]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just $30 a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to $1560 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog Environmental issues, green living Wed, 23 May 2012 03:07:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/ More >]]>

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/organic-vegetable-gardening-tips-for-green-thumbed-gardeners-by-phil-lang/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:44:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/ More >]]> think of organic gardening as something the hippies or greenies would be doing, but have you thought about how doing a little organic gardening might really benefit you? ... Not to mention your family & the environment.

Benefit 1: To me, the greatest benefit of organic gardening is the benefit of health. You know how you have grown your fruit & veggies, no chemicals, no sprays, just the way mother nature intended.

Sure you might get the odd caterpillar chewing on your cabbages, or a few aphids on your kale - even bird pecked or sunburned fruit - but you can be sure there's no chemicals on your homegrown veggies. No need to scrub your veggies under running water for 5 minutes to be sure, you only need to get rid of dust.

Benefit 2: Convenience has to be right up there. How wonderful is it to stroll around the garden picking thing for dinner. No need to take a trip to the supermarket or greengrocer - just walk outside & you're there. This ties in nicely with all the recent hype about food miles.... Zero! You're doing your bit for the planet - nicely done!

Benefit 3: You get to eat your home-grown produce as fresh as it can possibly be. I believe that fresh food has its own 'life energy' & that is why it's incredibly important to eat things that are freshly picked. They still have that life force in them & when you eat them, you add their life energy to your own.

Imagine picking your veggies, preparing them for dinner & eating them, all within an hour. Food you buy at the supermarket may be days, weeks, even months old before you even buy it… How much 'life energy' is left by the time you eat it?

Benefit 4: You'll be saving a great deal of cash when you grow your own organic fruit & vegetables. Have you noticed how expensive food has become lately? It is staggering to say the least.

Growing your own veggies might seem expensive to set up (if you do it properly with irrigation & good soil etc.), but you'll be saving money in your first season. Just think: if you spend just a week on fruit & veg, that adds up to 60 over a year.

The beauty of organic food gardening is that if you are willing to save your own seeds from the plants you have grown, you'll have them for next spring & will need much less money to get set up for the coming growing season.

With the world economy in a real pickle (pardon the pun), organic food gardening is a great way to reduce your monthly expenses.

Benefit 5: There're so many health benefits when you become an organic gardener. I've already talked about the benefits of eating your wonderful produce, but there're further health benefits.

For a start you'll be outdoors more. Just that alone is a big health benefit. Most of us live in stuffy homes that do not have enough ventilation, with toxins exuding from the walls, cupboards, carpets etc.

You'll get a little more gentle exercise. You know you need more exercise! Then there's the vitamin D that you'll get from the sun - do not stay out long enough to risk skin cancer, but do get your daily quote (at least 15 minutes sunlight). Plus you'll be breathing in fresh air while you're in your garden.

And did you know that gardeners live longer than non-gardeners? I believe it is partly because of the health benefits I've outlined above, but there's another reason. Firstly you're keeping your brain active - thinking about what you're going to plant where, when etc. And secondly because you expect to be around for the next season. Planning ahead seems to be connected with keeping us alive longer.

Benefit 6: You'll finally have somewhere to put all your kitchen scraps & garden waste without polluting the planet any further. Most things that come from the earth can be returned to the earth by means of composting, mulching or creating a liquid fertilizer. So your waste doesn't need to add to the world's problems any more.

Benefit 7: (my personal favorite) An incredible sense of well being will wash through your body every time you walk through your garden. It does not matter if you're watching a tiny seed develop into a healthy young seedling, you're gleefully discovering an insect that eats a problem insect, you're enveloped with wonderful scents of aromatic herbs or are so very proud of growing the vegetables for your family's next meal - organic gardening is joyful. Just allow yourself the privilege of caring for your own organic food garden.

Don't start saying to yourself that you do not have the time, or "I'm a lousy gardener". It really takes quite little time to create a productive organic food garden once you have got the basics in place.

And if you're not a green thumb yet, get some information & have a go. No-one gets good at something until they get a bit of practice in. Meet some of the gardeners in your area. Or ask your relatives - there's bound to be some one who's will to share their gardening skills with you.... We love to do that

Hi, I am an avid organic gardener & am known by my friends as the recycling queen. I live on a small country property in South Australia.

