Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Plant Some Food

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)!

Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!

If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

This post contains great information and I encourage you to read through it at your leisure ... however, if you are short on time, you might find the following quick links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Our Last Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

Last week we addressed the plight of the Monarch Butterfly, whose populations are rapidly decreasing due, primarily, to the use of herbicides. I signed a petition asking the EPA to adopt tough new restrictions on weed killers. A few weeks ago, I planted wild flowers; however, I wasn't sure if Milkweed (the Monarch's primary food source and where they lay their eggs) was included in my seed mix so I went on a hunt for them. I found a great site (http://www.livemonarch.org/donation.htm) where one can get seeds for a small donation. I also found a local Asheville store, The Compleat Naturalist, which is giving away free Milkweed seeds ... no purchase necessary, no strings attached, just a firm desire to help our winged friends. I'll be planting a dedicated butterfly garden in the next few days.

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments.

Argentum Vulgaris accepted the challenge and planted Milkweed. Or did he? Find out in Change the World Wednesday – 28th May.

Betsy accepted the challenge and shared this: "I am trying to cultivate milkweek in my yard. Petition SIGNED! Thanks for hosting as always, Small Footprints. I can't help myself from coming over here from Triberr when I see you have a new post up : ) " Thanks, Betsy ... I love that we're Triberr mates!

Alicia joined us and shares a bit about one of my favorite places, "BUTTERFLY TOWN, U.S.A.": "Thanks so much for the link to the petition! I am excited to try Milkweed this year and hoping that it will draw lots of butterflies. This is going to be a fun challenge to see if what we plant will draw them. I also read that daisy's, goldenrod and coneflower are some others that will draw them.I think we will try planting all of these and see how it works out! When we lived in Northern California we meat to go to Pacific Grove to see all of Monarch Butterflies that come there each year and hang out ( literally ) in the Eucalyptus groves They are there from October -February then they continue their migration south. They hang in clusters from the branches to maintain their body temp.Pacific Grove created this sanctuary to preserve the Monarchs but also make available an awesome opportunity to observe these amazing butterflies.If you live anywhere near there you should definitely check it out.Here is a link if anyone would like to read more about this sanctuary. http://www.pacificgrove.org/things-to-do/top-attractions/monarch-butterflies/3 The numbers have been down there also and I believe that it has a lot to do with pesticides and herbicides. We all should be aware of not using these harmful chemicals. There are many organic chemical free options to choose from."

CelloMom stopped by. Here's what she has to say: "Signed! A few years ago, we brought home a monarch chrysalis, attached to - you may guess - a milkweed twig. We watched the magic of the hatching. And after the monarch had flown away, my CelloPlayer carefully collected the seeds, and scattered it all over the yard. It's still coming back. The monarch is also one of the main characters in Barbara Kingsolver's latest novel, "Flight Behavior", which highlights how global warming also affects the monarch's migration. She paints a wonderful - and hilarious - picture of the main characters, improbably named Dellarobia. A great read." Sounds like a great book, CelloMom ... thanks for the recommendation! By the way, if you haven't visited CelloMom recently, head over ... she's got a terrific post on "size creep".

Ann included our CTWW Banner in a post entitled, Living Landscapes Connected Communities - Areca BooksAreca Books. Thanks, Ann!

Deborah joined us and shared this: "Thanks for raising our awareness of this important issue. I am so delighted that you shared #CTWW Monarch Butterflies with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop! We appreciate it!"

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @AndreaPtak
- Change the World Wed. #CTWW Start with simple steps bring your own bags when shopping: http://t.co/RUS5Od4L5G #green #sustainability

