Note – some of the recipes call for liquid soap. This refers to vegetable-based soap such as castile or oil soap (such as is used for cleaning wood and floors). Using dish or laundry detergent can harm plants.

1. Hot Chili Pepper Spray

This is reputed to kill caterpillars. In a blender, whiz 2 cups of fresh chili peppers or 1 cup dried with 2 cups of water until it is liquefied. Use this spray right away, and keep it out of your eyes.

2. Hot Chili Pepper and Wormwood Spray

This is a spray that can help repel larger pests such as opossums and rabbits, in addition to snails and slugs. It kills white flies and aphids (be sure to spray under the leaves for aphids). Begin as with the chili spray above, but add one cup of chopped wormwood herb before blending (you may need some additional water to blend it into a liquid). Then, add 5 cups of water, boil, and steep for an hour. Strain before spraying. Keep this spray from contacting your eyes and skin.

3. Garlic Sprays

There are multiple garlic-based sprays that repel or kill a variety of pests. Garlic is said to be especially effective against ants, cabbage worms, and caterpillars, but it works as a repellent for a wide variety of pests.

* Basic garlic spray: Steep 4 raw garlic cloves in a quart of water for about 3 days. Then liquefy the mixture in a blender.

* Garlic soap spray: Steep 4 cloves of garlic as above, then add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap before blending.

* Garlic hot pepper spray: Add 3-4 chili peppers to the mixture before blending.

* Garlic, hot pepper, and onion spray: Try this concentrated spray for red spider mites or aphids. Chop a head of garlic and a medium onion (no need to peel first). Add chopped garlic and onion to 5-6 cups of water and stir in a tablespoon of cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.

When the mixture has cooled, let it sit in a glass jar for a month to six weeks. Then, strain and add 1 tablespoon of this formula (plus an optional tablespoon of liquid soap) to 1 quart of water to make a spray. Keep this out of your eyes and off your skin.

* Garlic oil spray: To kill aphids, onion flies, and mosquitoes, chop the bulbs of 3 to 4 heads of garlic. Steep in 2 tablespoons of mineral oil for about 24 hours. Then mix 1 teaspoon of fish emulsion with 2 cups of water and stir until dissolved. Add the fish emulsion mixture to the garlic and mineral oil. Strain and store in a glass container (not metal). This is also concentrated, so use 1 tablespoon per 1 1/4 cups of water.

4. Basic Soap Spray

Gently (so that it doesn’t foam) mix 1 tablespoon of liquid vegetable soap with 1 quart of water. This spray is especially effective on squash bugs and is a great way to protect your squash and cucumber plants.

1. Baking soda
Yes, it is part of every natural cleaning suggestion list! There is a reason for that. Baking soda is very effective at absorbing odors. Sprinkle it on your carpet, wait about 10 minutes, and then vacuum. Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your kitchen garbage can, underneath the garbage bag. Leave a pan of baking soda out to absorb airborne odors. For sink odors, pour baking soda into your sink drain, followed by white vinegar. Leave overnight, then flush with hot water the next morning.

2. Find the source
It will help any smell-eliminating effort to find the source and clean it up. Maybe one of your pets has started using the bathroom in a hidden corner, or perhaps someone dropped some food behind the couch. It could even be your garbage.

3. Check the vacuum
Because they suck up all manner of household debris, vacuum cleaners can get very smelly. Emptying the canister or changing bags often is helpful, as is changing the filters if your vacuum has them. If the smell is stubborn despite these efforts, vacuum up some baking soda. Or, put a few drops of an essential oil you like onto a cotton ball, then vacuum the ball.

4. Enzymes
Enzymatic cleaners are available to clean many odor-causing messes. There are enzymes specifically for pet odors (you pour the liquid right on the area where the pet has soiled – after cleaning it up, of course), and enzymes for combating mildew. These are natural, non-toxic choices for getting rid of odors.

5. Fresh air
Perhaps it’s old-fashioned, but an open window or two can sweep out odors in a matter of minutes. Make a cross-breeze effect by opening windows that are across from each other, and put a fan in the window to pull fresh air in and help circulate it. If the weather will not permit this, just circulating the air with fans can help.

