Ila Bonczek
Ila has a Bachelor's degree from from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science. She lives in the Garden State, where she has been growing produce and perennials for 25 years.
Join Ila in the exploration of exciting topics like sustainable living, holistic health, and the cultivation of not just plants, but mind and body as well.
The Fascinating Process Behind the Beauty of Natural Fibers – Part III: Cotton
Do you have a favorite cotton T-shirt, love the crisp feel of fresh cotton sheets, or appreciate the absorptive power of cotton towels? You’re not alone. Cotton is the most widely-used natural fiber, and one...
6 Unusual Herbs to Upgrade Your Garden and Your Health
Staple herbs like basil, oregano, parsley, and thyme adorn many an herb garden for their culinary uses; yet there are dozens of lesser-known herbs that are equally useful and easy to grow. Whether you’re looking for...
Seasonal Eating for April, and the Chinese Soli-Lunar Calendar
Seasonal eating is an environmentally sound, healthy, common-sense approach to food which has been growing in popularity since the 1970’s. In the purest sense of the term — which also implies eating locally — seasonal...
The Quandary of Quantifying Life’s Meaningfulness
Do you ever find yourself measuring your life’s meaningfulness? People who are generally dissatisfied or depressed often feel that their lives aren't particularly meaningful, while those who feel fulfilled and content tend to find life...
A Gardener’s Guide for April: Growing Seedlings
April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring the welcome, wet conditions to start countless seedlings, and satisfy the thirsty roots of transplants. Here in New Jersey, our final frost date falls between...
The Fascinating Process Behind the Beauty of Natural Fibers – Part II: Wool
Continuing our exploration of natural fibers, we’ll look at another classic: wool, or the hair collected from animals — mainly sheep, but also from a surprising number of other mammals. Wool has been a staple...
Spring Cleaning for the Garden
As spring approaches, it’s only natural to feel an irresistible impulse to clear away the final vestiges of winter, and welcome in a new season. Spring cleaning indoors might involve washing windows and drapery, sorting...
Celebrate Pi Day With the Best Berry Pie Ever – Recipe
Pi Day, otherwise known as March 14, was first celebrated in 1988 by American physicist Larry Shaw. A few short years later, I was introduced to my all-time-favorite pie recipe by a fellow intern at...
Feeling Blue? Amigurumi to the Rescue!
Cold, dark and dreary, winter can get the best of us sometimes. While we endure those last dismal weeks before spring brings vibrance and vitality back to the world, a small creative challenge may be...
Choosing Your Chewing Gum, and Why It Matters
Whether you chew for a purpose or for pleasure, you’ll be happy to know that chewing gum can, in moderation, do little harm; and, if you choose well, it can even be beneficial. While it...
Can Mushrooms Save the World? 8 Great Ways Fungi Can Repair Our Planet and Its Population
Oddly enough, the further we advance in science and technology, the bigger the mess we seem to make. Environmental pollution, ecological imbalance, disease, famine, vanishing natural resources and moral decay are growing concerns that threaten...
Breeze Through Awkward Moments With Emotional Intelligence
We’ve all run into awkward moments where there’s an elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about; there is a palpable tension between two people; we’re facing an unfamiliar situation or group; or...