Notes from the Garden: Diversity, Not Just for Humans

A Tale of Two Properties

Once upon a time, I had a neighbor who was very, very particular about his lawn. He was often to be found clipping errant long blades of grass with scissors to keep it looking tidy. His lawn was lushly green and beautiful ... but there was no wildlife. Birds passed over it to yards beyond. Without trees, squirrels found no reason to stay. Rabbits went to the next lot in search of clover. If the wildlife you can spot at an easy glance is passing your yard by, you can almost bet the creatures you don't see are doing the same.

Matchy-Matchy

Mother Nature hates monocultures - those manmade, one-species wonders that allow no room for the wonderful variety of wildlife available even in suburban or urban areas. A grass lawn is exactly that; while it may be lovely to the human eye, there is no space for a real, natural ecosystem. Lawns need frequent care in the form of water, fertilizer, mowing, weed control, and pest control.

Nature doesn't need such helicopter parenting. Left to grow, a wild space will invite a variety of plant and animal species that will sustain itself. Planting native species reduces the amount of necessary yard work and encourages our greatest ally in food production: pollinators.

Also, a natural habitat isn't boring.

Save Them, Save Us

The two greatest threats to pollinators are pesticides and habitat destruction. Products such as glyphosate (the chemical in Roundup®) and neonicotinoids (pesticides used in big-box garden center plants and flowers) are persistent and harmful to pollinators of all species. These products can stay in plant tissues and soils for years. They poison insects. In short, they're killing bees.

Guess what happens if we kill the bees? No one is left to pollinate our food supply.  Farmers are finding it necessary to truck bees in from far afield in order to pollinate their crops. Pesticides are thought to be responsible for widespread bee colony collapse. Bees are dying at an unprecedented rate. When they go, so will we, unless we do something about it.

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

Planting native flowers not only beautifies your property and increases its value, but it helps the pollinators. Host plants are important for butterfly caterpillars such as that of the monarch butterfly, which is in desperate need of pesticide-free sanctuaries. Dedicating even a small area of your yard (or a large container if you're in an urban area) can help save these pollinators and enrich the ecosystem where you live.


Bees, in particular, have been in the news many times of late because their rate of decline is alarming. Fortunately, bees are easy to please. Plant as large an area as you can with a few varieties of brightly-colored, native flowers (and if you're lazy like me, plant perennials which will come back every year with no work on your part). Use this tool developed by the National Wildlife Federation to help you decide what will work in your area. Try to stagger bloom times of each variety. Vow to remove all pesticide use from your property in favor of natural weed controls such as hand-pulling ... or my favorite, native plants which will crowd out the unwanted weeds!

The Little Hedge that Could

My neighbor would do annual battle with the privet hedge on our shared border. He cut it to the ground each year, a sad little six-inch-tall row of shrubs struggling to survive. Privet is non-native in my area. I wondered if he thought he was doing the right thing by cutting it down, but it always left me scratching my head. When new neighbors moved in, they didn't cut the hedge. We didn't, either. It grew. And grew. And then flowered.

And then came the wildlife.

Birds took up residence, nesting and singing. I now have a catbird who serenades me beautifully outside my office window while I write. The hedge, now half again as tall as me, shelters and shades squirrels and rabbits. Bumblebees and honeybees flock to it like I've drawn them there with a magnet. My allergies go haywire every spring and summer, and this hedge is not a native to New York State, but the payoff is well worth the cost of leaving it there.

After all, I love food. Don't you?

Fall Blessings

I am a very happy woman. Today not only marks the first day of fall, but the achievement of my more than three-month mission toward getting healthy. I finally reached my fitness goal today, losing over 27 pounds and two pant sizes since June 11th when I began tracking what I eat through My Fitness Pal.

Originally, when my doctor asked me to lower my cholesterol, I was a bit skeptical. I told her I don't want to go on medication for it, and she agreed. Five or so pounds ought to do it, she told me. I thought, "Five pounds? That's easy. That's water weight." I paid a little attention to getting more fiber into my diet, and less fast food. When I went back for my next cholesterol check, however, it was higher. Clearly, what I was doing wasn't working.

