon. The 50-degrees soil and air temperatures are suitable and the moisture appears to be sufficient.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8JiB0

Changing climate means more disasters, devastation ‎

2012-01-27T00:06:00.001-08:00

NEW ORLEANS - Last year's extreme weather across the U.S. — 2011 was the most expensive year ever for natural disasters — is raising concern among scientists and policymakers about the nation's ability to withstand a shifting climate.

Damage from tornadoes, floods, droughts, hurricanes and wildfires caused more than $200 billion in losses and 1,000 deaths across the nation last year. Florida escaped major damage, but saw record high temperatures over the summer, after a much colder than normal winter.

Read more: ‎ http://ow.ly/8I9N9

Master Gardener advanced training seminar Feb. 25

2012-01-27T00:04:00.000-08:00

It's time for our annual Putnam County Master Gardeners Advance Training Seminar, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 25.

Come and increase your gardening knowledge, shop vendors, meet fellow gardeners, win door prizes, and enjoy breakfast and lunch (included in registration fee of $35. The seminar is open to the public, so you don't have to be a master gardener. The knowledge gained will be a benefit whether you are an inexperienced or experienced gardener.

Register before Feb. 13 to avoid the fee increase of $5 per person.

Linda Lumsdon is the seminar chair for this presentation of the Putnam County Master Gardeners Association. She has worked very hard to find interesting speaker and topics this year.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8I9HF

Maintenance of Creeks Is Recommended

2012-01-27T00:02:00.000-08:00

There is no “silver bullet” to control flooding along the southwest branch of the Busch Creek watershed.

That is according to Ray Frankenberg II, of Buescher Frankenberg Associates (BFA) Inc., Washington, whose firm conducted a flood mitigation study of the area.

administration/operations committee meeting, Frankenberg shared the study’s results with city council members.

One of the main recommendations out of the study is to increase proper maintenance of the creek.

Frankenberg showed images of places where the creek’s banks and nearby trees are sliding into the creek, creating clogs.

“Some are taking up over half of the stream capacity,” Frankenberg said.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8I9E4

Plant and Garden Calendar

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

From the Garden to the Table

TARPON SPRINGS – From the Garden to the Table will be presented Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to noon, at Brooker Creek Preserve, 3940 Keystone Road. This workshop is free and will provide an introduction to those interested in vegetable gardening and nutrition. The workshop will cover topics such as composting and preparation of fresh garden vegetables. Advance registration is required. Call 453-6800 or visit www.brookercreekpreserve.org.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8I9z0

Home Gardener Day: Grow what you can eat

2012-01-25T21:57:00.001-08:00

Author and North Carolina gardener Nan Chase writes about her passion — edibles you grow and eat.

Her book, "Eat Your Yard: Edible trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and flowers for your landscape," will be the topic of her talk Thursday, Feb. 2, at the Home Gardener Day at the Marriott in City Center, Newport News.

"Gardening was cheap and something I could do with the kids at home," says Chase of her 30-year pastime.

"I urge people with any size yard to use good landscape plants that produce food they like to eat. My current yard is less than one-tenth of an acre. Growing an edible landscape is a joy."

Read more: http://ow.ly/8GLjc

Minimum annual losses from soil erosion in Ukraine make up USD 10 billion

2012-01-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

This estimate was made public by Serhiy Bulyhin, Academic-Secretary of the land organization department at the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

As it has been earlier reported, in Ukraine the State Service for protection of soils may be set up. This state body will observe preservation of soil fertility, will be engaged in estimate of their quality and control activities of land users. According to Bulyhin, before the land market is introduced, it is necessary to ensure tough and efficient control over land users, irrespective of the form of ownership for land.

Source/Read: http://ow.ly/8GLdH

With all the oil and gas drilling buzz, who’s thinking about conservation?

2012-01-25T21:50:00.001-08:00

With all the attention that is being given to the oil and gas play in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, have you thought what the local soil and water conservation district could do to assist you as a landowner to prepare for and deal with this activity?

The SWCD can give you onsite assistance to make recommendations for erosion control, water management and how these activities affect the natural resources of your property.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8GLaV

Gardening 101 nurtures green thumbs

2012-01-25T21:48:00.000-08:00

The sight of bright green leaves and newly sprouting plants begin to saturate the air with the fresh scent of a looming spring.

For green thumbs, it marks the exciting season of indulging in the gardens, but when the beautiful, blue Bachelor’s Button flowers end up withering away, one may feel the green from their thumbs wane, left feeling as blue as the anticipated flowers.

For 24 service members and patrons aboard the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune who were looking for tips on tending to tulips or planting a stable of edible vegetables, they were in luck.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8GL7s

Farm, vegetable class set

2012-01-25T21:45:00.000-08:00

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The Horticulture Committee of Austin County will be sponsoring a small farms and vegetable conference on Friday, Feb. 24 at Concordia Hall in Bellville.

Registration will take place from 8:30 to 9 a.m. with the program to follow.

