squabble over kitchen scraps…

and love from mother

winter venom
curls a city
sleeping
#haiku—
Shane Genziuk (@sgenziuk) May 18, 2013

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Over 2.25 billion cups or mugs of java are imbibed each and every day. Although large nations are split between coffee and tea, America is clearly in the coffee column. More than half of U.S. adults enjoy at least one cup of Joe per day. The liquid is so popular we’ve actually given it a proper name!

Coffee is also good for the economy, as most drinkers consider its imbibition a daily ritual. Some folks simply cannot start their day without a cup of hot Joe in their hands. This has helped American companies such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts earn untold sums while they employ tens of thousands of workers. But believe it or not, most folks still get their coffee the old-fashioned way, i.e., they brew it at home.

According to a recent report, about 85 percent of regular coffee drinkers make a cup in the morning before they leave for work. This not only saves them beaucoup bucks on an annual basis, it also helps the environment, in more way than one. Firstly, they won’t have a cardboard or Styrofoam cup to dispose of when they’re done. All they have to do is rinse out their mug instead of adding to landfills.
Secondly, coffee grounds can actually be reused, or repurposed.

Coffee grounds are good for plants!

If you grow your own vegetables or simply love your lawn, you may be ignoring a cheap and ready mulching agent. When you add coffee grounds to the soil in your garden, it serves as an effective fertilizer. How does it work? Even when used, coffee retains nitrogen, which is needed to help plants and vegetables grow. But because coffee is quite acidic, it should only be used on certain crops.

Acid-loving plants

According to horticulturists, the plants that can truly benefit from coffee grounds include roses, blueberries, tomatoes, and evergreens. These are plants that thrive on the nutritional value used or unused coffee grounds add to the soil. In particular, these grounds add texture and fertility to the earth, which helps attract earthworms.

Coffee grounds as a pesticide

Because most inorganic coffee contains pesticides, they can actually deter critters that are harmful to plants, such as snails and slugs. Organic coffee may not stave of these garden pests, unless they include organic pesticides that are specifically designed for that purpose. But either way, rotted or fermented coffee grounds will not work.

How to use them in your garden

Because they generally have a much higher nitrogen content, drip grounds tend to work better than boiled grounds. For optimum results, coffee grounds should be sprinkled around vegetables and flowers before you water them, since that will effectuate the slow-release of nitrogen into the soil. Using compostable, non-bleached coffee filter is easiest, as they can be dumped into your garden altogether.

However, a much simpler and more economical way to use coffee grounds in your garden is to mix them with water and spray them directly on plants and vegetables. The experts recommend using about a half-pound of grounds for every five gallons of water. They can then be sprayed into vegetable boxes, pots, and garden beds.

Do they really work?

When used correctly, coffee grounds help produce bigger carrots, tomatoes, and other esculent vegetables. As we mentioned, coffee grounds work best on plants that require acids, but they can also be of benefit to those that do not adore them. Used in moderation, they will still help attract earthworms that help turn and aerate the soil. They can also help keep bugs at bay, since coffee grounds typically contain insecticides.

How much to use

Like any type of fertilizer, coffee grounds are only effective when used sparingly. It is never a good idea to add too much, as that could do more harm than good. The proper proportion is usually around 4 to 1, or twenty-five percent of coffee grounds to mineral soils by volume. There is no need to use a measuring cup, just be careful not to sprinkle in too much. When applied appropriately, coffee grounds add potassium, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, and nitrogen to all types of soil, which improves its fecundity and structure.

Coffee grounds are one of the many secret ingredients amateur and professional gardeners use to produce bumper crops. They often pair them with crushed eggshells and sprinkle them around the base of their plants, since both can help repel slugs and bugs.
Martha is an expert in articles writing and blogging. She has been providing custom writing service for many years now. She enjoys writing on different subjects and her posts will be of good help to anyone.

