Home and Garden

Above: Photo of a Norway Spruce in East Lansing, showing many small, tan male cones (staminate cones) as well as a single, large, pink, and receptive female cone called an ovulate cone

Today we bring you a very special ELi on Earth . . .

Above: The author now has seedlings under glass and also exposed in his East Lansing backyard

A gardening reader asks: What is the chance of a frost yet this spring in East Lansing?

Yard waste collection will begin on Monday, April 6, so this week we bring you answers to common and environmentally-oriented questions about yard waste.

What counts as yard waste? According to the City, “Yard waste includes leaves, plant materials, grass clippings and brush/limbs.”

How does it have to be packaged for pick-up? There are three ways to package your yard-waste for pick-up:

The time has come, my friends, to speak of many things: of scions and slips and grafting wax, of cabbages and clings, and why tomatoes grow in pots and whether March means spring.

Image: The authors' front garden in summer, showing the parkway blooming with zinnias.

Image: Metal mercury, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control

Mercury—the metal not the planet—has been in the East Lansing news since a spill at the East Lansing Wastewater Treatment plant and an ELi scoop about continuing concerns among city workers regarding exposure.

Should East Lansing residents worry about mercury? The short answer is yes, East Lansing residents should worry about mercury.

Image: The front yard of the author and also of ELi's chief reporter for "ELi on Earth"

Image: The author's coast redwood. The leaves are very similar to those of the dawn redwood, but there is a key distinction: the leaves of the coast redwood alternate on each side of the stem while the dawn redwood leaves grow exactly opposite each other on the stem.

Above: From left, a paper seed-starting container made from scrap paper using the wooden press shown behind it; a dish of commercial seed-starting mix; a commercial peat pot like those the author uses for starting seeds.

It may not be spring-like outside yet, but it is time for East Lansing gardeners to be thinking about summer planting. For those interested in starting their flowers, vegetables, and herbs as seedlings indoors, this is the season for getting organized.

Invited to someone’s home this holiday season and in need of a host/hostess gift? You could bring the typical gift of a bottle of wine, or you could bring something different—a locally-produced handmade gift.

In response to the recent snows and freezing rain, East Lansing residents brought out shovels and de-icing agents to clear their walks and driveways. ELi on Earth (EoE) has already covered the creation of ice in the form of hail, and this week EoE is going to look at using salt to melt ice on your sidewalk and driveway, including which product to choose if you’re conscious of the environment in East Lansing.