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Tired Garden
Learning to live a sustainable life.

Housing from Shipping Containers?

Submitted by tired_gardener on Tue, 07/22/2008 - 14:35.

I recently heard about architects turning used shipping containers into new housing.  Shipping containers are used for a while, then they sit on our docks collecting dust.  The US imports more than we export, so the containers often do not go anywhere.  There is a place up the road from me that has them stacked up like firewood.  Making use of these hunks of useless metal would be a very good thing.

Basically, the architect takes a container, or two, or 50, or 500 and alters them in some way to make them homes.  They have been made into single family homes, apartments, schools, and more.  If you had the expertise with a torch, you could even do the work yourself.

To see a list of some architects that design these, see the list here.


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Dandelion Jelly

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 07/18/2008 - 08:32.

As I've been learning about canning, I thought I'd try some dandelion jelly. After all, dandelions are so easy to come by. The recipe called for 4 cups of petals, so I went out to get them. I came back a half hour later, with 2 cups... I made a half batch.

To collect, I picked up a bowl and headed out into the yard. I grabbed all the flowers in my yard. This added up to not a whole lot. So I headed down to a park that I know is not sprayed and started picking. After a half hour Elizabeth called to say that dinner was prepared. I got home with very grungy hands and a mere two cups of flowers. I've read that you can freeze the flowers without damaging them. Maybe next time I'll just pick a few from my yard and when my bag reached the full amount, then I'll make the jelly.

You want to pick the largest flowers you can find to keep you prep work down. You will then pull off the green. I just used my fingers to squeeze as much of the yellow flower out and pull as much of the green away as I could. Some of the green still got in, but that is ok. You want to remove as much of the green as you can, because it is bitter.

I then boiled the flowers for a few minutes to get the flavor out of them, added the sugar, forgetting that you are supposed to add the pectin first, and then added the pectin. I then remembered the lemon juice and added it. Next time I think I will make the jelly in the morning when I'm a little clearer in the head and don't make so many mistakes. I had the recipe in front of me to reference, and kept referencing, but still made mistakes.

The next day, I came back to check it out and guess what? It didn't set. I poured it back into the pan, got it heated up again, added a little more pectin and sugar and burnt it in the process. It is now too dark, and too thick. It tastes ok, but it has the look and consistency of honey.

The first recipe I read on dandelion jelly actually claimed it tasted honey-like. It does. I recommend trying it if you have not. It is a little too sweet to eat on its own, but works great on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The recipe I ended up using is this one, but I cut the recipe in half as that is how many blossoms I had.


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Recycle the Waste

Submitted by tired_gardener on Thu, 07/17/2008 - 07:37.

We have talked about reducing waste, and about reusing waste. However, there are some things that we have to buy and have waste which we can't reuse. We can toss it in the trash, but how about recycling it?

Many of us have curbside recycling. Mine allows me to put paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and tubs (no lids), all metal that fits into the bin, motor oil and glass. This is much of the most common recycled material, but there are other things we toss in there that can be recycled. Below is a list of some things you may not think of.

Rocks, concrete, etc

You usually have to pay a little to have these recycled, as they don't make anything off of it, but they will take the scrap rock material, crush it up, and use it as filler for concrete, or for land fill. We don't want it in our dumps, as it takes up the limited space we have in these nasty garbage pits.

Wood and brush

When you cut down a tree, or take out a wood fence, wall in your home, whatever, you will have some wood you need to dispose of. If you need some firewood, go ahead and burn it, but don't just toss it on a burn pile just to get rid of it. These burn piles create CO2 gas that adds to global warming. Some of the woods we build with have chemicals in them we don't want to burn (presure treated). Instead, take them to a paper mill or a recycling center. From here, the paper mills are too far away to drop at. They will allow you to drop the material for free, if you have one near by. They love for you to drop it off, because then they don't have to go hunt it down, or cut it down. It saves them time and money. If, like me, the mills are too far of a drive, you probably have a trasfer station that takes wood. They will charge you $20 or so for a big truck load, but unless you have a mill close by, it is worth it.

