Blog Carnivals

I had been blessed enough to be able to host the Made it From Scratch Blog Carnival for this week, but I goofed. Emma kept me up late last night and I did not get working on it soon enough. My mornings are pretty busy, so I can't do it in the morning. I might be able to make a quick post if I get up early, but blog carnivals are a lot of work. Basically, I was not organized enough and the organizer of the carnival did not know what was going on with me, so she went ahead and posted a quick and dirty carnival on her own site.

I would like to apologize to Stephanie and all the readers of the carnival for not being more organized and getting it done on time. Please check out the blog carnival and read what all the great writers have to say about making things from scratch.

This week a group of us went for a walk on Dirty Fingers Island, taking a look at the flowers and enjoying the scenery. Stephanie at Stop the Ride! tells us that It has to be done, telling us about thinning the garden.

Piedro Molinero from DIY Gardening Tips chimed in telling us More About Butterfly Gardening.

We walked around for a while longer while Tomato Lady from Little House in the Suburbs told us about her experiences Building a Cold Frame which led Stephanie from Stop the Ride! to pipe up again and tell us her End of the Summer Garden Reflections.

Victoria Everman :: Sustainable, Creative, Enlightened Living :: San Francisco wanted to tell us about the Cultivating the Web ebook, saying the New Green Food Guide Gives Inside Track on Eco-Eating and Activism. Stephanie at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood concluded by reminding us to Save the Bees.

If you would like to join our party next month, please visit Blog Carnival and submit your entry

Good day to my fellow bloggers who read this. I am blessed enough to be hosting the next Make it From Scratch carnival. This is a great carnival in which you can submit any article in which you talk about making something from scratch. This could be things such as the salsa I made the other day or the chicken coop I'm working on. It also could be some of the many other great things I've seen in some of the past issues of Make it From Scratch.

Be sure to submit your article. We ask that you only submit one article per blog and you have till midnight Sunday to submit your article. I'll have it posted by Tuesday Morning (probably Monday night, in case I oversleep on Tuesday and don't have time before work). I look forward to reading all the great submission!

We all love reading about green things. That is why your hear right? Well, I've just started a new carnival that will be a carnival that will only list other carnivals. I will not list any blog entries, unless they are carnivals. Requests for entries into the carnival will be accepted and placed in a seperate location, but mostly this will be for the carnival itself.

If you maintain a carnival, please enter it here. I may attempt to hunt some down, if I have time, but to make sure yours gets on the list, please add it. If you don't maintain it, but you like it, you can add it as well. If your canival as more than one issue during the period that the Carnival of Green Carnivals covers, then add them all. If you have more than one green carnival on your blog, add them all.

I will be the final judge as to whether the carnival is green enough. If you think there is a possibility it would be considered, feel free to make a statement as to why it should be considered. It must have some green quality though. It also has to have posted within the last 45 days prior to the intended post date. This is not a hard fast date. If it posted 46 days prior, I'll still accept it. If it was posted 90 days prior, I probably would not, but I might if I was feeling generous (or wanted more material).

Enter early and often. The short rules below:

• You can enter as many carnivals as you like
• The carnivals must be about some sort of green living (sustainability, not the color or money)
• Should have been posted within 45 days of the post date of this carnival
• Must be in English, but not all the entries need be.

I'm sorry this is so late. My daughter was sick, then my wife and then me. During that time, I forgot to post. Sorry. We have some great posts this month and I'll let them speak for themselfes this month.

Matthew Philip presents Removing the Fossil Fuel Blinders | EnviroHumanImpact | EnviroHumanImpact posted at EnviroHumanImpact, saying, "We recently published an article titled, "Removing the Fossil Fuel Blinders," which details the main problems regarding our current energy situation, the damaged economy, climate change, and global/national security. We discuss factors that contribute to the current situation, including government subsidies, politicians overlooking truly clean alternative energy in favor of offshore drilling schemes, and potential solutions and approaches we may take to abate the problems."

