Start Spring Early with Indoor Gardening
(ARA) - Let’s face it — February, March and April can be gray and dreary months. You’re more than ready for spring to begin, but Mother Nature is on a different schedule. But you can jump start the season of growth early and bring it inside where you can enjoy it through those last moments of winter.
Stale, polluted air happens frequently when homes are closed up for the winter months. But houseplants help to lighten the mood and purify the air. A NASA study found that houseplants remove up to 87 percent of toxic indoor air inside a sealed chamber within 24 hours.
Start your spring season early by planting vegetables, herbs and flowers while winter is still in the air, so they’ll be primed for transplanting when the spring season actually arrives. You can watch the plants as they shoot their little green stems out of the fresh dirt, monitoring them as they grow larger and larger.
* Use loose potting soil to promote root growth. Outside, worms and insects tunnel through the dirt, naturally breaking it up to help plants spread their roots. To mimic their effect indoors, use potting soil mixed with peat moss, vermiculite and perlite to create a light texture that won’t compact after a couple of waterings.
* Keep the humidity level above 50 percent with a humidifier. Not only will your plants appreciate the extra moisture, but so will you. When the humidity drops below 50 percent, most plants suffer from water loss through their leaves, and it’s difficult to regain that water balance, even with frequent watering.
* Really bring spring inside your home with beautiful pots and decorating accents. Visit Montgomery Ward (www.Wards.com) to find unique gardening accents. A garden gate gives vines a place to climb and you can also use it to decorate your walls as a headboard or wall hanging. Imagine waking up in the morning to see the vine stems spiraling around the gate toward the window. Or search for elegant and decorative plant stands that match your decor, and bring to life a beautiful and scented herbal garden to spruce up your kitchen counters.
* Check the nutrient levels for your plants. Outdoor plants get nutrients reimbursed naturally, but indoor plants don’t have that luxury. Every time you water your indoor plants, you wash some of the fertilizer out of the soil. Not all plants like the same amount or kinds of fertilizer, so do a little research.
* Make sure the natural light is adequate. Some plants like direct sunlight and must be located near a south-facing window, while others prefer a few hours of indirect light. When plants don’t get the light they need, they start to appear very thin and frail. Also make sure as your plants begin to grow, that you rotate the pots so they grow straight, rather than bending unnaturally toward the source of light. If your house does not have enough natural light sourcing, artificial lights work as a good supplement.
* Take care of your plants when you leave home for more than a couple of days. You can always ask a neighbor to come in and make sure your plants get a good drink of water, or try the Oasis Plant Watering System available at Montgomery Ward (www.Wards.com ). Place drip lines in each of the plants, set the system for the number of days you’ll be gone and the gravity-fed system will irrigate your foliage twice a day. For plants that require more water, double up the drip lines, and enjoy your time away. When you return home, spring will await you inside.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Make this a Garden Season to Enjoy
(ARA) - The catalogues are starting to pile up and the list of landscape improvements grows longer each day. Don’t let this overwhelm or discourage you. Instead spend a bit of time planning now for better results in your garden. You will be amazed how much fun you can have while achieving your landscape goals under budget and within your schedule.
Take some time to look through those catalogues. It is a great way to gather ideas and get some feedback from everyone who uses or enjoys the landscape. You might find if they are invited to help with the planning they might just help with weeding. And no one is too young.
“Break out the crayons, paper, pencils, ruler, old catalogues and make garden planning a family event,” says nationally known gardening expert and author Melinda Myers. “Younger children can glue pictures of their favorite plants on a piece of paper while older ones can do the measuring, sketch the garden and help with the planting diagram.” And if you are the sole gardener and caretaker, don’t worry. The same process works and you get to make all the decisions.
Once the family has had their input or you created your wish list of plants it is time to make sure your plan is realistic. Check to see if the plants selected will grow in the heat and cold of your region. Make sure they can also tolerate the soil, wind and moisture conditions. Matching the plant to the growing conditions means an attractive landscape and productive gardens with less work. Catalogues, your local Extension service and the Internet are great sources of information. This is great way to fight the winter blues.
