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Something Pretty – And Pretty Good For Your

by Donna Balzer | May 18, 2017 | Flowers & Alpines, PLANTS & DESIGN | 3 Comments

Have you heard about healing herbs but never known how or where to use them? Linda Miller, who gets paid to teach about these kinds of things as the College Director of the Western College of Homeopathic Medicine (WCHM.ca), was taking a class I was teaching with Grow Food Calgary (Growfoodcalgary.com) and saw me giving away calendula seed. When I told her my plan was to get people growing their own summer flowers to eventually make their own skin care potions she immediately offered to help.

Where: CBC Calgary
When: July28
What: Live Phone-In Show

by Donna Balzer | May 17, 2017 | In the Media, past appearance | 0 Comments

Call in or email your questions live to Alberta@Noon on July 28 from 12:30PM to 1 PM so Donna can answer your questions in person on CBC radio all across Alberta. You can’t be heard if you don’t call in!

All Compost is not created equally: It’s Buyer Beware

by Donna Balzer | May 15, 2017 | Soil | 2 Comments

I was asked by Calgary CBC’s investigative reporter Allison Dempster to contribute to a CBC interview this week and I suggested she think about a few tough questions before she completed her interview. I am passing those tough questions along to my readers so that if you need to buy compost this weekend you can be more informed.

Plant By The Light of the Moon

by Donna Balzer | Apr 17, 2017 | Food, GARDENING | 0 Comments

My grandma didn’t understand English but she understood the language of the moon and she knew the best time to grow food was when the moon was growing so she seeded between the new moon and the full moon. As the moon grows bigger, the gravitational pull makes tides stronger and seeds sprout faster. You might already have some early seeds planted and sprouting but if you don’t it is just about that time.

Using Biochar in Your Greenhouse, houseplants & outdoors

by Donna Balzer | Mar 27, 2017 | Gadgets, Greenhouse, Soil | 2 Comments

Biochar is an ancient product… It was used in the Amazon to create fabulous food gardens and sustainable soil. Today’s gardeners use biochar to draw CO2 from the air; ensure a steady release of minerals to plants in soil, supply a home for microbes and amend soils physically. Biochar can also modify pH and hold water in dry periods. Use it to top-dress greenhouse, outdoor beds and houseplants.

Time to Transplant Leeks & Other Onions

by Donna Balzer | Mar 17, 2017 | Food, GARDENING, Soil, VIDEOS | 0 Comments

Are You busy starting seeds indoors for planting up later? Well in the world of onions including leeks, later is now. It is time to separate out your little leeks, shallots, green onions or big sweet yellows into their small pots for growing on. Here is a primer video on how to do that. You can see me transplanting my leeks and maybe get a few tips along the way!