While today there are still those who have the dream of working the land and being self sufficient, there are many more who are facing financial pressures and the bad economy who are looking to survive while taking care of their families and are being forced to do things in a new way. Today the focus has moved towards
sustainable living to help make it possible to provide for the family. Many people are finding that in order to make ends meet they have to do things differently and take on more projects themselves.

Lighting – a CFL bulb saves about $6.00 a year over a regular incandescent light bulb and last about 6 times as long. Using about 75% less energy than a regular light bulb it cuts down on electricity saving you money while reducing emissions of green house gases by utility companies and is 75% cooler which cuts down on summer energy bills for air conditioning. Turn off the lights when you are not in the room burning energy needlessly is expensive and a waste.

Gas/Oil – Heating is another big expense by tuning up your furnace cutting down the thermostat a degree or two and changing your filters regularly you can cut down on your heating cost. Check for air leaks around widows and doors that cold air will quickly run up your heating costs. Insulate with spray foam and caulk those leaky windows install door sweeps on exterior doors check your attic insulation. The more cold air you keep out and the more warm air you keep in the more money you will save.

Water – Water is not only a precious resource it is expensive as well with the aging water treatment systems municipalities are raising their rates to rebuild the infrastructure and keep the systems going. Start using rain barrels to provide free non potable water for gardening, washing, and cleaning. Install low flow faucets and toilets, Use a dishwasher rather than hand washing a full dishwasher uses less water than washing and rinsing by hand. The more you cutback on water use the lower your utility bill.

If you are in need of building materials there are many recycled building material stores around the country that can save you hundreds of dollars by buying good material looking for a new home. Stop at new construction sites and ask for the scrap lumber all they can say is no. If you see someone remodeling see if they have any materials you can use that they are throwing out. And don’t forget about trash day you would be amazes at the amount of wood you can salvage out of an old couch.

Yes this may be a new mind set for you and take some getting use to but not only will you be saving money and honing new skills you will help to save landfill space helping the environment as well. The idea of taking something that is essential garbage and turning it into a useful item again is truly a great feeling.

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While this is a good explanation of the general concept I find it too Broad and vanilla for my tastes. Of course the older I get the more I find that I am inclined to say what I think and I really don’t seem to be able to sugar coat it too much. My definition of sustainable living is Wake The Hell Up!

It seems to me that earth as we know it is going through a lot of changes a lot quicker than anytime is the past. Water is polluted, the weather is changing, the food we eat is not safe anymore, we are running out of nonrenewable energy, plant and animal species are disappearing everyday, the world economy is in the crapper. I can go on and on

Why You Need To Start Practicing Sustainable Living

Lets face it the world is a mess and our leaders are very busy with their own greed, egos, and personal agendas to be able to straighten everything out!

People are tired of the lies and the theft and the incompetence that the leaders are offering us and that is good because we, you and I are the ones who need to take action if anything is going to get done. I am not talking about banding together like The Occupy Wall Street group, although that is a very good example of the anger, rage, and frustration people are feed up. There is another thing behind this as well and that is fear of what the future holds for them and their families and friends. I think it is time that that all that energy and emotion started to be channeled into a more productive way of bringing about change.

How Can Sustainable Living Bring About Change?

If we take responsibility for ourselves, our families, our friends, and our community and start to set the right example then we are focusing energy into a positive activity. By moving towards a sustainable lifestyle not only are we proactive we are showing others by our example and benefiting the whole community as well.

There are so many things we are not doing in our day to day lives that with a few different choices could be easily implemented. None of these things individually will save our planet or make it more healthy but they will save you and your family money and provide for a healthier lifestyle. Combine these things and they will make an impact.

Five Things To Do Today To Start Living A More Sustainable Lifestyle

1. Leave the car at home – Take less trips by consolidating all your errands into one day a week. Use public transportation whenever possible. Best idea is to walk or ride instead of driving where you are going.
2. Stop Buying Plastics – When ever possible stop buying plastics be it water or milk or frozen vegetables plastics are one of the biggest polluters of the worlds oceans. Use glass or paper and recycle them.Buy a water filter for your faucet instead of buying bottled water.
3. Grow Your Own Food – You may not be able to grow everything your family needs but even if it is just a couple of tomato or pepper plants that’s less food that has to be transported and stored and that will save some energy not to mention chemical free safe food for you and your family.
4. Start Using Rain Barrels – Not only will you save money on your water bills You will be practicing water conservation.
5. Re-Purpose Reuse Recycle – Instead of always buying new try using 2nd hand furniture or resell clothing. Make it a habit of recycling items you never use and save money as well as landfill space.

I know these are just a couple of many things that can be done but in upcoming months you will find many more ideas and suggestions under sustainable living that will make your life healthier and save you and your family money, not to mention improving the health of the planet.

