Regenerative Landscaping
February 17, 2026
Backyard Composting Resources
- Composting Basics from Cornell Extension
- Detailed Composting Instructions from Cornell Extension
- MassDEP Composting Instructions
- Instructions to make a wire compost bin
Local Residential Composting Services
- Black Earth Compost
- Bootstrap Compost
- City Compost (no longer in operation)
Healthy Soil resources
- Building Healthy Soil - a good comprehensive article about building healthy organic garden soil
- Climate Victory Gardening 101 from Green America. Includes 10 Carbon Capturing Practices
- The Carbon Sequestering Garden - a Northeast Organic Farming Association MA Chapter NOFA/Mass publication
- International Year of Soils 2015 from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Symphony of the Soil (film) - is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil. By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource.
- The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health

May 19, 2026
by Pam Phillips As you may know, for the last several years, Friends of Bees, a working group of Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment (WCPJE) , have been meeting and collaborating with WCG’s Pollinator Pathways Committee. Together we have held the Life-Friendly Garden Tour, maintained public pollinator gardens, led pollinator walks, and more. Together we support Watertown's Mayor's Monarch Pledge . Together, we educate about and advocate for our native bees, Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. This year, Friends of Bees are making that togetherness official by merging with the Pollinator Pathways Committee. Twelve years ago, Watertown Citizens asked “What is happening to the bees?” and formed a new working group, Friends of Bees. Friends of Bees learned about the many challenges bees face, especially pesticides and habitat loss. Today, we welcome Friends of Bees to a new home with Watertown Community Gardens. The Life-Friendly Garden Tour, with its rich history of 28 chemical-free garden tours over nearly twenty years, will also be hosted by WCG. WCPJE has always served as an incubator for community groups. Over the years, many initiatives started and fostered under WCPJE later matured into independent organizations expanding the circle of like minded activists. Watertown Community Gardens was one such group. Friends of Bees thanks WCPJE for an abundance of enthusiasm and support as we branch off, while maintaining our role in the larger Watertown community. To stay in touch with Friends of Bees and the Life-Friendly Garden Tour please visit Watertown Community Gardens at our new website . When you sign up for the WCG newsletter , make sure to indicate your interest in pollinators and eco gardening. Details of the 2026 Life-Friendly Garden Tour will be shared in the WCG newsletter this summer. Keep buzzing!

April 23, 2026
By Linda Relson, with Pam Phillips Spring is a really exciting time to see the landscape coming back to life. On multiple occasions in the last couple of weeks, I've seen queen bumblebees, Bombus spp. , drinking nectar from cherry blossoms, and zooming along the ground looking for nesting sites. It’s a sure sign of the season and it lifts my spirits every time.

