2011 Review of Organic Gardens Network

As we all complete one more trip around the sun and 2011 comes to a close, we would like to thank all of our readers and followers for taking the time to stop by to exchange ideas and share comments. We appreciate our connections with all of you and we look forward to nurturing all of our current connections, as well as forging new ones ahead in 2012. We wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Following are the most well-liked posts here at OGN in 2011, listed in order of popularity: Enjoy!

1. How to Sprout and Plant an Avocado Tree
Learn the steps for starting, sprouting and planting an Avocado tree. This is a fun project to do with the kids. They love to be part of making things grow. Buy enough avocados so each child can sprout and grow their very own tree. You can keep them in the house and eventually plant them in your garden.

2. Cauliflower Shepherds Pie
This recipe offers a nice twist on traditional Shepherds Pie using cauliflower in place of potatoes. If you are a vegetarian, you could substitute the grass-fed beef with a vegetarian meat substitute of your choice.

3. 66 Things You Can Grow In Containers
Growing your own food is exciting, not only because you get to see things grow from nothing into ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, but you also don't have to worry about the pesticides they may contain, and you definitely cut down on the miles they -- and you -- have to travel.

4. 98 Invisible GMO Ingredients in Your Food
Processed foods often have hidden GM sources (unless they are organic or declared non-GMO). This post lists the ingredients that may be made from GMOs. How often are you seeing these ingredients show up on the labels of the foods you and your family are eating?

5. What is Edible Forest Gardening?
Edible forest gardening is the art and science of putting plants together in woodland-like patterns that forge mutually beneficial relationships, creating a garden ecosystem that is more than the sum of its parts. Learn how you can grow fruits, nuts, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, other useful plants, and animals, in a way that mimics natural ecosystems.

Photo designed and shot by Rebecca Tollefsen of Our Simple Souls and The Dedication Company. Thank you Rebecca!