The nerve of some people.  It can really get a man down.  Like, let’s say you want to shake somebody down for a little cash, and at the same time, want to dig some holes in their yard to bury some living things.  Some people have to take this beautiful concept and make it complicated and messy with petty [...]

Organic landscape maintenance programs usually focus on restoring natural balances in soils.  In most of Austin, we can count on a few general assumptions (highly disturbed, alkaline clay soils with minimal organic material) to create a general soil restoration plan.   Topdressing the lawn with compost will add organic material, beneficial microbes, and nutrients, and is our favorite clutch shooter [...]

BioGardener just acquired the newly released propane-powered leaf blower from CA-based Lehr.  We’ve also replaced a couple of string trimmers.  The only propane version of these necessary tools for lawn care, also manufactured by Lehr, had some bugs so we’re staying away until the problems are corrected.  In the meantime, we’ve purchased the absolute cleanest [...]

I just finished James McWilliams book Just Food.  My first post/review was a little ramble-y and careless, so it’s been deleted.  A condensed version: Some folks are taking this as a stab to the local food movement.  I think its a testament to the maturity of the movement, and a recognition of how powerful it has become.  Thoughtful [...]

Don’t call it a comeback, it’s been here for years.  Our native, shade-loving wildflower/weed is bustin’ out all over town after the rains.  Horseherb grows in yards all over Central Texas.  It’s sorta evergreen, especially in protected areas or when a light layer of leaves is allowed to cover them in freezing weather, and has [...]

Hello Lovers of Balance and Harmony! There are lots of ways to value ones profession. Amount of money one makes in a year. How often one makes a positive difference in someone else’s life. Or for some City workers, how many times you can make a contractor fill out a particular form to make a [...]

Hello Lovers of BioGardener! Rich and I have noticed an increase in questions about lawn problems, which seems to be proportional to the increase in hot dry weather during what has become a hellacious summer. As we stumble sweatily around town and the surrounding countryside, we’ve made some observations, philosophized on the current path of [...]