Related articles

• 5 Uses for Your Used Coffee Grounds (groundtoground.org)
• BEAUTY GOO: Coffee Scrubs (theorangeyone.wordpress.com)
• Why You Should Compost Your Coffee Grounds (drinks.seriouseats.com)

It was a tough Summer this one, plenty of long hot days and too little rain. It got to the point where I had to use the mains water, as the two IBCs had ran dry, and all those olive barrels, and the tire ponds. When every source of harvested water was gone, out come the chlorinated wonder (Melbourne city mains water is also world class drinking water – but chlorine ain’t too good for soil).

Small plants need special care over a long dry stretch, and even with my best efforts, I lost a fuschia and a freshly planted olive sapling (yeah don’t plant trees in Summer Duh). Number one lesson – plant stuff in Autumn!

So now it is over, time for the soil to heal and those plants to take what they can before Winter. It felt like the whole garden  let out a sigh of relief, pleased with the coming sleep.

Something is better than nothing

A thick layer of mulch between the soil and the sun makes a huge difference, so use it if you can. Anything from pea straw to hay or sugar scraps, wood chips, cut up pieces of last year’s broad bean harvest, and the stalks + leaves of Jerusalem Artichokes works well.

A good layer of mulch leads to biological health of the soil, whereas an exposed topsoil will quickly fall away in vitality and water holding ability, leaving a lifeless dry sand that is hard to fix once broken.

One of the tricks that worked really well this year was to add a handful of fresh vermicast into a 10 litre bucket half full of rainwater, then once that was diluted, to soak sugar cane mulch in there until the bucket was full. I then applied the wet mulch around the base of fruit trees, and that works a treat.

It worked so well that I’m going to try it on a larger scale, and add some additional ingredients like urea (Mmmm where do you think I can get me some of that , chicken manure, fish emulsion and so on.

There is plenty of time to prepare for next Summer down here in Australia, and just a little bit for you folks up North.

So folks, Summer is dead. Long live Summer!

Related articles

• Compost – the smell of a successful Garden (plewspottingshed.wordpress.com)
• Weedless gardening is possible….. article (herbscorner.wordpress.com)
• Vegetable Patch (weedsandwhiskers.wordpress.com)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adforce1/4600787479/

Don’t say it too loudly or you’ll scare it off, but I think spring is finally here. The sun is out, beer gardens are full of people who aren’t actually smoking, and the first wasps of the season have begun repeatedly head butting our window panes.

So for the first time we’re poking our heads out the backdoor and thinking about all the jobs that are going to need doing. There are quite a few of them. Of course, the first item on any to-do list is the phrase “Write to-do list”. So to save you the trouble, here’s one we made earlier. Congratulations! You’ve ticked the first item on your to-do list off just by reading this article!

1. Spray Your Fruit Trees

The flowers are in bloom and the bugs are all coming out of hibernation. If you’re growing any orchard fruits, now’s the time to make sure they don’t get eaten. This is easy enough. Simply spray your trees with a coat of dormant oil. This not only keeps away bugs, it also smothers any eggs that have already been laid and kills off any fungal infections that may have set down. Get this done before your trees start to bud for the best results.

2. Repair Your Plant Supports and Beds

If you’re growing raspberries, blackberries, or flowers such as climbing roses or any other plant that requires a trellis, you should make sure that the supports that keep those plants in place are still in good condition.

Check them over and make any necessary repairs. You should also check your raised plant beds to see if they need reinforcing and fix any broken fence pickets.

3. Care for Your Lawn

This is a good time to lay down a pre-emergent lawn-care treatment. It’s a good way to combat weeds such as quack or crab grass. Get it down early when the weather improves and stop the problem before it even starts.

4. Prune the Roses

An old bit of gardening folklore my dad used to like repeating was that you have to cut away the dead canes from your roses when the forsythia blooms. If you don’t have any forsythias, March is probably a good time to get started.

