Rivals since their first class together at Landscaping Academy fifteen years ago, Mack and Kenny often find themselves in our subdivision working side by side on neighboring homes.
How to Make a Homemade Olla
I love to garden. Which is nice, but when one lives in an area that hits triple digit temperatures throughout the summer, one finds oneself staring at dead plants more often than not. So one does what ancient civilizations do. No. Not human sacrifice.
How to Make a Pile of Crap: Compost Part 1
Compost. The rotten stuff that’s made from the crap that people usually toss out. Used to help condition garden soil and replenish its nutrients. What gardeners like to call Black Gold. Like the other golds, except smellier and not so shiny. Lots of crap can go into a compost pile. More crap than you could’ve [...]
Intentions, Not Execution….Right?
Every year, right about April, I get all excited for the flower display at the hardware store. It’s hardly surprising, considering Chicago – where I live – has two seasons: Balls Hot and Balls Cold. Winter in Chicago lasts approximately 837 years and by the time the ground warms up, we’re all so desperate, slug-like [...]
Potato Plants Won’t Bring Stanley Back, But I Can Try, Can’t I?
I get this urge every couple of years to try to keep plants again. A couple of my charges have lasted for about a year, but most of them die within the first couple of weeks. I’ve killed spider plants and succulents and cacti and African violets. If it’s alive but without feet, it’s a goner. It’s like I’m prejudiced against the non-mobile.
