10 air purifying house plants

If your thumb is not green and you're more of a 'fake plant' type of person, never fear! Many of the coolest and most beneficial house plants require very little attention once established. With a little knowledge of what your plant wants, you can naturally clean the stale air in your home. 

Check out the following list, 10 of my personal favorites. I own and care for all of these plants, so let me know if you have any questions!


1.) Boston Fern: Often named the "most efficient filtering plant" for its time-tested ability to expel mold and toxins from indoor air, this beautiful fern cleans out formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, xylene and trichloroethylene.  
How to: Boston Ferns love humidity. Keep the soil moist and mist the leaves every once in a while. Position in a bright location (out of direct sunlight) and transplant when root bound.

Boston Fern

2.) Peace Lily: Number one on many lists, the easy-to-care-for lily is known to reduce harmful indoor toxins that may cause cancer. It helps in removing benzene and formaldehyde present in the house.
How to: This plant can grow in many spots where other plants have failed. Too much sun and the leaves will actually get burnt brown spots. Peace lilies will tell you when they need to be watered, so wait for the leaves to droop and water thoroughly.

Peace lily

3.) African Violet: As one of the top natural air purifiers, don't let it's delicate features and small stature fool you...this tiny plant packs a punch to air pollutants!  
How to: They need partial sun, warm temperature and well-drained soil, so water no more than once a week, tops. (To avoid spotting on the leaves, I water by simply placing a few ice cubes under the leaves to melt. They don't like having their leaves damp.)

4.) Aloe: Not only is aloe a great home remedy to have around for burns, but it removes nasty formaldehyde from your air! The bathroom is a great place for aloe to work it's magic. 
How to: As a succulent, they prefer well-drained soil. They may go dormant in winter, requiring even less water than usual. Larger aloes prefer full sun while smaller varieties prefer a bit of shade.

Small Aloe

5.) Spider Plant: This elegant plant is great at removing poisonous gases as well as other impurities like formaldehyde and xylene. Try one in the kitchen or near the fireplace, as these are the places where carbon monoxide accumulates most.
How to: Thrives in many varying sun conditions and doesn't require much attention. A healthy spider plant will sprout babies that can be easily pinched off and rooted in water. The spider plant grows rapidly, but likes to be a bit root bound.

Spider Plant (only about 1 year old in this photo!)

Baby Spider Plants rooting in water

6.) English Ivy: A great choice for people with asthma and allergic conditions, this plant has the amazing ability to remove benzene and formaldehyde and to off-gas various chemicals released by synthetic materials. WebMD noted that 60% of airborne mold in the room vanished just 6 hours after English ivy was brought in, as well as 58% if airborne feces! (Ew.)
How to: Keep in partial shade to bright light and water when dry. Be sure the roots are well-drained and mist leaves occasionally.

7.) Chinese Evergreen: An excellent air-purifier plant, Chinese evergreens filter out airborne toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde. Beautiful variegated leaves and a compact shape make this an attractive house plant.
How to: This is a great "starter plant" for those who lack green thumbs. A hearty and durable plant, it grows even better with less water and minimum light.

8.) Hoya or Hindu Rope Plant: A natural air purifier, the hoya is efficient at removing carbon dioxide. One of the more exotic plants I own, the rare, star-shaped, aromatic waxy flowers are unbelievable.
How to: Hoyas prefer bright light, well-drained soil and a temperature range between 55 and 75. Mine has done best in African Violet soil. Trailing vines may be trimmed and propagated to keep the plant full.

Hindu Rope Plant or Hoya

9.) Money Plant or Chinese Jade Plant: In the Chinese culture, Money Trees are said to bring luck, but they also bring fresh, purified air! The wide, flat leaves make this plant more efficient.
How to: Keep this plant in bright, filtered light. In the growing season, the plant’s soil should be damp, but during winter when the plant is slightly dormant, you can let the soil dry out more between watering. The leaves are critical to air cleansing and pruning encourages lots of them. 