It is my mission to encourage as many people as possible to start organic gardening ( I know you'll become addicted). This will improve both our individual lives & the wellbeing of our personal & global environments. Anyone can grow their own healthy food with Organic Gardening. Click here to get started now!

Happy Organic Gardening, Healthy Living...
Julie Villani
http://www.1stoporganicgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/06/top-7-benefits-of-organic-gardeningby-julie-williams/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 20:07:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/ More >]]> make use of this ever renewable energy source.

Sign Lights

There is nothing more frustrating than installing the perfect business sign, especially those all important real estate markers & knowing that, as soon as the sun goes down, the sign all but disappears. A very easy solution to the dilemma is the solar sign light. These easy to install sun-powered systems mount just above the sign, soaking up the sun's rays during the day & then illuminating the information at night. Most potential customers do not have time to look around during the day because they work, so the solar powered sign light is sure to gain attention at night.

Transportation Shelters

In every large city, buses & trains run non-stop through the night, meaning that shelters at every stop must be lit up. For safety reasons, these lights are very important & invaluable. No one would want to wait at a bus stop in the dark. The electricity spent on these all-night lights means an enormous drain for the city caring for the stations. So... So... Solar powered lights at these shelters means that electricity is no longer needed. In some solar powered systems, the lights can even be installed with a motion sensor, meaning the shelter is illuminated once an actual person steps inside.

Traffic Signals

Many of a city's signals & lights may either be wired to electricity, consuming dollars $ $ by the hour, or battery operated & unreliable. These signals, including speed detection indicators, flashing yellow warning lights (like at school crossings or pedestrian right of ways), & other small but important lighting systems. These lights can easily be switched to solar power, saving hundreds of dollars $ $ a year in electricity or cutting out unreliable battery systems.

Parking Lots & Streets

With electric parking lot & street lights come quite a few hard problems. The first being, of course, the large amount of money spent on electricity. Another issue is the problem of dependability. An electric light is in a chain with others will cause lighting problems for many other lights if it goes bad. Solar powered lights are each independent of the others, meaning each will work solely on its own, making these lights much more reliable & cost effective for any situation.

Yards & Gazebos

Solar powered lighting options for the outside of a home are varied in style & size & are available in both decorative & useful designs. From small solar lights to mark a path or walk, to larger lights made to illuminate a gazebo to large lights meant for security, the options for the home are endless. These cost effective lights save an immense amount of electricity, & offer the sturdy reliability for years to come.

Dock Lights

When bringing in a boat on a dark night, or when facing heavy rains & storms, it is imperative to be easily able to spot the dock & mooring. Lighting that is solar powered offers dependable & clear LED illumination that will not actually be effected by power outages. These lights are available as decorative pillars or as track lights along the edge of the dock. There're many excellent uses for solar lighting, & the seven above are just a few. These low maintenance lights are very user friendly & very dependable, making them an easy transition from standard lighting options.

For more information on Solar Lighting, check out our website.

Kriss Bergethon is a solar expert & writer. For lots more of his useful articles on solar power, please visit Solar Panels, Power Kits & Systems.

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/seven-great-ways-to-use-solar-lightingby-kriss-bergethon/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 20:50:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/ More >]]> that is known to gardeners as black gold, because of its almost magical effects on plants & vegetables.

Each day, the worms in your wormery will eat & & digest up to ½ their own body weight in waste. This is important, because it is now estimated that in the West, each person generates about 500 kilos of waste every year. The really startling fact is that nearly seventy per cent of this household waste, has the potential to be either recycled or composted.

Although people are aware & express concern about environmental issues, recent surveys suggest that most people will not take action until it actually hits them in their pocket. This could be about to happen sooner than we all think.

With landfill sites, under pressure, as well as local government budgets, there are now plans in the pipeline to charge householders for the rubbish they leave out for collection. Even though recyclable waste will be collected free, there is the possibility that all other household rubbish will soon be charged by the kilo to be removed.

Even before this happens, it will be a good idea to look at your personal spending & realise how much the kitchen waste, you are throwing in the bin is costing you… You really are just throwing good money in the bin. Lots of the food we throw away is still edible, we just buy to much of it… A lot of this waste can be eliminated by simple planning, drawing up menus & when it comes to perishable foods, keeping to the shopping list & just purchasing what you need.

