Pool to Pond

Reasons to Abandon 1950's Style Grass Lawns

2011-09-01T07:11:00.000-04:00

Some interesting facts for parties! One-liners to help make the point that grass lawns are passé!
• According the US Environmental Protection Association, a gas-powered push mower emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars and a riding mower emits as much as 34 cars (see Small Engine Rule to Bring Big Emissions Cuts).

• Lawn and garden equipment emits 5% of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the US, which cause health problems and contribute to ozone formation.

• A gas mower emits as much hydrocarbons in one hour as a car driven 100 miles. (see EPA pdf)

• Mowers in the US use 580 million gallons of gas per year.

• 40-60% of nitrogen from fertilizer runs off or leaches away, ending up in ground or surface water, including wells.

• 60-70 million birds die from pesticide poisoning each year in the US alone.

• In the US, 30 percent of water consumed on the East Coast waters lawns, 60 percent on the West Coast. (go to this site for tips on saving water! http://www.epa.gov/watersense/ )

• A 2001 Toronto Staff Report (PDF format), reported that using a commercial leaf-blower for one hour generated "498 times as much hydrocarbons, 49 times as much particulate matter and 26 times as much carbon monoxide" as a then newer-model car.

• Close to 70 million pounds of pesticides (including herbicides) are applied to US lawns each year. This is approximately ten times the amount applied to American farmland, acre for acre.

• As of 2004, about 70 million tons of fertilizers were used on US lawns a year.

• A Toronto Public Health Report on lawn and garden pesticides (PDF format) claims that between 2004 and 2006, almost half the homeowners in Toronto used pesticides on their lawns.

• The Virginia Cooperative Extension in its publication "Nutrient Management for Lawn Service Companies," states that some fungicides and pesticides can kill 60 to 90% -- or more -- of the earthworms where they are applied.

• Between 30 and 40 million acres of land in the U.S. are devoted to turf grass (see Curbing the Lawn)

• Americans collectively spend big bucks -- about $40 billion annually -- on seed, sod and chemicals.

• The top four crops in terms of acreage in the United States today: Corn, Wheat, Soybeans and Grass Clippings.

• And finally, this from me, mowing kills many beneficial caterpillars, spiders, lizards and other small creatures we are sharing our yards with.

Check out the Organic Lawn Care 101 website for more great info and tips on making your own yard more bird/bee friendly!

5 Chem-Free Ways to Kill Fleas

2011-06-12T14:36:00.000-04:00

Microscopic image of a flea. Scientists have determined that vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their lives, with an average of 96 percent success in adult fleas and 100 percent destruction of younger fleas. (Credit: iStockphoto/Oliver Sun Kim)

1) Vacuum
Yes, as basic as this seems, according to an Ohio State article* simple vacuuming can kill up to 96% of the fleas living there. Considering that the toxic topical chemicals claim a 99% kill rate, this is pretty good. And at least vacuuming doesn't leave toxins in your pets' tissues. One additional step is to add some Diatomaceous Earth to the vacuum canister or bag. That will kill any that survive the brushes and whirlwind. Don't forget the pets' bedding and furniture. Quick note on the cited article, it was from 2007 and since then we've seen some issues with the topical that the older article was unaware of when it stated that the topicals were devastating the flea population. In fact the topicals have led to a super flea that is not succumbing to the topicals. But that shouldn't surprise anyone, when the topical packages state that they kill 99% that leaves 1% to carry on and it seems that their offspring are immune.

2) Diatomaceous Earth

As a mechanical killing device this is great stuff. Known as DE and used as a filtering agent for pools, DE is finely ground skeletons of lichen that act as cut glass on an insect's exoskeleton making them die fairly fast of dehydration. This stuff is only dangerous if breathed in. So don't use it in front of a fan! It doesn't work once it gets wet, so it's not useful outside. Sprinkle it on the carpets, leave it for overnight or as long as practical and then vacuum it up. On wood floors, sprinkle around the parameter and sweep across the floor so it gets into cracks. Do this AFTER any mopping, since as I said before, it doesn't work once it's wet. I had a horrible outbreak in our detached garage, literally could see the fleas jumping, hundreds or thousands of them! I sprinkled the DE all around and throughout. Then I walked away for a week. When I stepped back into the garage, nothing. Not a single flea jumped on my legs. I swept it into a pile and vacuumed the pile. Amazing stuff!

3) Combing pets

The trick here is to find a great comb and place the captured fleas into soap water. The first part is hard. I am still using my great flea comb that I bought about 10 years ago for under a dollar. These cheap little plastic combs, when the tines are tight enough, get all the fleas, eggs and flea dirt off your pets. Personally the little plastic cheap combs work better for me than the more expensive steel ones. I have tried the more expensive ones with handles and they worked better on my American Eskimo dog with her super thick coat. But for my DSH cats and ferret, the little guys are better. Most how-to's say to dip the comb into the soap water. I find this a total mess. I comb then flick the tines to shoot the fleas into the water. You'll aways get some pet hair on the comb and when the comb gets wet it's just yukky, that's all I can say. Use a flat-bottomed container 1/3 filled with water and a dash of dish soap to dump the fleas into. I say flat-bottomed since pet grooming always has the chance of becoming messy and I'd rather not knock over a bowl of dead fleas and fur! I use old large yogurt containers. My cats love this time together and virtually line up at the couch for their turns! I do this while watching TV. I dump the water out by my compost pile after it has sat for at least 30 minutes.

4) Garlic and Yeast Powders for Pets
I have added garlic and yeast powders that were made for pets to my pets' food in the past. It seems to work, and there is the added benefit that these things are good for our pet in other ways too. It's primarily the garlic that repels the fleas. I found a pure garlic powder for horses at PetsMart once and sprinkled it on the food. Since I also do all the other things listed here, it's impossible to say how much this contributed.

5) Baths
For dogs and ferrets, a good bath is a good start. I would vacuum, DE and comb first. Then the bath will get the few remaining fleas and once gone, the carpets won't re-infest. Just remember when you bath the pet it is not the toxic chemicals that you need so much as the solid 5-10 minutes with the soap soak! Once the pet is wet, apply the shampoo and lather like crazy, touching on all the favorite flea points, the base of the tail, the ears, the under arms (legs), under the chin, etc. The hard part is keeping the pet still for at least 5 minutes and the more the better. It's the time that kills the fleas. When they get wet they "lock down" onto the pet. It takes that much time before they release some and can be washed off. Then make sure the pet is rinsed very thoroughly since any shampoo is drying on a pet. Dry time is always the pet's favorite and just like with the combing, it's a great bonding time. Use a large absorbent towel and have fun! I've heard that those large shamwows really do a good job.

I personally don't believe in bathing cats unless they have a skin condition that requires it and then only under the care of a Vet.

So there you have it. Flea eradication without chemicals. I highly recommend reading the EPA's tips as well as their report on the toxicity of the topical flea treatments.

Notes:

*Ohio State University. "Cat Fleas' Journey Into The Vacuum Is A 'One-Way Trip'." ScienceDaily 22 December 2007. 24 January 2010 .
Cat Fleas' Journey Into The Vacuum Is A 'One-way Trip'

ScienceDaily (2007-12-22) -- Homeowners dogged by household fleas need look no farther than the broom closet to solve their problem. Scientists have determined that vacuuming kills fleas in all stages of their lives, with an average of 96 percent success in adult fleas and 100 percent destruction of younger fleas. In fact, the results were so surprisingly definitive that the lead scientist repeated the experiments several times to be sure the findings were correct. ... > read full article

FREE Landscape Classes!

2011-05-13T15:59:00.000-04:00

This is a really great resource for the community.

The Seminole County Extension Services are there for YOU!

Check out the FREE Classes listed in this flyer!

Plus there’s a hotline to call for info about anything you find in your yard! Bugs, weird plants, critters!

You name it! Call the Helpdesk 9-noon and 1-4 PM (407) 665-5550

PLUS you can bring your soil in to be tested so you know exactly what will grow best in your yard or how to amend your soil to grow plants you want!

AND, you can bring in a troubled plant and one of the Master Gardeners or Dr. Ferrer himself will diagnose the problem!

All in all it’s a great service, staffed with volunteers and just waiting there for YOU!

Seminole County Extension Services

Check it out!

Florida Yards and Neighborhoods link

The Most Invasive Species on Earth

2011-02-06T09:15:00.003-05:00

Today I read a wonderful blog by Meredith O'Reilly about invasive plants being aggressively sold in garden stores while volunteers break their backs digging them out! http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/not-all-berries-are-created-equal.html

Here's the final paragraph:
"A side note: I met a woman once who told me that she wraps netting around her Yaupons and other native berrying plants in order to keep the birds from eating up the berries. She complained that the birds were eating the berries so fast that she couldn’t enjoy how pretty the berries looked in the fall. Personally, I find the sight of birds eating berries to be incredibly beautiful and entertaining – in fact, I garden for that purpose — but this woman was willing to cover her pretty shrubs with ugly netting in order to deny a native food to wildlife. I’m truly at a loss of words to explain that one."