What Now?

I then decided that something had to change. Either I was going to have to adjust what I put into my body, or go on medication. Fortunately, my doctor was willing to let me try again to lower that cholesterol, medication-free. She suggested the My Fitness Pal app, which tracks nutrition and calories for you either by entering what you eat and the exercise you do for the day, or by scanning the bar codes on your food. All I had to do was plug in my current weight, then set a goal weight (which I estimated based on several online calculators for my age, weight, and body type). After that, I made sure to scan or enter what I ate each day, add the exercises and their duration, and log how much water I drank. How much easier can it get? This is nutrition management for the lazy!

Well, it worked. Here I am, on September 22nd, three months and eleven days into this lifestyle change, and I feel amazing. My knees and hips don't hurt, and I can keep up with my busy family more. It's also been a lot of fun to get new clothes at the Salvation Army, which I totally recommend for anyone in the throes of weight loss. I am the world's laziest dieter. I haven't even done much more exercise than usual. Walk the dog here and there. Swim at the beach. Nothing strenuous or arduous.

Glorious Food

I am a much more active participant in my food than I was. I can still eat the occasional fast food meal if I'm judicious about it. A cheeseburger with no bun or condiments. Salad, not fries, with no dressing or a homemade vinaigrette. Water, water, and more water. An egg white sandwich for breakfast instead of one made with a whole egg. Most fast food restaurants are totally willing to accommodate such requests. And I even managed to go out to dinner at the Olive Garden for my wedding anniversary.

But my favorite thing is to find new and delicious foods to eat. I found I love zucchini noodles better than store-bought pastas. Sheet pan chicken breasts and vegetables are so fast and easy to make. I actually enjoy cooking (Mom, don't keel over). I like figuring out healthier options, and my body has been responding to the improved nutrition.

Side Benefit: A Healthier Planet?

Eating better can also be healthier for the environment. I have a certain amount of calories allotted to me per day. I stick to the low end of what's allowed and try to fit in things that might be "missing" in my diet, such as more fiber or calcium. I am finding that the less "processed" a thing is, the better chance I have of getting more food containing fewer calories, with better nutrients. Lots of fresh vegetables, either purchased or out of the garden we put in this year. Lots of it is local if it doesn't come out of my own garden. As you know, if it's local, it's not only fresher but more environmentally friendly. It hasn't had to travel so far to get to you. And if it's less processed, it's cleaner food. I try to eliminate pesticides from most of the things I eat. Not only do I feel better, I am doing our planet a good turn, and that feels wonderful. It doesn't even have to be that expensive. Aldi is my go-to grocery store, with a growing range of organics at great prices.

Ready for the Challenge

The holiday season will arrive soon, with its slew of baked goods and rich foods, but I'm armed with three months of good data and prepared to take on this next hurdle. I can't wait to see what my next blood draw brings. My doctor is over the moon that her suggestion has worked like a charm for me. And if I can do this, and you've been wanting to, know that you definitely, definitely can. Be persistent, and take that jump with me. We've got this.

Notes From the Garden

It's mid-August, and I can already feel autumn on the horizon. Central New York got a lot of rain this spring and summer. My vegetable garden is thriving (tomatoes galore and zucchini for days!), and my plants and flowers are showing me just what a wildlife habitat is all about.

I have never tried growing zucchini before, but with our family's discovery that we love zucchini noodles ("zoodles"), we decided to give it a try. They do like lots of water. Make no mistake: if you let them get away from you, as we did, you will find yourself with zucchini that are a foot and a half long, and they will keep on going if you don't cut them (or until the squash borers find them). The one on the far right is the size they are supposed to be at harvest, a nice, tender inch and a half in diameter. Meanwhile, my grape tomatoes have exploded, and are still cheerfully producing as many as we can eat. We have planted our beefsteak tomato plants too close together, so they aren't getting as large as I'd like, but they are producing some delicious, meaty snack-size tomatoes. As I harvested, a bumblebee visited the new flowers. (I made sure to thank him. 😉) Next year, we plan to expand our garden, space out our plants more, and maybe install some new vegetable varieties. This year was for fun and practice! Tomatoes are so good right off the plant, still warm from the sun.

