One of the best ways to save money and eat healthy is to have a garden. Even a small garden on a roof or balcony can give you a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables for very little effort. But any good gardener will tell you that keeping the garden watered is key to success. Using a hose or water can works very well but there are more efficient ways of watering that can save you money.

Drip Irrigation is a system of pipes that is worked through a garden and is designed to drip water directly on the roots of a plant instead of misting the top of a plant and hoping the water reaches the roots. The advantage of this type of system is you can use a significantly smaller amount of water directly to where the plant needs it. Water savings of up to 70% versus traditional watering are not unheard of.

One thing that deters people from this type of system is cost. It has been relatively expensive to buy all of the valves, hoses, lines and tapping the system into your existing house pipes to make it a viable alternative. That is not the case anymore. Orbit Irrigation Products now sells a low cost irrigation system that connect to your existing hose faucets at places like WalMart, Lowes, and Home Depot. For $30 you can get a Starter Drip Irrigation Kit for gardens and a 50 ft supply hose which will allow you to install a drip irrigation system for a garden as large as 50 square feet.

There are several advantages to this type of system over traditional irrigation systems which are usually installed underground. First, you don’t need to have a plumber or irrigation specialist install it for you. Just connect it to your hose faucet, lay the lines, and go. Second, since the lines are not buried it is easy to move and expand the system. If you are a renter, you can install and remove this system as needed. Or say you start with the garden and decide you want to add on sprinklers for your flowers or drip watering for your potted plants. With this system all you need to do is buy the hoses and parts to do that then just extend it to what you already have.

Finally, this type of system allows for all the features of a normal irrigation system with the flexibility to change. If you need a smaller system as time goes on, just reduce the number of pipes used. If you want to totally automate your watering, you can easily add a timer to the system. If you live in an apartment with only potted plants, you can connect the system to your washer connection and run the lines to your plants.

Drip Irrigation in a low cost form has finally come home in a way that everyone can enjoy. It makes your gardening life easier, saves you money on water bills, and won’t break the bank to install.

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My friends Julie, Jamie, and Aidan live in suburban Maryland and recently built their own backyard compost bin. In an effort to get the word out about how easy and practical it is to build this kind of sustainable product, Julie wrote up her experiences and I have posted her story below…

My husband and I are jealous of our California friends who enjoy the luxury of community sanctioned green waste composting. However, our municipality does not offer curbside green waste collection. Years ago, we constructed a chicken wire composter in a corner of our yard, and though it gave great compost, the open nature of the bin attracted all sorts of shady characters, including a gigantic groundhog who took a single bite of every tomato I grew! The chicken wire box made it quite difficult to remove compost from it, and it was hard to properly turn the compost without straining my back. Finally, when the chicken wire began to rust, I removed this bin, and as I researched a more user-friendly compost receptacle, we sadly did not compost for a few years.

This year, we decided to find a solution that would allow us to compost with minimal effort, and without attracting any hungry critters. There are a number of commercially available composting systems, including rolling bins, continuous loading systems with multiple bins, and electronic gadgets specifically designed for composting. However, most of these systems are inordinately expensive and are of questionable and variable quality, reliability, and efficiency. This document outlines a Do It Yourself (DIY) compost bin which can be built in one day. Total cost for all the materials required for our DIY bin was less than $60.00. Since this bin is constructed from a simple garbage can with a lid, the size and cost of any similar system depends only on the size of the garbage can one chooses.

Some advantages of this bin over a simple chicken-wire box are:

1. Since a garbage can does not look out of place behind the house, we can easily avoid detection by our Homeowner’s Association during their annual spring inspection (since composting is technically not allowed in our neighborhood).

2. The garbage-can bin is fully portable, allowing for flexibility in its placement, and making it simpler to spread the compost throughout the garden!

It will take a few months before we can truly say how efficient this design is, but we are optimistic that the simple design and mixing/aerating strategy should allow for good composting. We’ll be sure to update this entry as the season moves forward and our compost matures in this DIY bin.

Materials

1. One plastic garbage can with a tightly fitting lid.

• A 30-gallon garbage can is sufficient for a small household.
• We purchased a decent model for about $25 at Home Depot.

