Pollinators include bees, butterflies, other insects, bats, and some birds.  The numbers of many types of pollinators are declining because of pesticide use and habitat loss. This article on pollinator-friendly gardens has helpful links and information to consider as you plan your garden or pots of flowers on the porch.  One of the links leads to lists of native wildflowers by region.  The article also includes information such as that some hybrid flowers are beautiful but so complex that bees and other insects cannot easily access the pollen and nectar. 

http://www/mmn.com/your-home/organic-farming-gardening/stories/take-cause-help-bees-and-butterfllies-pollinate

Friday, April 22, is Earth Day.  What a wonderful time to spend a few minutes enjoying the beauty of the natural world around you!  Even in the middle of a city, you can find plants, birds, animals, clouds, and weather.  It’s also a good day to do one small thing to help take care of the earth.  Remember, little things add up. 

For most of us, our goal will be reducing the use of the dryer rather than giving it up completely.  I partially dry the clothes in the dryer first, and then hang them somewhere inside the house to finish drying.  Or sometimes I do it the other way around.  Either way, the dryer operates for a shorter time, saving energy.  If the air in your house is dry and you have good air flow, you may not need the dryer at all for some things. 

In general, wrinkle-free clothing is manufactured to require heated tumble-dry to remove the wrinkles.  I have found that if I partially dry these items in the dryer, removing them after 8-10 minutes, and then hang them to finish drying, they look good when they are dry.  The labor for me is about the same, because the clothing needs to be hung up to prevent wrinkling even if fully dried in the dryer. 

All of that lint that collects in the dryer screen consists of tiny pieces of clothing. Not only does reducing the use of the dryer save energy, it will also reduce the wear on clothing, sheets, and towels so they last longer.  Double sustainability benefits!

If you live in a place where an outdoor clothesline is practical and allowed (many neighborhoods don’t allow them), try using the clothesline when the weather is good.  Sheets and towels dried in the sunshine smell wonderful! 

According to the energystar.gov website, clothes dryers use more energy than any other household appliance. Fortunately, there ways to reduce the energy used to dry clothes. If your dryer has a moisture sensor, choose the drying cycles that use the moisture sensor. The sensor will shut off the dryer when the clothes are dry instead of running the dryer for a specific length of time. Do some experimenting with the dial or settings on your dryer. For example, if I set the moisture sensor dial completely to the “more dry” setting, the dryer will run quite a while after the clothes feel dry, so I start each drying cycle at a setting just a little closer to the “less dry” setting on the dial. 

Another tip from the energystar website is that longer drying cycles on a low heat setting use less energy.

I’ll post more ideas on drying clothes next time. 

It’s spring, and I am planning my garden. Flowers and bushes that are appropriate for my region of the country will:

• Be more likely to thrive with less care because they are adapted to the local environmental conditions
• Use less water if the climate is dry
• Support local pollinators, other insects, birds, and other critters

I found this on the epa.gov website:

“Use regionally appropriate, low water-using and native plants.

Once established, these plants require little water beyond normal rainfall. Also, because native plants are adapted to local soils and climatic conditions, they rarely require the addition of fertilizer and are more resistant to pests and diseases than are other species. Be careful when selecting exotic species, as some may be invasive, which may require more water and could displace native plants.”

Good ideas for reusing silica gel bags. I found lots of similar ideas with a quick internet search.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8lnxfqpDIo