I had one of my many OMG moments! How hateful of nature and the earth can humans get? We've all watched the videos of humans torturing animals in the name of feeding all of us, or killing the dolphins, poisoning all the pollinators, spilling the oil into animal breeding grounds so we all can drive our cars cheaply. The summer of 2010 wasn't pretty. But when it extends to a one to one relationship like this, I find myself baffled.

So I looked up the definition of "Invasive Species" and what do you think I saw? Judge for yourself. Here is the definition of invasive species from a couple sources.

From http://www.invasivespecies.org/resources/DefineIS.html

""Invasive species" means an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health."

From http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/whatis.shtml

"An "invasive species" is defined as a species that is

1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and
2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. (Executive Order 13112)."

Anyone else noticing a pattern here? Humans are and always have been very human-centric but this was a surprise to me. I have always thought of invasives as primarily bad for the native wildlife. As Ms. O'Reilly mentions in her blog, non-natives out compete natives and usually have less nutrition for the native wildlife, leaving the animals and insects without enough food and shelter. But as far as the officials are concerned, it's about human health and harm. Here we really have circular logic, since it doesn't seem most of our officials have figured out that what's good for wildlife IS conducive to human health and welfare!

In the meantime humans continue to over populate the planet. Digging into eco-systems they shouldn't even be in, such as the latest Russian exploration into an under-ice lake in the South Pole.

NPR Article 2/3/2011

We humans spread disease, pollute, dump garbage, kill and destroy everything including our own children and fellow beings. We slice off the mountain tops, flood valleys large enough to shake the earth, and even throw debris up into space! Then we're surprise that gentle nature seems to turn against us!

There is only one answer from nature's point of view, lower the number of humans. From my point of view, as a human, I'd like to see us use our brains to wake up and change our ways. We might make some progress in the United States, but I don't know what we can do about dense populations like China.

China's Three Gorges Dam: An Environmental Catastrophe?

Nope, there's no doubt in my mind about it; humans ARE indeed the most invasive species on the earth.

Photo Credit: Edward Burtynsky

Sinus Care – Nasal Irrigation How-To

2011-02-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Nasal Irrigation has been a life saver for me. But as with all things medical, consult your own physician before trying anything that might affect your your health. Now a days most sinus specialists have at least heard of the Neti. Back when I started, I had to take the literature to them! I recommend printing out the University of Wisconsin study (link below) to take with you!

Nasal Irrigation How-To

Many people are reaping the benefits of the Neti Pot, also known as nasal irrigation. I have been infection free for nearly 10 years and I attribute it to a combination of things, but mainly the Neti.

Basically it is moisturizing the sinus cavities using an isotonic solution. (Isotonic solution: A solution that has the same salt concentration as the normal cells of the body and the blood. As opposed to a hypertonic solution or a hypotonic solution. An isotonic beverage may be drunk to replace the fluid and minerals which the body uses during physical activity.) I create my own solution using Sea Salt and baking soda (NOT baking powder!) The purpose of the baking soda is one of pH. Sort of like a buffering agent. I used salt only for years, and I find the addition of the baking soda seems to mellow out the solution. It has less of a "bite". Basic recipes are a one to one ratio of salt to baking soda. I actually mix the salt and baking soda in the ratio of two parts salt/1 part baking soda and keep this ready for use. The extra salt makes the solution hypertonic. ( hypertonic: 1 adj, pertaining to a solution that causes cells to shrink. 2 n, a solution that increases the degree of osmotic pressure on a semipermeable membrane.)

I mix my solution fresh each time. Take ½ to 1 teaspoon of the mixture and drop it into your neti pot. Put 8 ounces of filtered water into a microwave safe cup (I use a Pyrex 1-cup measuring cup) and microwave on high until it boils for at least one minute. I do this to get rid of as many of the by-products of chlorination as possible. Remember, this is going into you head!

Once the water is boiling take it out and pour it into your neti pot. Allow the mixture to cool down for several minutes. Most western medicine articles say use at “luke-warm” and most eastern or yoga articles say to use the mixture “as hot as you can stand it” being careful not to burn the delicate nasal membranes. This you will have to decide for yourself. I personally like it very warm, nearly hot.

When the neti pot is ready, put the spout into one nostril and tip your head slightly. The water will flow out the other nostril. Some say do this for 20 seconds on each side. I do one 8 oz. pot for each side. The next step is very important. Using breathing techniques, dry the sinuses of the extra water. Try bending at the waste with a clean paper towel and gently blowing out your nose to make a hissing sound. Breathing up through the sinuses as opposed to through the throat is what we’re aiming for.

Start this regimen daily about a week before you usually feel a sinus infection coming on. Do it at least ten days in a row. Most sinus sufferers are acutely aware of their sinuses. When I wake and feel that familiar pressure, I immediately neti and the pressure is gone. I’ve even seen bad sinus headaches disappear after performing the neti regimen.

Following are several links for your further study. If you suffer from chronic sinus issues it can change your life! Please let me know if you begin to or have practiced some form of nasal irrigation and how it works for you!

Websites for further study:

http://interneti.co.uk/

http://www.cfp.ca/cgi/reprint/49/2/168

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation

http://www.fammed.wisc.edu/research/past-projects/nasal-irrigation

Right Plant, Right Place

2010-09-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

Anyone who has gardened for any length of time has heard the phrase "right plant, right place." it's a simple concept, place plants in areas that the plants are going to do best. Places with the right levels of sun, the right amount of natural water (called rain!) and the right soil conditions. Man, being a species of control-nuts, often wants to force plants to behave in places that are difficult. Take the former owners of our house. The house is a wonderful Georgian Colonial. That means it is symmetrical. The former owners wanted the landscape to be symmetrical as well. Unfortunately one side is under the shade of an old live oak tree and the other side has full sun during the summer for 12 hours! The Oak tree side has rich, dark black soil from all the oak leaves. The sunny side is mostly sand and it's pretty dry. So they planted their Azaleas on each side and watered like crazy. I'm sure they fertilized as well. They also cut the Azalea bushes as if they were boxwoods!

It looks very neat doesn't it? We continued on in their footsteps using the 7-zone sprinkler system, three distinct pest control companies and a lawn care company that embodied the "mow-blow & go" mentality! They dumped fertilizer on the yard 4 times a year, charging us of course. It cost a small fortune to keep this yard looking this way. But it cost an immeasurable price to the environment.

One thing I noticed was that the bushes were actually Azaleas. No more clipping off the potential blooms.

Here it is in 2006

But the past few years have included prolonged periods of drought. And that has changed the whole thing.

Here is the sunny side in 2010

And here is the shady side same year, 2010:

Keep in mind that one of the MarshLand rules is no watering. Plants live by rain alone once they are established. Another rule is no artificial fertilizer. However, the shady side naturally gets a lot of oak leaf debris that gives the Azaleas some of that acid they need so much. For the sunny side I have to sweep large piles of leaves over to that side. It helped for a time, but with the multiple years of drought, it wasn't enough.

This year I'm going to transition that sunny side to a native "hedge" border. There are two lovely American Beauty Berry bushes volunteering right in the center of the Azaleas. I've encouraged these for a couple years now. This year I'll use some of their seeds to plant a line of Beauty Berry bushes and at the same time, I'll start to cut out the azaleas. With a little luck and planning maybe I'll have a great crop of the right plant in the right place!

PS: For some great info on the Florida American Beautyberry (Callicarpa Americana) click here!

Note that there are great mosquito repellent qualities to this plant, scientifically proven. Something every gardener can appreciate!

Pool to Garden, chicken coop & fish farm!

2010-08-18T17:29:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful pool conversion! It looks like it takes a bit more work than my pool to pond, but the food production is amazing! This is in Arizona and the pool statistics he sites are sad indeed. Think of the one billion people that cannot find potable water and are dying, then think of the 7000 gallons of evaporation per year PER POOL!! This pond conversion is a spark of sanity amidst the lunacy called "normal".

Check out their website: http://gardenpool.org/

Fiskars Ergonomic Reel Mower

2010-08-04T12:23:00.001-04:00

About six months ago I was thrilled to be chosen to evaluate the new Fiskars Ergonomic Reel Mower. That meant I got one delivered to my door to use, evaluate through a series of surveys and then KEEP! Yea! First, I love Fiskars products. They seem to last forever. I have a pair of scissors that must be 30 years old, no joke! They even made it though a house fire! So the thought of this was very exciting.

The mower was delivered in a box and I had to assemble. A mild wave of dread washed over me as I dragged the box into the foyer. But what a pleasant surprise! It had simple directions and almost IKEA-like snap together construction. I had it up and ready in 10 minutes!

Side by side, old mower on the left & Fiskars on right.

Then I carried it outside for its first trial run. It was light enough for me to carry easily. I can only carry up to 40 lbs. comfortably so this was nice. My old reel mower is like lead in comparison! The Fiskars is really ergonomic and it glides with ease over the landscape. And my landscape is pretty non-conventional. If you've ever read my blog you know I hate conventional grass lawns. So my "lawn" is mostly weeds with small groups of native plants!