 

Meanwhile, my butterfly garden has been playing host to all sorts of insects. The crickets serenade us each evening. Honeybees are enjoying my purple coneflower. I never use pesticides on my property, so I'm thrilled to have them visit in the hope that someone, somewhere, is benefiting from the delicious honey they provide (even if it's just the bees themselves!).

 

This evening, to my delight, I found a Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk Dragonfly resting on my tall phlox. He was hard to miss, being 2-1/2" to 3" in length. Most dragonflies seem to be rather skittish, but this fellow was clearly not bothered when I got right up close to him to snap a photograph on my phone.

I had thought my swamp milkweed was a goner, but it has managed to surprise me with a couple of hardy plants, one of which is now in bloom. It has been a great spring and summer for the gardens. My sedum is beginning to bud in preparation for fall bloom, and I'll be back with more pictures. See you soon!

Winner of the 2017 Earth Day Giveaway!

Congratulations to Cindee D., the winner of the 2017 Earth Day Giveaway!  Cindee chose a copy of THE SERPENT IN THE STONE, Book One in the Gifted Series:

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest. Please keep checking back with me for announcements of future contests. Congratulations again to Cindee.  Happy Reading, and Happy Earth Day!

Winner of the 2016 Earth Day Giveaway!

Congratulations to Erin C., the winner of the 2016 Earth Day Giveaway!  Erin chose a copy of HEAVY NETTING, my book in The Wild Rose Press's Lobster Cove series:

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest. Please keep checking back with me for announcements of future contests. Congratulations again to Erin.  Happy Reading, and Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

I hope you're doing something outdoorsy today - at least for a little while.  I spent last weekend planting flower and vegetable seeds in preparation for the growing season.  I've already got some sprouts!  I can't wait to get out there into my butterfly garden and positively pack it with butterfly-friendly flowers.  I've started spinach, lettuce, and beet greens in my raised bed greenhouse, and the warmer-season seeds like beans, peppers, and tomatoes in peat pots indoors.

Free Book!

The Earth Day Giveaway is still going on, and there aren't a lot of entries yet, so if you're looking for a free read this spring, what better way than to fill out the simple form at this link, and tell me what you're up to this Earth Day? Click here to enter: https://nickigreenwood.wufoo.com/forms/nickigreenwoodcom-earth-day-giveaway/

Have a terrific Earth Day, everyone!

A Little St. Patrick's Day Lesson About Snakes

Whether you're Irish, or Irish at heart, I hope you have a magnificent St. Patrick's Day! In between your bouts of green beer and Irish food today, you might be interested in a little factoid I dug up on the Internet.

You may have heard the legend of Saint Patrick, who is said to have driven all the snakes out of Ireland. While good ol' Saint Pat might have done some amazing things in other respects, the absence of snakes in Ireland was not actually his doing. Wikipedia also mentions that New Zealand, Iceland, Greenland and Antarctica are also snake-free (make a note of that, ophidiophobics).

There's a very interesting article at Popular Science about Ireland's snakeless state. While Ireland is currently free of native snakes, there are pet and zoo snakes living there. Imported snakes are not illegal. However, if these pets get free of their owners, they run the risk of becoming an invasive species. As anyone in Australia can tell you, invasive species are bad news. Snakes have many uses, but in a foreign environment with no limiting factors, they could be devastating to an ecosystem.

For now, though, Ireland remains largely snake-free, so you can sip that green beer and listen to some traditional Irish harp music. Sláinte!

Take a Walk!

Today, I did something I haven't done in quite some time: took a walk behind my mother's house, around the lake and into the woods.  It was amazing.  I had forgotten how beautiful and peaceful it can be.  Just the smell of the woods alone is worth the walk!

Before I started out, I found an enormous black dragonfly on the driveway.  He must have been sunning himself!  He didn't even seem to mind me sticking my face in at him to take a photo.  He was almost as big as my hand!

This is what "refilling the well" is all about.  How I missed those trees!  It was a long walk, but I feel refreshed, and I'm fairly certain I'm going to sleep like a rock tonight.  *deep sigh*

Winner of the 2015 Earth Day Giveaway!

