As summer draws to a close and the spectacular blooms and colors of the vernal garden begin to fade, there are still plenty of opportunities to capture the unique beauty of the changing of the seasons.

In spring and summer, deciduous plants are rife with chlorophyll, which gives foliage its green color. As days grow shorter, less chlorophyll is produced to expose hidden hues that were present all the while, we just couldn’t see them.

These pigments include carotenoids (yellows and oranges) and anthocyanins (reds, blues, and purples) that reveal themselves when given less light and cooler temperatures.

The best gardens are those that have interesting colors, textures, and shapes no matter the time of year. And the fall garden can be a truly impressive showing of transition.

Here are some of the best foliage plants that explode with color, putting out a dazzling display from late summer and into early winter:

1. Sugar Maple

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a shade tree renowned for its spectacular foliage colors.

Starting out as emerald green in spring and summer, sugar maple leaves slowly transition to lime green, bright yellow, vibrant orange, and fire engine red, finishing its cycle in a deep burgundy.

In addition to its beauty, sugar maple is an excellent source of maple syrup.

When the diameter of the tree trunk is larger than 10 inches, it can be tapped for your own source of the sweet stuff.

Native to central and eastern parts of North America, sugar maple is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.

Although sugar maple prefers full sun, it can adapt to partial shade. In the forests, sugar maple can reach heights of up to 120 feet, but in residential settings it will usually only grow to 70 feet over its 200 year lifespan.

2. Quaking Aspen

A tall and slender tree, quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is so named due its habit of shivering and trembling in the breeze.

Growing up to 80 feet at maturity, quaking aspen is notable for its smooth silvery trunk topped with a canopy of rounded, slightly serrate leaves that start out lime green and transition to golden yellow in autumn.

Hardy in zones 1 through 7, quaking aspen’s native range spans Alaska all the way down to the mountains of Central Mexico.

It’s a fast grower too, increasing its height by 24 inches each year. Plant quaking aspen in full or part sun in a spot with acidic, loamy soil.

3. Staghorn Sumac

Sumac (Rhus spp.) is a type of small tree or shrub found in temperate regions across the globe.

In North America, there are several species of native sumac that provide seasonal interest throughout the year.

Notable for its bright, eye-catching foliage in autumn, sumac also produce large floral spikes in spring that mature into colorful clusters of drupes that persist into winter.

These berry like fruits provide a good source of food for local wildlife too.

Staghorn sumac (R. typhina) has a fern-like appearance, with feathery leaves that are pinnately arranged along the stem.

Named for its forking branches that have a velvety texture, similar to antlers, staghorn sumac’s foliage turns eye catching colors in fall, ranging from bright red to orange to burgundy.

Staghorn sumac is hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Other good fall foliage varieties of sumac include fragrant sumac (R. aromatica), smooth sumac (R. glabra), prairie sumac (R. lanceolata), and shining sumac (R. copallinum).

4. Burning Bush

When you need a shock of red in your autumn landscape, burning bush (Euonymus atropurpureus) will certainly fit the bill.

Also known as eastern wahoo, burning bush is part of the bittersweet family and is indigenous to the Midwest, found as far south as Florida and Texas.

An upright shrub that can reach a height of 20 feet and 25 feet wide, it produces a clump of branches at its base that extend outwards to form an irregular crown of elliptical leaves.

Green in spring and summer, burning bush turns a dramatic scarlet red in fall with dangling fruit clusters – poisonous to us but much beloved by wild birds.

Requiring full sun to part shade, burning bush is hardy in zones 3 through 7.

5. American Smoke Tree

American smoke tree (Cotinus obovatus) is so named for its floral clusters that, when spent in midsummer, turn into fluffy, billowy hairs that appear as puffs of pinkish smoke over its crown.

Often considered to be one of the best native trees for brilliant fall color, American smoke tree transitions from blue-green leaves to an array of autumnal hues, including yellow, red, orange, and purple.

Reaching a size of 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, American smoke tree requires full sun and medium moisture.

It adapts well to many soil types but prefers well-draining, somewhat infertile loamy soil.

Though American smoke tree’s native range is the southern United States, it is hardy in cooler climes from zones 4 to 8.

6. Virginia Creeper

When you love the look of an ivy-covered façade, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is an excellent choice.

Virginia creeper is a fast and vigorous woody vine, with palmately compound leaves composed of 5 serrate leaflets, each about six inches long.

In spring leaves are lime colored and slowly transition to hunter green in summer, finishing in autumn with dazzling shades of scarlet and magenta.

It also bears tiny blue-black berries, another valuable food source for birds over winter.

Although Virginia creeper is really easy going – it will grow in practically any sunlight condition and soil type – it should be planted in a spot where it has room to grow.

Virginia creeper helps keeps buildings cooler in summer by providing a bit of shade to the wall surface.

It attaches to brickwork and other vertical surfaces with little sucker disks, so it won’t harm your masonry like other vines that cling with penetrating roots.

Still, you’ll want to trim it back each year and keep it far away from wiring, shutters, and gutters.  

This clinger is native to central and eastern North America, and is hardy in zones 3 to 9.

7. American Beautyberry

While the fall garden should celebrate the amazing show of colors of the season, be sure to leave room in your garden beds for interesting shapes and textures.

The American beautyberry is one example where its foliage is fairly ordinary, but is cherished for its large clusters of violet drupes that persist through winter.  

The berries are edible, but are quite astringent and should only be consumed in small amounts. They can be used to make jellies and wines, or leave them on the branch for foraging animals.

Providing a lovely contrast for your foliage plants, beautyberry grows as a loose shrub, only 3 to 6 feet as tall and wide.

It bears its fruit most profusely in full sun and when several are planted together.

American beautyberry is hardy in zones 6 to 10.

8. Blue Star Amsonia

Found growing in the wilds of the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas, blue star amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii) is an upright, mounding plant that produces clusters of ghostly blue star-shaped flowers in spring.

Its airy and soft needle-like foliage is bright green throughout the summer, but turns a flashy golden yellow to burnt orange in autumn.

The feathery and bushy growth habit, reaching 3 feet high, makes a wonderful contrast when planted along walkways or as a backdrop for fall bloomers like autumn crocus and mums.

Blue star amsonia has a very easygoing nature, simply plant it in full sun in zones 5 to 8.

9. Switch Grass

Switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) is a perennial, warm season grass found in much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

An important plant in the tallgrass prairie ecosystem, switch grass is also quite ornamental, adding both texture and color to the garden.

Growing in 3 foot high clumps, its stiff leaves stay upright throughout the season.

The foliage begins as bluish green with red highlights in summer, turning shades of purple, burgundy, and wine in fall. When in bloom, it bears reddish pink floral panicles that appear to hover over the leaves like a cloud.

Cultivate switch grass in full sun to part shade, in zones 5 to 9.

10. Virginia Sweetspire

Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’) is a flowering shrub native to the southern United States.

Its rounded growth habit, more broad than tall, is composed of numerous arching stems dappled with simple oval leaves.

In May, it explodes in blooms – fragrant, small white flowers in drooping racemes cover the entire plant.

Come autumn, Virginia sweetspire slowly transitions from green to gold, orange, and finally, a rich crimson red. The specific cultivar, ‘Henry’s Garnet’ has the best fall color of the sweetspires.

Grown in zones 5 to 9, Virginia sweetspire prefers full sun but is adaptable to shade.

Plant it in a spot that has good drainage but is naturally wet, near streams or low lying areas.

The post 10 Gorgeous Plants For A Vibrant Display Of Autumn Colors appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

As far as green living goes, composting organic waste is about as earth-friendly as it gets.

If you’ve been composting for a while now, you’re likely aware of the long list of compostable items you can add to your pile, as well as a few materials that really don’t belong in a healthy compost heap.

While there are certain items that are more difficult to compost, pretty much anything of organic origin can be composted or otherwise recycled.

In the effort to encourage more composting – and not less – we’ve rounded up some of the top items we’re often told not to add to the compost heap, but have included methods to dispose of these materials that doesn’t involve the landfill.

If you shudder at the thought of tossing organics in the trash, read on!

1. Pet Waste

Animal manure sourced from cows, goats, sheep, rabbits, chickens, llamas, hamsters, and other herbivores are rich in nitrogen, beneficial aerobic bacteria, and are perfectly good additions to the compost. Using waste from dogs, cats, and other carnivores, however, is generally considered a no-no.

The concern is that dog and cat feces may carry harmful microorganisms and parasites that, when used to grow food, can contaminate your crops. For felines, the primary issue is toxoplasmosis and for dogs, roundworms.

That said, if you really want to take advantage of this free and renewable resource, there are ways you can compost dog and cat poop safely – provided you keep it in a separate pile and never use composted pet waste on food- bearing plants.

For step-by-step instructions, read these articles on dog waste composting and kitty litter composting.

2. Any Part of the Walnut Tree

All members of the walnut family (Juglandaceae) produce juglone, a compound that is toxic to many juglone-sensitive plants such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, and asparagus.

Found in the bark, leaves, roots, fruit, and branches of walnut trees, even keeping a walnut tree near your garden can cause yellowing, wilting, and the eventual demise of certain plants. Although all walnut species contain juglone, black walnut trees are the most concentrated with this substance.

Though there are a slew of plants that can’t handle this compound, there are many more that are tolerant of juglone.

Walnut tree waste can be made into compost, as evidenced by one brave gardener back in 2008, who used it as a soil amendment for his pawpaw trees.

So if you happen to have an abundance of walnut waste, it needn’t be trashed as long as you keep it in a separate compost heap and only use the finished humus on juglone-tolerant plants.

