Category Archives: ecosystem

Birds in the garden

Posted on 20 August 2015 by Debra

Perhaps because the garden is very luscious this year, there are a lot of birds. Sparrows raise their chicks and peck for insects. A cardinal pair nests nearby. There is always the robin couple who raise their broods on the … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystem | Comments Off on Birds in the garden

Insects in the garden

Posted on 25 June 2015 by Debra

I was asked a good question the other day about insects. Do I spray? Actually, no, I don’t spray because I have an organic garden and I don’t want to kill beneficial insects when spraying the destructive ones. That said, … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystem, insects | Comments Off on Insects in the garden

How much water?

Posted on 20 May 2015 by Debra

Since I hail originally from Los Angeles and grew up there during another drought not quite so severe, I was intrigued to read about how much water it takes to grow the common foods we eat. Vegetables and fruits, not … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystem, superfoods, watering | Comments Off on How much water?

Land of milk and honey?

Posted on 17 March 2013 by Debra

I recently visited my family in Los Angeles, my hometown. Here in Chicago where I live it’s still frigid and the ground rock hard so imagine my pleasure to see this tangerine tree growing in the front yard of my … Continue reading →

Posted in backyard microclimate, ecosystem | Comments Off on Land of milk and honey?

Talking peas

Posted on 1 May 2012 by Debra

The New York Times ran a blog commentary Saturday If Peas Can Talk, Should We Eat Them? about new research showing that, when suffering drought conditions, peas send out a biochemical message through their roots to other plants about adverse growing … Continue reading →

Posted in backyard microclimate, ecosystem, snap & snow peas | Comments Off on Talking peas

What to grow to fill your plate

Posted on 22 March 2012 by Debra

I spoke on What to Grow to Fill Your Plate at the Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice program this past January at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation’s Soil to Plate weekend of speakers and symposia. There were many impressive speakers and … Continue reading →

Posted in backyard microclimate, creating & caring for a garden, design & layout, ecosystem, fertilizing, harvesting, healthy soil, location, seeds and plants, sunlight, superfoods, watering | Comments Off on What to grow to fill your plate

Butterflies and a hummer

Posted on 30 August 2011 by Debra

More black swallow tail caterpillars in the garden. Once again on the fennel. Discovered that the laying  butterflies like fennel, dill and parsley fronds because they make the caterpillars that eat them poisonous to birds and other potential predators. Hungry. There’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in ecosystem, insects | Comments Off on Butterflies and a hummer