For real flavor there is nothing like the taste of fresh Greek Oregano. This is a very spicy herb in fact the fresh leaves when tasted will numb the end of your tongue. This oregano is probably the spiciest even twice as spicy as Italian Oregano. The flavor of fresh leaves do not hold up well to prolonged cooking so should be added towards the end of the cooking to get the best flavor.
Very spicy the Greek Oregano has intense flavor

Greek Oregano

Growing Greek Oregano

Location

Greek Oregano will need a sunny location with 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight a day. Greek Oregano does not do well in high humidity or wet soil. A raised bed or container is best for this herb with well drained soil.

Propagation

Plants can be started from seeds, divisions or cuttings. Plant after the temperature is at or above 45 degrees.

Growing

Plants should be water well at least once a week . Depending if it is grown in containers then it may need watering more often as containers dry out faster. If you are growing in containers make sure to provide a lot of drainage so soil will not be soggy. Water the plants mid day whenever possible. Fertilize sparingly if at all oregano likes the soil on the lean side. Be sure to keep pinching off the flower buds before opening to prevent the plant from flowering it will keep the plants bushy and prevent them bolting to seed. When the centers begin to die out divide the plants. You can also divide plants if you wish to make more plants.

Harvesting

Once the plant has reached 4″ to 5″ sprigs can be taken . Harvesting before the plant blooms will yield the most flavorful leaves. As the flowers begin to develop the essential oils diminish. The leaves can either be used fresh or dried. Dried leaves have a stronger flavor than the fresh. More information on herbs can be found at B A Greenthumb

Dill seed has a much more potent flavor than the leaves it seems to be a cross between celery and anise. At the end of summer seeds form on the plants flowers and can be used for pickling, stews, rice dishes, breads and work well with root vegetables.

Location
Plant dill in a sunny location receiving 6 to 8 hours of sunlight everyday. Too much hot sun can damage the plants. The soil should be rich but well drained. Dill is considered a hardy annual and is very drought resistant .

Propagation
After the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Plant dill in loose friable soil near the surface. Seeds should be planted a half an inch deep and covered with a little fine soil.Water lightly and keep the area moist. The plants should begin to emerge in two weeks thin them out to 10 inches apart to promote good growth.

Growing

Water sparingly as the plants grow in about four to six weeks the plants will start to form flowers you may harvest the leaves by snipping them off. The flowers will turn yellow then as the seeds start the form the flower heads will start to turn brown. Once this happens new leaves will stop forming . When the heads are brown you can harvest the seed. You should continue to plant new dill plants every two weeks to insure a fresh supply of dill weed all summer long.

Harvesting
The leaves of the dill weed can be harvested after three or four weeks. Snip off what you need and use fresh. May be held in the refrigerator for several days in a plastic baggy. To harvest the seeds wait until the flower heads have completely turned brown then place them in a paper bag to finish drying in a cool space. After a couple of weeks shake the bag an all the seeds will fall out of the heads into the bottom of the bag. These seeds then can be kept in a glass jar in a dark place.

The early salad greens and also broccoli planted under a low tunnel in the garden. This picture was taken in the third week of March. Everything is doing fine and is about a month and a half ahead or normal plant out date for me.

This years garden is going to be more intensely planted and will have a much larger variety of crops. I am looking forward to a productive year and hope to be able to use my new dehydrator  to preserve a lot more of this years crop.

I would very much like to hear about your gardens so please feel free to register and submit your own posts. I will review and get them posted as quick as possible. Please share your garden with us.

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This week we will be planting radishes, spinach, and lettuce for some fall garden crops in a raised bed. Getting these in this week should assure that we will be having some nice salad fixings right through the fall we will be doing several succession plantings 10 days apart to extend the harvest. I will show you how to construct a simple raised bed and give you some photos as well in a new article this weekend. Speaking of photos I will be setting up a photo gallery and would love to publish members photos. Pleas use the contact form and I will give you details on how to send in your photos for publishing.

I hope your gardens were prolific this year and remenber fall is another chance to grow some tasty crops.

There are so many things that I have done that I can not remember them all , but time I have spent in my gardens has always found a way to wind themselves into my memory. Summer afternoons in the shade of the woodland garden or picking cherry tomatoes right off the vine and popping them in my mouth as the flavor like no other explodes and bring satisfaction to the pallet. Your experiences and success are all part of gardening and it’s enjoyment come and share them.

Please join our community and help encourage , educate, and motivate other gardeners world wide.

The tomato plants love the heat. I have had great success with two heirloom varieties Black Krim and Cherokee Purple. Both have consistently produced tomatoes over 1lb each and larger and the flesh is firm and the most flavorful I have had in years. These are varieties you should try.

This coming week we will be canning tomatoes and I will be posting some canning recipes as well. As time goes on we would like to publish members favorite recipes. Maybe we will add a forum for them . Untill next time good harvesting.