More families are looking right under their feet to ease the problem of high food prices.
As consumers balk at the rising cost of groceries, homeowners increasingly are cutting out sections of lawn and retiring flower beds to grow their own food. They’re building raised vegetable beds, turning their spare time over to gardening, and doing battle with insect pests.
The grow-your-own trend comes as the price of food has skyrocketed. The government recently reported that April’s 0.9% increase in food prices from the previous month was the fastest pace in 18 years — a reflection of global pressures, from drought in Australia to increased demand in India and China.
Even before this year’s food-price crunch, the vigor for veggies was already gaining momentum. An annual survey of more than 2,000 households by the National Gardening Association shows the average amount spent per household on flowers was flat in 2007 compared with a year earlier. But spending on vegetable plants rose 21% to $58 per household last year, and spending on herbs gained 45% to $32.
Bruce Butterfield, the association’s research director, expects 2008 will be another strong year for vegetable gardening thanks to “the combination of gas prices, food prices, and people staying at home because the world’s gone crazy,” he says. “At least they can have some control over their backyard.”
For beginner gardeners wanting to take the edge off your grocery bill but not sure you want to turn your entire back yard into a farmer’s market, consider our Patio Gardening Success Kit that takes up very little space but allows you to plant up to eight plants at once. The Aerogrow Indoor Kitchen Garden is also an easy way to grow fresh vegetables with minimal effort right on your kitchen countertop.
For those of you that really want to dig in and get a serious garden going, try a raised bed garden system to ensure the right soil for your veggies.
Are you tired of dealing rabbits, woodchucks, deer, raccoons and other pests in your garden? According to the NY Times article, “Peter Rabbit Must Die” you’re not alone in the frustration of half-eaten and demolished crops. Whether it’s a matter of ethics or emotions, some gardeners use organic or natural means to try and rid their garden of the unwanted pests, but some are taking a more hands on approach to the problem.
As summer closes in, gardeners around the country are starting to worry about the animals that may end up enjoying their roses and cucumbers more than they do. Any day now, they know, they may come upon a carrot patch ravaged by groundhogs, lettuce ransacked by rabbits and squirrels, or a massacre in the koi pond.
But for many gardeners — the tenderhearted ones, who pride themselves on their decency and compassion — killing pests, particularly those with big eyes, fluffy tails and cousins who work for Disney, could never be a solution of first resort.
Each animal comes with its own dilemmas. Some, like squirrels are territorial and hard to relocate. Others, like moles and woodchucks had underground tunnels that allow them to pop in and out as they please.
Taking pest control into your own hands, of course, is no simple matter. There are the ethical and emotional issues, and while it is often legal to kill a pest, there are innumerable federal, state and municipal laws and regulations that may make it illegal.
There would seem, at first, to be many alternatives to killing. Besides mesh and electric fences, there are nets to cast over trees and gardens; foul scents with names like Not Tonight, Deer; and home remedies like sprinkling cayenne pepper around the tomatoes and dumping used cat litter into woodchuck holes. There are scarecrows in the north and fake alligators in the south, and household pets to scare predators away or to do the gardeners’ dirty work. There are capture-and-release traps.
But none of these methods work all the time, and some, depending on the species you are trying to catch and the area in which you live, may not even be legal. The New York State Environmental Protection Law, for example, forbids anyone but a state Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator from transporting a wild animal, which puts the kibosh on the use of capture-and-release traps.
Not the type of person to stake out your yard with an axe, shotgun or lump of poison? Good for you! You still have other options, thankfully.
Here at Clean Air Gardening, we encourage the organic approach to pest-proofing your garden. For example, using a Hot Pepper Wax deters squirrels, rabbits, gophers and other small animals. An all inclusive repellent like our Shot Gun Repels-All Animal Repellent Granules repels all types of animals including house pets from getting near your prized garden.
Some products, like our Organic Mole and Gopher Repellent targets specific animal problems in dealing with individual types of animals.
For more ways to rid your lawn of the pests that dwell in it, check out our entire Organic Pest Control section.
And consider this advice:
JOHN HADIDIAN, the director of urban wildlife programs for the Humane Society of the United States, is skeptical when he hears of gardeners who claim they have tried everything to rid themselves of urban pests. He also cautions that gardeners who kill animals and birds may be breaking the law, noting that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, for example, protects most species of birds.
Killing animals often does not solve the problem. “Woodchucks are a classic case,” Mr. Hadidian says. “If you do nothing to alter the burrow system or to protect against reinvasion, it’s going to be back.”
It looks like American automakers are finally getting the message - consumers want more fuel efficient cars and Congress is about to start rapping knuckles if Detroit doesn’t offer more options.
Ford has found a way to drastically improve fuel efficiency despite all the dire warnings they gave about the costs of development. How did they pull this one off? Was there a huge technology breakthrough? Did someone stumble onto a magic lamp?