Congratulations to Dee G., the winner of the 2015 Earth Day Giveaway!  Dee chose a copy of HEAVY NETTING, my book in The Wild Rose Press's Lobster Cove series:

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest. Please keep checking back with me for announcements of future contests. Congratulations again to Dee G.  Happy Reading, and Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day Project - Raised Bed Greenhouse

In Zone 5, where we're still wearing our parkas into April (that's New York, slathered in blue), it's hard to get a jump on the growing season.  Last year, by the time I put seeds into the ground, it was too short a season to get a meaningful booster crop for our dinner table.  This year, I decided to try my hand at making a cheapskate - er, economical - greenhouse or for our raised bed garden.

If you're like me, you don't have a lot of scratch for a glazed greenhouse.  While it might be a dream come true to afford one, the reality is, the more you spend on the greenhouse, the less money you have to put something in it.  And isn't that the point of gardening?

My trip to the hardware store yielded the following items for under $30.00:

• One bag of assorted plastic clamps
• One package of 9' x 12', 2 mil clear plastic drop cloth
• Two ten-foot pieces of 1/2" PVC pipe (conduit is cheaper, but I needed something smaller-gauge so it was easier to bend)
• One 1" PVC cross

That's it - five items!  This is all you need to make a hoop house or cold frame for your raised bed garden.

To assemble the frame, insert each section of PVC pipe into the cross, making a large "X."  The cross is loose enough to admit both pieces of PVC, which will lie one top of the other inside the cross where they intersect.  The cross has no sharp edges to tear your plastic sheeting, and there's no tool-assisted assembly.  Tension holds it all together once you put it into your raised bed.

Next, carry the structure to your bed and sink the ends of the pipes down about 10" into the corners of your raised bed.  The farther down you sink it, the more secure your cold frame will be.  If your bed isn't as deep as mine, or you're concerned about wind, you can secure the ends by sliding them into metal, U-shaped pipe hangers or "hanger tape" (also available from your hardware store) screwed to the corners of your box.  I opted for a more low-tech solution, as my raised bed is deep enough not to make wind a concern.  There's no one right answer, as long as it works for you!  When you've set up the frame, it will look like this:

Next, open the package of poly sheeting and lay it over the frame.  It's better to err on the generous side, so you have enough around the perimeter to clamp some of the sheeting edges to your box, preventing air from getting into your raised bed and chilling your plants. Trim the sheeting to size.  My raised bed is about 4' x 4' and I was left with a section of about 4' x 12' - good for covering containered herbs on chilly days or putting over that compost pile to help heat and decompose the organic matter!

Once you've trimmed the sheeting, clamp the edges down to the box, being sure that you have enough hanging over the edge to prevent drafts.  Use as many of those clamps as you like, depending on your wind conditions.  I still have some left, which I'm sure the hubby can use!

After that, you're done!  The entire project took me under a half an hour, with no technical know-how or special tools.  The temperature inside the greenhouse is noticeably warmer than outside.  You can open some or all of the cover on warmer, sunnier days so you don't "cook" your plants.  You can also use this setup to grow a four-season harvest!  Leafy vegetables like spinach are great at surviving the winter and will satisfy that need for fresh greens when snow's on the ground.  There are many more vegetables that can be grown year-round.  Their vigor depends on length of daylight and protection from the moisture-stealing winter winds.  Check your library or the Internet for possibilities available for your agricultural zone.

When you're finished using the greenhouse (i.e. your zone has finally reached a warm enough daily temperature not to need it), simply break it down and store it.  It's that easy!  Happy gardening, and Happy Earth Day!

Spam, Revisited

It's April again, which is of course the month in which we celebrate Earth Day and turn our thoughts to better care of the environment.  It's also a good month to think about those things which, in helping the environment, can also help you.

Years ago, I posted a blog about all things spam - by mail and phone - and how to get rid of them.  I have some more information for you this time, including better resources for stopping those unwanted, harassing contacts from telemarketers and spam mailers.

