Fix It, Make It, Grow It, Bake It by Billee Sharp

Recently, I was fortunate enough to have been given a copy of the book Fix It, Make It, Grow It, Bake It (The D.I.Y. Guide to the Good Life) by Billee Sharp, to read and review, and let me tell you, I am in love with this book!

The book is essentially a “how to” type of guide on ways to do everything in the title, but the minute I started reading the Foreword I knew I was in for so much more than that. Billee takes you through life in her own family, as a way to show just how simple each of the suggestions can be, and through her frank yet easy going approach she lets all readers know just how much better our life will be if we take her advice to heart.

There is not a single page in the book that I didn’t have an “a-ha!” moment or find some useful tip or website / organization that could make me an even Greener Greenie. With resources out the wazoo (everything from how to calculate your own carbon footprint to the websites for Freecycle) and enough recipes for home made cleaners and meals, I don’t think this book can live on my bookshelf; it must be stored in the kitchen as a reference guide!

I really enjoyed her easy way of explaining just how simple it is to make the switch to a more frugal, old school if you will, mentality by telling us that, at first it may be difficult, but will get easier each time we take the initiative to take on more ourselves.

Because I am a writer I did notice a few editing goofs, one of which would cause a bit of confusion as it was for a website URL but overall the book flows. Even me, the slowest reader on the planet, got through it in just three sittings. The encouraging thing is I am already ready to thumb back through it as just today I have a need to make use of one of Ms. Sharp’s suggestions for polishing silver!

Because I was so uber impressed, and fully intend to make great use of this book on very likely a daily basis, I am granting Fix It, Make It, Grow It, Bake It (The D.I.Y. Guide to the Good Life) by Billee Sharp a Four and a Half Leaf Rating!

I think there is a new authority in town on Greening up our lives and it is Billee Sharp! Take her advice to heart and look for her book at your local library or second hand book store before buying new, but if you absolutely can not wait to find it, the book is a steal at $15.95 from Cleis Press online. Thanks for your keen eye on the planet and our pocketbooks Billee, living frugal never sounded so fun! ♥love♥

EcoSmart Garden Insect Killer

A few months ago at our monthly Bennetts Brook Green Group meeting a few members were discussing the need to rid their yards of grubs that were wreaking havoc on their gardens. We all went on the hunt for an environmentally friendly alternative that would not simply flood our lawns with heavy doses of chemicals. So when EcoSmart contacted me to review their Garden Insect Killer I was definitely excited to report back to all of you as well as the BBGG.

The product comes in either a 32 ounce bottle with a nozzle for a hose attachment or a 24 ounce spray bottle (the one I was sent) and individual bottles retail for $8.00 - 15 in the EcoSmart online shop. The price is right as I did a little research in my local garden center and chemical based insect killers average at a similar cost.

And that is the best part. The ingredients in this product include a whole bunch of natural oils such as: rosemary, peppermint, thyme and clove. Additional ingredients are listed as water, mineral oil, octadecenoic acid potassium salt, and lecithin. Naturally I had never heard of octadecenoic acid potassium salt and was curious as to what it was.

Turns out this is a fatty acid salt. So what does that mean? It is classified as a soap and adjuvant (an agent that is inert alone but modifies the effects of other agents). So since this is an agricultural adjuvant I consulted Wikipedia to read:

“The adjuvant acts here by reducing the surface tension of the water on the surface of the spray drop and by reducing the interfacial tension between the spray drop and surface of the leaf. This requires an adjuvant that will preferentially aggregate at these surfaces. This may not be done effectively by the surfactants that form and stabilize the oil/water emulsion from the concentrate formulation”

Basically what I have deduced is that this acts as an extender to help spread the oils out all over the surface since the main ingredient is water and we all know that water and oil don’t mix. Fair enough but what exactly is octadecenoic acid? When I plugged this into wiki it suggested a new spelling (octadecanoic) and led me to the page for stearic acid. A fatty acid, it is developed from animal fats. As is lecithin.

So the good news is that EcoSmart’s claim for an all natural bug killer is in fact all natural, the bad news is it is clearly not a Vegan alternative. The other good news is that it is listed to rid the yard of aphids, mites, thirps, whiteflies, beetles and caterpillars. Grubs become beetles and therefore would be removed naturally. Again, the bad news is that by then it is potentially too late as new eggs may have already been laid causing more grubs.

I will be giving this bottle to my sister in law, you all know her as the fearless writer and reviewer Melissa around these parts, so she can give it a go and hopefully rid her yard of these pesky critters once and for all, in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Until her practical review comes out however I am granting a Three and a Half Leaf Rating to the Garden Insect Killer!

EcoSmart you have shown that with an eye to the planet as well as the health of humans and our pets we are able to have natural alternatives to keeping our gardens pest free. ♥love♥

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I don’t know where Mary, Mary came from and what those silver bells or cockle shells had to do with ensuring a plentiful garden, but here in the United States crops have been facing the plight of late blight since the early 1990’s and this year in particular it has become extremely disconcerting to north eastern, mid western and central east coast farmers.

This disease is a water mold which is transmitted through the spreading of spores via any possible means (wind, rain, contact with mechanical equipment, etc) and it tends to thrive in moist conditions. The areas of concern have faces exceptionally soggy late spring and early summer so farmers and home gardeners alike are watching their potatos (the Irish famine in the mid 1800’s was due to late blight) and tomatos.

If late blight is spotted on either potato or tomato leaves (light green spots that resemble drops of water and are frequently found nearer to the tip of the leaf), it is advisable to completely dispose of the entire plant and not compost it as the spores can remain viable for some time after the plant has been uprooted and then can spread on to still healthy plants.

