New 2012 USDA Hardiness Zone Map Released - Changes Reflect Rising Temperatures Since Last Release

Updated once every several years to a few decades, the USDA has released an interactive GIS-based hardiness zone map for 2012. It is also available in static image form for slower connections. Click image to view interactive link, or use links at the bottom of this post. Gardeners beware ... the climate has changed over the last several decades and the government has reflected these changes with this new hardiness zone map. Most locations throughout the USA have remained the same or been notched up a half zone. A half zone increase may not sound like much - it reflects a 5 degree change - but with first and last frost times so critical, one or two weeks could make a difference between plant life and death. Stuck in-between zones and not sure which zone you belong to? No problem -- just type in your zip code and it will tell you. Currently, the USDA has not printed any posters of this new 2012 map, but you can download state, regional and national maps in a variety of resolutions and print them yourself. View Maps: Interactive version for higher speed internet connections Static version for slower internet connections

FREE Seed Catalog List. 30 Companies That Will Mail You Their Latest Print Seed Catalogs Cost Free.

With experts and avid gardeners all ready to begin growing seeds indoors, it's time to get a game plan underway for your Spring garden. Browsing through catalogs is one of the finest ways to get great gardening ideas. If you're like me, there's nothing like flipping through real-life magazines, newspapers and catalogs (it's just not the same in digital form!). That's why I still order print editions of my catalogs, and yes (in case you're wondering) I do still get my newspaper delivered to my house daily. All of the following 30 links are verified to be working as of yesterday, January 19, 2012. Just fill out the requested information and these companies will send out a catalog at their earliest convenience. It's that simple. NOTE: Where indicated, many of these companies also do offer a downloadable .PDF version (or other type of digital download) of the same catalog. Also keep in mind that some of these companies have not yet released their 2012 catalog, so make sure you don't request a 2011 version if you want a 2012. DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise stated, LushGreenVA neither personally endorses or opposes any of the following merchants. Please do your own due diligence if you intend to commit financially to these organizations. THE LIST - FREE PRINT SEED CATALOGS: Abundant Life Seeds (.PDF version also available) Organic and biodynamic vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Also garden supplies and tools. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (.PDF version also available) Pure heirloom, open-pollinated vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Botanical Interests (.PDF version also available) Vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Bountiful Gardens Heirloom, untreated and open-pollinated vegetable, flower, herb and other seeds. Comstock Garden Seeds Selling seeds for 200 years. Primarily Heirloom vegetable seeds, some flower & herb seeds. Gurney's Seed & Nursery Co. Popular company selling vegetable seeds & much more. Harris Seeds Since 1879, selling primarily vegetable seeds. High Mowing Organic Seeds (.PDF version also available) 100% certified organic, non-GMO vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Irish Eyes Garden Seeds Vegetable, flower, herb and other seeds, plus more. John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds 350 varieteies of vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Johnny's Selected Seeds Vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Kitazawa Seed Co.  (.PDF version also available) Specializing in over 250 Asian vegetable seed varieties. neSeed Selling vegetable, flower, & herb seeds in small or bulk quantities. The Online Greenhouse Some non-GMO and heirloom vegetable & flower Seeds, and other seed starting supplies. Peaceful Valley Grow Organic A section of organic vegetable and herb seeds, and open-pollinated flower seeds. Also a bunch of other stuff. Richters (.PDF version also available) Herb seeds, extracts, oils & more. Seed Savers Exchange (.PDF version also available) Non-profit organization dedicated to saving and sharing heirloom seeds. Vegetable, flower, herb seeds, and more. Seeds of Change (.PDF version also available) Organic vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Also live plants, tools and supplies. Select Seeds Rare, choice heirloom flower and plant seeds, as well as a few herb seeds. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange My favorite, located here in Virginia. Specializing in mid-Atlantic seeds (zones 6-8) Huge and informative catalog full of vegetable, flower, & herb seeds. Sow True Seeds (.PDF version also available - just click on catalog image!) Vegetable, flower, and herb seeds. Open-pollinated/non-hybrid & untreated seeds featuring heirloom, organic & traditional varieties. Territorial Seed Company (online version also available) Family owned business selling vegetable, flower, and herb Seeds. Also live plants and garden supplies. The Cook's Garden Packed with seeds and live plants, including vegetables, annuals, perennials, herbs, garden-ready plants, gardening supplies and more. Thompson & Morgan Quality English seeds for over 150 years. Vegetable, herb, shrub and tree seeds + much more! Totally Tomatoes (online version also available - see link near lower left) Tomato, pepper and vegetable seeds, plus live plants, roots and berries. Urban Farmer Vegetable & herb seeds as well as Spring bulbs, and seed potatoes. Veseys Certified organic vegetable, flower, & herb seeds as well as bird feeders, tools and supplies. Wild Garden Seed Located in the Pacific northwest. Open-pollinated, untreated and organic vegetable & herbs seeds. Willhite Seed Inc. (.PDF version also available) In the seed business for 86 years. Vegetable as well as a few herb seeds.

New Farmers Markets Up 17% in the USA Last Year. 10 States Report Increases of 30% or More!

