Front Yard, circa 2007. You've come a long way, baby.

As you can see from the before, it was pretty much a blank slate. And, I hate grass. I hate grass like I hate Applebees. I hate mowing. I won’t water. I hate battling weeds. Because of this unadulterated hatred of lawn, my goal for the last three years has been to eliminate most of the grass from my front yard.

For this, I turned to xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is a method of gardening with native or low maintenance/water plants in such a way that it eliminates the need for irrigation, mowing, or generally any hassle (except for an occasional weeding). Little by little, blister by blister, I’ve been working to expand the bed in my front yard.

Normally, I would first remove the top layer of sod to build the bed. In this article, we’ll take a look at the lazy man’s way using newspaper and mulch. Removing the sod is ideal, but it does have its drawbacks–many times removing the sod can also remove the top couple of inches of soil (of which I only have about 3/4″–the rest is clay. Very. Hard. Clay.) Also, it’s hard. Like really hard, back-breaking work. So, this spring when I decided to expand the bed even more, I used the newspaper method.

You ladies probably already know all about this junk, but for those of you who don’t, the newspaper method involves using a layer of newspaper, covered with mulch, to kill the underlying grass. The drawback is that you have to wait a long time until you plant the area. Ideally, you should do this in the fall so you can plant in the spring. You want to wait this long so that you can make sure all of the grass is dead before you start digging holes in your paper. Otherwise, you’ll spend all your time battling the grass that springs up in your bed.

Also, if you decide to use this method, try to pick a day that’s not so windy so you don’t have to go running after your newspaper as you start to lay it out.

Supplies

• Newspaper
• Garden Edging (optional for the lazy folks)
• Mulch
• Shovel/Rake
• Gumption

Step 1: Outline the area for your garden using flour, paint, or a hose.

Step 2: Dig the trench for your border and add in border edging (if you’re doing this).

Digging the trench.

Step 3: Lay the newspaper out onto the ground inside the edging. Be sure not to be stingy. Don’t leave any holes and make it thick if you can (4 to 5 sheets is ideal).

Step 4: You can wet the newspaper if it starts to move around. I covered mine with topsoil, but this may have been a mistake–I think the topsoil makes it a little easier for weeds to grow in the meantime.

Add your newspaper and dirt.

Step 5: Put on a generous layer of mulch. Some people say it doesn’t have to be much, but unless you want to spend a bunch of time weeding, I’d add a couple of inches. I had a really small budget for my project and didn’t really use enough mulch, so I’ve had to spend more time weeding than I’d really like.

Mulch. Mulch like the wind.

Step 6: Put away the hose and lawn equipment and bust out a margarita. Your mowing days are over!

In all seriousness, this method worked out pretty well for me. I was able to add in about 150 square feet of new garden bed in about 3 hours. If I’d had to remove the topsoil, it would have easily taken me the entire weekend (and would’ve required a major back massage). Now, my yard is ready for planting with more low maintenance plants like loripetalum, agapanthus, breeze grass, and dianthus. I don’t currently have any type of irrigation system in the yard, and don’t plan to use one. All of the plants survive strictly on rainfall (which this year hasn’t even been close to being an issue). In addition to being eco- and water-conscious, my yard is by far the best-looking in the neighborhood. For reals. Most of my neighbors’ yards are fugly. You saw their bathroom, right?

The (mostly) finished product.

Until next time, happy xeriscaping!

P.S.–Thanks to Leisa for keeping all that newspaper for me.

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

The first 100 people to make the Earth Day pledge will receive a free pepper or tomato plant.

There will also be representatives from Waste Management with information on local recycling practices.

It’s that time of year again! Time to open the windows, roll up your sleeves, get down and dirty (or clean), and aim for all those little dusty and dingy corners. But if you find your eyes burning and all that chlorine has singed off your eyebrows, you may want to consider greening up your spring cleaning tasks. By implementing a few simple changes you’ll be able to leave the haz-mat suit in the closet this spring.

Commercial cleaners are not only expensive, but contain lots of nasty chemicals that can pollute the air in your home. And, we all know where all those chemicals go…down the drain (along with your money) into the water supply. The U.S. Geological survey reported in a 2002 survey that 66% of streams sampled for contaminants contained disinfectants. Yuck!

Because knowing is half the battle (thank you, G.I. Joe), here’s a list of some things you may want to replace:

• Tile Cleaner – contains sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide, also know as caustic lye, is found in many cleaners and detergents (including drain cleaners). Sodium hydroxide can cause chemical burns and blindness. Some tile cleaners also contain monoethanolomine (can you even say that?). Monoethanolomine may cause liver, kidney, and reproductive issues, while inhalation can cause dizziness or coma.