6. Houseplants
If you can’t let fresh air in due to weather (or worse odors outdoors from, say, car exhaust), grow houseplants. Indoor plants can improve air quality significantly; NASA scientists actually studied the effects of houseplants on indoor air and concluded that they do, in fact, pull chemicals from the air. Some plants to consider are English ivy, spider plant, peace lily, bamboo palm or reed palm, rubber plant and other figs (Ficus), and snake plant.

7. Charcoal
Charcoal is used in filters to remove odors and impurities from water, and it can also serve to remove odors from air. Because it can be messy, put the charcoal in a container with holes in the top of it so air can flow through. Place these throughout your home.

8. Dehumidifier
Sometimes, damp air can worsen odors. A dehumidifier can get rid of the water in the air, making it smell much better.

9. Spritzers
It’s easy to make a natural air freshening spray by mixing 1 part rubbing alcohol with 2 parts water in a spritzer, and adding a few drops of essential oil. Some good choices for essential oils are citrus, lavender, bergamot, and peppermint.

The Living Roof – What Is It?

A living roof, also known as a green roof, can be constructed on an existing roof or incorporated into a new structure. It can be used on commercial or private buildings. A corrugated, aluminum sheet is placed on the roof, followed by a waterproof membrane. Some builders will then apply a sheet of foam and another waterproof membrane. Drains are incorporated into the design.

Over all of the weatherproofing layers, about 4 inches of soil is placed and various greenery is planted. Many green roof builders like to focus on native plants for their rooftop “garden.”

So what are the main advantages and disadvantages of having a living roof? Read on to find out.

Advantages of a Living Roof

* Less Reflective Heat – The sunlight and heat that are reflected off of urban buildings’ roofs can greatly increase the temperature within a city. Green roofs eliminate the reflective factor, absorbing and utilizing the sun’s light.

* Insulation – Earth is a good insulator, and having four or more inches of it on your roof will keep your building cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

* Protection – The soil and plants on a living roof protect the roof structure beneath from the elements, thus preventing the wear and tear (and the subsequent leaks) that can result from exposure to the weather.

* Wildlife – Green roofs provide wildlife habitat, especially if native species are planted. Particularly in urban areas, living roofs can act as an oasis to wildlife.

* Clean air – Plants clean the air, soaking up carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen. The air around your structure will be cleaner as a result, and the more living roofs that are planted, the cleaner the air over a wider area.

* Absorption of rainwater – This helps control storm run-off, which can cause problems when it is excessive. It can also be a source of pollution.

Disadvantages of a Living Roof

* Initial expense – Living roofs can be expensive to construct. Some of the cost can be offset, though, in the savings on heating and cooling, or if you grow your own food on the living roof.

* Maintenance – Like a garden, a living roof will need some maintenance. It might need watering during a dry spell, or fertilizer may be necessary. Choosing native plant species will reduce the amount of maintenance.

* Weight – Soil is heavy, and some roof structures cannot support it.

Living roofs are beautiful, green structures that combine the necessities of building with the beauty of a garden.

Paint

Do you get headaches or respiratory irritation when painting a room? That is probably due to the toxic substances in the paint, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Look for paint that is VOC-free – many major paint manufacturers have VOC-free versions of their paints. While it does cost a bit more, it is high-quality paint that tends to cover better, so you will likely only need one coat. That can actually end up being cheaper than getting many gallons of conventional paint.

Painting a room can mean a lot of disposable accoutrements such as plastic drop cloths and paint trays. Consider biodegradable drop cloths, which are comparable to plastic and sell for under $4. An even cheaper option is to use an old sheet you already have. It can be washed and re-used for your next painting project.

If you use disposable paint trays and rollers, look for those that are biodegradable or made from recycled materials.

Flooring

If you have synthetic wall-to-wall carpet, rip it up and expose the flooring beneath. If it’s hardwood, it can be restored with minimal effort. If it is not hardwood, or if you just want to put down more carpet, consider modular carpet tiles. These are inexpensive and can be laid down by the homeowner without the use of toxic adhesives or chemicals. They are also manufactured with non-toxic dyes and recycled materials. When they are worn out or you just want a change, they can be returned to the manufacturer for recycling.

