So you’ve decided to create an outdoor gathering space? Wahoo! What better way to celebrate the landscape than by spending time in your yard? Now what? There’s lots to consider when setting up your plein-air retreat, but don’t worry; we’ve come up with a list of things to keep in mind while planning,...
by Morgan Hartman While I’m new to Nature Works Organic Land Care, I feel like I’ve been a part of this company, or they’ve been a part of me, for years. Having the opportunity to work with such positive people, co-workers, and clients alike, who are interested in and actively working toward ecologically sound land...
If you’ve ever seen leaves that look like lacy skeletons, with only the veins intact, you’ve seen the damage Japanese beetles can do. These pests are relentless, invasive, and incredibly detrimental to our ecosystem. The beetle, originally from Japan, was first discovered in the US (in New Jersey) in 1916. Since then, populations have steadily...
Protecting the environment is a big job. Really big. Actually, it feels a bit overwhelming sometimes, doesn’t it? The key is to simplify. It doesn’t take much to make a difference. Just a few select tweaks and shifts can ripple outward into the larger ecosystem–starting with your backyard. Here are just four ways practicing organic...
Organic cleaning products are natural products that offer much of the same cleaning power as those purchased commercially. Unlike most store-bought cleaners, however, they are made using ingredients found in nature and are safe for both the environment and for human health. When buying an organic cleaning product that has the “Organic” seal, it is...
Ah, springtime in the northeast. Finally. The trees are budding, birds are chirping, the air is crisp and sweet—and if you’re lucky, you’ll see a buzzing little bee flitting about in all the fresh bloomage. For bees, it’s officially the start of their busy season—time to pollinate. Bees are invaluable to local plant life—one bee...
By Hannah Van Sickle When I was a kid, come Christmas morning, there was invariably one large box under the tree wrapped in sections of the Sunday comics. Part of me was giddy at the idea of a gift so big wrapping paper wouldn’t cut it; the other part of me would pause for a...
By Hannah Van Sickle My daughter was home for a long weekend in October–her first visit since leaving for boarding school in late August. Following an otherwise routine lunch, Kathryn got up from the table and headed straight for the compost bin to the left of the kitchen sink. With one swift flick of her...
By Hannah Van Sickle live in the country and my lawn–for lack of better terminology–is green but not so grassy. In fact, this summer’s abundance of rain has actually caused a large, seemingly dead area in my front yard to become teeming with weeds and I am ecstatic. But does everyone feel this way? I...
By Hannah Van Sickle The recent prevalence of fine, yellow dust coating everything in sight from cars to countertops—pollen from the native white pine—is a not so welcome reminder that June is National Pollinator Month. Bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles (just to name a few) are all pollinators that positively affect our lives; in...
