- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

The National Wildlife Federation, based in Reston, VA, has declared May as “Garden for Wildlife Month.” From bird watchers to butterfly lovers, many of us want our gardens to be a haven not just for flora, but also for local fauna. Here are a few tips to make your home garden more hospitable to wildlife:

• Do not use chemicals. Pesticides, herbicides, inorganic fertilizers, etc. should be banned from your garden.

• Reduce your turfgrass lawn. Create dense shrub and perennial borders for birds and other creatures to make a home in.

• Add running water. Until I added a pond and fountain to my garden I had hardly any visiting creatures outside of the usual city-bred kind. Once that pond went in, it was like a magnet for all kinds of wildlife from dragonflies to songbirds.

• Install not only those plant species that feed grown wildlife such as nectar flowers for butterflies, but also those plants that are hosts to their young such as milkweed, mallows, clover, and thistles.

• Tolerate some imperfection. This means when the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars hatch and start chewing away on your willow, poplar, or alder, you must resist the urge to remove them if you want the grown butterflies to live in your garden and come back to lay their eggs later in the season.

• If you are going to actively feed birds, do so year-round. Maybe cut-back or vary the diet you feed in spring-fall, but do put something out so they make a habit of stopping by.

• Keep your domestic pets indoors or, at least, in check. Creating a wildlife habitat is not fair if it is a trap for a hunting dog or cat.

• Leave the seed heads on and perennial plants up throughout winter. A tidy garden is not a hospitable garden. Resist the urge to pick up every leaf, twig, and fallen seed immediately. They are needed for shelter, food sources, egg laying, and burrowing under.

For more information on wildlife gardening and to get your garden officially certified as a wildlife habitat, visit www.NWF.org.

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Made of sleek stainless steel, this durable, modern Natural Home kitchen compost bin is a handsome addition to any kitchen countertop. 6.75 inches round and 8.5 inches tall, this bin holds exactly 1.3 gallons and includes a filter that lasts up to six months.

The editors at Natural Home & Garden have selected this and other stainless steel kitchen products because they are durable, safe and environmentally friendly. Stainless steel does not leach chemicals and is 55 percent recycled. The grade of the stainless steel used is 18.8.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

It’s not pretty but it’s a sad fact: gardens are a source of rich pickings for thieves. It used to be just garden gnomes were stolen but now it’s precious plants, garden tools, and children’s toys. Not so surprisingly, thefts jump when the clocks go forward.

What to Do?

l. Lock up and put away your things

The obvious answer is the one that’s not for lazy people. At the end of a sunny or hard working day in the garden put away tools, hide or cover bulky items (the barbecue), put up a good fence and get a good lock on the shed.

2. Change your plantings

This is more interesting and challenging. There are all kinds of shrubs and trees that have spines, thorns and prickly leaves. Although they will take some time to grow, they should deter even the most determined burglar. The nice thing is that bugs and birds like the plants too.

The English police have published a list of plants that will scare off thieves the natural way.

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

http://jaymecarleton.com

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking — think of squash blossoms in Italian food and rose petals in Indian food. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor and a little whimsy. Some are spicy, and some herbacious, while others are floral and fragrant. The range is surprising.

It’s not uncommon to see flower petals used in salads, teas, and as garnish for desserts, but they inspire creative uses as well — roll spicy ones (like chive blossoms) into handmade pasta dough, incorporate floral ones into homemade ice cream, pickle flower buds (like nasturtium) to make ersatz capers, use them to make a floral simple syrup for use in lemonade or cocktails.

• Eat flowers you know to be consumable.
• Eat flowers you have grown yourself, or know to be safe for consumption.
• Do not eat roadside flowers or those picked in public parks.
• Eat only the petals, and remove pistils and stamens before eating.
• If you suffer from allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually, as they may exacerbate allergies.
• To keep flowers fresh, place them on moist paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some will last up to 10 days this way. Ice water can revitalize limp flowers.

Jayme’s five favorite flowers to eat:

1. Allium

All blossoms from the allium family (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible and flavorful! Flavors run the gamut from delicate leek to robust garlic. Every part of these plants is edible.

2. Arugula

Blossoms are small with dark centers and with a peppery flavor much like the leaves. They range in color from white to yellow with dark purple streaks.

3. Basil
Blossoms come in a variety of colors, from white to pink to lavender; flavor is similar to the leaves, but milder.

4. Calendula / marigold
A great flower for eating, calendula blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy — and their vibrant golden color adds dash to any dish.

5. Carnations / dianthus
Petals are sweet, once trimmed away from the base. The blossoms taste like their sweet, perfumed aroma.

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

Here is a cool little blog post that was sent to me:

by Lifehacker

Companion planting is a natural way to enhance your garden, control pests, and attract beneficial insects (like butterflies). By arranging “friendly” or synergistic plants near each other, you can keep bugs at bay and possibly avoid having to use pesticides.

There a great many plant combinations you can try for companion planting. Basil and tomatoes are great not just in an Italian dish, but planted together in the garden. Basil is said to improve both the growth and flavor of tomatoes and repel flies and mosquitoes. (Some plants are also best not grown together, like basil and rue or sage, however.)