Styrofoam

You get a new computer, tv, stereo, whatever. It is packed in this nice styrofoam material to keep it from getting damaged in shipping. Once you have it all unpacked, you toss the packing into the trash, right? No! Styrofoam is recyclable. You cannot put it curbside, unfortunately, but you can take it to a recycling center to dump it. They should not charge you for this material.

Electronics

Electronics can be recycled too. You cannot recycle them curbside, and because of some of the things in them, it is against the law to place them in the trash. Some electronics can be rejuvinated and reused, others are beyond repair or just too old to be useful. I'd suggest taking them to a center that specializes in rejuvinating the old crap and then they can decide what to get rid of and what to reuse. You will have to pay a little for some items, such as CRT monitors and TVs (the old style with the tube) but much if it they will take as a donation (tax deductible).

Tires

Tires are a bane. We can't put them in the land fill. We can't pile them up, they might catch fire and never get put out. What are we to do? There are some things that they can be used for such as running surfaces, blacktop, asphalt and more. We don't use enough of them to use all the tires that are no longer wanted, so you will have to pay a small fee (about $1 each here) to get rid of them, but then they will take care of them until something can be found to d with them.


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Upside Down Planters: Lessons Learned

Submitted by tired_gardener on Mon, 07/14/2008 - 22:12.

I've had my upside-down planters going for a while now and they are doing very well. Only a couple of the plants I started from seed made it. I collected several from someones compost, which has me thinking more about winter sowing for next year. I've got a couple of lessons learned that I'd like to share with you.

1. Avoid plastic handled buckets. Several of my buckets are plastic handled. One broke and I lost my only pepper plant. That was a very sad day. I then emptied about half the soil out of the remaining buckets and only use metal handled buckets for the remainder. I've been meaning to add a wire reinforcement to the remaining plastic handled buckets, just in case. One is hanging in such a way that I keep expecting it to break.

If you have to use a plastic handled bucket, I suggest drilling small holed in the sides of the buckets, then sending a thick gauge wire through those holes and over the top of your mount. That way, if the plastic handles do break, the metal ones will hold the buckets up.

2. Use smaller plants types, or tie them up as needed. One of my plants has grown down a few feet and then back up a few feet. In looking at it, when it starts getting big fruit, I see two things happening. First, the stem is going to bend back and get damaged. Then, it is going to be so long that some of the fruit will be dragging on the ground. Part of the reason for upside down planters is to keep the fruit away from slugs. I have some string that I will be tying this plant up with. I'll tie any others that look the same, and this should keep them from getting damaged, or dragging on the ground.

3. Follow fertilization guidelines. I did not screw this one up too badly, but I didn't read about how to fertilize them until they were well grown. Basically, you fertilize them when they are started, and then when the first flowers set. I used an organic tomato food that I got at the nursery locally. Don't use too much as this can harm them as well.

4. Watch the water. I had one that was draining too well and the leaves are always curling. It is still very big, but I use it as a guide for when to water. Make sure they get plenty of water, but let them dry a little between soakings. In the heat, you might need to water them every day or even twice. In not so hot weather, you can let them go a couple days. But they are in pots, so they need watering more often that they would in the ground.


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Gooseberry Jam: First canning experience

Submitted by tired_gardener on Wed, 07/09/2008 - 21:50.

I mentioned a while back that I was taking a self study course in preserving. I am about 1/2 way through the course and it turns out that by preserving they mean canning. It mentions freezing as an option, but does not talk about drying or any other preserving techniques. I am learning a lot about canning though.

For my first canning attempt, I made Gooseberry Jam with the leftover berries from the Gooseberry Pie I made the other day. Again, it was very tart. I used some small jars that I go, they hold about 1/2 cup. I got 8 jars worth, so 4 cups. I had to cut the recipe to 3/4 size as that is all the berries I had. Here is the recipe I used, at full size, it should make an extra jar or two more than I got. Next I think I'm going to make dandelion jelly.

Gooseberry Jam

ingredients
4 cups chopped gooseberries *
6 cups sugar
Pectin Package

* Start with about 2 quarts of berries. Lightly chop them in the food processor, or chop them by hand. Should make about 4 cups.

