Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
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Courtesy of the Empress of Dirt on Facebook
How To Build A Pond In A Box
Pond-in-a-box planted with lavender and pansies
I think I came up with the idea of building a pond-in-a-box or raised bed out of desperation. The narrow front garden near the front door of our previous house was un-gardenable and unsightly due to a deep mess left behind by the house builders.
I really wanted to have something beautiful by the front door where we could enjoy it every day. The pond was originally installed in two different locations in the back garden but that made it hard to check on it during the winter months. The front garden was an ideal location both for enjoying it and making sure the fish were fine each day.
Before you install any pond, you have consider safety. Where we lived, it was legal to install anything less than two feet deep. Beyond that, it is absolutely not worth the risk if you have any little kids in the neighborhood who may be tempted to come play with the water. Our only visitors were cats who thought they could fish. But couldn't. So ha! to them.
I had long resisted the idea of raised beds in the garden at all but when I finally tried some, I was converted. They are a great antidote to poor growing conditions and provide extra warmth and protection for vegetables. For the pond, the raised beds made it much easier to access everything for maintenance like cleaning the pump and adjusting the plants as they grew.
My first water lily
VEGGIE TIP: A farmer told me that rabbits won't jump into something they cannot see, so I built my raised beds taller than a standard rabbit's head. And it worked! Despite a huge bunny population, they never ventured into my raised veggie beds. The squirrels, however, are another story, although they just seemed to want to bury things there, not eat anything. (?)
I planted both annuals and perennials around the pond
Here's some Pond-In-A-Box 101
I used a prefab pond form but a pond liner could work as well. You'll need to plan for the raised bed to be as tall or taller than your pond is high.
You can bury the pond part way in the ground or have the whole thing sit on top of the ground.
In my case, the ground was so hard to dig (due to dumped cement leftovers) that I opted to go on top.
You need enough extra soil to fill in all the spaces between the pond form and the sides of the box (raised bed).
You also need access to a proper (ground fault protected) outdoor electrical outlet to run a small circulating pond pump all year round. You can learn more about this in my Pond How-Tos listed below.
It's a fish eat fish world
Raised Bed Building Supplies
Wood
I used 2"x2"x4' wooden spikes (8 of them). These are regular 2x2s: I have the guys at the shop cut the ends into spikes so they're easy/easier to drive into the ground.
Choose your lumber to match the size of your pond form and the wood available where you are. My pond was just under 4x6', which works perfectly with 8' lumber to create a 4x8' raised bed.
I always use untreated lumber because I don't want the poisons from pressure treated lumber in my garden near wildlife or veggies if I can avoid it.
I used eight 8' long x 8" wide x 2" thick pieces of wood. I had the shop guys cut two pieces in half for the short sides. In other words, four 8x8's form the long sides, and four 4x8' pieces form the short sides. (I prefer 1" thick lumber but I couldn't find any for this project.)
Other Supplies
Deck screws (size depends on the thickness of the lumber you get)
Electric drill and drill bit and screwdriver bit (to predrill holes and insert screws)
Level
Pencil
Sledge hammer to drive spikes into ground
Circulating pump appropriate for your pond size (usually 250-500 gallons for small pond forms)
Pond plants
Bricks to support the pond plant containers at the right level in the water.
Fish (but not yet). I use 'feeder' gold fish from the pet store.
See Advice for starting a new garden pond below
Assembly
Assemble one 4x8' box, simply attaching all corners together with deck screws. Predrill the holes first so nothing splits.
Place this first box where you want it in the garden, and then drive in the 8 evenly-spaced 2x2x4 support spikes (inside the box) as deep as they can go, using the box as placement guide. Four of these spikes occupy the inner corners of the box. The other 4 will support the long sides. You can see them in my photos.
When the spikes are in all the way, screw box #1 in place, to the spikes. Use the level to make sure it's perfect on all four sides. A crooked box is not a thing of beauty. Don't worry if there's a gap between the bottom of the box and the ground: you'll be filling it with soil later.
Assemble box #2 and then place it on top of box #1, to form a double raised bed. Check it with the level before attaching it to the spikes.
Saw off the spikes to be level with the tops of the sides.
Testing to see if the pond form works in this location
Next
Insert the pond form.
Fill in the gaps in the box with soil. Remove any soil that falls into the pond.
Figure out how you want to arrange to circulating pump and filter.
Add water.
