By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

As an avid reader, I have lately been looking into books that deal with personal development and came upon a concept called feng shui.

This concept has its roots buried deep in the Chinese belief system of balance or chi.

Since this belief is over 300 years old; I felt there might be something to it.

So this year, I am going to design my vegetable garden utilizing the feng shui principles.

What I liked about this concept was that nature was looked at as a whole living organism that is full of energy or chi. To have harmony and prosperity in ones environment, these forces need to be balanced.

To balance these forces, one must first Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Pets, for many years, have been left out of the mix when it comes to gardening.

Ones pets can use many of the fresh vegetables and herbs that are grown in the vegetable garden.

A simple project can be designed to address your pet’s need for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Dogs

Dogs are natural chewers and when placed in an indoor environment can cause havoc. It is easier to provide ones dog with acceptable items to chew verses retraining. Toys are a good choice but they do not provide the fiber that your dog is looking for when they chew on plant material. To supplement their need for fiber and address their chewing habit, one can grow some simple, organic grass.

Organic grass can easily be grown in a container that is located on the floor of your dog’s indoor environment. When raising the grass though, do not use commercial fertilizer or premade soil with slow-release fertilizer. Fertilizer, that is not organic, can be toxic to ones dog.

Cats

Cats are also chewers when it comes to Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

The other day, I was asked if I test my soil and my reply was yes and no.

I have not had the traditional, chemical analysis of my soil for many years.

One reason is the biggest excuse and that is I do not have the time.

The other reason is that the recommendations I receive are based on an acre and while I would like to have an acre size garden I do not.

Also, these recommendations are based on a monoculture garden design.

Since I do not farm on an acre nor garden in a monoculture style, I have to guess and reduce any fertilizer recommendations. But being a scientist, aggie, environmentalist and many other things, I decided to do another soil test this fall. But before jumping on the bandwagon, one must first plan it out.

Planning to take a soil test is Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

How well ones garden does is connected with the soil.

Soil is such a generic term that many individuals do not understand what the term really describes.

Soil is loosely defined as particles that are sand, silt or clay that are combined to create a certain mixture.

This mixture is dependent on the environment and is not limited to particles but also includes living organisms such as fungi, bacteria, worms, and other soil bound creatures.

To be an informed, responsible gardener, one must first Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

The other day I was watching a movie about a coal miner and it made me think how life mimics the natural world.

This coal miner was trying to control an environment that he did not understand.

He felt that following the same path that his father had followed would lead him to a different conclusion.

We all know how that ends and the same applies to gardening.

When we see a pest, we seem to fall to the same habit that has caused so many problems.

This habit, one may ask, is chemical application. While this technique works quickly in the short term, it never works out in the long run. Which is where the movie comes into play along with the simple leaf miner.

The adult leaf miner attacks tomato plants by Read the rest of this entry »