Now it’s time to focus on the foundation of the garden, the soil under your feet. Preparing the soil with proper fertilization helps the plants you select grow and thrive. Start with a soil test to find out what type and how much fertilizer and soil amendments you need to add. The soil test results can save you time, money and insure you do the best for your plants and the environment. Over fertilizing wastes money, damages plants and can harm the environment.
While waiting for the results you can keep everyone involved with garden planning. Gather a cup of soil from your garden. Remove any sticks and stones and place it in a clean quart straight sided jar. Fill the jar 3/4 full and add a teaspoon of non-foaming detergent and shake. This is a great way to burn calories or use excess energy our young gardeners often have. Then allow the soil to settle.
You will begin to see layers of the different particles. Check the jar again in two days. The bottom layer is the heavier sand particles, followed by the medium sized silt and last the clay. This exercise will give you an idea of your soil structure. Compare what you found to the university lab results. “I have used this with young gardeners and it is amazing how excited they get about the soil in their garden. Even the more seasoned gardeners seem to enjoy this activity,” says Myers.
Now select a fertilizer suited to your plants. “I prefer low-nitrogen slow-release fertilizers like Milorganite,” says Melinda. “It is goof proof and safe for gardeners of all ages and experience to use. The organic source of nitrogen does not promote excess growth at the expense of flowers and helps to build stress tolerant plants. The non-leaching phosphorous is good for the environment and non-staining iron encourages a deep green color. Plus one product is good for all your gardening needs.”
Incorporate Milorganite into the soil before planting your flower and vegetable gardens as well as landscape plants. The slow release nitrogen won’t burn the developing roots or interfere with flowering.
Give flower and vegetable plants a mid season boost. The organic source of nitrogen in Milorganite will not burn heat and drought stressed plants. And be sure to water thoroughly and only as needed to keep your plants looking good throughout the season.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Avoiding Expensive Visits and Treatment Begins with Simple Changes at Home
But with the average household owning 1.7 dogs and 2.2 cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2007 survey, those visits can add up. Now more than ever, pet owners are seeking out ways to keep their vet bills down while maintaining the health and happiness of their pets.
“We’re all trying to trim daily expenditures to compensate for rising commodity costs, and unnecessary expenses are usually the first to go,” says Dr. Susan Lauten, pet expert and nutrition consultant. “While there may be health problems that require a vet’s treatment, many common pet ailments can be treated and prevented in more cost effective ways.”
Lauten offers five ways to help keep your pet healthy while reducing healthcare costs.
1. Good nutrition is the key to good health. Instead of skimping on your pet food budget, select high quality foods with high levels of meat proteins and whole grains. Healthy pets with strong immune systems, healthy coats and strong teeth are less susceptible to disease.
2. Feeding your pet a variety of foods can minimize the development of food allergies. By providing pets with different proteins and forms, like kibble, canned and raw frozen, the Rotation Diet from Nature’s Variety offers the full spectrum of nutrients cats and dogs need to avoid food-related health problems.
3. Keep your pet clean and parasite-free. Paying extra attention to grooming during the summer months can help avoid skin disease, parasite-related diseases from ticks and fleas, and hot spots.
4. Make sure your pet visits the veterinarian for regular checkups. It’s also important to talk to your veterinarian about the importance of proper nutrition and holistic healthcare options for your special pet.
5. If your pet shows signs of illness, be sure to visit your veterinarian right away. Early detection can reduce the overall cost of treatment.
Lauten stresses the fact that quality pet food should remain a financial priority. “Changing to a low quality food to save money can result in increased food requirements, poor immune health, decreased coat quality and poor skin health,” says Lauten. “In the end, it could result in more vet expenditures and more bills.”
Sage’s Story
Sage was dropped off at the Benicia Vallejo Humane Society in Vallejo, Calif., when she was just a puppy. The underweight Boxer was suffering from severe skin problems, was missing large patches of hair and was in generally poor health. The Director of Human Services, Peter Wilson, was deeply concerned for Sage’s well-being and considered a variety of options for treatment.