Wait a few days for the chlorine to off-gas before adding water plants.
Add plants to the soil around the pond.
It's best to wait 2-3 weeks before adding fish to make sure everything is running fine and to give the pond a chance to become pondy. You want there to be some natural food available for the fish (i.e. good pond scum etc.). The fish are, of course, optional.
Winter pond with floating pond heater (not recommended)
Winter
So long as you keep the water circulating all winter long, the fish survive. They simply go dormant in cold water.
One year I used a floating pond heater but I found it was too warm and caused some excessive algae growth.
The next years I just used the regular pond pump and placed it right at the bottom of the pond with the spout aiming up. That worked fine.
If it amuses you, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or subscribe to this blog (it's free).
====================================================================
Courtesy of the Empress of Dirt on Facebook
How To Build A Pond In A Box
Pond-in-a-box planted with lavender and pansies
I think I came up with the idea of building a pond-in-a-box or raised bed out of desperation. The narrow front garden near the front door of our previous house was un-gardenable and unsightly due to a deep mess left behind by the house builders.
I really wanted to have something beautiful by the front door where we could enjoy it every day. The pond was originally installed in two different locations in the back garden but that made it hard to check on it during the winter months. The front garden was an ideal location both for enjoying it and making sure the fish were fine each day.
Before you install any pond, you have consider safety. Where we lived, it was legal to install anything less than two feet deep. Beyond that, it is absolutely not worth the risk if you have any little kids in the neighborhood who may be tempted to come play with the water. Our only visitors were cats who thought they could fish. But couldn't. So ha! to them.
I had long resisted the idea of raised beds in the garden at all but when I finally tried some, I was converted. They are a great antidote to poor growing conditions and provide extra warmth and protection for vegetables. For the pond, the raised beds made it much easier to access everything for maintenance like cleaning the pump and adjusting the plants as they grew.
My first water lily
VEGGIE TIP: A farmer told me that rabbits won't jump into something they cannot see, so I built my raised beds taller than a standard rabbit's head. And it worked! Despite a huge bunny population, they never ventured into my raised veggie beds. The squirrels, however, are another story, although they just seemed to want to bury things there, not eat anything. (?)
I planted both annuals and perennials around the pond
Here's some Pond-In-A-Box 101
I used a prefab pond form but a pond liner could work as well. You'll need to plan for the raised bed to be as tall or taller than your pond is high.
You can bury the pond part way in the ground or have the whole thing sit on top of the ground.
In my case, the ground was so hard to dig (due to dumped cement leftovers) that I opted to go on top.
You need enough extra soil to fill in all the spaces between the pond form and the sides of the box (raised bed).
You also need access to a proper (ground fault protected) outdoor electrical outlet to run a small circulating pond pump all year round. You can learn more about this in my Pond How-Tos listed below.
It's a fish eat fish world
Raised Bed Building Supplies
Wood
I used 2"x2"x4' wooden spikes (8 of them). These are regular 2x2s: I have the guys at the shop cut the ends into spikes so they're easy/easier to drive into the ground.
Choose your lumber to match the size of your pond form and the wood available where you are. My pond was just under 4x6', which works perfectly with 8' lumber to create a 4x8' raised bed.
I always use untreated lumber because I don't want the poisons from pressure treated lumber in my garden near wildlife or veggies if I can avoid it.
I used eight 8' long x 8" wide x 2" thick pieces of wood. I had the shop guys cut two pieces in half for the short sides. In other words, four 8x8's form the long sides, and four 4x8' pieces form the short sides. (I prefer 1" thick lumber but I couldn't find any for this project.)
Other Supplies
Deck screws (size depends on the thickness of the lumber you get)
Electric drill and drill bit and screwdriver bit (to predrill holes and insert screws)
Level
Pencil
Sledge hammer to drive spikes into ground
Circulating pump appropriate for your pond size (usually 250-500 gallons for small pond forms)
Pond plants
Bricks to support the pond plant containers at the right level in the water.
Fish (but not yet). I use 'feeder' gold fish from the pet store.
See Advice for starting a new garden pond below
Assembly
Assemble one 4x8' box, simply attaching all corners together with deck screws. Predrill the holes first so nothing splits.
Place this first box where you want it in the garden, and then drive in the 8 evenly-spaced 2x2x4 support spikes (inside the box) as deep as they can go, using the box as placement guide. Four of these spikes occupy the inner corners of the box. The other 4 will support the long sides. You can see them in my photos.
