Apr

7

As Green as it Gets: Five Helpful Tips for the Home and Garden

Filed Under Told You So 

Gnome-y

Years ago I came up with a few drafts for an upstart tween magazine to see if eco-writing (ecology writing) was my thing, or at least I thing I can do. The magazine never materialized, and neither did my enviro pieces. Since it is a spring, I was hoping I could inject a little life to at least the following article where it probably could do good online, than dormant in an archived folder.

Being green doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be really fun, creative and inexpensive, on top of being extremely rewarding. It can be done, anywhere and anytime, with items commonly found in the home.

Natural or organic household products are biodegradable, sustainable and won’t harm the environment. Why? Because they are things that are already found in nature. For example, food scraps and wood shavings are items that can return to land safely. The soil gets a vitamin boost from the scraps and the shavings help control the moisture. The soil becomes regenerated and ready for new life–like trees and fruit-bearing plants. How do you know if something is safe to return to the earth? If the product came from the ground, chances are, it probably doesn’t mind going back into it.

Unlike scraps and shavings, other products at first may not appear green but that’s because they haven’t been given a proper chance. How many items around the house can you count that can be used as something else? A finial as a doorstop. A muffin tin as a storage container. Wouldn’t it be great to use all the stuff you already own into other things you need? Wouldn’t that mean one less trip to the store? One less thing to buy? Sometimes, modifying what you’ve got is the best solution to an otherwise tricky problem. It’s a way of adapting things in your life so that they best suit your needs. It’s a customized approach. And, It helps you see the world full of tools and not just stuff! A world full of possibilities!

Go ahead and change your perspective. Try the one-two-three-four-five (!) easy tips listed below. Explore your imagination, sharpen your skills and have no fear. Putting in a bit of effort is always a good green thing.

1 Sometimes plants are so determined to grow that they show up in the most unlikely spaces. One place can be in between inlaid bricks or stones, on driveways, pathways or patios. How do you persuade a persistent plant or weed to stop growing? By pouring boiling hot water on it. The boiling water will stop the plant from burying its roots deeper into the soil, which ignored, could raise or destroy the set stone or brick. If the plant returns, try using vinegar. Vinegar kills anything around it. It also decomposes quickly. To start off, mix 10 percent vinegar with water, stir, then drench the roots of the plant. Create a stronger mixture if necessary. (Straight vinegar is strong enough to kill bamboo!) Whether you decide on hot water or the vinegar solution, neither will damage the stone, cement, or brick. Let the downpour, begin!

2 Need to insert a screw but lack a little muscle? Rub a little liquid dish soap on the thread of the screw or nail. If possible, insert some dish soap into the hole. Now, driving the screw into the hole will demand less physical effort. Plus, the soap doesn’t leave a stain. This way no one will know your secret when you’ve finished your chores hours ahead of time and with tons of energy to spare!

3 Want to start composting but are worried about the smell? Add some sawdust after each addition of food scraps to your compost. Sawdust reduces moisture and eliminates odor! (Schools use sawdust as a way to clean smelly spills and messes made by children. Ahem. The sawdust is usually collected from the students’ wood projects made in Shop class.) Now you can throw away your moldy blue cheese and overripe tomatoes without having to worry about offending the neighbors!

4 Did you know that Ontario will phase out incandescent bulbs by 2012? Incandescent lights use three times the electricity of compact fluorescents. The increase in energy creates a larger amount of carbon dioxide emissions–contributing to pollution and harming the environment. Although fluorescents are better than incandescents, they contain traces of mercury and must be recycled correctly. The best alternative are Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). LEDs are safe and chemical-free. Now there really is no excuse to wait until 2012! Reduce your carbon footprint today! You’ll see the changes in your electricity bill immediately!

5 Slugs are a real pest in the garden. Not only are they unsightly, but they can destroy a well-loved crop quickly! Depending on your climate, placing copper wire around plants, or pouring beer into the soil might slow down the slippery suckers temporarily, or permanently. Another solution is crushed egg shells. Each time you use an egg, save the shell, rinse it, let dry and store in an air-tight container. An old ice cream tub or coffee container will do. When the container is full, grind the egg shells in a food processor until coarsely ground with some fine bits. Sprinkle the egg shells around the plants. The slugs won’t cross the shells and the soil gets a dose of calcium. You know what this means, don’t you? More quiche dinners and meringue desserts! Yum!

IMAGE | Jason Pultz and ANS | Gnome-y | Marker illustration defined and coloured in Illustrator | 2007

Comments

2 Responses to “As Green as it Gets: Five Helpful Tips for the Home and Garden”

  1. marlene on April 18th, 2009 11:17 am

    I tried the boiling water idea for weeds between bricks, but sometimes it didn’t seem to work and other times I had to redo it not long afterwards. I thought about the vinegar but worried that it might discolor the bricks. I’ll have to try it this year - maybe hot vinegar (that I’ve just used to descale my coffee maker), combining both ideas!

    Thanks for the idea.

  2. admin on April 19th, 2009 10:41 am

    The hot vinegar is a really good idea. Perhaps using a spray bottle might be a good bet too. I will try the hot vinegar combination too and report. Thank-you.

Leave a Reply