Directions
Start water in canner boiling. Sterilize jars and lids. Keep jars hot.

Heat the berries in a large pot along with the pectin. Stir frequently until it reaches a full boil. Stir in sugar. Return to full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and skim foam. Fill hot jars, 1/8 - 1/4 inch from top. Wipe top, put on lid and screw on ring. Place into canner with water 1-2 inches above the tops of the jars. Cover, bring to boil. Boil for 10 minutes at sea level (adjust if at a higher altitude). Let cool 24 hours.


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Dirty Fingers - Issue 5

Submitted by tired_gardener on Sun, 07/06/2008 - 22:41.

Tired Gardens is proud to bring you another issue of the Dirty Fingers Blog Carnival. In this months issue, we have several great entries. It is late here, and has been a busy week, so I'm going to let the entries speak for themselves. Enjoy! Check out all the other blogs, and comment as well. They will appriciate it!

Gardening

Amy L. presents Creating a Butterfly Garden posted at Housekeeping Tips, saying, "A great way to bring butterflies closer to your home is with the construction of a garden that includes plants known to attract butterflies."

Tiffany Washko presents Freedom Gardens - Grow Your Own Food posted at Natural Family Living Blog.

Jeff Tincher presents Lawns Do More Than Make Your Yard Look Good | West Glenmoore, PA - Beautiful. Green. Home. posted at West Glenmoore, PA - Beautiful. Green. Home..

Victoria Evermanpresents Grow Organic Sprouts Sustainable Wisdom For All posted at Victoria Everman :: Sustainable, Creative, Enlightened Living :: San Francisco.

Tommy Smith presents Why Are Your Tomatoes Splitting - Is there hope? posted at Gardening Everyday, saying, "Learn more about this common problem."

Sarah presents Caring for Your Lawn in the Winter | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips posted at Lawn Care Tips, saying, "Even though your grass doesn't need much attention during the winter, it's still important to follow some basic seasonal lawn care guidelines, especially if you live in a cold climate."

Amy L. presents Four Secrets to Growing Indoor Miniature Roses posted at Housekeeping Tips, saying, "Every year, thousands of people purchase miniature roses, only to have them die in a few months."

Matt Johnson presents Terracycle brings earth friendly products to mass market | EnviroHumanImpact posted at EnviroHumanImpact, saying, "We recently ran an article on a relatively new sustainable gardening company called TerraCycle. It has been one of our more popular articles lately and details information on their liquid fertilizer product and all of the steps they take towards sustainable business practices. Note: This is an independent review and commentary as we have no affiliation with the company or any of its affiliates."

Sarah presents Diagnosing and Managing Brown Spots on Your Lawn | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips posted at Lawn Care Tips, saying, "If there are brown spots on your lawn, repairing them and preventing them from returning can be an exercise in frustration."

Pest Control

Jamie McIntosh presents Control Carpenter Bees posted at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog, saying, "No one likes carpenter bees drilling into their decks and homes. However, these insects have an important role in your organic garden."

Victoria E presents Aphids, Bettles and Cabbageworms - Oh My! How to Handle Garden Pests Organically posted at Victoria Everman :: Sustainable, Creative, Enlightened Living :: San Francisco.

Tip Diva presents Top Ten Tips - Treating And Preventing Mosquito Bites posted at Tip Diva, saying, "Ahh, summer. The sun is warm, the water is cool, the flowers are blooming, and unfortunately, the bugs are biting. The worst offender of them all is the mosquito, carrier of pain, itching and possible diseases like West Nile. Here’s how to treat and further prevent bites"

Food

Stephanie presents Basic Canning Equipment posted at Stop the Ride!.

valereee presents Garlic Mustard Dill Pickle Relish posted at Cincinnati Locavore, saying, "This is a great recipe for all those early small cucumbers!"

Thanks for reading. Submit your blog article to the next edition of dirty fingers using the carnival submission form at Blog Carnival. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival tag page.


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Reusing the waste: Donation Edition

Submitted by tired_gardener on Thu, 07/03/2008 - 07:46.

