Grow What You Eat: Cilantro Fail

I bought my cilantro plant on May 14 from Franklin Park Conservatory when I was there making my rain barrel.



I planted it in a bit of potting soil topped off with some compost. It was thriving.



I planned to use it in salsa all summer, but there was not much chance of that. I was able to harvest one bunch in mid-June before this happened:



And then this happened:



R.I.P. May 14, 2011 - July 20, 2011

Thing I'll do differently next year:

• Maybe try a clay pot, as this is not a rain lover.
  
• Maybe try sandy soil. I read that it would be a good idea, but I promptly ignored the advice due to laziness.
  

Next up...cucumber!

Grow What You Eat: Peas & Green Beans

Beans and peas. Every kid's dread? Every green girl's dream?

To start, I bought Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds' Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas from Raisin Rack and Burpee's Bush Blue Lake 274 from Home Depot (I think).



I planted the seeds as directed on the package in the wooden boxes mentioned here in mid-May. Many of them never sprouted, but I ended up with 6 viable plants (4 peas, 2 beans).



I set up one trellis with two tomato stakes and soft garden twine. But it wasn't enough for two rows of plants, so I bought a second trellis that with three polls and connector pieces that snap together.



The plants flowered.





Then (eek) snow peas appeared.





And then (eek) green beans appeared.



Probably got a couple of handfuls of each by the time everything was said and done.

Update: To my surprise, the green bean plants were still producing a handful of beans every week by the end of August.

Things I'll do differently next year:

• I'll plant the seeds earlier. The middle of May didn't seem to give them quite enough time.
  
• I'm going to get a second set of wooden boxes and split the beans and peas up into two boxes so that I can grow more. Or, since the beans were bush plants, I could using two or three round pots for these, as long as they're tall enough, and just let the plants grow over the side.
  

Next up...cilantro!

CSA Prep Time: Everything You Need for the Produce Season

These are a few of the things I've found to be quite handy in regard to managing a CSA share:

• A salad spinner, like this one from Bed, Bath & Beyond.
  
• One or two sharp all-purposes knives. I bought mine from Amazon.com and sharpened it for the first time at Sur la Table, but was also tempted to try Sharpening on Site.
• Rectangular plastic storage containers, like these from Ziploc. These are great to store veggies before you get the chance to chop them up.
  
• Wax pencils or scraps of paper & tape to label food storage containers. (Naming & dating is essential to prevent rotting!)
  
• Lots of small storage containers. I often use old yogurt & cottage cheese containers. These fit just about everything once it's chopped, from kale to cucumber.
  
• Non-perishable staples such as olive oil, grains, pastas, dressings, etc. These are nice to have around when you need to whip something up quick (especially if you're worried that it's moments away from going bad.)
  
• How to Cook Everything Vegetarian cookbook by Mark Bittman. Everything you need to know about storing and preparing veggies. Even tells you which parts of the veggie are edible, which is good when working with produce for the first time. Seriously, who looked at the first kohlrabi and thought, "Yup, I'd eat that." I heart this book.
  

Welcome to the 2011 CSA season!

Note: I have switched CSA's this year. I was happy with Sippel Family Farm, but they stopped offering pickup on Saturdays, which was most convenient for my schedule, so I'm trying Wayward Seed Farm. I'll let you know how it goes!

Grow What You Eat: Wooden Planters

Plants need homes. A certain someone who is handy with such things was kind enough to build me two large wooden boxes to give my plants a place to live.

He used scrap wood to build the planters, then I ordered Tung Oil and Citrus Solvent from The Real Milk Paint Company to protect them from weather damage.

I used an old milk carton to mix the two liquids together, then used a very very old Girl Scout t-shirt to spread the oil onto the wooden boxes. Two coats did the trick, though I'm sure three coats wouldn't have hurt.



Once the finish dried, I lined the boxes with part of a plastic drop cloth (found at Home Depot for a couple of bucks) with holes punched in it for drainage. Then I filled them with a couple of bags of potting soil, a layer of compost and voila!