One of the worst aspects of my old reel mower was mowing tall or flowering weeds. It would never get the stalk, just press it down. Fiskars reel mower handles this much better, but still not 100%. Where Fiskars reel mower really beats all others is in the frequency of the blades jamming. I gave up on my old reel mower since I use mulched oak branches and they blow all over the yard making any attempt at reel mowing a nightmare of jamming blades! I'd have to stop, bend down, turn the mower over and fight to pull out the stick. With Fiskars reel mower all you need to do when it jams is back it up a bit and voila, it's free! And it jams much less to begin with!

There are still a couple more surveys to complete for the Fiskars engineers, but I have to admit I'm won over! I still use the small gas powered mower in the highest heat since it is faster. But now, I use it half as much as before! Every little bit counts and I thank Fiskars for creating a responsible and well-built solution!

I am adding this link for info only! I do not endorse any specific way to purchase. There are good photos and information on this site: http://www.ecomowers.com/Fiskars_Momentum_Reel_Mower_p/6201.htm?gclid=CInJioOdoKMCFYlY2god6EZbqw

BP Horizon Beachhead #1 - Grand Isle, Louisiana

2010-07-08T10:47:00.001-04:00

Oil Spill - Where to go in Florida to Help

2010-05-27T10:14:00.001-04:00

If you're like me, this oil spill is gut wrenching. As anyone who has read any of my articles knows, water, clean water is my passion. And wildlife is also a huge priority to me. I didn't make my yard, pool and home a totally organic wildlife habitat for any other reason than my love for all life and firm commitment to clean, pure water for all life!

All that said, there are many great ways to get involved and volunteer to help clean up this oil mess! One of the best sites for Floridians is the official Volunteer Florida website

Scroll down that site to all the PDF and Doc files that are filled with great information.

To watch the "topkill" operation live, Huffington Post seems to have the best live feed. Huffington keeps a

couple different feeds online so if any fails there will still be something up. This is a screen shot of the live feed as of 10:11 AM EST on 5/27/10. I'm no expert, but it looks worse to me.

The main thing is that we all stay involved on some level, whether giving a donation, our time and labor or being politically active. Whatever your strength is where you are needed!

May Day in Sanford

2010-04-14T10:09:00.002-04:00

Sanford, Florida is a historic place filled with historic homes and a historic downtown Main Street. This May Day Celebration has been going on a long time! This year the proceeds benefit the wonderful Student Museum - see: Student Museum Website

Stop Buying Water in Plastic Bottles! Heck, Stop BUYING Drinking Water!

2010-04-12T12:44:00.001-04:00

I have a post called "I Hate Gas" where I discuss how much more important our water is to our auto fuel. It was back in the days of the great gas price increases. This is so much more important. Why? Why? Why? Seriously, why do we buy water in plastic bottles? Even environmental groups have these at their meetings sometimes! It must stop! Most the time our tap water is better tasting and safer than what profit-hungry corporations (unregulated for the most part) put into plastic bottles. This video is well done. Please watch. And stop buying bottled water!

They're Ba-ack!

2010-03-30T12:16:00.002-04:00

Yep, it's as if the bugs know Spring has sprung! On the 23rd of March I saw my first palmetto bug in four months! And one flea turned up in the ritual cat-combing! It's a combination of sunlight time and warmth that alerts both the beautiful blooms and the not-so-beautiful bugs that it's time to wake up!

So here are some time-tested eco-friendly tips for bug control in the home.

Diatomaceous Earth kills fleas mechanically

Basically it is microscopic broken glass, that's simplifying it, but that's how it works. We feel nothing but an almost talc-like fineness, but for the flea, it's like walking on shards of glass. It cuts their exoskeleton and they die by dehydration pretty fast. It only works when dry and is dangerous only if inhaled, so use appropriately.
I use it several ways.

I put it on the carpet overnight and then vacuum in the morning.
I put it on the bottom of my ferret's cage where the litter box is and cover it with fluffy bedding. The ferret doesn't spend much time down there, but the eggs drop and it seems to help.
I also sweep it across my wood floors and let it sit there at least a few days - once I mop or vacuum it is gone.

Boric acid does wonders keeping the Palmetto bug population down

I have cleaned out all my cupboards and put down boric acid around the perimeters. You can blow in a thin stream of it. I push it down into the spaces between the shelves and the sides as well as packing it into any holes.
Sprinkle it around the pipes under your sinks. Boric acid works wet as well as dry. The only precaution is to keep it away from food and pets. So keeping it in the hidden pipe areas is best.

Containers with water and some dish-soap trap and kill both bugs.

Now this is a fun experiment for kids over say 6 or 7: Put down a shallow dish with about an inch of water and a couple squirts of dish washing liquid in it. For palmettos, place it near a place you've seen them in the past for an over night. For fleas, place it in a spot on the floor where pets frequent, but keep the pets out of the room for the night. Add a small desk lamp over it for heat (so use incandescent light bulb, NOT florescent!). In the morning you'll find some dead bugs...but only if you have bugs. If you use chemicals, this is all moot.
I use a wide-mouth mug with water and dish soap when I comb my pets. That way I can flick the fleas right into the soap-water and they sink immediately.

Try not to kill all your house spiders. Leave a couple in hidden spots and you'll be amazed at how many fleas and baby palmettos they catch!

This has been a great learning tool for kids! I have picked fleas off my cats and dropped them into the tiny webs of the harmless house spider and we've watched the spider run right to the flea!

If you have a bad flea infestation, judicious use of topical flea treatments on your pets might be the only way to get them under control. Use all chemicals strictly according to the label instructions and NEVER use dog products on cats!

One tip, use one brand for two cycles and then switch to another brand for two cycles. These meds kill 99% of the fleas within 24 hours. This means 1% lives to breed "super fleas" that are immune to that chemical. In the decades that these products have been in use, there have evolved some fleas that are immune. By switching up the chemicals you have a better chance of stopping the immunity.

Vacuuming every carpeted area every day.

Vacuum the furniture weekly.
Use cheap throws on the furniture if pets get up there so they can be washed.
Put boric acid and D.E. in the vacuum bag or canister.
Sweep D.E. and Boric acid onto wooden floors so it gets between the slats. If your wood floor is sealed, this isn't necessary.
Empty the vacuum bags/canisters and take the garbage out of the house.

Put stopper in sinks over night when not in use.

I've found this very helpful. Most palmetto activity is at night. Sneak into your kitchen around 2 AM and flip on the light - if you have palmettos, you'll see 'em then! Mostly around the sink. There were many fewer in my traps when I started plugging the drains.
If you get an infestation in your dishwasher, pour about a galleon of water into the bottom when not in use. Most families won't have this issue. But if you're like me and only run the dishwasher once every other week or so, then this is another drain they can enter.

Ten Water Saving Tips Beyond the Ordinary

2010-03-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

OK, I admit it, I'm a water nut! And I'm not talking about going to the beach or a water park, in fact I rarely swim. I'm talking about the wasting of the most precious element next to air.

http://water.usgs.gov/watuse/
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2005/3051/

In Florida 65% of the available potable water is used for irrigation! Some of that is for agriculture, but way too much is for watering lawns. Mismanaged sprinkler systems that go off in the rain, water concrete and go off in the peak heat of the day are just criminal.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circ1268/

Here are a few things I do to lower my water use, beyond the basic 'turn off the faucet while brushing teeth' advice:

No sprinkler system period! Water by hose only when establishing a new plant or in an extreme drought.
Plant only drought-tolerant or natives that work well in your area with no extra watering, just rain.
Use of "Johnny Boy" on toilets to save water when washing hands.
"If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down!"
Low flow toilets and shower heads - easy and low cost fix for water use.
Have bricks/water bottles/ galleon jugs in toilet tanks to displace water.
Rain barrels to collect water for use instead of turning on hose.
5 minute shower timer to remind you to get out of the shower faster! (Free at a eco-festivals and your local water management district!)
Collect water from faucet while waiting for hot water, for showers, pet cleanings, dishes, whatever reason you wait for hot water. Save it to use for plants, cleaning hands, countertops, etc. as just a few ideas.
Use day-old pet water to water plants.

These are just some of my personal ways to lower water use. I realize I can be a bit extreme since I don't have to worry about a lot of people in my household. Here are a couple even more extreme things I hope to have someday. Consider it my water conservation wish list!

Self-Contained Composting Toilet: http://letsgogreen.com/composting-toilet-desc.html

Smart Shower: http://bluelivingideas.com/topics/saving-water/smart-shower-james-dyson-award/#more-3586

Tankless water heater saves water since there's instant hot water instead of running out the cold water from the lines. http://tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/ It has the added benefit of saving energy costs too!