Appliances

Perhaps you are wanting to redecorate your kitchen and you are considering buying new appliances. If they are still in good working order, you can actually get appliance paints to give them a fresh, new look. (The same is true for bathroom tiles.) If you do purchase new appliances, look for those with the energy-star for optimum efficiency.

Furniture and Accessories

Here is where you can really save money and be environmentally friendly. Shop at antique and second-hand stores and purchase inexpensive furniture and accessories such as lamps, vases, etc. Some of these items need to be restored, or can be given a new look by simply spraying them with white spray paint.

Don’t forget your own attic, garage, closet, etc. for these items. Perhaps you have an old end table that you could re-paint, or a basket hidden away that could be used to hold magazines. Re-use bottles and jars as candle holders and flower vases.

Redecorating probably means that you are throwing out some things – old carpet, appliances, etc. Rather than hauling these to the landfill, find out if they can be donated to charitable organizations for refurbishing. Remember to report any eco-friendly changes you make to your home on your income tax return.

Another consideration is the safety and nutrients in food. The longer food sits, the more chance there is that it will be exposed to dangerous bacteria such as salmonella. If food has been processed and shipped for long distances, it is usually sprayed with preservatives to keep it “fresh” during the long journey. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often coated with wax to prevent them from drying out during transport. In the meantime, nutrients are lost as the foods sit for long periods.

If you’d like to cut down on your food mileage, here are some ideas that can help.

Grow your own food
This is not necessarily the enormous task it may seem like at first. You don’t need vast amounts of sunny acreage to make a fruitful garden. If you do have a moderately-sized or large yard, however, consider sectioning off part of it for a garden.

If not, try container gardening. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries are particularly suited for pots or containers. Get creative; you don’t need to spend a lot of money on commercial flower pots. Use flower boxes for lettuces, old pots or buckets for strawberries or tomatoes, and hanging baskets for cucumbers. Many herbs and even vegetables can be grown indoors in sunny windows.

Forego the imports where you can
Tropical fruit is, of course, grown in the tropics, and unless you live there, the tropics are a long way from home. This includes canned and dried tropical fruits as well.

Buy locally grown food
Not only will you get seasonal vegetables that are well suited to your body’s needs, but you’ll support your local community. And, of course, you’ll reduce your food miles. In fact, if there is a farm nearby where you can pick your own produce, that’s even better. Carpool with friends and gather your own produce by hand – no need for gas-guzzling harvesters.

Speaking of seasonal produce, buying food when it’s in season reduces food miles. If you live in New York, for example, and you want strawberries in mid-January, you will have to buy berries that have been shipped from somewhere much warmer (and farther away). A better option is to stock up and freeze or can your own summer strawberries and use those to assuage your January berry craving! You’ll save money buying produce in season, too.

Thanksgiving is nearly here, bringing with it lots of time spent in the kitchen cooking. Why not make your cooking more eco-friendly this year? “Green” cooking refers to more than the color of your foods. Truly green cooking covers your choice of foods and how they are prepared. Here are some ideas for greening your culinary efforts.

Cookware

1. Choose long-lasting materials to reduce waste, such as cast iron.

2. Buy used cookware at your local antique store, yard sale, or second-hand shop. Make sure, however, that pots and pans are not warped, as this can effect heat conduction.

3. Make sure you use a pot on the right-sized stove eye. Using too small a pot on a large burner (or vise versa) wastes heat and energy.

4. Choose utensils that are made from sustainable materials, like bamboo. Avoid plastic. Utensils and flatware are also plentiful at antique shops and yard sales.

5. Choose cookware made from metals that conduct heat well: copper, cast iron, aluminum (use anodized aluminum if you have health concerns).

6. Avoid Teflon and non-stick coated pans; toxic chemicals known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are used in the coating.

7. Buy cookware with an eco-friendly, non-stick finish, such as enamelware, anodized aluminum, or by a new process known as nanotechnology. Also, seasoning your cast iron and cleaning it properly (no soap) will create a natural, non-stick finish.

8. Stainless steel is not a very good conductor of heat, but it is recyclable.

Energy Use

1. If possible, upgrade to a convection oven, which cooks food far faster than a conventional oven.

2. Use a pressure cooker to cut down on cooking time. Whole grains can be cooked in half the time, and meats can be cooked with the “all day tender” flavor and texture in under an hour.

