35. Watering the Garden. Don’t sprinkle more than necessary or in the heat of the day when much water evaporates. Put drip irrigation and soaker hoses on timers to water at night or in the early morning. Water lawns long and deep once a week, not lightly and frequently.
36. Save the Rain. Put a rain barrel under a downspout to collect free water for the garden. And/or make yourself a rain garden by making a bed designed to collect rainwater so it can be absorbed by deep-rooted natives and perennials.
37. Compost. It is the basic ingredient of good soil. Start with a simple heap of plant material or buy a bin to keep out animals.
38. Garden Plastics. Keep them at bay. Take cardboard boxes to the nursery and leave plastic nursery flats behind. Look for plants grown in biodegradable containers. And start seeds in yogurt cups or other recyclable containers (poke a hole for drainage and wash in a 10 percent bleach solution). Or make your own pots out of yesterday’s newspaper (see chicagotribune.com/pots).
39. The Organic Seal of Approval. The term “organic” should mean produced without chemical fertilizers, fungicides or herbicides—but it’s best to ask. If you see the OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute) seal, it means the product has met a strict standard.
40. The Organic Price Tag. Expect to dole out some green, for the green. Organically grown plants generally cost more. So do organic fertilizers. But they’re worth it.
41. Garden Power. Consider electric yard equipment—and your own muscles. Electric mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers and hedge trimmers create less pollution and are more energy-efficient than gas ones. Even better: manual equipment.
42. Trees: Plant them. They’re like giant air filters. One mature tree takes care of the pollution caused by 13 cars.
43. Screen-Savers. Get rid of them. It takes more energy to run those floating toasters or even a static image than it does to have your computer and monitor go into a low-power mode. Unlike 10 years ago, the screen-saver does not extend the life of your monitor. Killing it could save $50 to $100 a year on your electric bill over a year’s time.
44. Old clothing: Reinvent clothes. Turn children’s jeans with worn-out knees into shorts. Reinvent clothes that you still like and still fit, but have minor “style” problems—for example, hemlines that need to be shortened significantly. Many dry cleaners employ seamstresses for those who can’t (or can’t find the time) to do it themselves.
45. Old clothing—Part 2. Be conscious of how you dispose of well-worn clothes.
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