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Ecoculture Village's Useful Gardens

Changing the way gardening is perceived… away from useless lawns and non-native ornamentals… toward the functionality of gardening for food, medicine, and utility.

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Another look at the edible and medicinal plants we call… “weeds”

April 22, 2014 by Troy Boylan Leave a Comment

dandelion

We all love to garden usefully. We love to eat fresh food from our gardens that we have grown from seedling or seed. We care about what we put in our bodies, and how it came to be. We spend so much time making room for our edibles. We water and compost our gardens. We weed… WAIT! Stop right there. We what!?!

Filed Under: Plants, Products, Reviews

Review of Dr. B.C. Wolverton’s “How To Grow Fresh Air”

December 26, 2013 by Troy Boylan Leave a Comment

Hundreds of poisonous volatile organic chemicals (VOC’s), like ammonia, benzene, and formaldehyde (the most commonly found toxin in indoor air), can be released into indoor air by furniture, carpets, and building materials. These chemicals are then trapped indoors by the energy-conserving, closed ventilation air temperature regulating systems installed in many homes and offices. The effects on health can range from respiratory and allergic reactions which are collectively called “sick building syndrome”, to asthma, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and neuropsychological problems.

Filed Under: Plants, Products, Reviews

What Is Gardening Without Pests?

August 17, 2013 by Troy Boylan Leave a Comment

What do we want from our gardens? That’s easy… healthy plants!

Unlike other animals, insects do not generally eat healthy plants… they simply lack the enzymes necessary to digest the complex sugars, carbohydrates and proteins healthy plants turn simple sugars, minerals and whatever other base stuff into. It is the same for fungi… the mildews, molds… and the viruses that are carried by plant eating insects that sometimes plague our plants… they cannot digest, and are not attracted to, healthy plants. This is so important a concept to understand because when you realize that a garden is only as healthy as its soil, you begin to think differently about the role you play in your garden.

Filed Under: Pests, Plants, Soil

Dealing With Slugs In The Garden

May 3, 2013 by Troy Boylan 11 Comments

slug

Slugs are a constant annoyance to many gardens, but they are especially threatening during springtime… when your plants are at their most vulnerable… when they are seedlings. Most of the slugs in your garden will be underneath the soil surface at any given time. Some species will eat seedlings before the seedlings emerge from the soil, and some will even eat seeds… so begin dealing with slugs before you plan to have your seedlings emerge.

Filed Under: Pests, Plants, Products, Reviews, Soil

Poison Manufacturers Use Greenwash Techniques To Fool Slug Frustrated Gardeners

April 29, 2013 by Troy Boylan 2 Comments

greenwashing

In remaining Earthfriendly… and just plain smart… avoid any commercial product manufactured for the purpose of being ingested by slugs. Don’t believe any of that crap about their product only being toxic to a certain species of slug or whatever. All products intended to kill anything are toxic to the ecosystem and other animals including humans, even though they are advertised as being otherwise.

Filed Under: Pests, Products

Let’s Grow Oyster Mushrooms!

April 14, 2013 by Troy Boylan 2 Comments

oyster mushrooms

Jay is our resident mushroom farmer… years of experimentation have resulted in techniques perfected and rad. Jay specializes in culturing and growing the gourmet edible and medicinal mushrooms known as Elm Oyster Mushrooms (Hypsizygus ulmarius}, from spore to fruitbody. They are delicious and healthy and we love ’em! We want you to love ’em too.

Filed Under: Fungi, Products

Build A Better Backyard Composter

April 10, 2013 by Troy Boylan 2 Comments

better backyard composter

Backyard composters are designed to reduce plant matter into compost. They can easily be turned into vermicomposters by adding certain species of worms, usually Redworms (Eisenia fetida). Vermicomposters usually produce compost much faster than regular composters. The material in the composter must be kept moist, especially if worms are used, and only plant material should be used. Eggshells are ok, as are VERY minimal amounts of meat, bone, fat, oily foods, etc.; but these materials should be spread out evenly so as not to overwhelm the worms and other critters who live in the composter and on whom your ready compost depends… it is better to avoid meat, bone, fat, oily foods, etc. entirely.

Filed Under: Soil

The Ecological Gardening Method… About Soil, Not Food

April 4, 2013 by Troy Boylan Leave a Comment

ecological gardening

When most people think ‘vegetable gardens’ they immediately think ‘food’… but in order for an organic garden to be about food, it first needs to be about soil. Understand that organic vegetable gardening is really ‘soil building’ and you will have the healthiest plants possible. The food your garden produces is only as good as the soil it grows from. Compost is your friend; use it always, whenever you replace a “weed” plant with a more useful species, and whenever you see a spot unoccupied by a plant.

Filed Under: Fungi, Pests, Plants, Products, Reviews, Soil

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About me… Troy Boylan
Ecoculture Village Founder & President, Anthropology BA, Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethnobotany BS. Two things I think are worth anything at all… all things wilderness and ecoculture… and well, RPGs… and skateboarding!
So, what’s up!?

  • I share honest reviews of products I got for free from manufacturers who want their products to be objectively reviewed. If it lives up to my high expectations, that’s what I’ll say about it, but if I think it sucks… well then, that’s what I’ll say about it!

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