3. Tea Bags

Tea leaves make for an excellent addition to the compost since they contain nitrogen, tannic acid, and trace nutrients that boost the activity of beneficial microorganisms, increase oxygenation, improve soil quality and create stronger root systems.

Tea bags, on the other hand, are often made with polypropylene, a heat-resistant plastic mesh that is used to glue the sides of the bag together.

Like other plastics, polypropylene does not readily decompose and could leach chemicals, like BPA, into your compost pile.

Unless you only drink teas that come in cotton or hemp bags, it’s best to remove the tea leaves from the bag before placing them in the pile.

4. Meat & Bones

If you’ve been composting for a while, you’ve likely heard the drill about placing meat and bones in the pile: it will attract many unwanted scavengers and pests and it will make the entire heap stink.

Most other organic scraps don’t cause these issues because the type of organisms that thrive on breaking down vegetables, coffee grounds, yard waste, and the like, are aerobic and require plenty of oxygen to do the work of creating humus soil.

Whether raw or cooked, meat and animal carcasses decompose with the help of anaerobic organisms that reproduce in airless environments.

This lack of oxygen is what causes a compost pile to reek of rotten eggs or sour milk, creating an enticing aroma for rodents, raccoons, skunks, and flies.

While an open-air compost heap will provide no defense against pests and odors, there are other options for disposing of meat and bones in an earth-friendly way.

One is to use a trench composting system for meat scraps. Another is to use an enclosed anaerobic system, like Bokashi bins, to quickly break down meats in a way that won’t cause a stink and is completely inaccessible to insects and scavengers.

Read Next: 9 Reasons You Should Start Bokashi Composting

5. Cooking Oil

Putting cooking oil into your compost is widely discouraged and for good reason – not only is it alluring to vermin, it tends to coat your organic materials with a water-resistant barrier, which reduces air flow and slows down the decomposition process.

Though synthetic oils should never go into the compost, you can, however, pour very small quantities of plant oils and animal fats into the bin – such as sunflower oil, olive oil, suet, and lard.

You’ll also want to make sure your compost is nice and hot (between 120F and 150F), and aerated on the regular.

Before attempting to add cooking oils to your heap, try to reuse it first.

If you happen to have an ample supply of oil, search Craigslist, Earth911, or contact your local government to find facilities that will happily recycle it.

6. Dairy Products

As with meat, dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream added to the compost will usually generate a foul odor that will captivate the local fauna.

While a Bokashi system or trench composting are viable dairy disposing options, simply ensuring the compost pile is rich in “brown” carbon materials, increasing airflow by regularly aerating the heap, and making sure the dairy products are always buried deeply within the pile are ways to prevent the smell and thwart critters.

7. Weeds & Diseased Plants

Those new to composting are often advised to leave diseased plants and weeds out of the pile.

The reasoning is that introducing these types of contaminants to the compost poses the risk of spreading invasive weeds and plant pathogens to your garden when you add humus to the soil.

And indeed, cold composting will most certainly allow weeds and diseases to lie dormant for a time, only to crop up once you use the finished compost.

The good news is that you can use these materials as feedstock for your compost, as long as you sterilize them with heat.

Weed seeds and most pathogens will be destroyed when kept at a consistent temperature of 130F to 140F for three days.

If you already use the hot composting method, then feel free to add weeds and diseased plants to your pile.

If you’re a cold composter, you can still avoid chucking these organics in the garbage – just seal them up in a black plastic bag (ensuring the bag is free of holes) and place it in sunny spot for a month. Check the contents occasionally to ascertain whether they are sufficiently fried – they should be completely dried out and crunchy – and then toss them in the compost.

8. Old Clothes

Polyester, nylon, rayon, spandex, viscose, and acrylic yarns are man-made fibers and are not fit for the pit. Natural fibers derived from plants and animals, such as wool, cotton, hemp, silk, linen, down feathers, and leather will break down in the compost, though the process will be quite slow.

One way to speed things up is to chop them up into smaller pieces before adding them to the pile.

Before you toss clothes into your compost, however, really make sure they are made from natural sources – even items labeled as 100% cotton may have been manufactured with synthetic sewing thread, inks, and decals.

But before you start shredding up your old clothes, consider reusing them (as rags, drop cloths, etc.) first.

If it’s still wearable, donate old clothes to local charities. If it’s no longer suitable as clothing, you can also seek out textile recyclers in your region.

9. Grass Clippings

High in water content and rich in nitrogen, at first glance grass clippings would seem like the perfect “green” material to add to your compost.

And yet, dumping a payload of freshly-cut grass onto your pile has the tendency to smother the entire heap and render it anaerobic, which in turn causes a slimy and smelly compost that is very slow to degrade.

The easiest way to recycle lawn trimmings is to simply “grasscycle” and leave the clippings on the lawn as fertilizer.

But if you’d rather collect clippings for compost, allow the grass to dry out for a couple days before adding it to the pile.

Also be sure to turn the pile every few days to foster an aerobic compost environment and to only add it to the compost in small amounts, layered with generous amounts of brown materials.

The post 9 Things Everyone Thinks You Can’t Compost, But You Can! appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

As the heart of any home, the kitchen tends to be a place of congregation. It’s where we cook our meals, enjoy our food, and chat about our days. 

Making your kitchen a more environmentally friendly space has plenty of advantages over the status quo. Not only is it healthier for you and your loved ones, it’s much more economical and far less wasteful.

If you are planning a large renovation or are just looking for some quick and easy tips, here are our top 10 ways to go green in the kitchen:

1. Eat a Climate-Friendly Diet

Whether you live to eat or eat to live, our daily sustenance has a massive impact on ecological systems around the globe. Lessen the mark you leave on the planet by practicing these climate-friendly food tenets:

Eat Locally – The less distance your food needs to travel to your plate, the better. Shop your local farmer’s markets to reduce transport emissions while also supporting organic food producers in your area.

Eat Fresh – Frozen, canned, refined, and processed foods might be convenient but they are also lacking in nutrition, contain synthetic additives, and are often sold in excessive packaging. You can avoid these pitfalls by eating real food. Here are 65 staple foods you can stop buying and start making.  

Grow Your Own – There are so many benefits of tending a garden, not least of which is producing fresh, organic food.  

Eat Less Meat – Modern agricultural practices are a major contributor to climate change. Eating more fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds is a whole lot healthier for you and kinder to the planet. Here are some tips to ensure you receive good nutrition when going vegetarian.

Don’t Waste Food – Americans tossed away 20 pounds of food per person per month in 2012, and much of it was still perfectly edible. With just a little planning, we can drastically reduce our food waste.

2. Preserve Food With Beeswax Wraps

Ditch the single use plastic cling wrap (which can’t even be recycled!) and use all natural beeswax wrap instead to preserve your leftovers.

Made from organic cotton cloths that have been coated in beeswax, these wraps can be washed and reused again and again. When they have reached the end of their usefulness, they are 100% biodegradable and can be tossed in the compost or wrapped around kindling to be used as a fire starter.

Pick up a 3 pack of Bee’s Wrap here. Or check out our tutorial for step by step instructions on how to make your own beeswax food wraps.

3. Invest in Glass Storage Containers

You won’t need to worry about BPA and other chemicals leaching into your food when you invest in a good quality set of glass food storage containers. Made from durable and shock resistant borosilicate glass, take care of them and they will easily last a lifetime.

Check out this 12-piece set, safe for use in the dishwasher, oven, microwave, and freezer.

4. Use Cast Iron Cookware

Modern frying pans, made from aluminum or stainless steel, are typically coated in non-stick chemicals like Teflon. Made up of long chain perfluorinated chemicals, Teflon is a toxic substance that seeps into the food you cook in it. Worse still, when heated at common cooking temperatures, Teflon releases a slew of chemicals into the air. When heated above 1200°F, it releases carbon tetrafluoride, an ozone depleting greenhouse gas.

Superior in every way, cast iron cookware is versatile, non-sticking, and incredibly durable. Since it is seasoned with oil, it won’t leach out any chemicals into the air or into your food. You can use it on the stove top, in the oven, and on the barbecue without worrying about it breaking or melting. And the more you use your cast iron pans, the better food tastes.

Replace your existing cookware with this 5 piece cast iron set that includes two skillets, a griddle, and Dutch oven.

5. Stop Using Paper Towels

Although single use plastics get a lot of (much deserved) flak, let’s not forget how incredibly dirty the paper manufacturing industry is and its environmental impact on air, water, and waste pollution.

Swap out conventional single use paper towels for reusable, earth friendly alternatives. We especially love Bamboo Towels – each sheet can be washed and reused at least 120 times. And because they are made from fast growing bamboo trees which grow 3 feet per day, they are a much more sustainable choice than other tree materials.

6. Set Up a Composting System

When food scraps and other organic waste end up at the landfill, they are buried in a “dry tomb”. This airless and arid environment alters the natural decomposition process; in lieu of oxygen and moisture, anaerobic microorganisms break down organic matter and release greenhouse gases that leach out into the atmosphere. Landfill gas is composed of about 50% carbon dioxide and 50% methane. Methane gas holds 28 to 36 times more heat than carbon dioxide.

A powerful way to mitigate your individual contribution to climate change is to dispose of food and yard waste with a composting system. Composting breaks down organics with the help of millions of aerobic organisms that require oxygen and moisture to do their work. While composting does generate carbon dioxide emissions, it is far less harmful than dry tombing. And at the end of the process, you will be rewarded with hummus, a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

There is a composting system for practically everyone, even if you have very limited space. Compost heaps are certainly a traditional, tried and true method that can be set out in the open, placed in covered bins, or enclosed in a rotating tumbler. Trench composting is invisible and odorless, simply bury food scraps directly in the garden. Vermicomposting is great for a year round, indoor set up that produces super nutrient rich worm castings. Another indoor method, bokashi composting differs from conventional decomposing of organics and breaks things down through the process of fermentation.

