Earth Hour!

So this post is a pretty quick one- I am reminding everyone that this Saturday (Saturday, March 26th), at 8:30 PM local time, it is Earth Hour! For those of you that aren't aware of what Earth Hour is all about, here are some quick facts:

• Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney Australia
• In 2010, 128 countries and territories took part in Earth Hour
• Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum have all turned off the lights for Earth Hour

So how can you take part? It's pretty easy-at 8:30 PM, turn off the lights for a full hour! For some extra energy savings, turn off all of the electronics in your home.
Imagine the kind of difference we could make if we ALL turned off our lights for an hour!

And it does not have to stop on Saturday. Start small by being aware of your lighting at all times. Make sure the bulbs you use are energy-efficient (CFLs, etc.) and turn off the lights in rooms you are not using.

Make it fun! This is the perfect time for a candlelit supper with your spouse, or telling a story in bed by flashlight!

For more info, head to http://www.earthhour.org/

My Global Community

Blogger has a great feature for bloggers called "Stats." This tracks how many people view my site, what pages are the most popular-and my favourite part-the audience. I get so excited seeing that people from all over the world view my blog-Germany, Turkey, USA, Kuwait, Thailand, Uruguay, India, and of course my country, Canada..and it goes on and on!!! Here I am in my tiny section of this huge global community, writing about my efforts to change my life and my environment through healthy, natural living, and people on the other side of the world read about it!
I can only hope that you find my blog helpful and interesting...but it got me to thinking-what about you? How do you preserve your food in Thailand? What natural housecleaning methods do you use in Germany? What difficulties do you face growing your own food in India? Do you have a blog of your own that might give me insight on my personal eco-friendly journey?
So share your story-leave me a comment or a link to show me more about your world! Or become a follower to stay updated with mine!

Getting Ready for Spring

Okay, it is freezing cold outside and there is still snow on the ground, but that doesn't mean you can't be gardening! Ok...so you can't actually garden, but now is the perfect time to plan! If you have an already established garden, this might be easier, but if you are just getting started, use this horrible weather as an opportunity to figure everything out.

So right now, here are some of the things I am doing to prepare for the spring:

*Map out my garden's layout
This year I am planning to add new beds (who needs a lawn?), and edge my beds with cedar or untreated lumber to give my garden more definition.

Just sketch something out by hand, or download a program-there are various online planners. My layout was simply made on Microsoft Word using shapes and text boxes...and I can update it as I think of other planting ideas. For instance, that expanse of available deck space...

If you live in a condo or a small space, start planning what kind of planters you will need for the types of veggies you will grow. Deep planters for carrots and potatoes, long thin ones on your balcony railing for herbs, a salad table for lettuce...any size can have your own veggies!

*Choose my plants
This is based on what worked well last year (zuchinni) and what didn't (brocolli-seriously, I got one floret!)
What new veggies do I want to try (quinoa)? This will also help me to realize what needs to be started indoors for optimum growth (the spaghetti squash grown direct from seed last year were tiny).
Do I want to put in new flowers? Annuals or perennials? And what grows best in my area?

*Make a timeline
What needs to be started indoors? When? What seeds can go right in the ground? When? What I am buying at a pre-started plant? When are the last frost dates for my area (many Canadians wait until after the May long weekend).

*Make a shopping list
Buy seeds now-there will be more to choose from, and then you can use the guidelines on the back of the package to determine when they should be started and when they can go outside. Decide which plants you will not be starting from seed.
Start planning for what else you will need: border materials, organic fertilizer, mulch, trellises, tools, cute rubber boots decorated with flowers or ladybugs...sorry-daydreaming again!

*Get excited!
Look forward to getting out there, getting your hands dirty, and watching your veggies and flowers grow! Gardening is one of the most relaxing and rewarding activities I do. Every spring brings the opportunity to try something new and reinvent your space-that is worth getting excited over!

Good luck on all of you planning-it will be fun now, and will save you many a headache come spring...HAPPY PLANNING!


Some great resources:

Canadian Wildlife foundation http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/what-we-do/habitat/get-gardening/getting-started/
This site is great as it has lots of gardening advice, but also shows how to make your garden creature-friendly

Canadian Gardening http://www.canadiangardening.com/design-and-decor
Gardening from a Canadian perspective

Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/
Because I love her and she is amazing! There is also instructions on building your own salad table on her site.