“Sage’s skin condition was from a lack of care and possible allergies,” says Wilson. “Nature’s Variety donated product to help with Sage and encouraged us to feed her a Rotation Diet with different forms of kibble, canned and raw frozen food, and different proteins such as chicken and duck.”
The variety of foods in the Rotation Diet provided Sage with more balanced nutrition, which helped to stabilize her health and combat any possible allergies. In a few weeks, Sage’s skin had begun to heal. Sage is now happy, healthy, allergy-free and living with her new adoptive family.
“Sage’s story is a perfect example of the effect a quality diet can have on a pet’s overall health,” says Lauten. “All it took was the implementation of a broader and balanced variety of foods to provide her with the nutrients she needed to get better.”
More Quality Now, Fewer Problems Later
Strong health starts with proper nutrition. Feeding a high-quality Rotation Diet will help keep pets in top condition so they are more resistant to health problems. Adding in exercise and routine check-ups will also ensure your dog or cat maintains optimal wellness.
For more information on the health benefits of balanced, nutritionally complete diets, as well as a feeding guide for determining your pet’s specific needs, visit www.naturesvariety.com .
In Romania, where poverty and hunger followed the breakup of the communist system, Heifer provided cows that made a difference.
(NewsUSA) - Oh, the holidays. You could prepare to wait in lengthy store lines in crowded malls to buy the same old gifts that will more than likely be returned, or you could just buy a cow.
That’s right, Heifer International offers alternative gift ideas that can help end world hunger by instituting self-sustainable communities where households receive training and livestock instead of food handouts.
Donors, while honoring friends and family members through their gifts, purchase more than just dairy cows, water buffaloes, goats or chickens. They help poor families achieve a life of dignity while also providing agricultural education for small farm initiatives.
“From Heifer’s training and the sale of our additional calves, I’ve been able to put food on my table, send my children to college and learn how to manage my finances better,” said Arthur Neal, a member of the Delta Livestock Enterprise in Tallulah, La.
The nonprofit’s Thailand program established improved agricultural techniques for families whose farming method quickly depleted the land. With starvation being a serious threat, people left home to find work that too often led to prostitution and drug addiction.
“Today we can establish ourselves as a community,” said Amui Wazu, Thai villager. “And Heifer has introduced us to kitchen gardens, which have been our savior. We have vegetables year-round!”
Founded by Dan West in 1944, Heifer International has impacted more than 45.3 million lives by providing so-called “living loans.”
Farmers prepare for the arrival of their animals through training sessions, by building sheds and by planting vegetation. The animals bring the benefits of milk, wool, draft power, eggs and offspring.
Families and communities repay their “living loans” by donating one or more of their animals’ offspring to others. This “passing on the gift” multiplies the impact of every donation-donations that support the entire Heifer mission and not just animal purchases.
So, this holiday season, give a unique gift and participate in a vision of a world without hunger.
For more information about this unique gift idea, visit http://www.heifer.org.
(ARA) – Humans are not the only ones who look forward to summer. Imagine warm weather from your pet’s perspective – long walks in parks full of green grass and interesting aromas for dogs, and hours of bird-watching from a sunny window for cats. It’s also fun for pets to be part of the festivities when their human “parents” do some summer entertaining. However the definition of a party for a furry friend is very different from that of its care takers.
How do you include the furry members of the family into summer entertaining without turning a backyard barbecue into a doggie food free-for-all or the evening dinner party into a feline hissy fit? By carefully planning and managing your pet’s interactions with guests and preparing for the big day, it is possible to keep Fluffy or Fido an enjoyable part of your celebration, says Charlotte Reed, pet care expert and author of “The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette”.
“Petiquette for summer entertaining is a fine balancing act, but one that offers significant rewards for you and your pets,” Reed says. “Your guests can enjoy the presence of a well-behaved pet and a fresh, odor-free home.”
Here are Reed’s tips for making summer entertaining as enjoyable as possible for your pets and your guests:
1. Make your pets’ presence known.
While most summer guests will likely know your pet status, some may not, especially if they are recent acquaintances or first-time visitors to your home. Be sure to alert guests to what type of pets you have at home at the time you invite them to visit. From strong allergies to pet hair aversions, there are many reasons why guests may want to know ahead of time what furry friends will be at the party.