2. About 2-square feet of fiberglass screen (more or less depending on the size of your bin).

• One roll of plastic screen (enough to replace a window screen) is plenty.
• One 8×3 roll of fiberglass screen cost us $4 at Home Depot.

3. Gorilla Glue or any other clue capable of attaching plastic to plastic.

• We found a 10 ounce container of glue for $5.

4. Duct Tape – you’ll need about an 1/8 of a roll.

5. Compost Stirring Tool

• We purchased a Compost Turner specifically designed for this from Gaiam for about $20.
• A Garden Cultivation Tool would work just as well; I found one at Home Depot for $13.99.

6. “Brown Materials” to balance the green materials from the kitchen.

• We use leaves raked from the garden and last year’s dried botanical waste.
• You can also use saw dust from your wood shop if you have one.

Methods:

1. Purchase a garbage can with a tight lid.

2. Use a razor knife to carefully cut several holes in the sides and bottom of the trash can to allow air flow and drainage. (We cut diamond shaped holes, but the shape is not really important)

3. Cut squares of the screen to cover each hole in the trash can.

4. Moisten the edges of each hole and apply a thin layer of gorilla glue. Allow the glue to cure for 5 minutes.

5. Press the screen to cover each hole, making sure that the screen attaches securely. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

6. Reinforce the edges of each hole with duct tape.

7. If you choose, you can place rocks or pebbles on the bottom of the bin to help with proper drainage, though it is not entirely necessary.

8. Elevate your new compost bin outside by placing it on top of some bricks, rocks, or wooden pallets, which will help with airflow and drainage.

9. Add a stirring implement such as the one above, or use a cultivation tool which will help you stir your compost from the bottom. Alternatively, you can roll your bin on the ground to stir the contents.

10. Add your green kitchen waste to the can with equal parts brown material (such as dry leaves).

11. Always secure the top of the bin securely to prevent critters from raiding your bin.

12. Each time you add additional green material, add equal parts brown material.

13. Stir your compost thoroughly each time you add more material. The key is to keep the compost aerated and “fluffy;” if it becomes too densely packed, the aerobic bacteria you rely on for degradation will suffocate.? If this happened, anaerobic organisms (like fungus) will take over, resulting in moldy mush that is not conducive to composting.

14. Check your compost frequently to assure that it is getting enough fresh air.? It should not seem wet or slimy;? if it starts to smell moldy or look slimy, you are either not adding enough brown material, or the compost is not getting enough oxygen.? Adding more dry leaves or sawdust, and/or more efficiently mixing and fluffing the contents should fix the problem.

15. EMPTY egg shells are an excellent addition to your compost.

16. NEVER add meat or dairy material to your compost, and definitely don’t add pet waste, or you will breed maggots, and your compost will be ruined.

17. NEVER add grass clippings to your compost, or you will grow grass wherever you use your compost!

18. You can adjust the pH of your compost by adding bloodmeal or baking soda. There is a wealth of references on the web which can help you attain a proper pH in your compost, as well as outlining the proper ratios of green to brown.

19. There are also some compost additives that claim to aid in faster composting by supplying enzymes and/or beneficial bacteria. This author has not evaluated their effectiveness, though in theory they should work.

20. Worms can be beneficial to your compost-if you like you can leave the bottom drainage holes open to allow worms to come into your compost. There are commercially available vermiculture kits, but this author is not sure if this DIY composter would be compatible with vermiculture systems.

21. In about 2-3 months, you should have good compost!

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.
Mahatma Gandhi

I love to grow food and flowers – doing so makes me happy, productive and grounded. Gardening is an easy way to reconnect with the basics of life – soil, sun, water and plants – and to give back to the Earth, your community and yourself. When you grow food, you give the gift of beauty to your neighbors, you contribute directly to feeding your friends and family, and you live in a more sustainable manner.

Growing your own food is also a good way to reduce your carbon footprint, and most farmers are willing to share what they know to help get you started. In researching seed companies, I was heartened to find that all of the companies I checked out offer information on growing organic and heirloom foods. When you choose to grow organic food, you choose to do more than simply plant a garden – you choose to respect the planet and reduce your negative environmental impact on the land. And each time you choose to consume food that’s grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, ionizing radiation or genetic modification, you choose to place your health and the health of your community above the interests of agri-businesses and corporate food suppliers.

