Category Archives: Environmentally Friendly Ideas

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips, Storage Solutions

Hobby Greenhouses and Greenhouse Kits

1 Comment

Grow and Store Greenhouse

How to Choose the Best Size and Location For Your Backyard Greenhouse

Backyard gardening is experiencing a renaissance, and many home owners who would not consider such an endeavor in the past are now embracing gardening. The reasons for the increase in gardening interest are varied and include lack of variety and quality at local nurseries and garden centers, a desire to enhance the home’s “curb appeal,” and a need for fresh and pesticide-free vegetables and fruits that haven’t traveled thousands of miles to reach the neighborhood grocery store. Whatever the reason, though, gardeners are limited to the growing season, and in cooler climates, that growing season can be all too short. Increasing the annual growing season can be done easily and inexpensively with a hobby greenhouse.

The purpose of greenhouses is to allow gardeners to grow a wider variety of plants and flowers, no matter the growing zone, and to extend the growing season to three, and sometimes four, seasons. No matter what size the greenhouse, the interior of a greenhouse heats up because the sunlight shining through greenhouse windows warms everything inside faster than heat can escape. The greenhouse walls and roof keep the warm air inside, even when temperatures outside are chilly. Two of the most important considerations that must be made, though, before selecting any hobby greenhouse are size and location.

Hobby greenhouses are available in many shapes and sizes. If space is limited, a practical option would be a lean-to greenhouse or an attached greenhouse. These greenhouses are physically attached to another building, such as a house, garage, or shed. Attached greenhouses and lean-to greenhouses get less sunlight during the day simply because they are attached to another structure, so they should be placed in a location that receives the most amount of sunlight throughout the day. Lean-to greenhouses and attached greenhouses are ideal for gardeners who wish to use the greenhouse only seasonally, and who may wish only to grow a small selection of plants. Larger hobby greenhouses are free-standing and can hold more plants, flowers, and vegetables. Larger greenhouses can also support a longer growing season. Importantly, upgrading to a larger size greenhouse can be more expensive than starting with a larger greenhouse in the first place, so thinking ahead to future gardening needs is a must.

The best location for a hobby greenhouse is a level, well-drained site that gets plenty of sunlight throughout the day. If the local climate includes heavy rains, a well-drained site will help prevent drainage problems in and around the greenhouse. A drainage system may be necessary, though, if a site with good drainage is not available. Sunlight is, of course, a major consideration when locating a hobby greenhouse. To grow plants in late fall and winter, a greenhouse should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. However, if the greenhouse will be used mainly for starting seeds and transplants in the summer, then an area with partial shade would be ideal. Partial shade will help minimize heat build-up in the afternoon. In general, greenhouses should be positioned so that the ends face east and west; this will allow for the best heat gain during the winter and minimize shadowing.

In order to ensure a successful gardening experience, the size and location of greenhouses are essential considerations for every home owner who wishes to join the growing numbers of new backyard gardeners. Careful planning before installing a hobby greenhouse will pay off when harvest time brings beautiful flowers and plants, and delicious fruits and vegetables.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips

Compost Bins: Composting Basics

Comment

Compost Bin

A Brief Look At How and What To Compost Using Compost Bins

Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Did you also know that yard waste, such as grass trimmings, makes up nearly 20% of all garbage created every year? When put into landfills, organic matter like food and grass trimmings take up a significant amount of space and play a large role in the creation of methane gas, a greenhouse gas that “remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9-15 years…and is over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using compost bins. Building a compost pile on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter how you choose to compost your organic wastes, the advantages of composting are undeniable. Composting helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants that would be generated as a result of simply throwing organic wastes into the local landfill or incinerator. Composting also saves money by providing you with free fertilizer for your garden. Finally, compost puts nutrients back into the soil, making your garden soil richer and plants healthier.

The first step in making your own compost is to select a compost bin. Compost bins are available in all shapes and sizes, so the size of your garden or yard is not an issue. Large compost bins allow avid gardeners with plenty of yard space the ability to make enough compost to last throughout the growing season. On the other hand, small compost bins can fit in the kitchen or on the balcony of a city dweller’s apartment and provide enough compost for house plants and a small herb garden. Knowing how much time you wish to spend tending to your compost pile and how much space you have to devote to a compost bin will assist you as you search for just the right compost bin.

Once you have selected your compost bin, it’s time to begin filling it with organic matter. But can you put any kind of organic matter into a compost bin? Unfortunately, no. The general recommendation is to fill your compost bin with a mixture of 50 percent “browns,” and 50 percent “greens.” The “browns” add carbon to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Dried leaves
  • Straw
  • Chopped Cornstalks – must be shredded or chopped into very small pieces first
  • Shredded Paper
  • Shredded Cardboard
  • Paper Towels

“Greens” add nitrogen to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Grass Clippings
  • Garden Trimmings
  • Most Kitchen Wastes
  • Fresh Hay
  • Manure from non-meat eating animals

It is not advisable to put the following types of organic matter into your compost bin unless properly prepared first:

  • Diseased plants
  • Grass clippings with chemicals
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Nut shells
  • Peat moss
  • Pine Cones
  • Pine needles
  • Sawdust
  • Sod
  • Soil
  • Weeds
  • Wood ashes
  • Wood chips

For information about how to prepare these types of organic matter for composting, visit the website of your local agricultural extension office.

Some organic matter should never find its way into compost bins. Here are the main offenders:

  • Bones
  • Cat litter
  • Charcoal and briquettes
  • Cooked food waste
  • Dairy products — (butter, cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressing, milk, yogurt, sour cream)
  • Dishwater
  • Fatty, oily, greasy foods
  • Fish scraps
  • Meat
  • Glossy, colored paper
  • Peanut butter
  • Pet wastes, human excrement
  • Sludge (biosolids)

Maintaining your compost pile depends on the type of compost bin you have selected. Some compost bins require that the pile be mixed periodically, but some compost bins require no mixing. Refer to the compost bin manufacturer’s instructions for details.

