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.
Potpourri Project: Brighten Any Season With Hand-Crafted, All-Natural, Scented Gifts
Potpourri has long been used as a means to freshen the scent of indoor spaces, but it wasn’t always pretty. The French “pot-pourri,” from which our English word is derived, literally means putrid pot —...
Handwriting – A Dying Skill Well Worth Reviving
Since recorded history began, good handwriting has been a valued and highly-esteemed skill. Often considered an art, handwriting was once the primary means of creating important documents, communicating by letter, and preserving written memories. As...
Healing Houseplants: Do Your Potted Plants Have Medicinal Value?
The simple presence of plants in our environment is known to be beneficial in many ways — they help reduce stress, improve focus, facilitate healing, and act as natural air-purifiers and humidifiers; but some common...
Dissolve Resentment and Discover Contentment
Resentment is often compared with taking poison and expecting it to harm the offender rather than yourself — an unwise choice no matter how you look at it. The negative effects of resentment are numerous,...
Vegetarian Thanksgiving? Original Recipe Trio for the Taste of Tradition, Without the Turkey
Although there are countless options for vegetarian sides at Thanksgiving; the bird, the stuffing and the gravy can be a stumper for non-meat-eaters. This original recipe trio will get you past that hump, and on...
Practical Feng Shui – Energize Your Space and Spirit Through Ancient Principles of Geomancy
Feng shui (風水), translated literally as “wind water,” is the ancient Chinese practice of aligning physical and energetic elements of an environment to achieve harmony and balance, resulting in improved energy and mood for those...
Korean Kimchi Made Easy – Recipe
Kimchi is a Korean pickle that really packs a punch. Like other fermentation processes, it has not grown old with the passage of time; but ripens and grows in popularity. This spicy condiment can, for...
The Dangerous Side-Effects of Plastics, and How to Minimize Their Toxic Impact
Plastics are not only an environmental disaster; these man-made conveniences introduced a century ago are also harming our physical and mental health. Phthalates — chemical compounds used to make plastic more flexible and durable —...
The Omnipotent Owl – Why Are We Drawn to This Ancient Symbol of Wisdom?
Like a great sage, an owl sits stock-still, seeing everything, but saying nothing. When she takes action, it is swift and precise. These bold characteristics have earned the owl both respect and fear among humans;...
Want a Healthy Halloween Treat? Try the Weird and Wonderful Water Caltrop
What is a nutty fruit — shaped like a bat — that’s both auspicious and delicious? It’s a water caltrop (菱角, ling jiao), and it means different things to different folks. Some can’t get enough...
The Anatomy of Arguments, and How to Make the Most of Them
Arguments are uncomfortable for many people — so much so that we may go out of our way to avoid certain topics; but there are times when an argument is necessary, and, if approached correctly,...
Sweet Mesquite: Quietly Invasive yet Incredibly Useful
While many of us are familiar with mesquite as a distinct barbeque flavor, or the charcoal that lends such a flavor, the mesquite tree has much more to offer. Called everything from the “tree of...