3. Use a slow cooker on low for long-term cooking. It uses less energy than baking something in an oven for hours.

4. Cook outside. And while you are out there cooking, turn off the heat or air conditioning in the house!

5. Use residual heat. This works especially well for cooking greens and steaming vegetables. Cover the pot tightly, bring the water to a boil and then turn off the burner, leaving the pot on the burner. The vegetables will continue to cook with the residual heat.

6. Cover your pots and pans to lessen cooking time. This is especially true when boiling water.

Food

1. Buy local food. It takes less gas to get local food to the market, and such produce is not likely to be sprayed with preservatives or other chemicals applied for long transport.

2. Cut and chop foods into small pieces before cooking; they’ll cook a lot faster.

3. Cook foods simultaneously to cut down on the total time you are using your stove.

4. Limit the trips to the fridge. Think through what you need to get out of the refrigerator and get it in one trip. It’s worth it to hold the refrigerator a few minutes longer to get all that you need to prevent opening and closing the refrigerator door dozens of times.

5. Buy organic foods, which are better for the environment for so many reasons. Not only are organic foods free of synthetic agrichemicals, they are also a component of sustainable agriculture, assuring productive farms for the future.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

1. Hang your clothes up to dry, either indoors or out.

2. Cool your home with fans and open windows in the summer.

3. Check your home’s insulation, and seal any cracks as necessary. Apply weather stripping to doors and windows, and insulate your attic if it is not already.

4. Turn your refrigerator down (but not so far that you find food spoiling too quickly – that, of course, is also wasteful).

5. Turn your thermostat down before you go to bed and when you leave the house.

6. Invest in compact fluorescent light bulbs. If you are able, have skylights or sun pipes installed.

7. Turn off lights during the day and when you leave a room.

8. Have dinner (and other meals!) by candlelight.

9. Cook outside whenever possible. Patio grills are relatively inexpensive. Or you can go to a local park or forest that has public grills or fire pits.

10. Open the curtains and shades and let sunshine warm and light your house. Close curtains and shades in the summer to keep hot sunlight out, or use sheets of removable window tinting. This will cut your electricity use by reducing the need to run your central heat or air conditioning.

11. Use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time and stovetop temperature, thereby reducing the time your stove is on.

12. Use a crockpot on low to cook long-cooking foods like roasts – it takes less energy to run a crockpot than a stove.

13. Use timers on your lamps.

14. Sweep whenever possible instead of running the vacuum cleaner.

15. Make sure you change the filters in your heating and cooling system as often as the manufacturer recommends.

16. Look into alternative energy sources for your home – you may be able to install solar panels, a small wind turbine, or, in the near future, a magnetic generator to generate electricity. Even installing a small solar panel or wind turbine that will run one appliance will save electricity.

17. Landscape with trees and shrubs that will shelter your home from the wind in the winter and provide shade in the summer.

18. Insulate your water heater. Your power company can probably assist you with this, and may even provide the bubble wrap-like insulation for your water heater.

19. Turn your water heater down to 120. This is also a good protection against accidental burns.

20. Unplug electrical devices when they are not in use, especially those electronics that have a rechargeable battery (if it’s blinking, it’s using electricity).

You don’t have to pour hazardous chemicals onto your yard or garden to kill weeds. Using natural weed killers means the weeds, not you, get poisoned! Here are some ideas of how to rid your yard of weeds without the health risks associated with synthetic weed killers.

1. Salt – Pour about 1/4 teaspoon of table salt at the base of the weed(s). This is enough to kill the weed, but the amount is small enough that water will dilute it sufficiently rather than carrying it to plants you want to keep. This is also effective for gravel driveways. You can sprinkle more copious amounts here, as long as the driveway is not situated so that salty run-off would kill wanted plants.

2. Plastic bags – This is a great way to use (or re-use) black plastic bags. Lay the bags over the weeds and weight them down with rocks, heavy sticks, bricks, etc. After about two weeks, remove the plastic to reveal nearly bare earth.

