Search Results for: label/solar energy/2011/04/making-it

614 results

Ridin’ On

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Bikes
...mend compact fluorescent bulbs, hand washing clothes and a myriad of other energy saving ideas that will lesson our impact on the environment but at most save a typical household maybe a few hundred dollars a year. On the other hand, getting rid of a car and replacing it with a bike, which we were able to do, can save the typical household an average of between $8,000 and $12,000 a year. We realize that not everyone can get by without a car, and b...

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Our new front yard, part 3: design

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Back to the Garden, front yard series, Garden Design, Gardening
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...es, around bushes, for instance–and you’ll note we spend a lot of time and energy trying to keep those areas “clean”. Weeds naturally rush in to fill those gaps, because nature abhors bare soil. Rainer and West advocate “green mulch” — covering all the soil with plants. (Wood chip mulch is better than bare soil, but not as dynamic as green mulch). There is an art to planting many species close together, and that is what the book is about, in essen...

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How to Search for Science-Based Gardening Advice

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Gardening
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...mate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling and more.” All of these databases overlap to some extent and you’ll probably need to check more than one to be thorough. They will also deliver results from trade and popular sources (not a bad thing, of course, but these sources are not as authoritative as peer reviewed information). Another handy tip Chalker-Scott discussed is the use of an asterisk when...

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How to Deal with Extremely Root Bound Plants

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Gardening, How-to, Mistakes
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...ts are often dehydrated plants, because the pots are mostly full of roots, making the soil hard and water repellent. If this is so, it helps to give the plants a good soaking before you un-pot them by placing them in a bucket of water for a few minutes. Method A) Mildly root bound plants can be helped along by gently massaging the root ball with your hands just before planting to loosen the roots and open the ball if it has become hard-packed. If...

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California Dreaming

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Thoughtstylings
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...national. My 83 year old mom broke her sternum in an automobile accident, making her yet another victim of a city designed for cars that forces everyone to drive, even for distances of less than a mile. After the accident, many hours were spent dealing with doctors, auto body shops, insurance companies and the vile Automobile Club whose lobbyists, by the way, are busy in the state capital pushing for the auto-centric planning that ruins our citie...

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