Remember my excitement over the snow forecast? Well, it turns out that while people just a few miles up north are getting bombarded with a full-fledged blizzard, the storm decided to sidestep my house and drop a bunch of rain on me instead.
Walk with me along trails that lead to green, eco-friendly living on a budget. Watch your step!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Ecological Footprint: A review
Today I hit
what I consider to be a goldmine. I went
to my Netflix queue to find a documentary dealing with energy usage. I needed help with figuring out just how much
I was consuming, and how I could work toward changing this.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Energy Leech
Last month I
thought I was going to have a panic attack.
Why, you ask? Because I got my
gas/electric bill. I’ve lived in the
desert southwest all of my life, so I’ve never been overly concerned with my
gas usage. I didn't use much, since I didn't need to heat the house a great deal. My bill from the energy company
in my new state of residence, however, told me that perhaps I need to pay close
attention to weatherproofing.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Not Enough Water...
I went out to check on my Canterbury bells this afternoon, and discovered that I didn't add enough water when I originally sowed the seeds. While the bottom was still relatively well moistened, the topsoil looked like an image from a documentary about drought.
Oops!
I wouldn't really be concerned, but the seeds, of course, were only planted at about 1/8 inches deep. I added more water, so things may turn out fine. We'll find out in a few weeks.
Oh! The forecast for the next few days is snow, snow, and more snow. Up to a foot in total! So much for the mild winter, right?
Oops!
I wouldn't really be concerned, but the seeds, of course, were only planted at about 1/8 inches deep. I added more water, so things may turn out fine. We'll find out in a few weeks.
Oh! The forecast for the next few days is snow, snow, and more snow. Up to a foot in total! So much for the mild winter, right?
Mild Winter Sowing?
“Well, it’s
been a pretty mild winter…”
Those words
were spoken by the woman working at Farmer Seed & Nursery. I had decided to go there to see what
additional seeds I could buy for my winter sowing project.
She was very
helpful, even going so far as to show me an article on winter sowing that she
had read. The article was written by a
woman that teaches winter sowing classes in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis is
about an hour or less away for me, so I’m seriously contemplating a day trip!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Winter Sowing... Winter What?! Part 2
After looking at the photos that I posted in Part 1, I noticed that they illustrate something very important. You'll notice snow in the background of my first picture, and a complete lack of snow in the second.
What does that have to do with anything?
It has to do with which side of the house we're looking at. The snow is on the North side. Not enough sun gets through to melt it. The other photo, however, is on the west side of the house. While it doesn't melt as quickly as snow on the south side would, it does get a decent amount of sun. The bottom line?
What does that have to do with anything?
It has to do with which side of the house we're looking at. The snow is on the North side. Not enough sun gets through to melt it. The other photo, however, is on the west side of the house. While it doesn't melt as quickly as snow on the south side would, it does get a decent amount of sun. The bottom line?
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Winter Sowing… Winter what?!
While surfing the web about a week ago, I stumbled onto the
concept of winter sowing. That’s
right. Sowing seeds in the winter, of all things. This concept blew my mind! How in the world would it be possible to get
seeds to germinate in the winter, while it’s snowing, without using a
greenhouse?
Sounds crazy to me.
Naturally, I’ve decided to try it.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Sustainable Buildings: A Dream
I needed some inspiration. I wanted something that was beyond my skill level, something that I could aspire to making a reality sometime in the distant future. Why would I want to do that when I could instead look for a goal that’s easily attainable?
Probably because I’m a glutton for punishment.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Beginning: Environmental Responsibility
My reason for beginning this blog is very simple. I’m an environmental leech. Even though I’ve taken many steps toward a ‘greener’ lifestyle, I have a long way to go. I recognize this, and feel that the best way to fix this problem is to do the research that will enable me to learn how to transform myself. Green DIY projects and garden projects will both help to attain this dream, as well. In so doing, I hope to help others find the inspiration and knowledge to do the same.
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