be outrageously responsible this holiday

RENT-A-TREE

Every year that you rent a Christmas tree 

you will offset around 10% of your annual carbon footprint!!

Start a new tradition, RENT a LIVING Christmas tree this year! Google "Christmas tree hire"  or "rent a living Christmas tree" or visit Living Christmas Tree rental to find a rental provider near you!
I for one, am looking into this as a Christmas gift for those hard to buy for people in my life (ahem Dads and brothers - you guys are hard to buy for!)


THIS YEARS TREE...
Maybe you already bought your tree for the year, consider trying it out next year. It will be your gift to the planet!


REMEMBER...

BUY ROOTS

You don't have to rent, you can buy a tree with roots and plant the tree on your property. The benefits for you are too many to list!! 

BUY ORGANIC

Buy from a local farmer who practices responsible farming - no pesticides needed in your home! You are investing in your own health, don't skimp! You'll pay for it eventually. 

RECYLE

Remember to properly recycle your cut tree this year - don't leave it out for the trash. It takes up space in the landfull (yes, landFULL, that's what they are) and incineration pollutes the air.

Trees can be ground up and used in mulch in your garden, on trails or in animal stalls (if you live on a farm and not in NYC). The wood chips can be used as sand or erosion barriers on beaches, in streambeds and in lakes. 

DON'T BURN

Burning your tree causes air pollution and creosote buildup (creosote is a flammable substance, the soot in your fireplace, and it's NASTY to the max.)

Please let me know if you do this, I want to post pictures!!

july

Progress is being made, even though I thought I lost the bok choy, collards and kale, all are coming back nicely!

diy pest control sprays

 Lacewings love to eat aphids...

...and so do Ladybugs

If your bugs aren't eating fast enough, consider these do-it-yourself remedies... use thoughtfully and directly on affected plants. 

DIY dish soap spray   

Controls: aphids, leadfhoppers, thrips, scales, and mealy bugs

Benefits: non-toxic to people and pets, dehydrates the buggies

Cons: harmful to beneficial insects, use carefully and directly on affected plants; careful not to use too much on fruit bearing plants or vegetables as it can interfere with fruit production

DIY: mix 1 to 3 teaspoons organic/biodegradable liquid dish soap or castile soap, like Dr.Bronner's, with one gallon of water. Spray directly on affected areas

DIY soap and oil spray 

Controls: soft bodied bugs such as aphids, mites and mealy bugs

Benefits: non-toxic to people and pets, oil smothers the bugs

Cons: can burn the leaves of sensitive plants; harmful to beneficial insects, use carefully and directly on affected plants

DIY: mix one tablespoon veg oil and a few drops of biodegradable dish soap into a quart of water. Shake well and pour into a spray bottle. 

Note: Apply them early in the morning or just before dark. Re-apply after a rain. Wear protective clothing when spraying insecticides. 

hey fatty, get outta here

Back up 2 weeks. Let's sum it up by saying I haven't been home much... the past week I was out of town for work. Fast forward to today. 

I went to check on the plants as soon as I wheeled my suitcase in the door, kissed my man and gave mica a squeeze. In the garden I pulled 20+ caterpillars off my vegetables, but not before they DEVOURED my kale and collard greens. The aphid situation is still a disaster - I squished close to a million. I did see ladybird hanging around the aphid feast which made me happy!

So, my months of gardening have resulted in some fat caterpillars and some green stalks. At least someone enjoyed the green goodness!!

herbal armor & dirt lines

I haven't been updating the urban garden blog as much as I would like, but it's growing like crazy! Ben (my neighbor) built 2 new boxes!! We are experimenting with sizes. The big one is split in half and really tall because I order sweet potato tubers and then like deep soil. We spit that in half to cut down the need for tons of dirt, but I think we are a little shallow on the non-potato planting side. Oh well, I threw in the "Husky Cherry Tomato" plant I picked up at Lowes and planted the parsley that I started indoors a couple weeks ago. The were living on the edge being outside while I was away camping over Memorial Day weekend. I'm glad they pulled through! 