Baby Money Tree

10.) Janet Craig Dracaena: Janet Craig sucks toxins such as benzene, xylene, trichloroethylene, toluene, and formaldehyde from the air you breathe.
How to: Dracaenas love moist, warm soil in indirect bright sunlight. The Janet Craig I have has survived much neglect, small college windows, a pestering cat and 3 moves. It's over 20 years old and 8 feet tall with lush green leaves, so I'd say it's a pretty hardy plant!

Janet Craig Dracaena

As a rule of thumb for the most possible benefit, allow one 10-12" potted houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. When it comes down to it, any plant is better than no plant, so if you're not sure whether or not a potential plant is going to clean your air, just rest assured that it works a lot better than the fake ones. :) 

If you ever need a little boost with your indoor air, maybe the flu is going around or you've recently painted, Purify essential oil is meant to do just that. It's made up of six essential oils that have been shown to deodorize the air, disinfectant and remove harmful airborne micro-organisms. Simply diffuse it into your home and breathe easy!

Good luck with your indoor air this winter! :)

mini composter DIY

Building a large outdoor compost bin that will safely keep out critters, not be an eyesore and never be in scent-range is not always feasible. Churning a large pile by hand can be overwhelming and is hard work. Ready-made compost bins with easy-churn handles are easier, but will set you back anywhere from $100-$500.

Too lazy for this option                     -                             Too frugal for this option

 I really wanted to dabble in composting, but wasn't ready to commit to building or buying yet, so I've decided to start an adorable miniature-sized bin!

Why bother? Well besides the obvious, (creating your own free, organic, gentle soil fertilizer) I like to reduce and recycle waste and garbage when I can. Once the compost is ready, it's a very cheap and easy way to improve soil texture for better water retention and drainage, hence healthier plants. It's fun to watch things develop like this, so involve kids if you have 'em. Also, it's cool.

Here's what you need to make your own:

A clean miniature bin (cat litter bin, Tupperware, 5 gallon bucket with lid...etc)

Charcoal Filter (optional)

Spray Paint (optional)
Drill

Crap to compost

1.) I used an empty cat litter container for my bin. (Be sure that you wash your container thoroughly with hot, soapy water and rinse well.) Drill plenty of holes in the bottom of the bin for drainage and into the lid of the bin for airflow. The amount and size of holes will depend on your container, so just keep an eye on the moisture level of your compost and add more holes (in the bottom or sides) if things are too moist.

Cat Litter Bin with a bunch of holes drilled in bottom & top - Charcoal Filter shown in foreground

2.) My bin will be kept outside, but I decided to add a charcoal filter because I find the smell of rotting garbage offensive. I just duct-taped it onto the inside of the lid, underneath the air holes. These filters are the kind you can buy for a cat litter box at a pet store; they're very cheap, can be cut to fit any size and only need to be replaced every few months as needed.

3.) I also decided to spray paint my bin black to conduct more heat and also to make it look a little less cat-litter-bin-ish and a bit more compost-bin-ish. If you have a good shrub to hide your bin behind, you might not care. Or if you're going for that snoody, high-end compost look, you could spray paint it solid gold.

4.) Find a shady spot outside for your bin. (If the bin ends up in direct sun, your compost could dry out and not decay.) Add your crap and water as needed, stir it or roll it around every day or two and wait patiently for awesome, rich fertilizer!

