plants

Little Boxes to Start Your Garden Early

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Author
MALCOLM BURLEIGH
Master Gardener
There is a significant lag between the annual amount of sunlight we receive and the temperature we experience. Mid-March gets as much sun as mid-September but the temperature difference is at least 30 °F. Growers can get a jump on the season by taking advantage of this discrepancy by constructing small enclosures known as cold frames which trap the heat and also insulate new plants.

Construction: The basic cold frame is a wooden box with framed glazing on the top. The box must be tall enough to accommodate

Footnotes/Endnotes

ON THE WEB!

Ed Hume Seeds,
humeseeds.com/cldfrm.htm

Act Locally!

The Solar Greenhouse Book, edited by James C. McCullagh, Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA, 1978.

Eating Low: Back to Basics

in
Author
JENNY BREEN
Local Chef / Educator
Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." So begins Micheal Pollan's recent manifesto, In Defense of Food. It sounds ridiculously simple, and actually, it is. But, we have reached a place and time in our culture where we need to re-learn these simple actions that were once just a way of life. Our food system has become very complex, and we as consumers need to be thoughtful and intentional about our food choices--that is, if we really care about our health and the health of the planet.

Given the impact of our food choices on our own health and that

Footnotes/Endnotes

on the web!

Search for "The Cheeseburger Footprint" at
brightcove.tv

Center for Science,
cspinet.org

The Daily Green,
thedailygreen.com

READ UP!

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, by Michael Pollan, Penguin Press HC, 2008.

act locally!

Minneapolis farmer's markets
mplsfarmersmarket.com

Minnesota farmer's market association, mfma.org

Green Facades

in
Author
Corrie Zoll & Chris Wegscheid
Minnesota Green Roofs Council

Green walls use living plant material on walls to beautify buildings, improve air quality and reduce energy costs.

Ivy covering a building blocks direct summer sunlight, but admits winter sunlight after the leaves have fallen. Modern green walls can provide the same benefit, but avoid the problems associated with having plants growing directly on the building by supporting them on a second, lightweight structure.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Web Resources

Green Walls Supplies
www.greenscreen.com/home.html

Living Walls Supplies
www.eltlivingwalls.com

Green Walls, www.g-sky.com

Minnesota Green Roofs Council
www.mngreenroofs.org

Print Resources

Vertical and verdant, living wall systems sprout on two buildings, in Paris and Vancouver, Joann Gonchar.
www.archrecord.construction.com/features/digital/archives/0702dignews-1.asp

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury, Timber Press, 2004.

 

 

Herbal First Aid

in
Author
Lise Wolff
Herb In Renewal Medicines

-- Using plants for life's little accidents is simple. Listed below are a few common, easy to find herbal plants to include in your first aid kit.

Footnotes/Endnotes

Walker Farms Traditional Herbal Medicine

American Herbalists Guild

 


Herbal Wisdom, Matthew Wood


North Country Herbalist Guild
612-827-2570

Blue Flower Herbs
612-822-7648

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