Kathy Hester (GeekyPoet) presents Drinks to Make with Fresh Mint posted at Chow Spice.

Jamie McIntosh presents Garden Pot Recycling posted at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog, saying, "Keep plastics out of the waste stream by reducing or eliminating your use of non-recyclable plastic gardening pots and trays."

Stephanie presents The Potato Harvest (or lack there of) posted at Stop the Ride!.

Mark J. Donovan presents Winterizing a Garden posted at HomeAdditionPlus, saying, "Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com discusses the steps in preparing your garden for winter."

Jamie McIntosh presents Save Money With Organic Produce posted at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog, saying, "Organic food sales are down at the market, but consumers still desire safe and natural produce."

Stephanie presents What is Green? posted at Stop the Ride!.

Ena Clewes presents Dealing With Garden Pests the Organic Way - Gardening Articles - Organic Gardening posted at Organic Gardening, saying, "For many gardeners, a good offense is better than a good defense when it comes to pests in the garden."

AdmirableIndia.com presents Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore: Part 2: Bonsai garden, Lotus Pond, Lalbagh lake and Rose garden posted at AdmirableIndia.com, saying, "Bonsai garden"

Melinda presents VIDEO!! Gardening 101: How To Hand-Pollinate Tomatoes & Peppers posted at One Green Generation.

Piedro Molinero presents Rose Gardening posted at DIY Gardening Tips.

Stephanie presents A Quick Easy Tomato Dish posted at Stop the Ride!, saying, "An easy way to use those tomatoes!"

Jamie McIntosh presents Sawdust in the Organic Garden posted at Jamie's Blog, saying, "Put wood shavings to work in your compost bin or garden storage area."

Sam presents How To Grow a Herb Garden in a Pot. This Tasty Garden is All About Flavor!!! posted at Surfer Sam and Friends, saying, "How to Grow a Herb Garden in a Pot This Tasty Garden Is All About Flavor Flavor, Fragrance and Flowers Herbs make a great starter garden for the beginner. And they reward you with their fragrance, flowers and flavor. No backyard? No problem! Create a herb garden in a clay pot. Your herbs will thrive in a pot on the balcony, the fire escape, the back step or inside at a sunny window. A herb garden is a good way for the novice gardener to get a successful start. Fresh herbs add more kick to your cooking and lots of vitamins for your health. Herbs grow vigorously and tolerate growing conditions that are not ideal. Creating a herb garden is quick, easy and inexpensive."

webrunner presents Coffee Grounds In Garden posted at Garden Treasures.

Many of you have seen the Dirty Fingers Blog Carnival. I post the carnivals every month, but it has been a while since I invited people to join, so I thought I'd do that today. I am also hosting another carnival, so I thought I'd mention that as well.

What is a Blog Carnival?

For those that don't know, a blog carnival is basically a table of contents, or a list of related articles that are found on other blogs. They are sometimes broken into categories, and sometimes have a specific theme they follow. Other times they are very general.

Dirty Fingers

Dirty Fingers is a monthly blog carnival. I keep this fairly general, anything eco, gardening, home, cooking, how-to, etc will be considered. The point is that it is something you get dirty doing. You get dirty hands when you cook, when you garden, when you build, so these will all be considered.

To submit an article, visit Blogcarnival.com.

Make It From Scratch

I will be hosting the October 7th issue of Make It From Scratch. This weekly blog is focused on things that are hand made. In living sustainably, we have to learn to make things our selves from local material. That is why I'm interested in this particular blog. It is also often less expensive to do things yourself than it is to pay someone else to do it. That is not always the case, but often.

Tired Garden is proud to bring you the sixth edition of the Dirty Fingers Blog Carnival. This issue is a little smaller than some of the others, because I forgot to set up the carnival until mid month. We still have 7 great articles for you to look though. We even have a couple of great articles that are outside of our normal gardening and housing fare. I'm including these because they do have a component that is sustainable. Read on and be sure to comment on the articles if you see something worth commenting on. This makes us bloggers really excited.