This year’s program will focus on raising livestock and poultry on small acreages, niche markets that are associated with those productions systems and how to develop a plan for growing pastured poultry, eggs, pork, goats and beef on a limited amount of acres.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8GL4r

Climate Change and Farming: How Not to Go Hungry in a Warmer World

2012-01-24T21:33:00.000-08:00

Climate change might hit us in the most vital place of all — the dinner plate Why do we care about climate change? Obviously we worry about what warming temperatures might do to the geography of the planet — particularly melting polar ice and raising global sea levels. We fear the impact that climate change could have on endangered species, as warming temperatures speed the already rapid pace of extinction for wildlife that have been pushed to the edge by habitat loss and hunting. We focus on the changing risk of extreme weather, of more powerful storms causing billions of dollars of damage in richer nations — and taking thousands of lives in poorer ones. Sometimes we're simply uneasy with idea that our actions are altering the Earth, changing the rhythms of the seasons, shifting weather patterns we've been accustomed to for as long as human beings can remember.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Fmt4

U.N. sustainable development summit shifts from climate change

2012-01-24T21:32:00.000-08:00

Representatives from around the world gather in Rio in June to try to hammer out goals for sustainable development at a U.N. conference designed to avoid being tripped up by the intractable issue of climate change.

But there is concern in the lead-up to the conference, known as Rio+20 or the Earth Summit, that it risks ending up as all talk and little action.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8FmnU

Cities receive grants for gardens and green spaces

2012-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (SMG) have announced the recipients of the 2012 GRO1000 Gardens and Green Spaces Grant Awards Program. The grants, which focus on improving U.S. cities through the development of community gardens and green spaces, were announced at USCM’s 80th Winter Meeting in Washington.

Read more: http://govpro.com/parks_recreation/content/Scott-grant-20120124/#ixzz1kS1DarxV

City authorizes flood control project along Ash Street.

2012-01-24T21:24:00.000-08:00

The city Administrative Committee Monday night officially authorized a flood control project along Ash Street across the street from the American Legion, at the entrance to the Woods Addition.

The official declaration that a project is going to commence means that the city can move from a “voluntary” property acquisition status to “involuntary,” explained Community Development Director Mike MacDonald. There are four properties remaining in the project area that need to be acquired and removed.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8FmbR

Create your own vegetable garden

2012-01-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines — There is no question that arable lands are shrinking as more cities in the Philippines continue to expand.

Urban development has reduced the areas that were once reserved for agriculture and food production. This is a serious problem but it can be solved through the practice of urban gardening. Because of the new techniques and technologies available, urban gardening is now becoming more popular.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8FlW5

Calling all gardenersCalling all gardeners

2012-01-24T01:43:00.000-08:00

Spring will be here before you know it — really, we promise — and you’ll soon be reaching for your bug spray, trowels and gardening gloves. Meanwhile, the Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in all three of our counties are launching their 2012 master gardener training programs.

So who exactly is a master gardener and how do you become one? Basically, master gardeners are gardening enthusiasts who have gone through a rigorous, months-long training program led by Cornell experts in everything from proper rose pruning techniques to controlling pests in apple orchards.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8E41o

Salem YMCA moves ahead with major expansion plan

2012-01-24T01:40:00.000-08:00

A major expansion of the Salem Family YMCA is inching closer to construction as the nonprofit is beginning to line up permits and other paperwork for the project.

Monday night, Salem City Council unanimously approved an erosion and sediment control bond for the construction of the $1.7 million addition to the Y. The bond is a preliminary step to allow earth-moving on the site to begin.

"We're kind of doing all our due diligence right now ... so when we're ready to go, we can move fast," said Cal Johnson, executive director of the YMCA of Roanoke Valley.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8E3W8

NW Portland landslide is being held at bay, at least for now

2012-01-24T01:37:00.000-08:00

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Northwest Portland homeowner who already lost part of his backyard to a landslide is trying to keep the rest of his property from taking out his neighbor's homes.

Last Friday, the back deck of a home on Northwest Calumet Terrace buckled and since then the people living below on Northwest Imperial Terrace have been keeping a close eye on the shifting dirt.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8E3NM

Using Geotextiles or Erosion control blankets to prevent soil erosion. www.coirgreen.com

Horticulture: Educational gardening events coming up

2012-01-24T01:33:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendar for these educational horticulture opportunities in the coming weeks.

The first is "Exciting New Plants for 2012" that will be held on January 25 at 2:00 PM, in the community room of the Harvey County Courthouse, 800 N Main, Newton. Reservations are required to attend. Deadline is January 24, by calling 284-6930 or email dchurch@ksu.edu.

The Central Kansas Market Vegetable Growers and Tomato Grafting Workshop. This 4 county conference will be held at the Sedgwick County Extension Center in Wichita. Topics include: tomato grafting, biopesticides, Herbs, Nut production, etc. Register online at 2012ckmgw.evenbright.com.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8E3D3

Polar bear centre turns up heat on climate change ‎

2012-01-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

A new polar bear conservation centre at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg puts the heat on Manitoba to do more about climate change, according to a polar bear biologist of 14 years.