One planter currently houses two tomato plants, a jalapeno pepper plant and a green pepper plant. Next year, I'll split these up into two planters, as the pepper plants are currently being overshadowed by the gargantuan tomato plants.

The other planter houses a row of green bean plants and a row of pea plants. Next year, I'll split these up into two planters as well, as the peas are struggling for some space.

The other containers I've used in the garden are all ones I have collected over the years, including plastic hanging pots, plastic pots of all shapes, sizes and colors as well as a clay strawberry pot.

Happy homes make happy plants!

Grow What You Eat: Strawberries

In case I haven't mentioned it (because I certainly haven't stopped strangers on the street to tell them, certainly not), I've started a container garden. I want to grow more of what I eat. I already try to eat local and organic or both. When that fails, I try to go for less packaging or waste. But truly, there are very few foods that meet all of these criteria at one time.

Growing food in my own backyard really is as green as it can get.

So...strawberries. Everything I read about strawberries said that the plants don't produce strawberries in the first year, but that you can grow them in containers. This is confusing. How do I "winter" the plant so that it doesn't die in the cold weather in order to reap the rewards the second year? No gardening book could answer this question for me. So I decided not to grow strawberries.

And then...I went to Home Depot to pick up some trellis fixings for my bean and pea plants. The strawberry plants were right there. So inviting. So friendly. My pure and unadulterated excitement that spring was finally here won the better of me and I grabbed two strawberry plants on a whim and ran. (I mean, I paid for them and everything, but still.) I think I spent $4 per pot.



The plants I bought were Bonnie Plants' Quinault variety. Part of what sold me was their pots. Instead of the usual plastic pots that immediately go to the landfill, their pots are biodegradable! I actually tore them into little pieces and added them to the composter just as I would with cardboard or paper.

And in case you missed it (here's a larger view of my little strawberry baby), I have one bright, plump red strawberry growing on the vine, with more to come! What was this about strawberry plants not bearing fruit the first year?

What I'll do differently next year: I'll be sure to buy enough plants to fill all of the holes in the strawberry pot, instead of just two. I'll also buy a PVC pipe, drill holes in the sides of the pipe and insert it into the middle of the pot before adding soil in order to aid in watering.

Note: Bought strawberry plants: May 4. First red strawberry ready for picking: June 23.

Update: Poor baby strawberries met their maker. Not sure what creature got to them, but I hope the rest of them don't have this fate in store!



Update #2: As of the end of August, the strawberry plants produced small strawberries two more times, though they were never harvested because they were either too measly or too mangled. Maybe they will do much better the second year, after all!

Rain Gods & Rain Barrels

Ohio was blessed by the rain gods in May of 2011, that is for sure!

To commemorate the occasion, I thought I should jump on the rain barrel bandwagon. I've read a lot about rain barrels, but when you don't garden and you don't wash your car, there's not a compelling reason to invest in one.



Lo and behold, one of my New Year's Resolutions for 2011 was to start a more elaborate container garden. A rain barrel finally made sense.

It seems that the most difficult task when making a rain barrel is finding a...um...barrel. Rumors abound about the best places to find free or dirt cheap barrels, but it seems that there's a lot of treasure hunting and dumb luck involved.

Common suggestions for locating rain barrels:

• Look on Craigslist or Freecycle.
  
• Contact local companies such as Pepsi Bottling Group or T. Marzetti's.
  
• Touch base with someone who works in the restaurant and food service industry. (Food-related barrels are best, as you know for sure that they are not toxic. Be careful and ask questions before you accept a barrel of unknown whereabouts.)
  

Lucky for me, the Franklin Park Conservatory took the guess work out of finding myself a barrel by offering a "Make Your Own Rain Barrel" program.

So, here's how it went:

The conservatory provided the rain barrels (formerly used to store my favorite guilty pleasure, Mountain Dew.)


They also supplied a DIY Rain Barrel Diverter and Parts Kit (an EarthMinded product sold by Rain Brothers here in Columbus.)