The Mighty Tabbouleh

2010-03-16T12:06:00.006-04:00

I love tabbouleh. I make it using quinoa instead of bulgar for nutrient purposes, but the big ingredient, the thing that makes it taste so fresh, is parsley.

I brought home some parsley the other day and it tasted terrible. Really bitter. Here's the cure: snip the stems and put into a mug of water. Just as if this were a bouquet of fresh flowers. Change out the water after you notice the parsley perk up. The fresh water will improve the taste as well as keep the parsley fresh for up to a week! Change out the water every 2 days to keep it clean.

This also works for celery. Is it just me or do these veggies taste bad these days? I may just be getting old. My son says it's my "old taste buds", but I think something is up. Especially when the taste improves after putting the celery or parsley into water. For the celery, just do the same thing, cut the bottom off and put it into a tall jar of water. You can put the whole thing into the fridge if you want.
And don't get me started on the lousy taste of tomatoes and bell peppers!! If I figure out how to make these taste fresher and less bitter or in the case of the tomatoes, less like cardboard!; I'll post it!

Now go make up a batch of tabbouleh! It's so good and so good for you!

Recipe: Tabbouleh
Serves 4-6

1 cup cooked quinoa -
3/4 cup minced parsley*
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste
Pinch allspice (really, add this! You'll be surprised at how good it is!)

Combine the quinoa and the chopped vegetables and toss to mix. Combine oil, lemon juice, salt, and allspice. Add to quinoa mixture and mix well. Chill. Serve and enjoy.

* Some recipes call for 1/4 c. mint and 1/2 c. parsley. I prefer the all parsley.
I've also made this with millet and it's just as good. Millet is a great grain, but go easy if you are hypothyroid!
Also, I often make the Tabbouleh without the grain. I store the grain separately and mix when ready to eat. This way I can use the Tabbouleh as a topping for a tofu burger or hummus sandwich!

Almond Milk - The Easiest Food I've Ever Made!

2010-03-03T11:33:00.003-05:00

Surfing the web as I do, I came across a great blog: http://sogoodandtasty.blogspot.com/2010/02/homemade-almond-milk.html

Basically it's this:
1 cup almonds
4-6 cups water (I used 4.5 C. since my blender is small)
Soak almonds in water overnight.
Pour it all into a blender and blend until pieces are as tiny as your blender will get them.
Pour it all through a fine mesh strainer, using a spoon to get as much liquid out as possible.

My twist, one teaspoon of vanilla and about 2 tablespoons of honey mixed in.
I also saved the pulp, one small container with cinnamon and honey in it and one container plain.

Place the milk into a clean, well sealed jar and refrigerate.

The first thing I did was make my usual morning oatmeal. I cooked it in the almond milk instead of water and it was much richer, mellower tasting. Then I added about 4 spoonsful of the pulp and it was really good! I'm sure the extra almond pulp added a nice protein boost!

The plain almond milk was good to drink. I like the extra oomph of the vanilla and honey, but taste it first! You might just prefer it plain! My next batch will be plain and I'll experiment with mashed potatoes.

As much as I've always loved cow products, they do create mucus and if you have sinus issues or use your voice a lot, you know dairy products are not good for you. Many people love soy milk, as did I until I had some issues with it. Rice Milk is also good, but not nearly as many great benefits as almonds! The protein and B vitamins in almonds are much higher than in rice. Also, with 3 pounds (about 9.5 cups) of almonds costing under $10 at BJs, it's less expensive to make my own almond milk than to buy any other product. A huge plus is that the ingredients are known and controlled by you! So you know it's pure!

I hope you try it! And stop by the So Good and Tasty blog! Jacqui has many more interesting recipes shared there!

We've All Been Brainwashed to Some Extent

2010-02-28T11:13:00.003-05:00

I just read something that made me a little sad. A couple had wanted to turn their toxic pool into a natural water garden/pond. They gave up. They took out the pool and filled in the spot and turned it into lawn. They were overwhelmed with the cost and heavy machinery required to create a pond! As my readers know, that is overkill for most people. If the only way to turn a pool into a pond was to hire backhoes and dig up the entire yard, then I wouldn't have done it. I simply let the pool revert naturally and helped it along with small fish and many plants.

Companies that make money from us buying their products need us to buy into their marketing and have stifled us by doing so. When I first stopped all my pest control subscriptions I was very concerned that I would soon be overwhelmed with "natural Florida"! Bugs, snakes, poisonous spiders and more! EEK! I thought it would be awful! But to my surprise, instead of critters that would torment me, I got tons of new birds eating the new bugs! And several varieties of frogs eating more! Then I took the Florida Master Naturalist Program and learned that rarely are these critters, snakes, spiders, etc. ever poisonous! Moreover, I saw my first native black racer snake, famous for eating all those nasty Norwegian river rats that have always been an issue here. Now that I know my snakes, instead of being frightened, I can welcome him! With all the frogs, dragonflies, bats and birds, I have no mosquitoes! I don't want to kill all the mosquitoes, they are an important food source for these beneficial critters.

But the Chemical companies would have us believe we need all these toxins for our health! And the pond industry would have you believe you need to start from scratch to have a pond where you now have a pool! They also advocate regular water changes! How absurd is that! If you work to get all those beneficial microbes and insects into your pond, why would you destroy them all with powerful (and expensive) filters and water changes! Now I'm not saying there is no maintenance required. Just that the prudent stewardship that comes with actual knowledge will do the trick. And surprise! It doesn't require all the products that Madison Avenue would have you think it does!

I wish I had seen this couple's post sooner. Taking the initiative to step out and learn something new is scary. But believing what the companies that want to sell you a product have to say is how the Earth got into this mess in the first place. I say step out, step up and learn the facts for yourself. There is no greater step in fulfillment of your own personal journey on this Earth.

Some starting points:

Master Naturalist Programs, many states have them now! Google this: Master Naturalist Programs
Native Plant Societies: again, most states have them!
Master Gardener Programs - as mandated by the US Congress, each state has an Agricultural Extension Service associated with a major university and a Master Gardener Program! Find yours!
Yards and Neighborhoods programs are now in many states! Usually advocating friendly planting and water wise gardening.

Another good blogspot to read through: http://thecluelessgardeners.blogspot.com/
Happy Ponding!

Step 2 – Pool to Pea Soup?

2010-02-22T21:24:00.001-05:00

So, you’ve turned off your pool filter and stopped using the chemicals. You’re waiting for the chlorine to completely leach out of the pool walls. You’ll know this has happened when plant life begins to flourish. But that plant life isn’t exactly what you want. It’s a pea soup of algae. (For more about algae check out this site: Smithsonian Institute Botany Projects )

The first thing I did after I got the green soup bowl was start to add a couple small fish and a few plants. That process takes a long time to clean up the algae. Since then I’ve found that adding certain plants can clear the water within a couple weeks! In FL, there is an invasive plant called Elodea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elodea (the native version of the highly invasive exotic hydrilla) Hydrilla is a plant on our exotic eradication list, so if you do use something like it and you’re unsure, just be sure not to release it into the waterways or sewers. I pull mine out when it gets to be too much and I bake it in the sun for a day and then use it as mulch.

I purchased the elodea at a pet store in the aquarium department. This is why you can never be sure of what you’re getting. Submersed plants will clear up the algae the fastest. The potted plants are important for long term care since they compete for the nutrients. Algae are plants that need sunlight, oxygen and nutrients just like any other plant. So by covering your pond surface space with at least 65% vegetation, algae cannot survive. It will still grow on the sides, but so many things eat it that it hasn’t become an issue for me or any of the other ponds I work with. Photo on the right is elodea in bloom in April. Right after this I pull about half of it out to use as mulch.

One more tip for this soupy stage: hydrogen peroxide. You may have heard that barley straw can eliminate algae. The by-product of barley straw decomposing is hydrogen peroxide. It’s safe for all the good plants and all the critters, although at this stage you probably don’t have many to worry about. In the 22,000 gallon pool I used 16 32 oz. bottles. Get them at discount stores for about $1.50 or less per bottle. It really helps to jump-start the algae killing process. It’s good to have some small filter at this point as the algae dies off and leaves decaying plant material in its stead.

Now here’s my story about filtration. I was so afraid of it going wrong when I started that I purchased an inline bio filter made for ponds. It was way too strong and started to suck all the tadpoles and beneficial insects, dragonfly larva, etc. into the skimmers. So finally I turned it off and disconnected it. Lesson learned. There are lots of wonderful and inexpensive filters that worked just fine to clean out dead algae and other debris. This is one of my favorites. I also tried the UV filters that were recommended to me only to find that they kill the good stuff with the bad and now I reserve them for the day I have a pathogen or other issue. It’s been 8 years and I’ve never had any issues.

These little filters also are convenient since you can move them around. I like to use their fountains for oxygenation of the water, but not around lily pads since they don’t like water movement or too much water on their pads. They breathe through their pads. These have filter pads that are simple to clean and reuse.

