Compost, Burn, Reuse, Recycle

It's Not So Much A Matter Of A Conscious Green Footprint...

As, it turns out, a 'marching along with what [color] you have' one.

{an onion that never made it-- to the compost! She got burried, and decided to produce. [Pun intended...]}

[Ashes of junk mail-- a burnt offering kind enough to amend my soil rather than junk a landfill...]

[Ready-to-make tomato cages, or pea trellises, or light-sabres...]

[Even the peat pots are in on the action: No sprout until a second veggie were added. Et VIOLA!!! A plethora!!!}

[Who needs nursery pots!??!]

I'd nearly DIE to have a greenhouse-- a place where I could start all variety of cool-weather stuffs a bit earlier; y'know-- to harvest, consume, sell...

But... the house I'm residing in doesn't have one, nor do I the the fundage to provide the necessity. And yet I cannot abide my patience and wait until mid-April to get stuffs going...

Enter IMPROVISATION...

So... what's a GREENHOUSE??

Too many variations for me to try and define here, but essentially you want to provide a place for plants to retain heat and moisture whilst utilizing every available amount of sunlight.

{Looks open, the busted corner, oui? Ahh... you missed the sandwich baggie, taped thereon for thermal conductivity!!!}

Ain't got a spare 10' x 12' concrete slab driveway, extry four-by-fours, and reams of clear poly plastic lounging about your garage, but drink soda by the 2-litre?

Umn... you have sandwich baggies? Some plastic or styrofoam cups cups?!? Scotch tape???

Well, then--you've got a mini-greenhouse. Or can make several...

The out-of-doors temperature will only climb to about 55 F. today. Sunlight will abound, but the ambient temperature, as well as the breeze, will keep everything on the cool side for any real out-of-door transplantings.

GREENHOUSES solve the problem, foot-space and materials-wise. Some scotch tape and several solo cups and ziplock baggies later... and all so easily transportable!!!

Really, folks, I'm a simple man. I don't have the capitol to invest in my 'dream scape'.
I don't need to.
I have a vision, some spirituality, and a big-big love of food and the processes involved in self-providence.

And I gots stuff lying around that, utilized, provideth mayhap more than I needs can can or freeze this year.

[Um...I seem to have hundreds of tomato seedlings... Anyone wanna lend me a canning book?!? HA!!!]

[Empty take-out containers and storage bins make GREAT impromptu hot-houses...]
[and dixie and solo cups function as wonderful, inexpensive seedling starters:]

This residence now puts out to curb less than ONE BAG of landfill per week. Everything possible is composted-- to help build soil for future growth; burned-- to amend the compost and save landfill space; re-used-- so we aren't spending dollars on designated planters etcetera; or recycled-- merely because it makes sense.

Look around to see if there are ways you can save over both short- and long-terms.

Slainte, folks!

Cygnus