7. Put Food Scraps to Good Use

Another way to deal with organic waste is to squeeze every last bit of usefulness out of it. Here are a few typically tossed items that are actually quite helpful to have on hand:

Spent Coffee Grounds

After each brew, scoop out the coffee grounds and stow them in the fridge. They can be used as a free fertilizer that boosts nitrogen in plants as well as lower the pH for acid loving cultivars. Coffee grounds can also be used to repel pests, exfoliate your skin, absorb odors, and more.

Used Tea Bags

Spent tea bags have plenty of additional life left in them after the tea’s been made. Cut open the bag and drop the leaves into the soil of your indoor and outdoor plants for a free boost of nutrients. Or keep them in the bag to shine wooden surfaces, sooth irritated skin, condition your hair, or as a natural dye.

Banana Peels

Enriched with potassium, banana peels are an excellent fertilizer for plants and seedlings. Use the moistened side of the peel to shine shoes and dust houseplants. You can also make vinegar, tenderize meat, or dry them out to feed your chickens, rabbits, and pigs. Check out more banana peel uses here. 

Eggshells

An abundant and free source of calcium, save your eggshells for the garden to fertilize your plants, deter pests, and make some adorable seed starter pots. You can also grind up and eat eggshells to strengthen bones, support your joints, and remineralize your teeth.

Additional Ways to Use Up Food Scraps

You can repurpose food scraps in endless ways – from spoiled wine and fruit pits to bones and bread ends. Check out our roundup here.

8. Add Air Purifying Plants

Between building materials, furnishings, carpets, combustion products, and household chemicals, the home can be a major source of indoor air pollution, with some estimates stating it can be anywhere from two to ten times greater than pollutants we breathe outdoors. If you burn scented paraffin candles or use plug in air fresheners regularly, you’re only making your indoor air quality worse.

You can literally green up your kitchen (and the rest of the home) by adding houseplants that will clean the air.

According to a study conducted by NASA in 1989, English ivy (Hedera helix), peace lily (Spathiphyllum “Mauna Loa”), bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii), mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria laurentii), marginata (Dracaena marginata), and Janet Craig (Dracaena deremensis “Janet Craig”) were the most effective for removing all three pollutants tested,  formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. Another study from 1993 also identified several cultivars – including emerald gem (Homalomena spp.) and parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans) – that absorb ammonia and xylene as well.

Interestingly, both studies noted that soil surface area is just as important for the removal of toxins as is the plant’s foliage. So when you pot up plants to place strategically around the home, use wide pots that allow the plant’s roots to extend outward and near the soil’s surface to maximize their ability to purify the air.

Related Reading: 17 Best Houseplants For Your Kitchen

9. Use Natural Cleaning Products

If you’ve got white vinegar, baking soda, and some fresh lemons, you already have practically everything you need to scour and disinfect any area of the home. These cheap and all natural cleansers can easily tackle a kitchen’s worst messes – check out our 40 green cleaning tips here.

You may also purchase natural cleansers for ease and convenience. We like Truce All Purpose Cleaner for wiping clean multiple surfaces around the home. For scouring, Bon Ami Cleaning Powder is a gentle abrasive that won’t scratch your sink, stove, and countertops.

10. Be More Energy Efficient in the Kitchen

It’s no surprise that the kitchen appliances take up a large share of home energy use. Between the refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, as well as other smaller appliances, the kitchen can be a real energy hog.

When your kitchen appliances are ready to be replaced, upgrading to energy efficient models has both immediate and long term benefits. Appliances with the Energy Star label use about half the amount of electricity as standard models, saving you money on day to day operating costs. And while it used to be that energy efficient appliances were more expensive than their non-certified counterparts, higher demand for Energy Star products over the years has made their upfront purchasing costs much more competitive. See also the many rebates, tax credits, and other incentive programs to go green.

But purchasing energy efficient appliances is only part of the battle. How we use them is just as important for minimizing energy consumption:

• Refrigerators with top mounted freezers use 10% to 25% less energy than bottom mount and side-by-side fridges.
• Microwaves use half as much energy as a stove.
• Every time you open the door, the oven loses around 25% of its heat.
• Because pressure cookers cook food so fast, they use 50% to 75% less energy than the oven or stove top.
• When cooking on the stove top, select the burner size that best fits the size of the pot you’re using; heat is wasted when the burner is larger than the pot.
• Use smaller appliances, like a crock pot, toaster oven, or convection oven to prepare small or one pot meals.

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Read Next: 40 Genius Ways To Green Up Your Entire Bathroom Routine

The post 10 Brilliant But Simple Ways to Green Up Your Kitchen appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

Found en mass on the forest floor, pine cones are abundant and easy to source no matter the time of year. T

hese little woody things come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, depending on the conifer tree they dropped from, and can be put to good use as a material for a variety of craft projects.

If you have a few evergreen trees in your yard, pine cones may seem like more of a nuisance than a gift. But pine cones are a free renewable resource with plenty of applications in the garden. Collecting them provides yet another ingenious way to garden for free.

1. Make Pine Cone Mulch

Spreading a layer of mulch over your garden beds helps the soil retain moisture, suppresses weeds, keeps the ground cool, and makes an attractive cover for the bare earth. Using organic mulches also means that, as it breaks down and decomposes, nutrients will be released to improve soil fertility.

While wood chips, coconut husks, straw, and shredded bark are some of the mulch options available for purchase, stocking up on mulch can easily cost hundreds of dollars depending on the square footage of the area. Mulch should be applied at a depth of 2 to 3 inches, and needs to be reapplied every year or two.

A no cost alternative to bagged mulch is to use the waste your yard generates each year. Backyards are often abundant in several mulch worthy materials, like grass clippings, leaf mold, compost, pine needles, and pine cones.

In the natural environment, pine cones are tasked with distributing the conifer tree’s seeds; they open their scales to release the seeds during dry periods and close up again when wet.

They can persist on the ground for years to repeat their reproductive cycle again and again. In the garden, this means they can be used as incredibly long lasting mulch that will take ages to decompose. They are also naturally resistant to mold and fungus.

You can mulch with pine cones by keeping them whole. Or you can break them up by processing them with a wood chipper or by running them over with a lawnmower.

Another method is to simply smack them repeatedly with the back end a shovel – inelegant but very effective.

Because pine cones are somewhat acidic, use them around acid loving plants like blueberries and azaleas. Otherwise, you can sprinkle some baking soda on the ground as you apply the mulch to help neutralize soil pH.

2. Add Pine Cones To Your Compost Pile

Pine cones are also an excellent source of carbon (or “browns”) in the compost heap. They are primarily composed of ash, lignans, and tannins, and once fully broken down, will add these beneficial elements to your finished hummus.

Although its slow degradation is great for mulch, in the compost pile you will want to hasten the process by chopping them into smaller pieces first. The smaller the better so for the quickest composting results, use a chipper or shredder to create a very fine, sawdust like consistency before adding it to the pile.

3. Build A Ladybug Hotel

Like a world in miniature, the garden is home to a thriving population of insects. By encouraging certain beneficial bugs to call your garden plot home, you will be enlisting the help of numerous workers that will tirelessly pollinate your plants, decompose dead plant tissues, and prey on garden pests.

And by simply letting nature do its work, you can avoid the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals altogether.

One of the good guys, ladybugs are among the most sought-after garden residents. Don’t let their cuteness fool you, they are voracious hunters that will devour 50 or more aphids, mites, white flies, or scale insects per day.

Building a bug hotel is a great way to encourage ladybugs and other insects to stick around. While there are all sorts of scavenged materials you can use to give them a place to nest and hibernate – such as hollow reeds, branches, leaves, bark, and holes drilled in logs – pine cones are an excellent place for lady bugs to settle overwinter.

You can provide them a pine cone room in a multi insect abode. For a quick, ladybug dedicated fix, this DIY requires only chicken wire or netting, twine, and several pine cones; hang it near your garden in a sheltered area that is protected from heavy rain.

Another option is to install a wall mounted planter (like this) and fill it with pine cones.

4. Craft A Pine Cone Bird Feeder

Filling your backyard with activity and song, birds are not only pleasurable to watch, they also provide free pest control. Birds feed on caterpillars, grubs, mosquitoes, and beetles, and will often consume the seeds of weeds and other unwanted plants in the garden.

You can make your garden an attractive place for birds to hunt and raise their young by growing your own birdseed. And an easy way to ensure they get their fill during the cooler months is to make a pine cone bird feeder.

Any pine cone will do but a large, round, and wide one will provide the best surface area. Remove a few of the pine cone’s scales to make some extra space for food. Slather the pine cone in peanut butter or suet and then roll it in your favorite birdseed mix. Tie it with twine or a decorative ribbon and hang from the bough of a tree.

5. Use Pine Cones As A Container Filler

Large, deep planters can take bag after bag of soil to fill to the top. Not only is it expensive, most plant roots won’t reach the bottom of the pot so it’s also quite unnecessary.

While plastic bottles, rocks, and tin cans are some of the container filler options available to use, pine cones have a few advantages over these types of materials.

Firstly, pine cones are light and won’t add extra weight to your pot if you need to move it. Second, pine cones are slow to decompose and will surely add bulk for the entire season.