"Climate is very abstract, I think, for most people," Geoff York, a biologist with the World Wildlife Fund's Global Arctic Program, told CBC News in Winnipeg on Monday.

"So if you can put a face to that — and in this case, the face of the polar bear, an animal that people care about, people in Manitoba especially … [it] might be just the thing needed to get that political will engaged again."

Read more:‎ http://ow.ly/8DRv3

Fullarton gardener glad she raised the stakes

2012-01-23T19:36:00.000-08:00

JILL Skopal’s love of vegetable gardens stems from her childhood.

The 68 year old has had a vegie garden all her life, tracing back to her family home at Welland, where her family had a orchard and also kept chooks and a cow.

Living in her Fullarton for the past 40 years, Mrs Skopal still keeps chickens, but three years ago traded her traditional garden bed for a raised one.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8DRrU

Gardening good therapy

2012-01-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

JENNY Smith loves nothing more than seeing her fruit and vegie garden come to life.

“I grow feijoa, lemon, cumquat, mandarin, tangelo, lime and that’s just in my front garden,” Ms Smith, 57, said.

The Prospect woman said she liked to spend “as much time as possible” tending her garden, which contains 28 different types of fruit and vegetables. “It’s the therapy you get from tending to the garden, watching it grow and being out with nature,” she said.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8DRnP

New Study Reveals Past and Present Erosion Hazards of the Matanuska River

2012-01-23T19:24:00.000-08:00

ANCHORAGE — A new report maps out erosion history and hazards for 74 miles of the Matanuska River, a braided river in Southcentral Alaska that has damaged and threatened houses, roads and public facilities for decades. This new information from the USGS Alaska Science Center will be useful to property owners who want to know the most likely areas where the river could do damage. The mapping will help the public and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough anticipate the extent of potential future erosion.

"Rivers can be both capricious and powerful as they plow back and forth across the landscape on their way to the sea, but even they must obey the laws of geology," said USGS director Marcia McNutt. "This new study maps out locations of unconsolidated banks that rivers can quickly erode and solid bedrock banks that will resist the river's force, identifying safer ground for the long term."

Read more: http://ow.ly/8DR3U

Using Coir Geotextiles, Erosion control blankets, Coirlogs (waterlogs) and Coir pallets (Coir pillows) help prevent soil erosion. Visit www.coirgreen.com

Get your gardening fix on Sunrise Seattle

2012-01-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

Garden Expert and Author Marianne Binetti joins Smart Talk 570’s Sunrise Seattle morning show every Thursday at 8:20 a.m.to help KVI listeners with their gardening questions. Call or email to ask Binetti a question.

Binetti graduated summa cum laude from Washington State University with a degree in Horticulture and is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books about gardening including the best seller "Easy Answers for Great Gardens" from Seattle's Sasquach Press.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8DQUN

Hyrdroponic Farmers Serve Up Truly Local Eats

2012-01-23T06:28:00.000-08:00

On a recent Friday at Urban Oasis Hyrdroponic Farm Chef John Carminati led an interactive cooking seminar. Carminati's culinary career has led him around the world to destinations including Malaysia, Holland and Charleston, S.C.

Carminati shows the crowd of onlookers how to make a fresh tomato salad and a side dish of mustard greens, sauteed with cabbage and bacon. Every ingredient featured was picked right from the hydroponic systems just yards away from the barn.

It's a scene plucked right out of a gourmet cooking show. But Urban Oasis owner Cathy Hume modestly insists: "We're really a mom-and-pop business."

Hume is refering to the business she and her husband Dave have spent the past four years building. Urban Oasis Hydroponic Farm is located at 5416 West Linebaugh Avenue and features local, chemical-free produce -- in other words, the freshest and best that the season has to offer.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8CP2u

5 Easy To Grow January Plants

2012-01-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Some say that January is not the season for potting new plants as it is too colder in the beginning and too sunnier at the ending. Pruning is what most people do to welcome spring with fresh green leaves and flower blooms. But there are a few plants that can look green and fresh in the first month of the year. Take a look at these 5 fast and easy growing January plants and also get ideas for small space gardening.

5 Easy Growing January Plants

1. Algerian iris – The beautiful blue flowers can add colour to your winter garden even with poor soil and good sunlight (that's the January climate). The wild flowers grow like carpet all around the garden inspiring the gardener to pick them every first month of the year. The Iris unguicularis is the best in the iris types as they bloom during the late december. The mauve coloured flowers also beautify your living room vases.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8COeG

Village Winery & Vineyard To Host Spring Gardening Class

2012-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Expand your gardening toolbox with Donna Williamson, as she covers gardening, pruning and landscape basics with four weeks of solid, no-nonsense garden information and activities. Students will then go on to design a real garden, developing their new skills with hands-on experience.

In this series of classes, participants will move easily through the basics and then develop actual sustainable, lower maintenance landscape designs for their homes.