The finished cat litter bin incognito

Currently home to 1 chopped banana peel, carrot shavings, dried grass and leaves, and shredded newspaper

Crap You Can Compost:

Green Materials (nitrogen):

Coffee Grounds/Filters, Tea Bags, Fresh Grass Clippings, Chopped Vegetable & Fruit Waste, Fresh Leaves or Plant Waste

Brown Materials (carbon):

Wood Chips or Sawdust (untreated wood only), Paper Towels, Shredded Newspaper, Dead Leaves, Dried Grass Clippings, Straw, Pine Needles

Crap You Shall Not Compost:

Inorganic material such as plastic, glass or that dirty cookie sheet you don't feel like cleaning, Meat, Dairy, Bones, Manure (herbivore manure is technically okay if you really feel like harvesting it), Weeds or diseased plants, Glossy Paper

A Few Tips:

• Try to have more brown than green in your mixture, by weight. Brown things are rich in carbon. Green things are rich in nitrogen. A healthy bin needs more carbon-rich material to allow oxygen to penetrate and decompose. Otherwise, you might end up with a soggy, smelly, slowly decomposing lump. If you'd like to speed the process a bit more, you can even add some soil and/or earth worms, but when in doubt add more brown material.

• The surface area of the crap you add effects the time needed for composting. By chipping, chopping, shredding, or mulching before adding to your bin, you will be helping the bacteria to more quickly break down materials into compost.

• Smaller compost piles or winter composting will take longer because the center of the pile (where the magic happens) will not reach and maintain as high a temperature. Compost is ready when it's dark brown, crumbly like dirt and has a rich, earthy smell...like decayed organic material.

• The pH of compost is slightly basic (or alkaline), so when it's ready, add to acid-loving plants (such as azaleas, hydrangeas or hollies) at your own risk. If you have plenty of coffee grounds in your compost, acid-loving plants will do well with compost.

I think a mini bin is a great option for small spaces or to help newbies get a feel for composting. I have no idea what I'm really doing, but I'll post trouble-shooting tips as needed. So before you splurge on that solid gold compost bin, try a mini cat litter bin. :)

poison ivy annihilation

If you're a hardcore gardener, I'm sure you too have dealt with many a splinter, scratched eyeball, blister, back spasm, mystery bug bites, falls, gunshot wounds, broken shovels, and inevitably: poison ivy. The bane of many gardening adventures, poison ivy plagues me and holds certain areas of my yard hostage. Well, I've had it. It's my yard and I'm not going to let that stupid weed control me or turn into a kudzu and eat my house. It could happen.

The house of a lazy gardener who thought that weeding was a joke....

I've come to accept that I'm fairly terrible at identifying poison ivy/oak (especially when it's mixed in among all the other junk I'm fitfully weeding) so there's no avoiding contact for me. Removing all the roots is the only way to get rid of it, even if it's playing dead, so I'm just going to try to get it all done as quickly as possible and hope for the best. 

My fool-proof plan: I plan to embrace a very possible ongoing poison ivy rash for as long as it takes me to eradicate it. I also plan to have the last laugh when my yard is poison ivy-free.

Until yesterday, I proudly strutted through my garden assuming that I was among the elite 10-15% of the population that is not allergic to urushiol (the poison ivy chemical). I've never really had anything that was undeniably poison ivy and Calogel always quickly did the trick for any minor irritation. Needless to say, I was appalled when poison ivy had the audacity to show up on my arms and Calogel worked about as well as whatever worthless and ineffective analogy you can think of. It was so insanely itchy that I couldn't sleep, so I scoured the internet for home remedies and other options. I didn't like the idea of pouring bleach on my skin, wrapping myself in saran wrap like a burrito, or taking Prednizone, so I decided to try the apparent saving grace: a mud mask?

Lush mask I had on hand - any one will do!

I was skeptical, but then realized that one of the main goals of a facial mask is to draw oil from the skin. So after washing up and very apprehensively applying some, it not only instantly cooled and relieved all itching, but it also drew out moisture and formed a protective barrier over the poison ivy. I left it on overnight and awoke to a marked improvement. Definitely worth a try next time you have poison ivy!

So don't worry, this itchy little set-back has only further fueled my wrath and determination to quash the ivy. I strongly believe that there is a special place in hell for this weed. I lost this battle, but with the help of Lush, I shall win this war!

the rain barrel saga continues...

If you read my previous rain barrel post, you might not yet realize that this DIY now qualifies as a "saga." When we left off, I was touting the ease and affordability of this little weekend project. Well, 2 weeks and 3 rain storms later, things are now a bit more complicated.

