Advantages of Having Less Lawn
Easier to maintain (5-15 minutes a week of watering and weeding during the summer). Is cheaper in the long run (less water, less maintenance cost). In future, water use and chemical use will likely be curtailed and lawn will be difficult to maintain. Better for the...
Teaching the Next Generation about Making Great Soil!
Laureen and Marcia (Eco-yards designer) spent some time teaching the Grade 4 students at Alex Munro school in Calgary how to make compost and how to design a compost bin. The students had already been studying the topic and had great questions. They took their new...
Hemp Twine Lattice is Cheap, Easy and Sustainable!
We regularly install this hemp twine lattice for vines to grow up fences. Using 3/4 inch cuphooks screwed in top and bottom, evenly spaced, we string the twine along these to make a lovely pattern. When we are making these against a concrete or brick wall, we use...
Consider Worm Composting
A great compost for your house plants, outdoor plants, and lawn too is made by worms! You could have your own worm bin in your home or garage in which worms turn your kitchen waste and newspaper into black gold for your plants. How To Make Your Own While it does take...
Overseeding for an Eco-Friendly lawn
Most Calgary lawns are mainly Kentucky bluegrass, which needs lots of watering in dry Calgary. Folks often use fertilizer to help it grow and chemical pesticides to kill the weeds that thrive in it. Chemicals kill micro-organisms in the soil that ensure your grass...
Spread Corn Gluten to Prevent Weeds
As I write this, the dandelions are beautifully puffing white and going to seed. This is the perfect time to spread corn gluten meal to prevent those seeds from germinating and becoming new dandelions in your yard. What is Corn Gluten? Processed from corn, corn gluten...
An Eco-friendly Gardener
Anne Darragh is a family physician who grew up in Calgary and has been an eco-friendly gardener here and in B.C’s Columbia Valley for 35 years. She has used companion planting, insecticidal soap, and mulches for weed control with great success. Anne is concerned about...
Should you power rake or aerate your lawn?
We are frequently asked if you should be power-raked or aerate lawns in spring. The Eco-Yards answer is no, probably not. Thatch is the build up of dead and decomposing grass plants. If managed properly, thatch can actually benefit your lawn by holding in moisture. In...
To water or not to water?
While we all love warm sunny weather, there is definitely a drawback. Many of our trees and lawns get dry and thirsty since there is little natural water feeding them.To maintain a healthy root system that is the basis for a healthy tree, this is the time to start...
Nematodes – Making Nitrogen Available to your Plants
Some nematodes have given the whole tribe a bad name. This is because they eat roots of plants and are harmful to the plants. Most, though, are beneficial to plants. They are tiny worms that are usually not visible ‐ the larger ones look like small hairs. They are the...
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