Image: firebrat

There are few things as satisfying as making a delicious meal from the fruits (and vegetables) of your own labor. One of my favorite meals is a simple dish of fresh pasta with homemade tomato sauce. Both fresh pasta and the sauce are incredibly easy to make, and while you probably won’t be growing your own wheat and milling your own flour, you can very easily grow almost all the ingredients that you will need for your pasta sauce in your own garden.

Growing Your Sauce

Tomatoes and basil plants can be grown from seed or you can skip ahead a step by buying small plants that you can nurture to full growth. Onions and garlic can easily be grown by buying “sets”, or small bulbs that you… Read More

Image: max_westby

I just love seeing bees buzzing around in my garden, working hard as they collect nectar and pollen. Having bees in your garden isn’t just a nice thing to do, it can also increase the productivity of your fruits and vegetables, as without honeybees pollinating the flowers you aren't likely to see many fruits. Recently I went to our local honey show and got some great tips about how to choose the best plants for bees.

Bear in mind…

Honeybees need both nectar and pollen if their hive is going to have the proper nutrition and food through the winter. They also need to collect this food throughout the growing season, so try to pick a variety of plants that will provide sustenance to the bees for as… Read More

Enter the Havahart® Twitter Contest…it's easy!

Want a chance to win one of our new Spray Away automatic sprinkler repellents for your garden this spring? Now's your chance! Here's how to enter:

1. Visit Havahart® on Twitter

2. Become a follower!

3. Re-tweet the following message (be sure to include the entire message!) between May 1, 2012 at 11:00 AM (EST) and May 31, 2012 at midnight, 12:00 AM (EST):

Happy Spring! #Win a $25 Amazon gift card: Follow @havahart_brand & RT to enter! Ends 5/31 bit.ly/hhm12  #hhmay

The winner will be chosen at random and announced on June 2, 2012 at 11:00AM (EST). Only one entry per person; multiple entries will not be counted!

Thanks for participating, and for joining Havahart® on Twitter!

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Image: faceme

When I was about ten years old, my father, still only in his forties, had a massive stroke as a result of a brain aneurism. He lost most of the use of his right arm and right leg, and his capacity for verbal communication was severely impaired. He never recovered.

It has now been over fifteen years, and though my father moves about with some difficulty, and struggles to communicate with me when I visit, it is still inspiring how well he has gotten past his disability.

As he put himself through his own recovery process, it was amazing to observe the things he learned to do all over again with only the use of one hand: tying his shoes, opening cans and jars, cutting tomatoes. It wasn’t just old, familiar tasks… Read More