Call me naive, but I never had a rain barrel before, so I thought I had time before I would need to add an overflow valve. Boy, was I wrong! I did not realize that a 50 gallon barrel would fill up and overflow in a 5 minute storm, but it certainly did. We cringed at all the wasted water that immediately flooded our basement.

Maybe a normal person would have just said, "Okay, well I'll add the overflow valve first thing tomorrow and be done with it." But not us...we decided we would go ahead and get 2 more rain barrels and THEN we could worry about the overflow valve.

I bumbled around the plumbing department until I came across this 1/2" thick flexible tubing. I've seen this work for other rain barrel links on the interwebs, so I figured it would be fine for me. I dug up the first rain barrel and added some concrete slabs underneath so that it could sit higher than the other 2. (I do NOT recommend this arduous task...even 1/4 barrel of water is much heavier than it looks) But, once that was done, I just added a few little 1/2" holes, some caulking and a metal dingus on the inside of each barrel, and I was good to go...or so I thought.

Mother Nature laughed at our efforts. Again, according to the weather forecast, we were fooled into thinking we had time to add the overflow valve another day. Lesson learned: you can't just keep indefinitely linking rain barrels to avoid making an overflow valve. :)


At 2:00am, I woke up to torrential downpour, 3 overflowing barrels and a freshly flooded basement. I clearly had no idea what I was doing, but I was not yet discouraged. I am working hard renovating our garden and I was determined to harness this over-abundant natural resource! So, back to the hardware store I went. After some more scratching my head and bumbling around, I ended up with this junk:

3" male and female seals, elbow pipe and long drain pipe named "Charlotte," apparently.

I was worried about making a hole that large in the barrel, but I needed the water to drain quickly from the 3rd barrel to allow the other 2 to drain and not overflow.

Traced outline with chalk, drilled hole in center and sawed out to the edges to make a 3" large hole

Hypothetically, it worked. This is how the drain looks on the third barrel, heading down into the original flexpipe, behind a bush and underground out to the road.

Round 3 of drainage adventures...

We've thoroughly enjoyed the free water we've been using for the past week. Temperatures have been over 95º, so we've been watering most of our new trees, shrubs and baby grass twice a day and we still have almost 2 full barrels!




UPDATE: I'd like to say we lived happily ever after, but not quite yet. (Don't be afraid of this project because I'm making all the mistakes for you.) The first barrel (the one receiving the brunt of the water flow from a huge roof) still overflowed in the last storm. I added a 3" connection (like the overflow pipes) between the 1st and 2nd barrels as well as the 2nd and 3rd to allow it to drain faster. It was not easy to do since the barrels could not be moved (note the impeccable caulk job) but it should do the trick. Fourth time's a charm, right? ;)

The mistake(s) I made were mainly in relation to water pressure. If/when the downspout is ever at full capacity in a storm, then the connection valves need to be at least as wide as the downspout, all the way through. The rain barrel ideas and designs I looked at must have had no trouble using small tubing; for a smaller home or roof, it would have been sufficient, but we have a very large roof, heavy storms rolling through and a basement that has a propensity for flooding. Although the process was stressful, I'm still definitely glad that we did it. We will have tons of free garden water for years to come!


FINAL UPDATE! Almost a year later now and we are SO thankful for our barrels! We've planted tons of things since then and have used them weekly. In the winter, we syphoned the water out and reconnected the downspout to the drain. Our basement has also since been waterproofed and the flooding had very little to do with my barrel adventures.