When the spikes are in all the way, screw box #1 in place, to the spikes. Use the level to make sure it's perfect on all four sides. A crooked box is not a thing of beauty. Don't worry if there's a gap between the bottom of the box and the ground: you'll be filling it with soil later.
Assemble box #2 and then place it on top of box #1, to form a double raised bed. Check it with the level before attaching it to the spikes.
Saw off the spikes to be level with the tops of the sides.
Testing to see if the pond form works in this location
Next
Insert the pond form.
Fill in the gaps in the box with soil. Remove any soil that falls into the pond.
Figure out how you want to arrange to circulating pump and filter.
Add water.
Wait a few days for the chlorine to off-gas before adding water plants.
Add plants to the soil around the pond.
It's best to wait 2-3 weeks before adding fish to make sure everything is running fine and to give the pond a chance to become pondy. You want there to be some natural food available for the fish (i.e. good pond scum etc.). The fish are, of course, optional.
Winter pond with floating pond heater (not recommended)
Winter
So long as you keep the water circulating all winter long, the fish survive. They simply go dormant in cold water.
One year I used a floating pond heater but I found it was too warm and caused some excessive algae growth.
The next years I just used the regular pond pump and placed it right at the bottom of the pond with the spout aiming up. That worked fine.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
NO-GRATE HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP
NO-GRATE HOMEMADE LAUNDRY SOAP
Despite all the enthusiasm over making homemade laundry detergent recently…I continue to hear murmurings from those who just can’t bring themselves to grate soap and cook it on the stove.
It apparently just isn’t going to happen. :-)
I’m not naming any names…but my older sister would probably freely admit she didn’t decide to even attempt making her own laundry detergent UNTIL I told her about this “new” recipe I was testing out.
(I know it seems like I’m always “picking on” her…but she called me a“brat” on her blog recently…so she pretty much deserves it. lol).
Once again I have to credit the incredible readers of this blog for my inspiration.
Tiffanie posted this on February 4th….
A close friend of mine has been making laundry soap like this one for years, until just recently she found an easier one to make and passed it on to us.
3 Tablespoons Borax
3 Tablespoons Washing Soda
2 Tablespoons Dawn Dish soap
Put these ingredients in a one gallon jug. Pour 4 cups boiling water into the jug. Swirl until ingredients are dissolved in the liquid. Let liquid cool. Then fill almost to the top with cold water. The bubbles will overflow out of the bottle.
I love this because you can pick an awesome scent with the Dawn dish soap. This dish soap works the best because it gets grease out. :o)
February 4, 2012 8:59 PM
As FOND as I am of the soap I’ve been using for over 8 months now…I felt I needed to at least give this version a fair shake. Sooo…I made up a gallon of it and have been using it for almost a week. I’ve used almost the entire gallonand despite my initial skepticism…I have not noticed any difference in it’s ability to get my clothes clean from my current recipe. I use approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup per load. I know that sounds like a lot, but it’s pretty thin and since it’s SO easy and inexpensive to make, it doesn’t bother me.
Of course there are still those items of clothing that will need an extra boost with some “Homemade Shout” or“Homemade Oxi-Clean”….but overall I honestly haven’t noticed any difference in it’s cleaning ability.
For those of you concerned with HE washers…I haven’t noticed any more soap suds with this “recipe” either. On a small load I will notice some sudsing…but on a large load…it appears to me to be as low-suds as my previous version.
So….today I offer up this “new” version of homemade laundry detergent to those who have to this point been reluctant or unwilling to try making their own. A couple of things that might convince you to try…no grating of soap…no cooking…and you can make one gallon at a time in just a few minutes.
If you DO decide to try it…I would love to know what you think. :-)
Another homemade laundry detergent for those “allergic” to grating soap… :-)
How to clean your dishwasher naturally.
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR DISHWASHER
Someone recently asked about cleaning the inside of the dishwasher.
Anonymous said…
This sounds great, I’m going to try it next time I get groceries…..Do you have a recipe to use for cleaning the dishwasher itself? Mine is VERY old and well, yucky. Anything I can use to sparkle it up a bit without hurting my back climbing inside the machine? lol
February 10, 2012 8:09 pm
After reading this my initial reaction was….Washing the Washer? Cleaning the Cleaner? Was this really necessary?