Once fall settles in and my garden is packed away for the winter, I like to spend time going through seed catalogs and looking for plants for next year’s garden. Check out the organic seed suppliers below – each company sells organic and heirloom seeds, tools and supplies to help in building your beds, and resources to help you know all you need to get started.

Johnny’s Selected Seeds is an employee-owned farm in Albione, Maine, that offers a selection of over 300 kinds of organic and heirloom seeds through their mail-order catalog or via their website. While they aren’t 100% organic, Johnny’s does ensure that none of their seeds or plants are genetically engineered, and they are expanding their supply of organic products. And when it comes to selection, Johnny’s offers a diverse array of vegetable, herb, flower, and cover crop seeds (such as oats and wheat).

Seeds of Change is an organic farm and seed supplier that is committed to living organically and offering organic products to the public.? Founded in 1989, the company’s mission is “to help preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable, organic agriculture” which they achieve by growing 100% organic seeds, seedlings and food. With a selection of over 600 distinct seeds for home gardeners and 100 distinct seeds for commercial growers, Seeds of Change is dedicated to preserving open-pollinated, organically grown, heirloom and traditional vegetable, flower and herb seeds. Looking around the Seeds of Change website, it’s clear that the company truly believes in the importance of living sustainably, and in harmony with the Earth.

Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply is an organic farm and seed company that supports commercial and home growers by offering a wide selection of organic seeds, and by providing their customers with information on organic farming. With a true desire to educate people about organic farming (the company started out in a garage, and sent out 4-page newsletters to growers), the company’s website has a range of resources aimed at keeping growers informed about farming education, grants, publications and news. Searching for seeds is interesting too, as you can “flip through” the company’s electronic seed catalog and flip from section to section with the interactive navigation tools.

The Natural Gardening Company has been around since 1986, and was the first certified organic nursery in the United States. Offering a selection of organic seeds and seedlings for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The Natural Gardening Company places a high value on the quality of their seeds, and, like the other growers listed here, does not sell any genetically engineered plants or seeds. You can select from over 50+ different kinds of organic vegetable seeds, and spend the spring sowing endive, okra and collard greens if you’re so inclined.The Natural Gardening Company also sells gardening accessories and offers helpful gardening tips on their site.

If you’ve never grown vegetables, I encourage you to give it a try. You can grow some vegetables in containers on your porch, dig up the grass and plant a big, sunny bed, or drop seeds into an existing flower garden – it’s not how much you grow that matters, it’s that you grow at all.

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If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community, consider contributing by offering your time and energy to the environment. Acting locally is a great way to participate in the environmental movement that is sweeping this country, and positively impacts your neighbors and neighborhood. I’ve compiled a list of earth-friendly projects that you can do in your community with groups of various sizes. These projects can be done by school groups, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, clubs/organizations, or friends and neighbors who want to work together for change in their communities.

• Pick up after the drunks. When people drink outside, they tend to leave their beer bottles, cans, cigarette butts and other garbage behind. Figure out where the kids in your city like to go to party, and pick up the trash they leave behind. Since people tend to party in secluded spots (in the woods, underneath bridges, by remote beaches), you may have to do a little legwork to track down the trash. Once you do though, you’ll most likely find plenty of garbage and recyclables. After you pick up all of the junk, let your city government know how much garbage you removed from the spot, and see if they might consider installing a garbage can so it doesn’t happen again.

• Clean up your beach and waterways. If you live near the coast, you probably know how much garbage gets washed up on the beach – ditto for rivers, creeks and streams. After the winter ice has retreated and before the spring foliage has grown back up, it’s easy to find all kinds of garbage washed up on beaches and alongside other waterways. Grab your boots and garbage bags and head toward the shoreline to pick up all of the garbage tangled alongside the shore. By cleaning up your waterways, you help prevent the garbage from damaging fragile ecosystems and also from getting washed back out to sea.

• Turn an empty lot into a garden. All cities have strange empty spaces tucked between buildings that could use a little beautification. If your neighborhood has an empty lot that’s filling up with broken glass, garbage and weeds, think about cleaning it up. You may need the permission of the lot owner, so make sure you contact them or talk to your city government before getting started. Once you’ve found a lot, you can do simple things that will make a tremendous difference in your community. Simple things that make all of the difference include: removing all of the garbage, planting flowers, building a small path from flat stones, creating art to go in the garden, putting up a bird feeder or wind chimes, and installing a small, portable bench so people can sit and enjoy the space.