If you use a wormery to turn the kitchen waste that you do have left, into useful compost, & then use that compost to grow some of your own food, like salads & tomatoes you can supplement your shopping. I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how much you knock off your weekly shopping bill.

You do not have to become an urban farmer if you do not want to, but if you simply concentrate on growing a few of those crops that are expensive to buy, like specialist salads, which are easy to grow in the summer, you will eat better & have more money left in your pocket.

If you are considering growing your own veg, especially in raised beds, the worm cast compost, if used as a top dressing will increase your chances of producing a bountiful crop. Some gardeners swear that the Black Gold increases veg crops by up to 20%.There is nothing more delicious or healthier for you than eating freshly picked vegetables .

There are plenty of good commercial wormeries on the market, from simple, stacked plastic boxes to stylish wooden ones designed to resemble cottage garden beehives. Clear? If you are handy & want to save money, you can always build your own. A very good place to start, would be to get the DIY Wormery Manual you can download this e-book from the Internet, & apart from plans to build a wormery to use or sell, it will explain how to care, feed & breed worms.

If you have a garden access, to an allotment, keeping a wormery has got to be an attractive proposition. Not only will it help you save money, it will also help to look after the environment.

Greenjackdavey is an Artist, Writer & Gardener living in South West England.
You can read a full review of the ebook, The DIY Wormery Manual here on my website at Greenjackdavey website

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/saving-the-world-saving-money-with-a-wormeryby-davey-greenjack/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/ More >]]> best way to replace valuable nutrients back into your gardens soil for your plants to benefit from & is a natural method of doing so. It is a cost effective method of recycling by recycling in your own yard, no trash fees. Any household can compost, from the urban home or apartment to rural areas that have all the open space they need.

The kitchen is a big supplier of organic waste that can be composted. Food spoils & needs to be discarded, paper products & even bakery products get thrown in the trash. Composting these items is a great way to return beneficial organic matter back into the earth. Food scrapes are easy to compost & there're always plenty of them.

When composting scraps from the kitchen you will need to sort certain items that should not actually be or are not highly recommended due to the fact they arecan smell real bad & attract unwanted rodents or other wildlife. These items are ones that contain bones, meats, dairy products, fats & oils. These items should be properly disposed of in the trash. There're plenty of other valuable kitchen scraps that can be composted, like fro vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells, bakery items & paper products, along with cardboard.

Composting can be done with a various types & sizes composting systems. The amount, along with the type of waste is going to determine the size system that is best for you… These systems can range in size from the compact kitchen in house composting units to a full size bin outdoors. Other systems like tumblers & worm-composting are other methods that can be used.

Materials for & from composting can add up fast. Thought needs to be taken when wanting to start your own composting operation. Choose a system that is going to be big enough for your needs & if you have the use or resources that will take the excess composted organic matter that you produce. Also, always check your town or city regulation before starting a compost operation to see if there're any unexpected regulations that wont allow it in your area.

A environment friendly & healthy way of gardening. Organic Gardening is away of gardening in harmony with nature. Growing a healthy & productive crop in a way that is healthier for both you & the environment.

John Yazo

http://www.organicheirloomgardening.com

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/05/organic-gardening-composting-your-kitchen-scrapsby-john-yazo/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/ More >]]> use organic fertilizer to help grow those vegetables. The fertilizer you put into your soil is very important in growing environmentally safe veggies we can eat without worrying about harmful fertilizers, pesticides, & chemicals. Organic fertilizers just do not help the vegetables you will eat but also help keep your flowers beautiful. What you put into your soil is what you will get out of it, if you put in chemical induced fertilizers you may regret it.

There are various ways to create an organic fertilizer with grass clippings, weeds (after they aredead), leaves from trees, & food waste such as egg shells, vegetable/fruit peelings, & coffee grounds. You do not just throw the organic & natural fertilizers where you want your vegetables & flowers to grow & hope for the best, you have to make certain all these organic materials decompose first which typically takes 1-4 months. This type of fertilizer should stay moist so add water to it periodically. Some more of the "hardcore" methods or organically fertilizers your soil is horse manure, alfalfa pellets, blood meal, & agricultural molasses.

If you do not want to make your own type of this fertilizer you can go to the store & buy some pre-made organic fertilizer with no problem. Depending on how much organic fertilizer you will need will depend on your specific situation. To create & maintain a healthy garden of any sort takes A LOT of work so be prepared to run trial & error tests to see what works & doesn't.

