5 Old Foods To Throw In The Garden Instead Of The Garbage About two months ago, we were FINALLY getting our seedlings put into the garden. (It snows in May in Colorado, so we get started later than most folks.) On one of the many trips inside the house to fetch a tool I’d forgotten, I noticed an old potato sporting many eyes in the pantry. Normally this all-seeing potato would probably have ended up in the trash, but since we were in the process of gardening anyway, this time I decided to plant it. I didn’t read any books or how-to guides for growing potatoes from, well, other potatoes. I just cut it into five sections, dug five holes and plopped ‘em in. And now we have 5 healthy potato plants growing away in our garden! This got me thinking about other “spoiled” or “unusable parts” plants that can be re-born in the garden. Love This? Thanks for subscribing! Read on to discover more foods that should be planted, not tossed, when they begin to sprout because of age. 1. Image credit: energyandintensity via Flickr 2. 3. 4. Image credit: slgc via Flickr
Outside Survival Instructables 642.1K 541.7K 251.4K 592.0K 601.8K 231.9K 423.6K 531.4K 311.5K 802.7K 18010K 522.6K 424.7K 1083.2K 1237.1K 1514.4K 894.7K 31818K 1155.0K 543.9K 573.8K 1708.4K 2035.0K 42440K 1187.3K 1644.6K 515.6K 47325K 231.1K 724.7K 1434.3K 864.3K 1813.1K 403.6K 231.8K 33120K 2574.9K 33439K 855.9K 702.8K 41736K 2394.0K 746.2K 235.9K 364.3K 17811K 67831K 15921K 1505.1K 104048K 72162K 50289K 962.4K 936.8K 626.4K 864.1K 291.8K 37311K ISU Forestry Extension - Trees of Iowa: An Interactive Key This interactive dichotomous tree key was developed to help identify the most common trees in Iowa. The key is based on vegetative characteristics such as leaves, twigs, fruits, and bark. It is not a complete key. It does not include all trees grown in Iowa. The proper use of the key may be compared to the use of road signs where a choice of two directions must be made at each intersection. If at the end, the solution does not match the specimen, one can usually identify a point in the process where the choice of direction was in doubt. Acknowledgements: Some of the pictures on these web pages are from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service Trees and Shrubs Pocket Guide, The Sibley Guide to Trees, and Forestry Images.
9 Easy Garden Plants For Hardworking People It’s a common dilemma … you love the looks of a flourishing garden, but don’t have a lot of time or energy to put into keeping it up. You’re too busy with the demands of job, caretaking, and just plain living. The good news is that gardening can be a lot simpler than you think. It’s mainly a question of choosing the right type of plants. Here are 9 shrubs, flowers, and vegetables that will require minimal care. Green Plants Image credit: katerha via Flickr Shrubs Busy people tend to be impatient people, so you may wonder why we mention shrubs. Vines Vines are another choice which will provide you with both privacy and beauty. Succulents Love This? Thanks for subscribing! Succulents are beloved of busy indoor gardeners, due to their appealing appearance, low maintenance, and limited need for water. Flowers Image credit: botheredbybees via Flickr Bulbs Plant bulbs in the fall and fugeddabout ‘em. Perennials (Day Lilies) If you’re looking for a hardy perennial, the day lily is for you. Edibles Herbs
DIY Disaster Survival Disaster has a tendency to strike when we least expect it. A natural (or man made) disaster rarely gives you a warning before turning everything you know and love upside down, leaving you with very little to protect you against its elements. That’s why it pays to take a page out of the Macgyver manual of survival and learn these handy tricks that will help you make the best out of the even the worst of situations. Equip Supply shows us how in the following infographic. [Click here for full size version] Embed This Image On Your Site (copy code below): <div style="clear:both"><a href=" src=" alt="DIY Disaster Survival" width="DIY Disaster Survival" border="0" /></a></div><div>Courtesy of: <a href=" Journal</a></div> About the Author (Author Profile)