Nope. It looks like Ford “discovered” how to save 15-20% of fuel consumption by adopting pretty obvious ideas. Make cars lighter. Use more efficient electronics. Slip decaf to a few of the performance focused engineers.
The core of their fuel efficiency plan is a new generation of EcoBoost engines. To meet fleetwide Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, Ford plans to replace a bunch of V-8 engines with V-6s. But… what will I drive when I want to go mudding?
If you live in Canton, Ohio and your grass is getting up to waist height, now might be a good time to dust off your lawn mower. The city council is taking a hard line at repeat code violations: they’ve recently proposed a law making chronic negligence of yard work a fourth-degree misdemeanor. The penalties for that include fines of up to $250 and even 30 days of prison time!
Cutting the grass regularly not only will keep you out of jail, but it can also make your yard look great and keep yard work at a manageable level. When grass is regularly mowed, it grows in more evenly and vibrantly. When grass grows wild, fast growing weeds will shade out slower growing plants and weaken them. By leveling the playing field, mowing the grass gives all areas of your yard equal amounts of sunshine. Over time, thick growing grasses will crowd out the weeds and lay down deep roots. These deep roots will also make your yard more resistant to drought, erosion, and damage.
Whether you’re facing prison time in Canton, or simply some time in the dog house for not doing chores, there’s no time like the present to mow your lawn!
In the month of April, we raised money from customers at checkout, matched it, and ended up donating enough money to Trees for the Future to plant 25,000 trees.
Then, also in April, we had an Earth Day event here in Dallas that raised enough money with our 100 percent match to plant another 10,000 trees.
Together, those donations add up to 35,000 trees. And that’s just one month! We’re up to a total of 142,000 trees, so far.
Thanks to everyone who opted to add a donation to their order to go directly to Trees for the Future, a non profit organization that plants 10 trees for every $1 they receive.
Since 1989, Trees for the Future has been helping communities around the world plant trees. Through seed distribution, agroforestry training, and our country programs, we have empowered rural groups to restore tree cover to their lands. Planting trees protects the environment and helps to preserve traditional livelihoods and cultures for generations.
We think this is a great organization because not only are they planting trees, they are helping grow communities! We also like it that each dollar they receive results in the planting of 10 trees — the most efficient number we have found anywhere.
That’s why, when you check out of our store, we give you the option to donate $1, $5 or $10 to Trees for the Future. We match those donations, dollar for dollar. And that means that for every dollar you give during checkout, you are helping plant 20 trees!
What could be better than doubling your impact with an already efficient organization?
Thanks again to everyone who has donated. Hopefully, we will be able to plant even more trees in the future through Trees For the Future.
If you like what Trees for the Future is doing, why don’t you visit their web site right now and call them and make a donation? Tell them that Clean Air Gardening sent you!
We’re all a bit concerned with the rising prices of…well, just about everything. Energy, a growing concern for the coming summer months, can really suck the life out of your checkbook.
These handy little devices allow you to cool your home at different temperatures at specific times.
Installing a programmable thermostat shouldn’t set you back more than $100 to $150—and the energy savings can be substantial. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you could cut your heating and cooling bills by 10% annually just by turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours a day.
2. Go Green
Ok—this will require a bit of effort on your part, but the returns are twofold: Planting just three shady trees around your house not only can whack $100 to $250 off your annual heating and cooling costs, according to the DOE, but will most likely make your yard more attractive, to boot.
3. Keep It Clean
Keeping your air-conditioning unit clean and in peak performance is another big money saver. To kick the summer off, your AC unit should have a professional tune up (expect to pay somewhere between $90 and $120), says Maria Vargas, an Energy Star spokesperson at the EPA. (Energy Star is a joint program run by the EPA and the DOE that, among other things, deems certain products energy-efficient.) And air-conditioning filters (regardless of whether you have central air or an individual unit) should generally be checked every month or so to see if they need cleaning or replacement. This is something you should be able to do on your own.
Another item to add to your spring cleaning list: Dusting off your refrigerator condenser coils, says Hall-Crawford. This will make the unit run more efficiently.
4. Buy a Better Bulb
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (called CFLs) require 75% less energy than traditional (officially called incandescent) light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer, according to the ASE. Be sure to look for CFLs with the Energy Star label, since these bulbs won’t have any buzzing or humming problems, promises Energy Star’s Reed.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), replacing just four well-used 100-watt incandescent bulbs with equivalent 23-watt CFLs will save you $120 to $200 over three years.
5. Join the Fan Club
A ceiling fan can balance out a room’s temperature, allowing you to turn down the AC and still feel cool.
6. Unplug
Even when all of your home electronics are turned off, many continue to suck down energy. The main culprits: televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, phones and microwave ovens. (Generally, anything that has a clock, a remote control or an on/off light falls into this category.) In fact, idle TVs cost U.S. consumers $600 million annually, or $5 per household, according to the EPA. One solution: Plug the items that can truly be turned completely off into a power strip, and then use that as your on/off switch.
