http://www.dirtdujour.com/ en cindymcnatt@gmail.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-03T18:28:06+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_book_friday10/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_book_friday10/#When:18:28:06Z Just in time for rethinking the landscape this spring is Marty Wingate’s wonderful book, Landscaping for Privacy (Timber Press). Learn how to block the bad stuff: the ugly view, the telephone poles, the trashy neighbors, the trash cans. To win this 155 page book, chock full of images, leave a note in comments about your view. If you could plop your house anywhere what would the perfect view be? Last week’s winner of the fabulous Rolling Tomato Tower by EarthEasy.com, chosen at random, eyes close is ....wait for it…..drumroll…..DeeDee (with the few scraggly tomatoes in south OC). Oh yeah and this 2012-02-03T18:28:06+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/thinking_ahead/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/thinking_ahead/#When:15:50:00Z Those of us in the citrus belts sometimes wonder why lemons are associated with summer when we know they are ripe and ready to pick in winter. Nonetheless, an ancient practice is popular now: preserving lemons with salt for savory dishes. whatever MSNBC —Speaking of ancient. Popcorn from the mid-Holocene period. Eat this 2012-02-02T15:50:00+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/juxtaposition/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/juxtaposition/#When:03:55:34Z Sometimes it’s the contrast between natural and not, hard and soft, see-through and solid, color and clear. Love this Pasha chair by Pedrali. whatever Miami Herald - South Florida gardeners battling giant African snails that not only chomp hostas, but also homes. Accessories 2012-02-01T03:55:34+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/faux_bois_in_the_apple_orchard/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/faux_bois_in_the_apple_orchard/#When:13:55:17Z If you seriously fell in love with Ross Yedinak’s ginkgo bistro set, then you may want to know about his faux apple fencing. Ross is a chef by day, faux bois artist in his free time. Take a peek at his projects here. Find out more about him here. whatever The Vancouver Sun—Does tap water kill your soil?  Accessories 2012-01-31T13:55:17+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_tomato_tower_friday/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_tomato_tower_friday/#When:14:48:37Z If our recent warming trend has you licking your chops over tomato season, get a gander at this give away: the Rolling Tomato Tower from EarthEasy.com.  The untreated cedar construction allows for the deep roots that tomatoes love. Heavy-duty casters let you roll it into the sun or out. It assembles, tool-free in 5 minutes. Like EarthEasy, follow EarthEasy, get their sustainable newsletter. To win the tower, share one of your tallest tomato tales. Did you grow the biggest, the most abundant, the longest lived tomato ever? Dirt du jour will pick a winner at random, eyes closed, pinkie promise. Last week’s winner of Free Range Chicken Gardens is: Ghislaine Schwartz. Yay! Oh yeah and this 2012-01-27T14:48:37+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/new_plant_hardiness_zone_map/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/new_plant_hardiness_zone_map/#When:15:43:30Z What is the best part of the new USDA zone map besides the fact you might find yourself in a slightly better sounding growing zone than the one you currently garden in? The handy zip code zone finder....so there’s no guessing. whatever Yahoo.com—National Wildlife Federation and ScottsMiracle-Gro team up? Oh yeah and this 2012-01-26T15:43:30+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/hortus_abundace/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/hortus_abundace/#When:15:06:59Z If you fancy yourself a lively-minded gardener then you might subscribe to Hortus, the quarterly journal with contributions from Penelope Hobhouse, Stephen Lacey, Noel Kingsbury, John Brookes and more.  According to their website someone recently said that reading Hortus was like joining the most elite gardening club in the world. whatever StarTribune—The generational gardening divide Oh yeah and this 2012-01-25T15:06:59+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/hosing_around/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/hosing_around/#When:15:37:26Z Sent to me by alert reader Scott Daigre who you may remember from Hortus (Pasadena) days or currently know because of Tomatomania - one more way to have fun with your garden hose. whatever Bloomberg.com—Audubon’s first edition “Birds of America” fetches $7.9 million at auction. Tools 2012-01-24T15:37:26+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_book_friday9/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/free_book_friday9/#When:01:12:52Z If you’re like I was, a real softy when it comes to letting your chickens peck where they want, then the adorable Free Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom (Timber Press) is probably a perfect choice for you. The delightfully photographed book (Kate Baldwin) is 210 pages of ideas for letting your chickens roam the range with the least amount of damage. Good book for first-timer chicken keepers, too. To win it - you know the drill - leave a note in comments about your dream chicken - even if you don’t have one, but want one. A winner will be chosen at random, eyes closed, pinkie promise. Winner of 100 Cool Mushrooms (Univeristy of Michigan Press) is…..drumroll….Jennifer that “hates red lipstick fungus”. Yay! Oh yeah and this 2012-01-20T01:12:52+00:00 http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/going_out_green/ http://www.dirtdujour.com/item/going_out_green/#When:14:53:09Z If you thought green burials where a passing trend by fringe groups, it’s not. Instead an industry is springing up in compostable burial products.  Check out these willow, sea grass and bamboo coffins. The EcoPod recycled paper coffin is pretty interesting. whatever Metro.co.uk—Popular garden guru says Viagra provides perk to cut flowers Organic products 2012-01-19T14:53:09+00:00