Over fishing has been a major concern for many over the years. Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society understands this and helps in the fight to preserve our waters by educating the fisherman in the society. Check out Bass Fishing Techniques | Bass fishing Tips, Tricks and advice at Bass Fishing Techniques.

Organic is awsome, but you wanna take the next step? Check out Permaculture! This is the way farming should be! Read about Permaculture -- Moving Beyond Organics at { gathering home }. Be sure to watch the video, it is very enlightening!

Seeds are awsome. I love getting the little packets, but I honestly know very little about collecting them. Well, Teri does! Read My Work as an Environmental Biologist posted at Teri's Organic Garden.

Aww, the flower. They are so lovely to look at, but have you ever looked at them closly? I mean really close? Have you looked at their organs? Check out Flowers: the business parts posted at Walking Prescott and you will get your chance to see them from the inside out.

I know you love gardens, or your would not be here. The Smith Family Garden has given us the 3 Steps to the Perfect Vegetable Garden (Part Two). This issue is dedicated to raised beds, but check out the other two steps as well.

Did you know that there are people that will pay you to come do their veggie gardens for you? Check out No dirt under your nails? No tomatoes for you! at Cincinnati Locavore, and then answer the question "If you don't grow it yourself, does it still count?"

A little vacation around India along with a trip to some pretty gardens sounds like fun. What? Those plants aren't real? Find out at Trip to Ooty: Day 2: Part 1: Ooty Lake - Boat House and Thread garden, Ooty at AdmirableIndia.com.

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

What a great bunch of articles this month! I'm excited about the turn out and look forward to reading them all. Have a good time reading them, and be sure to make useful comments on the sites that allow it. That always makes us bloggers feel good!

Lawns

We had a lot of lawn posts this month. It must be the right time of year for working on them! I for one am very grateful as I am working on my lawn this year and hope to get it in order. Although I prefer edible plantings, I need space for my daughter and dog to play.

Amy L. talks about some of the advantages of organic pesticides in her Organic Pesticides For A Safe Lawn post at Housekeeping Tips.

How to Care for Your Lawn posted at Home Life Weekly has some great tips. Although the article mentions some non organic supplies, there are many useful tips and we can just replace the herbicides and pesticides with organic methods.

Raimondo Solari talks about how our lawns suck up so much water. There has to be ways that we can still get a good looking lawn without wasting the precious resource water is becoming. Check out the tips at Inexpensive, Eco-Friendly Green Lawn Care posted at Garden Gab.

Sarah at Lawn Care Tips had a lot to tell us about helping our lawns along. Sarah will tell us what we need to know:

Organic Weed Control Methods And Herbicides | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips - Organic methods to keep those pesky weeds from ruining your lawn.
Managing Lawn Care During A Drought | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips - What to do about your lawn during a drought!
Why Is Proper Lawn Clipping Height So Important? | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips - The importance of the clipping height of your lawn
Using Organic Fertilizers For A Healthy Lawn | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips posted at Lawn Care Tips - Many people want to have a beautiful lawn without all of the harmful effects of synthetic fertilizers.

Sustainability

Melanie Rimmer uses a great parable to explain the meaning of sustainability. A must read story that makes it crystal clear what we are talking about. Check out Bean Sprouts: I Believe... posted at Bean-Sprouts.

valereee always gives us great posts. This month she tells us How to shop at a farmers' market on Cincinnati Locavore, saying, "Shopping at the farmers' market is a great way to eat sustainably!"
She also talks about eating locally. I've blogged some about the 100 mile diet, but she does a great job of talking to some of the pros and cons of it. Time, Money, Recipes: Experience is the answer posted at Cincinnati Locavore.

Ever wonder what happens to your trash once it is sent off with the garbage hauler? Well Samir Bharadwaj tells us in The Yellow Rubber Ducks Now Live Down On the Farm at Samir Bharadwaj dot Com.

Hilary Green gives us some information about hybrids on her post, Hybrid Cars Q&A at The Green Motorist.

