Thursday 31 January 2013
Monday 28 January 2013
DIY: Moss Graffiti
http://scotchandscones.tumblr.com/post/14242807259/thechocolatebrigade-moss-graffiti-mix-yogurt
Moss graffiti - mix yogurt, water and live moss in a blender, then paint onto a wall. Moss will grow in the shape of whatever you painted. Just remember to spritz it with water every once in a while to keep it alive.
32 Car Tires = Unique Play Space
32 car tires bolted together to form an amazing outside toy for the kids (and pets). Part of Nick Sayers' Geodesic Spheres project.
DIY: Origami Newspaper Planter
http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/HolidayandParty/Pages/nine-new-uses-for-newspapers.aspx
Origami Newspaper Planter: Recycle your newspaper with an easily folded biodegradable pot, perfect for starting seeds. This newspaper planter can be set right into the ground, where it will not only protect the fragile root system of your seedling, but also decompose on its own over time.
Click here for the FREE pdf step-by-step picture instructions:
http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-US/HolidayandParty/Documents/newspaper_pot.pdf
5 Tips For Growing Citrus Indoors:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/growing-citrus-indoors-129910
1. Buy the right tree. Calamondin Orange, Improved Meyer Lemon, Ponderosa Lemon, Eureka Lemon, Persian or Bearss Lime, Eustis Limequat, Rangpur Lime, Otaheite Orange, Nippon Orangequat are all great varieties for beginning indoor cultivators.
2. Soil needs to be the correct pH and promote proper drainage. A range of 5-8 is best. You can get a pH test kit from your local nursery. A mixture of 1 part sand, 1 part peat and 1 part bark, perlite or vermiculite will serve your tree well. The soil should be loose enough to permit adequate but not excessive drainage. Any type of pot will do, but a 1" - 2" layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot will most readily promote drainage.
3. Citrus trees require a minimum of 5 hour of sunlight per day. Ideally, they should get 10-12. Supplemental lighting in the form of high intensity discharge lighting can be used to maximize your yield. One important thing to keep in mind is to slowly acclimate your trees if taking them from the outdoors to indoors for winter. Though acclimation isn't necessary if only bringing them in for a few days to prevent freezing.
4. Humidity. Citrus trees will drop their leaves if the humidity grows too low in an indoor environment. Ideal humidity should be at 45 - 50%. Use a humidifier, if necessary.
5. Regular watering is necessary for your tree's survival. When the top 2 inches of soil are dry, water (but don't soak) the tree. If water pools in the saucer, empty the saucer. During warm summer months, you may need to water as often as twice daily. During winter months, water much more sparingly.
Sunday 27 January 2013
You Grow Girl!
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/
You Grow Girl was launched in February 2000, as a community for gardeners not unlike myself; people who want to grow but whose garden space is less than ideal. And for those of us with shallow pockets but a big, crazy love for tending plants and making a meal from homegrown fare, wherever home may be.
Please, Protect The Mangrove Forests!
Click here to watch the video:
http://vimeo.com/57894590
A very short film about the beauty and importance of Mangrove Forests.
This film is shot entirely in north Bimini, Bahamas. Every piece of footage was shot in an area that is currently threatened.The people of the island are working very hard to have the area turned into a marine protected area. The mangroves of north Bimini protect the island from hurricanes and provide the abundance of ocean life that the islanders depend on for tourism and food.
Fisherman, conservationists, life long islanders and scientists all agree that the mangroves of Bimini need to be protected.
Please share this video and help people learn about this little known type for forest.
Thank you to The Bahamas National Trust, OceanicAllstars, Island Tropic Air, Katie Grudeki, Grant Johnson, Trees for Life Canada, Bonefish Ebbie, Duncan Brake, Jillian Morris Brake and Michelle Garlough for making this video possible.
![Brazilian Grape Tree (also known as Jabuticaba) does not use branches to grow fruits. It grows fruits (and flowers) directly on the trunk.