And lastly, when pine cones do break down, they add beneficial nutrients to the soil and won’t leach out chemicals like plastics or metals would.

When using pine cones to fill your containers, place them so they take up about one third of the space at the bottom of the pot.

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The post 5 Surprising Ways To Use Pine Cones In The Garden appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

Known for its sour crimson stalks, rhubarb (Rheum × hybridum) is a perennial plant with a long history of use.

Though its origins as a culinary cultivar are unknown, rhubarb is thought to be derived from Rheum rhabarbarum, a leafy version without stalks that was cultivated for its medicinal roots as far back as 2700 BC.

It wasn’t until sugar became widely available in the 19^th century that rhubarb really caught on as a food.

Pairing its natural tartness with the sweetness of sugar made it a wonderful filling for pies and tarts, and why it is also sometimes called the “pie plant”.

Although botanically speaking it is a vegetable, rhubarb is often used as a fruit in baking and cooking.

About The Rhubarb Plant…

Rhubarb is cultivated for its succulent stalks that are often red in color, but may be pink or light green.

When left undisturbed, it can reach a height of five feet and a spread of six feet. Rhubarb plants grow in rosettes, making them a great candidate for cut and come again gardening, providing you with many harvests throughout the growing season.

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable that is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Rhubarb can easily survive for 10+ years and there are many anecdotal reports of rhubarb plants lasting for 50 years or more.

It grows best in areas where the ground freezes for part of the year, since it requires temperatures below 40°F to become dormant during winter. In summer, it prefers cooler conditions between 59 to 68°F.

Though it can be grown from seed, it is much easier to purchase rhubarb crown starter plants like this one on Amazon. Once established, rhubarb can be propagated by division.

Nutritionally, rhubarb is low in calories and high in fiber. It’s a good source of vitamins K, C, and E with moderate sums of calcium, manganese, and potassium.

The bright red color of the stalks are indicative of its anthocyanin content – in fact, the deeper the hue, the higher the amount of these incredibly potent antioxidants.

For the richest source of anthocyanins, choose ‘Seedling Piggot’, ‘Vinrabarber’, or ‘Marshall’s Early Red’ varieties.

A word of warning about rhubarb leaves

While the stalks are completely safe to consume, the large leaves that form on top of the stem should never be eaten.

Rhubarb leaves contain high concentrations of oxalic acid, a toxic substance that is harmful when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

When harvesting rhubarb, use extra caution when handling the leaves. You may dispose of them by adding them to your compost pile.

How To Grow Rhubarb:

Although new rhubarb plantings will take 2 to 3 years to become established enough for a first harvest, it is well worth the wait.

Rhubarb is also one of the very first appearances in spring, a welcome sight after the long winter doldrums.

Light Requirements –

Plant rhubarb seeds or crowns in a spot that receives six to eight hours of sunlight per day. If you reside where summers are quite warm, choose a site that provides shade in the afternoon.

Soil –

Rhubarb are heavy feeders so enrich your garden soil with amendments high in organic matter like compost. Rhubarb prefers a balanced pH of 6 to 7.

Transplanting –

Plant rhubarb as soon as the ground can be worked in spring. You may also plant them in late fall after they have become dormant. Space plants 4 feet apart and inch or two below the soil line.

Watering –

Rhubarb plants need plenty of moisture so water well and often throughout the season. Mulch around each plant with straw to help retain moisture.

Fertilizer –

Rhubarb doesn’t need to be fertilized during its first year of growth. In subsequent seasons, enrich soil with organic matter and apply a high nitrogen fertilizer, such as alfalfa, in early spring.

Companion Plants –

Rhubarb grows well alongside strawberries, asparagus, and horseradish. Companion planting can really help fulfill your gardens potential by pairing plants that benefit each other mutually.

Forcing Rhubarb –

For sweeter, more tender rhubarb stalks, rhubarb forcing is a technique that limits photosynthesis to encourage quick growth that results in paler petioles. To force rhubarb that has been established for at least three years, simply cover plants with a bucket or terra cotta pot, covering up any holes or light leaks. Rhubarb stalks should be ready to harvest in about eight weeks. Do not force the same rhubarb plant two years in a row; alternate forcing between plants and allow them to grow naturally the following year.

Harvest –

As your rhubarb plants grow, remove seed stalks as they appear. Do not harvest rhubarb for its first year so its roots become well established. Once stems are at least 12 inches in length, snip stalks at the base of the plant and discard the leaves. Leave at least two stalks on each plant to keep it productive.

Storage –

Rhubarb is super easy to preserve for later use. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces and store in a container in the freezer, no blanching needed.

15 Uses For Rhubarb

Rhubarb is an incredibly versatile food that can be roasted, baked, stewed, or boiled. Though it is best known for its dessert qualities, rhubarb can also be incorporated into many savory dishes and drinks.

1. Rhubarb Jam

While strawberry rhubarb jam is the classic spread, rhubarb also pairs up quite nicely with raspberries, blueberries, black grapes, peaches, cherries, oranges, or pineapples.

See the recipes here.

2. Rhubarb & Strawberry Pie

Another traditional recipe, this double crust pie is made with a pound of fresh rhubarb and two pints of strawberries. Sweet and tart, top this pie with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.

Get the recipe here.

3. Rhubarb Fool

Fruit fool is a simple British dessert made with sweet and sour fruits folded into a custard or cream. While there are many, many methods of preparing fool, and just as many ingredient combinations, this rhubarb rendition adds some modern twists for a light and refreshing summertime treat.

Get the recipe here.

4. Rhubarb Ice Cream

This three ingredient ice cream calls for finely chopped rhubarb, whipping cream, and sweetened condensed milk – no ice cream maker required.

Get the recipe here.

5. Rhubarb Chutney

Made with red apples, fresh ginger, red onion, and your choice of cranberries or cherries, rhubarb chutney is an excellent accompaniment to poultry, pork, and other meats.

Get the recipe here.

6. Sweet Pickled Rhubarb

Tasty served with wine and cheese or eaten straight out of the jar!

Get the recipe here.

7. Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Baste your veggies and meats with this sweet and sour (and optionally spicy) barbecue sauce before slapping them on the grill.

Get the recipe here.

8. Rhubarb Chicken Stir Fry

A healthful, low calorie, and Paleo friendly stir fry, this quick meal is prepared with chicken breast, fresh ginger, sliced strawberries, orange juice, lime, mint, and toasted almonds on a bed of spiralized zucchini veggie noodles.

Get the recipe here.

9. Rhubarb Tomato Soup

A complex and aromatic recipe that is ready to serve in half an hour, this creamy soup is topped with fresh lovage and a chopped bacon omelet.

Get the recipe here.

10. Rhubarb Salad Dressing

Add some tang to your spinach salad with this rhubarb vinaigrette dressing.

Get the recipe here.

11. Asparagus With Rhubarb Hollandaise

For this side dish, asparagus is lightly blanched and smothered in a creamy blend of sweetened rhubarb and fresh tarragon sprigs.

Get the recipe here.

12. Lentil & Rhubarb Stew

Served over basmati rice, this vegetarian stew blends the bold flavors of Indian spices with the tanginess of rhubarb and the mild heat of ancho chilis.

Get the recipe here.

13. Rhubarb Juice

All you need to make this juice is rhubarb and water for a lemonade-esque bevvie with no added sugar.

Get the recipe here.

14. Lemongrass Ginger Rhubarb Soda

Homemade soda is so much healthier than store bought pops – and this one is especially rich in vitamins and antioxidants thanks to the fresh ginger and lemongrass.

Get the recipe here.

15. Rhubarb Cocktails

From mojitos and mimosas to sours and fizzes, there appears to be no shortage of ways to incorporate your rhubarb haul into a sprightly cocktail.

See the recipes here.

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The post How To Grow Rhubarb + 15 Ways To Use It appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

Native to Europe and Asia, watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a perennial semi-aquatic plant within the mustard family.

Bearing small rounded leaves on a hollow stem, it has been naturalized in North America and can be found growing along the edges of cool streams, lakes, and rivers, either fully submerged or poking through the water’s surface.

Watercress, like its close cousins radish and wasabi, has a spicy flavor that adds a pleasant zing to any dish. It’s a nutritional powerhouse too, with far reaching benefits for the immune system, heart health, bone density, and cognition…

6 Reasons To Grow Watercress

1. Watercress Is Extremely Nutrient Dense

Topping the list of nutrient dense foods, watercress is just 3.7 calories per cup but provides the full daily value (DV) of vitamin K, is a good source of vitamins A, C, and E, and has smaller amounts of minerals like calcium and manganese:

2. Watercress Is Rich In Antioxidants

Watercress is a member of the Brassicaceae family, a diverse group of cruciferous vegetables that include cabbage, broccoli, and arugula. Cruciferous vegetables are typically high in micronutrients, are enriched with phytochemicals, and have been associated with a reduced risk of several chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.

Comparing the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of 12 cruciferous veggies, a 2018 study published in Molecules found that watercress was particularly high in ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin. In terms of total phenolic content, watercress received among the highest scores (1.44), coming in behind arugula (1.93) and Brussels sprouts (1.92) but ahead of broccoli (1.06), bok choy (0.78), and daikon radish (0.16).

Watercress also displayed the greatest ability to neutralize free radicals. It had the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of all the cruciferous vegetables, with a score of 32.92; more than arugula (32.08), Brussels sprouts (26.67), broccoli (23.09), and cauliflower (9.53).

3. Watercress Is An Excellent Source Of Vitamin K

As noted above, each cup of watercress provides over 100% of the daily value for vitamin K. And having the recommended intake of vitamin K has plenty of benefits for the circulatory system, bones, and overall health.

