Treehugger Ideas, Tips & Guides

If you spend a lot of time out in the garden it's smart to have the skills to identify the different types of bees—plus wasps and other insects that mimic bees—that you're most likely to encounter.

These free barn plans will give you free blueprints and layouts so you can build your very own barn. These barns range from the simple and the small to the large and complex, so there should be a plan here for your skill set and needs.

If you have grown squash or pumpkins in your garden, then the last thing that you want is for that produce to go to waste.

A fall garden can be a great and bounteous place—not a space that makes us mourn for the glory days of summer but somewhere that allows us to revel in the beauty and abundance of the season.

Even though it may be autumn, it is not too late to sow and grow. With the right strategies, even in cooler climate zones, it is possible to grow your own throughout the whole of the year. The key is to choose the right strategies and the right crops and varieties for your specific situation.

Nature's autumn bounty of fallen leaves isn't usually a problem for lawns and gardens, and mulching the ground with them actually helps to feed the soil for a healthier yard.

Every garden, no matter how large or small, has at least some features of a functioning ecological system. By tracing the food chains in a garden, we can learn to appreciate the function of the natural world around us and also gain a deeper appreciation of our place within the system as a whole.

Scope creep is something that can sneak up on you when you are working on a project in the garden. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it is often used in project management to describe when the scope of a project alters over time and is not properly defined or controlled.

As the nights begin to draw in and summer's heat fades fast, we may spend less time in our gardens and mourn the departure of the sun. But for me, fall is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Though the days are shortening rapidly and the summer garden may be fading fast, there is a lot to love about a garden in this season. 

I have written before about how I make leaf mold in my garden. But today, I thought it would be useful to share how I use the leaf mold that I make since I have been asked about this a few times recently. I know that many are interested in making leaf mold but don't fully understand how it can be used.

I have voles in my garden. While many people may see this as a serious disadvantage and a problem to be solved, I like to look at the positive and recognize the role that these creatures perform in garden ecology.

After summer, as the weather begins to cool, it can be a good time to review and assess your garden. What worked well over the current season, and what did not exactly go according to plan?

There are always lots of things to learn as a gardener, and many of them can only be learned through doing—through actually getting out there and getting your hands dirty. But there are some things gardeners can learn from reading, watching, or listening.

Being persistent is not always seen as a desirable attribute. Sometimes, those who are persistent are seen as being like a dog with a bone that they just won't give up. Some mistake the concept of persistence with that of pushiness. They think that giving in can lead to a more harmonious existence.

Lavender is a lovely and popular flowering herb. The lavender I grow in my garden isLavandula angustifolia, also known as English Lavender. The variety I have is called Hidcote, which is a relatively compact lavender with deep purple flowers. Versatile and easy to grow, this lavender is a useful wildlife attractant on the sunny fringe of my forest garden.

When you have time off work, you might not always go away. But that time you have off work can be put to good use to try and further your sustainable practices.

When the weather is warm, it is great to be able to reach into the freezer and enjoy a healthy treat. Better yet, popsicles, sorbets, or fruity ice creams can all be made using produce you have grown yourself in your garden. Hyper-local and packaging-free, making your own is the eco-friendliest way to go.

My forest garden in August is a busy and abundant space. Those of you who have your own gardens will likely understand that this is a busy time of the year but also, excitingly, a time when much of your hard work will be paying off in the form of several fruit harvests.

All too often, homeowners and gardeners wage war against the plants that grow incredibly well in their lawns and gardens but that aren't intentionally planted. And often, the justification for these battles comes down to the words we use to describe them—as in «weeds.»

August is an interesting and busy time in a vegetable garden, as many readers will no doubt be well aware. Most of your attention is likely to be on harvesting and tending the summer crops.

I touched on cracked tomatoes in the post onthree common tomato problems in the garden. In light of a recent weather change I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the topic and provide a bit more info. After extended dryness we've gotten a bit of moisture. The welcomed rain is unfortunately starting to cause some tomato cracking in the garden.

As we continue to break heat records in many different regions around the world, gardeners have to think more than ever about how they can create gardens that can stand the heat.

It's easy not to think much about the intelligence of insects. Tiny creatures with even tinier brains—how smart can they be?

During increasingly common heat waves in summer, temperatures can soar, making it a challenge to maintain a healthy garden.

It seems kind of magical, doesn’t it? As summer draws nearer and the days grow longer, it’s only natural to start daydreaming of summer barbecues, picnics and downtime. And the glow of a firefly is a requisite symbol of the lazy, hazy days and nights of summer. To be honest, I’d never really thought about it myself, but the answer is positively fascinating.

The term pullet refers to a young hen, usually under one year of age. Once a chick develops feathers rather than down, it is then called a pullet if it is female or a cockerel if it is a male. Pullet can refer to a laying hen or a meat chicken but it is more typically used for a laying hen.

Instead of fresh-cut flowers, give your valentine a potted houseplant that will thrive well beyond the winter season. If your partner is wooed by sweetly scented flowers, you might consider giving them aromatic star jasmine; if it’s visual beauty they crave, offer them a stunning bleeding heart. Whichever plant you choose for your loved one this Valentine’s Day, rest assured that it will be admired for far longer than a box of chocolates or standard bouquet of roses.

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti—and of course, no two species are exactly alike. Many cacti, as well as other succulents, can make great houseplants, and once established, they don't require a lot of water or extra care. While all cacti are different, keep in mind that many will have a dormant period in winter where you reduce watering and lower light levels. Some may bloom gorgeous flowers (although it may require patience).

If you're a farmer or just want to raise goats, sooner or later you may have baby goats to care for, particularly if you're raising them for milking. Providing a baby goat, or a «kid,» with the right care will help it grow into a healthy, hearty adult goat.

We all know that wildfires are an increasingly common concern in many parts of the world, even in areas where they have not been an issue before. You may be considering fire safety for the first time or looking to future-proof your property in areas where wildfires are becoming more common. Either way, as a permaculture garden designer, I have created plans for a variety of climates and considerations, and today I thought I would share with you my simple design tips for gardens in fire-prone areas.

Are you successful in your garden? This is a question that is not as easy to answer as you might think. I have been thinking lately about how we should measure success in a garden and why it is important to answer this question as a sustainable gardener.

Closed-loop systems are the goal in many areas when it comes to sustainability, and gardening is no different. But I am often surprised by the number of gardeners who do not include creating a closed-loop system as one of their gardening goals.

We can employ many tricks to grow more fruit in less space. One key strategy that is very useful to understand is growing fruits as cordons in small spaces.

Food security is a pressing issue of our time, and unfortunately, it is something that many communities lack. In both developed and developing nations, there is huge fragility in food systems, and both agriculture and food networks leave a lot to be desired.

Spending time outside is generally good for you, even if you're just lazily lounging in your own backyard. The sun and heat can also be overbearing at times, generating intense heat and harmful radiation that chases many people indoors on otherwise beautiful summer days. Adding shade elements to your garden and around your home and windows can provide cooler spaces and can even lower your energy bill.

When you grow plants for food, you're part of a cultural revolution that dates back more than 10,000 years. It might not seem very revolutionary today, but agriculture helped our hunting-and-gathering ancestors sow the seeds of civilization. It was almost like humanity had finally begun to wean itself off the wilderness.