The Phone

There's always the National Do Not Call Registry, which is your first line of defense against those unwanted phone calls from telemarketers.  Unfortunately, the Do Not Call Registry is not as good as it might be at catching those new numbers that pop up like mushrooms.

Much more effective is NoMoRoBo, which helps you screen those unwanted calls and makes them disappear like magic.  The best part is, it's free!  All you need to do is set up NoMoRoBo and your own telephone service so that they accept simultaneous ringing.  This means that when a number dials in to your home, it also gets called in to NoMoRoBo, which screens for a list of robo-callers and "poof," makes them disappear from your phone.  Legal robocalls, like school cancellations, are allowed through, so you only get the automated calls you want.  The service has been applauded by everyone from CNN to Popular Science, and is easily canceled at any time.

The Mail

Last time I blogged on this topic, my mailbox overflowed with unwanted ads and credit card offers.  It's much better now - and I have the website for you.  DMAChoice helps you get out of those direct marketing nightmares so that half of your mail doesn't wind up going to the recycling bin, wasting energy to recycle unwanted paper, and the gas it takes to get all those unwanted flyers out to postal customers.  That is good for the environment, and good for your peace of mind, too!

Next, I'll search out ways to eliminate unwanted texts and cell calls.  Until then, happy tree-hugging!

New York State to Ban Hydrofracking

New York State can breathe a sigh of relief for the protection of its environmental health, especially its groundwater. Governor Andrew Cuomo will be banning hydrofracking in our state.

Hydrofracking is variously defined as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, hydrofracking, fracking, or fraccing, and innocuously alluded to as "drilling for shale oil." What it really does is allow private companies to inject water and a proprietary (and therefore undisclosed) concoction of chemicals into our shale to hydraulically drill for oil. While to the energy-conscious this might seem a good thing, reducing our reliance on foreign oil, it is in fact an untested, unproven, expensive, and hazardous undertaking.

Hydrofracking risks contamination of groundwater, soil, and air, and can also be linked to instability in the ground itself. There have been numerous reports showing the damaging results of hydrofracking. I don't even need to go into them; you can Google it for yourself, including one presentation by Thomas Shelley, a former chemical hygiene officer at Cornell University. Mr. Shelley participated in a 2011 panel discussion on hydrofracking presented by Upstate University.

Cuomo stated that it's our responsibility to find energy alternatives. Bravo to Governor Cuomo for listening to New Yorkers' concerns and for putting the environment and our future health first.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is, of course, one of my very favorite holidays.  Today, we celebrate everything that makes our little blue planet so awesome.  I celebrated a day in advance by clearing out my raised-bed garden last night for planting, then set my seedlings in it with their teepee greenhouse to protect them from the last of the chilly nights.  I'm hoping they make it, but gardening is three parts experience, and one part experimentation.  We'll see!

Have a terrific Earth Day, everyone, and please keep the health of your planet in mind today, especially.  There are lots of neighborhood and community programs to celebrate the Earth.  Try joining one, and make some new friends.  Or, if you're like me, and need a coffee jumpstart, choose a paper cup over Styrofoam.  I probably say that every year, but it matters, and so does every step you take toward caring for your environment.

Happy Earth Day!

Gardening for Bees

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I have three gardens: one is my front landscape, one is specifically for butterflies, and one is for veggies to feed my family.  The landscape and butterfly gardens are also a favorite haunt of many different kinds of insects, including bees.

 

I get excited when I see bees these days, because worldwide, they're in decline, just like butterflies.  Beekeepers have been reporting a 30 to 50 percent loss of their hives.  That's staggering, and it means trouble for our food industry.  We are much more dependent on bees than most people realize for our fruits and vegetables.  Losing them would mean a huge hole in the food web, and we could find ourselves quite literally starving.

 

The Culprit

 

Research is pointing at systemic insecticides called neonicotinoids, which infiltrate all parts of the plants on which they are used.  That includes the pollen which bees collect and eat.  This mass application of a pesticide is having a ripple effect that, ultimately, harms our food supply rather than helping it.

