or any gardener who still hasn't been convinced about the need to garden organically, here are some statistics that may help change your mind. In March of 2001, the American Cancer Society published a report linking the use of the herbicide glyphosate (commonly sold as Round-up) with a 27% increased likelihood of contracting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. John Hopkins University also revealed that home gardeners use almost 10 times more pesticide per acre than the average farmer and that diseases caused by environmental illness, exposure to chemicals etc., is now the number one cause of death in the U.S.
With the EPA's recent phasing out of common pesticides such as Dursban and Diazinon, we are now realizing that many of the chemicals that we thought were "safe" were never actually tested to see what their affect on children, women, and the elderly could be. The time has come to reassess our dependence on pesticides. For anyone contemplating the switch to organic gardening, here are a few ingredients that should be in every gardener's toolkit.
We've all been there. We see a pair of stunning high heels that we just have to have. Upon first wearing, however, our feet end up blistered and in pain for days. The shoes still look fantastic but your feet look like you've walked through a rosebush. Well, here's a solution your toes will tap to. A new lotion, Tippy Toes, actually prevents blisters before they ever start. Rub the soft lotion on areas of your foot that are prone to blisters before you slip into those super shoes. The lotion is non-greasy and will not harm your favorite shoes.
:I want to be able to landscape my yard, but flowers and shrubs are so expensive. I've tried to plant some perenials so they'll continue to bloom every year, but our yard still needs lots of work. Any suggestions on finding inexpensive plants, shrubs, and or trees? I'm tempted to go to the woods and look for things to steal every spring! And we all know that's not right. Please help if you can.
s a gardener, I really enjoy making decorations from my homegrown produce. One of the things I'm particularly fond of is growing miniatures, like miniature pumpkins and miniature Indian corn. Once I've grown them, I make them into Harvest Baskets, like the one illustrated. 
Containered plants can seem a tiny bit fussy. Not so. They just need the proper place and attention at critical times. If container gardening is new to you, here are a few simple starting tips. 
eady, set, fly! You'll soon see flocks of birds flying back from the southern states - another mark of spring's arrival. Let your kids participate in the spring migration by making colorful birds to race on a string. Place some gummy-candy worms in a bowl at the end of the line to reward the winning bird of each race. It's a great group activity and party game.
atching sports on TV needn't be a parents-only activity. Share your love of the game with your kids, and rooting for your favorite teams can be fun for the whole family.
