Try these eco-friendly gardening tricks.

Whip up an organic weed killer:
Use this recipe from landscape architect Howard Garrett (a.k.a. "The Dirt Doctor")

Mix 1 ounce orange oil (such as Orange TKO)
1 teaspoon liquid soap (like Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Soap)
into 1 gallon of 10 percent white vinegar

Shake well and spot-spray weeds.

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Grow a healthier garden:
Beat diseases such as bacterial spot, powdery mildew and leaf blight with AgraQuest's Serenade Garden Disease Control, the first EPA-approved organic fungicide for home gardeners (available at select Wal-Mart stores and amazon.com).

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Prevent pest attacks:
Add companion plants to safeguard veggies. For example, onions and celery deter cabbage pests; leeks repel carrot flies. Plant a variety of flowers among your vegetables to attract friendly predators such as
ladybugs and spiders.

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Concoct a rodent-repellent cocktail:
Ward off critters by dousing plants and the surrounding area with a mixture of 1 ounce Tabasco sauce to 1 gallon water, suggests Garrett.

*****

Get a Java fix:
To keep slugs and snails at bay, sprinkle used coffee grounds on the soil, recommends Andy Lopez, creator of lnvisibleGardener.com. For best results, use mineral-rich organic coffee.

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by Nancy Christie
WomansDay 8/1/2006

coffee gounds also make a great fertilizer

With the new year approaching, most gardeners already have spring on their minds. What new plants to try, what veggies will do well again, and all things that involve warm days, a sun hat, and a trowel. The new year is time for fresh starts, so it's a great time to think about changing things up a bit to make your garden even better for the environment. If you haven't tried composting, give it a whirl. If you haven't tried home-made concoctions for pest and disease control - whip some up in your kitchen and see how rewarding it can be. Below are some tips to get you started, courtesy of the Society for Environmentally Responsible Gardening.


TIPS FOR GOING GREENER IN YOUR GARDEN


* Incorporate used or recycled furniture in your designs. Aged wood furniture is especially attractive and can be found on sources like Craig's List. Vintage patio sets can be found at flea markets and antique shops. Benches can be crafted from old fences or gates.
* Avoid all chemicals. There are natural remedies for every garden problem.
* Attract natural predators that will help control pests. Attracting birds and beneficial insects by including habitat for them in your landscape will greatly reduce your population of aphids, snails, and other pests.
* Include native plants in your design. They are generally disease free, use little water, and help attract beneficial wildlife.
* Avoid invasive plants that can spread seeds and take over natural landscapes in your area. Check with your local university or county extension office for a list of plants in your area that are considered invasive.
* Use recycled materials in your landscape - bender board and edging made of recycled plastics are readily available at home centers, and bricks, stone, and broken concrete can be found for free through construction sites or in classified ads.
* Install a drip irrigation system to water borders and beds.
* Reduce or eliminate the lawn in your landscape. Try pea gravel, a native plant garden, or crushed granite in its place. If you have a lawn, make sure you water efficiently and use organic fertilizers.
* Use a rain barrel or other water collecting system to collect rainwater and use it in the landscape.
* Install solar heating systems for swimming pools and look for pool care products that are alternatives to harsh chemicals.
* Plant deciduous trees near the home to help keep the structure cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
* Compost!

COMPOSTING AT HOME

It's always a good time to get the whole family invoilved in doing something at home for the good of the environment, especially things that don't cost money and can save you cash.

Composting is a great project to get you started going green: it's easy for the entire family, costs nothing, is simple to keep doing and can same you money on fertilizer.

Composting a also a simple solution to reduce the waste your family puts into that garbage that will then end up in a landfill.

A natural form of recycling, composting turns your organic garbage - such as food waste, paper, disposable tableware, grass clippings and much more - into one of nature's best mulches for your garden or yard. By setting up a compost pile or bin, your family can take positive steps in reducing its carbon footprint while saving money on commercial fertilizers.

Select a convenient spot. It should be semi-shaded and well drained. Don't put your compost pile under acid producing trees like pines. If you do not have space for an outdoor pile, usa a bin indoors which can be purchased or made at home.

