The Real Dirt

Flowers blooming

The Real Dirt blog covers regional gardening issues from soil health to planting for pollinators; from fire resistant landscaping to attracting wildlife. Read all about it!

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Black-tailed Bumble bee (B. melanopygus) on lupine, John Whittlesey
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Bumble Bees in the Garden

April 2, 2021
One of the amusements a garden can provide is watching the birds, bees, butterflies and other critters drawn to it. Most of us have seen honeybees flying from flower to flower, sipping nectar or collecting pollen to take back to their colony.
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Shopping for plants at the Saturday Farmers Market, Debi Durham
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Children in the Garden

March 26, 2021
There are many benefits in sharing a love for gardening with a child. Gardening is an enjoyable and healthy way to connect with children, whether they're your own, a friend's, or a neighbor's. Including children in the garden helps them develop skills they can practice for the rest of their lives.
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Shears and loppers, J. Alosi
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Garden Tools

March 12, 2021
People new to gardening often ask what tools are needed to maintain their gardens. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the scope and variety of garden tools available in stores, online, and in garden catalogues.
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Tools needing cleaning and sharpening, J. Alosi
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Maintaining Your Garden Tools

March 5, 2021
Spring is just around the corner, and it's time to make sure your garden tools are in peak condition. Good maintenance not only prolongs the life and usefulness of garden tools; it also improves their performance in the garden. In addition, clean tools help prevent the spread of disease.
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