Backyard Garden

As a child, my family had a garden that had an assortment of vegetables.  I detested  vegetables as a child and had a limited palette.  Corn, potatoes, celery, and carrots were the only acceptable vegetables in my mind.  That has expanded greatly, in no small part, from my wife who is always encouraging me to try new foods.

About ten years ago, I read Fast Food Nation, and I immediately began to change my eating habits.  Since I really don't know what is in or on the foods that I purchase from the grocery store, I began to grow my own foods.  My garden is modest, only about eleven by eleven feet.  I've had substantial luck growing tomatoes, zucchini, chives, beans, broccoli, alpine strawberries, and lettuce over the years.

The garden, though it is small, reduces our carbon footprint since the produce from the garden travels just a few yards to the kitchen.  I also use organic practices so there is no pollution or harm from synthetic herbicides and pesticides.

Most importantly, the food tastes amazing.  My vegetables and herbs are picked when I am ready to eat them, not days or weeks ago.  

If you have never gardened before, check out a book on it from the library or read guides online.  I would start a small garden so that you don't burn yourself out.  It is a hobby that can be as time intensive and rewarding as you want it to be. 

Good luck and if you wish to start soon, there is time for a fall crop of cool weather plants such as radishes or sugar snap peas.

What foods have you had the most success growing?

Building Appreciation for the Natural World

Yesterday, my young kids and I went for a walk to a nearby playground.  What is special about this playground is that it borders a stream that does not have a lot of human influence.  The plants are allowed to go grow naturally and it does not appear to be sprayed.   

After a lot of playing on the swings and slides, we started to return home.  We stopped along the edge of the stream to see if we could spot any fish.  Although we could not, we did see a water bug hopping on the water and several neon blue dragon flies.  (I don't what the names are sadly).  

 Further down the stream, a frog was hopping through the water in a shallow area on the far bank.  When we went to the edge of the stream to get a closer look, the frog had hidden in the grasses.  We could hear its chirping but could not see it. After giving up looking for it, we moved about 50 feet and we encountered a muskrat watching us from the edge of the path.  It of course quickly disappeared as we got too close.

Seeing nature up close instills a sense of the natural world.  When we are in the car, I point out different sights but it doesn't create the same sense of wonder and as being close to nature.  Today they were quite willing to get close to a cicada that we found on the sidewalk.  Who knows what we will find tomorrow?

What are your memories of being close to nature?

Time to Air Out the Laundry

Spring, summer, and autumn offers us a great opportunity to reduce both our carbon dioxide emissions and energy expenses.   As a child, my parents would hang laundry out to dry.  I always loved the fresh smell and feel of the warm laundry when it was brought in.

As an adult, we hang our freshly washed laundry out to dry on everyday that is rain free.  We reduce the wear and tear on our dryer.  Additionally, we are increasing our energy efficiency by not heating a portion of our house while simultaneously running the air conditioner.  

If you don't have a clothes line, you can purchase collapsable hanging racks.  We use three drying racks for each full load of laundry.  They are compact enough that I can fit three on our back porch.  The downside of the drying racks is that it takes clothes longer to dry than from using a clothesline.


What do you like about line drying your clothes?

Living Simply

I've been thinking of the common theme of my actions concerning our environment and it really comes down to living simply.   Living simply can be done quite easily and with many benefits.  While I'd love to do some of the high tech, green endeavors such as placing solar panels on my roof at this point, that is not something I can do.

What I can do is live simply.  Living simply means I don't need to buy the latest and greatest thing.  My wardrobe has old clothes that are in good shape.  I live in a small home, although not a microhome.    Rather than going shopping, I go for a walk with my family.

Living simply means you consume less, save more money, and most importantly, enjoy life, not things.