Pumpkins—Halloween's less spooky yet no less essential mascot—don't last forever, much as we might want to extend their autumnal glory. If you have a few past-their-prime pumpkins, use this as an opportunity to build a DIY compost bin in your backyard, and make your rotting pumpkins the inaugural ingredient! More

The brisk air has begun to tickle the leaves, turning them brilliant colors and lighting up everywhere you look in shades of red, yellow and orange. But soon those beautiful leaves will be a carpet of brown tree-excrement molding in your yard and killing your grass, flowers and shrubs. It doesn't always have to be this way though. You don't have to spend hours collecting them, bagging them and dragging them to the curb. With the right kind of blower you might actually learn to love leaves. Here are our reasons why we're upgrading from a flimsy rake to a shiny new blower, vacuum & mulcher combo (BMV) and some great options for doing so. More

The weather is slowly diving down into cooler territory, which means soon leaves will be diving down into our yards. Leaves make pretty excellent cushiony piles, but after that they usually get bagged up and hauled off. This year we've decided to use the dead plant matter as part of our first attempt at composting. We've covered small systems that enable you to do it in your apartment and without odor, but we've got some backyard space and lots of leaves so we're thinking a bit bigger. Here's a few things we're looking at getting to make the process easier. More

Since moving back to our rented home we've been slowly rebuilding the gardens around the house. Working with what we have and focusing on the growing-not-mowing philosophy, we turned the space near our front door in to a useable garden space for less than $20. More

I grew up with a proper fire pit in the backyard, but it wasn’t until much later that I learned how the leftover blacken bits of wood ash could be used as fertilizer. If you still enjoy a classic bonfire every now and then, here is how you can recycle the remnants and help your garden grow!
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What would it take to make you go all the way in terms of sustainability? Would you go no-poo? Would you get a composting toilet? Would you give up your car? Would you eat only local foods? Would you buy nothing new for 6 months? More

I am in love with this composting shed design by Groves-Raines Architecture. The way it weaves its way into the landscape with undulating forms and its green roof makes it look as though it just evolved into the space. Check out the entire project after the jump. More

Ok, confession time: how many readers out there want to start composting but are apprehensive about the maintenance and potential odors of a compost bin? (Yes, I’m raising my hand.) Although I’m sure I'd get the hang of it after awhile, this novice gardener is nervous about the proper layering techniques, aerating and making sure moisture levels are adequate.That’s why I was interested to read about trench composting, a simplified version of breaking down your kitchen scraps that doesn’t stink or take up additional yard space. More

Last week, my mom called to say that she had figs. And cucumbers. And okra and peppers and tomatoes. Did I want any? When I told her yes, I knew what was coming my way—many pounds of produce, much more than two people could eat. And when life hands you food, well, you've got to figure out what to do with it. Here's what I learned. More

This morning, I read with great interest an article in the UK's Telegraph about Peat in horticultural use. Peat is widely added to growing mediums in the horticultural industry, and surprisingly, it is domestic gardeners who consume two thirds of what the peat industry produces, in the form of multi-purpose compost. But Peat is a 'young' fossil fuel and it stores large amounts of carbon (around double all that is stored in the world's forests) and it has a big role in regulating our environment. More