To Bamboo or Not to Bamboo, and is there such a thing as non-spreading bamboo?

Permaculture Womens Guild

By Heather Jo Flores I recently received an interesting question from a reader,and it seemed like a great topic for this month’s column. She writes:​“I just bought a house whose lovely raised garden beds are being strangled by invasive bamboo. What can I do?” First off, let me say that bamboo is a grass. And like Bermuda grass, Couch grass, and most other rhizomatous plants, it can be almost impossible to control without extreme measures. A lot of people think that if they choose “clumping” varieties of bamboo, they won’t spread. ​But in my experience this just isn’t true. Bamboo…

10 Benefits of having a greenhouse

Permaculture Womens Guild

they’re easier to build than you might think By Heather Jo Flores Ten reasons to build a greenhouse: Start seeds early (and late!) Many seeds need warmth to germinate and develop into healthy seedlings. If the growing season is short, getting ahead can make a big difference.​Protect tender perennials and grow exotic plants. Increase your yields by extending the range of plants you can grow in your climate!​Protect early blooming fruits (like apricot) from heavy rains. Flowers on fruit trees are often quite delicate and can be damaged by rain, wind or frost, resulting in big losses to your fruit crop…