The Garden Shedde

It’s the time of year you start making plans for your yard and garden.  You may be adding some plants to your flowerbeds or deciding on what to grow this year in your vegetable garden.  Whatever plans you are making don’t forget to include a garden arbor.  What you may not realize is the trellis sides of most arbors work for tomatoes as much as they work for roses.  It doesn’t matter what climbing vine you have; they love arbors!

If you don’t have a place for an arbor or want something a little bit simpler, a heavy duty iron or metal trellis is a great way to go.  The heavy trellises tend to stay in place better than the light weight ones which are nice if you live somewhere you may get some storms and windy weather.  Since you can get a trellis in many shapes and sizes you can use them all over the yard, flowerbeds or garden.  They’re great for any vine vegetable and recommended to get the fruit off of the ground.  This makes it easier on you as well since you don’t have to bend over and strain your back!  Just a few helpful items that can be moved around and utilized as you need.

It is funny how so many things that were used back in the day (a long time ago) are coming full circle and becoming all the rage again.  One of those things is the lowly rain barrel.  Rain Barrels used to be used for one thing and one thing only; capturing water today to be used somewhere else in the future.  There were issues with them that included attracting bugs were also overcome by using the water sooner rather than later for watering crops and gardens.

Today’s rain barrels are more sophisticated and have solved the problems of the past.  They capture clean water to use for your potted plants and garden as well as help reduce runoff.  This is a great way to reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides that wash into our rivers, lakes and streams.  The new barrels have lids that prevent the stagnant water developing and attracting pests and bacteria as well as having hoses for easily getting the water out of the barrel and onto the plant areas.  It’s just a great way to save on water usage, cost and reduce waste water into the environment.  A win, win, win for everyone!

Funny that I just wrote about Alice Waters and the Slow Food Movement and the advantages of either growing your own food or purchasing your food locally because one of the things she has been very passionate about just happened today.  The White House is planting an organic garden on the grounds.  In fact, Michelle Obama is a proponent of good healthy food sources and she sounds like an Alice Waters believer!

Ms Waters has written many a letter to the powers that be at the White House for many years now with no takers.  She won’t have to say that anymore.  I am so pleased that something so close to Alice’s heart has come to fruition. Bravo Ms. Obama, may you lead the way for a better way to have food; Alice Waters as well as many of us will be right there by your side with shovels in one hand and seeds in the other!

This past week 60 Minutes did a segment on Alice Waters, who is lovingly called the mother of the Slow Food Movement.  As important as that is and as wonderful the movement is she continues on with a drive a spirit to teach and educate children on the value of good food.  It was impressive to see her hands on approach to developing a place where kids can not only plant and grow organic food but a place where they can learn how to turn this food into great meals!

If every community would start the process of teaching kids the valuable lessons behind preparing and planting their own food source, harvesting that source and turning it into great meals, we will insure our country’s survival. This is not to come across as a doom and gloom thing just as a way to make sure we can sustain ourselves no matter what comes our way.  That old Boy Scout Motto “Always be prepared!” rings true.

With the spring there is rain and sometimes, lots of it!  One of the last things you might want to think about is your gutters and downspouts.  If you didn’t clean your gutters last fall, then you will need to get them cleaned in early spring to allow for the water to flow through the gutters and out the downspouts with ease.  If there is blockage, there water has to go somewhere and that somewhere can be your attic and your house!

What I have never understood is why the downspouts stop right at the bottom of the run beside the house?  This is crazy as water can deteriorate a foundation in no time.  Look what it has done to the Grand Canyon!  It is imperative that you add extensions to your downspouts and move that water away from the foundation at least 6 ft.  There are several different downspout extenders you can buy and I like the flexible ones because I can bend it around in the direction I want the water to go.  Get it done before the rainy season arrives and you just might avoid a much larger problem in the making.

What most people miss about the lowly trellis is all of the benefits certain plants get from climbing up this wonderful piece of art.  Yes, the trellis is a full functioning work of art!  If you are smart, you can fully use the trellis as a climbing anchor point for both flowering vines and also with vegetables that vine as well like tomatoes, cucumbers and pole beans.  We forget that these wonderful veggies grow very well when trellises are used; sometimes even better than you ever expected!

Trellises are sometimes incorporated into other garden structures like arbors and pergolas as well and lend themselves too many decorative alcoves in a garden.  Because they are also wonderful against a wall, some tend to imprison their trellises next to their homes.  However, a trellis is best used wherever you have the need for one.  They can be found as stand alone features; used to build flowering walls of protection; and the small trellises can be found in flower pots!  There are many to choose from and all you have to do is look.

So what’s all the hoopla about this green living?  Is it really worth the investment that the government is expected to put into it or is it another Y2K fiasco?  Well, let’s look at what we know about green living.

The first thing is about using energy, water and other resources efficiently.  That alone would make it worth it in the long run with energy getting more and more expensive and water harder to come by.  Add to that the improved health that is estimated to accompany the reduction in waste, pollution and other damage to our environment and we find that living green has some wonderful advantages and side effects.

Living and working green will also reduce operating expenses by using less energy and water and increasing productivity.  Though critics estimate that building and renovating according to green standards will costs 12 to 15% more than traditional building, the real estimates are only 5% more and the cost benefit increases as energy prices rise.  Don’t get fooled by gas prices going back down as this has happen several times in the past.  We are now learning from our experiences and moving forward as a green nation.