5. Clean Your Garden Plots

Yep. This isn’t one of the more glamorous gardening chores but it needs to be done. Now that the snow has disappeared you need to get rid of all the winter debris that’s built up while you’ve been hiding inside in the warm. Get rid of all those broken twigs, vegetable plant skeletons and the litter of string, paper and old crisp packets that have somehow found their way onto your plant beds while your back was turned.

6. Weeding

Nobody likes weeding but it needs doing and if you want it to be less of a chore you need to get it out of the way early. That way the root systems will still be pretty shallow and you’ll be able to clear them out of the way and devote more time to the more fun parts of gardening.

7. Top Dressing

If you’re not going to be tilling under your plant beds, put down a top dressing to get more nutrients into the soil and help the plants grow stronger. Good top dressing options include compost or, if you can find some, aged manure is great for the plants.

8. Replace Mulch

It’s not uncommon for your mulch to take a beating over winter. When you first venture out into the garden, check for any newly emerged bare patches. It’s a good idea to get those patches filled in while you’re putting down new top dressing to cut down on weeds.

9. Transplants

If you’ve got any young trees or shrubberies that you want to move, this is when you should be moving them. The soil will be nice and soft, so moving them will be easier than at other times of the year. It’s also good for the plants to be moved before they start budding.

10. Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade

Of course the one job that we shouldn’t have to tell you you’ll need to start doing is mowing the lawn. Your grass has just been going through a massive growth spurt and it’s going to need keeping in check. That means you are going to need the right tool. Namely, you’ll need a lawn mower with a good sharp blade. If you can’t sharpen it yourself, get it down to the repair shop. A sharp blade doesn’t just make cutting through the grass easier, it can also mean avoiding getting the mower jammed or other dangerous malfunctions.

11. Mow the Lawn

Once your lawn mower is in perfect shape it’s time to put it to good use. At the start of the spring you don’t want to go nuts on the lawn. Cut it to the relatively high height of around 4-6 inches to keep the lawn looking neat without interfering with the grass’ growth phase. Later you might need to cut it shorter than that, but now is not the time.

12. Plant Your Vegetables

Finally you can start doing some actual planting once you’ve done everything else. If you like growing your own veg this is the time of year to start. Your potatoes, onions and peas, your lettuce, rosemary, oregano and thyme all need to go into the soil now if you want them to get the most of the good weather and grow up big, strong and above all, incredibly tasty.

Once you’ve ticked these off your list you’ll be able to get down to the real fun of gardening: planting new plants and tending to your favourites. Or maybe just getting a folding chair out and sitting down to have a read in the sun. Most of all, let’s enjoy the good weather while it lasts, as we all know it’s going to start raining again any day now.

Mark Bartram is the managing director of Lawnmower’s Direct.

We’re a bunch of smart people and some of the brighter ones have come up with ways to harness clean energy, or at least a lot cleaner than the main energy sources we have at the moment, which are oil and coal. In a few years’ time you might be hearing a lot about them. They are actually getting used a little just now and it would be no surprise if you do know what they’re all about, but for the people that don’t we can take a closer look into them.

The powerful sun

The sun is the most powerful thing we will ever come into contact with and nothing on earth will ever come close. It’s so powerful that it can burn us badly from about 150 million kilometers away. It seems a shame to waste that energy, but as I’m sure you already know we can take it and store the energy in small cells which we turn into electricity. You might have solar panels on top of your home, but the ones we’ll use in the future to power cities will be massive.

Using the wind for better

The wind has caused us so many problems for as long as we can remember. It has the power to wipe out everything you own and it doesn’t say sorry. But finally it can start doing something to help us and we can use its awesome power to convert into electricity that will give us huge amounts of power. In the past we did have windmills, but the future has already begun and there will be huge fields of wind turbines all over the country trying to capture as much energy as possible.

Scary waves

Have you ever seen one of those videos where a guy surfing is one of the biggest waves on the planet? You don’t really appreciate how dangerous a wave can be until you see someone trying to surf it. It lets you see just how powerful it is and if the surfer was to make one wrong move it would break them into a hundred pieces. We can use the waves much like the wind and it requires building turbines under the sea that need to be positioned on the ocean floor.

