Brummet's Conscious Blog

Garden Gifts for Men  * Today's article was edited quite a bit by the owner of this blog, Lillian Brummet but was originally written by Greg O'Sullivan who invites our readers to visit his gardening guide for further insight on garden gifts for men. http://mygardeningguide.com The more macho male may pretend he has no interest in gardening or using gardening equipment - it is, however, a fact that most men do take pride in their gardens and enjoy working with both innovative tools and basic equipment. Gardening gifts for men cover the whole spectrum from the man with green fingers, to the man who just potters in the shed, to those who simply cook on the barbecue. The range of gardening presents for men available in hardware stores, garden centres and on-line can be mind boggling so it is best to choose a gardening gift for a man which is practical, affordable, and appropriate to the size of the garden and suits his personality. Making your choice based on...

 -- Quote of the Day --  "But love of the wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need - if only we had eyes to see." ~ Edward Abbey -- Positive News --    Did you know that lawns just within the US use up about 50% of residential water use, consume 3 million tons of fertilizer and 800 million gallons of gas every single year?     Imagine those numbers multiplied by the entire world!  What would those #'s look like if we turn just part of our lawns or landscaping or even the median strip or balcony or roof line – into food production? Gardens strengthen the community financially because people are spending less of food and are then able to buy other things in the community or make home improvement investments that will reduc...

-- Quote of the Day --    "Have you ever observed a humming-bird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers - a living prismatic gem.... it is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness as to mock all description."  ~ W.H. Hudson -- Of Gardens and Green -- You've likely heard me talk about greening buildings, yards, balconies etc. on the radio show, or read posts about it here or in our Trash Talk book series... Today I'd like to share a few thoughts on how planting a little green can save you a lot of green - cold hard cash.  First - landscaping can increase the value of your home by 15-20%! This works best when you are considering curb appeal, planting for privacy and also diversity. Mature landscapes or those a few years old are much more likely to drive up the value of your home. Simply installing a patio area and entrance area with interesting plants can increase the value of your home by 4-12%! It really is tha...

Today's article was sent our way via author: Tom Reynolds, marketing executive at Monster Play Systems, an outdoor play equipment manufacturer based in Watford, UK. Image credits: unionland and dondj2 What Makes a Playground Eco-Friendly ? In these modern times when many of the population tries their best to recycle as much of their household waste as they can and industries have to do their bit as well, it's refreshing to see that playgrounds have joined the green movement too. Many of the outdated old style playgrounds have been torn down and in their place eco-friendly play areas have been erected. But what makes a playground eco-friendly? Non Toxic Materials An eco-friendly playground will be made out of non-toxic materials which include wood as well as 100% recycled materials such as plastics and rubber, and all these materials have to meet any regulations set in place by the government. When it comes to surfaces found in eco pl...

-- Quote of the Day --  “There are only 2 days that you can’t do anything –  yesterday and tomorrow.”  ~  unknown   -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio --    * Airs live @ 10-11 AM (Pacifc)  - all episodes are archived indefinitely within moments after they air live, and are available for you to listen to later on at any time of day.   Sign up via itunes for the Conscious Discussions Radio show: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id262138144   Sunday Gardening episodes air every 2-3 weeks from March - October annually featuring topics like bio-dynamic, sustainable, organic gardening and landscaping using square foot, inter-planting and succession crop methods, permaculture and laye...

-- Sunday Gardening -- Today's episode of Sunday Gardening will offer tips for gardeners, discuss common chores this time of year and more! Have questions? Garden problems you need help with? Want to share garden tips or resources?  - Drop in the live chat room or  you can also email them to us ahead of time and we'll cover them in this episode if time allows. Can't make the live show? - no problem, you can access the archive at your convenience later on. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2012/05/27/sunday-gardening-44 -- Making a Difference at Home --   Since we moved to the new community – Creston BC – we were busy with settling in and doing various projects to the house which we’ve talked about before on the radio show, such as finishing the basement (putting in new flooring, building a bathroom and laundry room, insulating and dry-walling the walls, painting and some plumbing / ducting upgrades), new windows, doo...