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Plant the Change - The Orta Blog

This Weekend: Vegetable Gardening Basics, #pandemicgardening

This Weekend: Vegetable Gardening Basics, #pandemicgardening

Last Saturday, no fewer than three separate people (within hours of each other) all asked me the same thing:  "How do I get started growing my own ...
This Weekend: Digging holes and planting with spazzy children

This Weekend: Digging holes and planting with spazzy children

About 15 minutes before I took the photo above, my daughter was head butting the washing machine as if bouncing it on a trampoline, saying, "Mommy...
COVID and gardening: Preparing for extra time at home

COVID and gardening: Preparing for extra time at home

     Normally my view of the port of Oakland isn’t exactly coveted in real estate circles, but on Monday, as I watched the Grand Princess docking t...
This Weekend: Direct seed before the rain!

This Weekend: Direct seed before the rain!

Have you noticed the sky today?  The gathering rain clouds??  I've been waiting ages for this weather to direct seed annual flowers.  Of course yo...
#plantthechange This Weekend
This Weekend: How to propagate with softwood cuttings

This Weekend: How to propagate with softwood cuttings

Cuttings are a great way to multiply your plants for free.  If you do it right, many plants will grow new roots and turn into a whole new plant ju...
This Weekend
This Weekend: Pruning, especially roses

This Weekend: Pruning, especially roses

If you haven't done so already, now is the time to prune your roses.  You will find a TON of information out there about rose pruning, some of it ...
This Weekend: Preparing to prune. Plus the evils of landscape cloth

This Weekend: Preparing to prune. Plus the evils of landscape cloth

     Right now is the season to prune roses, fruit trees, and other trees and shrubs that you'd like to encourage to grow.  Late winter pruning st...
This Weekend
This weekend: Free plants from your yard! Dividing Perennials, and Making a Plan

This weekend: Free plants from your yard! Dividing Perennials, and Making a Plan

     Sometimes the best source of new plants is your own yard!  Right now is a good time to divide perennials that have become crowded, and turn t...
This Weekend
This weekend: Clearing, Compost and Seed Starting

This weekend: Clearing, Compost and Seed Starting

Welcome to our new feature:  This Weekend.  Every Friday, we'll be bringing you ideas for weekend gardening projects appropriate to the season her...
Winter Solstice Traditions for Gardeners

Winter Solstice Traditions for Gardeners

This year I’ve been digging into Pagan Solstice traditions as a way to connect more deeply with nature and our collective heritage.  I’ve come across a few that appeal to me as a gardener, and that I suspect you all might like too. Here they are:
How to dye fabric red with a drought tolerant plant you can grow yourself

How to dye fabric red with a drought tolerant plant you can grow yourself

Only recently have I begun to see why natural dyeing has become such a popular topic in the gardening and sewing worlds.  Last month during the Et...
How to Save Tomato Seeds

How to Save Tomato Seeds

One of the best ways to have healthy plants is to grow varieties suited to your particular soil and microclimate.  And the best way to do that is t...
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