Last week our zoo had a new visitor. We dogsat our friend Jaci's toy fox terrier while she was out of town. Roxy is a very special dog. She was rescued from the New Albany, IN puppy mill bust of last spring. Her very short life has been filled with pain and fear. She was forced to give birth to a dangerous number of puppies. She was locked in a small cage, never seeing the sunlight or running around. The only human touch she experienced was painful. Subsequently, she is a very skittish, frightened little girl. Jaci and her husband have hearts of gold for taking care of her!
Puppy mills are a an awful phenomenon to be sure. But the people who run them often don't think they're doing anything wrong. Often, they are running a family business in a town where other job options are limited. If there wasn't a demand for popular puppy breeds, their mills wouldn't be lucrative. The best way to combat puppy mills is to stop buying dogs in pet stores. There are many dogs available at your local animal shelter or rescue. If you have your heart set on a particular breed, check the paper. Many people are selling or giving away dogs because they're moving or can't handle the responsibility of pets. Finally, make sure if you do bring a pet home, you're ready to make your house their "forever home!"
Apparently, it's monsoon season in Indiana. We've been getting a lot of rain, which has kept me inside. I'm starting to go stir crazy! Fortunately, we had some sunshine today. The rain has my garden looking great, but means lots of lawn mowing.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
More adventures in gardening
I can't believe how awesome my yard is looking! There's greenery and beauty everywhere. I wish I had before and after pictures so I could show you what a hole it was three years ago when I moved in. Weeds everywhere, no flowers, broken fence...now, it's a backyard oasis! I love spending time out there, watching the birds, listening to the sounds, and smelling the roses.
My vegetable garden is coming along swimmingly. I'm already stalking the Cabbage Moth in order to protect my brassicas. I've had one broccoli plant bite the dust! The seeds I started inside are doing so-so. Some look great, some need some TLC. I've been able to put them out in the sun on these nice warm days, which seems to be helping somewhat. We shall see...
I enjoy gardening for several reasons. I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment from working outside in my yard, even if I've only spent a few minutes pulling weeks. Being outside is also a great way to get to know my neighbors. We're never too busy to give at least a friendly wave! Gardening is also a great way to bridge generations. My grandparents and I can always trade tips when we're visiting and many of my elderly patients love to tell me about what they've got growing! They are a wealth of knowledge. Children can also get in on the act! Kids can pull weeds, plant seeds, water, play with worms, and learn about the life cycles of plants from spending time outside with you.
One of the ways we can be good stewards of the Earth is to teach children (and learn ourselves!) where our food comes from. We need to realize that tomatoes that show up in our grocery stores in November aren't the norm and come at a very high environmental price! Those tomatoes were grown with a lot of chemicals and had to trucked thousands of miles from a warmer climate. The farmers who grew them make just pennies per pound because distributors won't pay a fair price for them Waiting to eat them when they are in season is a special treat, and it's even sweeter if you grow them yourself. Don't get me wrong--I love to splurge on bananas and pineapples--things that will never grow in Indiana--but if we can reduce the amount of "out of season" and non-native produce we buy just a little bit, it can make a huge difference. Take a look at the label on those fruits and veggies next time you're at the store. Where were they grown? How many miles did it take to get them to your local supermarket, and at what cost to the farmers who grew them and the environment?
Want to get in on the local produce buying scene? You're in luck! It's easier than ever these days. Farmer's markets are very popular these days. Many communities have them on days other than Saturdays now, so you can sleep in on the weekend and still hit one up during the week. Consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture program, which brings amazing local produce right to your door! Participants subscribe to the program, which guarantees the farmers a fair price for their produce and other goods, and in turn we get the best of the best of their harvest. When my Basic Roots (look Kay and Sue up on Facebook for more info) delivery comes in the middle of each month, it's like Christmas! Even the Marsh supermarket closest to my house carries some local produce. Choosing this over something trucked in from Mexico guarantees that I get the very best produce for the smallest carbon impact.
My vegetable garden is coming along swimmingly. I'm already stalking the Cabbage Moth in order to protect my brassicas. I've had one broccoli plant bite the dust! The seeds I started inside are doing so-so. Some look great, some need some TLC. I've been able to put them out in the sun on these nice warm days, which seems to be helping somewhat. We shall see...
I enjoy gardening for several reasons. I get a tremendous sense of accomplishment from working outside in my yard, even if I've only spent a few minutes pulling weeks. Being outside is also a great way to get to know my neighbors. We're never too busy to give at least a friendly wave! Gardening is also a great way to bridge generations. My grandparents and I can always trade tips when we're visiting and many of my elderly patients love to tell me about what they've got growing! They are a wealth of knowledge. Children can also get in on the act! Kids can pull weeds, plant seeds, water, play with worms, and learn about the life cycles of plants from spending time outside with you.
One of the ways we can be good stewards of the Earth is to teach children (and learn ourselves!) where our food comes from. We need to realize that tomatoes that show up in our grocery stores in November aren't the norm and come at a very high environmental price! Those tomatoes were grown with a lot of chemicals and had to trucked thousands of miles from a warmer climate. The farmers who grew them make just pennies per pound because distributors won't pay a fair price for them Waiting to eat them when they are in season is a special treat, and it's even sweeter if you grow them yourself. Don't get me wrong--I love to splurge on bananas and pineapples--things that will never grow in Indiana--but if we can reduce the amount of "out of season" and non-native produce we buy just a little bit, it can make a huge difference. Take a look at the label on those fruits and veggies next time you're at the store. Where were they grown? How many miles did it take to get them to your local supermarket, and at what cost to the farmers who grew them and the environment?
Want to get in on the local produce buying scene? You're in luck! It's easier than ever these days. Farmer's markets are very popular these days. Many communities have them on days other than Saturdays now, so you can sleep in on the weekend and still hit one up during the week. Consider joining a Community Supported Agriculture program, which brings amazing local produce right to your door! Participants subscribe to the program, which guarantees the farmers a fair price for their produce and other goods, and in turn we get the best of the best of their harvest. When my Basic Roots (look Kay and Sue up on Facebook for more info) delivery comes in the middle of each month, it's like Christmas! Even the Marsh supermarket closest to my house carries some local produce. Choosing this over something trucked in from Mexico guarantees that I get the very best produce for the smallest carbon impact.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Two green thumbs up!
It's gardening season at the 1543 and we couldn't be happier! Getting my hands dirty, growing tasty, healthy food, and making my yard beautiful puts a smile on my face. The garden is full of broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, beets, rhubarb, lettuce, asparagus, leeks, and onions right now. I can't wait to eat them! I've also expanded my blueberry patch from one bush to three this year. I won't get any berries from the two new bushes this year, but my efforts will pay off soon! Inside, I'm starting strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, herbs, watermelon, and sqaush. I don't usually have a lot of luck starting seeds inside, but I got a great idea from a friend and I'm hoping it works out--I planted the seeds in one of those little plastic "greenhouses" and placed a heating pad on the lowest setting underneath it. This keeps the seeds nice and toasty and they are off to a rockin' start already.
The yard is looking beautiful too! I have tulips coming up all over the place--a sure sign of spring. I also re-did some flower beds around the yard and they look very nice. My next big project is to re-do the hill in my front yard. I'd like to till up the grass and put down a bed of rocks and creeping phlox. It's one of my favorite flowers. Not to mention that it would really cut down on how much I have to mow...
Check out Caddie, cheesin' by the tulips. She wants to spend all of her time outside these days. The cats have even gotten to explore the great outdoors recently, although they're a little more apprehensive. The backyard is our little oasis!
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