From @GiveTreeGifts
- How to Banish Junk Mail from Your (Real World) Mailbox http://t.co/0mUaH5LsD6 #CTWW
- Junk mail scam warning http://t.co/kCZJGK5glD #CTWW
- Students' project mimics Monarch butterflies' paths http://t.co/cW4m6XcnYW #CTWW
- Monarch butterfly decline due to lack of milkweed; wildlife enthusiasts ask for help - http://t.co/TnIg3kJS0y #CTWW
- North Jersey homeowners urged to plant milkweed to save monarch butterflies http://t.co/olRlqbG5va #CTWW
- How to give a hand to Monarch butterflies http://t.co/N9naLgj4ho #CTWW
- Stopping Unsolicited Mail, Phone Calls, and Email http://t.co/vmy7N6x7Go #CTWW
- How to Get Rid of Junk Mail: 22 Steps http://t.co/LY6uEsCPrp #CTWW

From @acuriousgal1
- Hand-pulling weeds, great way to help eliminate herbicides and also good exercise #CTWW #flowers #exercise http://t.co/vtbCM3Xmh8

From @Forests_Ontario
- @acuriousgal1 pulling weeds great way to eliminate herbicides + good exercise #CTWW #flowers #exercise Same with pulling invasive species!

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who tweet our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I recommend following them ... they share great things. Let's meet them:

@12tmimi	@89linz	@a_kiasi
@acuriousgal1	@allnaturalkatie	@andreaptak
@awrobley	@biggreenpen	@bythelakewithme
@ccbstarr	@clctreeservices	@compingcrazzy
@debsmikdav1	@dehelen	@dieselelephants
@dmilly1234	@eco_novice	@ecocountrytable
@ecofriendlyfurn	@ecothrifty	@erbaviva
@factorydpromos	@familybetty	@familyfreshmeal
@flapi777	@foodretro	@forests_ontario
@geekgirlusa	@givetreegifts	@green_vibes
@greenecoswing	@greenglobaltrvl	@greenqueenofmod
@greensoil	@groovygreenlivi	@hashtracking
@herbgir1972	@hismerecry	@imgreenareyou
@izumiokumura	@jnaquins	@jpmozart
@junestoyer	@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder
@kayelleallen	@kingyo3_dama	@kiser_krafts
@krmbalclothing	@laalicia	@ladyjcmuses
@lee4leeby	@legsetobicoke	@liuwailing
@lovecanal2020	@luckytobeyou	@magnushrm
@marikokoloco	@marizulca	@marjoriemcatee
@michaelinla3	@mirai1201	@momgamerwriter
@mrsstinno	@nauticabrinegar	@ndigallery
@nikidanforth	@nolabelle72	@nonhomogenized
@nutmeg3isme	@pamela_o_plays	@pandatropia
@panthere_la	@pberk	@petception
@prtndurgoodatit	@redpandanetwork	@roihara
@rulesofgreen	@ruralmoms	@s_hentzschel
@sensuouspromos	@sergeimerinov65	@sfcouncil
@shionnomusumeta	@skenja	@sobakasu4
@socialavenues	@spafloating	@superbsolutions
@tammycurry	@tegoory	@theworld4realz
@twicecreations	@vanbordelon	@veggiebeet
@voiceboksmedia	@wadiham101	@wasd12456787
@wellminded	@wencdj	@whywelovegreen
@women4earth	@wowchub1	@xefir_destiny
@yogagirl4776

My Final Thoughts:

At the beginning of the Monarch challenge, I suggested that the loss of these butterflies indicates a larger environmental problem. Monarchs use the same resources as a large number of pollinators. The size of their population reflects, in part, the health of pollinators in general. Our food sources and ecosystems are dependent on healthy pollinator populations. So, preserving Monarchs is more than saving pretty butterflies ... it's about preserving all life on earth, including our own. What if killing one ant would end your life ... would you step on it? Killing pollinators, including the Monarch Butterfly, may end our life. One may say that it isn't that simple and perhaps it isn't. But then again, maybe discontinuing the use of herbicides and pesticides is exactly that simple.

Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share features located below this post.

This Week's Challenge:

Planting food is fun
for the whole family

In my part of the world, temperatures are rising as spring comes to a close. We're getting a bit of rain on most days making it the perfect time to plant (or finish planting) vegetables.

Autumn is a good time
to plant fruit trees

Our friends on the other side of the world are coming to the end of autumn. Autumn is a great time to plant fruit & nut trees. Their root systems will get a good start during cooler weather and, hopefully, thrive next spring.