Fish and plants will keep the pond balanced. The fish eat mosquito larva as do the dragonfly larva and tadpoles and lots of other neat bugs. The adult dragonflies and frogs eat the adult mosquitoes! The filtration, minor, is to clean out dead algae. I turned the spa into a bio-filter by lining the seats with plants and using a submersed filter just like the one above, only attached to a hose (instead of the fountain piece) that comes up out of the main pond and into the spa, the water goes through the roots and out the waterfall, adding oxygen. I find you can never have too much oxygen. In the summer here (very hot) oxygen escapes faster so in the hot summer days, I turn the fountains off during the day and on all night. In the winter I do the opposite, and this year I only turned on the fountains during warm days for extra heat in this unusually cold winter.

Just toss in some elodea. You’ll be amazed at how fast it grows and takes down the algae. It doesn’t like the cold though, so up here I’d say wait until March 1 just to be safe. You might be warmer. Here's how to test the water quality , use very small, young fish since they adapt faster. The older the goldfish, the more difficult it is for them to adapt. (And I recommend goldfish since they are hardy and cheap) I let my pool go in August, so it got really bad with the high heat. I think I tired two or three small goldfish in September, but they didn’t survive until the spring. It may have had more to do with the lack of oxygen than the chlorine issue since I hadn’t found the elodea solution yet and that many algae leaves little oxygen for the fish.

So those tips should do it! The main thing is to trust nature. It’s amazing how brain-washed I had become by the whole pest control mentality. When I stopped using all chemicals in my yard and home I was sure I’d be overrun with critters! It has never happened. Lizards, frogs, birds, they all eat each other and they ALL eat bugs! I can’t wait to hear of your progress and see your photos!

Happy ponding!

Filter links:
The Pondmaster Filter at Foster & Smith
Tetra above ground filter at Foster & Smith
I am not endorsing any particular vendor, info only for information purposes.
And special thanks to Janet for the questions that led to this article! Keep 'em coming!

Teach Every Child about Food: Jamie Oliver's TED Prize Wish!

2010-02-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

This is something every human, and especially every US human should consider. It reminds me a little of the UK television show "You Are What You Eat". But it all comes back to toxicity. Chemicals are ingested where they need not be. As one person put it, "If it came from a plant, eat it! If it's MADE in a plant DON'T!" We Americans need to use some form of chemical control on everything from our food to our yards to our medications. We really took the 1950's slogan "Better living through chemistry" to heart. And we are now an obese, heart & kidney disease-ridden population. The idea that our children will live lives 10 years shorter than ours just because we've drugged them with sugar, fat and salt is pathetic. We have brains! We can do better.

This video is 21 minutes long, but the time passes too fast. Please watch it and pass it on. Consider it every time you start to plan your grocery shopping or a meal.

The Great Backyard Bird Count 2010

2010-02-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

February 12-15! Join in the counting! Great for kids and adults alike!

The Great Backyard Bird Count

View more presentations from guestb3cef2.

Bio Economics Of Invasive Species

2010-01-28T19:30:00.001-05:00

I have the honor of "meeting" Mr. Thompson via Twitter and learning so much more about invasive species. Here is a sample.

Bio Economics Of Invasive Species

View more presentations from John Peter @InvasiveNotes Thompson.

Master Gardener Garden Walk 2010 video

2010-01-26T15:29:00.001-05:00

The video is finally finished for the Master Gardener Garden Walk. It shows off some of the beautiful gardens of Seminole County Florida. CLICK HERE to view the video! If you're a Seminole County FL resident consider submitting your garden for the 2010 walk to be held on Sunday, May 16. Submission must be in by February 23. Anyone can come on the walk!

Chai On The Fly!

2010-01-24T20:23:00.001-05:00

Wiki article on Chai

I accidentally purchased condensed milk over the holidays. Being a raw/healthy eater, I'm not much of a baker and only make things like pumpkin pie over the holidays. So I looked at the can and was surprised to see the ingredients were simply milk and sugar. NOT corn syrup! So I tried a little experiment and the result was a really tasty fast version of Chai.

First boil some water in a cup in the microwave as usual for a cup of tea. Next cut up a small slice of fresh ginger. When the water is ready add a tea bag or some loose tea in a strainer. I found a nice black tea with natural apply spice to be very good in this. Next add the chopped up fresh ginger and about 1 tablespoon of the condensed milk. Stir until it's time to take the tea ball or bag out. It's really tasty and in the end I chew up the fresh ginger since the brewing has mellowed it.

Now I probably won't go out and buy more condensed milk, but it's sure been a nice warm beverage during an unusually cold winter!

Haiti Donation Sites

2010-01-22T22:21:00.000-05:00

The Hope for Haiti Now telethon has just ended, but you can click here to go to their site.

Red Cross has a list of several official ways to donate including a list of the official walk-in sites. Click here for the Red Cross page.

Thanks!

Pool to Pond: Ten Water Saving Tips Beyond the Ordinary

2010-01-18T17:22:00.001-05:00

Pool to Pond: Ten Water Saving Tips Beyond the Ordinary

How Green Is Your Garden? - National Wildlife Magazine

2010-01-16T11:20:00.001-05:00

How Green Is Your Garden? - National Wildlife Magazine

This is a great article and I initially posted it here as a draft so I could refer to it. Then I figured I should share it since there are so many good tips for "greening" your yard. I hope it can be of help to you! Let me know if it was, leave a comment!

Experiment in climate control

2010-01-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

Update: Jan. 10, 2010
I just got December's electric bill and it's only 117! That's the lowest ever. I have to enjoy it, since I know with this cold spell, it will be much higher for January! However, there are some other new tricks this year that should help. For one, all my electronics are on surge protectors so I turn everything off with one switch for groups like computer/external drive/printer or TV/cable box/DVD player. Lights that were on timers are now on a remote system so I can still have light as I walk into a room, but now it doesn't have to be on for long stretches. I've also started doing all my laundry in cold water. Using white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser has really worked to make the clothes feel soft and smell nice! My gas bill has seen a drop from $80 to $50 per month on average. Other things this year that weren't up last year are the weather stripping on the back door, and insulating drapes up on all windows and doors. I've still got the safe space heater which I carry from room to room. It's made a huge difference. With the upstairs heat set at 58, my room is around 64! It is a newer model that does have the auto shut off feature in case it is knocked over. It also has what it calls its "eco" option which sets it to turn off automatically in three hours. These are good safety features and I can't stress this kind of thing enough when it comes to space heaters! They are a major cause of house fires in the cold months! But used with care, it sure helps save energy!

So the experiment continues! How are you coping with this rough winter? Any tips for saving electricity? Please share them!

Previous logs of my electric experiment!
June 5, 2009 - update:

The A/C guy fixed my downstairs unit - seems a transformer needed replacement. It was only $84, so pretty good there. But now that I'm used to the warmer temps, I'm setting my downstairs unit on 85, with the fan running continuously. My electric bill with only one unit running has gotten below the $180 per month mark. We'll see what it goes up to now. Usually I use the upstairs unit more in the summer - cold air drops, and my bedroom is where I need the most cooling comfort anyway. In the winter, I use the downstairs unit most, since the warm air rises and I use my space heater sparingly. This month's electric bill was $169. That's for 3700+ square feet! When I moved here the electric bill was hovering around the $500/month mark!
And the experiment continues!

Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 10:18am

My mud room was 91.5 degrees yesterday! Outdoor temperature was around 94. The mud room is an add-on to the actual house. However, the interior of the actual main house downstairs is staying right around 80. My bedroom (upstairs) stays at 75.5 even though the upstairs unit is set at 83. My great experiment on being cheap and keeping comfortable without as much electricity continues! The downstairs unit still not working. (Over the winter my dining room came in at 38 one morning!) I get very hot direct sun in the front (East) up until about 2 PM at which time I start to get direct and HOT sun in the back (West) of the house. I have put up heavy triple-lined draperies on most windows and they make a huge difference in the main house. So as an experiment I put up (or I should say staple-gunned up) some insulated draperies bought on the cheap at a JCPenney's sale. And it made a big difference. The hottest the mud room is getting is right around 85-87. That's down from the 90+ mentioned at the top!
The A/C folks are coming week after next.

The Southeast Needs to move into the Future

2010-01-10T15:10:00.002-05:00

Every time I do a search on natural yards I get a multitude of sites on the west coast. And while I used to live in Northern California back in the 70's and realize that we were already working on all the buzzwords of today's modern ecologists, I still cannot fathom that we here in the Southeast are so far behind the curve.

We're still promoting growth, the use of herbicides and pesticides and artificial fertilizers. We're still promoting the use of artificial irrigation. Granted we're trying to promote micro and drip irrigation systems, but in these times of water shortages throughout the world, we should not be promoting any automatic systems. If one needs to water due to a drought, or to establish a new plant, then one should use a hose and an auto-off sprayer. This harsh winter should open our eyes. I've had no casualties due to the cold temperatures. Some of the natives have died back, but I know they will be returning in the Spring. Natives may not be a pretty but they are certainly substantial.