20 Houseplants To Clear Toxins From The Air In Your Home! Bringing a bit of nature into your home does more than brighten the atmosphere. Introducing houseplants into various rooms in the house can help reduce the chance of getting seasonal sicknesses (such as the common cold), remove airborne contaminants (volatile organic compounds, or VOCs), reduce the chance of headaches, lift your mood, decrease your blood pressure, reduce allergies, improve sleep and much more. The 20 plants listed below are specifically known for their air purifying properties. And while an open window may feel like all the fresh air you need, did you know that everything from toilet paper to common household cleaners can contain chemicals and release toxins like formaldehyde? Or that VOCs like benzene can be released into the air by everything from the paint on your walls, to the printed material found in your home? So why not breathe a bit easier and enjoy the beauty of a new houseplant at the same time! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Love This? Thanks for subscribing! 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Heat Your Room For 8 Pence A Day Feeling chilly and don't want to turn up the heat? Here's a cheap and easy alternative to heating a small room - tealights and flowerpots. By positioning two flowerpots over four tealight candles in a bread baking dish, you can heat a small room or office. The gap between the two pots enables a flow of air that then passes warm air around the room. We have friends who have tried this method and it works well. Be aware that the baking dish and pots will become VERY HOT! NEVER leave a naked flame unattended. Tealights are fossil fuel based - this idea is just a start. SAVE MONEY, SAVE ENERGY, SAVE THE PLANET: download a FREE sample copy of Permaculture Magazine Further Resources Heat your room with 1 candle, plus flowerpots, nuts and washers How To Make a Rocket Stove from a Beer Keg with Mark Boyle A Student's Guide to Saving Money & The Planet Compact Living - how to design small interior space Efficient Energy Planning - an original permaculture design principle
NASA Has Compiled a List of the Best Air-Cleaning Plants for Your Home Many of us spend most of our time indoors, so it’s important to cultivate a space that’s a healthy one. A simple—and beautiful—way to do this is through houseplants; they add some green to your home while being an effective way to purify the air. NASA hardly seems like the organization that would give us insight into these types of plants, but in the late 1980s, the US government agency collaborated with the Associated Contractors of America (ALCA) to come up with a list of the most beneficial flora for your home. Their informative Clean Air study found that some plants, more than others, could naturally filter harmful chemicals and help mitigate the effects they have on humans. So, what are the best air-cleaning plants? The Florist’s Mum and Peace Lily took the top spot. Love the Garden created a helpful infographic that will tell you which house plants are best and what chemicals they filter: With some help from these plants, your air can be cleaner and healthier:
21 Ingeniously Mind-Blowing Camping IdeasArs Spiritus I’ve always loved camping and being in the outdoors. Living in the middle of nowhere for half of my life, I developed various skills and learnt many things to help me not only survive, but be comfortable in the wild. But as much as I thought I knew, I stumbled upon a collection of exciting ideas which I thought was ingenious and mind-blowing at the same time. The creativity and simpleness of these ideas are what made it that much more genius. So without further ado, I present you: 19 Ingeniously Mind-Blowing Camping Ideas ________________________________________ 1. Source: campsaver.com 2. Source: instructables.com 3. Source: Pinterest 4. 5. source: marthastewart.com 6. Source: macbrosplace.com 7. Source: kidactivitiesblog.com 8. 9. Source: asubtlerevelry.com 10. Source: 12. Source: Hammocks.com 13. Source: skruben.blogspot.ca 14. Source: Flickr.com 15. Source: fieldandstream.com 16. 17. Sources: crasftaholicsanonymous.net 18. 19. Source: alittlecampy.com
How to Buy The Right LED | Lightbulb Reviews The guy standing in the lightbulb aisle at the home center was helpful this time. He knew plenty about LEDs, even which dimmers worked with them. But it turns out he didn’t work there. He was an electrical engineer just passing by. That’s too bad, because there are a few things you need to know before you choose an LED. In “How to find an LED lightbulb that fits your fixture” we offered ways to make shopping easier. Don't mix bulb types A combination of bulbs—CFLs, halogen, incandescents, and LEDs—should not be used in a multi-bulb lighting fixture, especially if it’s an enclosed fixture. Pick the right dimmer This is when you might start to miss incandescents, but most were phased out and are no longer available.