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    She was "That Mom" at the Grocery Store. We Can Relate.

    Live Green | Mindfulness

    Kharis Davey usually goes grocery shopping when her kids are in school. But now it's summer and her kids are home all day.  "I brought them...

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    Live Green | Planet

    Summer is in full swing, which means your yard or garden gets more of your attention.

    Whether you’re looking to up your curb appeal, cozy up your balcony or create the perfect backyard for barbeques, there are hundreds of ways you can do so while creating a sustainable lifestyle in the process. 

    In the simplest of terms, sustainability is meeting your current needs without sacrificing your future needs - and future generations' needs. This kind of living is not only nice to Mother Earth but for your own body as well.

    This summer, try adding these three practices to your yard work to transform your landscape, increase your yield, and live a more sustainable lifestyle.

    Composting

    Compost is the single most important supplement you can give your home garden. It’s simple, mostly free, and a great way to add rich nutrients to your garden and make the most of the organic waste you might ordinarily toss in the trash.

    So, how do you get started? Follow these simple steps below:

    Step 1: Create a carbon and nitrogen mixture

    For those of us compost newbies who don’t instinctively know what compostable materials are carbon and which are nitrogen, follow this rule of thumb: one-third green materials to two-thirds brown materials.

    Brown materials include eggshells, peels, dried leaves, coffee filters, bits of wood or corn stalks, and green materials include food scraps, lawn clippings, and green leaves.

    Step 2: Start on the bare ground

    Starting on the ground allows worms and other bacterium access to your pile to help induce air during the composting process. Lay branches or hay down first to aid in drainage and the aeration of your compost pile.

    Step 3: Add layers

    Try alternating between wet and dry layers of compost. Wet layers include food scraps and grass clippings. Dry layers include dried leaves, wood, and hay/straw.

    Step 4: Maintain

    You have to care for your compost pile like any other plant in your garden. Add manure, keep it moist by watering it once a week, mix in new materials when you have them and protect it during the colder months.

    Raised Garden Beds

    You can put your newly created compost to use by building, or buying a raised garden bed.

    Not only are they great for growing on small plots of land, but they also provide great drainage, help stop soil erosion, serve as a barrier to pests, provide a longer growing season, and can help keep weeds from messing with your precious produce (more on that later).

    Pro tip: if you do decide to go the DIY route, use cedar as your wood, as it’s naturally rot resistant and can be found almost anywhere.

    Edible Plants

    In order to really transform your landscape this summer, you gotta grow some edible plants.

    Not only does this give you essentially free access to whatever fruits and veggies you like (who said eating healthy was expensive?), but you’re way more likely to add them into your diet when you can literally go grab them from your backyard.

    When planting edibles, make sure you mix in other decorative plants as well as they provide microbes your edible plants would otherwise go without and attract insects like bees to help with pollination and birds to deal with pests.

    Here’s a list of yummy edible plants to get you started:

    • Blueberries 
    • Chives 
    • Artichoke Beans
    • Lavender 
    • Red Currant
    • Rhubarb  

    Make sure that while you’re giving your backyard a makeover this summer, you’re also doing your part to reduce waste in the world and thus live a healthier  — and happier — lifestyle.

    About the Author
    Live Green

    Live Green is a family of Members, Affiliates and Partners who believe life can be simple, affordable, more meaningful and fun. Our mission is to make a healthier, wealthier, eco-friendly lifestyle affordable for everyone.

      Live Green

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