So far in this series, we’ve discussed the hydrologic cycle and wastewater management in Hamilton. We’ve learned the importance of preventing untreated wastewater and surface pollutants from reaching our waterways by maintaining the natural water cycle as much as possible. But what does that mean for the average homeowner? As the mandatory outdoor water use ban…
Happy April, Spring is here! And if you’re anything like us you’ve been itching to get gardening! If you’re looking to freshen up your landscape this Spring, we suggest you consider installing a radiant rain garden! These gardens do more than just look pretty, they will absorb and filter rainwater runoff from your downspouts, improve…
By: Ash Lloyd, EcoHouse Green Gardening Volunteer About Keyhole Gardens Keyhole garden beds are raised so that someone working on the garden can lean against the walls for support and the total radius of the garden is kept small so that the entire bed can be reached easily. This makes it a great garden option…
Season one of Nature Ninjas, Wonders of Winter, was an absolute blast that started with learning about our new friends through our sharing circle at the beginning of each session with and ended with our tomato seed planting activity with Spring on the horizon. Unfortunately our final session that was meant to happen this week,…
By: Ash Lloyd, EcoHouse Green Gardening Volunteer Plant Description Often known as “blue false indigo” and “blue wild indigo”, Baptisia australis is a flowering legume native to North America. The plant is a herbaceous perennial that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall and up to a meter across. A mature plant will have a…
Spring approaches, & soon the snow will be melting away for good! Here at Green Venture, no snow means it must be time to start ripping up impermeable surfaces with our Depave Paradise Program, but where should we begin? We’re currently on the hunt for new Depave sites, see the graphic at the bottom of…
No one likes slipping and falling on ice & we want to know that our roads and sidewalks are maintained effectively, so as to not result in an unnecessary accident. However, Green Venture believes that this desire for safety does not have to compromise our desire for a healthy environment, and more specifically, a healthy…
By: Ash Lloyd, EcoHouse Green Gardening Volunteer Introduction Seed saving is an incredibly useful and important skill, even in modern times. In terms of basic survival skills, I believe it is on the same level as knowing how to start a fire or find clean water. Seed saving was common in many rural communities because…
By: Ash Lloyd, EcoHouse Green Gardening Volunteer The Pawpaw Incorporating native plants into our gardens is becoming more and more popular as the general public becomes more educated about helping ecological issues, like increasing biodiversity and ensuring food source for wildlife. With this in mind, I would like to draw your attention to a native…
By: Ash Lloyd, EcoHouse Green Gardening Volunteer The Mottled Duskywing The Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis) could easily be mistaken for a moth due to its brown mottled colouring and wing profile, but it is actually a butterfly from the Hesperiidae family, commonly known as “Skippers”. They are relatively small, having an average wingspan of only…