Nuclear energy

This one is tricky because nuclear waste is not something you can get on your hands. It has to be stored very carefully and it won’t become safe until long after we’re dead. That doesn’t take away from the fact it doesn’t emit any harmful gases and a nuclear power station’s chimney is not trying to destroy our planet like the one at a coal power station. It might be used in the short-term because we can make so much energy for little cost.

Under the ground

Just like the sun, the center of the earth is pretty warm. That is a massive understatement and if you’ve seen a volcano erupt you would definitely know why. We can use this heat to make energy, but it can only be done in places around the globe where there is tectonic activity. It is most definitely green and no harmful pollution will end up ruining the environment. The only problem comes when other harmful gases from under the earth’s surface escape and we need to find a way to trap it.

Gemma Hastings is an ardent blogger and likes to read science fiction books in her free time. She believes in leading an ecologically friendly life for a healthier planet. By day, she works for SolarPanelGrants.org and you can click here to know more about them.

Related articles

• Renewable Energy Versus Nuclear Energy: Which Way Should Ghana Go? (thechronicle.com.gh)
• Solar Power Burned up the Energy-Source Competition in March: What Does the Future Hold? (usgreentechnology.com)
• Geothermal Energy – The Ultimate Renewable Energy Source (greenerideal.com)

Pages scattered up

glide briefly as chickens squawk

land in no order

The overgrown weeds and uncut lawns of abandoned or neglected plots of land that have long been allowed to grow freely within some communities are now targets of a growing trend of green warfare called “guerilla gardening.”

The trending regimes of community members rallying together, armed with trowels, well if they are successful, it surely means the demise of community blight.

And that’s a good thing!

Photo by Flickr user Introspectivo

Green Campaign With an Attitude

As Anette’s Garden explains, the idea behind guerilla gardening is to beautify small, unsightly areas, be it in your backyard, around the garage or even in public places. Greening public spots, however, can ruffle a few feathers, mostly those of city councilmen or police, as it did in Shaw, a small town in Washington, D.C., where police pointed out gardening without permission are considered unlawful entry, which can be a misdemeanor as the Washington Post reported. But that’s why it’s called guerilla gardening, isn’t it?

These rogue groups aren’t only bold in their actions to fight blight, but they’re also getting quite creative in their “weaponry.”

Guerilla Gardening

Guerilla Gardening.com shows off a neat arsenal of Kabloom “SeedBoms,” that look like actual grenades, explosive eggs and seed balloons, which float seeds in the air in biodegradable balloons that can travel long distances to spread.

Some groups like the ones found in Littleton, Mass. and Mount Vernon, Wash., do “flash mob planting” drills, though with less synchronized dancing and music. These gatherings not only strengthen community bonds but most times local businesses, and even local city officials, are quite grateful for these quick spruce-ups that may not be on anyone’s priority list.

Even though, guerilla gardening is technically illegal, people like Ron Finley are proving group projects like this can help those living in poorer, rougher communities, like South Central L.A., to bond together for a greater good. But it also promotes healthier living, teaching younger people the technique of being self-sustainable and preferring homegrown food rather than fast food joints.

The Industries

Industries like Honda are also getting into the business of encouraging people to garden.

The Japanese-based company took a more creative angle on promoting its lawn and garden equipment by sending out promotional letters. These letters weren’t the typical “junk mail” people often receive, however, Honda had no problem if people ditched them. In fact, the company encouraged it in the letter. Packed with flower seeds, the letter is 100 percent recyclable and ready for planting. How much more stylish can a company be to promote gardening than that.

Solo Guerilla Gardening

Li Tingbang is a perfect example of being a solo guerilla of gardening. The 78-year-old from China who now lives in Harlem, New York, picked a plot near a playground and bus depot riddled with blight. Now it grows beans, Chinese vegetables and plants popular in Chinese medicine.

