Know a gardener with an earthy sense of humor?

I found this hysterical “gift set”: the Pinetree Manure Medley
The description reads: “Casting about for that perfect gift? What’cha guano get the gardener who has everything? Doo consider our exclusive gift set that contains 3 highly effective and concentrated manures.”
Ummm…yeah.

Eco review:
It is definitely recycled. And it is something that’s meant to be used up rather than collecting dust or ending up in a landfill…
But I still worry if the “Desert Bat Guano” and the “Fossilized Seabird Guano” were sustainably harvested.

Planning a Holiday party?

Don’t forget to consume thoughtfully–consider how much waste each item produces.

For Inspiration, go look at Sew Green’s entry on a composted party.

Technorati Tags: holiday, party

Love Halloween? You can have a black and orange garden all year!
(Having one bloom black and orange in time for Halloween is trickier: it depends on your climate.)

I like to mix two colors of the same flower for maximum impact.
Here are some suggestions for flowers that come in both black and orange:

Amaranths: I have a fondness for these strange flowers, and Amaranth ‘Oeschberg’ is almost black. Pair it with a bronze variety.

Asian Lilies come in black and orange. There are many varieties of orange—try “Apeldoorn.” For black, “Landini” is stunning.

Cosmos come in orange (“Cosmic Orange,” “Bright Lights,” and other varieties) and a dark brownish-black (Chocolate Cosmos.) Cosmos blooms in the summer but may hang on until Halloween in warmer climates.

Dahlias come in dark blackish-purple and also in orange. “Crossfield Ebony” is a nice dark pom pom; also check out Old House Gardens for some fabulous old-fashioned ones in both colors.

Daylilies come in many shades of orange, including the most common species-type. Plant them with “black” cultivars, including “Midnight Oil” and “Midnight Raider” which are a nice dark purple, or “Night Wings” which is a dark red but looks black most or the time.
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Technorati Tags: black flower, Garden, goth, Halloween