2. Freshen and clean.
Bathe and groom your pet before the summer party. “It’s very common for pet owners to become so used to their pet’s aromas that they don’t even notice them anymore,” Reed says. “But your guests likely will, especially when they come into your home from fun in the sun outdoors.”
In addition to helping your pet clean up, be sure to freshen your home as well. Vacuum carpets, fabric upholstery and drapes just a few hours before guests arrive. Use a pet odor elimination product, like Febreze Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator, to remove pet odors from the air. “Avoid products that simply cover up pet odors with stronger scents. Febreze actually eliminates pet odor and replaces it with a light, refreshing scent,” Reed says.
3. The ABCs of introductions and interaction.
First impressions mean a lot. “If your dog jumps up on people every time he meets them, he won’t be giving a good impression,” Reed says. If your dog has a tendency to jump, work with him for several weeks before the party to train him to sit and lay. As guests arrive, keep your pet on a leash and personally introduce him to each new guest. Encourage guests to interact with him calmly and firmly so that he doesn’t forget his manners in the excitement of meeting someone new.
Likewise, if your pet is simply not that social, don’t force her to interact with guests. Allow cats to retreat to their favorite hiding spot – few felines are into the party scene. And if your dog seems stressed by the attention and action, allow him some quiet time in a private place. “There’s no point in forcing your pet to interact with your guests if he or she doesn’t want to,” Reed says.
4. Fend off food fights.
Food discipline should start long before the party, Reed advises. “You may think your dog’s begging eyes are adorable and irresistible, but few things are more unappetizing to house guests than a pet begging for food,” she says. Train your pet not to beg at the table. And if he or she simply can’t break the habit, then confine him to quarters when the food is served.
Discourage guests from feeding pets tidbits or table treats. “The last thing you want is a pet with an upset stomach because he ate too much human food,” Reed says.
Febreze Air Effects Pet Odor Eliminator is available in grocery and drug stores nationwide. To learn more, visit http://www.febreze.com .
A running hose can expel 50 gallons of water every 5 minutes. Pistol-grip nozzles help save water.
(NewsUSA) - If water prices were $4 a gallon, the typical American household would spend roughly $1,452 each day.
Water waste doesn’t strain wallets quite like gasoline. People filling up their gas tanks these days wouldn’t dream of wasting five gallons.
But a running faucet wastes five gallons of water every two minutes, and people let their faucets run while they shave, brush their teeth and wash their dishes.
Water is a vital resource. Many areas in North America face water shortages. Summer droughts only amplify an already existing water-supply problem.
But saving water doesn’t have to cause migraines. Homeowners can easily reduce their daily water consumption by 100 to 150 gallons each day. HouseMaster, home inspection experts for nearly 30 years, offers these tips for the water-savvy:
- Check for leaks. A dripping faucet can waste two gallons of water an hour.
- Review your toilets’ water consumption. Don’t use toilets like ashtrays or wastebaskets. Flushing a tissue or cigarette wastes gallons of water.
Toilets often leak.To find a toilet leak, drop food coloring into the tank. If colored water appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, the toilet’s leaking and needs to be repaired.
- Install low-flow showerheads and bathroom faucets. High-flow showerheads use 6 to 10 gallons of water a minute. Flow restriction devices can cut flow in half without reducing water pressure.
- Don’t waste water on the lawn. Water your lawn and plants early in the day to help reduce evaporation. During the summer, water plants slowly and infrequently. Consider using drip irrigation, which adds water only where needed, in garden areas.
- Wash the car without water waste. Use a pistol-grip nozzle on your hose, and shut off the water after each hosing. A wide-open hose can discharge more than 50 gallons of water in just 5 minutes.
Homeowners in different areas face different water-conservation challenges. To find more information or to locate a professional, visit www.housemaster.com.
(NewsUSA) - Americans love having backyards for planting gardens, holding outdoor parties and giving children a safe place to play outdoors. But some homeowners find themselves with less-than-ideal backyards. Maybe the backyard slopes too much for a picnic table. Maybe the home’s in an arid area, where green grass requires expensive irrigation.
