Two Easy to Grow Climbing Roses

March 28, 2016

...se I chose two common varieties that I thought could tolerate our horrible soil and dry conditions: Don Juan This stunning, deep red climbing rose was developed by Michele Malandrone and first sold in 1958. It has an intense, complex scent. I chose it because I heard that it was drought tolerant. It’s also easy to find. Iceberg Climbing Rose I refer to this rose as the “gas station rose” for its ubiquity. Frankly, it’s an unimaginative choice but...

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Leaf Litter

Mr. Homegrown

December 12, 2006

Permaculture

1 Comment

...reduce water usage by preventing evaporation, prevent weed growth, inhibit soil erosion and may even stop acid rain from penetrating soil. For these reasons SurviveLA says banish your leaf blower! In fact, when planning a garden around permaculture principles you may want to consider plants that produce mulch, and placing them where the mulch will benefit your landscaping. Remember though that some trees such as black walnut and eucalyptus produce...

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The problem with polar fleece: it’s in the ocean, it’s in sea creatures, it’s on our plates

Mrs. Homegrown

August 17, 2016

Domesticus

24 Comments

...rs here at our house we’ve sent a good deal of these stray fibers into the soil around our house, since we’ve been using a greywater system. I’m not sure what to think about that. I doubt that the fibers are as disruptive in the soil as they are in a marine ecosystem, but still, it’s not good, and I don’t like it. Thinking about my own household, I’m targeting certain items for disposal. I have some very old fleece in my life: a 15 year old bathro...

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Saturday Tweets: Open Kitchens, Weedless Gardens and Copy Cats

Mr. Homegrown

July 15, 2017

Saturday Linkages

4 Comments

...Simple (@rootsimple) July 11, 2017 Ready for a weedless garden and better soil? Try this: No-Till Gardening: If You Love Your Soil, Ditch the Tiller https://t.co/NGsTi7BrgF — Joe Lamp'l (@joegardener) July 9, 2017 What’s the best way to find common ground in public spaces? – https://t.co/VMwwwFY0dw via @aeonmag — Thomas Rainer (@ThomasRainerDC) July 13, 2017 Flat-Pack Mobile Architecture: This Building Will Self-Construct in 8 Minutes | Urban...

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Fifty Shades of Gray Water

Mr. Homegrown

February 7, 2018

Water and Power

7 Comments

...“probably from Anglo-French *sollage, *suillage, from suiller, soiller to soil.” While I like the link with soil, “sullage” appears to be used interchangeably with “sewage.” There is, of course the confusing problem of “gray” vs. “grey” with “gray” being more common in American English. “Greywater” is used by two out of the three American experts: Brad Lancaster and Greywater Action (the artists formerly known as the Guerrilla Graywater Girls). A...

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