It's a great day to be alive when farmer's markets are experiencing unprecedented growth, as they are year-over-year as indicated in this new USDA government press release. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are now 7,175 farmers markets in the country, up from 6,132 just one year earlier - an increase of around 17%. Of the total number of farmers markets reported by market managers, nearly 12 percent indicate they have the capability of accepting SNAP (formerly known as food stamp) benefits onsite. This represents a 16 percent increase in the number of markets accepting SNAP benefits since 2010. "The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation's food system."      According to the report, the following states recorded the highest increase in the amount of farmers markets. The top-10 list for growth is as follows: Alaska (35 markets, up 46 percent) Texas (166 markets, up 38 percent) Colorado (130 markets, up 38 percent) New Mexico (80 markets, up 38 percent) Indiana (171markets, up 37 percent) Oklahoma (61 markets, up 32 percent) South Dakota (29 markets, up 32 percent) Pennsylvania (266 markets, up 31 percent) Ohio (278 markets, up 31 percent) Michigan (349 markets, up30 percent) Reasons for the rise may include a continued depressed economy, a more health-conscious society, and a changing demographic in USA (a rise in immigrants to America over the last several years and decades). Photo by Joe Mabel As this National Farmers Market Week comes to a close tomorrow (Saturday, August 13th), please take time this weekend to help your local farmers and regional economy by buying local at your nearest farmers market. If you've yet to visit one of these markets, you're in for a treat. Not only does it get you out in nature, but you'll get to mingle with lots of friendly folks, get to know some of the farmers themselves, and of course come home with great food. Advantages include freshness, availability of more organic produce, affordability, and depending on the size of the farmers market - great variety and selection. Find your local farmers market online. The USDA National Farmers Market Directory is available at http://farmersmarkets.usda.gov

Free Mulch By the Truckload? It May Be As Close As Your Local Landfill !

In a world where middle-men thrive and everyone seems to get a piece of the pie, it's rare to get anything good for FREE anymore. Many gardeners are unaware that mulch, which usually goes for $4 to $10 a bag at a store, may be obtained free - right in their own community. Further yet, you may be able to load up your entire truck bed -- and come back for more tomorrow! How is this possible? Well, many landfills provide the service of disposing peoples brush, which piles up quickly on their lots. As a courtesy, they shred these piles of discarded vegetation, and offer you - the resident - the opportunity to use this recycled matter as mulch. Is free mulch available where I live? Whether or not your landfill offers mulch depends on many factors such as whether the landfill is located in a urban or rural location, or if there's enough vegetation in your region to make this courtesy feasible. Usually, the availability of landfill mulch falls under one of three options: Mulch is not offered at all. It is offered, but in limited quantities. The mulch is offered FREE, or at some cost. Either way, you can check for availability by visiting your local landfill, calling your local government office for information, or checking on the internet -- many jurisdictions offer all the information you need on their website. If mulch IS offered at your local landfill, keep in mind the following: There may be a daily or weekly limit (although I wonder who really pays attention). It may be offered for local citizens only (with proof of residency required). Availability may be limited or seasonal - on a first come, first served basis. Though some landfills will load your pickup truck for you - usually for a fee, most offer the option of manually loading the mulch by yourself. Of course you'll need to come properly equipped. For best results, you should show up with the following: High boots to help move around the mulch pile more efficiently and prevent mulch chips from getting inside your shoes. A nice, large pitchfork. You can use a shovel but trust me, nothing picks up mulch better than a pitchfork. A truck with an open bed, or if you're picking up smaller quantities -- large containers (such as garbage bins), or large durable plastic bags ("durable" the key word here). What type of mulch can I expect? The type of mulch offered may vary widely from region-to-region depending on local vegetation types, and the time of the season. For example, in areas where a lot of pine trees grow, the mulch may be more pine-based, whereas Florida residents may have more chopped-up palm trees in their mix. Also, certain times of the year may yield different variety, such as in Fall or Spring when people prune & "tidy-up" more often. Here on the east coast, the mulch is a pretty good mix of everything - and the quality is fairly consistent no matter what time of year I visit. What's the quality like? If you're expecting "fine," colored or specialty mulch like those found at your hardware store, you will be disappointed. This mulch is not that. Based upon my personal experience at my local landfill, the free mulch I get is somewhat dull and light brown in color and, overall, the wood chips are slightly bigger, and more irregularly shaped than store-bought versions. Because it's free, authorities utilize less manpower, money & attention to the entire process. Commercial shredding operations may check for inconsistencies (such as plastic among the wood, and larger chucks), and may run their wood chips through a shredder several times to create better consistency. The mulch at landfills, on the other hand, is usually shredded just once and not checked for inconsistencies. Many residents are just lazy and rather than separating their brush from regular trash, some will throw everything in the brush pile. Therefore, amongst the wood chips, you'll occasionally find bits of "whatever else" - which you'll have to manually discard. This is usually not a big problem, but only a minor inconvenience. Negative aspect. Well you knew there has to be a catch. You know the old saying, "if it sounds to good to be true, then..." Free mulch also comes with the 'unknown factor.' There is no way of telling whether your mulch comes from brush that's been previously tainted, treated or killed with harmful chemicals, or to which degree? Over time, when this mulch decomposes into the ground, will it have a harmful effect on your vegetation? Added (7/28): As pointed out by WDCGardener on Twitter, Poison Ivy (or oak) is often discarded and mixed-in with the mulch. Therefore, although you should use them anyway - gloves are an absolute necessity when handling this mulch and of course don't allow it to come in contact with other parts of your skin. Personally, I have used this mulch for years and all my vegetation appears to be growing without any noticeable problems (nor have I been infected with poison ivy - and yes, I am allergic to it). Suggested uses. With its somewhat dull hue & inconsistent appearance, free landfill mulch may be best suited for backyard use, or in places where it can't be easily seen by the public. As a money saver, I like to use this mulch in combination with quality, colored commercial mulch. Placing your free mulch underneath the good mulch can add up to big savings. For example, 3 inches of free mulch covered by 2 inches of good mulch, saves your wallet 60%. Final note. Courtesy should be practiced and applied when transporting your free mulch. If you load a pickup, or otherwise are transporting an open load, please cover your mulch with a tarp (or other similar material) to help prevent debris from flying all over the place. Depending on your jurisdiction, it may be unlawful to do otherwise.