Customers would often bring little bottles or bags containing bugs into the garden centre. Their questions would be the identity and how to get rid of it. It was most distressing, to me, when it was baby ladybugs which are most beneficial. The babies do not look anything like the adult. If you want a healthy planet, if you want pollinators, if you want birds you have to live with all the creatures. The ‘Circle of Life’ and all that.
Yes, you can have clean laundry and help the environment. You can even save some money. And no, you do not have to grab your soap nuts, go beat your laundry down on the riverbank and hang your clothes on the nearest tree. If you are interested in the evolution of laundry here is a fascinating article.
The main environmental concerns from doing laundry are the uses of water and electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, waste produced from all the packaging and the release of chemicals into out water and air.
I have never used fabric softener. My clothes are quite soft and I don’t want them to smell strongly of anything. My journey to earth-friendly laundry started quite young because I have very sensitive/allergic skin. Fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate and it’s family (used to increase lather in many products), formaldehyde (in facial tissues, permanent press fabrics, some fabric softeners) are some of the things that will cause a reaction. I am always hesitant to add in something that might irritate. I saw no need for fabric softener. It was just something else someone was trying to sell me. I also learned that overusing fabric softener results in product coating the fibers of your clothing and making them flammable! As well overuse can lead to a greasy feel and degrade fibers over time. Experts don’t recommend softeners on towels, workout wear, particularly wicking fabrics. Read more about that here.
I have not bought bleach (Sodium hypochlorite) in many years. It is a known irritant of skin, eyes and throats. It can release dangerous compounds when combined with other cleaning products. As it breaks down in the environment it combines with other elements to create organochlorines, which are suspected to cause cancer. I use hydrogen peroxide or vinegar to brighten clothes. Here is a deeper dive into the problems with bleach.
As I did research for this article something that came up frequently was the number of large containers going to the landfill. Not only detergent bottles but fabric softener and bleach. An overwhelming number of experts state that we’re using too much product. The ‘recommended’ amounts are larger than necessary. I have always used less than half of the suggested amount. I do the same with dishwashing liquid: I have an empty bottle, fill it about 1/4 from the new bottle and then fill with water. I still get great suds for those dishes that need handwashing. In laundry I have started using the fabric strips, which comes in an envelope the size of letter. For smaller loads I cut the strip in half.
Did you know there is a laundry evangelist? His name is Patric Richardson, he’s had a show on HGTV and a best-selling book. Vodka to remove stains, who knew? Patric is a big fan of newer washing machines with an express cycle. He recommends warm water, short cycle or wait until you have enough clothes for a full load. I have always washed in cold water, with great results. Stats say that 60% of the energy washing machines use is needed to heat the water. He believes that we can get more wear out of our clothes before washing. I agree totally; my partner and I have ‘go to town’ clothes and ‘kicking around the house’ clothes. If you’ve just gone for dinner with friends, had the clothes on for a couple of hours they do not need to be cleaned (unless you spilled). Here’s Patric Richardson’s top five tips. Many clothes labelled ‘Dry Clean’ can be laundered, check his blog.
The dryer is the second largest consumer of power in your home, second only to the fridge. Patric and I both use felted wool dryer balls instead of disposable sheets. I got mine on Etsy and love them. Of course, hanging clothes outside is the most environmentally friendly. Even people with a balcony can use drying racks or the retractable laundry lines.
Can you see a way to make your laundry more eco-friendly? Would love to hear your hacks in the comments.
Every year, in all my years working at garden centers, people came with photos of their beds and borders. They are not happy; their beds look empty, stingy or lackluster is the complaint. Typically, they will have one of this shrub, one of that shrub and a two or three different perennials. They wished for something more…lush? Full? They don’t want to look at all the soil or mulch.
One of the best pieces of advice I received when we first moved to the farm was from a member of the local garden club, famous for her abundant borders. She told me to plant so densely that weeds could not even get started. And don’t be afraid of big plants.
Especially when it comes to perennials, people buy one of their chosen plant. Most perennials will get to a width of maybe a foot giving you, once they are mature, a head of flowers that will fill your hands. If you want an armful of flowers, you must plant multiples of that perennial. This is known as a drift. Drifts should be in odd numbers, they can be planted in a circle, triangle or in a line within the bed. Within a few years you cannot tell where one plant begins, they grow into one large clump.
So often in Spring I see individual tulips or daffodils poking out of the emerging foliage of a perennial border. There is one here, another a foot over, another there. Once blooming they look a little lost. Planted in a drift, they have much more impact. Perennials such as daisy,(Leucanthemum), coneflower (Echinacea), salvia (Salvia) and brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia), just to name a few, look far more spectacular planted in a drift. Even grasses look showier planted in drifts.
If you’re trying to attract pollinators, a drift will have more power of attraction. If you want cut flowers you can remove some from a drift and the drift will still look good. Lots of good reasons to plant in multiples.
I have mentioned before that one must be careful pruning evergreens. They don’t bounce back as quickly as deciduous trees and shrubs. If you make a mistake you could be looking at a hole for a few years.
I am a little late with this post but I saw this Mugo pine and had the idea to write about it. Now, or two or three weeks ago in warmer climes, is the time to trim pines, tree and shrub forms. The new growth is not a bud like spruce or fir. It is called a candle, shown in the picture at right. The needles will unfurl for the bushy branches common but right now it is a compact, dense, upright growth.
Pruning or trimming the candles will result in a scab, often mixed with sap, but that will fall off and nobody will be able to tell anything was done. If you have dwarf pines like the Mugo you can even up growth and control the shape. You simply cut the candle where you want the tip of the branch to be. If a branch is showing two leaders you can simply snap one off at the base.
The mature Mugo pine shown is the species which can get to be a big shrub. The back of it was six feet tall, the front four to five feet. The difference is probably that the front is more exposed to winds and heat. If you would like to even off the shrub simply snap or trim off all the candles on the tallest part; they will achieve no new growth this season while the front branches will increase in height.
If you have a dwarf Mugo and would like it even in a tight half circle, trim the candles now to consistent heights. Don’t be afraid, it’s just a little pruning!
Welcome to the first day of summer. The longest day of the year, the promise of those lazy, hazy crazy days of summer as so aptly put by Nat King Cole.
Summer solstice is rather bittersweet for this cold climate gardener. The days begin to get shorter now and it always seems to me they shorten more quickly than they lengthen through the Spring. Our growing season is so brief here on the Canadian Prairies. I have a picture on my camera from May 8th, with trees budding but not yet in leaf. By October 8th the trees may very well be dropping their leaves.
Everything happens so quickly; the apples, pears and plums looked glorious…for a couple of weeks. They’re now finished blooming and the fruits are developing but the fruits are wee and green and blend into the foliage. Lilacs are in bloom, those too will be finished shortly. Spring blooming perennials are finishing, summer bloomers are in bud.
It’s also a Full Moon tonight – the Strawberry Full Moon. According to a couple of sources, such as Space.com, the name was bestowed by Algonquin tribes because this was the time to be picking strawberries. The Algonquin tribes were definitely in a cold climate because the strawberries are just ripening here on the Prairies. Friends on the West Coast have been picking strawberries for three or four weeks now.
So, do enjoy the first day of summer. Go howl at the Full Moon. And do stop to smell the flowers while you can.
Peace Signs and Pruners 