I'd say the only downfall is the actual lugging of water if you have a large or steep yard. We have about an acre incline with some new trees up the hill, so we are planning to add some gutters and a barrel or two behind the shed. We won't get as much water from such a small roof, but it would be nice to have some up there as well. Love them!

the art of staycationing

After years worth of regularly vacationing, many people consider vacation to be an annual necessity rather than a special treat. But let's define "vacation."

va·ca·tion [/vāˈkāSHən/] noun 1. an extended period of recreation

Maybe it's not in the official definition, but I think that when most people think of being away or on vacation, a big part of it is simply being away from work. (Not that work isn't awesome...hey Downs Creative, love you guys!) Heading to the beach for a week is certainly nice if you live close or have a large chunk of change laying around that you just don't know what to do with, but have you ever thought about enjoying a vacation...at home? [insert shocked gasps here]  Denying yourself from the traditional vacation doesn't mean you need to deny yourself the enjoyment of taking time off. And guess what? The beach will still probably be there next year.

Vacation destination 2012 - Home Sweet Home!

Obviously, a huge motivation behind opting for a staycation can be saving a buttload of money. Dave and I have always been very dedicated to eliminating debt and we're serious about our financial planning. After totally botching our budget when we bought our house (and lots of expensive things to go with it), we had a whole new appreciation for our usual diligence.

So after 9 months of paying, we're once again "debt-free" (other than the mortgage and Dave's school loans) ;)  This summer, we're going to celebrate by taking a staycation and enjoying our new home. 

In addition to celebrating my week-long birthday extravaganza, 4th of July and our 3-year wedding anniversary, here are a few other staycation ideas we (or you) might enjoy:

• Mini Golf/Go-carting - As something we always enjoy doing on vacation, it will be fun to check out a family fun center that we've never been to. Nothing says vacation like mini golf and go-carting.

• Amusement Park(s) - This is a no-brainer for a successful staycation. Check out parks you've never been to, as well as some of your local favorites. Sometimes, especially with bigger parks, it might be fun to go a few times and enjoy different areas, rides and trashy food. Be sure to check around for local ticket sales and deals.

• Gardening - Maybe this isn't everyone's idea of fun, but I think there are few things as satisfying as toiling and working hard in the dirt, getting absolutely drenched, filthy and exhausted, but then spending a cool evening basking in the glory of a lovely garden.

• Fishing - This is aimed more at Dave, but as long as I don't have to touch the naked worm, kill or injure a fish or see any killed or injured fish, I really enjoy it too. Basically, I like to sit by a lake with a hookless rod and eat snacks.
• Rock Climbing -  This is something cool I've been wanting to check out and there's a great indoor place nearby to practice! Whether it's rock climbing or anything else, make a point to try something new!

• Hit up the aviary, zoo, science center...etc. - Living near a fun city is always helpful when you're staycationing. Take advantage of nearby museums, parks and exhibits you might not otherwise make time for, or see what's new at places you have visited in the past.

• Canoeing - This is a relaxing and fun activity, even for lazy people. If you find the right river and head down stream, you can just relax and enjoy the view, sans rowing.

• Yoga - With how much I work and teach my own yoga each week, I feel guilty about not making time to visit other studios locally and downtown. I definitely plan to attend a class or two, but even if you've never tried yoga, vacation is a perfect time to start!

• Picnicking - (with Fluffernutter sandwiches) Oh yea. Picnicking (and Fluffernutter) scream 'vacation.' We plan to make a day trip to visit a park we've never been to.

• Dog Park - Although this is something we do regularly, it always makes us feel like we're on vacation. At this beautiful park, we love playing with all the different dogs and meeting new, friendly people every time we go. And after all, Zero goes to work too, so he deserves a vacation!

• Paddle-boating - There is just something I love about paddle boats and at $7 per glorious hour, this will be something calm to do at a local park.

All these activities will be supplemented with relaxing, movie-watching, ice-cream eating, picture-taking and sleeping-in. Yes, these are all things we could technically do on any weekend, but we rarely seem to make time for. We also think this staycation is the perfect plan for really breaking-in our first summer in our new house.

Whether you vacation or not, I think it's important to set aside time to enjoy what's already around you. Everyone loves traveling and getting away sometimes, but true contentment starts at home.