We (meaning all homeowners with land to tend) need to be using composting as a means to enrich our soils and maintain moisture. We need to plant native plants that don't need extra watering, chemical care and sheets in the cold! Not only will we all reap the benefits of lower costs and less physical maintenance, we will also have more birds and butterflies visiting. And the all important pollinators will have some refuge and new sources of pollen.

It all works together as one piece and most of the world is waking up to that fact. It is time to move forward and become the examples we should be.

I would love to hear what you think about this! Please share your opinions with a comment!

The wonders of the Neti Pot! Save Your Sinuses!

2010-01-07T11:55:00.005-05:00

For years I suffered two sinus infections each year, one around Easter and the other in the Fall. Both times related to specific plant blooming times. I had to take Zyrtec in the morning and Flonase at night as well as the antibiotics! Ugh!

Then finally a doctor at the Mayo clinic started me on the path to freedom from sinus infections. His advice: keep the nasal passages moist so they can deal with the pollen attack better. He recommended "Ocean" nasal spay. I took it one step farther, to the Neti, and haven't had an infection since.

The Neti is cheap, safe and well proven over several thousands of years. Learn more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation

And of course, Google/Ask/Bing it yourself. The main thing is that I no longer need antibiotics twice a year. No more daily antihistamines. Although I will take a Benadryl after a full day of gardening during certain seasons and high pollen counts.

I also stop all cow milk products during the high pollen times. Cow milk products simply exacerbated the problem for me with the increased mucus dairy is known to produce.

So between the Neti and no cow's milk for those two months, I am sinus clean! (And I love my cheese and ice cream the rest of the year!)

If this helps just one person even a little bit, then I'm happy! Have you ever tried Neti? If so, share your experience in a comment!
Thanks!

Building an Eco-Friendly & Cheap Garden Path

2009-12-24T13:12:00.004-05:00

Today I will detail the steps I have taken to create pathways through my gardens. As always I do things the easiest and cheapest ways I can find. I reiterate here that I am a) over 50 b) small female, and c) broke!

Step one is to save all the large cardboard boxes you find, in my case they are from deliveries and cat littler. And of course, the holiday season is a time of massive amounts of packaging, so use it for paths and other mulching projects rather than sending it all to the landfill!

Using a carpet knife, open up the boxes to flat. Be sure to take out the large staples or any other metal pieces. I also rip off all tape.

Step Two, either purchase a large pile of mulch, or if you're broke like me, talk the city chipper into dumping an entire truck full on the driveway!

Step three, mow your path with the mower blades set at "crew cut" blade height. Basically shave as close to earth as you can.

Before mowing After mowing
Remember, as always, to dress with safety as well as comfort in mind! And stay hydrated!

Step four, lay down the flattened cardboard along the path. I also use old phone books, junk mail, news print and other compostable stock.

This is mainly a great way to lessen the amount of compostable materials that are sent to our landfills. The added benefit of a nice path is, for me, secondary.

Step Five, start to haul the mulch out to the cardboard path and dump it. This is the most back breaking part of the entire process. The mulch must be at least 3 inches deep but deeper is better.

Final step, rake the path into shape desired. And walk on it often to tamp it down.

Paths that were put down a year ago are holding up quite well considering that I rarely mow, never water, and NEVER use any chemicals. The only way I maintain my pathways is to weed them by hand.

For the more active gardeners, these new paths should work for years! The best part is how simple it is to change the route of the path or eliminate them entirely! And if you do decide to turn part of the path into a planting bed, the compost value of the path ingredients will make for healthier soil. There could not be a more simple way to improve the soil, use up compostable materials that would otherwise wind up in landfill and create nice looking pathway!

You could take it a step farther and add some stepping stones, whatever you'd like!
Have you done something like this? Send me a photo or add a comment tell us how it worked out!

Become a "Fan" of the Seminole County Master Gardeners' 2010 Walk!

2009-10-12T14:35:00.001-04:00

For anyone that happens to stop by, please consider becoming a FaceBook "Fan" of the 2010 Master Gardeners' Garden Walk! It's an annual event and it's free! The tour features six amazing gardens graciously volunteered by their owners. I'll be posting a slide show of last years tour soon! We Seminole County Florida Master Gardeners have also put together an exhibit "hall" at the extension services office this year with educational booths from folks like "Water Wise" from the St. John's Water Management District* and Florida Yards and Neighborhoods* as well as the "Ask a Master Gardener Booth. The event is free and sure to be a blast! So if you're local, save the date: Sunday, May 16, 2010. If you're not local, just help us out by becomeing a "Fan" of our FaceBook page!

*This is a sampling of possible participants as an example. Actual participants will be listed as the date aproaches.

How It All Began, updated 8/09

2009-08-11T11:28:00.010-04:00

I decided I should update this article since I'm just starting to put this blog out into the public and some new readers may enjoy the "back story" to my apparent lunacy!

In 2002 my husband passed away at age 39, leaving me to run our business and our home on my own. To say I was devastated was putting it mildly. I lived pretty much in a fog for the next couple of years. The only moments of clarity I had were with my "pond". I put pond it quotes since it really didn't become a pond until 2004. At the start, it was a beautiful pool with heated spa and waterfall.

I know, it's really nice looking isn't it, for a resort that it. But it took constant cleaning, sweeping (it's under 5 huge live oaks!) and the adding of chemicals, mostly chlorine in very heavy 2+ gal. containers.

One day, after scooping poor dead frogs out of the nasty chemical filled water, I got the bright idea of turning my pool into a pond. I didn't swim in it, my son didn't swim in it, what was the point? The 24 hour filtration was costing a small fortune to run, the gas spa heater was hard to operate and the chemicals were of concern as they were mostly toxic.

Step one, just turn off everything and stop adding chemicals. I'll get into this whole thing in more detail later but for now as far as how it all got started, I decided to look at it as a five year experiment. So in September of 2002 I let it all go back to nature. And as of the summer of 2007, I had crystal clear water the entire year with little or no electrical filtration.

As you can see from this photo taken in March of 2008, it's quite a different feeling now. There were 16 lilies on the pond and it was still just March! This summer there have been more flowers, more wildlife visitors and just more glorious fun!

Right now, during the high heat of August, 2009, I have all electrical turned off except one small pump putting water from the pond into the bio spa. The spa is a bio filter with Papyrus, Pickerel weed and two forms of Arrow plant. The water is filtered by the roots and spills back into the pond, a little cleaner and with a bit more oxygen. The one thing I've learned is that standing water cannot have too much oxygen! This year I also had a part of the bottom detritus layer actually float up to the surface because of all the matted roots from the Bladderwort plant. For the first time I got to see the 5 inch thick bottom of the pond! It has now become a small island. I actually spotted a Heron standing on it once to catch fish!

The pond more recently

The main thing I'm learning is that Nature is amazing. Everything naturally wants to be balanced. I wonder why we humans are so hell-bent on forcing it to change? This little lady seems to be asking us the same question!

Click on Photo for video
of Barred Owl

Vermicompost - The Harvest

2009-08-10T12:37:00.017-04:00

Harvesting Worm Castings

Having a worm condo is a wonderful way to lower the landfill contributions as well as create a great addition to your soil and plants. I have a premade four-story "condo" that I bought, but worm bins can be made in many ways. No matter what kind of vermiculture structure you choose, there will come a time when the castings have to be harvested. Here in the heat of Florida, I can harvest castings as often as every three months. article is all about the harvesting process.
#1 Take the lid off

This is the upside down lid. Note the worms all along the edges. They just seem to like it there. But it does mean I have to be careful not to squish them when removing and replacing the lid!
#2 Get the supplies ready

You'll need a large bucket, new bedding, grit (optional) and newspaper or something else to spread the castings out onto for sorting. The bedding I use is coir. That's what is soaking in the water in the pitcher. Make sure to use de-chlorinated water. Also pictured in the lower left is a plant stand that will hold the top floors of the condo while I work the lower level. I have a bottle of frozen water, but that's only necessary in the 90+ degree summers.
#3 Photo of frozen water in place to cool air.

Because of the excessive heat here in Florida, (90+) I add a frozen bottle of water to cool air. (I find the worms all over it on hot days.)
#4 Remove the top two layers.

I suggest adding some food scraps to the top the day before your start. The purpose is to coax as many worms as possible up to the top layers. Then, the next day, remove the top two layers and put them on the plant stand. (left) Exposing the good stuff you can see in the bottom layer.
#5 Black gold!

