Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Garden Tools & Tips

Compost Bins: Composting Basics

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Compost Bin

A Brief Look At How and What To Compost Using Compost Bins

Did you know that upwards of 60 percent of the waste generated by the average U.S. household could be recycled or composted? Unfortunately, only 8 percent of American waste is composted, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Did you also know that yard waste, such as grass trimmings, makes up nearly 20% of all garbage created every year? When put into landfills, organic matter like food and grass trimmings take up a significant amount of space and play a large role in the creation of methane gas, a greenhouse gas that “remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9-15 years…and is over 20 times more effective in trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

Composting food and yard wastes is easy, especially when using compost bins. Building a compost pile on your own is certainly an option, but compost bins on the market come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and often make the process of composting much simpler. No matter how you choose to compost your organic wastes, the advantages of composting are undeniable. Composting helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gases and other air pollutants that would be generated as a result of simply throwing organic wastes into the local landfill or incinerator. Composting also saves money by providing you with free fertilizer for your garden. Finally, compost puts nutrients back into the soil, making your garden soil richer and plants healthier.

The first step in making your own compost is to select a compost bin. Compost bins are available in all shapes and sizes, so the size of your garden or yard is not an issue. Large compost bins allow avid gardeners with plenty of yard space the ability to make enough compost to last throughout the growing season. On the other hand, small compost bins can fit in the kitchen or on the balcony of a city dweller’s apartment and provide enough compost for house plants and a small herb garden. Knowing how much time you wish to spend tending to your compost pile and how much space you have to devote to a compost bin will assist you as you search for just the right compost bin.

Once you have selected your compost bin, it’s time to begin filling it with organic matter. But can you put any kind of organic matter into a compost bin? Unfortunately, no. The general recommendation is to fill your compost bin with a mixture of 50 percent “browns,” and 50 percent “greens.” The “browns” add carbon to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Dried leaves
  • Straw
  • Chopped Cornstalks – must be shredded or chopped into very small pieces first
  • Shredded Paper
  • Shredded Cardboard
  • Paper Towels

“Greens” add nitrogen to the compost bin mix and include some of the following items:

  • Grass Clippings
  • Garden Trimmings
  • Most Kitchen Wastes
  • Fresh Hay
  • Manure from non-meat eating animals

It is not advisable to put the following types of organic matter into your compost bin unless properly prepared first:

  • Diseased plants
  • Grass clippings with chemicals
  • Hedge trimmings
  • Nut shells
  • Peat moss
  • Pine Cones
  • Pine needles
  • Sawdust
  • Sod
  • Soil
  • Weeds
  • Wood ashes
  • Wood chips

For information about how to prepare these types of organic matter for composting, visit the website of your local agricultural extension office.

Some organic matter should never find its way into compost bins. Here are the main offenders:

  • Bones
  • Cat litter
  • Charcoal and briquettes
  • Cooked food waste
  • Dairy products — (butter, cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressing, milk, yogurt, sour cream)
  • Dishwater
  • Fatty, oily, greasy foods
  • Fish scraps
  • Meat
  • Glossy, colored paper
  • Peanut butter
  • Pet wastes, human excrement
  • Sludge (biosolids)

Maintaining your compost pile depends on the type of compost bin you have selected. Some compost bins require that the pile be mixed periodically, but some compost bins require no mixing. Refer to the compost bin manufacturer’s instructions for details.

By purchasing or building your own compost bin that meets your specific needs, and by following a few simple guidelines, you can create your own money saving, earth friendly, plant loving compost.

Source: University of Illinois Extension: Composting for the Homeowner

Backyard Fun, Garden Tools & Tips

Small Scale Gardening Offers Big Benefits

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Corsica Flower Pots

Small Scale Gardening Offers Big Benefits

Container Gardens and Small Spaces Work Together

Backyard gardening is on the rise. Many homeowners who never before considered a garden are now taking up spades, shovels, and watering cans in order to reap the benefits that come with creating and tending a garden. Gardening is not only a way to create something beautiful for people and animals to enjoy, it is a means of providing the family with fresh and nutritionally superior produce. Gardening also offers many health benefits that include improved flexibility, increased strength and stamina, and decreased stress.

Gardening without a Backyard

If you live in an apartment, condo, or other small space, though, you may feel that gardening is not a possibility. How can gardening be accomplished when there is no backyard in which to plant? Apartment dwellers can still reap the benefits of gardening because it can be done on a smaller scale. Container gardening or garden boxes allows you to create beautiful landscapes in miniature that can be easily tended on a balcony, next to a sunny window, or in a window box.

