Archive for July, 2008
July 31, 2008
· Filed under Hobbies & Crafts, Home and Garden, herbs · Tagged crafts, gardening, green, herbs, home, plants
Part Three of the Series
It’s been awhile since I continued with this series. There have been blog changes and the blog is including more stuff than just herbs but I promise you I won’t forget to keep the original series going. This is part three in the series. In part one, I discussed how to select the right area of your yard for a Herb garden. In part two, I discussed how to plan and design the garden in the area you have selected. The purpose of the series is to bring you from the idea to the harvest. If you follow the series, you will able to do that.
In this section, I am going to discuss the various herbs you can choose for your garden and what they require for optimum health. This will depend upon your area, the type of soil in your garden and the location you have chosen for the garden. Your garden is meant to last a long time so take your time in putting it together and don’t rush through things. If something seems hard, tiresome or difficult, set it aside, move along and return to it later. If this is not possible in the general order of things, then just rest awhile before returning to the task. It always helps to remain focused on the end result: a fruitful, healthy garden. Imagine the money you will save along with the great foods you will create.
In considering your garden, do not forget the necessities for caring for the herbs as they grow Water should be plentiful, easy to access and supplied on a regular basis. Plan for soaker hoses, air misting, sprinklers, whatever will work with what you have in place and with what you plan for the garden. Consider the size of the garden. If you have a lot of plants then you need a lot of water. The chore of watering itself depends upon the lay of the land. Sandy soil and plants spaced far apart require a lot of watering; daily is best. But if the plants are compactly planted and will hold water among them in pools or if the soil is mucky and water is slow to drain, then less watering is required. Consider the soil drainage and the runoff as well as the type of herbs and what they require when making choices about watering and sources of water in your garden plan.
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July 31, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation, recycling · Tagged bottled water, conservation, eco, green, non toxic, products, safe, water
Fiji Water Makes A Big Promise
I am sure you have at least heard of Fiji Water. If you haven’t drank it you’ve at least seen it on the shelves of the stores you shop in. As waters go, Fiji seems to be a good product. It claims to be artesian water and therefor not filtered tap water as so many of the others actually are. But now they have even gone one step farther: they have made a promise to be the first carbon negative water company and to go “green”. Here are some excerpts from their company promise:
“We have partnered with Conservation International to become the first “carbon negative” product in our industry and to save the largest rainforest in Fiji. We are also reducing the amount of packaging in our products and leading the charge to expand recycling programs and initiatives.”
They seem to be making a real effort to go green and not only cause no damage to this planet but to help alleviate as much of damage already done as they can. To read more about their mission statement and company promise go here: Fiji Water
Technorati Tags: bottled water, conservation, eco, green, non toxic, products, safe, water
July 27, 2008
· Filed under Food and Drink, Natural Cooking, diy · Tagged cooking, eating, edible, flowers, foraging, gardening, how to, natural, plants, recipes, safe
Rules & Recipes for Gathering & Eating Flowers
The Rules:
First of all, do not eat flowers if you have asthma, allergies, or hay fever. And eat only those that have been grown organically and have no pesticide residue. If you gather flowers locally, check with the landowner to find out what pesticides or fertilizers are used on that land. Do yourself a favor and start a garden of just the flowers you like to eat and keep it organic and clean.
The best time to collect flowers for consumption is during the cooler times of day when the Sun is not wilting them or making them drop petals. Early morning is good but wait until the dew has evaporated. After a rain is fine but allow the flowers to dry before using. Early evening is a nice time, too, but be sure to avoid areas rich with flying insects like mosquitoes and gnats. Wash and dry the flowers after collecting no matter what or when to rid them of dirt, pollution, bugs and other outdoor residues.
Try to choose the healthiest flowers and avoid those that look limp, wilting, broken, missing a lot of petals or discolored in some way. As a general rule, you should remove the stamens and styles from flowers before eating as the pollen can detract from the flavor and some people are allergic to it.
