June 2009

Red, white, and blue — and GREEN?  Why green?

America is a beautiful country, and we want to keep it that way.  However, some holiday traditions place extra strain on the environment.  Here are some Earth-friendly ways to celebrate the Fourth of the July.

The bill S. 787: Clean Water Restoration Act would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act by granting greater control over water, chiefly by removing the restriction that waterways must be “navigable” to be a federal concern.  This bill has been through committee and recommended for debate.

In my yard I have several patches of black raspberries.  A few of the canes I bought for planting; those are named varieties (including the ones next to the yellow raspberries, which were supposed to be red but came in black). Most are wild ones, and they perform considerably better.

Black Raspberry Patch

At this time of year, the main surge of gardening activity has passed.  Stores put their seeds and plants on sale.  I like to comb the stores for cheap seeds, mainly flower seeds but also certain herb seeds, to put in the butterfly meadow. Sometimes seed packets come down to 10 cents or so. Grocery stores and garden stores are good places to look, but bargain stores are the best because they knock prices way down.

Climate change is a serious and growing concern.  Legislation is in the works to address it, but special interest groups keep trying to undermine real progress because it would cost them money.  This often results in laws that seem to help but actually do nothing or even make things worse.

Independence Day is coming up on July 4.  Traditional colors for this day are red, white, and blue.  People often celebrate with a picnic, potluck, or barbecue for which they wish to serve food in patriotic colors.  Many foods are red, white, OR blue.  Put the right ones together and you get patriotic cuisine.  Ideally, choose foods that naturally turn out the color you want, rather than use artificial colors.  Here are some ideas to get you started.

Recently we discussed the importance of a varied diet.  The following article features some well-known and some more obscure foods that have unexpected benefits.

10 surprising health foods you should be eating
For us, healthful eating isn’t about deprivation. it’s about deliciousness. We believe that a good-for-you diet includes both buckwheat and bacon. A balanced diet is all about, well, balance. Eating a wide variety of great foods will keep you satisfied, interested—and busy in the kitchen. The key is to focus on whole, minimally processed foods, then let your stomach be your guide.Begin your quest for a delicious, healthful life with our ten favorite foods.

These are some photos of my experiments in container gardening with vegetables.  Currently I’m growing a potato, some mixed lettuce, and several varieties of tomatoes in upside-down jugs.

Mixed Lettuce in Pot