Looking for many more information about an organic fertilizer? CLICK HERE!

]]> http://largie.com/blog/2009/04/organic-fertilizerby-w-p-allen/feed/ 0 http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/#comments Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:28:00 +0000 largie http://largie.com/blog/2008/02/which-is-better-bagging-or-mulching/ More >]]> When one mulches the lawn, they return the cut up grass blades back to the ground.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.

Animals are natural hunters & carnivores. Dogs are basically descendants of the wolf. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption & digestion of raw foods. Cats, on the other hand are carnivores ? having a meat only diet - & are specially designed to hunt small animals like rodents & birds. A cats digestive tract is designed to process raw meat best.

If you enjoy a natural organic diet, there is no reason why your cat or dog can not enjoy the same organic meals with you… Organic foods offer the best of canned or tinned options as they do not contain pesticide residues & other toxins that your pet then has to eliminate through its liver & kidneys. There is more. This is particularly important for animals with a problem with their immune system.

Commercially prepared 'organic biscuits' & 'organic kibble' is the best choice for your pet. Regular biscuits & kibble have become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It's reasonably cheap & convenient.

Animal owners & Veterinarians, how ever, are becoming more aware of the nutritional needs of animals & pets & are taking a new approach to nutrition by choosing the highest quality ingredients & carefully controlled preparation over cost & convenience.

For most dogs & cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. A diet consisting of Raw organically farmed meat, crushed organic grains & vegetables are recommended. Cut the meat into a size suitable for the size of the animal being fed. Smaller size pieces for smaller dogs & cats & larger pieces for larger dogs.

Eric J. Smith is an Organic Gardener & passionate Environmentalist. He is dedicated to promoting the need for an Organic, Natural World. Find out more on Organic Personal Care Products for your pet here.

When you're in your garden you'll be easily able to breathe a healthier kind of air, the fragrance of garden plant ? life isn't only refreshing to the senses, but also better air. You are under a sort of separation from the pollution in the air that virtually virtually everyone faces day?to?day. If you have a garden you have a healthier outdoor place to relax & unwind than public parks. Believe it or not, even a small garden is a contribution to the condition of the air around us. Plants, as most people know, create oxygen. Therefore, the oxygen emitted from the plants in your garden will improve the air quality around you… Considering the amount of pollution we know fills the air around us, people do small things every day that with any luck, will add up all together to protect the environment.

It may seem like a small gesture towards the improvement of our environment, but nonetheless, a garden can be like the five dollars $ you pledge to a cancer research facility. In many such efforts (the environment, Leukemia, Diabetes, etc.) it doesn't seem like much to give isn't much but when there're enough people pitching in it can make a world of difference. And so... Some public parks have joined in the crusade (whether intentionally or not) by planting trees, installing elaborate landscaping, shrubs & other foliage, vines etc. There're great parks springing up in certain areas in access, improving the beauty & reducing the level of air pollution around it.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, fashion, & home decor. Her background includes teaching, gardening, & fashion. For lots more of her articles on gardening & furniture, please visit outdoorgardenfurniture.net, supplier of high quality Outdoor Furniture & Garden Swings & more.

On the other hand, bagging mowers simply cut the lawn & get rid of the blades from the ground for good. It gives that vacuum cleaner aspect to your lawn. This is very attractive if you're planning on having company.

Mulching is the ideal approach, as it adds nutrients to your soil & promotes a healthy lawn. However, if you let your grass grow too long or the mulch clippings become too cumbersome (and thus, produce thatch), you will need to start bagging. During the months where there is extra rainfall & not as much need for mulch or during those periods where there is overgrowth, bag! For all those times when your lawn is thirsty, mulch.

However, if you are especially concerned with the look of your lawn & want to stick to bagging, you can still fertilize your lawn separately (perhaps with the clippings).

So if you are wondering whether it is best to mulch or bag your lawn, know that it really depends on the season & your particular lawn. Mulching should attempt to be achieved, if only to fertilize your lawn, but it is not always a good idea.

Stephen Blades loves seeing people build great lawns & loves to teach them how to do it… Click to Mower FAQ & Grass Fanatic - 2 of his lawn care sites - for many more Mower Articles & Grass Articles.