Pictured above: My dirty-ass feet coming in from working in the garden - my all time FAVORITE thing about gardening is getting a little dirty!! Any excuse to get dirty is fine by me!; my best friend - bug repellent, this is not a sponsored post, but if you want to sponsor me I could buy this stuff by the gallon! We have an army of mosquitoes in the backyard; Shots of the garden from my porch.

diy garden organizer

I created this little bucket shown in my diy garden bench makeover to keep my gardening essentials on hand and lookin' good. It was super simple and I only used items I had on hand. You can really get creative and use things around the house without having to buy a single thing!

diy garden organizer

Things you will need: Old plastic nursery pot, scissors, spray adhesive (or glue), hot glue gun, patterned paper, EnviroTech lite

Step 1: Wash plastic nursery pot well to remove loose dirt

Step 2: Cut patterned paper to fit the nursery pot, leaving some room at the bottom to fold under if desired

Step 3: Spray plastic pot with spray adhesive carefully on the desired location, use another form of glue for a more precise application

Step 4: Adhere patterned paper and let dry, use hot glue to fold and adhere paper to the bottom of plastic pot

Step 5: Cover generously with EnviroTech to waterproof if desired and let dry for 24 hours

Step 6: (Note: I was going to add the rope around the edge with an extra loop for hanging, but I didn't do it... I'll post that option if I can get myself out of the garden and in the house crafting!)
Step 7: Store all your garden essentials! In my garden organizer I have All-Terrain herbal armor bug repellant, gardening gloves, little trowel and a spool of twine, the duct tape of the garden!

the masked man

maggie magpie builds a nest and the masked man

Tonight after work, in between feeding the dog and running to meet someone for a test drive (I'm selling my car... how New York of me,) I took a peak at the compost. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had added "brown" leaves, sticks and garden waste to the pile already. I apparently forgot I did this, I was so traumatized by the maggies. Intuition, ah yes, that little thing.

I dug into the recycle and started ripping up paper, including my Kitwazawa Seed Company catalog, that I feel really guilty about receiving, and this strange masked man.  

It's fun to transform your recycle goods into dirt instead of a big truck driving it all over the place to take it to some plant. Recycling is great, but composting is so much better! 

bombs of love & green molotov cocktails

bombs of love

If May started to look bleak (too much time at work, not enough time in the garden) it turned around just as fast. And it's because I have the best friends in the whole world!! (And I did tell myself May was going to be great!!)

I got the BEST surprise package in the mail yesterday from one of my best friends and Glovebox partner, Jodie. She mailed me this great book The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City depicting Ethan and myself on the cover. Nice glasses! It's funny that last night, while reading through the first chapter, I found this interesting recipe for a seed balls. Just that name alone kept me reading - seed balls?!

The universe was up to something, because tonight I went to see another one of my best friends Viv, and she also had a present for me!! I don't know what I did to deserve so much kindness, but it made me feel very loved. Somehow between moving to a new apartment, helping me with my car and rescuing Mica from being home alone too long, Viv found time to grab the perfect gift. She gave me lovely seed bombs and a funky, graphic gardener's to-do list note pad!!

Not only did this make my work week feel a little lighter, but I now believe May is all about bombs of love. Go ahead, you know you want to drop one.

Thank you Jodie and Viv!!! 

xx

In case you are wondering was a seed bomb is, it's basically a clay ball mashed up with lots of seeds. You can throw it anywhere - like the lot behind my apartment that is basically a junk yard strewn with old car parts, bicycle skeletons and enough 40's to last this girl a lifetime. This little ball of fun is filled with wildflowers, the clay protects the seeds and helps stick them to the ground. 

Happy Birthday Mica!!

Mica is four years old today!! I adopted her when she was 4 months old from a foster/shelter in New Hampshire September 2006. Mica was born in the south and was in 3 different shelters in 3 different states before I brought her home. If you are thinking about getting a pet, check out Pet Finder first!

Mica and I spent time in the garden today filling up the first raised garden box. It took 8 bags of dirt! I put the planter box up on cement blocks to keep it off the ground, preventing leaching from toxic dirt. It also provides a way to reuse the slabs of cement I have been pulling out of the garden this spring! So far, all the materials we have used with the exception of the purchased dirt, have been reused and recycled materials. We even reused old rusty screws!

I also placed my new handy-dandy planter markers in their rightful home. See how to make some for your garden here.