Last week I was watching the evening news, and saw more huge ice shelves dropping off glaciers in Canada, and was again hit with just how common this phenomenon is becoming.  How many times in even just the past two years have we seen these dramatic events unfold on national TV, showing us just how drastically things are changing in the world around us, whether or not we can feel the change in our own neighborhood yet?

Hindsight being 20/20, I’m sure I’m not the only person who laments the fact that I didn’t understand the philosophy and science of unnatural climate change until a few years ago. I’m not always sure if I believe that this wave of climate change is solely the result of human irresponsibility, but I’m sure that it factors in. Sure, there are things I would have done better in the past, to reduce my carbon footprint, and give back to my local ecosystem, but with the past firmly behind us, I went looking for a way that I could make a difference using my own gifts, and interests, and found a great way that I can help scientists monitor the changing climate by sharing with them what is going on in my own garden.

“Project Budburst,” is an national online database thus far only available in the USA, that allows registered volunteers to document one, or many trees, flowers or shrubs in their local area.  The purpose of the site is to feed bloom, leaf, and dormancy times across the United States into a form usable by climate change scientists, who can then use the data to monitor changes in natural plant life cycles, and any changes in pollinator activity as related to changing global temperatures. The hope is that by by monitoring these plants beginning now, scientists will have a better idea of how to plant for the future, if and when more issues related to climate change impact the crops and environments we rely on.  The website is run by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, with support and funding from several government agencies, including the National Science Foundation.

There are large lists of targeted plants that scientists want specific data on, organized by state, that can be chosen by volunteers to document. I chose to monitor my own Forsythia bush in the front yard of my house, since I will walk by it everyday to and from work. Documenting the obvious will be easier for me than trying to monitor the many plants at work, where I will be bogged down by other concerns during the day.  I’m planning to monitor the plant for the next year, and log in to the “Project Budburst” database to share the dates I find for things like “leaf out,” “budding,” blooming,” etc.

The thing I like about this project, is that it allows me to feel like my yard is that much more useful, since I can assist in the scientific research that climatologists can’t collect on their own, and I can log in to see what other people’s findings are across the nation.  The reason I wanted to share this project with you is because any green minded person can find a garden plant, or urban street tree to monitor, and can help in some capacity these climatologists in their study of changing global patterns.

What do you think: What are your thoughts on “Project Budburst?”  Would you ever volunteer to assist in a climatology study, or do you think the data these groups collect are ”too little too late?”

Sometimes when we become used to a chore, we stop thinking about what exactly we are doing, and just focus on getting through with it.  I was doing this a few years ago with my large office fish tank, when I was mid chore, dumping gallons of slimy fish water over a sidewalk, and suddenly wondered “what in the world am I doing?”

I keep a very large goldfish tank in my office at work, somewhere in the ballpark of 70-80 gallons.  Once upon a time, the tank was the “overwintering and emergency tank” for the pond goldfish on my corporate property. It’s been a resort, and temporary home for Comet goldfish for years, used when their ponds were either drained, or undergoing repairs. Being a practical sort of person, in recent years, I’ve been keeping a few fish in there year round as my living screen saver, to keep the tank ready at all times for any Biblical-scale water feature disasters. While I have devised clever ways to cheat the system, and prolong the time between tank cleanings, I inevitably spend an hour twice a month sucking filthy brown water into a tall office trashcan for dumping out on the lawn, or down a drain.

A few years ago I was going through my bi-monthly fish tank cleaning process, wheeling the waste-water trashcan out to the exterior door, when I really looked into the filthy water, and realized that what I was staring at was free liquid fertilizer - and a fertilizer I was about to dump indiscriminately on the nearest patch of land near the door! Feeling like a total bonehead for never having thought about the uses for this “grey water” source before, I began that day using fish water as both a water source, and a fertilizer for my office plants, and exterior potted plants.  A fish’s excrement, and the general waste that they sluff off, are excellent fertilizers for plant life, because they contain so many undigested and beneficial nutrients.

Whether you use a gravel vacuum and a bucket, or a long extension vacuum, to transfer recyclable water directly to plants, recycling “gray water,” is a great way to cut down on your total water consumption, using water that has been lightly used for one purpose again for a second purpose before disposal.  Fish water, while unsafe to recycle for any human benefit, will greatly assist your yard, or office plants, feeding and watering them at the same time, and reducing your need for more commercial forms of plant food.  If you own a freshwater aquarium in either your home, or your office, try saving the water you drain from your tank for your own plants, as a way to “go green” this month! Plus as an added bonus, vacuuming your freshwater fish tank in one area and using the exact same water for your plants is a more efficient way of conquering two chores at once!

TIP: For small tabletop fish tanks in the home or office, keep a large watering can available, and drain aquarium water directly into the can for easy dispensing in your flower pots and garden beds!

Living in an area that sees plenty of sun, and hot dry summer weather, Rhododendrons are the last plant I would expect to see running amok through my neighborhood, but this popular garden plant is doing just that through the British Isles.

My sister and her husband recently traveled to Scotland to stay with friends, and catch up on some our family history, in the Scottish Highlands.  While they were there, they  discovered that the number one targeted invasive species “across the pond” was the popular garden plant the Rhododendron.  While the plant is innocuous throughout most of the United States, keeping to itself, and minding it’s manners, in the cool moist climate of Scotland, it has been changing the face of the Scottish Highlands, and spreading at an alarming rate.  Like most invasive species, the Rhododendron ponticum has several trademarks that make it both a nuisance, and an ecological threat, including rapid reproduction, soil altering qualities, and inedible and poisonous foliage and flowers for wildlife.  This beautifully blooming plant has rapidly taken over entire under-stories of the forest from the Lowlands of Scotland to the Highlands, where unfortunately, after centuries of forced human relocation, cattle outnumber the people, and habitat managers are hard to come by.

Fortunately for the Scottish people, their clan system has been a boon when it comes to organizing new initiatives for the country, and The Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highland and Islands Enterprise, and others groups have worked together closely with the local people to educate, and encourage large scale action toward a detailed Highland Biodiversity Plan.  Sharing a few similarities with other habitat initiatives that I participate in, this Highland program seeks to protect the areas that have been compromised by years of neglect, and uncontrollable invasive growth, to rebuild the diverse habitats that make Scotland unique.  There is an urgency here though, to save the plant and animal life that occurs only on this small pocket of the planet, before it is completely overcome by the invasive competition, such as the Rododendron ponticum.  The “UK Biodiversity Action Plan” reported on 238 priority species, and 42 priority habitats in need of help in Scotland alone, with 192 of the species, and 40 of the 42 habitats falling within the boundaries of the Scottish Highlands.

Obviously there will be huge obstacles standing in the way of such a monumental habitat restoration project, so I began doing a little research into the local projects run with such brilliance by the Scottish people, and discovered a new wave of eco-tourism that targets the Scottish Highlands themselves, bringing in extra hands to help.  According to BBC’s Gardeners World, a group calling themselves the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, has devised a wonderful scheme to attract eco-conscious people to volunteer their “holiday,” to environmental projects across Scotland and England.  They are known as BTCV Conservation Holidays, and specialize in “Eco-tourism”, providing volunteers with food, shelter, plumbing, and a service project with local people, in an exotic location, most often located near historical or tourist locations. The “Ardross Castle project” specifically targets the Highland Rhododendron, and has been making great strides in controlling the plant, in areas that would have be overcome without large scale management.

The BTCV company began only a few years ago as 40 volunteers, but their eco-tourism packages have hit such a chord with volunteers, that there are now projects available in Europe, Africa, Asia, and America, working on biodiversity, and sustainable living. Their package deals allow potential volunteers to choose a type of work that most suits them as well, with skills ranging from dry stonewalling, coastal clean-up, and woodland management, to name a few. The group can also help tourist volunteers target the local attractions after their projects are done, to make a vacation more complete.

Eco-tourism is a brilliant idea in my book, because it helps channel an individual’s efforts in a way that not only makes a difference on an environmental issue, but it invests each volunteer in the specific area that they are working with on at a deeply personal level - which I think will make more of a difference in the long-term future.  I think BTCV is also tapping into a quirky human trait as well, that makes it easier for many of us to provide menial labor, and charity in a beautiful location, before we feel comfortable doing it at “home.”  I think it’s commendable that companies like this assist local people, like those working in the Scottish Highlands, to create regular influxes of volunteers into areas that ordinarily wouldn’t receive much help or word of mouth recognition.

My thoughts: I’m not sure if I would ever participate in eco-tourism.  I’d like to think that I will commit to environmental causes closer to home, for my own volunteerism, but the idea of traveling to another country to learn about the people and the place is intriguing.  If I was to volunteer with a company like BTCV, I’m sure that it would be in an area that I felt ancestrally tied to, as a way of learning some of my own cultural history, and spending some time absorbing the customs and rhythm of the place and people.

What do you think:  Would you ever participate in a form of eco-tourism?  Would it make a difference if you felt a personal, or historic tie to the location? Do you think that eco-tourism is here to stay, or is it another fad riding on the heels of our global warming fears?

Most of the garden plants we use today owe their popularity in the past to their centuries-old usefulness in the home, and in the medicine chest.  While I won’t try and pass myself off as an herbalist, I have found some great, and creative uses for Rosemary that you might want to know about, to rejuvenate your outlook on this common garden plant!  Here are my top 10 ideas that anyone could try!

1. Cooking, and Garnishes.  Rosemary can be grown in the kitchen window, or in the yard, and is a common herb used in thousands of recipes. The plant can be grown outside year-round in areas where the winter time temperature averages above 20 degrees.
2. Repelling Mosquito’s from yard. This is a great plant to grow in gardens or planters especially around areas you use to entertain guests!  The oils in the leaves of the plant repel Mosquito’s, and that is never a bad thing!
3. Hair Rinse, and Tonic. Rosemary boiled in a few cups of water can be used for a moisturizing hair rinse that has been linked to hair re-growth, and dandruff elimination. Use Half a cup of Rosemary boiled in 2 1/2 cups of water.
4. Tropical Christmas Tree. Hearty bushes can be pruned into Christmas trees in warmer areas, where pine trees are on Short order.  The plant originally came from the Mediterranean, so it thrives in warmer climates, and does well when pruned regularly, seasonally, or into a particular shape.
5. Flavorful Skewers, or Grilling Pins. Woody stem trimmings can be turned into scented kabob skewers, for meat or veggies. Leaves can be pulled off the stems for use in other recipes, or frozen for later use.  The stems also double well as ‘grilling pins,” with recipes featuring meat stuffed with cheeses, veggies, or grilling sauces.  Substitute one or two firm rosemary twigs in place of toothpicks, to hold added ingredients inside the meat while cooking on the grill.
6. Cat Repellent. Most cats detest the smells, and the oils associated with Rosemary plants, especially when it gets on their fur.  Clumps of this plant in your yard can repel feral cats from leaving their business in your garden, and freshly trimmed branches left on furniture, or carpet areas that you would like house cats to keep them away from, will work in redirecting your cat to better locations in the house. This herb has worked like a charm with my own cat!
7. Memory Assistance.  The ancient belief that Rosemary assisted memory, has been proven by modern science!  Whether eaten with food, used in oil form on pulse points and temples, or simply smelled, Rosemary has been linked in several studies to increased cognitive performance, it is currently being examined as a possible pharmaceutical ingredient in future drugs that will battle Alzheimer’s  and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
8. Gift Accent. Spring and summer weekends inevitably fill up with weddings, graduation parties, and baby showers, so why not make your gift stand out with a ribbon tied bundle of Rosemary attached to the top of your gift with your card.  Not only have Rosemary bundles been given with wedding gifts for thousands of years, but the bundles can go in water afterward, to scent the house for days to come.
9. Aromatherapy, and Romantic Fire Bundles. Rosemary oil, used lightly in baths, and oil burners can stimulate the senses, and relax the body.  Dried Rosemary can be bundled up with twine, or ribbon, and kept with your indoor firewood, and hearth tool set, to be added with wood as a fire-starter, and as a romantic mood setter.
10. Steam Treatment. Inhaling boiling water with rosemary in it can assist in treating bronchitis, and the congestion associated with colds, and flu’s.  The oils in the plants gently soothe sore throats and lungs, and open up air way temporarily, providing natural relief of common symptoms.  Herbalists also recommend using the oils of the plant in chest rubs for nighttime relief.  Consult an herbalist for details.

For a great entertaining idea using Rosemary, check out this great recipe for Rosemary Herb Butter!

Your Thoughts: What uses have you found for Rosemary?

(Photo credit: Charlie & Clint)

There is always a way to maximize the uses you get out of your garden, and the plants you grow there, and sometimes what you discover as a new use for an old plant may surprise you!

This is one great “green idea” that I stumbled on myself quite accidentally!  When moving fresh cut Rosemary from my yard into my kitchen to hang and dry, my cat (Taco) dashed in to check out the leafy greens in my hand, no doubt to see how edible they were.  His fascination led him to continually dart his head close to the plant, only to jump back, and blink in confusion.  He swatted at the plant a few times, and then repeated the same pattern, but as the oils from the plant attached to the paws of his front feet, Taco began to back away from me, and then back away from the smells of the Rosemary plant (now attached to his front paws) that he perceived to be following him.  Over the next few minutes Taco backed himself around my kitchen several times trying to sneak away from the offending smell, and I took pity on him after he made a few mad dashes to and from the living room, trying to outrun his front paws.  Once my perverse enjoyment of this entertainment passed, I realized I had struck gold in the all-natural cat control department.

