Real Christmas Trees are More Enviromentally Friendly Than Artifical Trees

Ever wonder if a an artificial tree was more environmentally friendly than a real Christmas tree? Sustainablog.com writer Robin Shreeves' research gives us some good reasons to buy locally grown Christmas trees and not feel guilty!

*Most Christmas trees that are cut down at least one more tree is planted.

*Tree farms are usually planted on soil that doesn't support other types of agriculture and about 1 million acres in the US are dedicated to tree farming. For every acre trees provide oxygen for 18 people.

*Trees reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and counter-balance global warming.

*Real trees are recyclable.

*It's possible to get locally grown Christmas trees in every state in the US.

*Christmas trees are better for your health (unless you are allergic to them) than fake trees which contains PVC.

*Fakes Christmas trees are not recyclable and will sit for hundreds of years in a landfill leaching PVC.

Enjoy the Christmas holiday season and all of nature's beauty right in our own home!

10 Great iPhone Apps for Growing a Garden

Something for the multi-tasking gardener:

Social Media Guide, Mashable, just posted 10 great iPhone apps for growing a garden:

1. Landscaper's Companion

1. Fruit Garden

3. iGarden USA

4. Bugs and Insects

5. Botany Buddy

6. Herbs

7. Garden Pilot

8. Gardens

9. The Plant Doctor

10. Botanical Interests

What do you think? Good idea? Handy tool?

Half Red, Half Green Apple?

Check out this story in the Telegraph.co.uk online newspaper from England.
This is an actual apple that is half green and half red. Can it be that random, or is this a thing of the future?

Go to: Telegraph.co.uk for full story. Click on headline above "Half Red, Half Green Apple?"
Photo by ARCHANT

Get Your Garden Ready for Fall

Time to get the garden ready for the offseaon!

On Saturday, September 5, 2009 Andrew Beckman and Bob Hyland from Loomis Creek Nursery and Margaret Roach from A Way to Garden.com, are conducting a workshop on how to prepare your garden for the fall - planning for the bulb-planting season for spring, what to cut back and not, review the basics of composting and offseason soil care and more.

Call to reserve a spot - all for $5.00.

Loomis Creek
29 Van Deusen Road, Hudson, New York 12534
518-851-9801

1st Step in Going Green :: Create a Compost

Everything you want to know about Composting and More

Compost is a great for the soil and plant life. What a better way to reduce, recyle and reduce. I found this wonderful resourceful site, How to Compost::Composting Instructions. Here's a summary:

1. Optimal conditions:
Drainage
Air Flow
Insulation
Good Mix of Various Ingredients

2. Locations
Compost Bin or if you are using a pile put a black tarp over it.

3. Ingredients
"Brown" material (Cardon rich) 50% mixed with 50% "Green" Scraps (Nitrogen)
Brown includes: dried grass, leaves and shredded newspaper
Green includes: vegetable peels, fruit rinds

4. Things you should not compost:
Ashes
Cat Droppings/litter
Colored Paper
Dog Droppings
Lime
Meat, Fat, Grease, Oils, Bones
Non-biodegradable Materials
Toxic Materials

5. Suggested Accessories:
Compost Pails
Compost Turning Tools
Bio Bags
Leaf Collection Tools
Compost Starters and Activators
Compost Sifters
Compost Thermometers

6. How to Use Compost
Moisture Holding Mulch to spread around plants, trees, or shrubs.
Soil Amendment for plants, flowers
Compost Tea liquid to pour on flowers or plants
Compost for Lawn Top Dressing

Tips and Troubleshooting refer to How to Compost site.

Spring is a good time to start, but looks like this rainy summer also helps to keep the compost moist and therefore helps it decompose faster. Don't bag up your leaves! Add them to the compost. Think Green!