Close up of worm castings - no odor at all, rich, dark fresh soil-like amendment for plants and yards.
#6 Another shot for a little perspective

This is a better view; my hand is full of castings which in turn are full of worms!
#7 scooping into pail

All the castings/worms are scooped out of the top level, view the bottom layer, aka the spa since there is a lot of moisture there. And the worms do seem to like to "hang out" there. There's a lot of reproducing going on down there too
#8 Preparing to sift

Next step, sit for an hour and sift for worms. Get comfortable! Scoop out castings onto newspaper into tall mound, wait, then go to the bottom for the worms. While waiting for worms to migrate down, sift from pail. Then just keep repeating. Toss worms into new "top layer" (see below)
#9 Former bottom layer waiting to become top layer

#10 Preparing bottom layer to become new top layer:

Add moist newspaper to the empty layer and put on top to keep moisture in while you sort. Just toss the worms you find into this bin, keep a little of the casting matter with them. Later I'll add the wet coir and another layer of newsprint.
#11 View of filled pail

Top off pail with damp newspaper to keep in moisture. In 30 days repeat the sifting for new worms that are about to hatch!
#12 Bottom layer is now the top layer

Prepare the new top layer as you did in the beginning. Add soaked, damp coir, grit and top with more damp newsprint.
#13 A little damp wipe, lid back on, floor swept and Voila! All done!

Preparing for a Battle in the Air Potato War!

2009-07-19T14:02:00.014-04:00

The bane of every gardener is invasives. Some people call them weeds. A weed is just a plant in the wrong place. While this is also true of invasives, the definition goes much farther. Click here for a wonderful site about Invasive plants. The bane of my garden is Air Potato . It's so bad in Florida that every January many groups get together to do some form of "potato pickup" complete with competitions to see the oddest shape potato or the largest or the most potatoes collected! Luckily here in Central Florida it gets cold enough in the winters that the AP vine dies back a bit. But even with diligent potato pick up, by mid-summer, with the rains and long sunny days, the dreaded vine has taken over. So today I head out to do an AP decimation.

I start by donning the uniform for serious vine-pulling in Florida: Long, lightweight slacks tucked into socks, horse-mucking shoes (steel toed, waterproof), gloves, mask, hat, knee pads and sunscreen on all exposed skin. I also keep my house keys around my neck and my cell phone in a deep pocket. The hat is required to shade your face and hit the spider webs before your face does! I recommend an old stocking knotted to make a skull cap to keep bugs out of the hair too! The mask is required because of all the mold, fungi, tiny critters that live in FL soil. Without a deep freeze, nothing in our soil dies back. This may seem crazy to gardeners in other areas, but believe me, in Central Florida and south, it's necessary. It doesn't hurt to neti after weeding or mowing too, but that's the subject of another post! The pants are tucked into the socks, again to keep critters from getting to me. Under my pink cotton socks I wear a pair of bamboo socks for wicking sweat away from my skin. The cell phone serves two purposes: the obvious, in case I need to call for help, and the second is to set an alarm. I cannot stay out in July Florida heat, exerting myself for more that one hour at a time. The alarm keeps me from over doing it.

Once dressed, it's time to start pulling. Pulling, cutting, digging out the vine the best you can, always remembering that even a tiny piece left on the ground will grow! I try to catch them as soon as the leaves form and the potato is wasted. The smaller the potato, the better chance it will die. I've put Air potatoes in a black plastic garbage bag, into the corner of the dark garage and 3 months later found a vine coming out of the bag. They do not die easily. One way to kill them is to go out at dusk (wear mosquito gear!) and cut a vine near as possible to the ground, paint both cut ends with Round-up (glyphosate) using a tiny paint brush. It's a royal pain to do this, but the one time I did it, it worked wonders. In 24 hours both ends are completely dead. It has to be done at dusk since that is when the plant will "suck" the poison down. Now I'm no scientist, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of that statement, but it did work. Like I said, it was a pain lugging a small vile of roundup with brushes and a pair of scissors around under the azaleas but the results were worth it.

one hour later, the spoils of war:
And here are the before and after photos for comparison. Obviously there is a lot more to do! At least you can see the bench and the small tree now!

In one week I'll do it all again, since every single leaf or piece of vine I missed, will root itself and start again. Also many of the vines in the trees will be dead since I cut them off. Of course not so much as long as it keeps raining. This is way the cold dry winter is the best time to irradiate this nasty vine.

Odd fact: Air Potato gives off a chemical in the soil that inhibits other plants from growing! (The things you learn judging a Science Fair!)

Next week we'll work on the South front where the Elephant ears, Rain trees and Air Potato have formed an axis of evil in my yard!

Advice to a gardener newbie

2009-06-28T15:59:00.006-04:00

http://www.floridayards.org

Check out this site and find something similar for your location. The "right plant/right place" concept will minimize your maintenance requirements. Using natives helps keep the need for fertilizers and pesticides down. And plant the more water hungry plants closer to your hose with the more drought tolerant farther from the water sources. I am against auto sprinklers only because most people don't monitor them and they wind up wasting a lot of water. Consider habitat gardens too. Butterfly gardens are the most popular. http://www.nsis.org/butterfly/butterfly.html

Familiarize yourself with the IMP (Integrated Pest Management) and BMP (Best Management Practices)in your area.

I recommend the Master Gardening program to all homeowners. There is one in every state, look up yours and consider taking the course.
http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/

Remember that exotic invasive plants are a huge and expensive problem in all of N. America. And to this day places like Lowe's and Home Depot continue to sell these plants. They are destroying the native habitats and directly responsible for nearly half of all the species on the endangered list! http://www.invasive.org

Most of all, take your time, nature does. Enjoy it!

Some fellow pool2pond folks!

2009-06-06T12:49:00.005-04:00

I am not unique in turning a backyard pool into a pond. MarshLand is different in that I did nothing to the pool first except to turn off the filters, pumps, skimmers and vacuums. I did not tear up the decking or backhoe a bog. My method is simply to let nature do what nature does best, balance itself. With the right proportions of vegetative and animal life, the water is crystal clean. Some of these other ways use a lot more muscle and money than I had. But the result is still a wonderful pond with all the benefits such a habitat provides! My slow, cheap way is not for everyone, so if this works for you, great! Any pond beats any chlorinated pool any day - in my humble opinion! Enjoy!

Another Pool2Pond page!

Erik's Swimming pond

The "Pond Doctor" Dave's how-to and info on Pool2Pond conversions

Awesome site on swimming ponds!

When I started looking into turning my pool into a pond (in 2002) I found that in Europe swimming ponds were the norm. One quote that stuck with me was, "We don't have the disposable income that our American friends across the pond have for pool maintenance." They actually were building their pools with plant shelves from the start. The over use of chemicals here in the US is frightening. I hope we start to "get it" soon too!

Quick and easy Eco-Tip: Save electricity

2009-06-05T13:51:00.005-04:00

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 11:25am edited June 5, 2009

A really easy way to save some electrical costs is to use surge protectors/power strips on groups of things used at the same time. I'll explain. I have my TV, DVD player and cable box all on one surge protector. When I finish watching TV at night I turn off the TV of course, but I also turn off the power strip. It's on the floor, so I just hit it with my foot. No trouble and it doesn't go on again until the next night. I do the same with my chargers: phone, camera, iPod and netbook, all on one strip. The charges stay plugged in all the time, but each morning I just turn off the power strip. I also have this computer, monitor, speakers, external drives on one UPS. After shutting down, I just turn it off.

I have certain lights on timers so the are on automatically (so I don't have to stumble into a dark room) and they are off automatically, so they aren't forgotten and left going all night. Most of us are creatures of habit enough to do this with a few well placed lamps. I cannot over state how useful this is.

On some power company sites it's estimated that these few things can save as much as 10% off an electric bill! And here in FL I go even farther during the bad storms and unplug everything I value. I know it sounds drastic, but there is no other way to insure important electrical items are safe from the super spikes we get here in the lightening capital! I know there are other high-tech, expensive ways to protect these things, but I say the easiest and cheapest is best - so just unplug it during a storm and turn off the surge protectors and UPS outlets when not in use.

Mosquitos, not all bad, since they are food for many!

2009-06-05T13:23:00.003-04:00

Monday, April 27, 2009 at 3:35pm

Most fish eat mosquito larva. I use the goldfish in my ponds for this since a) they are very hardy and b) they don't cause any trouble with the other critters.

There is a fish called the mosquito fish -

http://www.mosquitoes.org/FISHPAGE.html

Apparently in CA they are given away for mosquito control. Here in FL they are not used as much mostly because they seem to interfere with native species.

Tadpoles, goldfish and even some meat-eating bugs (like dragonfly larva) all eat mosquito larva. I don't have a mosquito issue here at all. Dragonflies also eat the adult mosquitoes, as do frogs/toads, bats, spiders and birds. For that reason I stopped using my "Mosquito Magnet".

http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/advice/how-it-works

A Mosquito Magnet totally collapses the population of mosquitoes in 3/4 to 1 acre within 6 weeks - and it works!

So if you have a serious issue, like a potential disease issue, I'd get the Mosquito Magnet going (you can get them at Home Depot). After 6 weeks all your mosquitoes will be gone. Then just keep normal fish and wildlife in your pond and you should be fine.

In general, we need to consider NOT just killing off everything, since other critters that we like and need depend on these pests for food. And it seems all our chemicals are just creating super bugs that nothing can kill. Seems like that is a much more serious issue. Just MHO, but I'm sticking to it!

