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Recycle your yard and garden waste…do’s and don’ts
Homes and gardens across the country produce a wide variety of organic materials. Yard trimmings - leaves, grass, weeds, brush and pruning’s - make up the major share of compostables, although kitchen scraps and agricultural manures can also play a significant role.
Leaves, grass clippings (from lawns that have NOT been treated with herbicides or “weed and feed” products), food scraps (except meat and dairy products), weeds, woody trimmings, and shredded black & white newspaper are just some of the materials you can compost. Vegetation from your garden and from deciduous trees is also great for composting. Do NOT compost diseased or insect-infested plant material.
Recycling over the Centuries
The art of composting has been part of our global culture since ancient times. The basic principles are quite simple, and adhering to them will result in an efficient and successful outcome. Studies have shown that home composting can divert an average of 700 lbs. of material per household per year from the waste stream. Municipal composting carries a greater environmental cost, but not nearly as high as if leaf and yard waste are disposed of by conventional means. Composting is an excellent way to avoid both wasting useful, natural resources and creating environmental problems, while at the same time producing a high quality and inexpensive soil amendment.
Watch the summer days fly by with our Quartz Wall Clocks by Kelly Gardens Art™!
Most people view their yard as an extension of their home. Why not combine beauty and function to your indoor or outdoor living room! You can choose from several “Nature Inspired” designs on these hardwood-faced, water-resistant works of art. For more information on our clocks by Kelly Gardens Art™.
Try our Bottle Top Waterers! They make the perfect quick and easy watering tool! Recycle plastic bottles into watering cans. The bottle tops fit on most bottles between 500ml and 3 liters. Perfect for small seed trays, delicate enough for young plants, and more!
Package contains a total of (4) four waterers: (2) two medium spray and (2) two fine spray.
Tips for Conserving Water
During the hot summer months, most parts of the country experience some degree of water shortage. It may only last a week or two, or it could last all summer! Here are a few tips to help you conserve water in your garden:
- Use a rain barrel. A rain barrel is a perfect way to keep your flowers and plants well watered during times of water restrictions. Collect rainwater using a rain barrel placed at the bottom of your down spouts. Use the saved up water to fill your watering can. Not to mention you will be saving on your water bill!
- Plant native plants. Native plants to your area will require far less maintenance because they are already adjusted to your climate.
- Keep your garden weeded and cultivated. Weeds waste water. Make sure to pull the weeds as they appear, and cultivate a shallow layer of the soil with your Mantis Tiller. By tilling too deep, it not only harms the roots, but causes moisture to evaporate more quickly.
- Properly Mulch or use Compost on beds. Mulch helps to keep the soil nice and moist and compost increases the soils ability to retain water.
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