Its been almost six months since I have fresh vegetables from the garden or from the farmers market and its getting to me. For about two weeks I have been craving home made salsa. So not having fresh veggies from the garden or fresh salsa, it has been getting to me. When I talk about fresh salsa, I am not the processed crap from the store but good ol’ home made salsa without preservatives and extra junk that will help kill you when get you get older. I have a friend at work who makes a killer salsa. Not only in taste but after a few days of marinating in the fridge it will burn for hours afterwards if you each to much to fast. So I took his recipe and modified it to fit my wife and I’s lifestyle. Since we do not have access to exotic hot peppers, I have to work with what I can get and most of them are shipped from Mexico or grown somewhere in the US in a hot house. Both are not a favorite of mine. I prefer using ones that I have grown or a friend has grown. Ours will be 100% organic and we can guarantee it. I won’t tell you what is in the recipe or give you the recipe but I will tell you it has Romas, Serrano, Habanero, Anaheim, and Jalapeno.

Yesterday I went shopping for new faucet covers and other outdoor supplies to prepare for the arctic blast that we were going to receive. While shopping I came across an end cap display at one of the local big box supply stores and they had the Black and Decker ACCU-MARK™ 36″ Level on sale. They had it on sale for only $10 regularly pricedat $30 at most stores. I have been wanting one of these for quite a while and I finally got it! This weekend I will have to put up our pictures. I have been putting off hanging pictures for almost two years, now I have no excuse to hand the pictures. Afterwards when I get the chance to the put the pictures I will give review.

Recently my wife and I started researching different household products and how bad they are for us and the environment. One of the first things we started to research was dish washing detergent. We currently use a name brand commercial detergent and was concerned about the amount of chemicals and ingredients that we couldn’t even pronounce. After some research, we found that most of the brands of detergent we looked into were not the best for the environment and not the healthiest for humans.

When you wash your dishes, some detergents leave a residue on the dishes, that can be consumed next time the dishes are used. Some detergents emit harmful fumes and can irritate the skin. Several of the brands we used in the past emitted such horrible fumes that I would get headaches if I stayed in the kitchen while the dishwasher was running.

Another issue is environmental, what happens when the dishwasher is finished? The detergent goes down the drain into the public water system. At some point, the chemicals are treated and what is left is returned to the waterways. Most of the chemicals are neutralized but not all is, the chemicals that are not neutralized is hazard to the environment.

In our research of dishwasher detergent ingredients, we found that the common ingredients in commercial detergents are phosphates, chlorine, and petroleum-based ingredients. For more information about commercial detergents, ingredients, and more information about why the ingredients are so harmful. Please visit Dishwasher Detergents – Are They Harmful?

Earth Friendly Products Wave Auto Dishwasher Gel

Last night we finally got our chance to purchase an organic all natural dishwasher detergent. Earlier that day, I went to Sprouts Farmers Market. To get  some more fruit and other items I can not get at the local grocery store chains. After getting everything I needed, I stopped by the kitchen Cleaning supplies section and I came across several all natural detergents and they all  had different types ingredients. Since I did not have the list of chemical to avoid and I did not have any detergent, I made sure that my chosen detergent did not have the big three chemicals in them and I purchased a bottle. I chose Earth Friendly Friendly Productions Wav Auto Dishwasher Gel Organic Lavender. They also offer a free and clear gel and a powdered form as well. Once I got home, I ran a load of dishes. I followed the instructions, well sorta, per the instructions I only filled one of the two dishwasher detergent containers in the dishwasher, but I did not thoroughly rinse the caked on food off the plates. While the dishes were being cleaned, I barely smelled the detergent! What I could smell of it was a pleasant lavender smell. The next morning I checked the dishes and found that, not only did the Wave Gel removed the caked on grease and grime, it also cleaned the dishwasher and removed the stains from the inside of the dishwasher!