Update - The staycation weather severely limited our outdoor activities (over 95º all week!) but we still thoroughly enjoyed our time together. Maybe our next staycation will be enjoyed in the fall, though. :)

see progress - make progress

This was our overgrown garden jungle before I got my hands on it... August 2011

This is some progress, after pruning, digging and weeding... April 2012

Okay, so maybe the following photo doesn't look that different to you since April, but trust me, it is. I'm keeping up with "before" and "after" photos of this overwhelming area so that I don't quit. If I don't look back on how it really was originally, it will feel like I haven't got anywhere.

Here is what's been done since April:

- Area under Magnolia trees has been spruced up. Hostas planted and rock border added around the base.

- Gigantic stump up in front of the shed was annihilated by my Dad's chainsaw

- Planted Primrose, baby Liriopes and wildflower seeds.

- Existing Irises, Daylilies, Lambs Ear and a few other things I can't identify from other areas of the yard were separated and transplanted to fill in spaces. (Now you know why I made a rain barrel!)

- Removed random patch of rocks in the yard (front lower left), filled it and planted grass seed.

- Hedge border was pruned (hacked) by our well-intentioned neighbors, prompting our next big undertaking...a new land survey and a fence. :)

Current garden after much transplanting and weeding! June 2012

June 2012

It's slow-going, but I find that taking pictures along the way of any large project is a nice way to reminisce (about how miserably hard it was), stay motivated and see how far you've come. Give it a try next time you feel overwhelmed with a big job!

rain barrel DIY

With all the planting and gardening I am always working on, I've been going through a LOT of water lately. With 5 baby hemlocks, 2 baby blue spruce, transplanted hostas, daylillies and liriope, plus tons of growing bulbs and seeds, I was not amused with our water bill. I thought that now might be a good time to invest in a rain barrel!

The first place I looked was....a rain barrel store. Yes, they exist and there is randomly one within 2 miles of my house. Go figure! They had plenty of rain barrels to choose from, but even the typical  barrels (sans hose bibs or anything special) cost upwards of $45. Although I know a barrel isn't something you have to replace often, I knew I could do better than that.

I looked around and found used rain barrels of various size and color at a local fleatique. (L&L Fleatique in Adamsburg, if you're local!) $14 for a 55 gallon barrel? That's better. Now to make it into a functional rain barrel with a spout that won't serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Hmmm....

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and it was certainly well worth my time and a few simple materials. Here's what I bought besides the rain barrel:

11/16 Drill Bit

- 1/2" hose bib

- Two 1/2" washers (one for the inside and one for the outside)

- One 1/2" lock nut (for the inside)

- One 11/16" hole cutting drill bit (be sure you get one that's just for wood since you only need to cut through plastic...otherwise, they're like $20)

- Screen for the top (this came in a large roll, but was only about $7)

- Adhesive caulking (I already had this)

Once you have all this stuff around, it's a quick project! Here's what to do:

 - Clean it: If you have a used barrel, I would definitely recommend cleaning it out. (Ours actually came with a few olives floating in their nasty olive juice from it's previous life. It was lovely.) I just used dish soap and a hose. Be sure to rinse it really well if you're planning to use the water for plants. Soapy water is harmful for plants.

- Mark a spot for the hose bib: Stand the barrel up and make a mark for how high you want the faucet to be. Keep in mind that you might want to be able to fit a large bucket or watering can underneath, but you'll want it as low as possible for optimal water pressure. Also, maybe estimate a few inches higher if you plan to dig out an area for the barrel to sit in.

- Drill hole for the hose bib: Lay the barrel on it's side. Using your new hole cutting bit, drill a hole.

- Establish threads in the barrel: Next, take your hose bib and thread it through the plastic. It will be a tight fit, but you don't want it to leak later. Be sure to keep it as straight as possible as you thread so that you don't make crooked threads. Once you get it in, go ahead and back it out.