In order to prevent the spread of blight it is important to use a fungicide that will discourage growth and spread of the mold spores. Thankfully, there are organic, pent and human friendly ways to accomplish this. Copper and sulfur are organic fungicides (although still pose some risks so always follow package instructions and proceed with caution) and can be used to inhibit the mold. In addition to health concerns of a sulfur based fungicide (can irritate skin and/or lungs), there are restrictions on weather and time of season that it is applied.

While researching this article I found only one company who creates a totally organic product which provides mold prevention but is not sulfur or copper based, Serenade Garden Disease Control. Available since 2005, Serenade is made up of cultivated microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis) which safely battle the mold spores. The product is safe to be used around children and pets and will not harm the surrounding plants or waterways. It is harmful if inhaled however so, again, precautions should always be followed explicitly to ensure safety.

Staying on top of gardening, maintaining a healthy balance between wet and dry and properly treating plants with organic and natural based disease prevention methods will mean eating fresh and yummy, healthy fruits and veggies as well as the beauty of thriving plants and flowers all season long.

What do you use to ensure your garden stays healthy? Do you compost?

Photo Courtesy Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources

Coffee, the Elixir of Life, Just Got Even Better

Call it what you will -- café, java, joe, high test, cahfee (the Bostonian pronunciation), cawfee (the New Yorker pronunciation) -- to me this lovely bean creates the one and only thing that will wake me up in the morning and cradles my personality into one that others want to be around. Well, that is, once my morning cup has been ingested.

While reading through Yahoo today I came across a lovely list of stuff we can do with all of those grounds left over after we brew up the bitter goodness. It excites me to learn there are more uses than simply aging paper or putting in the compost pile.

The transcript of the article is below, or check out the original post here.

Recycling your used coffee grinds
By Huddler's Green Home Community
Posted Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:25pm PDT

Did you know that the average American consumes about 3 cups of coffee a day? That’s a lot of used coffee grinds going into the trash.

There are actually many ways you can recycle and reuse your old coffee grinds to help preserve the environment and maintain your health. And for other ways to green your caffeine, check out the wiki all about having an eco-cup o' joe or maybe even look into drinking organic coffee!

A Cup of Joe Goes a Long Way

You’d be surprised at just how many different methods have worked for people:

* Touch up furniture and other wood scratches with grounds and a Q-tip.
* Sprinkle around areas where pesky insects, slugs and snails dwell to drive them away.
* Mix with soil as a natural fertilizer for plants.
* Dye clothing or paper.
* Rub into your dog as an organic flea dip.
* Fill old nylons and hang in your closet or fridge to repel odors.
* Use to fill old pin cushions.
* Scrub away grease and grime from pots and pans.
* Throw on ashes before cleaning out the fireplace to reduce dust from spreading.
* Feed to worms to help with your garden.
* Rub on your hands to eliminate odors.
* Mix ¼ grinds with one egg white and massage onto face like a mud pack.
* If you’re not an avid coffee drinker but you live near a coffee shop or cafe, you can always ask them for the old grinds. Places like Starbucks actually give bags of used grinds away to people who use them for their home and gardens.

Recycling is just one way that we can help maintain the natural beauty of our environment, so next time you drink a cup of coffee save those coffee grinds for future use.

Creatures in the Yard

The song is fun, adorable even, and the video just made me love it all the more. The following is a video for Creatures in the Yard by Bushwalla (featuring MC Raz). I hope this sweet song and video brighten up your day!

It Is Time to get In the Tiny Garden!

Well almost. But it is certainly time to get things ready. Here in the Boston area the days are getting longer and warmer and that brings up all kinds of thoughts about Farmer’s Markets with fresh produce as well as vibrantly colored flowers like crocus and daffodil pushing their way toward the sun to welcome back its warmth. In the next couple weeks the snow might even melt back enough to begin turning soil for planting our own yumminess. For those who enjoy it, there is nothing quite like getting their hands (and knees!) dirty to sow their harvest.

But what about those of us who live in apartment buildings? Are we shunned from the gardening world simply because we have nothing more than a balcony or patio? The answer is no! Not only can it be fun but it might even look better than the neighbor’s back yard garden when all is said and done.

Flower pots with some soil can be gorgeous and plentiful in limited outdoor spaces. Consider using many different sizes, stagger in groupings of odd numbers and vary the color and type of plant grown in them to bring great interest to the space. Bring in small tables to house smaller pots, place larger ones in the back. Have fun with it!

If your outdoor space is very plain in general why not paint the outside of the pots a vibrant color or pattern? Old kitchen sponges that are too gross to wash dishes with can be great stamping devices. Wet the sponge and wring out the excess water then use a couple different sizes and several paints in similar colors or tones to create depth in the finish. This looks especially wonderful (and holds up great) on terracotta pots. On plastic a top coat would be beneficial to ensure the look lasts.

Why not check craigslist, freecycle, yard sales or even the local newspaper to see if there is anyone looking to get rid of a small bistro table and chairs? Those old sofa pillows that are about ready to kick the bucket make great outdoor cushions when using a water resistant fabric to cover them such as vinyl. Check with fabric stores or online for remnants that will be less expensive, or free depending where they are located.

In our situation we have an even greater challenge -- our balcony is north facing so we get just about zero sun. This year we are planning to plant produce but shade loving plants like some lettuce, scallions and broccoli. Doing research about your specific climate and conditions is key to a successful growing season.

For those with no outdoor space, a window sill is a great spot for a lovely planter. Or get creative! Install an L bracket shelf system directly under a window that gets a lot of sun and place some sun loving plant filled pots on top to enjoy.

An apartment can be just as fun for a gardener as a large outdoor space if the residents use their creativity in approaching the spring growing season.

What are your tips for growing plants in small spaces?