Best known as the coagulation vitamin, vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. Without enough of it, blood would not turn from a liquid into a gel after a physical injury, and we would bleed uncontrollably.

Vitamin K is also keeps blood moving in the circulatory system by preventing plaque from building up in the arteries. The hardening of the blood vessels leads to heart attack, stroke, and aneurysm, but people who eat plenty of vitamin K foods have a much lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Studies have also shown that eating high to moderate amounts of vitamin K foods each day also helps keep bones strong. People who ensure they eat it every day nearly halve the risk for hip fractures, while people with low vitamin K intake have lower bone mineral density.

Vitamin K is great brain food too. Certain fats found in the brain, called sphingolipids, depend on vitamin K proteins to function properly. Studies on vitamin K and cognitive health have found that older adults who eat plenty of vitamin K have better autobiographical memory and fewer complaints about forgetfulness.

4. Watercress May Reduce Cancer Risk

All vegetables of the Brassica family have been linked to a reduced risk of some cancers, including lung, colon, and stomach cancer. Cruciferous vegetables are differentiated from other cancer-fighting fruits and veggies due to the presence of glucosinolates – or mustard oils – that convert to isothiocyanates when cut or chewed. Isothiocyanates are potent anti-cancer agents that exert detoxifying and apoptosis effects on cancer cells.

Watercress, specifically, shows much promise as a cancer preventative according to a small study published in 2007. In it, 60 healthy men and women supplemented with 85 grams of raw watercress each day for eight weeks in addition to their regular diets. Researchers discovered that higher watercress consumption increased antioxidants (vitamin C, lutein, and vitamin E) in the blood while also limiting DNA damage in lymphocytes, a class of white blood cells that naturally protect against cancer while boosting overall immunity.

5. Watercress Boosts The Immune System

Found in the lymphatic system, lymphocytes are made up of B cells, T cells, and natural killer cells that are vital to immune system function. These cells perform various life-saving tasks, such as making antibodies that block and destroy foreign pathogens, helper cells that coordinate immune response, and cells that are able to identify and kill cells that are infected by a virus or have become cancerous. Since watercress helps protect against damage to lymphocytes, it is beneficial for the immune system as a whole.

Additionally, each cup of watercress contains 24% of the daily value for vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that protects numerous molecules in the body. It plays an important role in the immune system by stimulating the production and function of white blood cells, while at the same time, protecting them from oxidative stress.

6. Watercress Is A Versatile Food

Although it is typically used as a salad green, the peppery, piquant leaves of the watercress plant can be incorporated into your diet in a variety of ways:

Watercress Soup  – For a soup with a bite, this creamy puree includes potatoes and onions.

Watercress Salad – While there are plenty of renditions of watercress salad, this one is topped with feta, healthful beets, and a lemon-shallot vinaigrette.

Watercress-Walnut Pesto – An alternative to the usual basil and pine nut sauce, this pesto is just as yummy on pasta or pizza.

Watercress Salsa Verde – Excellent on grilled fish and other meats, this green salsa uses watercress in lieu of tomatillos along with olives, capers, anchovies, parsley, tarragon, garlic, dijon mustard, and lemon zest.

Watercress Bruschetta – Simply add some chopped watercress to this traditional antipasto.

Watercress Quiche – Buttery, peppery, and creamy, this quiche recipe is filled with salmon but there are so many other variations you could make.

Watercress Mayonnaise – Make this spicy mayo for sandwiches, salad dressings, or as a veggie dip.

You can find more watercress recipes here.

How To Grow Watercress At Home

Watercress is a sun and water loving perennial plant, hardy in USDA zones 6 to 9. Though it feels most at home in cool flowing streams, creeks, and springs, watercress easily adapts to home gardening set ups.

Ensure you use high quality non-GMO watercress seeds. This twin pack of 500 seeds from Seeds Needs is the best reviewed on Amazon. You’ll also find seeds in your local garden center

Light Requirements – Plant watercress in a sunny spot that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Soil – Grow watercress in rich organic soil. Before sowing, apply compost generously to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. If growing watercress in containers, use a soilless mix with peat and perlite.

Sowing – Sow seeds directly in the ground, a ¼ inch deep, about three weeks before your frost-free date. Watercress seeds germinate best under cooler conditions, between 50° to 60°F. Keep the growing medium wet at all times and seeds should sprout in about 7 days.

Watering – The biggest challenge to growing watercress is ensuring the media never dries out and is always wet (not just moist). When possible, choose a site that is naturally wet – a water feature such as a stream, a marshy area of your yard, or even a spot next to a downspout would work. Alternatively, watercress will adapt to container gardening provided you place pots on deep trays with 2 to 3 inches of water so that the roots are always submerged. Top up the tray water daily and give the plant a good flush with water at least once per week.

Fertilizer – If you amended your soil prior to sowing, watercress shouldn’t need much additional fertilization. However, if leaves are dark green, stunted, scotched, or yellowing, use a balanced booster like compost tea.

Harvest – Watercress tastes best when harvested in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall, before it has begun to flower. Take cuttings when plants are 6 inches tall and bear dime-sized leaves. Leave 4 inches of growth and watercress will give you another harvest in autumn. Watercress also makes for an excellent micro green that can be enjoyed when it is just two inches tall.

Storage – Watercress is fairly delicate and will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Ensure nothing goes to waste by only taking cuttings you plan to eat that day.

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The post How To Grow Watercress: The Most Nutrient Dense Food On The Planet appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

People who reside in places with a shorter growing season have come up with many clever ways to extend the harvest –from row covers to cold frames to greenhouses.

Succession planting is another way to maximize your vegetable garden’s productivity. Varying by approach, succession planting involves careful consideration of crop type, maturity dates, space, and timing.

Cut and come again gardening offers a similar boost to yields as succession planting, but without any extra planning. It’s definitely the easiest way to get a succession of harvests throughout the season, and all from a single plant.

Any plant that grows in a rosette is a good candidate for cut and come again.

For example, leafy greens are terrific cut and come again plants. Snip the outer leaves while leaving the younger inner leaves intact for fresh salads throughout the summer. Many herbs can handle repeated harvests too.

Best of all, many cut and come again plants are super nutrient dense, providing you with plenty of vitamin and mineral rich foods throughout the summer.

20 Cut & Come Again Veggies For Endless Harvests

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.)

Grown for its edible leaves and seeds, amaranth also features a gorgeous display of tightly packed purplish flowers that grow in spikes.

Amaranth greens can be plucked as they grow. Smaller leaves will be tender and mild in taste while more mature greens have a deeper, nuttier flavor.

Arugula (Eruca sativa)

Arugula is a tangy leafy green vegetable, excellent in homemade mesclun mixes. It is a fast growing, cool season crop that can be harvested just four weeks after sowing.

Arugula leaves taste best when still young, so pick greens when they are 2 to 3 inches long, working from the outside of the plant in.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)

A perennial vegetable that returns year after year, asparagus takes two to three growing seasons to become established enough for its first harvest.

Once matured, check up on your asparagus plants every other day. When shoots are at least six inches tall, snip off at the soil line. Cutting asparagus will encourage more growth for new shoots.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Basil is a fast growing, heat loving herb that yields plenty of leaves for making pesto, soups, flavored oils, and more.

It is also a fantastic companion plant for tomatoes and peppers, all while naturally repelling many garden pests.

To keep basil plants compact and productive, snip tops off ¼ inch above the node – like so.  

Beet Greens (Beta vulgaris)

Beets are fantastic producers in the garden. Not only will beet plants provide you with healthful root vegetables at the end of the season, they also produce an abundance of nutrient rich leafy greens as the beetroots grow.

For the tastiest beet greens, continually harvest throughout the season. Snip outer leaves when they are no more than 6 inches tall – the smaller the leaf, the more tender.

Take a cutting or two from each plant, leaving an inch of stem still attached to the beetroot.

Bok Choy (Brassica rapa var. chinensis)

A shade loving Chinese cabbage, bok choy grows in a celery like habit with a bulbous base and broad green leaves.

Remove outer leaves for on the go harvesting. Or cut the entire plant back, leaving a couple of inches of growth – bok choy will resprout a new plant.

Celery (Apium graveolens)

Celery requires a longer growing period (130 to 140 days) in cooler summer temperatures. If you reside in a good climate for growing celery, you will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.

Snip outer celery stalks and work your way inwards when the plant is 8 inches tall. Store stalks in the fridge and they will keep for several weeks.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Great sautéed or eaten fresh in salads, leaf chicory very much resembles a dandelion in its growth habit. Since it forms rosettes as it grows, pluck a few outer leaves from each plant for a bountiful harvest.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)

Chives are an easy to grow perennial herb with a spiky grass like appearance. You can receive a multitude of harvests throughout the summer months by pruning the entire plant back, leaving an inch or two of growth at the soil line.

Be sure to cut often and regularly to keep chives productive and prevent them from going to seed.

Collard Greens (Brassica oleracea)

Closely related to kale and broccoli, collard greens are a loose leaf cabbage with broad green leaves that grow in a rosette.

Like other cruciferous vegetables, collards are a cool season crop that can take more than 60 days to mature. In the meantime, take leaf cuttings by snipping them off at the base of the thick stalk.

Corn Salad (Valerianella locusta)

A pint sized leafy green, corn salad (also called mâche, lamb’s lettuce, nut lettuce, and rapunzel) is a tiny annual with deep green leaves and a distinctive nutty flavor.

Harvest outer leaves when they are 3 inches in length, working from the outside in.

