August 31, 2005
The Starbucks Garden Connection
Looking for the perfect mulch? Need to feed the worms you're raising for your garden? Want a way to control slugs and snails? It turns out that coffee grounds are a valuable ingredient in compost and have a multitude of other uses to aid the active gardener. Mixed with grass and leaves, they can be used as a side dressing for vegetables and flowers. Or, use them straight on acid-loving plants like azaleas and hydrangeas. Either way, they make an excellent mulch that can protect plants from leaf-chomping snails while nourishing the plant's roots.
Isn't this a great reason to have an extra cup of joe? And if you don't drink coffee, your friendly local Starbucks provides grounds for free. Perhaps other coffee stores and cafes will do the same. After all, the grounds just get thrown out. This is recyling at its most effective. Thanks to our Canadian friends at i Can Garden for this good news.