Keep sharing @[383902301704226:274:Facts You Never Knew]
visit us : www.factslist.net](https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s480x480/602668_395277700566686_167773268_n.jpg)
Protecting Wildlife
One of favourite stories of 2012: During a storm, the branch containing this downy woodpecker family's nesting cavity broke right off the tree. The birds had no injuries, so rescue team member Alex went on site and reattached the broken branch to the tree. The woodpeckers immediately made themselves at home again! #wildlife #woodpecker
Tuesday 22 January 2013
![Fascinating evening view of the Butchart Gardens located in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
visit our blog--> http://we-earth.blogspot.in/
it's @[157246037746566:274:INature]](https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s480x480/65808_200077003463469_873788858_n.jpg)
Sunday 20 January 2013
DIY Plant Pals
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/plant-pals-672473/
- Materials
- One 9- or 12-ounce plastic cup
- 1 to 1 1/4 cups of potting soil
- 1 tablespoon of grass seeds (we bought rye grass at a garden center)
- Decorations, such as office dot stickers, markers, and ribbon (for safety, it should measure less than 6 inches long
- Instructions
- Fill the cup halfway with soil. Divide the remaining soil in two, then have your child measure the seeds and stir them into one of these halves. Tip: To speed germination, you can first soak the seeds in water overnight
- Spoon the seed-filled soil into the cup, then top it with the remaining soil (this final layer should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep). Water the soil well.
- Let your child decorate the cup with stickers and markers. Finally, leave the plant in a warm, sunny spot to sprout. Water as necessary to keep the soil about as wet as a damp sponge.
Another opprotunity for creative writing from the Plant Pal's point of view.
Girls Who Play In Dirt Are Healthier
Click here to read more:
http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=493934
Sharyn Clough, a researcher at Oregon State University, has discovered that women who have higher rates of allergies, and other autoimmune disorders are a result of being too clean. In other words, parents who let their children run amok in dirt or mud tend to have healthier kids. - Seattle News
Symptom, Cause, & Remedies
(Click here to learn how to shield your precious plants from the harmful effects of a sudden, forecasted frost)
http://www.canadiangardening.com/what-to-do-now/jobs-in-the-garden-by-season/how-to-protect-your-garden-from-frost/a/41812
http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/seeds/eight-solutions-for-sorry-looking-seedlings/a/34701
—seeds have an innate desire to live, even when their caretakers are less than perfect. Give seeds room to grow, good light, clean soil, the proper amount of water and food, and you'll be rewarded with a bounty of sturdy, young plants.
Symptom 1: Seedlings collapse; rotten stems at soil level or roots
Possible cause: Damping off
Remedies: In future, clean recycled plastic seed trays and cell packs in a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach; rinse well. Use fresh, sterilized seeding mix. Don't overcrowd; grow in cooler temperatures once seeds germinate. (If only a few seedlings collapse, remove them and keep remaining seedlings dryish.)
Symptom 2: Leaves curl
Possible cause: Overfertilizing
Remedies: Reduce amount of feeding and/or replant seedlings in fresh mix.
Symptom 3: Lower leaves yellow
Possible causes: Overfertilizing; magnesium deficiency
Remedies: Adjust feeding schedule and/or repot in fresh mix.
Symptom 4: Long, weak stems; large spaces between leaves on stems
Possible causes: Insufficient light; growing at too high temperature; overcrowding
Remedies: Leave grow lights on longer or use them to give more light to window-sill-grown plants. Reduce temperature. Thin plants. Transplanting checks growth.
Symptom 5: Green mould on soil surface
Possible causes: Poor drainage, lack of air circulation; overfertilizing
Remedy: Scratch small amount of powdered charcoal into surface.
Symptom 6: Pale leaves
Possible cause: Nitrogen deficiency
Symptom 7: Underside of leaves reddish purple
Possible cause: Phosphorus deficiency
Symptom 8: Bronze or brown leaf edges
Possible causes: Potassium deficiency; overwatering
Remedies for symptoms 6, 7 and 8: Feed with fertilizer containing trace minerals; if growing in soilless mix, repot in soil-based mix or add compost to planting mix. Reduce watering for #8.
http://www.canadiangardening.com/what-to-do-now/jobs-in-the-garden-by-season/how-to-protect-your-garden-from-frost/a/41812
http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/seeds/eight-solutions-for-sorry-looking-seedlings/a/34701
—seeds have an innate desire to live, even when their caretakers are less than perfect. Give seeds room to grow, good light, clean soil, the proper amount of water and food, and you'll be rewarded with a bounty of sturdy, young plants.