Basic Hummus Recipe and Variations

2009-06-05T13:18:00.006-04:00

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at 5:46pm

The main reason I'm posting this here, in my pond blog, is because foods like hummus are part of a sustainable living solution. Less of the pork/chicken and beef meals that use more resources than the amount of food they supply means more sustainable. Don't get me wrong, I like a good steak every now and then. But I rarely buy it to make at home. At home I try to eat more earth-friendly. Smoothies, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, whole grains and hummus all contribute to my personal meal planning. I hope you try it! Enjoy!

I've put a link at the bottom. It's to a site that has lot's of recipes of hummus as well as some history. It's where I got my courage! Once you've made it, you'll be making it all the time! Shoot, a 4 oz container from a health food store costs about $4! This makes about 8x that for less! Enjoy!

Basic:
2 cans Garbanzo beans (or Chick peas - same thing)
2 Tbs of the following:
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Yogurt
Olive Oil

Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. That's it. Fresh, fast, inexpensive and really healthy.

You can add almost anything you like to make it special, I do the following combos:

3-4 Tbs of Sun dried tomatoes

1/2 Jar of roasted red peppers and 1/2 can black olives or do each as a separate flavor.

Or use different beans! It is standard to use the chick peas, but try some black beans or lentils. Different flavors but all good fiber and protein.

http://mideastfood.about.com/od/middleeasternfood101/a/hummus101.htm

Barred Owl and family resides at MarshLand

2009-04-19T12:13:00.000-04:00

What can I add to this? A second later her mate flew down and sat with her while she preened him. This would never happen by a standard swimming pool! I love my ponds!

All the wildlife that visits my little suburban oasis are welcome and will find a safe haven in that there are no herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers used anywhere on this one little acre. As a certified Backyard Habitat (NWF) cover, shelter, nesting, food, water and space to raise their young are all included. I highly recommend this lifestyle to everyone!

R.I.P. Dreamcicle

2009-03-31T10:15:00.000-04:00

I was very sad to find my beloved Koi, Dreamcicle, floating in the pond this morning. I've had him for 9 years and he survived 4 years with the previous owners. He was originally installed by the owners before that and I don't know what age he was when initially brought here, but he was at least 13+ years old. Koi can live up to 65 years when they are treated as we treat our dogs and cats, i.e. annual vet visits, special grooming, food and other things.

I think his demise was caused by multiple factors, not the least of which was the heron. I saw that heron go in after the Koi once, feet first. I had seen what could be claw marks on Dreamcicle's scales. I immediately replenished his slime coat and tried to be ultra vigilant, but there's only so much a person can do. I was sad to bury him. I have one more Koi left, Hoosier. He has cow-like markings of black and white. I really thought he'd pass away first since he has scoliosis. He is almost an "S" shape at this point.

I have decided after Mr. Hoosier passes, no more Koi. Goldfish are just as colorful and not quite as dynamic. Besides, I haven't got another 60+ years left in me and my son would never want to inherit that! In Japan, Koi are kept in the family, passing from one generation to the next. They really love their Koi and get them to do tricks and come when they're called just like we do with our dogs. I just couldn't devote that kind of time to them.

Well, that makes the 12th pet buried on MarshLand property. It marks the 18th pet death in the 9 years since I've been living here. Even though each pet was pretty old, it does seem like a lot of death. I'm getting very good at digging graves. I guess that's just what happens as we age. We see more and more death until every person, relative and pet we've known is gone - that is if we are the one to outlive them. My grandmother used to talk about it, how everything and everyone she'd known well was gone. I understand that so much better the older I get. As friends and family and even pets pass away I am reminded how fragile and precious this life it.

Rest in Peace poor little fish, you will be missed.

Cold Night Prep in Florida

2009-01-20T10:59:00.001-05:00

It's only going to reach 55 degrees today, about 20 degrees lower than it has been. Tonight we might get below the freezing mark, which is not a common thing - Thank Goodness!!

I will be bringing several potted plants into the house possibly for the next two nights. The hardest part is getting every"one" indoors and making sure to get them back outdoors. Also, several newer transplants will need to be covered with sheets overnight. I will also get some cuttings from the various coleus plants to have new plants if the outdoor ones die.

There is also a heavy wind expected which can really dry out the plants and make them more vulnerable to the cold. I will water everything deeply at the height of the heat today. I also need to make sure all the ponds are at capacity. The cold air speeds the evaporation and both my ponds as well as a couple I work with, are about 2 inches down.

A quick note, do not feed fish in the cold. Eating in the cold stresses their systems and can make them sick. I have a plec in a tank on the veranda as well as my worm condo. Both need some additional heat and wind protection. The plecostomus is a tropical fish that prefers water temps around 70. This morning the water temp was 62. Not too bad considering the air temp went down into the upper 40's last night. But there is a huge difference between 48 and 31! I have another tank heater (somewhere!) and I'll find it and get it into the tank as well.

The way I deal with the worms is to wrap the condo in large, rubber backed rugs. Remember to leave the air holes clear. I may also warm some wet newsprint and lay it in on top just before I retire. And then I cross my fingers.

MySpace link:

2008-07-01T11:14:00.000-04:00

http://www.myspace.com/pool2pond

I Hate Grass!!

2008-06-25T20:35:00.001-04:00

As Certified Master Gardener and Florida Master Naturalist, the Florida ecosystem is my love.

The quality of our water is paramount as far as I can see. As we all continue to cry over the price of gasoline, (yet fail to lower our consumption) I cry over the death of our Floridan Aquifer. This Aquifer provides a huge percentage of all the fresh water used in the world, and we've drained it to grow sugar and water lawns. We contaminate it daily with chemicals to green up non-native grass that provides no nectar or habitat.
I am doing my small part to save our water. I have turned off the wasteful 7-zone sprinkler system, planted native, drought-tolerant plants and habitat friendly plants at multiple height levels. MarshLand is a Certified Backyard Habitat by the Natural Wildlife Fund. So besides saving water, my yard has become a haven for butterflies, birds and pollinators of all kinds. Later I'll post more about pollinators and the decline of the honey bee, which is just as devastating to the eco-system as the loss of habitat and the pollution of water.
The requirements are simple: Food, water, nesting places, shelter and "Space" (basically space to do whatever the critter needs to do, feed, mate, play, hide from predators, etc.)
Marshland is a safe place for many critters, from dragon flies to bullfrogs to possum and hawk. Regular visitors include the Red Shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, Great Heron, two Cardinal families, Ibis, and Robins. Some come through seasonally during their migrations, others live here year-round. All are welcome. Even the raccoons, whose playfulness leaves many potted pond plants turned over! The main thing is that even though I have encroached upon their habitat, I'm working to co-exist instead of killing everything in site.
Consider taking up some of that nasty St. Augustine and replacing it with a couple beds of native plants. Just a little bit at a time. I know most people cannot totally give up some grass lawn area, and that's fine. Just let's consider our water purity in all our choices. I for one want to have water to drink for the rest of my life.

Amazing wildlife!

2008-06-25T19:52:00.001-04:00

Right here in my backyard! How great is it to be able to walk out my door for a break from the computer only to find a great heron standing by my pool! He/she was wonderful! He flaps his wings to get to the center in an attempt to get a fish (I guess! Could have been a frog too!).

Speaking of frogs, there are some huge bullfrogs sitting around the pool deck any time there is a light sprinkle! They look like they are garden decorations, they sit so still. I think they just enjoy the rain! There are young ones starting to crawl out of the pond!

I'll never forget the red-shouldered hawk taking a bath in the pond. Amazing thing to watch.

The water quality is so good that I think I could drink it. I'm going to take it into the county to be tested soon. I know I could swim in it. It's warm for about 3-4 inches depth, then it gets very cold. The lilies are really doing a great job of insulating. The Marsh hibiscus has had 10 blooms on it for this its second season! Last year, first year in the pond, it had 3 flowers.

I'm working on getting some streaming video working as well as some cameras focused on the pond to catch some of the critter antics! My website: http://www.marshland.us will be updated by the end of July. I'm back in school learning how to create a good website! Please visit it and see what Marshland is trying to accomplish. It's all about education and saving our resources, water, electric, air, land and even cash!!

Water or Auto Fuel?

2008-04-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

Water is Precious

**Gas Prices are the Least of Our Problems!**

I can live without auto fuel, but I cannot live without water! Everywhere we look these days people are abusing water. Over 65% of Florida's potable water is used to water lawns! Lawns of grass that are a habitat for nothing other than the very things people want to kill in their lawns! This leads to the addition of masses of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers which run off into our sewers and drain down into our lakes and rivers. My experiment of turning a chlorinated pool into a balanced pond has shown how well nature can clean water. If only we would stop dumping chemicals into it!

This is an example of water kept crystal clear quite naturally by using biological balances. I look forward to the day when sterile grass lawns are no longer the preferred aesthetic.

And now that I'm finished ranting on and on, here is the link to my mySpace page!

Scenes from the Pond

2008-03-27T00:05:00.001-04:00