3. Boiling water – Easy and cheap, pouring boiling water onto weeds is effective. It is so effective, in fact, that you need to be careful not to get the boiling water on any plants you want to keep, including grass.

4. Vinegar – White or cider vinegar can be used directly on weeds, poured over the leaves and into the ground. You can also put it in a spray bottle and add 1/4 teaspoon of essential oil of clove and/or cinnamon per quart. The clove/cinnamon vinegar solution is especially effective against poison ivy.

Whether using vinegar plain or with the oils, you will need to re-apply it every week to ten days for awhile. Vinegar kills only the weed’s aerial parts, and repeated applications are needed to exhaust the weed’s resources so that the root gives out and dies, too.

5. Newspaper – Like the plastic bags mentioned above, newspaper can be laid over weeds and weighted down. Use a full “section” of newspaper so that it is thick. This deprives the weeds of light and air, and the newspaper is biodegradable.

6. Vodka – Vodka works as a weed killer. Mix about 3 tablespoons of it with 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray the leaves well with this solution, and the alcohol will dry out the leaves.

7. Borax – This can be found in the laundry section of your local store, and is a kind of salt. Mix 5 teaspoons of borax with 1 quart of water and use as a spray.

8. Manual removal – While this is hard work, simply removing weeds by pulling them out is very effective. You can also use manual removal in combination with some of the above solutions.

If you are dealing with poison ivy, suit up appropriately and cover your hands, eyes, mouth, and nose before attempting removal, and thoroughly launder your clothes afterward. If you have poison ivy growing up a tree, use a sharp saw (such as a bow saw) to cut the hairy stem in half. From the cut upward, the vine will die.

Remember, do not compost weeds or they will find their way back into your garden.

Here are two basic vegetable juice recipes. Think of them as springboards for your own vegetable combinations. Depending on the season and what is available, you can make a healthy vegetable juice any time of year.

Tomato-based Vegetable Juice
Ingredients:
-3 cups chopped, fresh tomatoes
-1/2 cup chopped green cabbage
-1 stalk celery, chopped
-1/4 cup chopped onion
-1 clove minced garlic
-1 small cucumber
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-Red pepper, cayenne, or chili sauce to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon)
Optional: 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and turn blender to high speed (liquefy). If you need to add some liquid, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Green Vegetable Juice
This is a slightly sweeter juice that you can also freeze into popsicles.

Ingredients:
-2 large leaves of kale, chopped (middle stalk removed)
-1 cup fresh spinach leaves, chopped
-2 medium apples, chopped
-1/2 cup chopped broccoli
-unsweetened, natural apple juice

Place all ingredients in the blender except the apple juice. Add apple juice to cover the ingredients and blend on high speed until liquefied. Add stevia or raw honey if you prefer it sweeter. This juice is also good with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Look to Your Community

Part of going green is using less fossil fuel, so choosing outings close to home is a good place to start. Take a look at your local newspaper, library, or online and find out what events are happening close to home. Perhaps there is an art and craft fair, street fair, or live music. Families can often find things to do together close by. Take a bus if you need to, or include other families and car pool.

Take a Nature Walk or Hike

The whole family can get in on this. Bring a field guide and identify plants, or choose plants or rocks ahead of time to give your family something specific to look for while you are on the hike. In the spring, new flowers and plants are just emerging, so it is a good time to look for flowers that will be covered up with overgrowth later in the summer.

Visit a Nature Preserve or National/State Forest

Preserved lands are an eco-friendly place to visit and play. Depending on where you live, this may be an outing close to home.

Outdoor Adventures

Another green way to enjoy the outdoors is to participate in adventurous activities like white-water rafting or canoeing. Whole families can go rafting together, and canoeing is good for families with older children.

Picnic

The old-fashioned picnic is still a fun way for families to spend time together. Pack your own food and bring drinks in reusable containers. Take a kite along if the spring wind is right, or bring a Frisbee or ball.

Be Prepared

Bringing your own food, drinks, sunscreen, etc. to a family outing increases the eco-friendly factor. Being prepared means you are less likely to stop at a drive-through to buy food with excessive packaging, or go to a drugstore for miscellaneous items you forgot.

Family outings do not have to be wasteful. Take some time to prepare and enjoy the spring weather as a family.