Garden bloggers sustainable living

Jan, at the beautiful thanksfor2day blog, is very kindly offering a free Fiskars rain barrel to one lucky participant in her "Keep Mother Earth Green" challenge (in honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2010).  In this contest, garden bloggers were asked to write about what they are doing to keep their environment green.  I've been thinking about this question ever since she posed it and feel like I've come up a bit short? 

The biggest and best thing I do is recycle.  According to our city newsletter, our town has one of the most active recycling centers in the country.  I can believe it by the size of the blue recycling cart I roll out to the curb compared to the gray trash can:

Everything gets dumped into the cart without being sorted ~ how EASY is that?  With them doing the sorting there is no excuse not to recycle.  Items in good condition, that can't be recycled in the cart, I try to donate to Goodwill, etc.  I figure the more things I keep out of the landfill, the better, right?

As you all know, I also tend a garden and nurture the plants in my yard, trying to provide more natives and wildlife friendly choices every year.  Hand in hand with gardening, at least in my book, is feeding the birds. Different feed is provided year round; seed & suet during the winter months, nectar and jelly in the summer months.  Water is a constant thanks to a bird bath heater.  Until I installed one, I never knew how much it would be appreciated/used ~ now I can't imagine not having a heater. 

One thing I don't do, but would like to, is compost.  I've been thinking about it for years but haven't ever acted upon the thought.  I think the garden would thank me for it if I could ever get it started.  My garbage disposal would get a lot less use too!  :-)

I think that wraps it up for me.  Thanks again to Jan for offering such wonderful gifts and prizes and for making us more conscious about our carbon footprint.  Hop over to her blog if you would like to check out the contest or maybe even participate.

Comments

[Jan (Thanks For Today)]

Hi Kathleen, glad you were able to join in;-) I love my bird bath heater, too! I KNOW I wouldn't have the birds without it...they flock to it, literally! I'm going to start composting, too. It's time. Many are on the market that are carefree, don't smell, pets and critters can't get in, etc. 'No reason not to do these things', is now my motto too! Take care, Jan

[Shady Gardener]

You will enjoy composting... and so will your gardens! :-)

[tina]

Very nice of Jan huh? That blue bin of yours reminds me of Germany. We used this color for cardboards and plastics and it always filled up fastest as compared to the regular trash (black can) and the biodegradable can (brown). Cardboards and plastics stuff is so much more bulky than regular trash so I think that's why it is so big. It is ever so nice they'll sort it all for you and kudos to your city and you.

[Victoria]

Nice post, and good reminders. We love our recycle bin.

[Amy/GoAway, I'm Gardening!]

I like your new header and blog background...very pretty! I don't compost, either. I would like to, but I haven't figured out the best method yet...one day.:)

[Janet]

hi Kathleen, Tina beat me to it. Our recycling bin was a lot bigger than our trash can...plus the trash only got picked up every other week and the recycling was weekly.
good for you!!

[Catherine]

It's great that recycling is so big where you live. I always have a hard time when I visit someone that doesn't recycle. I hate throwing things in the garbage that should be recycled.
It does look nice and Springy on your blog!

[Alice Golden]

the hardest thing about composting is finding an out of the way spot for it.. but one of the extra benefits is less guilt about tossing veggies that are past their prime - at least you feel like they are being put to good use :)

[Noelle (azplantlady)]

I have thought about composting as well, but have not yet. My mother and my sister both do and I probably need to try..