Are Rubber Mulches or Tires in the Garden a Good Idea?

April 14, 2015

...nings blowing around and settling on the soil). I suspect that many of our gardening frustrations are related to our zinc problem. What about the use of whole tires in the garden, such as for planters or compost bins? According to a report by an environmental consultant sent to me by Mark, a Root Simple reader, whole tires do not seem to be a problem (at least in aquatic contexts). So it seems that we should keep those tires whole rather than shre...

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Happy Holiday Weekend!

Mr. Homegrown

September 6, 2015

Animals, Cats

5 Comments

...It’s a holiday weekend in the US, meaning that, with the exception of our international readers, few people are checking the blog. You’re either gardening, brewing beer, burning a large effigy in the desert or constructing a giant wall around San Francisco. Down in LA? We’re sleeping with the cats....

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De-Cluttering for DIYers, Homesteaders, Artists, Preppers, etc.

Mrs. Homegrown

February 9, 2015

Cleaning, Tidying up

52 Comments

...supplies. Brewing equipment. Soap making bowls and molds. Woodshop tools. Gardening supplies. Sewing and knitting stuff. All this stuff is wonderful, but it takes up space. There’s no getting around that basic fact, but we can be more disciplined about keeping those supplies trim and tidy. Speaking from experience, I know I don’t need a hundred canning jars on hand at all time, much less their dented and rusty rings to be able to preserve food a...

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Self Watering Barrel Gardens, Aussie style

Mr. Homegrown

August 25, 2014

Gardening, Self Watering Containers

Gardening Australia did a video, well worth watching, of David de Vries’ self watering containers that he builds for the Red Cross in Alice Springs. De Vries has devised a simple and efficient way to turn drums into gardens. They look good too. We’ve featured self watering containers on our blog and in our books. They are a great way to deal with hot climates and bad soil. And, in many places, drums are as plentiful as people. Thanks to Helen in...

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020 Emily Green on the Mow and Blow Landscape Paradigm

Mr. Homegrown

October 8, 2014

Gardening, Podcasts

6 Comments

...traight days of noise a year. The dust would stay suspended longer, an element of smog. Given the choice, most people would say “no” in terms unrepeatable here, so most Angelenos don’t ask for permission. They just blast noise and blow dust at their neighbors. They call it gardening. If you want to leave a question for the Root Simple Podcast please call (213) 537-2591 or send an email to [email protected]. You can subscribe to our podcast in t...

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