ARE WE ANYMORE ' GREEN ' THAN WE WERE ? ..........

In the line at the supermarket, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own carrier bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologised to him and explained that ' We didn't have the green thing back in my day '. The cashier responded ' That's our problem today.....YOUR generation did not care enough to save OUR environment'.
He was right ........

 OUR GENERATION DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING IN OUR DAY.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soft drinks bottles and beer bottles to the shop or off-licence. They sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized, refilled and re-used so that it could use the same bottles again and again.........so, they really were recycled..........

BUT, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING IN OUR DAY.

We walked to the local shops and didn't climb into a 300 horsepower machine every time we had to go to the supermarket.

We bought fruit and veg loose .......... and washed them at home. We didn't have to throw away bins full of plastic, foam and paper packaging and need huge recycling plants fed by monster lorries all day, everyday..........but, he was  right..........

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING IN OUR DAY.

Back then, we washed our babies nappies because we didn't have disposable ones and we washed up as we didn't have dishwashers.

We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts .......... wind and solar power really did dry the clothes.

Children got hand me down ( mostly hand made and hand knitted ) clothes from their brothers and sisters, not always brand new clothing, shipped from the other side of the planet. But, he was right ..........

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING BACK IN OUR DAY.

Back then, shops repaired things with funny things called spare parts .......... we didn't need to throw whole items away because a small part failed. Back then, we had one TV and one radio in the house .......... not a television in every room and, the television had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of Wales.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used lots of newspaper to cushion it, not bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to mow the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a brightly lit, air conditioned gym to run on treadmills that operate on electricity and then drink millions of bottles of that special water from those plastic bottles but, he's right ..........

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING BACK THEN.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a plastic cup or a plastic bottle every time we wanted a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new plastic pen and ..........

.......... we replaced the blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole plastic razor just because the blade became blunt, but..........

WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING BACK THEN.

Back then, people took the bus and children rode their bikes to school or walked, instead of turning their parents into a 24 hour taxi service.
We had one electrical socket in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power dozens of appliances..........and, we didn't need a computerised gadget to receive a signal, beamed from satellites 2,000 miles in outer space, to find our way, but then ..........

WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE IN A TIME WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE THE GREEN THING ?

DON'T FORGET TO RECYCLE WILL YOU ?

images 1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 : via Brown Dress with white spots, image 2, 6 : We Heart It, images 3, 4, 17 :  Crush Cul De Sac, image 15 : Ahhhlala, , image 16 : by Claire, image 7 : Vintage Rose Collection, image 11 : Lucyina Moodie,  image 13 : The Telegraph,

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A Funny Thing Happened in the Gravel Garden

Newly completed gravel garden.
Only the row of small rosemary plants
(left side opposite the bench) were added.
Photo: April 28, 2011

What do I know about gravel gardens? Not mulch!

I don't live in desert areas where gravel gardens are used due to low rainfall. Desert areas in the United States grow the grasses and succulents—cacti, yucca and agave— that come to mind when I think of plants surrounded by gravel.

I don't live in the northern latitudes where gravel keeps plants from rotting in rain while warming up the area from the winter sun. Gardens in Europe use gravel around trees and shrubs and that was primarily where I drew my design inspiration, realizing that it is hot here in the summer with little rain.

My garden is in North Carolina, zone 7b and the idea of a gravel garden was a gamble that I was ready to take in April 2011. The project started as a problem solver as shown in the Before and After: From Driveway to Gravel Garden story. We were really looking more for a beautification solution to reduce maintenance, but have been surprised by the other advantages.

Here is a list of the plants that were left in place BEFORE we switched to gravel, removing all of the organic hardwood mulch:

Burford Nana (dwarf) Holly
Oakleaf Holly
Yucca
Buddleia (multiple varieties)
Crepe myrtle 'Tuscarora'
Osmanthus 'Goshiki'
Iris ensata (multiple varieties)
Monarda 'Blue Stocking'
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Cream Ball'
Perennial heliotrope

We added a row of new rosemary and decided to take a "wait and see" attitude toward the existing plants. I watered the rosemary a few times to establish a root system.

The crepe myrtles bloomed and bloomed.
The container plantings of lavender,
juniper and succulents are thriving.
Photo: July 12, 2011.

So far, we've experienced a June and July of triple digit heat with very little rainfall. The gravel garden is on the southwest side of the house. The crepe myrtle trees provide a bit of shade until 11:00 am, then it is baking heat.  I have not given the plants in the gravel garden ANY supplemental watering. Seriously.

Meanwhile, in the cottage garden and the rest of the outer, deer resistant gardens, I've been dragging water hoses and watering cans in an attempt to keep—even my drought-tolerant plants such as agastache, salvia and coneflowers—alive.

