I often hear people say they can’t grow roses without chemicals, and to them I say “phooey!” Actually, I say, “of course you can!” All it takes is a little intelligence, and really not much effort at all. The main thing is to start with root-grown roses, which is to say, roses that haven’t been […]
Organic Gardening
Secret Organic Weapon for Weeding
Yes, it’s that time of year, when weeds arise and rise again. Even the most devout organic gardener might be tempted to pull out the evil chemicals at times—especially when it comes to those hard-to-weed places like cracks in between rocks and gravel walkways, where there’s no food growing that could be tainted by a […]
The President’s Cancer Panel Report Suggests We Smarten Up!
By guest blogger Annie Spiegelman (a.k.a the Dirt Diva) Earlier this month the President’s Cancer Panel submitted its report, entitled Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, which describes the effects of environmental exposures on cancer risk. The two-member panel—LaSalle D. Lefall, Jr., MD, a professor of surgery at Howard University, and Margaret […]
First Annual Spring Planting Festival at the Rodale Institute!
This Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, the Rodale Institute will be having its first-ever spring planting festival, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. It’s the perfect time of year to stock up on everything you need to get your garden growing, figure out how to get a perfect organic lawn, or […]
High Season for Gardeners
Anyone who gardens knows that this time of year is probably the most important time of all. Certainly, the local nurseries know it, since they need people just to direct traffic on the weekends. It’s the time for planting, mulching, beautifying, cleaning up, and spiffing up. Hard work now should pay off in lots of […]
Plant a Kid’s Garden for Earth Day!
Kids love gardening. What’s not to love? Digging in the dirt, good stuff to eat. Worms. Rocks. Fun stuff. But it’s not just about vegetables. In fact, vegetables are rather ephemeral. Here this year, gone next. Then you have to start all over again. This year, Lucia (age 3 ½) and I planted a magic […]
Back to the Nursery…It’s Planting Time!
It’s only early April, but global warming has given me a serious case of spring fever. It started last week when I knew I was going to give a speech to the Pennsylvania Land Conservation Association, about 10 minutes away from my favorite nursery, Waterloo Gardens, in Exton, PA. The speech was Friday night, so […]
Where to Find Organic Seeds
A number of people have asked me where they can find organic seeds for their organic gardens. This time of year, you can pick up regular seeds at garden stores, supermarkets, and “big box” stores like Home Depot or Kmart. But most seeds are not organic (unless they say it right on the front of […]
Scratch
Raised on America’s first organic farm, Scratch author Maria Rodale learned how to make everyday favorites from, yes, scratch — the way you remember them; the way they turn out best.
Order NowOrganic Manifesto
Drawing on findings from leading health researchers as well as conversations with both chemical and organic farmers from coast to coast, Maria Rodale irrefutably outlines the unacceptably high cost of chemical farming on our health and our environment.
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