7. Fight Leaks
Your pricey, cooled air might be leaking right out of your house. Leaky windows and ducts (which carry the air to the rooms in your home) are two ways that cool air can be lost, making your air conditioner work harder. “We have found that as many as 70% of ducts are installed with leaks,” says Vargas. Having your ducts properly sealed and insulated could save you as much as 10% in energy costs, according to the EPA. So if you think your duct system is faulty, try to have it checked out by an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) technician. (One way to find one is to visit the North American Technician Excellence web site.)
8. Be a Savvy Shopper
By far the biggest way to save is to invest in energy-efficient appliances. When shopping around, look for the Energy Star label. There are more than 44 product categories that qualify.
Of course, replacing your appliances (particularly the biggies, like a refrigerator or dishwasher) will require an upfront investment. But if you’ve got an old clunker, you could recoup your costs quickly. For example, if your central-air-conditioning unit is more than 10 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star-qualified model could cut your operating costs by 30%.
Hopefully, these tips will help you cut down on your energy bill in the coming months and potentially years!
Don’t worry if you can’t afford to use all of these tips. Making small, gradual changes will add up in the end.
To read the entire article about how to reduce your summer energy bills, click here.
In a video segment called, “Products Help Gardeners Go Greener”, a Discovery Channel reporter talks about green lawn and garden care.
He talks about several organic gardening products that we carry! To prove that the Organic Weed and Feed Fertilizer is safe to use, he actually ate some right on camera, though he claims,
“You can put it right in your mouth and eat it, but like I said, it doesn’t taste very good.”
If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you should come by Clean Air Gardening for a real treat. We are so excited about Earth Day that we are giving away compost bins here at our warehouse!
We will be giving away 60 compost bins tomorrow to promote composting in our local North Texas area.
The compost bin we are giving away is a really great Gedye compost bin. These bins typically sell for $89, but for tomorrow only, they are free!
When do we start giving them away? Glad you asked.
We are giving them away from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. tomorrow. Only one bin per person. When we run out, unfortunately, the party’s over!
Want one? Better get there right at 11 a.m!
Free composters are great, but we want to make an even bigger impact for Earth Day than just getting 60 people to compost.
So here’s what else we’re doing:
Also on Earth Day, we will be accepting voluntary donations to Trees for the Future, a highly efficient non-profit organization that plants 10 trees for every $1 it receives.
For every dollar that we collect for Trees for the Future during the event, we will MATCH that amount, up to $5,000. That means that if someone gives $5, which typically plants 50 trees, they will be planting 100 trees after our match!
Trees for the Future is an agroforestry resource center helping people in developing countries improve their rural livelihoods through the introduction of environmentally sustainable land management projects focused on beneficial tree planting.
Most communities around the world recognize that they need to plant trees on their degraded lands if they are to improve their lives. Trees for the Future provides technical knowledge on agroforestry and sustainable development, along with planting materials so that communitites can return their degraded lands and struggling farms back to sustainable production.
We are thrilled about Earth Day, and hope you are, too. Even if you don’t live in our area, find something going on in your community and have a Happy Earth Day!
This time of year just puts a spring in our steps (pun intended!) around here at Clean Air Gardening, and we love it that spring is finally here. Now that spring is finally here, everyone is talking about gardening, and lately, gardening talk has also lead to talk of environmental issues like plastic.
Most communities do not recycle plastic efficiently. In Arlington [Texas], for instance, the city’s recycling coordinator, Lorrie Anderle, says even though plastic bags are technically recyclable, they cannot go in curbside pick-up because they gum up automated sorting equipment and shut down the line. With no good place to toss plastic bags, “they end up being litter,” Mrs. Anderle says. “You see them stuck in trees, they end up in creeks and can potentially be harmful for birds and animals.”
I have practiced composting in my back yard for several years. With my neighbor’s grass clippings (he refused to leave them on his lawn), lots of tree leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps from the kitchen and many, many dead plants to contribute to the heap, I have no shortage of material.
I’ve even been known to load strangers’ plastic bags of grass clippings left by the landscaper into the back of my car, as well as plastic bags of heavy, wet coffee grounds from my neighborhood coffee shop.
As many of you know, we pride ourselves on our push reel mowers here at Clean Air Gardening, so when Brill, a German push reel mower company, came out with a new model of push reel mowers this year, we were so excited!
The new Brill Razorcut 38 push reel mower has an updated and improved design that we think puts this mower in a category all its own! We really think this is a great mower, and we’re pleased our customers seem to enjoy it, too!
Here’s a picture of one of our customers using the Razorcut 38 in her yard and part of an email her family sent us!
We just received our Brill Razorcut today, put it together and we were very impressed with the products looks, feel, stability from the get go….I am very pleased, and suprised at how well this mower works.
To read the entire review and see their results from using the Razorcut 38 click here.
