So I have been gardening for about 3 years now. My husband is an avid grower and has been since he was about 3. (That's when he started his own strawberry patch) He loves it way more than most! I have learned it is way harder than I might have first anticipated. I think I let him do most of the work in the beginning, but I have come around to putting my share of elbow grease into it. I have found the beauty in it, and it has become very rewarding.

The best part is I get fresh veggies, and I know where they came from! Not shipped across seas! Flown in planes! Handled by who knows who! Just pure deliciousness. With prices the way they are for fruit and vegetables it is beneficial to have at least a little something growing that you can eat! We have broccoli, squash, corn, onions, okra, and lots of different tomatoes. I think that's all! :) We also have just started a blueberry patch, but are having some issues with that. We had issues with the tomatoes too but we keep on trying! I have to say I gotta give it up for the farmers! I don't think people truly appreciate where their food comes from.

I think maybe our kids will learn a thing or two from it as well. At least that's what we are hoping. Our 3 year old helps pull weeds and knows what the veggies are and that he's having them for dinner! It's nice to see him excited about it. It's fun for him, and hopefully it will stay that way!

The garden can be pretty amazing first thing in the morning. I had to pollinate squash, because we have a shortage of bees, and it's neat to see the flowers throughout the day as they open up and stuff. Gardening is a wonderful thing that I think everyone should experience. I really puts things in perspective, as far as our earth is concerned. I feel that much more compelled to take care of it and appreciate it. So if you've thought about gardening, you should try it. It's hard work, but anything worth having is hard work!

I read an article in hippiemagazine.com about research that is being done on gecko's feet. Obviously the gecko has been running up & down vertical surfaces, and holding onto things with one toe for a while. And I learned we have been doing some research on it for a while now too! It's coming more to light now at Berkeley where they are using the concept called biomimicry. This is where we look at nature's solutions and apply them to more complex design issues. Like our adhesives we use. Why can't we use the same tools that the gecko's use?

So now after putting the foot under the microscope, literally, we realize that they have hairs that independently adhere to surfaces. They work on hard or soft, dry or wet, underwater, even in a vacuum! How amazing is that!

It just really keeps my hopes up for a better world for our kids. Everyday we are making new discoveries that can make our world a better place to live in, and trying not to waste our resources. There are some people out there that the all-mighty dollar isn't in charge of how they think and it really is about the over-all good! It makes me optimistic of what we can do and what we can change if we put our minds to it. I mean, to get a SUPER STICKY, all natural glue from learning about mother nature! Right On!

Reduce, Recycle, and Replant -

Data Highlights on Restoring the World's Forests.

by Earth Policy Institute on April 29, 2010

in Science

The world's forests, which cover a third of Earth's land area, provide us with many essential services. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and give us oxygen, limit soil erosion, aid in flood control and aquifer recharge, and host a wealth of biodiversity. But as human populations have grown, so, too, have the demands placed on these natural systems. As vast swaths of forests have been cleared for agriculture and development, the use of forest products has also climbed, further increasing pressures on the world's trees.

In 2008, some 3.4 billion cubic meters of wood were removed from the world's forests, enough to cover Manhattan nearly 60 meters (200 feet) deep in lumber.....

Across Asia, 76 percent of wood cut down is used as fuel. In Africa fuelwood accounts for 90 percent....while the rest is used for industrial purposes (construction or paper prod.)...

....South Korea recycles 85% of its paper....US (the #1 paper consumer) recycles 1/2 of its paper....China recycles only 35%....if every country recycled as much of its paper as South Korea....the amount we use would decrease by a third.

.....widespread tree planting efforts are also needed to restore forests.....The United Nations Environment Programme's Billion Tree Campaign....since 2006...governments and individuals have planted over 10 billion trees.

So in an effort to find something to blog about I found this picture on sustainablog.org

I just hurt to see such a neat tree cut down. This is in Guatemala. It was an article about Deforestation. So I figured I would write about the problems we are having with our precious planet now-a-days and how I came to think more about it.

Now I have never been a big tree hugger. Granted I come from hippies, but tend to use a razor and ENJOY indoor plumbing, running water, electricity...way too much!!! I love nature and all the beauty in Mother Earth, but never thought I would be one to recycle or grow my own veggies (which I do now), or worry about the crap in the food I eat. Until I had my son.

I pay more attention to news reports about the food we eat. The pesticides & preservatives they are putting on out food scare the hell out of me. I don't want to feed those things to ANYONE! I have a garden now, and it keeps getting bigger. I recycle all I can. And am trying to go organic as much as possible. Staying away from crap that we KNOW is not good for us! And trying to instill that in my family.

I think a lot differently about the way I take care of my family. I want them to eat good foods. And know how to grow their own. I try to teach them to conserve and recycle and take care of this beautiful earth. It's so important! And I wish I would have started sooner, but better late than never.