Eco Friendly House And Garden

Reusable bags are all around us these days – but what are the pro’s and cons?

I myself use several types of different bags for different occasions – but my friend thinks that they are the worst thing ever! Why are there so many types and why wouldn’t you like them?

Their Purpose In Life:
After listening to my friend discussing why he didn’t like my reusable bags – I asked him why they were invented in the first place. He went for the eco friendly angle – but in reality, they are just a replacement for a plastic carrier bag.

photo credit: Rachel Medina

Now I really don’t like plastic bags from supermarkets as they have no real shape, they are noisy, they tear easily, they are painful to carry if heavy and you can’t put them over your shoulder to carry. However, my reusable bags are the opposite to all this.

Bulky Jute Bag:
My bulky jute bag has great shape to it, even when set on the floor. The handles are soft and wide and just long enough to sit over my shoulder if I want to shift the weight.

It is larger than A4 so I can keep books and notes in it, and being open-topped I can easily get things out and find things as and when needed.

It does have its downsides though; firstly this open-topped feature means that security is low when I am in a crowd or when I take a rest and place my bag on the floor, and if I don’t have anything in the bag (like on the way to the library) you can’t fold it up and it tends to flap about in the wind.

Flimsy Cotton Bag:
I have several flimsy white cotton bags with various different companies advertising on the side – but all are basically the same shape and size. They are very easy to shove into my rucksac or other bags so that when finding something extra to carry they can flap open and be filled with goodies.

They are a light as a feather and so I can take all 4 out with me without them becoming a nuisance – and I am not too bothered if I carry them around all day and don’t use them.

And they can be washed.

Their downside is that they have no structure whatsoever and loading them up 1-handed can be a bit of a pain sometimes. With the extra long and thin handles (perfect for over the shoulder action) they can get all tangled up when trying to unfold and carrying them by your side is impossible – as they drag along the floor.

The Result?
Well, I just love my reusable bags (including the fact that nearly all of them were free with a promotion) and although they each have their uses – they are a zillion times better than plastic carriers – and much easier to use than a bulky rucsack with zips (and the fact that it is on your back!).

I mean, if you get them any bigger, they would just be holdalls – which are of course – reusable bags too!

I think that small reusable bags have filled a niche that needed filling – with or without their perfect eco credentials – and I would be just as happy to use a non-organic material reusable bag over a carrier anyday.

photo credit: New Internationalist

‘The uncomfortable truth about Biodiversity’, he says….

Basically this book explains how looking to save just one species out of a whole ecosystem is not the way forward for saving biodiversity.

And to prove it, he opens up with an Introduction with an image of a Dodo. Are we ecologically worse off after we lost the Dodo as a species?

The Book Itself:
This book is a very easy to read description of how science works in practice. And that sometimes this results in ‘bad’ things.

The Author helps to explain even the simplest concepts about why biodiversity exists (usually due to a poor or limited environment) and how saving or losing key species can have disasterous consequences.

He also uses fantastic and sometimes unbelievable facts about species and habitats that were even a surprise to me after having read widely about these things. And he managed to put a new ‘twist’ on some already obvious facts with cited examples across the globe.

He is not out to ‘pick holes’ in conservation work or the studies of biodiversity across the globe; he just states statistical facts based on current figures that can’t really be argued with (although changes in our behaviour could always change the end results).

He also makes it clear that ‘saving the planet’ and it’s ecosystems and environments is a totally different science to ‘saving the panda’ or any single species or plot of land. Frighteningly he places an argument that we could easily and cheaply save nearly half of the worlds land surface which is currently ‘wildlands’ and where there are less than 5 humans per square kilometer.

But we don’t (or haven’t yet) as they aren’t really ‘worth’ anything to us and have very low biodiversity.

However the services they could provide (for free) for humans is priceless – but we seem to want to save every species rather than just the habitats they live in.

I totally agree that our actions are a tiny bit selfish – in general we want to save cute pandas and butterflies more than pristine but ‘boring’ plains and tundra – but he lets us know that this is quite a good option for saving ourselves. After all, we can’t live on this planet if there is no food or clean water for us all.

Result: 5/5
I couldn’t put this book down! I loved every page and every fact!

It is a reasonably small book too which made for great readability – as you knew it wouldn’t take long to glean all his wonderful and truthful facts from.

I work in one of the environments that he discusses in the book, and he certainly showed me a different side to it – as well as a new look at the principles of evolution and indicator species too.

