I try to pass these on as I find them. This one is truly inspired.

We’re gardeners. We Garden. We buy plants. These plants come in…PLASTIC pots.

Bad Human! Don’t take chemicals from strangers! has has written a fabulous post on plant pots and revealed to us all what was in plain sight that we didn’t see in the post You put the lime in the coconut and grow a little seed.

I consider myself pretty green, but apparently, I’m outta the green loop.

There are FOUR “R”s for the environment, according to the EPA:
-Reduce
-Reuse
-Recycle
(and the one I didn’t know about)
-Rebuy

Rebuy is described as: ” re-thinking your purchasing habits” to include “biobased, recycled content, and other environmentally preferable aspects.”
I’m doing this, I just didn’t realize it had a name.

How exactly do we live lightly on the Earth?

Sometimes, things get a bit confusing.

I have a new (used) house. With a backyard full of St. Augustine grass, decorative pear trees, hybrid tea roses, and some wax-leaf ligustrum.
As an environmentally-concious gardener and mother, I can’t let this go on.
I know I’ll garden organically, but what will I garden?

Do I plant all natives? Is this the most eco-friendly option?
Do I garden for wildlife? Is this the most eco-friendly option?
Do I try to grow my own food? Is this the most eco-friendly option?
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Technorati Tags: 100 mile diet, fruit trees, Garden, grass to food, kids, local food, native plants, organic, vegetable gardening

Wisebread has posted a list of their authors’ Green Resolutions for the coming year.
mine for my family are:
1. eliminate paper towel use (I’m down to 2 rolls per month!)
2. eliminate plastic bag use (this is tricky with packing lunches and storage–maybe I’ll allow myself to use them for long-term storage only)
3. investigate an in-line water heater for my bath and/or kitchen so I don’t waste water warming it up.

What are yours?

Technorati Tags: environment, Family, green, recycle, reduce, resolutions

Personal Finance Advice has a great post on How To Reuse Items In Your Garden Rather Than Throwing Them Into The Trash.

As you all know by now, I’m a big fan of reuse and recycling in the garden, so I was rather excited about this!

The tip about putting crushed soda cans in the bottom of containers was particularly neat. I’m always looking for ways to fill up the bottom of pots so they aren’t as heavy. I tend to use styrofoam packing material (I try to avoid it, but sometimes I get a package with some.)

Also see Compost happens…and if it doesn’t consult an expert.

I found this great organization.
Garden Organic is a charity that has devoted itself to researching organic gardening methods since 1954.

They have fabulous information and advice for gardeners.

Check it out!

You want a great lawn. But you are worried about chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Worry no more! Fido and the kids will be safer and the environment will be better off if you use organic lawn care products.*

Build a healthy lawn
The first step towards having a beautiful organic lawn is having good maintenance practices. Mow high so that the grass will not burn and will be tall enough to choke out weeds. Mowing high also makes a lawn look more lush and green. Water your lawn infrequently and deeply. This will encourage the grass to develop deep roots.

Fertilizers
Organic fertilizers have a bad rep. Most smell bad and are hard to use on your lawn. But there are actually better options than manure. Ever seen the movie Caddyshack? Remember the insane grounds-keeper played by Bill Murray? That character really loved grass. And in the scene where he has set up bags of fertilizer as a sandbag barrier, the bags are labeled “Milorganite.” Milorganite was used on golf courses for years. It is a by-product from the Milwaukee sewage treatment plants, and has been manufactured for decades. Many municipal sewage treatment plants now offer similar products. They are granular organic fertilizers, although according to official food labeling standards they are not approved for use on organic crops. But they’re great for your lawn! Alfalfa meal is another great organic fertilizer for your lawn that is easy to spread and does not smell.

Pesticides
Most healthy lawns do not suffer from pest infestations. However, if yours does, there are many organic products to help. (more…)