Chauna D'Angelo

Hey gardeners! Who doesn’t like birds? They’re gorgeous, lively creatures—fun to watch, nice to listen to, and they can help with pest control and pollination for your garden.  Birds, like all animals, need shelter and food, and so they’ll naturally come to places where they have access to those things. […]

Hey gardeners! Today, we’re going to talk about container gardening! It’s almost exactly what it sounds like — growing plants in some kind of container rather than in a raised bed or directly in the ground. This has a couple of concrete benefits: First of all, of course, it saves […]

Hey gardeners! There are around 140 species of bees in the genus Osmia — popularly called “mason bees” — in North America. Unlike honey bees, mason bees are solitary, meaning they don’t live in hives. Instead, each female will find her own nest and lay her own eggs. This doesn’t […]

Hey gardeners! March doesn’t always feel like spring (it can still be pretty chilly outside, especially around here). Luckily, some crops appreciate that! In particular: spinach likes cooler temperatures, which makes it ideal for early spring gardening! Spinach seeds like cool soil temperatures when they’re germinating: between about 45 and […]

Hey gardeners! Companion planting — the idea that growing certain kinds of crops together can benefit them both — has been around in some form for thousands of years. For example, the traditional agricultural practices of many indigenous communities include the Three Sisters: three important crops (beans, squash, and corn) […]

Hello! Interested in starting a garden but low on space? You’re in luck! Today, we’re going to talk about Square Foot Gardening. The basic premise is fairly simple: rather than planting in rows, this method calls for the use of small, rectangular plots — traditionally about 4’ x 4’ — […]

Hey gardeners! As spring approaches (already! – time flies), it’s time to start thinking about getting our gardens started for the year. That means it’s also time to talk about seeds! Under ideal conditions (stored somewhere cool and dry), some seeds can last for several years and still be good. […]

Are you interested in gardening, having a plot at a VINES community garden, or just want to learn about growing food in a small space? Planning your garden means thinking about and accounting for many things. From healthy spacing, overall plot design, sun/shade exposure, when and where to plant certain […]

Another way to think about the end of Winter is to think about the coming of Spring. What better way to welcome the thaw than to plan now for our seeds and bees?  These coming weeks will bring the first of this year’s Cultivation Calendar articles, and your informational framework […]

Vermi-composting is a compost process that relies on earthworms and microorganisms to help convert organic materials (such as food scraps) into a valuable soil amendment and source of plant nutrients. In addition to being a great way to recycle organic waste into nutrient-rich compost, it can be done indoors, making […]