Each session will help participants sort through all those mountains of bewildering and conflicting gardening and plant information to understand the approaches and tasks that really work in Virginia and can make a difference in any landscape.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8CNIY

Beach nourishment gets attention

2012-01-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

CLEARWATER – Pinellas County Commissioners approved three agenda items on the subject of beach nourishment during their Jan. 10 regular meeting.

The first two, part of the consent agenda, concerned projects at Upham and Sand Key beaches. The third was about the future of projects at Treasure Island.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8CMTX

Growing plants from seeds

2012-01-22T19:16:00.000-08:00

Do you have green fingers? For that matter, does anyone? I'd like a dollar for every time someone has told me: ''It's easy for you to grow those plants from seed because you have green fingers.''

But I tend to agree with landscaper Russell Page when he says in his book The Education of a Gardener: ''Green fingers are a fact, and a mystery only to the unpractised.'' Stop pretending your fingers are permanently pink - just practise your cultivation skills.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8CmsV

New Jersery gardens: Third-graders learn what it takes to grow

2012-01-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

You can call Massimo McCormick the king of cabbage.

The West Orange 10-year-old grew a gigantic and highly photogenic cabbage of nearly 17 pounds that has won him a $1,000 savings bond, a certificate of achievement from his school district's superintendent, and bragging rights as the New Jersey winner in the Bonnie Plants Third Grade Cabbage Program. Nearly 16,700 New Jersey third-graders from 224 schools participated in last year's program, for which state winners were announced this month.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8Cm4I

Watershed closure means lost jobs, lost future research

2012-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

FRESNO -- The ripple effect of the closure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service North Appalachian Experimental Watershed goes beyond the loss of 13 jobs.

While those jobs are lost in a county already facing a 9.7 percent unemployment, what is being lost is valuable research, said people who have worked with the watershed throughout the years.

Bill Haddad, a consultant who has lobbied for no-till farming practices since he learned about them in 1969, said Coshocton was used to launch the no-till practice across the country.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8ClYK

An Illustrated Guide to Climate Change in 2011

2012-01-22T18:58:00.001-08:00

A few simple and clear pictures (and links) showing how the planet continued to warm and change around us in 2011

by Peter Gleick, water and climate scientist, in a Forbes repost

These facts are just part of why all national academies of science on the planet and every major geophysical scientific society agree that humans are fundamentally changing the climate.

CO2 in the atmosphere continues its inexorable rise

The heart of the climate problem is that our burning of fossil fuels along with other human activities have thrown the atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases out of balance, and their concentration in the atmosphere is growing faster and faster. This classic record from Mauna Loa in Hawai’i shows the growth in the CO2 concentration in the past half century. But it’s worse than that: CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere are now higher than at any time in the past million years, and perhaps higher than in the past 15 million years.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8ClMh

Misericordia garden earns horticulture award

2012-01-22T01:27:00.001-08:00

The Sister Regina Kelly Memorial Garden at Misericordia University in Dallas recently received an award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The award is based on plant variety, design, use of space and horticultural practices. The garden at Misericordia features plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s works and is a setting for study and rest. The garden has been adopted by the Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Club as their community project. They tend the garden from April to November. Drew Becher, president of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, presented the award to representatives of the Back Mountain Bloomers and Misericordia University at the Society headquarters in Philadelphia. The representatives from the Sister Regina Kelly Garden were also among those who were honored at a reception hosted by Pennsylvania’s First Lady, Susan Corbett, to pay tribute to community efforts to keep Pennsylvania beautiful. At the award presentation, from left, first row: Dr. Agnes Cardoni, originator of the project; Barbara Soyka; Joanne Bittner, Back Mountain Bloomers; Barbara Merdiushev, director of major gifts and planned giving, Misericordia University. Second row: Becher.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BSV2

Pennsylvania DEP Accepts Public Comment on Oil and Gas Erosion Control Permit

2012-01-22T01:25:00.000-08:00

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection announced today it has submitted a revised version of its erosion and sediment control general permit for earth disturbance associated with oil and gas activities for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, along with four other supporting documents, including a draft permit application and a policy explaining the permit requirements.

DEP will accept comments on the documents from Jan. 21 to March 21, 2012.

DEP revised the permit and the associated documents to incorporate recent regulatory revisions, to improve the administration of the program and to implement changes agreed to in a settlement with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Talisman Energy USA Inc. and Ultra Resources Inc.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BSRU

The Holy Grail of tomatoes

2012-01-22T01:19:00.000-08:00

Political punditry has its place, but the breathless and incessant chatter about the presidential race can become wearisome, even in Washington. Tomatoes, on the other hand, that's a topic that transcends tedium.

Readers bear me out here: When I wrote about tomatoes this mont, I heard from many home gardeners nodding in basic agreement with my premise: Brandywine and other large heirlooms are fine old varieties, but the payoff is often not worth the work.