Cress (Lepidium sativum)

Garden cress is one of the fastest growing foods, ready to be harvested in just two weeks. It is a spicy herb that adds a delectable zing to salads and soups.

Once cress is about 4 inches tall, you can take your first cutting. Leave a ½ inch stem behind and garden cress will quickly regrow.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

A wildflower with many uses, dandelions have long been considered a weed due to its amazing ability to persist. Thanks to its deep taproot, it can be cut all the way down to the ground and will happily regrow.

Harvest dandelions flowers to make tea and botanical oils, and use the green leaves for salads.

Kale (Brassica oleracea)

Available in varying shades of green and purple, kale is a type of non-heading cabbage with crinkly or flat leaves. Kale becomes bitter when exposed to too much heat so seeds should be planted in spring and fall.

Taking around two months to mature, you can pluck young leaves from the plant for fresh salads or wait for larger leaves to use in cooking.

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum)

A type of leaf chicory, radicchio is well known for its striking purple-red leaves and bright white veins. It has a somewhat bitter, spicy, and nutty flavor raw but becomes much sweeter when touched by frost or roasted.

Though the more common varieties grow similarly to cabbage, there are other types of radicchio that form upright heads that resemble romaine lettuce. Either type can be a cut and come again plant. Carefully peel back and remove the outer leaves for heading varieties.  

Romaine Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

With tall upright heads and firm ribs, romaine (or cos) lettuce spans far more varieties than the common green leaf type used in Caesar salads.

Because they bunch together as they grow, cut the outer leaves for easy greens on the go.

Scallions (Allium fistulosum)

Also known as green onions or spring onions, scallions are quick growing plants with tubular, hollow green shoots that emerge from a small bulb.

Because they grow so rapidly, snip greens an inch or two above the soil line when plants are about six inches tall. Scallions will continue to send out shoots from the bulb.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Spinach requires six weeks of cooler temperatures to thrive. As it grows, keep an eye on its leaves and pick them before they have fully matured. If you wait too long, spinach becomes bitter with age.

To get the most out of your crop, harvest outer leaves and let the center continue to grow.

Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

Swiss chard is essentially a beet, but without the edible bulb. It grows crinkly, deep green leaves on colorful stems.

Keep Swiss chard productive by snipping outer leaves as soon as they are mature.

Turnip Greens (Brassica rapa)

As with beets, turnips produce tasty and nutritious greens above the soil. Cut these when they are about 4 inches in length, taking just a couple leaves from each plant at a time.

Cut & Come Again Gardening Tips

There inevitably comes a time where cut and come again vegetables will have expended all their energy and exhausted their capacity to produce new growth.

Although you should be able to get several harvests per plant each growing season, you can help replenish their energy stores by fertilizing regularly. Use a well rounded fertilizer, such as compost tea.

Each time you take from a plant, give it a thorough watering. A good drink after cutting will aid in the plant’s recovery while also boosting growth.

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Store bought produce isn’t as nutritious as it used to be. Showing a steady decline since the 1950s, modern farming practices have valued the size, yield, growth rate, and pest resistance of fruits and vegetables over and above basic nutrition.

You would need to eat eight oranges today to obtain the same amount of vitamin A as a single orange would have provided just two generations ago.

The main causes of nutrient loss are growing foods in soil that is depleted in nutrients, cultivating fast growing varieties that are harvested before maturity, as well as the “dilution effect” – a phenomenon where the larger the fruit and the more produce the plant itself yields, the less protein, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins are available in the harvested food.

Sadly, the average vegetable purchased in the supermarket today contains anywhere from 5% to 40% less nutrition.

When we grow our own food, however, we have much more control over the process. We can enrich the soil with organic matter, we can harvest food when it reaches peak maturity, and we can choose to grow cultivars that give us the most nutritional bang for our buck.

How Is Nutrient Density Measured?

Before all else, foods should be functional and provide us with the micro and macro nutrients we need to keep us alive, create and repair cells and tissue, and prevent or reduce the instances of chronic disease.

Nutrient dense foods are defined as those that have the fewest amount of calories for the most nutrition. A nutrient score is calculated by determining the mean percent of the daily value (DV) for 17 nutrients (such as fiber, potassium, vitamin C, etc.) per each 100 grams of food.

If a food was particularly rich in one nutrient but contained little else, its DV was capped at 100 to prevent skewing the overall results.

According to the 2014 study Defining Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables, researchers analyzed the nutritional values for 47 foods and assigned scores to each. The results are pretty surprising…

12 Most Nutrient Dense Garden Crops

1. Watercress – 100 / 100

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a fast growing, semi-aquatic plant that forms bushy colonies in flowing streams. Its green rounded leaves and hollow stems have a peppery taste.

With a perfect nutrient density score, watercress is very low calorie but provides an insane amount of nutrients per cup:

• Calories – 3.7
• Vitamin K – 106% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 24% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 22% of the DV.
• Calcium – 4% of the DV.
• Manganese – 4% of the DV.
• Potassium – 3% of the DV.

Watercress also contains smaller amounts of B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, and zinc.

Although watercress is an aquatic plant, it can be easily adapted to home gardening setups. If you have a water feature in your yard – such as a running stream – that would be a perfect spot. If not, there are plenty of options for enjoying fresh watercress.

You can create a bog in your backyard by digging a shallow hole and covering with pond liner. Or you can grow them in pots using a soilless mix and ensuring the soil is always moist. Watercress is a great micro green, which can be grown indoors and harvested while they are young sprouts.

Grow It: Seed Needs True Watercress Twin Pack Of 500 Seeds, Non-GMO

2. Bok Choy – 91 /100

A type of Chinese cabbage, bok choy (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) is a cruciferous vegetable within the mustard family. It is mild in flavor, with crisp white stalks and tender green leaves that are a wonderful addition to soups, salads, and stir fries.

Bok choy is an excellent source of several important nutrients.

• Calories – 9.1
• Vitamin A – 63% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 52% of the DV.
• Vitamin K – 40% of the DV.
• Folate – 12% of the DV.
• Calcium – 7% of the DV.
• Vitamin B6 – 7% of the DV.

Bok choy is a biennial crop that can tolerate cooler temperatures to USDA zone 4. It grows best in a partially shaded spot that receives 3 to 5 hours of sunlight each day. There are many varieties of bok choy, but most are ready to harvest in 45 to 60 days.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Bok Choy – 100 Non-GMO Seeds

3. Swiss Chard – 89 / 100

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) is a leafy green vegetable with vibrant stems that range in color from white to yellow to red, depending on the cultivar.

Each cup of Swiss chard is rich in micronutrients:

• Calories – 6.8
• Vitamin K – 374% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 44% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 18% of the DV.
• Magnesium – 7% of the DV.
• Manganese – 7% of the DV.
• Potassium – 4% of the DV.
• Iron – 4% of the DV.
• Copper – 3% of the DV.

Requiring full sun to part shade, Swiss chard is a cut and come again plant that can be harvested continually throughout the season.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Swiss Chard Rainbow, 200 Non-GMO Seeds

4. Beet Greens – 87 / 100

Closely related to Swiss chard, beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is definitely a medicinal food. While it is best known for its swollen red taproot, the leafy beet greens that grow above the soil are rife with vitamins and minerals too.

Eaten raw or lightly sautéed, beet greens are tender and have a slightly earthy taste.

Per cup serving:

• Calories – 8.4
• Vitamin K – 190% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 48% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 19% of the DV.
• Potassium – 8% of the DV.
• Magnesium – 7% of the DV.
• Manganese – 7% of the DV.
• Iron – 5% of the DV.

Beetroot, beet greens, and Swiss chard are also a source of betalains, an antioxidant unique to members of the Caryophallales family.

Beets are non-fussy and really easy to grow –it’s like getting two great crops in a single plant.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Beet Detroit Dark Red, 200 Non-GMO Heirloom Seeds

5. Spinach – 86 / 100

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) might be prized for its iron content, it is also enriched with vitamins K, A, C, and B9:

• Calories – 6.9
• Vitamin K – 181% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 56% of the DV.
• Folate – 15% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 14% of the DV.
• Manganese – 13% of the DV.
• Magnesium – 6% of the DV.
• Iron – 5% of the DV.

To grow spinach in the garden, sow seeds in spring and fall. Spinach is a quick growing, cool season crop that requires six weeks of cooler temperatures from seedling to harvest.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Leafy Greens Spinach, 200 Non-GMO Seeds

6. Leaf Chicory– 73 / 100

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a perennial herbaceous plant within the dandelion family. Going by a number of names – including blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, and wild endive – it produces a pretty blue flower, toothed leaves, and thick roots. Not to be confused with close relatives like radicchio (C. intybus Asteraceae) or Belgian endive (C. endiva), common chicory is typically cultivated for its sweet roots that can be ground into a coffee substitute and natural sweetener, and its slightly bitter leaves are used in salads.

Chicory greens are quite good for you too:

• Calories – 6.7
• Vitamin K – 108% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 33% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 12% of the DV.
• Folate – 8% of the DV.
• Manganese – 6% of the DV.
• Copper – 4% of the DV.

Common chicory grows in a basal rosette and is very similar in appearance to dandelions. Pluck chicory leaves while they are still young to avoid bitterness that increases as the plant matures.

Grow It: Chicory Wildflower Seeds, 100,000 Seeds

7. Parsley – 65 / 100

Cultivated far and wide as a spice, herb, and vegetable, parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is enriched with plenty of antioxidants and minerals.