Other plants that repel mosquitoes, mentioned here previously, include Citronella grass, Rosemary, catnip, and marigolds.

Marigold is actually a great overall pest deterrent, according to Golden Harvest Organics. Look for the scented variety and plant freely throughout your garden. Mexican marigolds are even said to repel wild bunnies! However, marigolds may attract slugs—so you perhaps you should also plant chervil near the marigolds.

Hit this link for a great big list of companion plants and more on this holistic and age-old method of gardening. While you’re at it, also check out more ways to keep bugs at bay without bug spray.

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I have been thinking about making baby food and didn’t want to get in to it because of the “mess” and “hassle” I associated with the process. But no, making baby food is the easiest thing in the world now that I have this puppy. This hand blender has a whisk and chopper attachments, a mixing cup and tons of power. This is hands down 5 stars! In fact, that is what I said for my Amazon review.

I’ve now found that my baby food projects are fun, easy and take very little time. Now I can help feed my little guy nutritious, home made, organic meals. I know where the produce comes from and I know that there are no added nasty ingredients or preservatives.

I love, love, love this and can’t wait to share some baby food recipes and stories with you!

Jayme

Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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Consignment is the way to go! Especially for all of those necessary evil matching baby outfits. For those moms AND DADS who want the best dressed baby on the block, for only a few bucks, check out this place I found in Virginia called Little Lords and Ladies. They are located at 14088 Sullyfield Circle, Chantilly, VA; that’s only a 30 ish minute drive for me. Meaning I go there every other month instead of every week!

This new obsession of mine may now officially be worse then my love for Costco. Seriously though, the clothes are all clean and in good condition and they are organized by size and color which makes it super easy to find things quickly. No looking through rack after rack for somethings which may fit, instead I can go directly to a well labeled section in the store and find things in under 15 minutes. Love it!

Check it out, you won’t be disappointed!

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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After a lot of research I may have tracked down the cause – ammonia buildup in my baby’s cloth diapers! My super neato diapers may have been the cause! I couldn’t believe it. I was so angry that I almost chucked the diapers that night. But no, my level headed husband suggested that I purchase a water testing kit to check the purity of our water and from those result buy the specific diaper cleaner that was suggested to us in the beginning.

In walks Rockin Green… I purchased the Funk Rock which has the coolest description:

Do you have the funk? Stinkies? Ammonia problems? Diapers that make your eyes water? Have you considered a kryptonite lined diaper pail to contain the smell of your dirty diapers? Did fluffy or fido have an accident on your bunny slippers? Dealing with the dreaded toddler pee? You need funk rock! This 100% natural compound is unlike anything you have tried before. It targets funk at the source and leaves no prisoners. Just 4 tablespoons is enough to de-funk up to 20 diapers in one sitting. A little to your pre-wash to keep the stinkies from coming back. That’s right, this 16 ounce bag will keep the diaper funk away for over two months! Phosphate Free – Enzyme Free – SLS Free

I also purchased Soft Rock which is the main detergent product.

I highly recommend both products since they have cleaned up my little tykes stinkies and made his diapers ammonia-smelling FREE! My faith in cloth diapers has been restored.

- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature
Making Sustainability Second Nature™
http://jaymecarleton.com

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- Jayme M. Carleton, Second Nature

Making Sustainability Second Nature™

http://jaymecarleton.com

The Department of Energy tells us that 15% of the energy we use in our homes flows through our kitchens. So if we can make a big dent in our energy consumption there, we can make a big dent in our energy consumption period. Here’s a side order of kitchen conservation tips:

• When making a multi-dish meal, try to cook as much as you can at the same time, then reheat individual dishes as needed in the more efficient microwave or toaster oven (or in the regular oven if you happen to be cooking something else).
• Resist the temptation to open the oven door to check your food. That can lower temperatures inside by 25°-50°. Turn the oven off a few minutes before the timer sounds and let residual heat finish the job.
• Use the microwave whenever possible. Cooking a typical casserole in an electric oven uses about two kWh worth of electricity. The same dish in a microwave oven uses just 0.36 kWh. Toaster ovens are another efficient option.
• Cover stove-top pots to stop heat from escaping. This can reduce the energy required for cooking by up to two-thirds.
• Unplug your refrigerator and vacuum or dust its condenser coils. Dirty coils can reduce a fridge’s efficiency by up to 30%! Make sure there are a couple of inches of air space between the coils and the wall so air can efficiently carry heat away.
• Clean the rubber gaskets around your refrigerator’s doors and their contact points on the unit itself to make sure your fridge seals tightly when it’s closed. If your gaskets are worn or ripped, get new ones.
• Don’t put leftovers in the refrigerator while they’re still warm. Your fridge will work a lot harder and warm newcomers might increase the temperature to levels that aren’t safe for the foods already there.
• Run your dishwasher only when it’s full. Use the energy-saving setting to dry the dishes or let them air dry. And avoid the water heating option if your dishwasher has one.

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