So let's plant some food! Here's your challenge ...

This week, plant something edible. Plant in a garden, raised bed, a container, etc. If you don't have space outside, consider herbs or lettuce in a small pot placed in a kitchen window. Try placing some seed potatoes in the ground (dig a small hole and drop them in) ... then sit back and watch them grow. If you're moving into autumn, consider planting a fruit tree or perhaps a nut tree. The idea this week is to plant food.

OR ...

If growing food just isn't going to work for you, please offer other ideas for enjoying local, organic produce.

This is going to be a delicious challenge. Are you with me? I know that you are!


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As always, our mantra ...

WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.

There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick links helpful:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Our Last Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

Last week we took a look at our trash bin and challenged ourselves to find alternate uses for the stuff we typically toss out. This is one of those activities which, in my opinion, needs to be revisited from time to time because it's very easy to throw things away ... easier than walking to the compost bin ... or sorting out recyclables ... or upcycling items into something new and usable. Even giving stuff away, something which we'd think is simple, can be a hassle. So while this challenge seemed easy enough, it turns out that it required thought and action.

The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments. Here's what they had to say:

Welcome back to EcoGrrl ... it sounds like you had a great vacation. EcoGrrl shared this, " Hola! I'm back from holiday in Oz and happy to comment on this one! Ironically, when I was WWOOF'ing down under, my host asked me, as one of my projects, to separate out the treated vs untreated wood. Her idea was that we'd use the untreated for firewood, and scrap the rest. But I stopped her and said hey, can't we build some stuff out of the good pieces of treated wood? And she jumped at my ideas, one to build a small fence to keep her dogs out of an area of the garden (http://ecogrrl.net/2013/02/26/where-i-be-chillin-part-four/), and the other to paint pretty signs to welcome new WWOOFers to the garden (http://ecogrrl.net/2013/03/04/where-i-be-chillin-part-eight/). I love reusing stuff in my own garden at home as well, where I've build all of my wooden raised beds in my side yard out of scrap wood (https://ecogrrl.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/proceserv1.jpeg) - function over form, yeah baby!"

Argentum Vulgaris embraced this challenge. In Change the World Wednesday – 6th Mar you'll find out what he does with his trash. He also talks about the "blonde bimbo". Uh-Oh!

Valerie accepted the challenge and said that she's going to peruse Pinterest to get some ideas for upcycling cans and milk cartons. How'd that go, Valerie? Did you come up with any good ideas?

Alicia left us some wonderful tips and ideas in her comment: " This challenge has come at a good time since we have just been doing some "Spring Cleaning". Sometimes cleaning like this can be a real eye opener! We have several lamps that have just been taking up room not being used. Instead of donating them and buying new ones I am going to get some Eco Friendly non toxic paint and freshen them up. It will be like having new lamps with my own custom colors. I found some nice lightweight curtains that I don't plan on using so I am going to make reusable shopping bags out of them. I always like having extra bags so that I can share with other people. I also found some old wool sweaters which I was really excited about. I am going to be able to make lots of wool dryer balls with them. They eliminate the use of fabric softener and decrease drying time by at least 30%. I am embarrassed to say I found a whole lot of those magazines that you get at the health food stores and at Whole Foods. They have so much good information in them. I always have such good intentions of reading them but a lot of times that doesn't happen. I am going to take them to be recycled but have made the decision to see if they are available to look at on line and do that instead. We have quite a few plastic pots from flowers and herbs that we bought this past year to plant in our garden.We try real hard to only buy plants that are in peat pots. That way plant and pot can be planted. They will be taken to be recycled as well but We are going to plant some of our own seeds this year that way we can eliminate those kinds of pots. I took clothes to be donated and what do you know I found two "new" tops for myself while I was there. Win win situation there!! I could go on and on with this challenge as you might can tell. I love cleaning out things that we aren't using and getting organized is such a great feeling. Just put your imagination to work before you throw something away. It can be amazing what you might come up with!!"

