Earthly Garden

Hi folks!
Some parts of the country have been experiencing an Indian Summer-here in NYC it was 90 degrees! The unusually warm weather may be inspiring your plants to put out new blossoms. If so, and the plant already has fruit on it waiting to ripen, pinch off any blooms so that the plant will concentrate all it’s energy on ripening the fruit it’s already produced rather than on making more. There just isn’t enough time left in the season for both in most parts of the country.

Take advantage of these last warm days of the year to clean up your garden. Remove spent plants, clean out pots and store, and mulch anything you’re leaving in the ground. You’ll be rewarded in the spring with heathy plants, sturdy non weather weakened pots, and a neat and tidy plot ready for another growing season.

gardening, plants, cleaning up the garden, indian summer, mulch

Good afternoon!

I came across this interesting tidbit. It’s nice to see a big corporation doing something to help the environment!

OAKDALE, Minn. and NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Memorex, a portfolio brand of Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) and one of the most widely recognized names in the consumer electronics industry, has teamed with the Arbor Day Foundation to help replant our national forests through sales of the Memorex ReNew line of consumer electronics. Designed to minimize impact on the environment through responsible choices in product design, manufacturing and packaging, the new Memorex ReNew line blends patterns and textures inspired by nature with forms and features familiar to electronics. And each time one of its ReNew electronics products is purchased through Nov. 30, 2007, Memorex will make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation, adding a minimum of 75,000 trees to our national forests, which have been damaged by wildfire, disease or insects. The Arbor Day Foundation will work closely with the U.S. Forest Service to determine which forests will receive the trees based on the areas that are in the greatest need of replanting.

“As a global company, Imation has long demonstrated sound environmental stewardship and a strong commitment to the communities in which we live and work. We are pleased to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation as we launch our new line of environmentally aware electronics. Our design decisions combined with the replanting of trees — each of which may remove more than one ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in its lifetime — help offset the carbon footprint of the products,” said Sergio Castillo, director, Imation Electronics Products Division. “In designing the ReNew line, our team was driven to make decisions that were more environmentally aware, including using recycled plastics in the products themselves, and substantially reducing the amount of packaging waste.

The ReNew line takes a full lifecycle approach to the design, manufacturing, packaging and use of its products. Each product:

— Is manufactured with partially recycled plastics;
— Meets RoHS Standards that restrict the use of hazardous materials such
as mercury and lead, which are harmful to the environment and to
health;
— Is packaged in recycled cardboard;
— Features package inserts that include interior product “egg carton”
trays made from 100 percent recycled paper;
— Includes inserts and a website information for consumer education about
reuse and recycling.

When consumers purchase ReNew products through the end of November, Memorex will fund the planting of three new trees for each ReNew digital picture frame (preloaded with nature images); two trees for each ReNew Alarm

Clock (preloaded with nature sounds) and ReNew Digital Music Player (preloaded with music); and one tree for each ReNew Boombox and ReNew iPod(TM) Speaker.

“By planting trees in our National Forests, Memorex is showing a true commitment to creating a greener, healthier planet,” said John Rosenow, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Memorex is also helping to reforest national treasures, many of which are in great need of trees because of wildfires and disease. Trees improve our quality of life by cleaning the air we breathe and drinking water for millions and the commitment by Memorex is making a difference.”

For more information on the Memorex ReNew product line and partnership with the Arbor Day foundation, visit: http://www.memorexelectronics.com/renew.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit environmental education organization of nearly one million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at http://www.arborday.org.

Is it live or is it Memorex?(R)

Memorex, a portfolio brand of Imation Corp., is the U.S. market-share leader in optical media and media accessories at retail. Since the early 1970s, Memorex has been one of the most widely recognized and respected names in the consumer electronics industry. Today, it is an influential brand in CD and DVD media, optical drives and USB flash drives. For more information on Memorex products, please call 954-660-7000 or visit the Memorex Web site at http://www.memorex.com and http://www.memorexelectronics.com.

gardening, forests, environmental news, National Arbor Day Foundation

FREDERICK, Md., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ — Yard trimmings and food residuals together amount to 23% of the U.S. waste stream, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Jack Olive, Master Gardener and president of online retailer Mastergardening.com, recommends composting to ease the burden of yard and food wastes, promote green living and create a useful growing medium for lawns and gardens.

Olive explains, “In yard waste composting, bulking agents like wood chips are added to organic wastes to accelerate the breakdown of material. Then, the finished material is stabilized and matured through a curing process.”