 

Pesticides are not a new threat.  In 1962, Rachel Carson published a book called Silent Spring, which addressed the negative effects of pesticides on birds.  More than fifty years later, we're still fighting this fight, and it's hard to understand why.

 

Bee-ing the Solution

 

What can you do?  Well, you can do what I did: plant native-plant gardens, and vow to go pesticide-free.  There are many articles and resources on environmental gardening, and the results are healthier for you and your planet.  Share your yard with insects and wildlife, and form a mutual respect for your wild neighbors.  (Most bees are actually quite docile - too busy dotting your flowers in search of pollen to be bothered with you!)

 

There are caveats to bee- and butterfly-friendly plant claims.  A recent article in Organic Gardening caught my attention on this subject, and I did some investigating.  The environmental group Friends of the Earth tested a small sampling of plants purchased from major chain stores like Home Depot and Lowe's.  They found neonicotinoids in over half of the plants tested, even though the plants were labeled "bee friendly."  So, a warning: although that species of aster might be favored by bees, the specimen you're looking at could poison them.

 

Your best bet is to find plants from reputable garden centers that use no pesticides on their bee-friendly stock ... or from a friendly, local gardener who does the same.  Neonicotinoids can stay present in plant tissue for several years, so you could be doing harm to the bee and butterfly populations without even realizing it.  Make sure that what you put into your garden is truly organic and pesticide-free.  The bees will thank you by making sure your flowers, fruits and vegetables come back fuller and more robust each year.

Congrats to the Winner of my LASR Halloween Blogfest Prize!

 
Congratulations to Trix, who won my prize at LASR's Halloween Blogfest! (See the previous post for details.) Trix commented that she has a garden full of hummingbirds, now that she has planted red sage. What a great way to invite wildlife into your garden!

Habitat loss is a hummingbird's worst enemy, but humans can be their best friends. A garden full of shrubs to hide or nest in, flowers to use for nectar sources, and even artificial feeders, can be life-saving habitat for a hungry hummingbird. These birds need to eat about every ten minutes because of their outstanding metabolism! Watch a feeder or nectar source long enough, and you will see these little flying jewels return, zip-zip-zip, to feed again and again.

When using an artificial feeder, it's extremely important to clean it regularly - every three to four days, or more frequently when it's hot out. Purchase one with bee guards, and invest in an ant guard to keep unwanted pests away from the food source. These migratory birds will show up at your feeders and gardens from spring through fall to tank up for their long flights. Help them out with a variety of flowers that bloom at staggered times, and keep those artificial feeders stocked and ready for the show.

Happy Autumn, everyone! Hope you (and your resident wildlife) enjoy the season.

Built to Last

I've learned a lesson over the years: if you want it to last, you gotta buy the good stuff.  It isn't just brand or expense snobbery.  When I found myself buying a new couch yearly to keep up with my tough-on-stuff family, I took a harder look at how I was making my purchases.  That discount couch was cheap up front, but what was I really getting for my money, when I had to replace it after such a short time?

The cheap stuff isn't always the best stuff, if it doesn't hold up to your use.  And if you have to keep buying replacements, what are you really doing for the environment, when the old, worn-out things get kicked to the curb and landfill?

So, to Stickley we went, once I'd had enough and wised up.  Our new couch was expensive, no doubt ... but it has put up with a lot, and while we might need to reupholster it, it still handles our rowdiness with good grace, years into its use.  And it's nice to know I'm not filling up our landfill with another busted couch!

I found a solution for the outdoors, too.  You'll have to excuse me while I geek out for a bit.  This is Polywood furniture, made with heavy-duty recycled plastic lumber made from stuff like milk cartons.  It has a grain like wood, and unless you're touching it or sitting on it, it really is hard to tell the difference.

We bought this bench a couple of years ago, and it sits in front of our house to welcome people who might want to sit (or me, when I need to set groceries down).  I have laid on it to read a book while my son plays in the yard, and I've been known to catnap on it, too.  It stays out over the winter, and a little soap and water is all it ever needs to clean it up.  I liked it so much, I bought a set of Adirondack chairs and a "coffee table" for our back deck the following year.  They stay out, too, and hold up to winter winds without budging.  This year, I got some side tables to go with that bench, just in time for summer cookouts.  I may never have to buy outdoor furniture again, and that's a nice thought.