Mrs. Green is a Zero-Waste Diva (she accumulated just one bin of waste in an entire year) ... so I thought that perhaps she'd pass on this challenge because she's already made it a part of her life. However ... in this POST she talks about why she's accepting it and how she'll hold herself accountable. Could you do what she's doing?

Some people recycle ... some reuse ... and then there are folks, like Lois, who get Creative (with a capital "C") and take upcycling to new heights. In Change The World Wednesday With A New Toy you'll see what she did with a plastic bottle, some pens, an egg carton and a furniture bolt. All I can say is "WOW". And by the way ... guess who brought Lois some of these materials? Nope ... I won't tell ... you'll have to go and find out!

CelloMom couldn't accept this challenge. Nope! Want to know why? She accepted last year's zero-waste challenge and is still working at it. WhooHoo! Here's what she had to say, " I do remember last year's Zero Waste challenge. Boy, do I remember it: I'm still in it. Not that we're at zero, far from it, but we're down to about 50% from before we started the challenge: about 10 gallons a week. Now I have a new conundrum: our kitchen trash can is too large! So I need to find a good home for it, and find a smaller one that is preferrably not new." Nicely done, CelloMom! I'd suggest checking Freecycle for both a new home for your bin and finding a smaller one. Anyone else have ideas?

Using a little ingenuity, a little glue and some determination, Randy shows us how he went about Conserving Happiness by Gluing The Tree. Be sure to read the last line in the post ... I loved it!

Charlie offers us some motivation ... not only for this challenge but for all of them. Check it out HERE.

Developing a plan and getting organized is definitely more work than simply tossing stuff out but Kristina shows us just how rewarding it can be. Take a look at Think Before You Trash. Her results are awesome!

If you analyzed your trash, what would you find? Cat took a look at hers and shared this, "As always it is food wrapping that gets tossed out most in our home, I just don't get around that it seems. Interestingly though, I have eaten my first dishes from dumpster dived food this week. A student friend made potato bread from potatoes they found." Wow ... I'd love to hear more about that Cat. Anyone else tried dumpster diving?

Ann takes reducing trash "on the road". She has volunteered, at a local festival, to teach people about waste. Check out Save our world: Rubbish at a Festival to find out how things have changed in the years that she's been volunteering.

kmogilevski stopped by and says, "Love all of the reviews of soaps! Now I know which ones to look for and which ones to avoid. I also use natural soap on my hair - no more issues with dandruff or dry hair."

Scarlet dropped in and shared this, " Thanks for the linkback & the great list of reviews! :) "

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation ... here's what they had to say:

From @givetreegifts
- Recipes I use are still available online! ... Recipes to Make Your Own Soap, Lotion & More: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/2007-08-01/Recipes-to-Make-Your-Own-Soap-Lotion-and-More.aspx#axzz2MjPGE7tQ
- This is the latest I've tried... A Recipe for Handmade Vegan Bar Soap: http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/08/a-recipe-for-handmade-vegan-bar-soap/

From @truenatureed
- "Alone we can do so little/together we can do so much": http://ow.ly/i/1D0P9

From @earthyurban
- Step outside your comfort zone and serve a cause larger than yourself. Something to think about today

From @gwened02
- Thrown freezer bag that had had salmon in. Can't be reused/recycled. But I could buy big salmon & cut it up saving money & packaging
- thrown away the snick from the lemon juice bottle and the plastic from the top of the soy sauce.
- Thrown away bag from packet of malteasers. To prevent this next time I will buy a big box of them as the cardboard can be recycled.