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July 25, 2008
· Filed under Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged alternative, alternative energy, eco, electricity, green, home, saving, solar energy
Here are some great references I got from the web. Sites you can check out today for info on these great new Solar Home opportunities. In the past, the first concerns for switching to solar included the cost (it has been prohibitive), efficiency (what efficiency?) and aesthetics (big windows on the roof). And who stays in the same home for 30 years these days? We are always trading up, if we can. So when do we realize the payback on big investments like solar? And what good will the expensive panels do you in your new home? Does it even add value to the selling price of the old one? Hmmmm..
But there is a solution to all of these concerns, and more! Check out Sun Run . What they do is unique, and does quite a thorough job in eliminating all of the old obstacles to solar. You do not have to buy, lease, rent or take out a loan to purchase a solar home as Sun Run retains ownership of the equipment. and guarantees a certain amount of power generation. How does that sound? At the least, you must admit, this is interesting.
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July 25, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged automobiles, cars, eco, fuel efficiency, gas saving, green, save money, shopping, travel
If you are currently or soon to be in the market for a new car, there are some important considerations you must have in mind about today’s world when you buy. There is fast rising inflation, a disintegrating real estate market, widespread global warming, terrorism and dependency on Middle East Oil, rising energy demands worldwide and insecurity in the banks and lending industry. Do you want to take out a long term loan on a car? You probably need to scale down because most of us were buying up big cars and SUVs which are now huge gas guzzling burdens. The entire picture is huge and overwhelming. So I’ve sort of boiled it all down to a few simple rules. Only know how much you can afford to spend on a new car and whether or not you will buy new or used, but there are measurements for many other factors that are easily sorted out and made sense of.
In this article, I am striving to list the cars with the lowest MPG, highest fuel efficiency, lowest carbon imprint and most reasonable size and comfort factors. Saving on fuel and mileage is great but it stinks if you have to squeeze into a tiny car with no trunk to do it. There is one thing I’d like to cure you of but I’m not sure I can. I’d like you to stop caring so much about how a car looks and worry more about how it performs. An ugly car that saves you a bundle, as long as it’s comfortable, is far more desirable than a gas guzzling zoomer with a hot body and a big carbon footprint. All of us stare at the good looking people but no one wants a high maintenance bombshell with a lot of baggage. So be realistic and mature when you go car shopping. Pick out the best performer for the best price and pass the others up. Here is my list to help you make better sense of all of it.
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July 24, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Herb Recipes, Home and Garden, diy · Tagged chemicals, cleaning, cleanser, diy, eco, green, herbs, home, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, recipes, safe, washing
Using Herbs as Cleaning Products
If you are like me, you have a need for cleaning supplies for the home and would be miserable if you didn’t have something to help you rid the home of dirt, dust and bacteria. I have recently backed off of all the “antibacterial” stuff for fear that we lose our immunity when we lessen exposure. I now think there can be a happy medium that works well for all of us. I have begun to implement more natural remedies for old fashioned cleanups. For instance, instead of tossing old sponges into the landfill or spritzing them with bleach or ammonia, I now pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds or so and wala! Bacteria free. They even lose that sour smell they seem to get even after a bleach bath and a soak.
So if you are looking for cheap, easy and natural alternatives to the manufactured items available in the stores, then you will enjoy these projects. You will love the results and want to repeat the experience. Luckily, this will be easy for the most part and the ingredients are cheap and readily available. Some are even free if you are willing to take a walk through the woods. Dig in and enjoy! ….
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July 18, 2008
· Filed under Health Care, Hobbies & Crafts, Natural Beauty, Personal Care, diy, herbs · Tagged cleaning, cleanser, cosmetics, crafts, diy, face cream, herbs, homemade, how to, natural, non toxic, projects, recipes, safe, soap
Herbs have a long tradition in the making of soaps and tonics as people were always trying to find ways to eliminate body odors and clean the skin of dirt. You cannot imagine the incredible time and effort it took to clean, fluff and maintain the huge layered and ruffled dresses, the large pontoon pants and balloon sleeved shirts. In may Castles throughout Europe it took a legion of handmaidens to wash, iron, repair and “fluff” the clothing of the period. Herbs were used for almost everything, much as they are today. They just didn’t come in a colored box with a brand name and lot of extra chemicals to extend shelf life.