Per cup:

• Calories – 21.6
• Vitamin K – 1,230% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 133% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 101% of the DV.
• Folate – 23% of the DV.
• Iron – 21% of the DV.
• Potassium – 9% of the DV.
• Calcium – 8% of the DV.
• Magnesium – 7% of the DV.

Available in curly leaf and flat leaf varieties, parsley can be harvested throughout the growing season by snipping off the outer leaves and allowing the inner stems to mature. Parsley grows best in full sun and warm summer temperatures.

Grow It: 200 Italian Giant Parsley Seeds by RDR Seeds

8. Turnip Greens – 62 / 100

Another root vegetable that produces nutrient-rich leafy greens, turnips (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa) are a versatile food that can be mashed, roasted, and pickled. When you grow turnips, don’t toss the greens!

Per cup:

• Calories – 17.6
• Vitamin K – 173% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 127% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 55% of the DV.
• Vitamin E – 8% of the DV.
• Vitamin B6 – 7% of the DV.
• Manganese – 13% of the DV.
• Calcium – 10% of the DV.
• Copper – 10% of the DV.

Turnip greens contain a little bit of pretty much every micronutrient, and well worth a spot in the garden. Turnips prefer cooler weather and are ready to harvest in about two months.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Turnip Purple Top – 500 Non-GMO Seeds

9. Chives – 54 / 100

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are an ornamental herb that blooms with edible mauve flowers. The grass like leaves can be cut down to the soil for repeated harvests from spring through to fall. Chives are great sprinkled on mashed or baked potatoes, in soups, salads, dips, and dressing, as well as in baked goods like bread and biscuits.  

Since it is closely related to garlic and onion, fresh chives have the mild flavor of both of these bulbous plants. Each cup provides a broad spectrum of nutrients:

• Calories – 14.4 calories.
• Vitamin K – 127% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 47% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 42% of the DV.
• Folate – 12% of the DV.
• Manganese – 9% of the DV.
• Magnesium – 5% of the DV.
• Iron – 4% of the DV.

Chives are perennial herbs that are especially useful in permaculture gardening. Chive’s blooms are a great source of nectar for pollinators and its scent is excellent for repelling pests naturally. There are many more reasons why chives deserve a spot in your herb garden.

Grow It: Package of 400 Common Chives Seeds by Seeds Needs

10. Kale – 49 / 100

Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a hardy, cool season crop that can withstand temperatures as low as 5°F. In fact, when chilled with moderate frost or a light snow, kale becomes even sweeter.

Beloved by health enthusiasts, kale has a little bit of everything but is especially abundant in vitamins K, A, and C:

• Calories – 33.5
• Vitamin K – 684% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 206% of the DV.
• Vitamin C – 134% of the DV.
• Vitamin B6 – 9% of the DV.
• Manganese – 26% of the DV.
• Copper – 10% of the DV.
• Calcium – 9% of the DV.
• Potassium – 9% of the DV.

It is also an excellent source of antioxidants lutein, quercetin, kaempferol, and zeaxanthin.

Best of all, kale is really easy to grow. Read our best practices when gardening for kale here.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds 500 Organic Heirloom Kale Seeds

11. Red Peppers – 41 / 100

Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) are available in several vibrantly hued varieties – in green, red, orange, yellow, white, purple, and brown.

But sweet red peppers are the ones that offer the most nutrition per cup:

• Calories – 46.2
• Vitamin C – 317% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 93% of the DV.
• Vitamin B6 – 22% of the DV.
• Vitamin E – 12% of the DV.
• Vitamin K – 9% of the DV.
• Folate – 17% of the DV.
• Potassium – 9% of the DV.
• Manganese – 8% of the DV.

Read our tips on growing sweet peppers here.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds Non-GMO, Heirloom Bell Pepper Seeds

12. Broccoli – 34 / 100

The broccoli (Brassica oleracea) that we know today first emerged in Italy 2,000 years ago. Producing large, tree-like heads surrounded by broad leaves, all parts of the broccoli plant are edible and nutritious. But the florets are especially high in vitamins and fiber, with smaller doses of minerals.

Per cup:

• Calories – 30.9
• Vitamin C – 135% of the DV.
• Vitamin K – 116% of the DV.
• Vitamin A – 11% of the DV.
• Folate – 14% of the DV.
• Vitamin B6 – 8% of the DV.
• Manganese – 10% of the DV.
• Potassium – 8% of the DV.

Best grown in sunny but cool temperatures, broccoli thrives between 65°F to 75°F. If the weather gets too hot, broccoli heads will begin to bolt so timing is everything. Allow for around 70 days to harvest for plantings in spring and fall. Newer heat tolerant varieties like “Gypsy” are more forgiving during unexpected heat waves.

Grow It: David’s Garden Seeds 100 Non-GMO Broccoli Seeds

How to Maximize Nutritional Values Of The Foods You Grow

As far as nutrient density goes, it would appear that leafy greens and members of the cabbage family offer the most nourishment for the fewest calories.

While common garden crops like carrots (22), tomatoes (20), and strawberries (17) may be lower on the list, they are still an excellent provider of micronutrients and beneficial phytochemicals.

Whatever you decide to grow this season, you can maximize the nutritional value of any kind of fruit or vegetable by:

Choosing Smaller Cultivars – Sidestep the dilution effect by choosing varieties that produce smaller fruits and overall yields. Avoid seeds labelled “gigantic” and “extra large” since these will most certainly be less nutritious. You can also harvest foods when mature but before they have reached their full size.

Enriching the Soil – A garden is only as good as its soil, so to ensure your fruits and veggies are loaded with nutrients, be sure to enrich it with compost, grass clippings, or leaf mold.

Opting for Bold Flavors – Foods rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients tend to have a more bitter, pungent, or astringent taste. For the most nutritional value, choose cultivars that have a more intense flavor over milder varieties. For example, opt for arugula or radicchio over iceberg lettuce.

Cook in the Right Way – You can boil, steam, fry, microwave, roast, grill, pressure cook or eat your harvest raw. We analyzed seven different ways to cook your veggies and reveal the most nutritious way in this article.

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Read Next: 18 Fastest Growing Veggies You Can Harvest In No Time

The post 12 Most Nutrient Dense Foods You Can Grow At Home appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

Corn – technically maize (Zea mays) – was first domesticated by indigenous peoples of southern Mexico some 10,000 years ago.

A product of human intervention, corn as we know it does not exist naturally in the wild. It is believed to have been derived from the selective breeding of teosinte, a wild grass with few edible seeds. It took several generations for teosinte to elongate and form tightly packed rows of edible kernels that resemble the corn cobs we know today.

About Sweet Corn…

Much of the corn grown today is dent or field corn, a starchy variety that is harvested when the kernels are dry. It is used for animal feed, biofuel, corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, corn meal, and other food manufacturing. When corn is mature, it is considered a cereal grain.

Sweet corn, on the other hand, is the result of a naturally occurring genetic mutation that controls the conversion of sugar to starch in the kernel. This causes sweet corn to have two to four times more sugar content than field corn. While corn typically loses its sweetness as soon as it is picked off the plant, these super sweet varieties retain their sugar content for up to two weeks after harvest. Sweet corn ears are harvested while still immature. When eaten fresh, it is considered a fruit.

Typically growing to a height of 10 feet, corn plants have a thick stem comprised of about 20 internodes. A pair of long leaves extend from each node and ears develop just above the leaf. The plant is topped with the “tassel”, a cluster of male flowers that resemble wheat.

Corn cobs grow to around seven inches in length and are covered in tightly wrapped leaves known as the husk. The hairy tufts that emerge from the top of the cob are known as “silks”, these are the female flowers. Each strand of silk is connected to a single ovary that will develop into a kernel when fertilization is successful. After the corn is shucked, even rows of yellow or white fruits are revealed. A single ear of corn often holds around 600 kernels.

There are numerous varieties of sweet corn available in three types – normal, sugar enhanced, and super sweet. As a general rule, the sweeter the cultivar, the longer the storage life after harvest.

To grow baby corn, simply harvest corn ears when they are two to four inches in length.

How To Grow Sweet Corn:

Sweet corn is an easy crop to grow at home. It is a warm season plant that thrives in long, hot summers.

Light Requirements – Choose a spot in your yard that receives at least six hours of sunlight each day. Strong winds can easily flatten your crop so choose a site that is somewhat sheltered.

Soil – Corn plants prefer aged, fertile soil. When possible, amend garden plots with compost or manure in the fall before sowing seeds the following spring. Otherwise, you may add a 10-10-10 fertilizer into the soil before planting.

Corn Varieties – Available in dozens of yellow, white, and bicolor cultivars, most backyard gardeners should stick to one type per season. Corn is wind pollinated and different varieties should be kept separated by a minimum of 800 feet to prevent cross pollination – which can ruin the entire crop.

Sowing – Sow seeds directly into the soil two weeks after the risk of frost has passed. Ideally, soil temperature should be above 60°F for successful germination. Plant seeds 2 inches deep and 6 inches apart. Because corn is pollinated by wind, it’s more efficient to plant them in blocks (a minimum of four by four) instead of long rows. When seedlings are 4 inches tall, thin them so they are 12 inches apart.

Watering ­– When seeds are planted, water the site well; corn needs a lot of moisture to germinate. Once sprouted, they need a minimum of 1 inch of water each week for good growth.

Fertilizer ­– Sweet corn shouldn’t need much additional fertilization, but if you notice it could use a boost, choose an NPK balanced fertilizer.

