Great Back Yard Bird Count is February 17-20, 2012.

ShareThe lady on the phone was polite enough.
She spoke softly but clearly, asking if I could help her identify the “little white plant” she said was growing in the middle of her yard.
As a University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener volunteer, I’ve completed the basic gardening course; volunteered more than my 30 hours a year [...]

How to compost easily to reduce refuse and increase quality of your garden.

Top 10 things for gardeners to try in 2012.

Sharey Charlotte Ekker Wiggins
Do you like to make New Year’s resolutions?
I don’t either so I don’t make the traditional ones. I like to think of the new year in terms of doing something new.
I’ve always loved corn in the cob but 1998 was the year I tried barbecued corn and developed my own favorite corn [...]

Shareby Charlotte Ekker Wiggins
Bet you can guess what my family and friends are getting for Christmas this year.
It’s not just any honey – it’s my first batch, successfully harvested and bottled in spite of all I didn’t know about what I was doing!
According to the IRS, harvesting honey officially makes me a “bee farmer” and, [...]

Basic elements to make a community garden successful.

Buy honey locally so you’re not getting what Food Safety News November 2011 says is laundered honey.

Shareby Charlotte Ekker Wiggins
One of my earliest Thanksgiving memories is sitting outside a principal’s office, waiting for my Mom.
We had recently moved back from South America and, as part of a history assignment, I had written about what we had been taught about Thanksgiving, which had a heavy emphasis on the role of Native Americans [...]

Shareby Charlotte Ekker Wiggins
With temperatures dropping, there’s another garden-related chore I forgot to mention: wildlife-proofing your home.
Start with checking attics, basements, gutters and garage doors for any small openings or warm spots squirrels, mice and birds might use for shelter.
If you store seeds in your garage, that’s an invitation for wildlife to break in, [...]