Symptom 1: Seedlings collapse; rotten stems at soil level or roots
Possible cause: Damping off
Remedies: In future, clean recycled plastic seed trays and cell packs in a solution of nine parts water and one part bleach; rinse well. Use fresh, sterilized seeding mix. Don't overcrowd; grow in cooler temperatures once seeds germinate. (If only a few seedlings collapse, remove them and keep remaining seedlings dryish.)
Symptom 2: Leaves curl
Possible cause: Overfertilizing
Remedies: Reduce amount of feeding and/or replant seedlings in fresh mix.
Symptom 3: Lower leaves yellow
Possible causes: Overfertilizing; magnesium deficiency
Remedies: Adjust feeding schedule and/or repot in fresh mix.
Symptom 4: Long, weak stems; large spaces between leaves on stems
Possible causes: Insufficient light; growing at too high temperature; overcrowding
Remedies: Leave grow lights on longer or use them to give more light to window-sill-grown plants. Reduce temperature. Thin plants. Transplanting checks growth.
Symptom 5: Green mould on soil surface
Possible causes: Poor drainage, lack of air circulation; overfertilizing
Remedy: Scratch small amount of powdered charcoal into surface.
Symptom 6: Pale leaves
Possible cause: Nitrogen deficiency
Symptom 7: Underside of leaves reddish purple
Possible cause: Phosphorus deficiency
Symptom 8: Bronze or brown leaf edges
Possible causes: Potassium deficiency; overwatering
Remedies for symptoms 6, 7 and 8: Feed with fertilizer containing trace minerals; if growing in soilless mix, repot in soil-based mix or add compost to planting mix. Reduce watering for #8.
Gardening Fun With Kids
http://www.seasonalwisdom.com/2011/06/five-reasons-why-kids-should-garden/
5 reasons why kids should garden:
prevents nature deficit disorder; teaches about nature & more; gives them exercise; encourages them to eat produce; & prepares them for life (encourages creativity, and provides wonderful family time)
http://www.canadiangardening.com/how-to/gardening-with-kids/gardening-for-kids/a/1622.
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/ http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/10-ways-to-make-gardening-more-fun-710580/
10 ways to make gardening more fun
(grow your favourites; grow veggies from veggies; watch plants take root; chart growth; open a family's farmer's market; hand down traditions; plant pet food; & more fun activities)
http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/4DMG/Children/children.htm
Lots of gardening with kids tips
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/firstgarden/index.cfm
My first garden -- lots of tips how to begin & maintain a garden
http://codenamemama.com/2011/03/13/gardening-activities./
Unique gardening ideas/activities
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/youth/
Gardening Activities
http://www.squidoo.com/make-a-childrens-fairy-garden
Creating a children's fairy garden
Grow your own groceries!
105 Ways To Enjoy Nature With Your Kids
(To read all 105 ways to enjoy nature with your kids click on the link below)
http://beafunmum.com/2012/05/ways-to-enjoy-nature-with-kids/
Enjoying the natural beauty of the world is something I do every single day. The more time I spend admiring nature, the more satisfaction and joy I get out of it. It helps me slow down. It helps me to be present. And it’s always there. I find myself, not only wanting to spend time outdoors, I have a desire to protect our natural resources too.
I see this happening in my children too. Kids are educated these days to protect the environment, but I believe unless you really experience the wonder of it, the passion isn’t really there.
Value
It starts by the way we value nature as a family. At some undefinable point, we decided enjoying nature was important to us as a family.
Enjoy
The more you enjoy nature, the more you want to look after it. They have to go hand in hand.
Educate
One of the ways we place value on nature is by educating ourselves about how to take care of it and then making slow sustainable changes to this effect.
Notice
We notice nature as we live life and get excited about it. “Wow! There’s a bird!” It sounds a bit strange but it really rubs off on the kids and they enjoy sharing what they see around them too. Sharing. I like that.
Live
Like most things, once you start noticing a particular thing, it quickly becomes a natural part of the framework for living and opportunities arise effortlessly as you live life.
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