He has also written a few others books that I can’t wait to get my hands on…..

ISBN: 978-1-900322-86-7

There are no excuses at all for not creating a haven for wildlife where you live – even if you are high rise!

Every spare flower can help species to feed and survive – as you are helping to create ‘wildlife corridors’ between parks and gardens along the way. Helping our wildlife to get around and multiply!

And by creating this safe haven – you could actually get a certificate to prove you are playing your part in helping garden wildlife.

How To Get Involved:
Ideally you will find a way to feed, water and protect any birds, reptiles or mammals that you can as well as offering then a place to raise their young – depending on your circumstances.

Not everyone needs to find a home for brown bears or wetland birds – even a tiny home for a sparrow or overwintering butterflies can be a perfect wildlife ‘garden’.

Obviously – the more land you have – the more you can offer to help; but every live creature needs a home – and you can offer that wherever you live.

I have feeders hanging outside my apartment window where I regularly see blue tits, great tits, sparrows and squirrels, as well as collared doves and wood pidgeons on the ground eating the fallen crumbs – I’ve even had sparrowhawks here because of this – but they weren’t here for the peanuts!

Visit Garden for Wildlife with Scotts to get some great information to help you get started – as well as information on native plants that will encourage and benefit local species to your garden, yard or window box!

Get Certified!
Scotts are hoping to get 150,000 wildlife habitats created in a massive drive to improve the choices that animals have to move around our urban areas and open spaces.

There are so many roads and buildings in some places that wildlife just can’t get established, Also migrating animals find it hard to pass through some areas due to the lack of essential foods or safe places to rest or sleep.

So why not find out how you could create a feeding station for migrating insects and birds; or how you could create a breeding pond for amphibians; a winter sleepover for cold mammals; or a one night stop-over spot for a wandering anything!

Even if you can only offer 1 of the required actions – you can still apply and recieve great tips about progressing on to full certification – as well as a free magazine subscription!

Or – why not work with a friend who has more space to get certified together – maybe even your whole class – or school!

The more people and places that get involved – the better the results will be in your town and in your state – as well as the whole country.

Animals don’t always just live in one place the whole year – they travel. So if people in the place where these animals live in the summer, people in the places they pass through and people in the place where they spend winter all put in a little effort – we can start to make a real difference.

Join In:

Offer your kids that chance to learn more about their garden with your fun new game!

We all know how identification keys work – but sometimes they are just too complicated and tend to include things that you won't ever need to know; for example, rare wild plants or 7 species of woodlouse which all look the same!

So why not make your own more fun and relevant guides that only include what you know you already have?

By making a simple 'puzzle' for those younger people in your life – you could not only create a game to while away the hours before dinner – but one that is also very informative and hopefully intriguging at the same time.

Where To Begin:

Firstly, you need to do a bit of research yourself – unless you already know a fair bit about the life in your garden.  And you will need to decide what you are going to include – or how many different guides you want to create.

Will you include garden and ornamental plants only, wildflowers and 'pest plants'; maybe even garden birds and trees – depending on your garden of course!

Then you need to decide on which species you actually have present or are likely to have visit – and make a few lists.  Let's imagine you were just doing trees for this example and we can follow the process more simply.

Your List:

Let's say you have 5 trees in your garden; an oak, a sycamore, a holly bush, a horse-chestnut tree and a eucalyptus.  Now all of these have very different leaves to an experienced eye – but to children they are totally new.

So you need to start with the basics and work up from there – so pick the most obvious one first to eliminate it from the search – so the holly bush might be first to go with the question: "Does it have really spiky leaves?".  This way, the child should always remember the spiky leaves if it's a holly.

photo credit: Mark A Coleman (FREE photos to use / download)

This leaves (excuse the pun) 4 contenders – 2 of which could appear quite similar, and 2 completely different – so let's get rid of the noticably different ones like the eucalyptus first with "Are the leaves long, thin strips?"; then the oak with "Are the leaves wider than your hand?" with a no pointing to the oak.

Once you get to the final trees – you can then ask whichever way you want to get to the end – maybe even including your own drawings of the leaves as the final step.

Your Personal Touch:

You can of course, add anything you want to the keys to make it more fun – or more informative.  For example, you could elaborate on each species with a few 'facts' concerning their growth or history – or their benifits to wildlife.  Or you could point them towards certain pages in your field guides so they can learn for themselves.