Consider what kind of money you're spending to re-buy resources you use all the time.  If you keep buying new to replace the old, maybe there's a longer-lasting solution.  A little extra money up front might insure that your grandkids' grandkids will use what you're buying today.  After all, laying out that money each time a poorly-made item fails might cost you more in the long run, in addition to costing the planet resources and disposal space.  Buy what's built to last.

Happy Earth Day!

Wishing all of you a very happy and green Earth Day, wherever you are. It's gonna be a gorgeous one, here in my neck of the woods. Hope yours is great, too! Do a little something for your planet today, even if it's something as small as choosing a reuseable coffee cup over Styrofoam.

Ain’t Technology Grand?

Skimming through my Twitter feed last night, I discovered a snippet posted by actor Ian Somerhalder (of “Vampire Diaries” fame), saying he would be streaming live from his living room.

What?!?

As it turns out, Ian was watching last night’s presidential debate, live, with some 10,000 of us and counting, and tweeting ongoing discussion-prompters regarding both parties’ statements. Very cool. Ian is very environmentally active, and his concerns included their views on clean energy and where we’re getting our energy from. He’s passionate about protecting our planet (see the Ian Somerhalder Foundation), and it was great to see him using his popularity to get people involved in the election process, regardless of their own political leanings. (There were the expected “I love you Ian” posts, but some of the folks commenting had interesting things to say about the environment, jobs, and healthcare.)

I’ll be honest, and say that I hadn’t been planning to watch the debate ... but watching it online, live, with 10,000 people certainly put an interesting spin on what the candidates had to say, and how people reacted to the discussion. I couldn’t stay on for the whole thing, but what I heard, from the candidates and listeners alike, sure got me thinking.

The Internet is full of fluff, it can’t be denied. But things like this make it cool again. I, for one, am going to start watching more of the election process online.

And this can’t be denied, either: it sure didn’t hurt that I was watching it with Ian Somerhalder. :D

If You Build It, They Will Come (v. 2.0)

Today's the day my persistence (and environmentally-concerned determination) paid off. Close to a year and a half after building my butterfly garden, I got what I've been waiting for.

I was outside today, thinking, "Gee, I really ought to trim back some of the leggier stuff in my garden. It's been so hot, I haven't done much, and everything's gone haywire." No sooner did I start trimming back the leggy stuff and unwanted volunteer seedings, than I hit the brakes. There, tucked in the back on a milkweed seedling, I found a Monarch Butterfly caterpillar!



Needless to say, I'm elated. This is what I built the garden for: to help along the Monarch species, which has been in a devastating decline due to habitat loss and pesticide use. And now, proof positive that my garden lives up to the purpose for which I built it!

Well, I ran right out and bought some mulch and began laying it ever-so-gently in between plants, where bare soil still existed (never did any mulching except a "green mulch" this year with a thick mat of Alyssum "Carpet-of-Snow" plants to keep the soil in place and somewhat moist). This will also help the various insects find places to hide.

Well, there I am with a bag of mulch on my shoulder, and as I approach the garden, I see a Giant Swallowtail on my butterfly bush:



Double yay! I am now considering registering my little side garden with Monarch Watch, an organization dedicated to helping this butterfly species survive. Of course, other species of butterfly and insect are always welcome. My property is wildlife-friendly, and I'm proud of that.

I don't even mind when the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds fly by and holler at me to refill their feeder ... again. :)

Earth Hour 2012

Today is the day of Earth Hour, an annual event when homes and businesses across the world turn off their lights for one hour hour as a statement of their concern for, and support of, the environment. This year, at 8:30 PM local time, residences, businesses, and government offices all over our planet will power off all non-essential lights for one hour (and sometimes more!), and light our world with candles instead. It's an impressive sight to see. Check out the Earth Hour website for video on how far-reaching this event has become. Play games on their Fun Stuff page. Join the movement by turning off your lights tonight for one hour. Most of all, keep in mind that we're all together on this earth, and celebrate how beautiful it is!