- Add washer and attach hose bib: Now that you have the threads started, it will be easier to secure the bib. Apply caulking to one of the washers and place it over the hole, threading the bib back into place. You may want to add more caulk around the lip of the washer, just incase.

- The fun part: Crawl inside the barrel. :) Bring a flashlight, the other washer, caulk, a wrench and the nut. Apply caulk to the washer the same way, thread the nut on and secure it as tightly as you can. Add some extra caulk as needed, and then get the heck out of the barrel before your husband rolls you down the hill!

- Add screen to the top: Lay the screen over the lid and cut a square about 4" wider than the edge. Placing it over the top of the barrel, use the outer edge of the barrel lid to thread it in place. Then you can trim the excess screen.

- Put your barrel where you want it: You may need to dig a bit to level the ground, but just be sure that wherever you put it is stable. You're not going to want to try to move it when it's full and certainly don't want to worry about it tipping over.

- Cut your down spout: Cut your downspout so that it will end just above the screen of the barrel. This part can be challenging, if you don't have a good saw. I have a Sawsall that did the job, but I tried part of it with an Xacto knife, just out of curiosity. It was difficult, so if you need a saw, you can borrow mine. :)

For about $20 and 20 minutes, we're proud of this little DIY project...and you can guarantee our faces will be pressed up against that sunroom window watching the water pour in as soon as it rains.

UPDATE: We liked our first rain barrel so much that we decided to add 2 more! Getting 3 rain barrels to link and drain properly wasn't necessarily smooth-sailing since I had no idea what I was doing, but you can check out the process here and avoid making the same mistakes I did. :)

national pollinator week!

Many of you probably don't know or care that it's National Pollinator Week, but pollinators are kind of a big deal. Besides working tirelessly in beautiful gardens everywhere, 1/3 of every bite you eat is totally dependent on a pollinator. The least we can do is celebrate them once a year.

Hummingbirds, beetles, bees, butterflies/moths & Ronald McDonald bats are all important pollinators

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anthers of a flower to the stigma of the same flower or of another flower.  Pollination is a prerequisite for fertilization, which allows the flower to develop seeds. (Clearly, pretty important.) Here's some info about Pollinator Week:

"Five years ago the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of the final week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.  Pollinator Week has now grown to be an international celebration of the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles. The growing concern for pollinators is a sign of progress, but it is vital that we continue to maximize our collective effort.  The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture signs the proclamation every year."  -Pollinator.org

Surprisingly, many people are still uninformed about the challenges currently facing bats and honey bees, both of whose futures are frighteningly uncertain. In 2006, the first case of White Nose Syndrome was discovered in a bat cave in New York. Since then, the rapidly spreading fungal disease has been associated with the deaths of 5-6.7 million North American bats. Once contracted, the mortality rat of White Nose Syndrome is 95%. It continues to spread without any progress in prevention or treatment. (Besides the important role bats play in pollination, a single brown bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in one hour.)

As for honey bees, Colony Collapse Disorder was first discovered in 2006. Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD) is a phenomenon in which worker bees from a beehive or colony abruptly disappear. Specialty crops, especially almonds, depend on bee pollination so heavily that the sharp decline in bee populations has begun to affect harvests. No one knows what is causing CCD or how to prevent it, but according to this informative bee blog:

"Current theories being researched include new strains of bacterial or viral infections, pesticide poisoning, or invasive pests. Stress is also thought to contribute to colony collapse, like when bees continuously pollinate crops with low nutritional value. And with fewer bees to go around, entire hives are being trucked farther and farther, placing more stress on those adult worker bees that escape contamination."

Regardless of what's causing CCD, scientists are still working tirelessly to find a way to control the decline.