For many homeowners looking to improve their backyards, concrete masonry might provide an unexpected, inexpensive solution.
Concrete can mimic any surface, like stucco, European cobblestone or aged slate, allowing concrete landscaping to blend into any area alongside any style of home.
Concrete masonry proves both stylish and durable. Unlike wooden decks, concrete structures require no upkeep and don’t succumb to termites, mold, rot, weathering or other problems.
One couple replaced their wooden deck with a concrete patio, then found themselves with an insect-free backyard. “With the wood deck, it seemed like mosquitoes would breed and then come up and attack,” said Melissa Werpy, who used concrete masonry to renovate her backyard. “We can now be outside until midnight, and mosquitoes aren’t a problem.”
Concrete masonry can build attractive desert landscapes, too. Some homeowners use water irrigation to grow green grass in arid regions. But irrigating a lawn costs money and wastes water, a precious natural resource.
Homeowners can use segmented, concrete walls to build attractive driveways and terraced landscapes without growing grass. The landscape might not look green, but avoiding irrigation helps desert homeowners save the planet.
In steep yards without flat surfaces for planting herb or flower gardens, setting up tennis nets or supporting tables and chairs, concrete walls can make backyards more enjoyable.
Landscapers can build terraced, concrete brick walls that create level areas for patios, garden planters and extra seats during large parties. Concrete masonry can help control erosion and water drainage, too.
For homeowners with problem backyards, concrete masonry can provide an inexpensive, durable and attractive way to make landscapes both people- and eco-friendly.
For more information about concrete masonry, visit www.ncma.org.
Gift Ideas for the Person Who Has Everything
If you know someone who enjoys plants, flowers, vegetables, and all things green, a gardening gift is sure to brighten their day. Here are some ideas to make your favorite gardener happy:
1) Grow bigger and faster with oxygenized water.
How would your favorite gardener like to brag about having a 58 percent higher bell pepper yield and 28 percent more petunia flowers? Recent studies have shown oxygen is a key element for successful plant growth because it stimulates root systems.
The eco-friendly Enki Watering Device takes this knowledge and puts it right in the hands of gardeners. The enhanced watering device oxygenates water by up to 150 percent, far surpassing the oxygen levels in tap water or even that of rain water. Tests conducted by Dr. Albert Markhart, a professor of horticulture at the University of Minnesota, reveal substantial benefits. Super oxygenated water helps to achieve earlier flowering with more vibrant colors and increased numbers of flowers and vegetables. This unique gift idea can be used on both indoor and outdoor plants, and is great for container gardening.
2) Learn from the best with gardening classes.
Gardening classes are conducted at gardening centers and nurseries, schools and community education centers. Why not give the gift of knowledge for that special someone? Whether for your mother, the family gardener or your recently graduated cousin who just moved into a new home, a gardening or landscape class can benefit them. They might meet some new people that share their interest or can help answer their questions as well.
3) Accessories make any garden great.
There is such a variety of garden accessories available, it’s easy to pick out one for your favorite green thumb. New plant containers have intricate designs that mimic expensive materials at a fraction of the cost. Options are available that look like wood, stone, clay and other traditional materials, but are much lighter and last longer. Enhance any garden area with accessories like a small sculpture, a colorful gazing ball or a stone with an inspirational phrase engraved on it. A bird bath or bird feeder for feathered friends is also a popular gift idea.
4) Gift certificates are just the right fit.
Do you want to give something to your dad who loves to garden, but he’s so picky you’re afraid you’ll get him something he won’t use? Or maybe you’re not sure of your friend’s decor tastes, and think it’s best if she picks out her own garden accessories. The good news is that almost every garden center offers gift certificates, so you can show you care and they can go get what they really want for their garden. With more and more people buying gift certificates, it’s socially acceptable and a much appreciated gesture.
5) Gardening literature is the gift that keeps giving.
Books and magazines are a great way to keep your favorite gardener educated, and there are options available to suit any interest. From flowers to herbs to vegetables, reference books help encourage successful gardening year after year. Choose a book that is specific to the region in which the person will be gardening. An alternative is a magazine subscription, which keeps them thinking “green” all year long.