I gave it some thought and even did some research on it…but sort of shuffled it to the bottom of the “To Do” Listbecause it wasn’t something I had had to deal with…yet….since our dishwasher is less than a year old.
Well, SOMEONE must have thought I had put it off long enough….because yesterday when I opened my dishwasher, this is what I found!
A whole lot of dirty dish water standing in the bottom of it. ugh. Not good. That will teach me to procrastinate!
It was the middle of the day with no hubster around to consult with…so I decided it was the PERFECT time to re-visit my research into How To Clean Your Dishwasher….which really seems like an odd thing to even type when you think about it….CLEAN your DishWASHER?? Sounds mixed up to me! I mean the thing is running what seems like 24 hours a day…how can it get DIRTY??? Well, it turns out there are LOTS of ways it can get gunk and junk in it that need to be cleaned. Tiny bits of food, grease and soap scum can cling together and get deposited in corners of the dishwasher. After a time, they can not only make your dishwasher look and smell bad…but decrease its’ efficiency.
Well I knew it was only a matter of time before my dishwasher started to smell bad if I didn’t find a way to get rid of the standing water in the bottom. All the articles I read on this subject (and there were many!) all boiled down to basically 3 (sometimes 4) easy steps.
FiRST….pull the bottom rack out and examine the drain area and make sure there are no hard chunks that can plug the drain, cause damage to the pump or scratch dishes. You’d be surprised at what dishwasher repairmen find – bones, crab shells, chips of glass, and even small pieces of gravel!
So I got down on my knees and stuck my head in there and lo and behold I DID find a “hard chunk” plugging the drain…………
Yep, that’s a hard chunk alright. :-/ I swear folks! That is the first time I have EVER had that happen!! I have found the occasional utensil fallen down there….but never something like this. I was actually quite horrified when I saw it! I thought my dishwasher MUST be a goner! But I figured I’d come this far…I wasn’t stopping now. So I pulled up my “big girl panties” and continued the task at hand.
Now that I had discovered the “chunk”…I felt all around the drain to make sure there were no MORE chunks hiding. Couldn’t find a single piece of anything. So I proceeded to the next step.
SeCOND…..Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of the dishwasher. Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle – except for the cup of vinegar, the dishwasher needs to be empty.
The vinegar will help to wash away the loose, greasy grime, sanitizes, and helps remove the musty odor.
If you don’t have any white vinegar, you may substitute a packet of unsweetened lemonade mix in the soap cup. Don’t experiment with other flavors as they may stain the inside of your dishwasher.
ThIRD…..After using the vinegar to sanitize the inside of the dishwasher, sprinkle a cupful of baking soda around the bottom of the tub and run it through a short but complete cycle using the hottest water. The baking soda will help freshen the smell of the dishwasher as well as brighten up the look of the inside of your appliance by removing stains.
(OPTIONAL):
If you have problems with mold and mildew, add ½-1 cup bleach in the bottom of the dishwasher and run a full cycle. NOTE: DO NOT USE BLEACH IN YOUR DISHWASHER IF YOU HAVE A STAINLESS STEEL INTERIOR).
So…..did it work??? Sure did! My dishwasher is now squeaky clean and fresh smelling and NO standing water! Let’s hear it for no dishwasher repair bill!!!
Now that the dishwasher is clean and running right………here are a few IMPORTANT tips to KEEP it that way….until the next cleaning. (A routine dishwasher cleaning is a good habit to get into. And you have to admit…now that you know how it’s done…it’s not that hard.)
*Run the garbage disposal before starting the dishwasher. The dishwasher drains into the same pipe as your sink, so that drain must be clear.
*Run a bit of hot water in your sink before running the dishwasher. You will get cleaner dishes if the water starts hot. You can collect the water you run and use it for watering plants or other purposes. Run the water until what comes out of the tap feels hot.
*Make sure your water starts hot enough. Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120F (50C). Water that is cooler than this won’t do a good job cleaning. Water that is hotter could scald.
*Run full loads to conserve water and energy, but don’t pack dishes too tightly. Dishwashers wash dishes by spraying water over them, so the water needs to be able to get to the dishes to clean them.
*If you are inclined to pre-wash your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher, consider this. Dishwasher detergent NEEDS a certain amount of grease and dirt in order to do its job. Otherwise, it actually foams up during the cycle which is not good for your dishwasher.
Now Go Forth And Clean!!! :-)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Malanism - what is it?
