Clemson University, located on a former plantation known  as Fort Hill in Clemson, South Carolina, got its start at the death of George Green Clemson. In his will, he bequeathed his plantation and a considerable sum (for the day), to be used for the creation of a college for teaching agriculture and mechanics. In 1889 the necessary legislation was passed and Clemson college first opened its doors in July of 1893 as an all-male military college.

Today, it has branched out to include a worldwide campus and yes, as of 1955, it is co-ed. Its goal is to become one of the nations top-20 public universities by 2011 and it appears to be well on the way.

In the link provided below, you’ll find many gardening topics covered in expert, non-technical, prose. There is a set of navigation links across the top of the page (beneath the banner) in what is known as “breadcrumb navigation”. To move backward in it, simply click on a link to the left of your current location, to move forward, click on a link in the currently viewed page. When you get to a page that has no links in it, you are in a box canyon and will need to reverse course to read further.

The articles on the Clemson website are not strictly “organic”, so you’ll have to watch your step, but there is a lot of good reading here. After Saturday, this link will also be found in my links list.

Like most gardeners, I’ve learned a few tricks over the years that make gardening easier. For me, the best, like these, are nearly free and all are easy to make and use.

1. Tomato ties: Nothing you can buy in the store will work as well for tying tomatoes to their stakes as Read on, my gardening friend. Read on …

Arghhh! I’m being tormented by unseen beings! Get ‘em off me! Get ‘em off meeeee!
(grin)
All this nice weather recently and the ground is still frozen. That’s so sad. Are you going just a little nuts waiting for the weather to break so you can get out in your garden?
Me, too. I don’t know whether to go off my meds, double up on ‘em or take someone elses!*

So, here’s what I want you to do:
Even if it’s snowing, get outside tomorrow. Pull some leaves back and scratch the soil a little. Sprinkle some loose-leaf lettuce seeds** on top of the soil and smooth it over with your hands. Return some of the leaves to the planting site and go on inside to a hot cup of tea.

It won’t be long now.

In ‘the D’,
Bill

*Just yankin’ yer chain.
** Black-seeded Simpson is my favorite for “Wilted Lettuce Salad”

It being difficult to UPS a bale of hay, many vendors do not have web sites.

I just found this listing for a “Spring Fling” for gardening bloggers. It’s in Chicago (not too far from Detroit) but I, sadly, will not be able to attend due to prior committments.

If you are able to attend, perhaps you’ll fill us in on it with a comment or two when you get back.

In other news … I am now a regular blogger for Examiner.com, blogging, naturally enough, on the topic of urban organic gardening. I’m looking to add to my own gardening repetoire and to share those experiences and findings with others. This is starting to be fun … already I’ve earned almost 20 cents )))

I would appreciate a push up on Stumble, Reddit or any other social networking site you are a member of. Thanks in advance!

– Bill

The top 4 seed producers in the world produce 36% of the world’s seed. Monsanto is number one, Dow Chemical is number two. They are also heavily engaged in both securing plant patents and enforcing those patents. Their seed cross-pollinates the fields of others … and then they sue the others for possessing ‘their’ genetic material.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds do not occur naturally. They are engineered and ‘tested’ by their makers. Unbiased oversight is minimal, at best.

And it’s all so very legal.

Read on, my gardening friend. Read on …