If you have 5 minutes, I recommend this motion-picture about saving the rainforests. Share it with your friends (and enemies, too).
If you’re like me, you like having a desert plant around, whether it be a colossal cactus, a jolly jade plant, or another succulent species o’ flora.
But if you’re like me, you ain’t exactly the Monopoly man, and cactus plants just aren’t in your budget. So here’s how to get free desert plants and cactuses, like this guy:
Anyhoo, without further ado, here’s how to get free desert plants (for free, I might add)!
Step 1: Go to a store (Lowes, Home Depot, anywhere they sell cactuses and other succulents). Play it cool.
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My friends, I have gathered you here to discuss something very important in the gardening world. No matter how truly green you keep your garden, whether it’s with homemade compost lasagna, or by planting a community garden in your city, there’s one thing that can absolutely destroy it. Something very “deer” to my heart.
If you haven’t guessed, I’m talkin’ ’bout deer! Now, I’ve tried all kinds of things to keep them from demolishing my precious lil’ organic garden — sprinkling hair around the garden, making semi-invisible fences out of fishing line, sacrifices to the Moon God Jokar, even coyote pee.
But you know what? (raises knee up onto stool, props elbow on, looks earnestly into your eyes) None of that worked. I was about ready to throw in the towel to the dastardly deer.
I thought my choices were either build a 15-foot high fence around the garden, or just sit out there with an axe waiting for a deer to try its luck. This year, though, I found a different way (blinks back tears) — a better way.
Ever get a hankering for a nice cool drink, but the plain old water from your homemade rain barrel just won’t cut it? Would you like a kick of antioxidants as well as a slew of precious vitamins n’ minerals?
Then might I humbly suggest trying some Organic India Moringa Leaf Powder. “Leaf powder”, I hear you axing, “What the blazes is that?”
It’s exactly what it sounds like, ground up Moringa leaves. Now, good ol’ WebMD says that the Moringa leaf is full of antioxidants and helpful vitamins and minerals. So I decided to give it a shot.
The Moringa leaf powder container says to mix 1/2 teaspoon with water, so like a good little sheep I followed directions and did just that. It turns the drink an appetizing color reminiscent of swamp water, or a mini world in a jar.
The taste is not bad; I could see it growing on me. It tastes sort of like yerba mate, the lovable herbal tea de Uruguay and regions thereabouts.
I was impressed to see the “USDA Organic” label on the container, but a bit saddened to see that their claim to “restore your imbalances” had not been evaluated by the FDA. My imbalances felt quite restored after chugging a glass of this stuff.
If you’re looking for an organic, healthy way to spice up your water, I’d say to give this Moringa leaf powder a shot. It only takes 1/2 a teaspoon per glass, so one container will last a loooong time,
A final word to the wise: it was a bit concerning to find some Internet web-pages putting Organic India down for poor quality standards. Basically, just because something is “certified organic” doesn’t mean that it’s 100% pure and free from contaminants. This goes for all organic food and dranks, so watch your back out there.
Starbucks, that lovable, local mom-n’-pop coffee shop, goes through literally ‘uge amounts of coffee every day. Instead of chucking the used coffee grounds away to waste space in a landfill, they fill up 5-pound bags and let you take the grounds home to help out your compost and/or garden! How boss is that?
As an added moneysaver, you can rebrew some coffee with the old grounds! Enjoy your free weak brew as you chuckle at the thought of ever paying for coffee again!
The nitrogen from the used coffee grounds is a real kickstarter for your compost and garden. Nitrogen is a major fertilizer for crops, and your plants will react to it much as Popeye reacts to spinach.
It’s worth noting that TOO much nitrogen can cause nitrogen burn in your plants, so I don’t recommend planting your garden in pure coffee grounds. If you do though, and it works, let me know, por favor!
The one bad thing about this program is Starbucks doesn’t reuse their bags. I have no idea why; they’re pretty durable, and they’re basically just putting trash in them. C’mon Starbucks, take that next step and reuse the bags if people bring them in!
So next time you’re trudging past a Starbucks, stop in and see if they have any of their big bags of used coffee grounds. Tell them EcoJoe sent you, they’ll know what you’re there for.
Lawd knows it’s been a “hot minute” (as the kids say) since EcoJoes dot com has had the care and maintenance it deserves. There there, website, it’s all better now.
Anyhoo, on a completely different note, awhile back I was lucky enough to receive a sample of colored shell mulch from none other than Colored Shell Mulch ™©. Intrigued, I learnt a bit more about their company.
Their mulch is lighter than rock (which makes shipping more eco-friendly and easier), but not so light that it floats off. It’s made out o’ seashells, and is colored with a non-toxic, water-based product. Take a gander at it right here:
Also, like any mulch, it helps READ MORE »
The good ol’ Arbor Day Foundation©™ is giving away a year’s worth of free coffee to the first 50 people to finish their tree survey! The chance to win is low, but the prize is high. Daddy like those odds.
After you take their survey, you’ll be given an opportunity most people only dream about – the chance to donate your hard-earned money (“skrilla”, as it were). Even ol’ EcoJoe broke a long miserly streak and donated to this worthy cause.
Update: Many people are reporting that this survey no longer rewards you with trees, so buyer beware!