If you are interested in making soaps, including Herbal soaps, I have some recipes here that will help you do that rather simply. I will give you a standard method of making basic soap and then toss in a few Herbal soap recipes for fun. Some of the more successful Herbal Soap manufacturers started as a cottage industry in someone’s kitchen. Perhaps you could do the same.
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July 18, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, conservation · Tagged alternative, alternative energy, conservation, eco, green, recycling, solar energy, water power, wind power
I have this blog because I feel strongly about our treatment of Mother Earth and her children. I am not trying to promote various causes or push people to think differently but I do want to reach other earthies and greenies and herbies and give them the information, the power and the recipes for creating changes in their own daily lives. The information I have included in this post came from Care2. You can visit the Care2 Website here: Check It Out
A clean energy future awaits us. From flying windmills to hydrocarbon fuels derived from fermented sugar, countless innovations exist that can fight global warming, grow our economy and increase our energy independence. But we need the right national energy policies to make all of this happen.
Congress and the Bush Administration are dragging their feet, preferring the old methods of pressing for more oil drilling and giving tax breaks to big oil. While we are in an energy crisis, our “leaders” are clinging to their old earmark bonuses and the free lunch bennies they get from oil lobbyists.
But did you know that technologies exist that could solve it all if they were just given funding? There is solar ink that could revolutionize the way we think of solar energy, devices that harness the energy of waves, and a geothermal power plant that can power an entire village.
These innovations will only do our economy and our environment good. We can be the leaders in the world energy economy and decrease our dependence on foreign oil, but we must start now. This is an amazing opportunity. It is our responsibility to pressure the old coots in Washington to wake up and face the future! If they won’t, then we must vote them out of office.
Get started doing your bit to change this situation today. It’s as easy as watching a video and signing a petition. From there, we can all watch and see what happens. And take further action as needed.
Watch the video and sign the petition here: Watch Video
Technorati Tags: alternative, alternative energy, causes, conservation, eco, green, recycling, solar energy, wind, water power
July 16, 2008
· Filed under Home and Garden, conservation, diy, recycling · Tagged conservation, eco, green, how to, save money, saving, shopping, tips
There are a lot of money saving tips out there. I see them all over the web and every newspaper I read offers some sort of bargain or deal. The economy stinks so even my local newscaster is discussing ways I can save a dollar on the local level. And I have returned to my beloved habits of shopping at flea markets, thrift stores and online discounters. I am always on the look out for a money saving opportunity and I’m sure you are, too.
But the ones that interest me the most are the ones that both save me money and help to save the planet, too. I care as much about caring for the environment as I do about tending to my wallet. Being an animal and environmental “activist” of sorts, I am always thinking of new ways to make better use of the resources around me. It only makes sense. So, if you want some great ideas on how to save moolah and also be a greenie, here are a few new ones I found. I hope you like them.
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July 6, 2008
· Filed under Environmental Detox, Home and Garden, Natural Cooking, conservation, diy · Tagged conservation, cooking, diy, eating, ecology, foraging, gardening, how to, natural, plants, weeds
I know that you are busy most of the year digging, yanking and dosing your yard to rid it of weeds. When you fertilize your favorite weed, lawn grass, you dose the yard with weed killer meant to take out any other weed and make your yard look like a clean carpet. But you are making a huge mistake. You make this mistake because you are misinformed. Manufacturers spend an awful lot of time trying to shape your view of the world and there is money to be made in fertilizers, weed killers, grass seed, lawn mowers, weed pullers, hoes… etc.. and not much to be made from a free garden weed.
If you can just realign your view of beauty and look at these weeds with an eye for real value, you’d be surprised, first by all of the money you’ll save and second by all the work you will no longer have to do!! And, guess what, you’re getting greener and wiser in the process! And I know you just can’t beat all that. So I am going to tell you all about weeds today, which ones to look for and what to do with them when you find them. You will be shocked to realize just how much good stuff you’ve thrown away all these years.
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