Antique beefsteaks produce relatively few fruit that are slow to mature. The length of time between starting the seedlings in February, setting them out in late April and harvesting them in August and September makes them vulnerable to all the stresses of their brief life: heat, drought, flood and disease.

Better, I argue, to grow a more pedestrian hybrid that will fruit earlier, be reliably healthy and extravagantly productive.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BSKW

Growing Local

2012-01-21T05:54:00.000-08:00

I find that more people are becoming more active in what they eat and where it comes from. There is something called the 100 hundred mile diet which basically means that the food you eat comes within a 100 mile radius from your home. This would be very difficult in our climate but we can certainly help with this by purchasing local produce when in season or producing our own food in the garden.

There are many vegetables and even some fruits that can be grown very successfully in our northern climate. Growing your own fruits, vegetables and even herbs has many benefits.

Homegrown produce is much tastier and fresher then produce in the grocery store. You also know exactly what you are eating in regards to how it is grown. You can choose to grow completely organically or only use chemicals when they are needed. Gardening is also healthy for you in the fact that it is stress releasing as it allows you to get back in touch with nature and it is also good exercise.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BpT5

Using Growbags, Coco peat, Husk chips and Coir pots will help your growing drastically. Visit www.coirgreen.com for more information.

USDA signs agreement with EPA and state of Minnesota

2012-01-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of Minnesota to develop a new state program for farmers designed to increase the voluntary adoption of conservation practices that protect local rivers, streams and other waters by reducing fertilizer run-off and soil erosion. Through this partnership producers who undertake a substantial level of conservation activities to reduce nutrient run-off and erosion will receive assurance from the state that their farms will meet Minnesota's water quality standards and goals during the life of the agreement. Vilsack, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson signed the MOU during a ceremony in the Minnesota Capitol.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BpPv

FG Tackles South-East Erosion Menace With N11.5 Billion

2012-01-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

The ecological problem of the South-East is not new and appears to have defied all solutions already applied by successive administration in the land. It may not be out of place to say that of the whole country, the area has taken the hardest blow from the forces of nature that have been pounding the troubled landscape for decades: yet gully and marine erosion driven by severe flooding and land encroachment has combined to compound the problem that has already left its scars on the landscape.

The South-East gullies are believed to be caused by the action of torrential rains on cohesion-less soil, worsened by improper termination of roadside drainages, dumping of refuse in waterways coupled with deforestation and aggregation of surface runoff arising from uncontrolled urban developments.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8BpM7

Season's seed catalogs full of nutrient-enhanced produce

2012-01-21T05:45:00.001-08:00

The garden and seed catalogs are started to show up in mailboxes provided a post-holiday pick-me-up.

That means it's time to get out the notebooks and start planning — and dreaming.

The catalogs provide an actual source of materials for those DIYers who sow their own seeds.

If you prefer the actual plants, the catalogs are an excellent resource for planning your spring garden, and the companies will send you the plants when they are OK to put in the ground in your region.

Read more: http://www.dnj.com/article/20120121/LIFESTYLE/201210303

The rising cost of climate change

2012-01-20T00:38:00.000-08:00

In Pakistan, 3.57 billion dollars need to be spent in the coming 18 years to deal with the affects of climate change. —File image

In Pakistan, 3.57 billion dollars need to be spent in the coming 18 years to deal with the affects of climate change. — Photo by Amir Patni

Pakistan, Guatemala and Russia have been the countries worst hit by climate change in the recent past, with thousands of lives lost to extreme weather events.

In addition to being the worst-affected, the poor developing countries hit by climate change have had the least amount of responsibility towards causing these catastrophes. While earth’s climate has been evolving continuously over the last millennium, the last two centuries have seen unprecedented threats to climate change.

Located in the sub-tropics and partially in temperate regions, Pakistan’s southern tip hits the Arabian Sea and at its northern end are the Great Himalayas. Climatologically, most parts of Pakistan are arid to semi-arid with significant spatial and temporal variability in climatic parameters. Fifty nine per cent of the annual rainfall which occurs in the country is due to the monsoon rains.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8A5nc

Tupper Lake Decision Expected Friday

2012-01-20T00:35:00.000-08:00

TUPPER LAKE, NY -- The Adirondack Park Agency plans to vote on Friday on whether to approve a proposed 6,200-acre, year-round resort and residential development in Tupper Lake.

The agency, a sort of zoning board for the park, will consider the Adirondack Club and Resort project at its monthly meeting.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8A5eA

Ohio State experts to appear in Ohio Organic Farming Conference

2012-01-20T00:34:00.000-08:00

GRANVILLE -- Experts from Ohio State University will give presentations at a dozen of the workshops at this year's Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association annual conference, whose theme is "Sowing the Seeds of Our Food Sovereignty."

The program will take place Feb. 18-19 in Granville.

Read more: http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120119/NEWS01/201190348

More than a park VanDusen Bonatical Garden is a city treasure

2012-01-20T00:31:00.001-08:00

Part two of a two-story series on the development and major changes at Vancouver's top horticultural institutions, VanDusen Botanical Garden and the University of B.C. Botanical Garden

The first thing to say about VanDusen Botanical Garden, the 55-acre treasure trove of plants in the heart of Vancouver at the corner of 33rd and Oak Street, is that it is not a park.