When we are done with something, we can toss it in the trash, reuse it for something else, recycle it, or donate it so that someone else can use it. There are a lot of things that can be donated and a lot of organizations that can use your donations. There may even be some things that you do not realize can be donated that are really wanted. In this article I will focus on some of the items that may be less clear that they can be donated. Take a look at these cool ideas for donating your extra junk.

Crocs

Take your worn out Crocs and donate them to SolesUnited. This is technically recycling, as they will turn them into brand new shoes, but since they then take those new shoes and give them to shoe-less needy.

Hair

When your hair grows long, you get it cut. If you cut enough off, you can donate it to Locks of Love. They will turn your hair into a beautiful wig for children that have lost their hair. If you would rather donate to adult women cancer patients, you can notate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

You

Research is done on humans all the time. Medical students learn on cadavers. Body parts are used to transplant into living people with parts that are failing. When you are gone, your body can save lives. You have to let your loved ones know that you want to do this though. If you don't how can you let people know? You can check the little box on your drivers license, if your state or country does that, but it is your family that will make the decision. Talk to them. And check out MedCure in the mean time.

Autos, Boats, RV, Etc

I'm often surprised at how many people don't realize that your old worn out car, trailer, boat, RV, whatever can be donated. There are many organizations, local and national, that will take your old vehicle and sell it. Some just turn around and sell them as is, some have crews that fix them up and sell them. Some are used to train people in how to repair. I donated my old truck to Kars4Kids but there are many other organizations out there. Find one that means something to you and donate there.

Appliances

Ever tried to donate an appliance to Goodwill or some other organization? They will turn you away. They don't have the facilities to repair them and it takes them more money to dispose of them. Some people will just dump them at the donation site while no-one is looking. This is illegal. There are places that you can donate them though. GE has a list of a few national organizations. If you call around, you can find some local places too.

Blood

Yes, blood. The Red Cross collects at locations throughout the US. For non-us readers, I'm sure there is an organization near you as well. This donation costs you nothing, but time, and can save lives. No, it does not fit perfectly in this list, as many people know about it, and you are not technically done with the blood when you donate it, but it is so important that I thought I'd mention it.

Announce it!

If you donate, let others know. This may seem like bragging and it could be, but your donating could get someone else to do the same thing. Maybe you donated some hair. Someone else has long hair and wants to cut it short. They may not have known that hair could be donated. You can be a voice and let others know that they can donate. If you have a website, use our I Donate badge to let others know.


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Gooseberries in season

Submitted by tired_gardener on Sun, 06/29/2008 - 22:45.

Elizabeth and I went to the farmers market yesterday. I always like going there. One of the farmers had gooseberries. I've always wanted to try them, ever since I saw Snow White and heard her refer to gooseberry pie. They also show up a lot in other children's books. I got a half flat for $12. I used half of them to make a gooseberry pie. The other half I'll use to make some gooseberry jam. I'll make it tomorrow.

The pie was good, although a little tarter than I expected. Gooseberries are quite tart, but with all the sugar, I expected them to be sweeter. The crust I made was a little tough too. We also wanted to dig in right away, while it was warm. It is supposed to cool, which allows it to congeal more and make nicer looking slices. All in all, for the first pie I've ever made, it turned out quite good. After I make the jam, I'll let you know how my first attempt at jam goes.

Here is the recipe I used for the pie. I got it from the farmer I got the gooseberries from.

Gooseberry Pie

Makes 8 servings. Takes 1 hour.

Ingredients

  • Pastry for 9 inch double-crust pie (I used one from the pillsbury cook book. I added a little too much water.)
  • 4 cups fresh or frozen gooseberries
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon light cream or milk
  • Sugar (about 2 teaspoons)

Preparation

  1. Prepare and roll out pastry for a double crust pie.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine berries and 1 tablespoon water. Cook over medium-low heat till the berries "pop", stirring occasionally.
  3. Combine the sugar, the flour and netmeg; add to the gooseberries in the saucepan. Cook and stir till mixture just begins to bubble.
  4. Spread mixture on the pastry lined pie pan. Add the top crust. Seal and flute edge. Cut slits for steam to escape. Brush top crust with cream or milk. Sprinkle with the sugar. Cover the edge of the pie with foil.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for another 20 minutes or till top is golden. Cool.