You could make it a checking off game where some of the answers aren't really in your garden – just to make sure they are using it properly! I mean you aren't going to have a Giant Sequoia in your garden are you?

And obviously you can filter out all the 'hard' parts of identification so that you don't get them bogged down in the details and scare them off of identification for ever.  I mean, kids don't need to know that there are many different violet species – just knowing it is a violet is good enough for starters!

They don't need to know the habitat types, geology, how they reproduce or what season they flower in – that can all come later when they already have a keen interest in the subject.  You just want to harness their interest and give them something worth doing in the garden and in the fresh air!

You never know where it might lead their inquisitive minds in the future!

Deciding to stay at home for the day – instead of a walk in the park – could end up costing more than you thought!

Obviously a day out on a plane won't be better than staying at home, but if you take yours kids out to a local park, woodland or beach – you could be saving electricity, water, food and all sorts of other resources.

Lets take a typical afternoon stroll and a day at home as comparisons for a family with 3 kids, and see what could happen in both instances – good and bad…..

Pack Up Your Troubles:

Right, so the kids are up and have had a tasty breakfast.  They have played about a bit with each other and are starting to get restless.  The sun is shining – so let's get going.

Firstly, you would make a nice packed lunch or healthy sandwiches, fruit, vegetable sticks and maybe yoghurts.  You then fill up bottles with some cordial, grab a blanket and some balls and off you all go.

photo credit: Chris. P

Even if you drive somewhere local first, the whole afternoon spent playing with the kids and eating 'raw' foods will have been very easy on the environment.

The kids will no doubt entertain themselves for most of the time, maybe learn something while they are exploring, find plenty of natural things to 'own' and have worn themselves out for when you get home!

It's Mine!

However, at home there might only be one of something – and so the arguments begin!  Maybe even forcing you to end up buying multiple items in the future to avoid the rows!

And will your kids choose to eat a cheese salad sandwich on brown bread if they had the whole kitchen to choose from? I doubt it.  There will be demands for larger meals of more processed foods (if you have them in the house) or maybe even a cooked meal instead – all adding up over the day and increasing the washing up and filling up the bin!

There is also the likelihood that they will want to play with electrical goods while at home too – as this is where the power is.  No doubt they won't be choosing the watch nature programs and play online puzzles either – they will be watching endless American movies and playing tiny consumer games on they energy-intensive hand-held gadgets!

Share The Love:

I am well aware that all kids like different things – and that taking out 3 kids every day can be very time-consuming and sometimes expensive – I'm just suggesting that a simple trip to the park isn't so bad to force on them.

Many parents I know think that the local park is so boring – but that is a parent-only point of view.  We as adults just see the same old swing, round-a-bout and climbing frame – but the kids will see castles, speed trials and ways to show off their bravery (or stupidity in our eyes!).

I know of kids who beg their God Mother to take them around the block on their bikes every time she visits – just because it is something different for them – rather than a life-changing experience.

So going out for a walk or picnic isn't just great fun for the family and energy-saving - it can also inspire and entertain! 

We all love eating outside – but plan ahead otherwise you could be creating waste.

There is nothing better than eating outside with your family and friends in the summer as it isn't something we Brits normally get the chance to do.  But watch out for potential problems that could fill your bin bags and make you break your eco promises!

Shops across the country are currently selling out of everything disposable – and this is where you shouldn't be involved!  However, it is really tempting to do so.  so here are a few tips to keep you on your toes.

The Barbeque Itself:

Now although the food needs to be cooked – it doesn't need to be done outside.  You can bring all the cooked meat outside along with all the salad and drinks you prepare – but using your own oven will actually be more eco friendly than buying a disposable barbeque that stops cooking effectively after about 5 minutes.

Your fitted outdoor cooker may well do a bit better for you, but all that smoke and open spacing means that a majority of the heat you generate with coals or gas is wasted as it passes right by your food and heats up your face!  Not to mention all that smoke.

photo credit: zoetnet

Food For Thought:

Why opt for the standard outdoor fare of sausages and burger slapped in a white bun with some lettuce and ketchup?  When you are cooking indoors you could rustle up some cous cous, pasta and better quality meat products – as well as using alternatives to bleached bread – like wholegrain pittas, corn wraps and homemade breads as they don't have to be burger-shaped!

And these days you don't need to go an buy lettuces and tomatoes – you should be growing them in your garden.  It is so satisfying to go and collect a handful of salad leaves, asparagus and radishes from your own garden to eat – or step in your greenhouse for fresh tomatoes!