How To Make It Work For You:

• Plant Rosemary in your garden to deter stray cats from leaving deposits in your yard, or hunting your songbirds.
• Lay fresh trimmings of Rosemary on carpet areas you want a house-cat to avoid.  The oils in the plant are long lasting, and can work at deterring a cat from a designated area for up to two weeks, giving you time to re-train the cat’s behavior.
• To keep cats away from computer wires, heirloom furniture, or china displays, lay trimmings of Rosemary in the areas around what you are protecting, or place the trimmings in the area the cat uses to access the object.
• For problem areas, or for repeat offenders, a cotton ball lightly soaked (so as not to leave oil stains) in Rosemary Essential Oil, and placed near the object of your house-cat’s attention can deter the visiting behavior.  Also a dab of the oil of hard surfaces, such as a chair leg, or piece of furniture, will also deter your cat sufficiently.

Try this method out as an alternative to pet store remedies, and see if you can’t solve your cat problem with this great “green” alternative!

Your Thoughts: Have you tried Rosemary (or any other herb) to repell, or deter unwanted feline behavior?  How has it worked for you?  I’d love to hear from you!

(Photo credit: OiMax)

You don’t have to go any farther than your grocery store to purchase a green, and low cost solution that will solve your deer problems with a handy deer repellent.  I for one believe that if a homeowner wants to grow Vegetables, Tulips, Hosta, or Hibiscus, that they should be able to, without having to errect an 8ft. fence around them!

Common powdered milk, when dusted on your garden will easily prevent deer from eating those treasures in your garden!  Like many of the more expensive (and potentially harmful) chemical treatments on the market today, dried milk renders a plant inedible, and scent deterring to deer.  Deer do not like the smell or taste of milk after they have been weaned, and routine dustings of this harmless grocery item on your plants will train deer to believe that what you are growing in your yard is not edible.

If you are having trouble with deer try this method out!  It works on flowers, shrubs, and sapling trees. Powdered milk won’t harm your plants, or deter pollinators from them, and its a cheap fix that you can stock up on the next time you are already planning a trip to the grocery store.

Your Thoughts: Have you found a unique home remedy that works on repelling deer?  Have you tried Powdered milk?  Let me know if you find this method works for you!

I’ll admit to it right off the bat - I have no interest in composting!  Call me lazy or superficial, but I don’t want to be “that girl” in my neighborhood, with the big bin, or leaf corral in her side yard, for composting. For some reason, the idea of sipping my morning coffee while dumping beer into a pile of decomposing garden waste, and stirring the pile to a suitable consistency, seems a little gross.  I’m not sure why I draw a line there, when I’ve been coming home lately covered in pollen and dirt.  Perhaps it’s the illusion of clean respectability that I’m after!  Or, maybe the “composting bug” doesn’t really bite until after you pass your 35th birthday?  Either way, I try to sneak the idea behind composting into my yard in a way that leaves my yard neat and tidy for the common observer.

Here’s what I do to both recycle and cut back on my weeding: After I moved in to my current house, I was eager to expand the garden area, but I wasn’t so excited about the weeds that inevitably make newly “turned” soil into their home.  I took one look at all the newspaper that I had used to wrap my valuables, and the folded boxes that all my belongings had been moved in, and got an idea.  I had heard that newspaper was a great liner under mulch to choke and smother weeds out (while improving the soil), and knew that the same principle would apply to my moving boxes too.  Since most current ink is soy based, it’s safe to add these common items to your yard.  A layer of about 6-8 pages of completely biodegradable newsprint (or one layer of corrugated cardboard box) can go under 2-3 inches of mulch to create a great barrier for several months of weed free gardening!  It was a great way to get rid of all those moving boxes and supplies, and it’s worked beautifully in my yard!  

Tips:

• I recommend cross-hatching paper, or boxes and immediately covering what you have laid with mulch, so an errant breeze doesn’t relocate your project to your neighbor’s yard.
• Boxes often do well when wet with a hose before you lay the mulch, to assist in softening the edges. I don’t recommend using boxes in any area you may want to add bulbs to at a later date, as boxes biodegrade at a slower rate than the newsprint, and will hinder your efforts.
• I often keep an extra bag of mulch on hand to cover over any edges that pop up through the mulch in the first few weeks. 
• Colored advertisements are not recommended under mulch, because of possible toxic dye in the ink, so use those at your own risk.

Your thoughts: Do you have any creative ways to prevent weeds from popping up or perhaps just some creative ways to recycle things?  Let me know, I’m always looking for new ideas to try at home!