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Canning Lessons

Submitted by tired_gardener on Fri, 06/27/2008 - 09:39.

Since I'm not working while working on my masters, finances are tight. Also the cost of gas and food has skyrocketed since I figured the budget for the two year program. Now I need to be creative to save money. One thing I'm learning is how to can.

Canning has been around for a long time, but has lost favor in the last few decades. With the rising costs, it has come back into favor. Also, home canned foods taste so much better. Besides, you get more control. You can decide what goes into it. If you want to can your pears in pineapple juice, you can. I bet you wouldn't be able to find that in the store.

I thought I should take a class, because I've never canned. In hunting around, I found one that was my favorite price. My frugal friends will like it as much as I do. The National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia offers a Preserving Food at Home: A Self-Study course for free. You must register to take the class.  You get 6 months to complete the course.

I got my password a month ago, and today is the first time I've logged in.  I have 5 months to finish the course. Today I took the pretest and scored 70%.  It was multiple guess, so I probably would not have scored so well had it been short answer.  I'll let you know more as I continue the program.

 


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I Donate, do you?

Submitted by tired_gardener on Wed, 06/25/2008 - 11:05.

Do you donate? If you donate, that is great. I thank you. The receivers of your donation thank you. Everyone should donate. I am not going to presure you to donate, but if you do, let everyone know. Let's challange everyone to donate. Just get the badge below, put it on your site to let your readers know that you donate and then comment below, so I can let my readers know.

My Story

As I was painting my ceiling and listening to Todd Agnew. I began thinking about how poor I am. I'm a student, so I have no money coming in. Then I thought about how poor other people are in comparison. I'm not so poor.

We (my wife and I) often complain about being poor. We live fairly modestly, but we are far from being poor. No one in this household knows how it feels to be hungry. To know hunger you have to have gone days, weeks, months, without enough food. We have and have always had, a good solid roof over our heads. No, we don't have much money. It is likely that our savings will be gone by the time I finish my masters, but we are doing pretty good. Others are not.

God spoke to me through the music. He reminded me of a promise I made that I have not kept good on. I had made a pledge to KLOVE and since I have no income, I chose to not send in the pledge. KLOVE helps people who are in dire straights. Their pastors are available by phone, 24 hours a day, every day to talk people who have nowhere else to turn away from their poor decisions and toward Christ. Last night, I sent in the payment to get me caught up on my pledge. Do you have a past due pledge you need to send in?

I had also promised myself that 10% of all income I get will go to charity. I got a temp job doing some web design work over the summer. I've already sent in the 10% from my first check. I also got a small commission check from my advertisers on this site. Every dollar I make, from this site, from my other sites, from my job, from any other form of income I end up with, I will give 10% to charity. I pray I will do this for the rest of my life.

Challenge

Here is my challenge to you. I challenge you to make a donation. Talk to God, He will tell you how much and where to. Once you have made your donation, post a comment below and let your users know that you donate by including the I Donate Badge below on your page. This will let everyone who visits your site know that you are dedicated to donating. Your badge is good for one year, then you should make another donation. The amount of your donation is up to you, and I have no way of auditing you to find out if you are actually making the donations. That is between you and God.

If you do not believe in God, or worship another god, that should not stop you from helping out a comminity that needs your support. Please don't let my religious beliefs get in the way of your doing a good deed.

What do I get?

Some people need a reason to donate. Other just donate because it makes them feel good. If you donate, let me know, and put the badge on your site, you will get your name on the Blog Roll below. I will periodically visit sites on the list, comment, stumble, etc. I encourage others who are on the list to do the same thing. The more you comment and stumble, the bigger this community will grow. Twit some pages. Add them to your social bookmarking sites.

Badge

Put this badge on your site to announce your participation: I Donate

<a href="http://tiredgarden.info/blogs/tiredgardener/i-donate-do-you"> <img src="http://tiredgarden.info/files/logos/idonate.png" alt="I Donate" /></a>

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