Read more: Read more: http://ow.ly/8A555

Winner chosen for controversial Union Terrace Gardens competition

2012-01-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited result of a controversial competition to redesign Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen is over.

Judges chose a design with bridges, ramped areas of grassland and trees, with landscape architecture by Olin Studio.

The internationally acclaimed practice Diller Scofidio & Renfro and local company Keppie Design will tackle architectural elements including an art gallery.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8A51s

Efforts to control the Mississippi result in flooded farmland

2012-01-20T00:27:00.000-08:00

When the water in the Mississippi River rose to 58 feet with a forecast of 60 feet or higher in May 2011, the emergency plan to naturally or intentionally breach the levees, established over 80 years prior, was put in motion. The flood of 1937 did top the frontline levee and water passed into and through the New Madrid Floodway, but being floodfree since then caused area landowners to oppose the plan being put into action.

"After a delay due to a legal appeal from area landowners, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was finally given permission by the U.S. Supreme Court to open the floodway, but by that time, the Mississippi River was 4 feet higher than planned for," Olson said. "The initial additional force and depth of floodwater caused more damage to buildings and more deep land scouring than was predicted. The strong current and sweep of water through the Birds Point, Missouri, breach created deep gullies in 133,000 acres of Missouri farmland, displaced tons of soil, and damaged irrigation equipment, farms, and homes."

Read more: http://ow.ly/8A4XU

Garden fantasies

2012-01-18T20:56:00.001-08:00

It's not the least bit fair, you know.

It's not right for us to receive all these garden catalogs during this, the deadest stretch of winter. The seed companies simply aren't playing fair! They're fully aware of what effects these sheaves of salacious sales materials will have on us!

After all, we are only human! Who, after viewing all that fetching flora, wouldn't suffer from a twinge of carrot covetousness? What sort of superhuman could look at those vivid vegetable photographs and not find his chest pounding with lentil lust? Or feel the pangs of unrequited asparagus ardor?

I realize that similar comestibles are currently available in the supermarket. But similar does not always mean the same. The produce items offered at the store have about as much to do with homegrown garden-raised veggies as Disneyland has to do with reality. It's a pleasant form of fantasy, but you know darn well that it's merely a distorted reflection of what is real.

Read more from source of article: http://ow.ly/8yDNJ

Hawaii Planning and Regulatory Tools To Adapt to Sea-Level Rise

2012-01-18T20:55:00.000-08:00

Part 1 of this editorial series introduced climate change and sea-level rise adaptation and highlighted three major recommendations for state action to facilitate preparations for sea-level rise: adopting a sea-level rise planning benchmark, expanding climate research, and designating an agency to lead adaptation efforts. This segment details planning and regulatory tools for initiating sea-level rise adaptation.
Planning Tools

State and county decision-makers could consider using three existing planning tools — the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Act (HCZMA), Comprehensive Plans (i.e., state plans, county general plans, and sustainable community plans), and Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plans — to prepare for sea-level rise.

Hawai‘i Coastal Zone Management Act. The HCZMA, codified in Chapter 205A of the Hawai ‘i Revised Statutes, is an important planning tool for regulating development and land use within the coastal zone. The Act already contains objectives and policies for protecting life and property from coastal hazards and storm surge but could be amended to more directly address sea-level rise impacts. For example, South Carolina’s Coastal Zone Management Act now includes policies for retreating from the coastline to adapt to erosion caused by sea-level rise. In Rhode Island, the Coastal Resources Management Program requires consideration of 3 to 5 feet of sea-level rise by 2100 in siting, designing, and implementing coastal activities.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8yDK2

Optimism blooms at horticulture show

2012-01-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

Buyers and exhibitors alike were optimistic about the possibility of growth within the horticultural industry at this year’s Mid-American Horticultural Show, which started Wednesday at Navy Pier.

In recent years, horticultural businesses such as landscapers and design firms were forced to cut staff and reduce expenditures as their customers’ budgets tightened. The industry downturn could be seen in fewer visitors to the popular trade show, which is always held in January.

Joe Khayyat, communications director of the Illinois Green Industry Association, said the last few years have been difficult ones. "The nursery and landscape industries have seen sharp declines over the last few years during this prolonged economic downturn, as we are tied so closely to the housing market.” But, he added, “We’re excited for spring.”

Read more: http://ow.ly/8yDFb

Reno storms bring wet test to Caughlin Fire area

2012-01-18T20:48:00.000-08:00

The Caughlin Fire area faces its first winter test over the next few days as a set of storms sweeps into the area, bringing the threat of extended rainfall to a vulnerable landscape.

Preventative measures to control erosion are in place, but much work remains to be done across the nearly 2,000 acres — much of it steep terrain — that burned during a wind-swept wildfire in southwest Reno on Nov. 18, 2011.