The remaining types of pollinators aren't safe either. Historically, hummingbirds were killed for their feathers, but today, habitat loss and destruction are a big threat to hummingbirds. Pesticides remain the main threat for beetles and butterflies. It's important to spread awareness about Pollinator Week not just because it's an excuse to have a picnic, but because people need to get involved. There are many simple ways in which to help, (like donating or volunteering) Check out some ideas here and below:

This week, in some small way, celebrate the thousands of teensy-weensy helping hands behind our food and gardens!

define: weed

Having a big garden can mean lots of work. Like our house, the gardens* that we inherited had lots of potential, but had been taken for granted. (*Read: weed orchards)

I hope that some of the ground cover eventually helps to choke out the weeds, but alas, I know there will always be junk to pull out. Or shall I say, "monster weeds to painstakingly excavate."

This is one small area I decided to tackle this weekend:

I glared at this scene for quite some time before getting started.

Sometimes, the most overwhelming part for me is not the AMOUNT of weeds, but the proper identification of weeds. My friend Steph, (horticulturist-extraordinaire and owner of The Blue Daisy Floral Designs) has assured me that a weed is simply defined as: "any plant that the gardener decides is a nuisance."

Beautiful Rose of Sharon flowers!

For a very good example, I recently transplanted a few Rose of Sharon shrubs from around my house. I love them and I want them to be fruitful and multiply! Steph (among others) thought I was insane for allowing the Rose of Sharon to thrive. Yes, they can be invasive and hard to get rid of, but they'll never be a weed to me!

So for me, my weed death list includes: "anything that looks weedy or isn't blooming." Here you will see Exhibit A. Horrifyingly huge weeds taking over with thick, twisting roots. Some were about 4' high and deceivingly deep. Even the small ones were challenging to remove and may or may not have ended up with me on my butt.

The hulking weeds from hell.

I think their removal might have literally involved some blood, sweat and tears, but in the end, it's worth it. Now, I have this one little weed-free haven of my garden to enjoy.

Stay tuned for the nightmarish sequel featuring the other half of the weed orchard. Unless, that is, I decide to take advantage of the definition of a "weed" and just embrace all greenery. That's sounding good right about now! :)

my shovel is calling

We are blessed to have a large yard to play in, work on, and enjoy. When we moved in, everything was overgrown and under appreciated. After much sweat, lopping, digging and cutting later, this is where we are now. I was too disgusted to take a REAL before before photo, so trust me when I say this has already come a long way. 

The current middle, lower back yard view.

I'm no pro-gardener, but I know what I like. I don't mind a garden that looks a little wild. I'm in favor of natural-looking shrubs as opposed to little spheres of perfection and I typically only bother with shrubs or plants that flower in some way. Right now, this garden looks pretty empty to me. I don't like all the naked space and most of the shrubs around the house look like little fros.

That being said, I'm not about to destroy any perfectly healthy plants that were here before me, so as long as they're not killing other plants or just plain ugly, I will make the best of them all. Although I'm tempted to plant excessive amounts of wildflowers and call it a day, I do have some plans for making this garden a little cozier.

Please disregard the lazy Photoshopping...I should be ashamed, but I was just so excited to get my ideas out!

A few things to note here:
- I'm not much for annuals because I'm looking for a long-term plan. It's nice to have things bloom all summer, but I have enough gardening to do without investing time and money into things that will knowingly die. I do like to buy a few packets of seeds each year though, and plant big luscious flowers like ranunculus or zinnias. (See ranunculus up in the yard under the magnolia)
- I am all about propagating existing plants that I (or my friends and family) have. Not only is it a great money saver, but older, established plants benefit from being trimmed back or separated anyway. I plan to separate much of the Autumn Joy Sedum I have around, as well as more of the Rock Garden Iris. I'm also hoping to try propagating hydrangeas with these directions from Southern Living.
- In case you can't see it on your monitor, hanging from the right of the plant hook is an awesome hummingbird feeder I plan to find soon. We already have a regular bird feeder that we enjoy watching from the sunroom and we've seen a few hummingbirds.
- I realize that this area would never look like this because these things will never all bloom at the same time. :)

I definitely have my work cut out for me here (and this is only one area of many!) But luckily, I can't wait. Let me know if you have any planning ideas or tips of your own!