He adds, “The preferred method for composting kitchen waste is worm composting, which uses red worms to create nutrient-rich organic material.”

In addition to promoting a greener lifestyle, composting provides mulch for landscaping and gardens, replaces costly fertilizers, provides erosion control, alleviates soil compaction, suppresses plant diseases and promotes higher yields of crops and plants.

When choosing a composting bin, Olive recommends considering the type and amount of waste you will be composting. “For table scraps, a worm composting bin is most efficient. Typically, you will need two square feet of surface area per person or one square foot of surface area per pound of food waste per week.”

If your goal is to compost yard waste, there are several options. According to Olive, “Large, open-air bins work best for long-term holding of yard wastes. If you're looking to hold leaves for several seasons, open-air bins are most practical. For active, hot composting of yard waste, choose a smaller, enclosed plastic bin.”

Olive adds, “Although composting is not a time-consuming project, it does require some regular maintenance. Aerating, adding bulking agents and maintaining proper storage conditions are essential.”

Mastergardening.com offers a complete line of composting bins and accessories. Visit the online Resource Center at http://www.mastergardening.com for additional information on composting, including lists of acceptable and unacceptable materials to compost.

SOURCE Mastergardening.com

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, fall composting, mulch, mastergardener.com, fall garden chores

As fall settles in and the days get a bit cooler, you may notice that your vegetables are suddenly full of blooms and fruit again. When the temps get over 90, blossom drop occurs, curtailing fruit production. Once the temps become more comfortable, the plant will put out new blossoms. Depending on the first frost date in your area, you may be able to get one last harvest. Peppers and beans are your best bet. Tomatoes probably won’t have enough time to fully ripen, but as discussed in a recent post, you can bring them inside to ripen or use them green. Fried green tomatoes anyone?

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, vegetables, blossom drop, peppers, beans

It the end of the road for most annuals and perennials, but you can still have color in your garden. Try pansies, mums and flowering kale for a touch of color all the way to winter!

annuals, perennials, pansies, mums, flowering kale, ornamental kale, fall gardening, gardening tips

Most of the time houseplants are pest free, but sometimes the worst happens and they end up with aphids, mealy bugs, white flies, and other insect pests. Fortunately there are a few natural ways to control them!

To prevent pests, try adding a clove of garlic to the pot. Bugs of all kinds hate the smell and will stay away. If it happens to sprout, move it to the vegetable garden.

If the bugs have already moved in, sometimes simply giving the plant a good rinse under the tap or shower is enough to send them packing. If not, you can whip up a homemade insect spray. Simply mix together a gallon of lukewarm water, a teaspoon of vegetable or mineral oil, and a teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap(like Dawn). Another equally affective recipe subsitutes rubbing alcohol for the oil. (And here’s another quick hint-add a tablespoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol to a gallon of lukewarm water and you have a great homemade fungacide!) Mix well, and spray. Be sure to keep the plants out of direct sunlight until the leaves are dry.

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, houseplants, natural insect repellents, homemade fungacide, home made insecticide

Today is a somber and sad day here in New York City. 6 years ago life changed forever when the World Trade Center fell and thousands died. Please take a moment today, wherever you are and say a prayer for those who were killed and those left behind, and tonight give your loved ones a hug and count your blessings!

9/11, New York City, terrorist attacks, September 11, World Trade Center

Good afternoon!
Although fall is on its way, that doesn’t mean your gardening days are over. Now is the time to make sure your plants are properly muched and your last chance to plant cool weather crops such as broccoli, lettuce, and carrots. If you have roses, stop deadheading. This will signal them to slow down and head toward dormancy. For a bit of fall color, plant pansies! These beauties love cool weather and will boom profusely even after the first frost, and if your winters are mild enough they continue right through next spring.

Gardening Pic of the Day:

gardening, fall gardening, mulch, cool weather vegetables, roses, pansies

Hello!
If the date of first frost in your area is approaching and you still have green tomatoes on the vine, pick them and bring them inside. Place them in well ventilated cardboard boxed and keep at room temperature. In about two weeks they’ll be red. Check every couple of days for any spoilage. This only works with mature, light green tomatoes. Smaller, dark green ones won’t ripen, but you can use them in pickles, relishes, and of course, for fried green tomatoes!

gardening, vegetables, ripening tomatoes, green tomatoes

Hello readers,
I apologize for the silence. I’ve been ill. I’m finally well enough to get back to my writing so stay tuned for all kinds of great gardening news and tips! Thank you for your patience!

gardening, news, tips, illness