Many of us just let the garden go to weeds once the growing season ends. Then we clean it all out in the spring, and start anew. But did you know it’s beneficial for the garden to get an end-of-season cleaning? It’s true. And here are a few tips that will get you started. Clean…
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Believe it or not, winter is coming. For many of us it’s a time to look forward to: the cooler days, the yellow leaves, the holiday season that is just around the corner. But for those of you who have outdoor pets or livestock, are you prepared to keep them warm and safe through the…
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Wintertime is the perfect time to plan for next year’s gardening and yard projects. This is the time to take stock of your supplies and to plan your projects for when the first greenery of spring arrives. If you have never planted a garden or have never taken on any landscaping projects, you are going…
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So often we hear the saying “well-drained soil”, but what exactly does this mean? You can buy a gardening manual, read the back of a package of seeds, and there it is: “well-drained soil”. Basically, it refers to the quality of your soil. Soil should have good structure, meaning that it should be able to…
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Erosion and foundation shifts can change the grade around our home. Why is this a problem? Because our home’s grade is set to move water away from the home; if water is allowed to pool up around a home’s foundation, it can find its way inside. Grade can also get thrown off with the shift…
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Weeds are a natural and recurring problem in any outdoor space. Weeds can sprout in virtually any soil; weeds can grow with or without quality soil conditions. Weeds can easily find their way through cracks in cement sidewalks and the very best weed barrier will eventually break down enough that those pesky weeds find a…
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Chickens are relatively easy and fun to keep. And if you didn’t know, it is perfectly legal to keep a certain number of chickens in a backyard within the city limits; no roosters, however, are allowed—in the city. Chickens are terrific for a number of reasons, including the most obvious that they can provide food.…
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It’s Spring…finally. And the springtime is the perfect time laying down a new lawn. Here’s a few tip sand tricks—including the importance of adding a layer of compost beneath the sod—to getting the job done right. Prep the Yard Laying down the sod is simple and quick, but the trick to having sod roots take…
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Hail is a natural phenomenon here in Montana. Every year or so it seems the Billings area is struck with a rough weather event that leaves absolute destruction in its wake. Even small hail, stones barely the size of a pea, can easily damage and ruin a garden or a potted plant (on a large-scale,…
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Oftentimes in gardens we think to plant flowers with other flowers and shrubbery and we plant vegetables with other vegetables. But when you plant the two together you get both beautiful natural aesthetics and a healthier garden. Here’s why… Attract Beneficial Insects Bees are a gardener’s best friend; you could almost say that the bee…
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