Improve Your Home and Garden
I was remodeling an old farm house in McMinnville, Oregon this weekend and the attic insulation rained down on me. I thought it looked a lot like the vermiculite we use in gardening but never heard of it being used as insulation. Six hours later I am writing this blog about the link between this [...]
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The largest sustainable lifestyle event in the Pacific Northwest returns for its fifth year to the Portland Expo Center. Find earth friendly products for you, your Northwest home & garden and your budget. From cutting edge solar technologies and eco-chic fashion to better energy efficiency for you home and sustainable outdoor living, if it’s green [...]
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How do you know when to replace windows? After all, the investment is sometimes large and the choices of replacement windows overwhelming. You can chose from wood or vinyl, double pane or triple pane, and the list goes on. Much of the decision will depend on your budget; however there are many reasons why [...]
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Most of us feel better on a sunny day. But did you know that sunshine can be captured to save you money on your energy bill? Homeowners across the county are mounting solar panels on their homes to capture the sun’s rays and convert them into solar electricity. Sunlight Solar, based in Oregon, is a [...]
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Let’s Eat Edible Native Plants By Barbara Simonson Many people are becoming much more aware of the native plants that grow in their areas. But have you given any thought to the native plants that we can eat? Let’s sit down with a cup of tea made of dried wild strawberry leaves sweetened with honey [...]
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Container Gardening Combinations for Flower Pots I love container gardening but the usual plant combinations seen in magazines do not interest me and make for boring flower pots…in my opinion. Sure, they are colorful, but they lack that personalized touch for which I look. Maybe it’s that plant pots with annuals seem like a waste. Maybe it’s [...]
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Lawn To prevent grub damage in your lawn, apply insecticides containing halofenozide or imidacloprid. Or, wait until August to apply curative controls if there is a problem. Do not try to control crabgrass in your lawn after mid-July with post-emergence herbicide. It is often too large to control well. Live with it until it dies [...]
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Looking for a way to make the upcoming holiday festivities more sustainable? Whether it’s a quiet family Christmas dinner at home or a big New Year’s Eve party, a new crop of organic wines will give you more reasons to celebrate. When you look at the health benefits of a glass of wine, it’s easy [...]
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Bluebirds across North America have declined at an alarming rate through the loss of their favorite winter food supply – the Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Dan Hartmann, a horticulturist and nurseryman, who specializes in growing native North American plant species, explains that the principle cause of the Winterberry’s decline, and subsequently bluebird decline, is
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It was rather interesting to scan the garden catalogs last spring and notice the variety of plants that I think of as “out of the ordinary” plants. Of course, the unusual always attracts attention
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Can the logger and the treehugger get along? Can a sawmill, like Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring, Emlenton, PA, whose sole purpose is to provide solid hardwood flooring from chopping down old-growth ash, cherry, maple and white oak trees peacefully co-exist with the grandaddy of green, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) whose sole mission is to [...]
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The Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) is a migratory songbird that will spend three of the four seasons of the year in our backyards. They winter in the southeastern United States, as well as Mexico and Central America. By definition, it has a gray body, a black top of the head and a brown patch under [...]
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Spring and Summer Gardening Tips The weather is improving and we’re all spending more time outdoors. Here are some helpful tips for your yard and garden for the late spring and summer months…
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Creating a garden that attracts birds is a relatively simple task. It consists of supplying them with three basic elements: food, cover, and water. Most homeowners start with, and sometimes end with, putting out a bird feeder with cheap bird seed. Then they wonder why only a few species of birds show up, why the [...]
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Termites like wood. They don’t care if the wood is old growth, new growth, responsibly harvested or clear-cut; they just want to eat it. Wouldn’t it be grand if you could just explain to the bugs that you are trying to be green and therefore don’t want to use pesticides in your home? You could [...]
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Cats are amazing beings. I know, some people just don’t understand the allure of a cat, but I find them fascinating and a lot of fun. However, there is one thing about cats I don’t like – the litter box. I’m aware of the ways I could train my cats to use the toilet instead [...]
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Do you enjoy singing in the shower? I do. (But, shhh, don’t tell anyone!) I’ve also screamed in the shower a time or two, know what I mean? Someone flushes the toilet or runs a tap somewhere else in the house, and the water pressure changes and so does the temperature. Bam! You’re screaming! Choosing a proper low flow shower head system [...]
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Timber frame homes are grand mansions for movie stars and cowboy millionaires. They require a Montana-sized backyard and a NASA–sized budget, right? If you really believe that, you should meet Rick Stockmann of Specialty Built Construction, Salem, OR. He doesn’t live in Montana, or work for NASA, and he isn’t interested in building castles only [...]
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