Getting involved in guerilla gardening, be it solo or creating an army, takes only a few steps, according to WebEcoist. One intriguing point the website makes are making sure your guerilla gardening posse consists of recruiting at least one woman. This, according to the website, excuses you of any animalistic perversion a group of guys digging in dirt would conjure up within a community.

No matter where you start though, keep in mind that if you choose to improve for the greater good of the community, be it against anyone’s wishes or for the support of the community, Divine Caroline said it best that ultimately guerilla gardening sparks conversation, which sparks movements and can strengthen communities through blight control and community interaction. The bottom line, people are talking, and unsightly spots are improving.

Related articles

• Guerrilla Gardening and why I might be gardening your Garden. I’m genuinely not even trying to place a pun here. (dustyfeetphilosophy.wordpress.com)
• Guerilla Gardening (thegardendiaries.wordpress.com)
• TED TALKS: LA’s Guerilla Gardener (samandellas.wordpress.com)

It’s no secret that we as a nation need to become a more eco-friendly community – all keeping an eye on our own carbon footprints.

But it’s not always easy to implement these ‘greener’ things into our everyday lives.

Here are the 10 top ways to kick start your way to a greener you:

1. Green Technologies:

Installing things like solar panels and ground source heat pumps are an excellent way of becoming more eco-friendly as well as significantly lowering your fuel bills.

Some people are put off by the initial cost of the installation – however there are a lot of government initiatives including the latest scheme The Green Deal which can offer you a fund to make energy efficient improvements to your home which you can then pay back through the savings you make in your energy bills.

2. Switch to Energy Efficient Light Bulbs:

The incandescent light bulb has come a long way over the years, becoming a permanent fixture in our homes. However, there’s a new, more energy efficient kid on the block – the LED.

They may be slightly more expensive to buy than the standard light bulb but they last much, much longer.

An incandescent light bulb will last around 1,000 to 2,000 hours whereas an LED will typically last between 25,000 and 50,000 hours.

3. Be Smart with Electronics:

Even in standby mode things like your television will still be using electricity, the best thing to do it just turn anything you aren’t using off at the plug.

You can get a gadget called the power strip, which you can plug all your electronics into, and then simply flip a switch to turn them all off. This will stop you from wasting electricity in the home as well as saving you money.

4. Upgrade Your Insulation

Poorly insulated homes will constantly lose heat through the windows, doors, walls and the roof – leading to high fuel bills. Ensuring your home is properly insulated is one of the most effective ways of lowering fuel bills and avoiding wasting that precious heat.

Some energy companies actually incorporate insulation into their service so it’s worth finding out if you can have it fitted for free. It’s also something that is covered in The Green Deal.

5. Clean Green

Stop buying household cleaners and aerosols that contain potentially dangerous toxins that can harm the environment. Opt for either the natural cleaner available in the supermarket or utilise things like lemon juice and vinegar to get your home sparkly clean.

6. Ditch the Paper Bills

Those bills and bank statements that plop through the letter box every month are all wasting paper. Switch to online bills and receive them via email instead – banks and providers will often give you a little discount for choosing the online option.

7. Make Your Showers Shorter

Keep an eye on how much time you’re spending in the shower! It’s tempting; particularly in the winter to spend those extra minutes under that lush warm water, however shortening your shower can save a lot of water and money! For every two minutes you shorten your shower by you can conserve more than 10 gallons of water.

8. Buy Local

We all know we should be buying local – but next time you’re in the supermarket just think of all the fuel that has been used to transport the food from its source to your shopping trolley. Try to buy from local farmers and markets – not only will you be doing your bit to lower greenhouse gases, you’re also supporting your local economy and providing the farmers with that much needed income.

9. Recycle Your Old Mobiles

The average mobile phone lasts around 18 months before we get bored and upgrade to a newer handset – this means that 130 million mobiles could potentially be thrown away each year. When mobile phones end up in landfill the batteries and elements introduce toxic substances into the environment.

Make sure you recycle your phone; there are plenty of online companies who provide this service.