Description

“New High Performance Wave in both gel and powder gives you the best performing all natural auto dishwashing products. Now with Lavender oil for fragrance. Wave is phosphates free, chlorine free, caustic free. It works beautifully on your dishes, silverware, and glasses. Wave is neutral ph, all plant based and totally biodegradable. We spent considerable effort in our R & D to bring you the best product in the market place, so much so, that we’ve applied for a US Patent on this technology.” via Wave Gel Descriptions

Specifications

Product Size:

• Gel – 40 oz

Ingredients:

• Gel – Purified water, sodium citrate, xanthan gum, biodegradable low foam surfactant, ethanol (derived from corn), enzymes, and N.O.P. certified organic lavender essential oil.
• Powder – Water softener (sodium citrate), cleaning agents (biodegradable surfactant), processing aid (sodium sulfate) and N.O.P. certified organic lavender essential oil.
• Packs – Water softeners (sodium citrate), cleaning agents (biodegradable surfactant* and corn starch), and processing aid (sodium sulfate).

Features:

• pH 4-5, gentler on skin than other automatic dish detergents.
• Non-polluting/100% biodegradable/non-toxic/natural.
• Made of replenishable/sustainable ingredients
• unscented, no harsh fumes or vapors.
• Plant-based surfactants we use do not harm the item being cleaned, your body or the environment
• Pleasantly lemon scented with natural lemon oil, no harsh fumes or vapors.
• Free of phosphates, chlorine, DEA and petroleum ingredients
• contains NO bleach or bleaching agent
• Low sudsing
• cuts through grease and dried on food
• removes tough stains
• Does not etch metal, silver.
• can be used together with rinse additives for automatic dish washing machines.
• Septic tank and gray-water system safe: biocompatible with a wide variety of wastewater and gray water treatment systems; doesn’t eliminate bacteria that make septic systems work efficiently
• Easy to recycle: #2 HDPE plastic containers

Uses

• For use in automatic dish washing machines.
• Great for pre-soaking baked on foods
• Gentle enough for washing china, porcelain, silver
• Use in all temperatures

Benefits:

• Doesn’t irritate skin.
• Doesn’t eliminate bacteria that make septic systems work efficiently
• It really works
• Safe for you and the environment

Non-toxic/non-polluting

via – Wave Gel Specifications

The label also says that the bottle and cap are both recyclable and this product was not tested on animals.

Over the last few weeks I have been thinking about different ways to add content and to get readers to comment. The first thing I have done is to turn off disqus, and run the intregrated comment system with the CommentLuv plugin and turn on DoFollow using the DoFollow Plugin to insure each new post is DoFollow.. What this means to you as a reader, is that

“DoFollow is simply an internet slang term given to web pages or sites that are not utilizing NoFollow. NoFollow is a hyperlink inclusion that tells search engines not to pass on any credibility or influence to an outbound link.”  – Via http://www.squidoo.com/dofollow.

I will have a policy and more information about DoFollow up in few days. I will also write an article over at www.evolutionarydesigns.net/blog about DoFollow and NoFollow soon.  But in general terms this means, whenever you add a comment using commentluv, you will be able to leave a link from your latest blog posting with your comment. This will help with link love as well. Each person that reads  a blog posting with your comment with link will be able to see your latest posts and click on your link to see your latest postings.

My next step is to change the format of the blog postings to not only about gardening, but also  about organic living, and being environmentally responsible posts. I will be posting news reports about the latest green projects and news, eating healthy, and generally any thing that helps the environment.

The third step is to have regular guest writers post new and interesting articles from time to time. If you are interested in volunteering, send me a message on the contact page with a link to some of your other articles. If you haven’t any that’s okay to. This a place of learning and sharing with the world.

Last July my wife and I went on a family trip to the Oregon Coast. We stayed their about a week and we visited almost every hot spot up and down the cost. This batch of pictures is a mash up of my favorite pictures of the entire trip. As I go through and edit my pictures from the trip I will post more as they are completed

For the last couple of months I have been searching for an organic all natural fungicide recipe, and thought I was out of luck. But during an episode of Gardening By The Yard, Paul James shared his recipe for an all natural Fungicide Spray using Baking Soda. He mentioned that the recipe was originally created by Cornell University.

Paul James’ Famous Baking Soda Fungicide Spray Recipe:

• 1 gallon of water
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp horticultural oil
• 1 tbsp insecticidal soap
• shake well and spry affected plants
• repeat every 7 to 10 days until cleared up

Baking soda is alkaline and can raise the PH levels of the soil if used in large amounts. Using baking soda from this recipe should not affect the soil. If treating plants that love high acidic levels,  amendments to soil to bring the acidity back should be applied once or twice a year.

