Rejuvenate yourself and
your garden
Running your own business has a
lot of rewards but one of the drawbacks is that we sometimes forget to just
shut things off for a while and relax.
Gardening helps relieve stress
and involves plenty of exercise so a lot of people are spending more time in
their yards than they used to. There is also a lot more interest and awareness
now of how fragile our environment is becoming and people are making more of an
effort to use green products and recycle. Here are a few of the things that I
have learned over the years.
Instead of throwing away your
grass clippings you can use them as mulch. Your garden can have a beautiful
green carpet without harmful chemicals and there is no residual odor. Old
carpeting that you were going to throw out can be cut into strips and also be used
as a mulching material. It keeps the moisture from evaporating from the soil
and your path will be cleaner after a rain shower.
Composting can be done in a
cardboard box if you don’t want to buy a composter. The cardboard will
eventually break down and be recycled back into the earth without any harmful
byproducts. Not only are you reducing on waste but you will have organic
nourishment to add to your plants at little or no cost.
Banana peels are a rich source of
nutrients- just cut them into small pieces and add them to your composter.
Coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, shredded newsprint, the peels of fruit and
vegetables, and ashes from your fire pit or fireplace are also great composting
materials.
Dryer lint is great for birds
that are now busy making their nests. You can put it in a plastic bag with a
small hole in it and hang it somewhere the birds can easily access it.
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Panty hose destined for the trash
can be used to stake tall plants without damaging the vegetation. (You can
also keep a pair in the car in case your fan belt quits.)
Hollowed out oranges can be used
as bird seed containers. The birds will eat the seeds and the container.
Rain barrels are a great way to
conserve water and the rain water is better for the plants than the treated
water from the tap. Your container plants will require less watering if you put
some used tea bags at the base of the pot before adding the soil.
There are a lot of excellent sites
on the internet that give practical advice on environmentally friendly growing
methods. Happy gardening! |
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