The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:

@skipbang	@planetpals	@mombloggerplr
@lowimpactmama	@frederickbrooke	@biculturalmama
@pinkladyapril	@a_kiasi	@crazykids6
@mcmillendc	@crazy4grnlivn	@irishcarter1
@allnaturalkatie	@anktangle	@lizbethsgarden
@givetreegifts	@ginavalley	@turningclockbac
@bestrawesome	@kiboomu	@biggreenpen
@89linz	@marjoriemcatee	@insignifblog
@almosttruth	@wencdj	@momgamerwriter
@laalicia	@clubcontent	@gwened02
@earthyurban	@beatepdx	@timsimms
@motherhoodlooms	@hasbrochildrens	@thefadderly
@rulesofgreen	@events4bloggers	@mamasmoney
@esideecodesign	@lorcadamon	@smallbits
@rckweddings	@jaemacjustsayin	@ithoughtiknewma
@ggirlggreen	@intricateknot1	@nolafusion
@whywelovegreen	@commplacegr	@ladyjcmuses
@amotherlife	@treesgroup	@lady_bren
@littlegreenblog	@spilldmilkshake	@theworld4realz

My Final Thoughts:

How would you feel about building your home on top of a landfill? How about letting your kids play in a park which sits on top of waste? Would you plant a vegetable garden in soil which contained chemicals from a nearby trash site? It all sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? But that fact is that our waste doesn't biodegrade ... that process requires air and sunlight which aren't a part of the anaerobic conditions in a landfill. With populations growing and the constant accumulation of "stuff", trash sites fill rapidly and then the search is on for new sites. The fact is that at some point we won't have any more room for them. It's quite possible that in the near future our homes and community areas will sit atop a pile of junk. Or, we can change the way we do things ... we can stop acquiring so much, reuse and recycle. Which will you choose?

Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.

This Week's Challenge:

Last August, CelloMom suggested that we find a way to eat local produce throughout the winter months (you can read that challenge HERE). Now that we're moving into spring, it's the perfect time to come up with a strategy to ensure that we'll have local fruits and veggies next winter. Here you go ...

This week develop a strategy which will ensure that you and your family enjoy local produce next winter. Need some suggestions? Plan a garden with preserving in mind. Consider freezing, drying, canning, etc. and start gathering the items/tools you'll need to accomplish it (don't forget to check thrift stores, Freecycle, etc. for things like canning jars, dehydrators, and other items you might need). Visit your farmer's market and learn about the items which they'll have available and when they will arrive for purchase. If you are a member of a CSA, talk to the farmer about your goals and see how he/she can help. This week is all about planning with the goal of having local produce on your plate next winter.

Will join me in this challenge?

Please join me in our mantra ...

WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!

A Living Wall ...

I'm always on the lookout for unique, green ideas. Our bloggy friend Kelli, from Thoughts of a Sober White Woman, has a regular feature called Eco-Friendly Friday. At the beginning of the year she talked about her rather unusual plans for 2009 ... her own special twist on Living Walls. I was fascinated! Her idea is brilliant ... creative, lovely and ... green. She has very kindly agreed to share her plans with us. A big THANK YOU to Kelli for this article. OK ... here we go:


Before I start this entry I would like to say thanks to a reduce footprints for asking me to write an article for her blog.

Let me give everyone a little bit of back ground information on husband and I.

My name is Kelli and I am a true hippy at heart. I think I was born to the wrong parents and in the wrong decade. I recycle everything, hug everything, I am huge animal lover and I love coming up with new ways to reuse everything and I love never having to pay for anything. Ed Begley is my hero.

My husbands name is Rusty and he is your typical hard core veteran. I told him that when he is old he will be the crazy veteran that sit’s on the porch and shoots little children. He does not recycle, conserve, or care about the world in which we live.

As you can tell there is never a dull moment at our house.

One night I was watching one of my “hippy shows” or that is what Rusty calls them….anyway I saw an awesome idea. This couple had planted a living wall. They were building a new house and they wanted to plant Ivy on one wall. They had a skylight right above the wall and they even had a sprinkler for the wall! The couple said that the living wall actually cooled the house and it helped purify the air.

That got me to thinking. I am not building a home from the ground up, so I can’t do exactly what they did, but what could I do?

I told Rusty about the t.v. show, and that I wanted to create something like that for our home. In the summer time here in California the heat just beats down on this one side of the house. Rusty just said HMMM.

One of our friends came over and we telling him about the show I saw, and we came up with a way to grow a living wall. I wanted to plant roses and sunflowers and they would become my outside curtain. They would provide extra shade, and they would be nice to look at.