• Toilet Bowl Cleaner – often contains chlorine bleach. Although most scientists agree that the use of household bleach doesn’t harm the environment, the production and transport of chlorine is toxic. And, who wants their house to smell like a pool anyway?

• Multipurpose/Glass Cleaners – contain ammonia. Ammonia is a known eye and respiratory irritant. Chronic exposure to ammonia can result in respiratory diseases like bronchitis and pneumonia. Also, mixing ammonia and bleach products creates poisonous chlorine gas and can burn the eyes and nose.

• Detergent – (really? detergents?) can contain phosphates. Just like the phosphorus in our fertilizers, phosphates in detergents could potentially get into the groundwater and pollute the waterways with phosphorus. If you’re unfamiliar with the phosphorus issue: Too much phosphorus in the waterways produces an environment perfect for growing–algae! The algae reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, thereby killing the fish and crustaceans.  Many detergents have already removed the phosphates from their formulas. Be sure to check the label.

The great thing about greening up your spring cleaning is that it doesn’t take a lot of money. Our grandmothers were the Queens of Green, believe it or not. Use these tried and true (I won’t use the term “old fashioned”) recipes to green up your cleaning products:

• Mean-Green Tub & Tile Cleaner – 1/4 cup baking soda +1/2 cup white vinegar (also good for making volcanoes). You can also use 1 cup of baking soda mixed with a teaspoon of liquid soap, a little water, and a few drops of an antibacterial essential oil (tee tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) for a delightful smelling bathroom cleanser.

• Squeaking Clean Tushies Toilet Bowl Cleaner – (1-2) denture cleaning tablets, let sit overnight. Or, 1 cup borax + 1/4 cup vinegar, let sit overnight.

• The No-Stank Multipurpose/Glass Cleaner – 1/2 tsp liquid castile soap + 3 Tbsp vinegar + 2 cups water (if you don’t like the smell of vinegar, use lemon juice).

If all of this sounds like too much work for you (see: lazy pants), there are still greener options for you at the store. Method brand products contain all biodegradable products and are manufactured and packaged in an environmentally responsible way (and, as a bonus, not tested on animals). You can find Method products at Target, Lowe’s, Costco, and even some Publix stores. For a detergent, just go with one that’s phosphate free. Ecos is a great brand (and they sell it at Costo–win!).

Another great line (although a bit more pricey) is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Mrs. Meyer’s products come in scents like lavender, basil, and lemon verbena. Much better than “pool.”

And, don’t forget about the good old Simple Green products. Available at most home improvement and big-box stores.

For more information on what the safety of household products, along with more recipes for healthy alternatives, visit the Guide to Less Toxic Products (thanks, Canada).

CNN.com posted a sort of random article on composting. It’s got a lot of helpful info if you’re just getting started. Link

And, don’t forget–Arbor Day is April 24th. Both of these events are a great way to share with children the importance of stewardship of our land and resources.

For more information, please visit: http://www.earthhour.org/home/

Taking cues from several African countries, the City of Los Angeles passed a law on July 23, 2008 banning all plastic grocery and take out bags as of 2010. Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania have also passed laws banning or restricting the use of plastic bags. In Kenya, where only about 10% of waste makes it to garbage dumps, plastic bags spread disease by clogging sewers and providing breeding pools for malaria-infected mosquitoes.

Hopefully, this will provide a trend in legislation in cities across the country. Since “going green” became hip, I’ve seen a lot more people using reusable bags at the grocery store. And, it’s a nice little cheap and easy way for us all to make a difference for our environment.

These days, there’s a lot of great choices when it comes to reusable shopping bags. Envirosax makes a line of super-cute grocery shoppers in retro and modern patterns. And, you don’t have to break the bank, either. The Flora Bag below goes for just $8.50.

If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, Target has great foldable shoppers for only $.99! I keep them in my purse so I never have to get a plastic bag.

Locavore Nation a website dedicated to a year-long experiment in which 15 folks from across the US try to base at least 80% of their diet from local food sources. You can read about their struggles and sucesses in the blog section of the site.

Check it out!

(Added July 22): Also, check out the 100 Mile Diet: Local Eating for a Global Change.

Here’s an interesting interview with Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.

In the interview, he discusses the shift in our eating habits and practices, and the influence of the food industry on our conception of what it means to nourish ourselves.

He’s a big proponent of the farmer’s market, eating seasonally, and getting back to the types of whole foods our great-grandparents would have eaten.

Well worth the 10 minute read!

http://www.sprig.com/experts/205/

You’ll also find videos with useful health and beauty tips, and interviews with today’s eco-celebrities (if there is such a thing).

http://www.sprig.com/