Then we got out some drills. (The kit comes with the perfect size drill bits for the job. Score!)


We drilled holes to install the drain (the bottom hole) and the spout (the top hole).


Then we drilled a hole on the opposite side near the top for the hose to the downspout.


Made sure to add the "Don't Drink the Water" sticker in case anyone got thirsty and made the mistake of thinking the water was safe for human bellies.

From here, we were sent home with careful instructions on where to drill the hole in our gutter's downspout and how to hook the downspout up to the barrel with a hose.

I merrily went on my way, super excited to get home and finish the job. Well, come to find out that my condo is the proud owner of ZERO downspouts. Both of my neighbors have them on their decks, the perfect location for my new container garden.

"Sigh" with a big side of "doh." Wish I had thought to look for that earlier!


Nonetheless, my rain barrel can still hold water and dispense water, so I decided to drill holes in the top to allow for water collection and be okay with the fact that I just won't be collecting as much water as I could be with a downspout.


I still needed to cover the holes to prevent mosquitoes from taking over. So I bought a yard of window screen from Roush Hardware. Then I drilled a lot of tiny holes around the edges of the big holes and threaded wire through them to tie around the screen and keep it in place.

Not the prettiest, but it's functional!

Some tips from the Franklin Park Conservatory program coordinator:

If attaching to a downspout, be sure to drill the hole on the downspout a few inches higher than the hole in your barrel.

Over the winter, be sure to drain all water out of the barrel and then store outdoors under a sheltered area or indoors. Cover the hole in your downspout with the cap provided in the kit.

Happy watering!

Vacuums Suck (Sometimes): Vacuum Repair Tips

It's true; vacuums suck. But more notably, sometimes they don't suck. When this happens, it doesn't necessarily mean that your vacuum is broken. (Unless it's smoking. Then it is most definitely broken.)

Try these tips to fix a broken vacuum before throwing it out. It'll save you a handful of cash and it will save a bit of prime real estate in the landfills.

• Replace the bag when 1/3 to 1/2 full or empty the bin or tray frequently for bagless models.
• Clean off the spinning "brush roll".
• Replace or clean any filters in your vacuum.
• Check to see if the belt is broken. It sounds hard, but it's really not. Google "replace vacuum belt" for tips on what to look for.
  
• Take it to a vacuum repair shop. My sister and I have both used Carmen's in Westerville and their customer service was wonderful. If they can't fix your vacuum, they may even offer to take it off your hands for a few bucks in order to salvage the parts. Way better than sending it directly to it's grave!
• For more tips, check out this WikiHow article.
  

Feeling a bit lost? Though most vacuums share similar features and require similar maintenance, your vacuum may be a bit different. Digging through your junk drawer for the manual or Googling the make/model in search of a manual in PDF format may not be the worst idea.

Eco-Friendly Candles & Kegs

Sometimes going green is dirty. Dirty Franks, that is. This local hot dog joint, along with its sister restaurants, offers up some eco-friendly fair.



Curious why tapping the keg is eco-friendly? According to the Dirty Frank's menu:

Dirty Frank’s encourages drinking draught! One keg lasts 30 years & is re-used 360 times, eliminating over 43 thousand bottles from our landfills!

Though they offer bottled and canned beers & recycle the packaging, draught is best in terms of reducing waste. And to top it off, they offer Ohio-made beers from places like the Columbus Brewing Company.



And what pairs well with kegs? Candles, of course! Dirty Franks has partnered with the sawed-off-wine-bottle candles from Candle with a Cause to create ambiance. Not only does Candle with a Cause use eco-friendly packaging, they also donate 25% from the sale of every candle to a featured cause. A company after my own heart, they are currently supporting Pets without Parents.

(Interested in other eco-friendly businesses in Columbus, Ohio? Check out Jeni's Ice Cream, Glad Annie's Old World Baklava, Surly Girl, Jury Room and Tip Top.)

Green Fail

Going green is definitely a game of trial and error. Here are three green "fails" that I've encountered on my journey.