“There’s definitely the potential for it to get messy over there,” said Scott McGuire, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno. “It’s definitely something we’re going to be keeping an eye on.”

Read more: http://ow.ly/8yDzy

Local Farming Enthusiast to Help Create Community Garden ‎

2012-01-18T20:45:00.000-08:00

Andrew Parton has wanted to be a farmer since the age of 3. His collection of John Deere tractors proves it.

His family of great aunts and second and third cousins living in Southern Illinois have allowed him to visit during the summers to fulfill his dream of farming. Parton maintains the fields and helps with the harvest of crops in the fall.

Read more: ‎ http://ow.ly/8yDvm

Kenai Watershed Forum offers training sessions

2012-01-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

The Kenai Watershed Forum is sponsoring two Alaska certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead Storm Water training sessions next month.

One will be Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 in Seward; the other will be Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 in Soldotna.

This training explains the erosion process and how to obtain and comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit. The course will describe the key elements of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and stormwater Best Management Practices.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8yDqo

Erosion more serious than flood: Gogoi

2012-01-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

Guwahati, Jan 18 (PTI) Erosion was a graver problem in Assam compared to floods as it resulted in permanent land loss and crippled a family", Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today. "It is an area where much importance has to be accorded by the Central Government and the Brahmaputra Board", Gogoi said at the 6th High Powered Review Board Meeting of Brahmaputra Board here. He said over eight lakh people had been rendered homeless and over 4 lakh hectares washed away by Brahmaputra. Calling for a holistic approach towards solving the problem, the Chief Minister lamented that though the Brahmaputra Board had been set up as a multi-purpose body, it has confined its activities to limited works. "The Board must gear up its activities in a big way and come up with projects and schemes to control the twin problems of floods and erosion in the State and the North East as a whole," he added. Gogoi also urged the Board and the Central Water Commission to come up with a strategy as adopted by the Bangladesh Government to channelise the river for mitigating the problem of erosion. "The strategy to mitigate the problem of erosion of Brahmaputra river, called Jamuna in Bangladesh, has to be replicated by us to contain the erosion problem in Assam and elsewhere in the region," he said. The Chief Minister who had been given a presentation by the Water Resources Department in Bangladesh during his visit there last year, said he would arrange a meeting between the two water resources bodies if required.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8yDmZ

Governor proposes easing mandates ‎

2012-01-17T01:42:00.001-08:00

With tight budgets during the recession and slow recovery, city council members and county supervisors have had to sit down to unpleasant surprises when they've started planning their own fiscal plans this time of year.

Usually it's something else Virginia wants its local governments to do — something that will cost extra money.

But on Monday, Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said he is proposing legislation aimed at lessening the impact of state mandates on local governments.

Read more: ‎ http://ow.ly/8w1iE

Gardening year: review and plan

2012-01-17T01:38:00.000-08:00

It usually takes a period of enforced inactivity – illness or bad weather perhaps – for gardeners to stop and contemplate their gardens, but the new year is just the right time to view progress, pat ourselves on the back or admit defeat. It's almost exactly a year to the day that I moved here from Suffolk, so I have extra encouragement to take stock, and I'm looking out from exactly the same viewpoint (my bedroom window) where I first studied this garden. There have obviously been changes, but because we gardeners always look forward and not back, brushing aside past efforts – however superhuman – we concentrate on the future. It's what keeps us all going.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8w1cI

Plant nutritious winter veggies now

2012-01-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

The key ingredient in Laurel Smith's nutrient-rich breakfast doesn't come from a cereal box and or a hen house. She plucks kale from her garden for her morning meal.

The daily helping of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C and other goodies has made a difference.

"I feel so much better the past year and a half," says the founder of Houston Urban Gardeners, a club for those who grow vegetables and fruit (www.houston urbangardeners.org).

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Plant-nutritious-veggies-now-2516603.php#ixzz1jgS3gogU

The Tweed after Irene: How to repair a ruined river

2012-01-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

PITTSFIELD — Jim Ryan stood with Ray Colton on the banks of the Tweed River on Oct. 7 and shook his head, more in resignation than disbelief. He'd seen too many places like this in the last month.

"What a mess," he said. He made a note in his notebook: "Colton's mill site: Site is hammered."

The river running past Colton's firewood mill looked more like an abandoned gravel pit than a babbling brook.

On Aug. 28, Tropical Storm Irene had ravaged this stretch of the Tweed, a scenic stream that borders Vermont 100 between Killington and Stockbridge. Highway crews compounded the damage.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8vKjr

Secure the river bed with coir logs (Waterlogs) and introduce vegetation maybe a method to control erosion. visit www.coirgreen.com for more information.

Garden Tips: Plant Early for Spring Treats

2012-01-16T18:07:00.001-08:00

In the Southern California garden, January is the month of opportunity. We average about 3 inches of rain in January, leaving lots of opportunity go out and play in the garden. Now is the time to plant everything from barefoot trees such as plum and apple trees to cool-weather flowers such as snapdragons.