How to Choose Your Garden Planters

Choosing the right garden planters for your container garden depends on the space available. First, consider the size of the area where the garden planters will be located. Then, decide which shape would work best — square, rectangle, or circle. What material is preferred — natural wood, sturdy resin, metal, or clay? Be sure that the garden planters you choose are safe for growing edible plants, if that is your goal.

Planning Your Miniature Garden

Once you have selected your garden planters, decide what you would like to grow in your new garden. Containers can support a wide variety of plants, including herbs, vegetables, flowers, small shrubs, grasses, and vines. Not all plants like to live in containers, though, so be sure to select varieties that are known to be suitable container plants. Combining different plants in a container provides visual interest: choose plants of varying colors, sizes, and textures to give your container the feel of a “bouquet.” Be sure to choose plants with the same or similar lighting and watering requirements to ensure proper care for all of the plants.

Living in a small space does not mean that you can’t enjoy the benefits of growing and tending a garden. In fact, container gardening provides some added benefits that traditional gardening cannot offer. Small scale gardening using garden planters costs less and requires less maintenance than larger outdoor gardens, so not only can you enjoy the health benefits of gardening, you can also enjoy the money and time saved in the process.

Indoor Living Spaces, Outdoor Entertaining

Finding Patio Furniture Inspirations in Your Indoor Spaces

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Lexington Set from Tortuga

When choosing patio furniture to fill your outdoor spaces, it’s important to select a style and material that best suit your personality and preferences. Living with your choice is easier when you love what you have. Choose furniture that you will want to spend time using, not just when guests come over, but every day and for no special reason at all.

When faced with the wide variety of furniture options available for patios and decks, choosing the right style can be as easy as looking to your indoor spaces for inspiration. Do you love your indoor furniture? Does it capture your sense of style? Do you enjoy coming home to relax on your sofa or lounge chair? You can easily duplicate that indoor success in your outdoor living spaces by choosing patio furniture with similar qualities as the indoor furniture you love. Ask yourself what you enjoy most about your indoor furnishings. Is it the comfort, the elegant design, the natural materials? When you determine what features you love most about your indoor furnishings, you can begin to narrow the field of outdoor furniture possibilities and zero in on the most suitable choices for your home.

For example, if you love the elegant and romantic feel of your indoor furnishings, you should consider metal furniture for your patio or deck. Wrought iron and aluminum furnishings are available with intricate designs and curvaceously flowing lines that bring a touch of elegance. If, on the other hand, you love that your indoor furnishings are deliciously comfortable, then resin wicker patio furniture may be the best choice. Resin wicker furniture not only comes with sumptuous cushions, it is incredibly easy furniture to care for, and it is beautiful enough to use inside. Other outdoor furniture choices are available, too, including traditional wood and environmentally friendly recycled plastic furniture. Each has its own set of unique qualities that can help you determine whether it is the right choice for you.

Too often, homeowners choose a style of furniture for their patios and decks that is in direct contrast to what they might choose for their indoor spaces because they feel that outdoor spaces should look like outdoor spaces, quite different from what they’ve accomplished inside. Unfortunately, outdoor furniture that doesn’t coordinate with your personality and sense of style quickly loses its appeal. Homeowners who have this experience usually find themselves searching for new furniture before long.

Whatever your personal style, you can create an outdoor living area that is just as inviting and satisfying as your indoor spaces. Paying attention to what works for you indoors will allow you to choose the right patio furniture and bring the same qualities outside to your patio or deck.

Backyard Fun, Outdoor Safety Tips, Swing Sets & Play

4 Steps to Maintaining a Safe and Healthy Sandbox

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Sandbox Kit

Fast and Easy Tips for Play Time Safety

Kids don’t need costly, technologically complex toys and games in order to tap into their creative and imaginative powers. All that’s required to get kids’ creative juices flowing are some basic materials that can be found easily and inexpensively. One popular example of this is a sandbox. A big box or pit of sand and a few simple tools can keep kids occupied for hours.

Making sure the sandbox stays in good condition, though, is essential to ensuring that it remains a safe and healthy place to play. Unfortunately, the backyard sandbox is often missed by parents when it comes to play area maintenance. Here are four quick and easy tips for maintaining your backyard sandbox:

1. Replace the sand.

Over time, the sand in outdoor sand pits or sandboxes gets soiled and should be completely replaced. Generally speaking, replacing sand every year or two should be adequate, but more frequent changes might be needed depending on how often children play in the box and whether a sandbox cover is used consistently. Play sand, rather than building sand, is the best choice for children’s play areas because it is cleaner and free of materials, like clay, that are likely to stain clothing and skin.