Took some pictures of  my most recent blooms…Enjoy

Brugmansia

Zinnia

Pink Knockout Rose

Red Knockout Rose

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Mulch is the adding of any material over the garden soil to retain moisture levels, prevent weeds, prevent erosion during heavy rains, and help maintain temperatures throughout the day and night. A gardener has several different types of mulch they can use. They can choose from; organic matter, compost, rubber , plastic, living or gravel mulch. When selecting a mulch, keep these factors in mind; appearance, cost, availability, pH, rate decomposition, and where it came from. Usually commercially produced mulches will be sterile but if you create your own mulch, make sure not to use materials that contain seeds, pests, and organic material that was diseased. These items should be composted first. REMINDER, in order to sterilize garden wastes that may contain, disease, pests, or seeds , the compost pile needs to heat to 160+. If you are unsure about how hot your compost pile is, pick yourself up a compost thermometer

Types of Mulch:

• Organic Matter Mulch – Anything that was once living material that can break down. Examples: pine bark, hardwood mulches, newspaper, cardboard, straw, pine needles, cotton burrs, leaves, shredding pine bark, peat moss, chicken, horse, and donkey manures.
• Compost - Compost should be composted completely before using. If not, the partially composted materials may be toxic and if there are seeds, weeds will show up in the flower beds. Compost mulch will decomposes quickly.
• Rubber Mulch – Ground up recycled tire rubber. Rubber mulch does not decompose.
• Plastic Mulch – Sheets of plastic layered out across the the bed with slits cut, so the plants can grow through them. This type of growing, is mostly used with vegetable growers. Plastic mulch can retain moisture, radiate heat and prevent weeds from growing. This method creates a large environmental waste issue and should be used correctly. Results show that this method works great for the backyard tomato container gardener. If this method is chosen for container gardens, the plastic mulch can be reused several time fore discarding.
• Gravel Mulch - Gravel is often used in cactus, xeriscaping, and succulent gardens.

Mulch is generally applied at the beginning of the growing season and more mulch is added through out the season as needed. After several years of gardening in my yard, I find that hardwood mulch applied heavily two times a year does wonders in the flower bed. I apply in the spring just, before the growing season and then in the late fall, just before first frost. Before I apply mulch, I start by weeding the bed and remove anything else in the bed that I do not want in there. Next I break up the soil with a shovel . Then I add soil amendments as needed. Once I have the soil the way I want it, I then add one or two inches of shredded leaf mulch. I then water in until it is about as damp as a rung out sponge. Next I lay my top layer of mulch. I will spread this out between four and six inches thick leaving a small circle around the base of each plant this only has about an inch of hardwood mulch. Once a month I will inspect the bed and fluff the beds and decompress the mulch. If I find that I need more mulch I will apply at this time.

Planters need mulch to:

As a container gardener, I understand how important it is to keep the planters from drying out. Even the best potting mixing that are designed for moisture control and advertise that the product will hold moisture longer, still need to be mulched. When mulching a container, I find that the two to three inches is good depth for adding mulch. I will start with a small layer of completed compost or donkey manure and then fill the container to about a quarter of an inch from the top. Check out this short video from Paul James The Gardener Guy about container gardening and mulching.

One of my favorite companies that I buy gardening products from is TerraCycle. The company recycles garbage to make products or containers to contain fertilizers or other products they produce. They do this to reduce the wastes that would normally end up in your local land fills. The company offers to give 1-3 cents to your favorite local charity for every item you or recycling team sends them.

Excert from TerraCycle:
TerraCycle makes affordable, eco-friendly products from a wide range of different non-recyclable waste materials. With over 50 products available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, The Home Depot, OfficeMax, Petco and Whole Foods Market, TerraCycle is one of the fastest growing eco-friendly manufacturers in the world. Our hope is to eliminate the idea of waste by finding innovative, unique uses for materials others deem garbage.

You can be a part of our eco-revolution, just sign up for one of our FREE Brigades or look for TerraCycle products at your local retailer.

Take a look at this video from Tom Szaky the CEO of TerraCyle. For information please check their company out.