Here is a handy set of January gardening tips primarily from Agromin, a Southern California manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products made from organic material collected locally.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8vKeg

Shoreline Restoration Proposed for Dobbins Island

2012-01-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

Dobbins Island is in the news again, however this time the issue concerns erosion control of the cliffs on the island rather than the ongoing dispute over usage rights for the beach on the island’s north shore.

David Clickner, the owner of Dobbins Island, has wanted to build a home there since he purchased the property in 2004, but before he builds a house, he wants to address the erosion of the island’s shoreline.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8vK3d

Michael Mann vows to keep up the "street fight" against climate change deniers

2012-01-16T18:02:00.000-08:00

The Director of Penn State Earth System Science Center said the so-called ‘climategate’ scandal was meant to “intimidate” scientists.

He said personal emails between himself and colleagues at the University of East Anglia were stolen in a “malicious and intentional” attempt to make scientists afraid to express their opinions.

“What they are trying to do is to blur the distinction between private correspondence and scientific data and methods, which of course should be out there for other scientists to reproduce,” he said.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8vJXZ

Erosion debate about Sunset Cliffs is not helped by U-T’s misleading photo.

2012-01-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

Editor: Along with the following article by U-T reporter Mike Lee about the erosion in Sunset Cliffs Park, was a photo purporting to show drastic erosion at the Park. But the photo (see above) is misleading as it shows a hillside full of ruts and erosion runways – yet a hillside I know well. The hillside is just beyond the intersection of Sunset Cliffs Blvd and Ladera Street. I know it well because I lived in the immediate neighborhood as a teenager and played on that very hill and others in the area. I can attest that the same hillside has looked that way since I was 13 (now I’m sixty-something).

But the debate over what to do and how to “control” the erosion at Sunset Cliffs goes on, but that discussion is not helped with misleading photos. We need to have the debate and utilize non-intrusive solutions.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8vJQH

School wins gardening prize

2012-01-16T17:54:00.000-08:00

A SOMERSET school has received new gardening equipment after winning a competition about recycling food waste.

The Virginia Flower & Garden Expo gets back to its roots

2012-01-15T23:07:00.000-08:00

Pure gardening. That's what visitors will see once again.

The area's annual horticultural show, The Virginia Flower & Garden Expo, has returned to its roots.

Visitors to the Virginia Beach Convention Center next weekend will find that the all-volunteer Virginia Horticultural Foundation has produced a comprehensive event, promoting horticulture for home gardeners, professionals and anyone in between.

"The really big difference this year is that it's not a home and garden show anymore. It's a flower and garden show," show director Laurie Fox said. "It's all green, all horticulture-focused."

Read more: http://ow.ly/8uvoA

APA to vote on Tupper Lake resort

2012-01-15T23:04:00.000-08:00

ALBANY — The Adirondack Park Agency plans to vote this week on whether to approve a proposed 6,200-acre, year-round resort and residential development in Tupper Lake.

The agency, a sort of zoning board for the Adirondack Park, will consider the Adirondack Club and Resort project at its monthly meeting scheduled to start Wednesday, with a vote set for Friday.

The project is the largest ever reviewed by the APA. It would rebuild the Big Tupper ski area, build a new marina on Big Tupper Lake, and develop a 6,200-acre parcel in the area, about 80 miles from the Canadian border in the Adirondacks.

Installing a simple garden retaining wall

2012-01-15T22:58:00.001-08:00

Consider growing your vegetables in containers

2012-01-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Consider growing your vegetables in containers

Why grow vegetables in containers? For some, it is the perfect solution where space is limited. For others it is a convenience. Consider walking out your door, taking a few steps and then harvesting vegetables growing in containers on your deck or patio.

Some vegetables, such as lettuce and radishes, can be grown successfully in window boxes. I’ve used a 24-inch box. Picking the outer leaves each day encourages more growth. If your family requires more lettuce, plant a few boxes

The patio tomato plant I’ve grown each year has done well. It is my plan to purchase two patio plants this season. Each plant is in a large container. Later in the season I can add a tomato cage to support the plant.

Read more: http://ow.ly/8uqQH

If you like Calla lillies, grow them -- it's easy

2012-01-15T20:42:00.001-08:00

My wife has been looking at one of the gardening catalogs that came recently in the mail. She really loves Calla lilies. Before we spend too much money on buying some, how hard are they to grow?

-- A. S. of Troy

Relax and don't worry, Calla lilies (Zantedeschia species) are one of the easier plants to grow, similar to care for like tulips. They grow from a bulb and the larger the bulb, the larger the flower or number of flowers produced by each plant. Calla lilies are native to South Africa. The bulbs cannot be left in the ground during winter because the bulbs freeze and turn to mush. They are only winter hardy in plant zones 9 to 11 because the soil does not freeze in these zones.

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2012/01/13/2014402/if-you-like-calla-lillies-grow.html#storylink=cpy

Read more: http://ow.ly/8uqJs