Companion Plants ­– Corn is one of the Three Sisters and grows particularly well alongside beans and squash plants. These three have a mutually beneficial relationship – corn provides support for beans to climb, beans release nitrogen into the soil, and squash block sunlight from the soil to suppress weeds, conserve moisture, and act as a living mulch. Other good companions include beets, cucumber, dill, melons, peas, potatoes, parsley, and sunflowers. Avoid planting corn next to celery and tomatoes.

Supports – Although corn can grow pretty tall, they are study plants that shouldn’t need additional supports. If, however, bad weather or foraging animals topple your plants, use individual stakes on each plant.

Pollination – Once the silks of the corn plant emerge, you can assist with pollination by gently shaking the plant to loosen the pollen.

Harvest – Depending on the variety, sweet corn should be ready to harvest in 60 to 90 days after sowing. When the silks begin to turn brown, peel a bit of husk back and prick a kernel with a fingernail. If a milky liquid comes out, it is ready to harvest; if the liquid is clear, it needs more time to mature. Pick corn off the plant by pulling ears downward and twisting.

8 Uses For Sweet Corn:

1. Corn Is Quite Nutritious

Whether steamed, boiled or grilled on the barbeque, sweet corn has a deliciously mild and pleasant taste. It is also low in calories and fat, high in fiber, and provides a good amount of vitamins and minerals:

Sweet corn is also a good source of ferulic acid and carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin. When cooked, corn’s antioxidant activity is enhanced – one study on this subject found that heating corn to 239°F for 25 minutes increased total antioxidant activity by 44%, boosted ferulic acid content by 550% and total phenolics by 54% but reduced vitamin C levels by 25%.

2. Popcorn

For home grown popping corn, let ears mature on the plant until kernels are hard and husks are dry. Remove husks and hang in a mesh bag in a warm, well ventilated spot. After a few weeks, remove kernels by rubbing two ears together over a bucket. Store popcorn kernels in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3. Corn Flour

Corn flour – also known as corn meal – is a versatile gluten free grain. It is naturally enriched with protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals.

A key ingredient for corn bread and tortillas, corn flour can also be used to make pizza crusts, cookies, cakes, and more.

To make maize flour from scratch, you’ll need a grain grinder and pickling lime. Though a bit time consuming, the process for making corn flour is really easy – and you’ll never have tastier tortilla.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to make authentic Mexican maize flour.

4. Corn Syrup

A healthier alternative, homemade corn syrup is a liquid sweetener used in baking and candy making. While maple syrup and honey are similar sweeteners, some recipes call specifically for corn syrup since it prevents sugar from re-crystalizing.

It’s less intense than store bought corn syrup because it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient. It’s still super sweet though, with a slight corny flavor.

To make, all you need is a cup of sugar and two cups of fresh corn kernels. See the complete recipe here.

5. Corn Husks

Once the cobs are off the corn stalk, a lot of vegetative matter is left behind. Though the leaves and husks are typically tossed away, there are a few ways to put them to good use.

When leaves are still green, rinse them well in clean water and wrap up foods – like fish or vegetables – for steaming on the grill like so. Or make some tamales.  

Hang corn leaves to dry for later use. Rehydrate them by soaking them in water for about 30 minutes or until softened.

6. Corn Silks

Rich in antioxidants and other phytochemicals, corn silks are another often overlooked part of the corn plant. Corn silks have long been used to treat urinary infections and kidney stones in traditional Chinese, Native American, and Turkish medicine.

A research review published in 2012 identified several potential therapeutic uses for corn silks. These include anti-depressant, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties.

The easiest way to consume corn silks is to brew them into tea. Using fresh or dried silks, add two tablespoons to two cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the out the silk. You can then add honey, lemon, or lime to flavor.

7. Corn Cobs

Though spent corn cobs are great additions to your compost pile, here are some other worthy applications:

• Make corn stock and corn cob jelly.
• Scrub your pots.
• Use them as a grill brush.
• DIY corn cob pipe.
• Instead of wood chips, use cobs to smoke meat.
• Make a corn cob bird feeder.

8. Save The Seeds

It’s ridiculously easy to save corn seeds from one growing season to the next. When sowing in the spring, allow for one or two extra corn plants for the purpose of seed saving.

As with popcorn, let the plants fully mature and harvest when husks are brown. Set them to dry in a mesh bag or on a wire screen. Seeds are ready to harvest when they are hard and come easily off the cob. Store them in a cool, dry place for up to three years.

The post How To Grow Sweet Corn At Home + 8 Ways To Use It appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

Many gardens in North America feature a glorious display of plants that come from all over the world. These beauties may be exotic and the envy of your neighbors, but they are also unnatural additions to our lands.

Natural gardens, made up of plants that work together within the ecosystem, have several advantages over their foreign brethren. And they are quite beautiful too.

Here’s why you should consider the biome of your backyard when choosing plants this spring:

1. Native Plants Support Local Wildlife

While all plants can provide shelter and some food, plants that are indigenous to a particular region have developed symbiotic relationships with wildlife for thousands of years.

Native plants have adapted and evolved alongside local insect, bird, reptile, waterfowl, and mammal populations. They provide shelter from the elements, a source of food, and a place to nest, mate, raise young, and hunt. Wildflowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs also perform the necessary checks and balances within the ecosystem to prevent one species from overrunning the rest.

Some fauna is so specialized that they only feed on one type of flora, and when the plant disappears so does the creature. For example, monarch butterfly populations have declined by 90% over the last 20 years, in part due to the loss of milkweed in the natural environment. 

2. Native Plants Preserve Our Natural History

In North America, native plants are rapidly disappearing. A 20-year study of the New York metropolitan area identified 50 native plants that have vanished from the landscape over the past 100 years.

This loss of habitat is primarily caused by urban development, agriculture, climate change, and pollution. Further complicating the struggle of native plants is the introduction of foreign plants.

A good example is the Norway maple (Acer platanoides), a European transplant introduced to North America in the 1700s. Over the last three centuries, it has grown to dominate forests and wooded areas of the US and Canada. Because its roots grow very close to the surface, it starves other plants for moisture. Its dense canopy inhibits the growth of plants beneath it as well. Its foliage is less likely to be consumed by herbivores, giving it a major advantage over the native sugar maple. Despite this, Norway maple is still widely used in urban landscaping.

The ability of non-natives to crowd out the local flora has a massive impact on the ecosystem, including the loss of biodiversity and the appearance of monocultures. Where there would be marshland filled with 50 species of grasses, rushes, reeds, and low-growing shrubs, you might now see only phragmites.  

When you plant your garden with native species, you are helping to keep your area’s natural history alive. Seeds are spread by wind, water, and wildlife, and so those indigenous cultivars have a good chance of spreading to other areas within your biome.

3. Native Plants Are Low Maintenance

Because native plants have spent centuries attuning themselves to the local climate, they are the perfect choice for the passive gardener.

Native plants require far less work and resources than foreign imports. They are incredibly drought-tolerant and can typically survive season-to-season on rainfall alone without the need for supplemental irrigation. They are better adapted to the local soil conditions, needing less fertilizers and soil amendments to thrive. Often, they are much more resistant to insects and diseases too.

Take, for instance, the hollyhock (Alcea spp.), a lovely flowering plant native to Asia and Europe and a popular guest in North American gardens. When kept here, however, hollyhocks are needful beings and are quite prone to rust. To keep it happy, you’ll need to be vigilant: always water from below, treat regularly with fungicides, and ensure the plant has good air circulation.

Compare with the steambank wild hollyhock (Iliamna rivularis), a native denizen to the west coast. Just as pretty but so much less trouble, it is found in the wild growing in meadows, open forests, mountain slopes, and along streams. Long blooming and hardy to zone 5, all steambank wild hollyhock requires is part shade to full sun and a moist spot in home gardens.

4. Native Plants Are Best For The Ecologically-Conscious Gardener

Native gardens do not need a guiding hand to grow and thrive. With fewer demands for fertilizer, pesticides, fungicides, and water, native gardens are an excellent choice for a greener, less wasteful world.

Conventional garden design, on the other hand, has displaced the natural environment. Vast tracts of grass monocultures, up to 50 million acres in America alone, are incredibly resource intensive. According to the NRDC, each year lawns in the US consume 3 trillion gallons of water, 70 million pounds of pesticides, and 200 million gallons of gas used for mowing. The chemical treatments needed for lawn care extend beyond the confines of your yard, leaching into the groundwater and poisoning fish and other aquatic animals. 

Transitioning away from grass to native sedges, clovers, meadows, or other lawn replacements is essential for creating a sustainable landscape. Naturalized gardens have an immediate positive impact – they restore lost habitats, strengthen the food web, reduce chemical run off, lessen our reliance on fossil fuels, and are mostly self-sustaining.

How To Identify & Source Native Plants

A native plant is defined as those that occurred in North America prior to European settlement. When selecting native cultivars for your garden, the more local the better.

And with about 17,000 flowering plants, shrubs, and trees native to the United States, there’s no shortage of interesting and unusual home grown plants to choose from.

If you love a particular type of plant, there is usually a local alternative. Swap out Chinese butterfly bush with New Jersey tea or snowbrush. Use trumpet honeysuckle instead of the Japanese variety. For more examples of native replacements, check out this chart.

Whether you wish to keep a wholly naturalized garden or start small with a particular spot, an excellent resource for identifying plants specific to your area is to contact your local county extension office. You can also search by zip code using this Native Plant Finder.

Your local plant nursery will very likely have a selection of native cultivars. Amazon also has a decent stock of live plants and seeds. And best of all, once the plants are established, they are perennial and self-seeding – sow them once and enjoy them year after year.

Read Next: 9 Reasons To Try Lasagna Gardening & How To Get Started

The post 4 Reasons To Grow Native Plants appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.