By purchasing or building your own compost bin that meets your specific needs, and by following a few simple guidelines, you can create your own money saving, earth friendly, plant loving compost.

Source: University of Illinois Extension: Composting for the Homeowner

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips

Composting Guidelines: Not Everything Can Go in the Compost Bin

1 Comment

Compost Bin

Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using a purchased compost bin. Building a compost structure on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter how you choose to compost your organic wastes, the advantages of composting are undeniable. Composting helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants that would be generated as a result of simply throwing organic wastes into the local landfill or incinerator. Composting also saves money by providing you with free fertilizer for your garden. Finally, compost puts nutrients back into the soil, making your garden soil richer and plants healthier.

What Goes In?

Once you have selected your compost bin, it’s time to begin filling it with organic matter. But can you put any kind of organic matter into a compost bin? Unfortunately, no. The general recommendation is to fill your compost bin with a mixture of 50 percent “browns,” and 50 percent “greens.”

The Browns

The “browns” add carbon to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Dried leaves
  • Straw
  • Chopped cornstalks — Shred or chop into very small pieces first
  • Shredded paper
  • Shredded cardboard
  • Paper towels

The Greens

“Greens” add nitrogen to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Grass clippings
  • Garden trimmings
  • Most kitchen wastes (see list below for exceptions)
  • Fresh hay
  • Poop from non-meat eating animals — Your pet bunny or bird, for example

What Can Go In After Some Preparation?

Some organic matter shouldn’t go into a compost pile as is.  Here are some examples of items that need to be prepared properly before they can become part of your compost heap:

  • Diseased plants
  • Grass clippings with chemicals
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Nut shells
  • Peat moss
  • Pine Cones
  • Pine needles
  • Sawdust
  • Sod
  • Soil
  • Weeds
  • Wood ashes
  • Wood chips

For information about how to prepare these types of organic matter for composting, visit the website of your local agricultural extension office.

Don’t Even Think About Tossing This Stuff In

Some organic matter should never find its way into compost bins. Here are the main offenders:

  • Bones
  • Cat litter
  • Charcoal and briquettes
  • Cooked food waste
  • Dairy products — (butter, cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressing, milk, yogurt, sour cream)
  • Dishwater
  • Fatty, oily, greasy foods
  • Fish scraps
  • Meat
  • Glossy, colored paper
  • Peanut butter
  • Pet poop
  • Human poop
  • Sludge (biosolids)

Maintaining your compost pile depends on the type of compost bin you have chosen.  With some compost bins, you need to mix the pile periodically, but some compost bins require no mixing. Refer to the compost bin manufacturer’s instructions for details.

By purchasing or building your own compost bin that meets your specific needs, and by following a few simple guidelines, you can create your own money saving, earth friendly, plant loving compost.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips, Outdoor Living Spaces

Welcoming Our Feathered Friends

1 Comment

This Bird Needs a Birdbath

As I write this, I’m taking glances out the window in front of me, which gives me a lovely view of our backyard.  What I see are the busy activities of sparrows, cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, and other birds — eating seed, bathing in a small puddle of melted snow, burying bits of suet in the bark of our ornamental pear tree.  What I don’t see is a lasting water source for the birds.

Once the puddle of melted snow evaporates, there won’t be any consistent source of water in our yard where birds can quench their thirst and clean their feathers.  We like to pride ourselves on being a bird-friendly family, so rectifying this situation is of the utmost importance, especially as spring migration is just around the bend.

Bird Bath with Solar FountainAn outdoor birdbath with a fountain feature is the ideal addition to a backyard bird pit stop.  In fact, more birds are sure to come check out the fountain since they’re attracted to running water.  My choice would be a solar birdbath fountain.  Solar birdbaths and fountains require no special wiring and cost nothing to run because they are powered by an associated solar panel that absorbs energy from the sun.  As long as the solar panel is placed in a sunny location, the birdbath fountain is sure to accomplish its task of bubbling and gurgling for the birds.

With a consistent water source in place and a continuous supply of seed and suet, we’ll be prepared to welcome more feathered friends to our backyard this spring and beyond.

Backyard Fun, Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Portable Fun

Thinking Outside the Picnic Basket

1 Comment

Picnic Baskets and Picnic Totes

When you think of the word “picnic,” do you automatically associate it with warm and sunny outdoor excursions to the park or the beach?  If we open our minds a bit, though, we can quite easily visualize picnics happening anywhere, at any time of year.  

Picnics don’t have to take place out of doors.  A picnic meal can be set up on the living room floor, at the office, or in the treehouse out back.  All it takes is a little imagination and a bit of whimsy.  What really makes a picnic a picnic is a thoughtfully packed snack or meal, a blanket for sitting on, and good company.  It doesn’t require sun, warmth, or outdoors if those three ingredients are not available. 

Consider using a Picnic Basket or Tote that includes cloth napkins and washable, shatter-proof dishes and utensils.  Not only do these picnic sets give a picnic style, they make the experience environmentally friendly, too.  Here are a few tips to ensure a perfect picnic:

  • Packing a salad?  Take your dressing along in a separate container and add it to your salad just before eating.  Your lettuce and veggies will stay crisp and delicious.
  • Avoid bringing foods that need to be reheated if you won’t have access to a microwave or other cooking device.
  • Hard cheeses, fruits, hummus, crusty bread, and chopped veggies like broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers make excellent picnic fare.  They’re healthy and don’t require refrigeration if they’ll be consumed that day.