Combine organic wastes such as yard trimmings, food wastes and biodegradable paper plates into a pile. Add bulking agents such as wood chips to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials, allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process.

A properly managed compost bin will not attract pests or rodents and won't smell badly.

Typical compost will turn into rich soil in two to five weeks. Use compost in home gardening or donate it to city or public benefit projects.

Examples of what CAN be composted:

cardboard rolls, clean paper, biodegradable disposable tableware, fruits and vegetables, yard trimmings, coffee grounds and filters, drying and vacuum cleaner lint, eggs, eggshells, fireplace ashes, hair and fur and tea bags.

Examples of what NOT to be composted:

Coal or charcoal ash which may contain substances harmful to plants

Dairy products such as butter, egg yolks and milk, which can create odor problems and attract pests.

Meat or fish bones and scraps may contain parasites, bacteria and germs. Fats, grease, lard and oils which can create odor problems.

Diseased or insect-ridden plants that can contaminate other vegetation. Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides may kill benefical composting organisms.

Remember the red worms. Believe it or not, they're great composters. And you can get them at any bait shop. Just add them to you compost and they will eat the rotting garbage and actually make soil - some of the richest, most fertile soil around. Just be careful when you turn over the compost every once in a while, since they live there now.

Create that special space!

It does not need to be very big, just a place to sit and relax while nature does it's thing.

This is even a great idea for kids to do, and a special place to do homework, or enjoy reading a good book.

Anything goes on your garden space.

More to come as I turn a little space by my apartment into a quiet place.

Too Much Grass!

Do you find yourself saying "there is just too much grass to cut"? Well then why not downsize the cutting and replace the grass area with a rock garden, or pick a shape and put up a tiny 6 inch boarder fence around it. Now your ready to turn it into a work of art with plants or flowers, and now you have less area of grass to cut. And a wonderful new way to express your grass area. You might even want to plant to provide a new place for butterflies. There are so many different and exotic plants to enjoy watching them grow. You might even have enough room to make more then one mini shape garden.

Don't be a plantaholic, think carefully about every plant you choose. Think about the mood you're trying to create. If you want your garden to be calm and serene, the colors and shapes of the plants you choose will be far different from those for a vibrant, colorful garden.

Think about the sounds and smells. Water features and fragrant flowers and plants are wonderful additions.

Keep in mind that changes in depth, such as steps and patios, can make your yard appear bigger.

Even in a tiny space, try to create a sense of mystery. Don't place all the plants in full view. Layer things so you can't see everthing from one place. This will draw you in to take a closer look.

You can create the illusion that a yard is bigger than it really is by placeing larger plants closer to gathering spots and smaller plants farther away.

Add some elements of height to your yard, like a tree, a birdhouse, or trellises.

Now the next time you go out to cut the grass you will have less to cut and more to see.

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Add some color to your garden, that you can add to your food with edible flowers. These flowers will dress up any dish, a salad, a sandwich and desserts. Here are some flowers to pick from:

Chive Blossoms:
Mild, sweet onion flavor; scatter atop chilled soups.

Daylilies:
Slightly sweet, mild vegetable flavor, glamorous cake topper.

Hibiscus:
Cranberry like flavor. Steep to make citrus flavored ice tea.

Johnny-Jump-Ups:
Mild wintergreen flavor complements soft cheeses. Use to decorate layer cakes.

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Nasturtiums:
These add a peppery punch to a salad or dish, plus a bright beauty with it's multi-color flowers.

Pansies:
Slightly sweet, grassy; good in fruit salads.

Rose Petals:
Darker varieties are more flavorful. Hints of strawberries and green apples. Remove the bitter white part of the petal.

Signet Marigolds:
Spicy flavor; add to salads or cakes, or toss petals with salt.

Squash Blossoms:
Sweet nectar flavor. Can be stir-fried or stuffed with soft cheese and deep-fried.

Tulips:
Sweet lettuce taste; adds crispness to salads.

Violets:
Perfumy flavor. Use them to embellish iced drinks or freeze them in punches.