• Work in someone else’s garden. Non-profit organizations, such as museums or historical centers often have gardens, and often need help maintaining them. Since most non-profits work on tight budgets, garden maintenance can sometimes get squeezed when times are tough. Because of this, some non-profits have volunteer gardening events where community members are asked to come in and help clean out beds, trim back bushes, and prepare the grounds for spring and summer visitors. Greening a community organization’s grounds is a great way to make your city a greener place for residents and visitors alike.

• Convince your city or town government to change their ways. While getting city hall to replace incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs may not be as easy as picking up garbage on the beach, things like this still need to be done! If you live in a small town or city, it’s generally easy to get your voice heard by attending meetings, making phone calls and writing letters to your city council members. Pick an issue – recycling efforts, alternative fuel for city vehicles, light bulbs – and do the research on how making your suggested changes will positively impact the city. Make sure you include financial projections if your suggestion will cost the city more than it already spends, and outline how the benefits of your suggestion will outweigh the costs. Be persistent and consistent – show up, shake hands and get your ideas out to the members of your community. The beauty of living in a democracy is that you do have a voice and you can make a difference if you use it.

Do you have other ideas for green projects that can be done in communities? I’d love to hear what other people are doing to make their neighborhoods greener places to live, and I invite your comments and suggestions!

Gardening is one of the most popular hobbies in the US – over 80 million households (3 out of 4) have participated in indoor or outdoor gardening in the last five years. And it’s no wonder – gardening is a family activity that beautifies your living space, connects you to the Earth and lets you grow the flowers, vegetables and plants that you love.

But while gardening may seem to be the ultimate of environmentally friendly activities, you can actually wreck havoc on your ecosystem if you don’t use sustainable practices when building, planting and maintaining your garden beds. By evaluating your gardening practices however, you can conserve water, reduce your use of chemicals and grow plants that work for your community.

The tips below are relatively easy to implement in your home garden and will save you water as the summer heats up and your plants demand more and more to grow their fruits and flowers.

• Install a drip irrigation system in your gardens. By burying drip irrigation hoses at the base of your plants, you allow water to flow directly to the roots and prevent runoff and evaporation that occurs with hand watering and sprinkler systems. Home gardeners can install micro-drip irrigation systems for not too much money – about $40-$100 for every 100 square feet of garden. These systems can also be automated so that your plants are watered evenly and on a set schedule. Check out Alexandra Brandon’s presentation, Installing Drip Irrigation in This Old House to learn step-by-step instructions on installing this kind of system in your gardens.

• Place rain barrels around your yard. Rain barrels allow you to collect excess rain water and use it to water your plants during dry times. Many communities offer rain barrels at discounted prices through their public works departments, you can build your own rain barrel, or you can purchase rain barrels online. Keep in mind that if you install a rain barrel that does not have an attached hose, you will need to haul your water to your garden using buckets. If this is the case, make sure you set up your barrels close to your gardens!

• Learn to love mulch! A good organic mulch, spread about 3 inches thick around your plants, will reduce your need to water and keep your plants hydrated. With mulch covering your soil, you retain water by preventing its evaporation and runoff. When soil is left exposed to the sun and wind, water runs off, blows away or dries up as the sun heats the soil. Mulch keeps your entire garden moist throughout the day, and is also great for cutting down on weeds, and adding nutrients to your beds.

• Grow drought-resistant plants. Plants that tolerate dry times – such as echinacea, irises and rosemary require less water when the summer hits its hottest peak and the rain stops falling. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a great article that explains the benefits of using drought resistant plants in your garden and offers extensive lists of drought tolerant shrubs, perennials, herbs and other plants. Drought tolerant plants are also great alternatives when building gardens in areas with limited rainfall. Make sure you consult your hardiness zone and regional growing requirements when selecting drought tolerant plants.

There are plenty of other ways of greening your garden that I plan on addressing in future posts. In the meantime, let me know what you do to green your gardens – I always like to hear how fellow gardeners manage their beds!