Back in the gravel garden, the foliage of the Japanese iris looks splendid and green. The monarda 'Blue Stocking' bloomed gorgeously. Those moisture-lovers didn't get any supplemental water from me. Tucked against buddleia, neither did those plants receive the full onslaught of the sun, but enough sun that made those same plants wither and wilt in the hardwood mulched areas of my garden.

Interesting. I was curious. No watering and virtually no weeds in the gravel garden for three months. No adding of more hardwood mulch to keep the soil moist.

Perennial heliotrope was literally covered
in the gravel and emerged to make a happy
ground cover around the Oak Leaf Holly.
Photo: July 29, 2011.

The rosemary has grown a foot higher. The Burford hollies have increased in size. The buddleia are in bloom and the crepe myrtles put on a splendid show of blooms.The chamaecyparis has never looked so good. The yucca is happy. The osmanthus 'Goshiki' has a bit of scorch on the top leaves (not unusual), but is growing just fine. The perennial heliotrope emerged from BENEATH the gravel to make a soft skirt around the oak leaf holly.

After a recent rainfall of one inch of rain, I dug a hole in the gravel garden; a hole in the deer resistant garden; and, a hole in the cottage garden.

Eleven inches down, the gravel garden soil was moist all the way—even though I had never watered it!

The other gardens had barely an inch of moist soil and ten inches of bone dry powder and I had been struggling to keep those areas watered. If anything, the cottage garden and other outer gardens have better soil than that beneath the gravel plantings.

Can it be that gravel, a permeable surface that allows rain to penetrate also prevents evaporation of moisture, even in day-after-day of 100°F temperatures?

My test is not scientific, but it is definitely making me think carefully about other areas that can handle gravel. Many of my drought-tolerant plants will be happy surrounded by gravel.

Gravel is not temporary! Once in place, especially two inches deep, it is difficult to remove. Therefore, I shall proceed with caution as I convert more areas to gravel to reduce the need for supplemental watering.

It's far too hot to take on a project like this during the summer. I want to also see the performance of the gravel garden plants over the winter as well as whether the weeds will pop up in the gravel. More waiting, but in the meantime, I can honestly say that the gravel garden is making us very happy.

The rosemary is flourishing.
The foliage of the Japanese iris is green (without watering)
and the butterfly bushes are happy and healthy.
Photo: early morning, July 29, 2011.

Guests do park here and the weeds
have been so few.
Photo: early morning, July 29, 2011.

Merge of driveway with garden.
Perennial heliotrope skirts the large holly.
Photo: early morning, July 29, 2011.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. Deer and rabbit resistance varies based upon the animal population and availability of food. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks, copyrights, or patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

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Green Solutions for Home and Garden

Earth Day is April 22, 2010. Jan at Thanks For Today has done an outstanding job of raising awareness through the Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living campaign.

Even small steps help in protecting Mother Earth. Here are a few of the things that we're doing at our house and in our garden:

Passive solar house design
When we built our house in a sunny meadow, we had the opportunity to create a passive solar design. The front porch is directly south-facing. The north is blocked by the house. The west is blocked by the L-shape formed by the garage with the front porch. This positioning allows us to take advantage of the seasons to save energy and reduce our heating and cooling costs.

Make our own sodas and sparking water
With another small step toward going green, we started making our own soft drinks and sparkling water. I had read enough information to make me feel guilty about buying bottled water in plastic bottles. Stop! Okay! Filter water. Reuse bottles. Save money.

Monarch Waystation and Wildlife Habitat
The spring migration of the Monarch butterflies starts around the second week of March. The Monarchs will leave their winter habitat in Mexico and begin their journey to our gardens in search of nectar and host plants. The Monarchs will travel through several sections of the United States during the spring migration. I grow milkweed for the Monarchs and my garden is a Certified Monarch Waystation through Monarch Watch as well as a Certified Wildlife Habitat.

A Bee Friendly Garden without Chemicals
The bees are welcome in my garden and we are fortunate to have three feral (wild) bee hives located within three miles of our home. I don't use chemicals in the garden.

Remove Invasive Plants
Invasive plants escape into the wild and choke out our native species. Please check the invasive plant lists in your state before adding a new plant to your garden. Here in North Carolina, I refer to the Invasive Exotic Species list that is published by the North Carolina Native Plant Society.

Utilize Water Runoff with a Rain Garden
Rain management can be used to enhance your garden, protect your property and turn eyesores into pretty areas. The right plants produce rewarding results. It's easier to garden WITH nature -- zone, rain, drought, deer, rabbits—instead of against nature.

Use Drought Tolerant or Xeric Plants for Hot, Dry Garden Areas
The narrow bank of my sunny stream is a difficult space, so I am converting to xeric plants to save water and save time. I also use drought tolerant plants on the sunny slopes of my deer resistant garden.

Please visit Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living site to check out the stories from other bloggers for many more green solutions for home and garden.

Words and photos by Freda Cameron, Defining Your Home, Garden and Travel. All company or product or patented names mentioned are registered trademarks/copyrights/patents owned by those respective companies or persons.

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