DIY Life

I'm a green gardener. I'm loathe to use toxic chemicals in my yard. However, there are certain situations when only toxic will do. Like, for example, when I recently had to kill a tree. Read on if you're in the same boat and would like some tips. Oh, and be sure to check out my photo gallery, too!

The Camphor Laurel: An Invasive Pest

First up: a bit about the tree in question. The offending plant was a camphor laurel tree (cinnamomum camphora), a native of East Asia that has become an invasive pest here in the US and in other countries, like Australia. Yes, this plant is the source of stinky camphor oil, which is found in products like Vicks® cold remedies.

In my backyard, the camphor is a big pain-in-the-butt-plant. My nemesis. My arch-enemy. It self-sows everywhere. I must have pulled hundreds of tiny seedlings by hand since learning (the hard way) to be more vigilant. Hand weeding camphor seedlings is a nuisance, but it sure beats trying to eradicate them once they become established.

Mowers, edgers, leaf-blowers. Sod, plug, aerate, de-thatch. Irrigate, seed, fertilize, weed.

Phew! Makes my head spin just thinking about the stuff you're supposed to do to maintain a lawn, at least according to certain yard-care experts. If you follow the recommendations of lawn-care service companies, you can spend hundreds of dollars each year on your lawn. Many people do exactly that, just because they think it's necessary for a nice lawn.

Well, guess what? It's not necessary. Okay, if you must have a picture perfect lawn that's smooth, flat and green year-round like a golf course... well, that's going to require some work. However, if you're like me and just want some nice, healthy grass, then the trick is to work... less. Yes, less!

In fact, everything you really need to know can be simplified down into three tips: 1. Mow less. 2. Lay off the chemicals and 3. Opt for low-maintenance landscaping. Need more detail? Read on!

At an upscale garden center the other day I saw the cutest UFO-style toad house for sale. For, like, $90. Ack!! Really nice if you have the money for something like that. However, you can actually encourage toads for just pennies down. Any small, toad-sized container offers toads the shelter they need to feel safe. Meanwhile, something more elaborate need only set you back a few bucks.

Need inspiration? Check out these photos of toad villages posted by readers of About.com. These are so cute, aren't they? Personally, though, I'm into a more naturalistic look, something I think might be more likely to attract wildlife, too. In the photo above you can see the toad house I made using polished stones. I'll talk more about that in a bit, but also be sure to check out my gallery for step-by-step photos!

Before going any further with the toad houses, however, let's backtrack a little. Why encourage toads in the first place? Well, first of all, toads are suffering as human habitats (cities and suburbs) suck up more and more land. Second, toads are also being harmed by exposure to chemicals used in landscape maintenance. By giving a toad or two a safe place to hang out, you're helping boost their numbers.

I've been extolling the virtues of Spring the last few weeks with springtime bath and body products and my festive green bath salts and earrings. Yes, Spring is exciting and everything is new and fresh ... except my house.

Probably yours too, if you haven't tackled that Spring cleaning yet. Anna has posted about the many uses of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. These are two of my favorite cleaners as well. They are all-natural, good for the environment, won't kick up any allergies or sensitivities and are safe to keep in bottom cabinets if you have kids. Did I mention how effective they are? You really don't need chemicals.

Essential oils can be used in cleaning recipes with vinegar, baking soda and other natural cleaners to boost their effectiveness and leave a fresh clean scent around your newly sparkling house. Read on for recipes to brighten, degrease, deodorize and disinfect.

Our fabulous sister site, Green Daily, has just launched an equally fabulous guide to green gardening. If you frequent Green Daily you will already know the site offers a wealth of info on everything green. From climate change to household conservation tips, from celebrity tidbits to technological innovations--they got it covered. And now -- ta-da -- green gardening, too!

Among the attractions are container gardening tips, book reviews, planting advice and soil preparation pointers. The Green Daily bloggers have also looked into a subject I'm trying to learn more about: landscaping with native plants. Last but not least, the Green Daily Gardening Guide offers up many colorful photo galleries for your viewing pleasure.

Finally, may I also say that green gardening advice is so very needed. We gardeners need to unlearn many environmentally harmful practices that we grew up with and never thought twice about. Like the routine use of herbicides and pesticides, to name just one thing that makes me go "grrr." Thanks, Green Daily, for helping spread the word.

So, fellow gardening enthusiasts, put down that shovel and kick off those dirt-encrusted boots. Put your feet up in front of the computer and enjoy this brand new blogging attraction!

Simply put, weeds are the bane of my existence. They surround our building -- peeking up from cracks in the concrete, mocking me as they brazenly poke their haughty heads through the weed-proof layer beneath the mulch. I hate weeds!

Luckily for me, living in a highly-urbanized downtown area doesn't leave much space for weeds to grow, which keeps my weed stressing at a tolerable level. I can't imagine how crazy I'd be if I had a real yard, with real grass, and lots and lots of real weeds. Suffice it to say, weeds and I don't get along, and I'm always on the look out for new, ingenious ways to kill them.

The most obvious way to kill weeds is to buy some name-brand chemicals from your local hardware store, and spray those suckers till they shrivel up and die. Over the years, however, there have been allegations made that certain weed killers are harmful to the environment (beyond the weeds) and wildlife. So what's the best way to get rid of weeds using safer, less expensive ingredients? The three most common DIY weed killers are: