Four Things to Consider Before Planting a Balcony Garden

This article from Urban Sustainable Living discusses four things to consider before planting a garden on your balcony.  Specifically it talks about getting permission from your landlord, balcony weight limits, neighborly consideration when watering plants, and pollination issues.
For the full article, click here.

Weed Dating in Vermont

I came across this article on "weed dating," and I had to pass it on.  

  

What is weed dating?  It is basically speed dating with a practical purpose.  "Weed dating takes place on farms among rows of sprouting produce. Participants weed a row with a potential romantic interest, then move on to another row and another partner. At the end of the day, some people might have cultivated a mutual interest — and no matter, the field is freshly weeded."  The down side is that participants are charged $10 just for the "privilege" of weeding and meeting new people.    

Click Here for the Full Story .

I don't know if "weed dating" will gain popularity in other states, but you can still potentially make new connections and avoid paying a fee by volunteering for an organization or cause that you are interested in.  You may even get additional benefits for volunteering your time.  For example, volunteers for the University of California of Berkeley Botanical Gardens who volunteer at least 30 hours of their time can get free parking, shop discounts, and more.  

Harvesting Sunflower Seeds

I harvested sunflower seeds from my garden today.  I knew the sunflowers were ready for picking because the flower petals were gone, the leaves were brown, and a few seeds were already loose.  I just cut the stem, and rubbed my thumb across the seeds to loosen them.  Most of the seeds fell out effortlessly.   For the stubborn seeds I used a spoon to work them out.  My thumb is not fond of splinters.  

I am going to save some seeds for planting next season, but I am going to roast the rest.  This will be my first time roasting sunflower seeds.  I am going to follow the instructions on the National Sunflower Association website.  

I really enjoyed growing these flowers.  The blooms are large and showy, they last a long time, and I get a nice treat from them at the end of the season!