Gardening gifts are great for almost anyone, whether they are a casual gardener or die-hard green thumb. For more information on great gardening gift ideas visit http://www.MyEnki.com .
(NewsUSA) - While many people are aware of how their own lifestyle affects the planet, they may be surprised to learn how much of an environmental “paw print” their four-legged family members are leaving behind.
According to Anthony Zolezzi, eco-entrepreneur and author of “How Dog Food Saved the Earth,” there are many “green” changes you can make in and around your home to safeguard your pet’s diet and environment.
“When it comes to saving our planet, the focus has always been on our own carbon footprint -; but I would challenge you further to look at the carbon “paw print” your family pets are leaving behind, and examine their role in protecting our Earth from excessive pollution,” said Zolezzi.
Through Zolezzi’s work, which involves promoting social responsibility and green programs, he got involved with launching one of the first pet foods on the market with U.S. source-verified meat and poultry -; Pet Promise.
“When we purchase natural and organic products from family farmers who support sustainable agriculture, we also support a cleaner environment. Our pets can help make a difference when we feed them food products sourced from these same family farms,” said Zolezzi.
The sale of Pet Promise has helped eliminate more than 88 million doses of antibiotics in the food chain and 15 million doses of artificial growth hormones fed to cattle. Through this endeavor, Zolezzi and his team have helped support more than 1,500 U.S. family farmers who are committed to the humane treatment of animals and using natural and sustainable methods to protect the environment. For more information, visit www.PetPromiseInc.com.
Here are some additional tips to help you keep your pet’s environment chemical-free and green:
* Stay off the lawn. Keep your animals away from the lawn or garden when treating them with fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides until it dries completely.
* Don’t clean house and play fetch. Never allow your pet access to areas you are cleaning. Some cleaners might only cause a mild upset stomach, but others could cause severe burns of the tongue, mouth and stomach.
* Keep the garage clean. Store all automotive products such as oil, gas and antifreeze in areas away from pets. Just one teaspoon of antifreeze can be deadly to a 7-pound cat, and less than one tablespoon can be lethal to a 20-pound dog.
The garden year is defined by many words and, as circumstances change, they change, too. This year’s garden word, it pretty much goes without saying, is “drought.”At this point, that’s no revelation, but as the buds burst on the dogwoods and green tips push up through the soil, many of us are considering how we want to garden in this year of water restrictions and drought-weakened gardens. Here are a few ideas for getting by when the going gets dry.
First, find some way to collect rain water. You have options at all price points. Whether you piggy back a bunch of retrofitted garbage cans together, buy pre-fabricated rain barrels, or have an above or below ground cistern installed, you can and should try to collect water. Even if you don’t plan on doing a lot of planting, your existing plants may be quite weakened from the drought last year and will be much more susceptible to giving up the ghost this year.
In your container gardens, use water-holding granules or mats. The mats can be cut to fit containers, placed in the bottom, and planted over. During the heat of summer, it’s helpful to keep saucers under your containers so that when it rains or you water, you have a little reservoir of water for the plants to draw from over the coming days. Deep saucers are even better than the standard shallow ones for this. This is a temporary technique, however. Do this in winter or during a wet season and you could have plants rot out on you if you don’t dump the excess water periodically.
Many people are asking about drought-tolerant plants, and with good reason. Just bear in mind that, with few exceptions, drought-tolerant plants are not drought-tolerant the first year in the ground. If you plant them this year, make plans to water them regularly, too. Next year they’ll reward you with their toughness and durability (probably just in time for a record wet year).
Make sure you get a nice 3-inch layer of mulch layered over your garden beds, as well. Mulch isn’t just a nice way to pretty up the garden; no, mulch is your friend. It will help keep water from evaporating from the soil. It will smother emerging weeds. It will help keep soil and soil-borne diseases from splashing back up onto plants during what we hope will be frequent rainstorms. It will keep plant roots cooler in the heat of summer and nice ‘n’ toasty during winter.
Read More:News & Observer
