The Garden Plot: Season End Learning Through Gardening
Sep
10
2014
Most homeowners are probably gardened out by this time of the year. But if you do a few simple chores now it will give you a leg up come spring. See Jim’s list of four to do this September to minimize your headaches next spring. You might even unearth some embedded learning in the process! [continue reading]
3 Easy Ways to Preserve the Fall Harvest
Dec
11
2013
Preserving food from the fall harvest not only will supply your family with local food all winter long, but it can also support your children’s learning in chemistry and biology. Get the family involved and take a look at these three easy ways you can put up food in your home kitchen… [continue reading]
3 Sustainable Plant Choices for the Family Garden
Oct
9
2013
This month in “The Garden Plot,” local landscape designer and Hilltown Families contributing writer, Jim McSweeney, shares his “Big 3” – three attributes to consider when adding or removing plants from your family garden… [continue reading]
5 Late Summer Family Garden Chores
Sep
11
2013
It might be September, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to neglect your family garden! This month in “The Garden Plot,” Jim share five suggested garden chores you can do with your family before the first freeze and the first snow fall… [continue reading]
What Does a New Garden Need Most?
Jul
10
2013
Skip using a water sprinkler to water your gardens…. sprinklers were meant for lawns, and for cooling off the kids! Here are some tips on how and when to water your newly planted garden, and how your kids can help! [continue reading]
5 Easy Composting Tips for Your Family Garden
Jun
12
2013
Environmentally sound garden practices for the family garden One of the major keys to a successful garden is the incorporation of organic matter into the soil every year. I remember taking a soil class at UMass 15 or so years back and hearing my professor say, “the answer to almost any question I ask this [continue reading]
Growing Raspberries this Summer in Your Family Garden
May
8
2013
5 Simple Steps for Pruning Raspberries Picking ripe raspberries straight off of their canes and popping them into your mouth is a summer delight that kids can carry with them into adulthood as fond memories from their childhood! But perhaps no other small fruit commonly found in Western MA gardens mystify their owners as do [continue reading]
Fresh Berries from the Garden!
Apr
10
2013
Pruning Blueberry Bushes April is a great month to get the family outdoors and getting their landscape ready for the spring. Families can rake the leaves missed in October, pick up fallen branches, cut perennials back… But the pruning of shrubs is not quite as obvious of a spring chore. While many varieties of shrubs [continue reading]
5 Late Winter Family Gardening Tips
Mar
13
2013
5 Gardening Tips for Late Winter Spring is just around the corner and planning your garden with your kids while there’s still snow on the ground can be both fun and educational. There’s no shortage of garden prep that you can be doing right now. Here are five things you can do to plan and [continue reading]