Rusty semi agreed to this. He said “I think Ed Bagley has it right. If we are going to grow something lets grow something we can eat.” What? My husband likes something that Ed is doing?

For two of the windows on the side of the house I am going to plant rose bushes. Not only will they get taller then the window’s, give us some shade, but they will also look nice.

On the back of the house we have four big windows. Rusty and his friend came up with the idea of growing green beans. We were given several different idea’s on to get the green beans to climb. So it looks like I know a husband and some helpers that will be building a trellis of some sort. Please say a prayer for me. That mean’s I will have a ton of marines building something in my back yard. All I want is a trellis, not a bunker.

For another window I am going to use corn as my curtain. I just can’t believe how expensive corn is!

I still have two windows left, and as of yet I have not decided what to grow in front of them. Rusty did say that he would like me to grow some squash this year. O.K. but that does not grow upwards!

All of this has also got me to thinking about people that live in small spaces or apartments. They can do the same thing. My girlfriend use to grow cherry tomatoes in a big pot, so I am going to assume that you could grow some corn or green beans the same way.

Lettuce and spinach can also be grown in containers, and that will keep coming back even after you cut it. Granted to won’t offer much shade, but it will make a nice salad.

What it really comes down to is thinking outside the box. What can you grow that will provide some shade or food for your family? Just think if we all grew some of our own food we would not only be getting the best quality food, but we would also be reducing our footprint.

Again, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to Kelli for sharing her creative ideas with us. As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Cut Flowers and the Environment ...

For many, beautiful arrangements of fresh cut flowers are a must for a holiday table. Bouquets of unusual flowers make easy gifts ... grab a bundle from most supermarkets or order a bouquet online to be delivered. Whether one needs a hostess gift, something for a special someone or a gift for the "hard to please", cut flowers will accommodate. That's what the $40 billion a year, cut flower industry tells us. What they don't tell us is how bad they are for the environment.

Most cut flowers, approximately 79%, are grown in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. They are grown in climate controlled greenhouses using pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides ... including DDT and methyl-bromide which are banned in the U.S. These substances have been linked to health problems such as skin conditions, respiratory problems, impaired vision, and birth defects. Many of the people who staff the greenhouses, and who come in contact with the flowers on a daily basis, are now suffering from these problems.

Not only are workers being hurt ... the environment is suffering as well. Methyl-bromide has been linked to the destruction of the ozone layer. DDT usage has caused serious problems for many animal and bird populations. Small amounts of these chemicals are dangerous ... most greenhouses, however, aren't using just a little ... they are using a lot. It contaminates the ground and water, hurting animal and fish populations and it reduces the amount of drinkable water in many communities.

Once the growing stage is complete, the cut flowers are sent all over the world. They travel far distances, and as we've talked about before ... anything that travels a long distance is causing pollution and using a lot of resources to make the trip. An estimated 500 million make their way into the U.S. In order to pass inspection upon entry, they are often sprayed with more toxic chemicals so that no bugs or insects make the trip ... and so that each and every blossom looks it's best. Florists in this country touch these flowers and are reporting skin rashes and breathing problems.

There's still more ... once the flowers get to a florists shop, they are typically arranged using floral foam which helps to hold them in place. This foam is a petroleum bi-product that off gases formaldehyde when soaked in water. It is also non-biodegradable. A leaf shine product is typically used to shine up the greenery ... this is an aerosol product and aerosol products hurt the environment.

What about the flowers produced in the U.S.? Are they better? While they may not use banned chemicals, many farms and greenhouses use a lot of pesticides. These are harmful ... to the earth and all of her inhabitants.

So ... should one forgo cut flowers as a gift? Not necessarily. Look for organic flowers, grown locally if possible. Make a point of asking about that beautiful bouquet ... is it arranged with floral foam ... is it sprayed with anything. And by the way ... many live plants are grown in the same conditions so ... know where your product comes from. Basically, use the same guidelines buying cut flowers and plants as you would buying food.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!