The Washing Up:

No need to wash up after a barbeque – just throw everything in the bin!  Only if you forgot to plan ahead….  Buy buying a set of plastic 'crockery', cups and large bowls you can stop worrying about broken plates and dishes and start enjoying yourself!

The dreaded paper plates – aren't so eco friendly if you think about it.  They never last well with sauces and hot food on them anyway – and you can't compost them with cooked food all over them – or really throw them in the recycling – so they go in the bin.

Plastic cutlery rarely serve their purpose and can't be recycled either, and we all know where plastic cups go.

So spend out on a great set of long-lasting outdoor products that you can use year after year for such events without having to worry about breaks or filled to the brim bin bags!

Or that last minute rush to the shops over the bank holiday to get supplies. 

Thinking of eating in season – but not sure what's growing in the spring?

Well, don't worry if your allotment looks a bit bald, and all your seeds say 'plant in may' – there is still plenty of tasty food out there growing locally with the seasons.

Whether it's hearty vegetables you are after, something with a bit of flavour or something light – it is all out there waiting for you to find it – and here is a quick list to help you choose.

Fruit & Veg:

It is spring – so spring onions are out in force – as are their larger twins, the leeks (left over in the ground from last year).  Also still in the shed from last year are my potatoes and onions with some fresh kale - just waiting for a chunky soup to be made!

photo credit: Matter = Energy

New veg just appearing on the scene and over the next few weeks are radishes and new potatoes – as well as some wildfoods like elderberry and gooseberry.

And to season – chicory, samphire, watercress and morel mushrooms!

Are You Game?

Well, needless to say there will be plenty of fresh lamb out there for a nice roast – just pop to a local farm who will no doubt be offering prime cuts of these little woolly wonders!

photo credit: brianfuller6385

Also still out there are all the local seafood specialities caught by the local fishermen along the coasts; we've got crabs, cockles and oysters a-plenty to throw into a dish for the weekend – and sardines to come in the next few weeks.

Pick Your Own…

There are plenty of wild plants out there that you could add to a meal, including wild garlic, dandilions, cleavers, chickweed and cow parsley.

And the more adventurously named nipplewort, navelwort and lesser celendine!

Obviously, before you eat anything new – check that it is safe to do so as nutrient (and toxicity) can change very quickly. For example - with lesser celandine, the leaves should only be eaten before the flowers appear!

Enjoy!

Spring is famous for its lambs (as well as pancakes and daffodils) – so go see some!

What better way to support your local farms and landscapes than to head off into the countryside to watch some of the cutest little lambs bounce around the yard or field!

Sheep farming has seen a small comeback – as we are focussing on returning landscapes to past habitats – like chalkland heaths and grasslands – and you can't do this without grazing.  It is essential to have sheep grazing our sloping hillsides otherwise the whole place would become covered in bramble and gorse and all the native wildplants would never be seen again.

Unfortunately – it wouldn't be just the blanket of summer flowers that disappeared either.  Insects such as butterflies depend heavily on certain plants to complete their lifecycle, so if the plants aren't there – neither will the butterflies and other flying creatures.  And these insects are foodstuffs for birds and bats – so on up the food chain until they have all given up living near you and gone elsewhere.

Basically – you lose top predators like foxes and sparrowhawks from the area if you get rid of small flowers on a hillside.  And all you get instead are tall trees and scavengers!

Your Local Farm:

No doubt your farm – just as with many other niche markets – has seen a certain amount of 'belt tightening' recently.  But they must still farm their sheep to keep everything in shape. 

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

If they were to take a few years off until the market picked back up – their grass fields could already be at the point of no return.  The fast-growing scrubby plants don't take long to spread out – and sheep can't eat them – so that land will have to be stripped by hand, or left to grow over.

So, by popping into a local lambing open day – you could help make it all worth while.  Especially if the farm had branched out into other areas – like homemade jams, chutneys and cakes, honey, meat and wool products.  Imagine the haul of farmyard goodies you could end up coming home with.

You would be buying your own little piece of the countryside!

What is this eco friendly living method that is creeping into our lives?

You have probably heard of the Permaculture movement, but aren't really sure what it is all about.  The prefix 'perm' doesn't immediately sound eco friendly or green, but suggests permanency – long term goals and aims.

But long term 'culture'?  The word doesn't instantly connect with your changing lifestyle – but it could.