In nature we always stumble across something new, or something never seen before. Its not normally, by my experience, that we would find a breed within an existing family of familiar animals something overtly unique such as this guy...
He is called the Melanistic Lion. Melanism is a pigmentation issue in the colour of a breed of animals. And example would be a Black Panther for instance. The animal is really more or less a female lion / panther but we naturally called it a black panther because of its popularity in nature. It is not a uncommon to see as a melanistic lion for instance. Which makes the this male lion all the more unique.
Melanism occurs in all breeds of animals in nature, including humans. Shown below are 10 such animals recurring in nature. I have intentionally left out human melanism. I would suggest you search the term to see images in nature as some people might find them disturbing. I don't but I don't know others may.
Source of information is taken mostly from Wikipedia (click for full explanation)
1. Melanistic Big Cats aka Black Panthers
Photograph via bencowtastic on Imgur
2. Melanistic (all black) Ratsnake
Photograph via Windy @ CaptiveBred Reptile Forums
3. Melanistic (Black) Fawn
Photograph by R.M. Buquoi @ rmbphotographics.com
4. Melanistic (Black) Wolf
Photograph via bencowtastic on Imgur
5. Melanistic (Black) King Penguin
Photograph by Carl Safina @ CarlSafina.org
6. Melanistic (Black) Zebra
Photograph via bencowtastic on Imgur
7. Melanistic (Black) Red Fox
Photograph by shesnuckingufts on Flickr
8. Melanistic (Black) Eastern Blue Tongue Lizards
Photograph by Blue Tongue Lizard @ bluetonguelizard.com.au
9. Melanistic (Black) Seal
Photograph via bencowtastic on Imgur
10. Melanistic Eastern Grey Squirrel (Black Squirrel)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
What is being done now with a post I listed earlier. Only Profitably.
http://www.acdivoca.org/site/ID/news-Women-Green-Business-Turns-Greater-Profit-Paraguay
About Us
February 29, 2012
WOMEN’S ‘GREEN’ BUSINESS TURNS GREATER PROFIT
Better Tools Double Output of Women’s Recycled Bottle Brooms
Making brooms from discarded plastic soda bottles is an even more profitable money-making venture for the Women’s Association of San Francisco de Asís in northern Paraguay, thanks to an ACDI/VOCA economic empowerment initiative.
Recycled Bottles Yield New ‘Green’ Business Venture
Many rural families in Paraguay—the second poorest country in South America—struggle to find a way to support themselves as agriculture becomes commercialized. Natural resources are scarce; deforestation is rampant, and infrastructure is weak. While illicit income-generating activities such as money laundering and drug trafficking persist, finding ways to earn money legally poses challenges for most people, particularly in the sparsely populated northern region.
In 2010, the government department, La Gobernación de San Pedro y la Municipalidad de Guayaibí, trained an association of 19 women how to convert bottles into brooms.
After cleaning the bottles with a special alcohol mixture, the women cut them into strips, twist the strips into threads and attach these threads to wooden frames and handles. Making one broom takes 36 two-liter plastic bottles twisted into 400 threads.
With the training, the women now had the knowledge and skills to expand their business. Still, they lacked the equipment to enhance efficiency. The process—primarily done by hand—often took hours.
Women Get Drills, Other Tools
Through the USAID-funded North Zone Initiative, or Iniciativa Zona Norte (IZN) as it is known locally, ACDI/VOCA worked with local partners to identify specific community groups, such as this women’s association, that could benefit from assistance.
After meeting with the 19 association members, assessing their current equipment and hearing about future plans, IZN staff supplied the women with better broom-making tools, including drills, cutters, pliers and work tables.
Right Tools Help Women Double Output
With the right tools, the women increased their output by 100 percent. They now make about 16 to 20 brooms per month, which earns the group between $220 and $250 per month, minus material costs.
Brigida Duarte, the association’s president, says the women are grateful for ACDI/VOCA’s assistance. Members have used the extra income to support their children's education and pay for other family expenses.
Next, Duarte says, the association’s members plan to expand the business to include soap and other housecleaning products for local sale.
Learn more about ACDI/VOCA’s work in Paraguay.
See more photos of the women's association on Flickr.
Pictured at top left: Members of the Women’s Association of San Francisco de Asís stand with brooms they made using equipment provided by ACDI/VOCA's USAID-funded program.
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