Hemp Shower Curtain

Green Possibility: I bought a hemp shower curtain a couple of years ago as an alternative to plastic shower liners. Hemp is supposedly naturally resistant to mold and mildew, so this sounded like the perfect option!



Green Fail: After less than a year, the shower curtain became permanently stained and looked horrible. To be fair, the following things are true: The company, Greenfeet suggested that I wash it weekly. I did not. Greenfeet also suggested that I use a product called Moldzyme to help eliminate any mold/meldew buildup. I had some success with this product and still use it, but it didn't eliminate the stains on the curtain. Lastly, I often forget to turn the fan on in my bathroom and I don't run my air conditioning in the summertime, so my mold-free demands were probably too much to ask of any well-meaning shower curtain.

Green Promise: Though this endeavor failed, I did sew some cute crafty things from the parts of the shower curtain that weren't stained. In the aftermath, I have also tried to make my plastic shower liners last as long as possible, even going so far as to wash them on delicate with cold water once or twice in the washing machine before pitching them.

Henna Hair Dye

Green Possibility: Henna hair dye has no additives, chemicals, or pesticides, unlike typical hair dyes.



Green Fail: I tried using Rainbow Henna's blond dye to cover up my dirty brown roots with no luck. I saw absolutely no difference in my hair after numerous treatments. To be fair, I like my hair blond blond, and not dirty blond, which is probably against nature to begin with. Also, my friend's mom uses to red henna dye and you can definitely see the difference!

Green Promise: I wait as long as possible between trips to the salon. And I use eco-friendly shampoo, bar soap, toothpaste and shaving gel to make up for all of the chemicals I send down the drain in my vain attempts to remain blond.

Hand-Crank Paper Shredder

Green Possibility: The ability to shred paper without using electricity? Sure, why not? The hand-crank paper shredder seemed to offer up limitless shredding possibilities!



Green Fail: I used this less than a handful of times, careful not to add too much to the shredder at one time, but the blades simply went dull. After a while, all of the paper that I fed through it simply remained in one piece.

Green Promise: I've gone back to adding hand-torn pieces of paper to my composter or my recycling bin. Not quite as secure, but most of my documents aren't that confidential.

Cashing In: Donations and the Ultimate Paper Trail

I like to donate money. If I have a bit of extra income, I try to pay it forward. But donations are an eco-gamble.

I've donated through PayPal before. I've donated with a check before. I've donated in memory of a loved one. I've donated by mail and I've donated in person. Unsurprisingly, many of these donations came with a price.



You see, there is a paper trail. The charities, as well-meaning as they are, quickly become stalkers. They send letters. They send postcards. They send catalogs and bumper stickers and free t-shirts.

According to the Better Business Bureau, "For a national direct mail campaign, a charitable organization may mail from a half million to ten million or more letters." SmartMoney totals the cost of direct-mail solicitations last year to $1.8 billion. "Small donations, such as $25, barely cover the costs the charity incurred in soliciting the gift. To recoup those costs, many charities will simply sell the donor's name to another charity doing similar work," as Charity Navigator points out.

On average, charities need to make contact seven times before they get a donation. I understand that they need to recoup these costs. They need to take every opportunity to remind me that the whales still need to be saved, homeless pets still need homes, cancer still needs to be cured, bands still need uniforms...

I sympathize. I really do! But I don't want to be hounded every week. I don't want to constantly feel like I'm not doing enough. And above all else, I don't want to contribute to the waste that comes with these efforts. So, the moral of this story?

Give cash.

I may be one of the few people I know who still carries it, but I swear it comes in handy sometimes. When I'm standing at the register and I see one of those plastic coin boxes to help feed the hungry, I slip in a $20. Whenever I'm enjoying the scenery at a national park, I find the donation box near the ranger's station. Whenever a band geek asks me if I want to buy an overpriced candy bar, I fork over the $5.

It's nice to be able to pay it forward without the environment having to pay the price.

Not interested in carrying cash? Check out this article for more tips on donating without the mail solicitations.