Natural Pest Control

Let's Plant A Vegetable Garden

I am so excited to plant a garden this year! It will be the 1st one I've ever done. There are so many benefits to having your own vegetable & herb gardens. I am mostly looking forward to having organic veggies ready to eat in my own back yard. I am tired of going to the grocery store every week specifically for fruit & veggies. I heard on the Oprah Earth Day episode that we need to eat 2X's the amount of fruits & veggies to get the same amount of nutritional benefit you would get in the 1960's. The soil is depleted & the produce is doused in pesticides, among other things, that are causing harm to our bodies & planet in more ways than one. If you aren't able to or have no desire to plant a garden, then be sure to buy organic produce if at all possible. The cost is slightly higher than non-organic but if you buy what is in season & look for sales, then you won't notice much of a difference in cost.

Now, let's get back to gardening...Since I have never had a garden before I'll be using a book, Gorgeously Green, as my reference guide. There is a chapter in the book dedicated to organic gardening. I also went to my local nursery & spoke to someone on staff about gardening tips they had & they also gave me some pamphlets that say when to plant which vegetables & some other helpful information.

I'll be planting my garden in the next week. I was told that a good rule of thumb is to wait until Mother's Day to plant your garden, to avoid any late frosts that can occur. I'll post some pics once mine is in. Good luck with your garden's!

Reusable Shopping Bags

Buying reusable shopping bags is a great place to begin when starting Your Green Life. It is an easy and inexpensive change. You can buy reusable shopping bags at almost any grocery store, Walmart, Target and at countles sites online. They are very inexpensive, ranging from $1.00 - $2.00. The only thing I reccomend to look for when buying your bags is that they are made with a good and sturdy fabric so they stand up on their own. Be sure to keep them in your car so when your out and about, you will always have them when you need them.

The manufacturing process of plastic bags is extremely polluting. They do not biodegrade so they will be in our landfills for thousnads of years. In the garbage process, millions escape and end up in our rivers and oceans, choking and killing many creatures. Don't put your plastic bags in the curbside recycle bin, for the most part they are not recyclable. Check your local grocery store, many have recycle bins for plastic bags only, usually near the entrance or in the parking lot, so the bags can be taken to an appropriate facility.

Paper bags are not any better. Most paper bags that people try put into recycling bins are shipped over to China traveling thousands of miles burning fossil fuel where the recycling process is not only costly but seriously polluting. Your probably better off just throwing the paper bags in the trash. So, they have to cut down trees to make the paper bags plus the process to make and recycle the bags puts dangerous chemicals in the air.

Using reusable shopping bags is hands down a very Eco-friendly decision and purchase. So, the next time your at the store and you are asked the question, "paper or plastic?" , you know the answer.

Don't Be Overwhelmed

When you learn about all the encompassing topics that "Green" include, it can be a little overwhelming and confusing. Don't let it be. This blog is created to help give you simple steps to can make, at your own pace, that will help have a positive impact on our planet. Every change, even small ones, help. Please feel free to leave comments to help myself and others as well as any questions you may have and I will do my best to find an answer. So check in often and spread the word. Thank you!