10. Think Before You Throw

When you’re having a clear out, whether it is old clothes or toys your children have grown out of – don’t just bin it. Have a think if there is anyone else who might benefit from them – perhaps a young parent? You could always take unwanted items to charity shops or advertise them online using a website like Freecycle.org.

This post was written by Meredith Watts on behalf of Solar Tech, leading providers of green technologies such as solar panels and ground source heat pumps.

Related articles

• 10 Easy Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly! (budgetfriendlytoo.wordpress.com)
• Efficient Light Bulb Study Generates Heated Debate (greatenergychallengeblog.com)
• Top 5 Green Home Renovations (greendiary.com)

In the world of the 21st Century we’re a community of gadget geeks.

We don’t leave the house without our smart phones, our iPads, tablets, laptops, mp3 players, sat navs and any other electrical equipment you can think of.

We are constantly connected to the internet and with hundreds of thousands of apps available on the market for both Android and Apple there are sure to be a few that could help us take a greener approach to life.

Here are 10 of the most favourite apps to kick start your eco-friendly life:

iRecycle

Even with the bottle banks, recycling centres and the various bins we have in our home it can still be a mass of confusion trying to work out what can and can’t be recycled. iRecycle can stop you getting frustrated and throwing everything in the bin in a fit of rage! It lists over 250 materials that can be recycled as well as providing you with info on how you can recycle these items safely and responsibly.

Locavore

Eating locally, it’s something we should all try hard to do. Not only is it great for the environment it also provides much needed support for our local farmers. Locavore provides you with info on where you can source locally produced food in your areas as well as keeping you up to date on seasonal veggies.

Brain Café GeoQuiz

This app provides with you with hours of entertainment as well as helping you get clued up on climate change issues from around the world. The app quizzes you on your geographical knowledge; it will test you on everything from capital cities to the world’s natural extremes – teaching you about the planet and what you can do to help.

Green Outlet

The best way to conserve energy, protect the environment and reduce your energy bills is to know exactly which of your appliances is the biggest drain on your electricity resource. Green Outlet can do all the hard work for you, you simply have to enter the electricity usage of your home by adding items such as your Xbox, your HDTV and your tumble drier and see how much they’re costing you.

UNEP Carbon Calculator

Ever wondered how much damage you could be doing to the environment when you fly to your holiday destination each year or how much pollution is caused when you drive to the shops instead of walking? This app allows you to find this out – it lets you to calculate how much CO2 is given off when you travel by car, train and plane.

iGrowlt

If you’re not as green fingered as you wish you were but dream of owning your own successful vegetable patch then this is the app for you. It has tonnes of information on what can be planted at each stage of the year as well as a heap of tips and advice on how to properly plant and nurture your patch.

EcoDice

Not only is this app fun it also prevents you from getting overwhelmed by the endless list of things you should be doing in order to live a greener lifestyle. EcoDice is a virtual die which will offer you one green task to carry out each day, whether that’s to bike to work instead of taking the car or switching off the appliances in your home.

Light it Right

We all know how infuriating it is to walk around your home turning off all the lights that someone has left on. This could be particularly beneficial in teaching the little ones (and the teenagers) in your home about being greener. The app acts as a points game, you get points for turning lights off but you lose them if you leave lights on in an empty room.

Green Genie

This app is your complete guide to a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Its jam-packed with green tips and advice, sustainable projects and invaluable resources.

Good Guide

Keeping an eye on what you buy and what are in the products you’re purchasing is another way to go green. Many products contain ingredients and toxins that are harmful to the environment, this app allows you to scan the barcode of the products and find out how environmentally friendly they really are, helping you to shop greener.

This post was written by Meredith Watts, she decided to go green for 2013. With the help of SolarTech she now has solar panels installed in her home.

Related articles

• 5 Apps to Help You Save Money by Going Green (community.ally.com)
• 8 apps to help you lead a greener life (Earth Day Roundup) (digitaltrends.com)
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: I finally understand (hapamom.com)