Define Permaculture:
Well, there are plenty of definitions all revolving about the same point but emphasizing the particular niches within it:

"Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies."

"Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. This synergy is further enhanced by mimicking patterns found in nature."

"Permaculture is sustainable land use design. This is based on ecological and biological principles, often using patterns that occur in nature to maximize effect and minimize work."

"A system of perennial agriculture emphasizing the use of renewable natural resources and the enrichment of local ecosystems."

Basically, permaculture can be seen as a way of living and farming in synch with the way that nature would do it herself.

In the way that natural cycles in weather, plant distribution, human activities and so forth carry on regardless when unaffected by humans – why can humans fit into that system rather than change it?

Forests grow from bare rock in nature; each plant or animal finding the best way to fit in to the changing habitats – so why can't humans exploit that natural series of events to help them survive – and without affecting it adversely.

Change Isn't Always Good.
We know that over time, a heath will become overgrown with scrub plants which will eventually turn into trees and so a woodland is born – and this is the way that nature works best. 

But when humans want the land to stay free of trees – they have to go against that very natural pattern – and this takes time, energy and money.  For example, large scale farmers have to plough the land regularly to stop other plants growing, kill insects with chemicals, kill wildlife by other means and basically fence off the natural habitats long term and feed and water it excessively in order to grow the 1 thing they want.

However, permaculture looks at growing crops that are naturally occurring there – or can grow well in that location without draining on resources or getting rid of natural plants and animals as a result.

It still isn't an easy job as you need to be able to survive on these crops and make a living from them- but you use nature to help you farm and grow them instead of chemicals and a life-long battle!

The Basic Plan:
Permaculture is a working science with some very technical examples - but its principles can be easily understood.

Ideally a working system would use less energy, increase productivity and help restore or balance the natural environment.

For example housing the duck pond near your flower garden or veg patch so that these ravenous feeders can eat all your garden slugs for free (saving you food for them and chemicals to kill your slugs).  Or growing mature trees over your water source, so that less water evaporates from it and the plants can water themselves. 

photo credit: george.schon

Much of this you might think is common sense – yet we still buy white bread (which has most vitamins and minerals bleached out of it – with man-made vitamins and minerals added back in afterwards) and we sell all our home-grown milk to other countries and then buy milk back from yet more countries to make up the difference!

And the principles of permaculture are just applied to farming methods – they can be applied to almost any human environment including cities!

But that's a whole other story……

photo credit: Bryn_S

Whatever you want a balloon for in the first place – it will mostly end up as litter whe you're done!

They might be brightly coloured and fun for the kids, or in huge numbers for the work party - but they are terrible for the planet and wildlife alike.

But – as with everything – there are choices you can make as to how god or bad you want your balloons to end up being on the environment. 

Even if your balloons are bright pink – they can still be very green!

First Things First:
The most eco friendly balloon is one that is never used – so ask yourself: do I even need a balloon at all?

What are we saying with a balloon that can't be said with something else – like a plant, a new hat or a homemade cake!

Most balloons end up a litter in some far away environment – mainly due to parents assuming that children won't 'let go' of it (which is as likely as your children never spilling a drink, or dropping food) or organised events trying to celebrate something by releasing non-biodegradable litter into the air!

But people still want a balloon don't they; so here are some easy things to think about when buying balloons that could make all the difference to what happens to your balloon after it flies off in to the distance.

Tie A Knot – rather than using a plastic stopper – as this means there will be less waste created and less resources used in the first place.

Use Some String – rather than using a shiny ribbon or metallic tape – as this means that the string can be chewed through if it entangles an animal, and will biodegrade far faster than shiny things!

Don't Use Shiny Anything – rather than using a natural rubber or latex balloon – why would you want to use man-made non-recyclable or compostable materials to celebrate anything?

photo credit: Lunchbox Photography

Use Fresh Air – rather than filling the balloon with Helium – as this will reduce the demand for such a rare gas as well as preventing its release into the upper atmosphere.

Use Latex  - rather then using non-biodegradable rubber balloons – as this will degrade easily in the environment or in your compost heap rather than choke a seabird!

Don't Let Go! – rather than risking your balloons early departure, always tie it down securely.  Don't assume that you or your children will hold on to it forever – as you know they alwasy get away!  Even if you balloon is tied up with a knot, attached to thin biodegradable string, filled with your breath and made out of latex – you still don't want it to fly off!

So, 6 great ways to make your balloons better for the environment!