By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Monarch butterflies can be found in every continental state in America. Seven states have even named the monarch their “state insect,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

That’s good news for those who would like to create a backyard space to attract monarchs as they make their way north or south for their long annual migrations.

The first step is a to do a little research to learn what monarchs and other butterflies are fluttering around your community. Books can provide information, but lepidopterists (people who collect and study butterflies and moths) or butterfly organizations in your area also will have details.

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From Yardiac

BurnOut Organic Weed Killer & Grass Control is a fast working post emergence weed killer. Composed of blended lemon and vinegar juices, and other patented synergistic components, BurnOut works faster and more efficiently than existing weed controls. Simply spray it on and look for wilting in minutes (typical: 20 minutes on dandelion).

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Here are some of the most popular organic gardening titles from Amazon.com:

The Informed Gardener — Linda Chalker-Scott

In this introduction to sustainable landscaping practices, Linda Chalker-Scott addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Chalker-Scott offers invaluable advice to gardeners gardeners who have wondered:

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By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible

– Welsh proverb

The recession-fueled increase in home gardening of vegetables, herbs, fruit and berries is creating another boom: seed sales.

Seven million more households are planning to grow food for themselves this year than in 2008, a 19 percent increase, according to a recent National Gardening Association report. That’s a pretty significant number, given the fact that 31 percent of all American households already garden for food. And it is likely that their 19 percent estimate is growing every day.

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From Amazon.com

Organic Gardening For Dummies, 2nd edition, shows readers the way to ensure a healthy harvest from their environmentally friendly garden. It covers information on the newest and safest natural fertilizers and pest control methods, composting, cultivation without chemicals, and how to battle plant diseases. It also has information on updated equipment and resources. It helps readers plant organically year-round, using herbs, fruits, vegetables, lawn care, trees and shrubs, and flowers. The tips and techniques included in Organic Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition are intended to reduce a garden’s impact on both the environment and the wallet.

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From Yardiac

Bioganic products were developed to provide the user with effective alternatives that are safe to children, pets, and wildlife. Bioganic is the result of many years of research into natural pesticides. The active ingredients in these unique, patened formulations are made from plant oils and other ingredients widely used as food and cosmetic additives.

• This product controls both grassy and broad leaf weeds.
• Must be applied thoroughly to the leaves of the weeds to be effective.
• For best results apply this in sunny, warm weather.
• Most effective on weeds less than 4 inches high.

Available from Yardiac:

• Bioganic Spot Weeder 24oz RTU

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Product Description from Amazon.com

Whether they’re rooftop dwellers or nestled under a bedroom balcony, your Roma tomatoes and burrito-bound jalapenos will thrive with healthy compost. You will create less scraps for the landfill, too.Our urban-savvy spinning composter is made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic and it produces up to 85 pounds of odorless, fertile compost in about a month. Removable base collects water drippings – a nutritious byproduct. Eight built-in rollers spin to mix in oxygen and speed decomposition. Secure latching door is hinged for filling, detaches for emptying. Arrives assembled.

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From Amazon.com | The Manufacturer

Mantis 15-Inch Reel Mower with Folding Handle And Grass Catcher #811104

Now you can enjoy the smell of fresh air, the pleasant mechanical sound of the blades cutting the grass, and the ease of pushing a lightweight mower around your yard. Even better, mowing with a Mantis Reel Mower is so quiet you can start mowing early in the day… and you won¿t disturb the neighbors. Your lawn will benefit from reel mowing. Unlike rotary mowers which tear the grass blades, reel mowers shear each blade like a pair of scissors. A sheared cut yields a greener and healthier lawn, and is preferred by lawn care professionals.

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From Amazon.com | The Manufacturer

Great States 404-16 16-Inch Standard Push Light Reel Lawn Mower With T-Style Handle

At Great States, we’ve applied a century of technology to a good old fashioned idea: the reel lawn mower. Today’s reel mowers are lightweight and easy to maneuver. They’re ideal for today’s smaller lawns, and today’s hectic lifestyles. They’re always ready when you’re ready, and they’re almost maintenance free with no spark plugs to foul or engines to clog up. They’re good to the environment and they’re good to the lawn, snipping the grass for a clean, precise cut. A cut that’s helped us carve our niche as the nation’s largest manufacturer of in-demand, on-demand reel mowers. We’ve spent 100 years of perfecting our reel mower designs, streamlining our production processes and searching for the best possible materials to build the best reel mowers possible. And we’re proud of all that.

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From Amazon.com

Gardena hand push lawn mower #34023-1

Product details:

• Light weight
• Frictionless cutting edge
• Easy Height adjustment
• Quiet operation
• Easy assembly

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From Amazon | the Manufacturer

The Scotts 18-inch deluxe push reel lawn mower #815-18S has 10″ wheels and radial tread tires. It has a comfortable loop style handle with full length cushioned grip. Adjustable cutting height range from 1/2″ to 2-3/4″ with quick “T” knob adjustable roller assembly. The mower has a 2″ welded shrub bar assembly and unbreakable steel side plates. 5 Blade ball bearing reel assembly, with heat treated tempered alloy steel blades and cutter bar. 2 Year Limited Warranty.

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From Amazon.com | the Manufacturer

Sunlawn 16-inch light weight manual push reel mower #LMM40

The LMM series mowers are Sunlawn’s lightest, quietest, easiest to maneuver mowers. The LMM mowers offer the best mowing performance with the least effort; no other manual mower is so well matched to the human power source. This series features the original Sunlawn five blade flame hardened non-contact cutting system that gives long years of full performance without ever requiring sharpening. The Sunlawn LMM series mowers outperform our earlier Luxus models: the larger wheels provide more mechanical advantage (mowing power) and the greater height range (effectively .5 to 2.5 inches) matches more American lawns. We know of no better all around manual mower available.

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