Eco Gardeners

David Bach’s newest book, “Go Green, Live Rich” is now available in book stores. The author of 5 New York Times Best Sellers has joined the green movement and put out a book for all of us socially-responsible consumers. His book highlights 50 simple ways to save the earth.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorites:

• Tip #2: Nearly 1 in 4 of the bottled water we drink is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi. Pepsi’s brand, Aquafina, costs 2500 times more than what comes out of our faucets. Not only that, but you could run 100,000 cars for a year on the amount of oil required to make the plastic used for bottled water.
• Tip #17: We use up to 7 billion gallons of water a day on landscape irrigation, half of which is wasted due to evaporation, wind or overwatering. It is recommended to decrease our lawn’s water by up to half.
• Tip #18: We can spare the environment the 67 million pounds of chemicals used each year by using organics in our yards.
• Tip #45: Try Green Direct Selling by exploring the green opportunities offered by companies such as The Happy Gardener (I really like this tip!).

Shelter for Birds:
The best shelter you can provide for your backyard bird habitat is lots of trees and bushes.
Tall hardwood trees provide a breezy shade on hot, summer days and a canopy of leaves to hold off rain;
Bushy evergreens provide a warm shelter on cold weather nights. The snow will not pile up underneath the spreading boughs so birds can find food easier even in mid winter;
Thick bushes and shrubs give shelter from predators;
Berry producing bushes provide food.

Sample Tree Types for Wildlife:

Pine trees including white and loblolly pines have pine seeds that are a large part of the diet of many birds, such as evening grosbeaks, house finches and gold finches. Pine needles are used for building bird nests. Dense pine trees, like the white pine, are used by birds to perch and hide in. Other coniferous trees, like the cedar, also provide food and shelter for wildlife.

The Yellow Poplar provides Hummingbirds nectar, while yellow-bellied sapsuckers enjoy its sap. Yellow poplars produce seeds, which are favorites of cardinals. Hollow spaces inside this tree provide homes for squirrels and raccoons, among other animals.

The Red Mulberry produces berries eaten by at least 44 different types of birds. Berries produced by the mulberry attract songbirds throughout the summer.

Songbirds, ducks, and other animals eat the acorns of Oak trees. Squirrels are famous for hiding acorns to get ready for the long winter. Deer eat oak leaves and twigs. Oaks provide branches for bird nests and hollows for woodpeckers, squirrels, and other animals to raise their young in wooded protection. The leaves and branches provide shade and protection from the weather.

Square foot gardening is growing popularity as more and more people want to grow their own fresh veggies but have limited time and space. It’s also great if you hate to weed!

Here’s what to do:
1. Choose a location with full sun and good drainage.
2. Build 2′ x 2′ OR 4′ x 4′ boxes using untreated wood.
3. Fill your boxes with mix: equal parts compost and THG’s coir fiber mix. Mix 1 cup THG’s All-Purpose Soil Conditioner per square foot.
4. Use string, wood or other material to make 1 square foot grids in your box. The grids provide you with easy working space.
5. Plant 1 seedling per square foot grid or 2-3 seeds per grid.

Organic lawn care practices allow homeowners to continue the enjoyment of a healthy, green lawn while maintaining a healthy, green environment. Safe for use around children and pets, our vegetarian lawn care helps you build a truly green eco-lawn.

Here’s what The Happy Gardener recommends for Spring Care:

Top-dressing is the periodic addition of a thin layer (1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch) of soil or compost to the surface of growing turf. After topdressing, at least three-fourths of the grass plant should be exposed to sunlight. To make your own nutrient-rich compost, check out THG’s line of composters made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

Overseed thin spots early if missed last fall.

When mowing, only one-third of the leaf area should be removed at one cutting. Try to avoid mowing any lower than 2 inches in the spring and adjust the height upwards during hot weather.

Questions? Contact us for more information:

877.798.9280 | PO Box 804 | Ashland, Virginia 23005 | info@thehappygardener.info