Ecological Footprint Quiz by Center for Sustainable Economy Self-Watering Veggie Table A Brief History of Gardening in Containers: Do you like gardening but digging in the dirt is too painful, messy, or time consuming? Container gardening is your answer. For many years now, container gardeners have been using pots, tubs, and boxes of all sizes to garden in. While raised bed gardens have also gained in popularity, so have "bucket gardens" or tubs become an economical way to garden with more control over your soil and more success with hard to grow vegetables. Recently, the advent of so-called "self watering" containers have helped gardeners to grow flowers, vegetables, and herbs with even more success. At the University of Maryland Extension, Jon Traunfeld designed a Salad Table which is essentially a shallow wooden frame with a large surface area and a mesh bottom that allows water to drain. The Idea: I loved the idea of a salad table as a way to maximize the space I have to grow salad greens to feed myself and my rabbits. What is Self-Watering?
Ordnance Survey Blog » Dry stone walling for dummies Today we have a guest blog from Chris James of Fix the Fells / Nurture Lakeland. Chris decided to lend a hand to the dry stone walling teamIt was my first attempt at the black art of dry stone walling. Piling rocks on top of each other to build walls. No cement, nothing to bind them except the weight of the rocks and the skill of the waller in linking the intricate shaped rocks into infinite combinations; a 3d jigsaw stretching miles into the distance.I was spending a morning with a team working for the Fix the Fells project. A charitable organisation which works to repair and maintain upland paths across the Lake District with funding from donations, partners and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Visit their website at www.fixthefells.co.uk to see what they’re up to.The sun was out in the Lake District and from our wall above the National Trust Basecamp at High Wray we had a stunning view of Windermere and town of Ambleside. It's hard work dry stone walling and a rest is well deserved!
Living Paper-Free and Loving It: 15 Tips for Creating a Paperless Home “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” [I] detest useless waste. It literally makes me crazy to think of spending money on something — usually out of convenience – knowing that the end result will be the trash. Paper towels, diapers, wipes, disposable anything, and yes even toilet paper…for nearly a year our family has been on a mission to find sustainable replacements for these common household items in an attempt to create a paperless home. Many people will argue that purchasing and using paper products doesn’t effect their budget enough to warrant seeking reusable alternatives. 15 Tips for Creating a Paperless Home Important disclaimer: Don’t pressure yourself into implementing each one of these tips all at once…you’ll only end up frustrated and defeated. Here are a few of my ideas for creating a paperless home: In theory 1. 2. 3. 4. In Practice: Viable Alternatives to Paper Products 5. 6. . 7. 8. is also a very good and sanitary alternative. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
hippychick's adventure to sustainable happiness DIY Naturally Scented All-Purpose Citrus Vinegar Cleaners I've been on a quest to rid our home of toxic chemicals for both health and environmental reasons. Did you know? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be 10 times to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. UGH! After my recent post about using fruit, herbs, and spices for making natural home fragrances, it occurred to me that I could use some of those same scent combinations for making natural cleaners with vinegar. These scented cleaners don't completely eliminate the vinegar scent when first sprayed. THESE MAKE COOL, INEXPENSIVE GIFTS. HOW TO MAKE NATURAL CLEANERSwith vinegar, citrus, herbs, and spices Assemble these ingredients: view on Amazon: essential oils, bulk pricing on cinnamon sticks, whole cloves Assemble these supplies: Jars or other sealable containers. view on Amazon:half gallon mason jars, quart mason jars, spray bottles,jar funnel, mason jar lid strainer, wire mesh strainer view on Amazon: citrus scorer/peeler OOPS ALERT! To use the tags: Wood. 1.
"One Good Thing" by Jillee: No-Grate Homemade Laundry Soap Despite all the enthusiasm over making homemade laundry detergent recently…I continue to hear murmurings from those who just can’t bring themselves to grate soap and cook it on the stove. It apparently just isn’t going to happen. :-) I’m not naming any names…but my older sister would probably freely admit she didn’t decide to even attempt making her own laundry detergent UNTIL I told her about this “new” recipe I was testing out. (I know it seems like I’m always “picking on” her…but she called me a “brat” on her blog recently…so she pretty much deserves it. lol). Once again I have to credit the incredible readers of this blog for my inspiration. Tiffanie posted this on February 4th….A close friend of mine has been making laundry soap like this one for years, until just recently she found an easier one to make and passed it on to us. 3 Tablespoons Borax3 Tablespoons Washing Soda2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish soap Put these ingredients in a one gallon jug. February 4, 2012 8:59 PM
Austin Organic Gardeners - Home For 65 years, the members of Austin Organic Gardeners have shared information about successfully raising vegetables and ornamentals without using harsh fertilizers that harm the soil and toxic pesticides that disturb the ecological balance. Monthly meetings are held the second Monday of each month (except October and December) at the Zilker Botanical Gardens at 6:30 P.M. The club's philosophy is that human and animal health depends on the health of the soil that produces their food. Healthy soil, which is rich in organic matter, abounds with organisms that convert minerals in the soil into forms plants can use. Join us for our April meeting as Dr. Download 2014 planting dates from Tim Miller of Millberg Farm Visit the AOG Blog Site Check out our events page for upcoming gardening events like a seed swap in February and the AOG plant sale in March
35 Reasons You Should Never Be Without Vinegar Whether you are storing up supplies for hard times or just want to save a little grocery money on cleaning supplies, one thing you should never be without is vinegar. People have been using it for ages – and not just for cooking or preserving foods. Vinegar’s versatility is virtually unmatched when it comes to having multiple uses. There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar around the home. Check out below to see just a sample of how vinegar can be of use to you, hard times or not: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 35. Glad you asked. Survival Life is more than just one man. If you like my articles like this please subscribe to my biweekly newsletteror feel free to follow me on Facebook. I am excited to have Joe as a regular contributor to Backdoor Survival and will be featuring the best of the best of his articles on Survival Fridays. Window, Floor, General Surface Cleaner aka Peppermint Juice
Introduction to Permaculture - 40 hours of Free video lectures Permaculture means 'permanent culture,' (or 'permanent agriculture') and ...'is the conscious design and maintenance of cultivated ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of a natural ecosystem.' (Bill Mollison) This course will explore, through lectures, discussions, field trips, and required projects, a design/thinking methodology that seeks to profide for our physical needs, food, water, shelter, energy, etc., while doing so in an environmentally friendly, sustainable manner. Download all lectures for Free here: Watch online all lectures for Free here: See also: Introduction to Permaculture - 18 part webinar with Bill Wilson of Midwest Permaculture - This is an 18 part 90 minute intro to permaculture webinar with Bill Wilson of Midwest Permaculture in Illinois. Documentary Films - Permaculture / Organic FarmingEbooks - Permaculture & Forest Gardening Free Documentary Films ArchiveFree Full Ebooks Archive
Austin Herb Society 3V to 24V Variable Power Supply This 3V to 24 volt variable-regulated power supply can be adjusted from 3 to 25 volts and is current limited to 2 amps as shown, but may be increased to 3 amps or more by selecting a smaller current sense resistor (0.3 ohm). The 2N3055 and 2N3053 transistors should be mounted on suitable heat sinks and the current sense resistor should be rated at 3 watts or more. Voltage regulation is controlled by 1/2 of a 1558 or 1458 op-amp. The power transformer shown is a center tapped 25.2 volt AC / 2 amp unit that will provide regulated outputs of 24 volts at 0.7 amps, 15 volts at 2 amps, or 6 volts at 3 amps.