HOT!

ok, now I remember why I swear I am moving every summer.

It is getting hot.

My garden is wilting, and our new puppy chewed up my soaker hoses.

Time to build a canopy over my salad until the cucumbers can shade it. I do have BIG chamomile that was shading my salad, but even that is gasping for moisture now.

ugh

The one thing flourishing in my garden right now is my mint, oregano, (no, I do not consider them weeds...), and the borage.

My new babies

A few months ago, I was too lazy to plant a fern, so I just put it in its' "future" coco mat and hung it up. For a few days, we watched two little birds fly in and out, and low and behold, they built a nest. Right between the plastic pot and coco mat. The cool thing is, this fern is hanging right in front of our big picture window in our dining room. Now we are graced with the next generation, which I am introducing here.

Next year they might find a new "condo location". This one has a wild-haired peeping tom who swears he is now a bird daddy. :)

How does your dryer compare?

Dries a full, large capacity load in an hour and half.
Energy efficiency compared to other models: 100%
Known side-effects: Occasional bird poop

Re-usables

I was pointed to this great website and wanted to share:

http://www.reusablebags.com

I just ordered some drinking bottles for all of us, but what I love: the
STRING BAGS! Talk about nostalgia!! In Germany, you had to pay for plastic
bags, so we all had the handy little string bags! :)

They have some great products for lunch boxes. If anyone has a recommendation
for a lead-free, insulated lunch box that holds up to the bulky packings of
a box and glass jar queen :)...pass it on! Oh, and my kids have to be able
to tote it.

Contribute to world welfare

I thought I would share my horoscope for today (from Tarot.com):

Even if today is a wonderful day, you may not be able to stop worrying about the long-term stability of your life. But your worries may originate from issues that are far beyond your control, including social injustice, war, and environmental issues. You may not be able to single-handedly prevent global warming, yet you can still contribute to the greater welfare by making your personal life as green as possible.

How fitting is that? :)

The Weeds are ready

Wherever I turn now, I see signs for "Weed control", "Feed your lawn", etc...it is the time again! "Household" pesticides are one of the biggest contaminators of groundwater in the U.S. Think about the warning signs on the lawn weed n' feed. Now think about your children and pets, the ones who roll around on the grass, walk barefoot, look for rollie-pollies.

Here are some facts:

*The Pesticide Action Network of North America reports that more than 1 million children between the ages of 1-5 ingest at least 15 pesticides everyday from fruits and vegetables;

*The US General Accounting Office reports that exposure to pesticides can cause cancer and neurological disorders;

*Kevin Trudeau, author and speaker, refers to 20 different studies proving that cancer and neurological disorders in children are caused from chemical lawn care used on playgrounds and ball fields;

*Worldwatch, a nonprofit research org, reports that 67 million birds are killed each year from chemicals;

*Worldwatch also reports that toxic chemicals are contaminating the groundwater of every continent, endangering our fresh water supply.

Lawn chemicals are big business in the U.S. If you google them, you will be surprised. I never fertilized anything until I found the Happy Naturals organic fertilizer and weed killer. We each have a choice, and can make a difference, one garden/lawn at a time.

BTW, if you use chemical lawn care, you cannot use your lawn compost in your veggie garden. You would be eventually eating the chemicals :(... There are many reasons to convert to natural products.

And another thing: Ask your school and park district what they use on their lawns....you will be surprised how toxic these places are. Aware school campuses are now using THG products on their lawns and football fields, and are advertising this as one of the benefits of attending their schools.

Makes you think...........

Rain, rain, don't go away...

We are finally getting the much needed rain. MY garden is saying "hallejulah!!" for the wetness. Once the rains stop, this is a great time to amend and start digging up soil. I just planted lots of salad, soon ready to enjoy. Remember to lay out the snail bait though (beer being my preference, see archives), because they are enjoying the rain and fresh salad too.