2. Check sand toys.

Shovels, rakes, and other toys intended for sand play are not always the most durable of tools. Consequently, they don’t often last for more than a season or two. When sand toys or other tools used in the sandbox break, they can have sharp edges or pointy parts that can cause injuries. Before allowing kids to play in the sandbox this spring, check the condition of their sand toys. Toss out any broken or worn out tools, and replace them with tools made from more durable materials.

3. Check sand on a regular basis.

Don’t assume that the sandbox will stay in good condition over the course of the spring and summer. Sharp sticks, rocks, and other debris find their way into play sand quite easily. What’s more, sand toys may not be able to survive an entire season of active play. Checking the sand on a weekly basis allows you to discover and remove any potentially harmful debris and broken toys. You may also need to replenish play sand during these weekly check-ups, especially if kids have spent any time shoveling it out of the box.

4. Use a sandbox cover.

Sandbox covers are not used as extensively or as frequently as they should be, but they are one of the easiest and most important ways to maintain a safe and healthy sandbox. When used properly, sandbox covers prevent excess debris, like leaves, sticks, and rocks, from getting into the sand and creating a potential danger to children. Sandbox covers also protect sand from blowing away in strong breezes, and they keep insects from burrowing and nesting in the sand. Most importantly, sandbox covers prevent play sand from contamination by animals who use the sandbox as their toilet.

The only way to use sandbox covers successfully, of course, is to use them regularly when children are not playing in the box. Use sandbox covers that are made to fit your sandbox. Tarps and other makeshift covers can be easily dislodged or removed by animals or strong winds, making them unreliable and ineffective.

Overall, maintaining the backyard sandbox is a simple task that requires little time and few supplies. Keeping all play areas safe and healthy for your kids will give you peace of mind, and will provide your kids and their imaginations with hours of good, clean, simple fun.

Outdoor Living Spaces, Shade Solutions

Shade Sails Are a Unique and Affordable Shading Solution

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Shade Sail Installed

Many Advantages Make Shade Sails an Ideal Choice

All that’s needed to create a shaded spot in an outdoor living area is one of the many available choices for shading. A few of these options include patio umbrellas, awnings, shade canopies, and shade sails. Patio umbrellas are a popular choice when only a small amount of shade is needed for a dining table or a cozy seating area. Awnings are another option that allow homeowners to protect a sizable portion of a patio or deck from sun exposure. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not care for the style of awnings, which can appear outdated and clash with more modern sensibilities. Shade canopies are a third option for outdoor areas, but they are intended for temporary use. All of these options have their place, but when all is said and done, they leave little room for creativity, and they don’t offer the right solution for spaces with unusual shapes and sizes.

Unique Good Looks

Shade sails offer homeowners a creative and contemporary means of providing shade for outdoor living spaces. They are readily available in standard shapes and sizes, but custom sails can be made to meet custom needs. Rectangles, squares, and triangles in a variety of appealing colors give homeowners the creative freedom to design the look of their outdoor areas and create as much or as little shade as desired. A truly original artistic and architectural look can be achieved with careful planning and placement of two or more shade sails.

Versatility without Limit

Because of their versatility, shade sails prove to be the ideal solution for a wide variety of situations. Not only can sails protect porches, patios, and decks from the sun, they can also provide protection for entry ways, children’s play areas, swimming pools, outdoor restaurants and cafes, and more. Shade sails are easy to install and can be attached to trees, patio columns, or homes. They can also be an exclusively free standing structure supported by wooden posts or steel columns embedded in concrete footings. Sails can stay up through the year or used seasonally; they are easy to take down and store.

Effective Performance

While appearance is an important consideration when choosing a shading option for outdoor areas, performance is just as vital, if not more. The best quality shade sails are made with superior outdoor fabrics that can block up to 95 percent of the sun’s damaging UV rays. Shade sail fabric is most often water resistant rather than waterproof. This allows the sail to breathe more effectively, which keeps the shaded area much cooler. Sails made with high quality fabrics are also able to withstand extremes of temperature and are fade and mildew resistant.

Unexpectedly Low Cost

Because of the many advantages shade sails offer — versatility, attractive appearance, and effectiveness — homeowners are often surprised to learn that shade sails are more affordable than many other types of options. But, low cost is just another advantage that makes shade sails an increasingly appealing solution for homeowners and business owners.

When combined, the advantages that shade sails offer set them far apart from the other choices available. Patio umbrellas, awnings, shade canopies, and most other options are simply unable to offer the same low cost, high quality performance and creative good looks.