Gardening

If you have any pets, Vera Lang wants to talk with you about Deadly And Dangerous Plants Your Pet May Find Appetizing posted at Fine Pet Care .com. Before you add a new plant to your house, be sure you know how it might effect your pet if it gets ahold of the plant.

Sonja Stewart presents A Child's Vegetable Garden: Cultivating Fun, Learning, and Responsibility posted at Parenting Squad. I love gardening with Emma, and I highly recommend every parent put together a garden with their child. This article gives some great tips.

Woman Tribune gives us a guide to Planning Your Own Vegetable Garden posted at Woman Tribune. Yes guys, I know it is a woman's site, but the article can still be used by us testosterone driven set. Read the comments too, some people have added to the conversation very nicely.

Brenda Emmett presents Planning Your Flower Garden posted at Her Gardening Blog. She said it well, so I'll let her "Planting a flower garden should be more than just throwing a few flowers into the ground and hoping they will grow. A beautiful flower garden takes a little preparation and planning in advance. There are several things to take into consideration when you are planning your flower garden."

Sam talks to us about our friendly pollinators in The Secret Lives of Bees. Honey, Health and Harvests ! Surfer Sam posted at Surfer Sam and Friends, saying, "The Secret Lives of Bees. About one-third of the human food supply depends on bee pollination. We also use honey and bee pollen as natural food products to promote wellness. Bees are beneficial for everyone. Bees, we can't do without them."

Jamie McIntosh mentions Cutworm Control at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog. Cutworms can devastate your garden, learn some good tips on controlling them.

Tip Diva always has good information for us. Today she is talking to our inner cheap scate. Mine is always taking control, so I'm always glad to find new ways to keep cheap. Top Ten Tips - Cheap Gardening is posted at Tip Diva.

Teri gives us the basics of Saving Small Lots of Dry Seed using calendula as an example on her site, Teri's Organic Garden.

Stefanie Hutson gives us some strange and beautiful pictures in Strange Plants: Plants Too Strange for Grandma's Garden posted at Vat19.com slash Blog.

If you need some compost, but don't have any on hand, talk to Condo Blues and learn How to Make Quickie Compost posted at Condo Blues.

Fun

Garden sheds can be used for so much more than holding your tools. You can write a novel, read one, or write a blog while sitting in one. Andy Boyd presents 20 Creatively Hacked Urban Garden Shed Offices posted at The News In Print, saying, "The garden shed can serve as a way for the telecommuting employee to maintain better boundaries between work and home because it's a separate space away from the rest of the house. It can also be a way to set up an office space that is functional and yet peaceful."

Submit your blog article to the next edition of dirty fingers using our

Thanks for stopping by for the April edition of the Dirty Fingers Blog Carnival. We received several good submissions this month. I am sure you will find them all very interesting. I certainly did. Read them all, post comments on their sites, and enjoy!

Lawns

When we talk about lawns, I don't know a whole lot. I wrote my Seeding the lawn entry partially because I needed to learn how to do it in order to seed my own lawn. We have a couple of entries from people who actually know a little about lawn care.

Every year, people spend millions of dollars to purchase commercial fertilizers and mulches for their lawns. Yet at the same time, they rake up the fallen leaves from neighboring trees and put them in the trash. Amy L. presents Using Fall Leaves To Fertilize And Protect Your Lawn posted at Housekeeping Tips.

Savvy lawn owners are interested in imported specialty grasses and exotic species from around the world or for their lawn. Sarah presents Choosing The Right Grass For Your Local Climate | Spring Lawn Care - Lawn Care Tips posted at Lawn Care Tips. I guess that means I have something else to think about when I start seeding!

Anecdotes

What fun is gardening without hearing the stories other gardeners tell? Jamie McIntosh says Hailstorms can bring devastation to the spring garden in Hail in the Garden posted at Suite101: Organic Gardens blog. A very interesting fact culled from this article that I'm going to have to read more about: