Striving for self-sufficiency: Not quite reality

One thing I have learned by being a homeowner on the property I chose is as hard as I strive for self-sufficiency, I cannot quite make it in suburbia. Oh, I have made modest gains in supplying my own food, decreasing the amount of lawn, using rain water and decreasing my use of potable water, but I only occasionally eat homegrown food. I still rely heavily on grocery stores for the main share of my food.

And while I compost my food and yard waste, some spoiled food still makes it into the garbage bin. Plus I need to import composted horse manure to supply most of my compost needs in the garden. I still buy most of my seeds, buy the seed starting medium but am able to reuse items around the house for seed-starting containers. While I use all the leaves I can on my property, I still need more leaves to chop and use for mulch. This is where neighbor's piles come in handy. Both imports mentioned here (leaves and compost) are gained through hard work and minimum distance traveled, but still need to be brought onsite to accomplish what I need done.

I have planted all the trees on my property and unfortunately, none of them will be for food use. However, they were planted to shade the house and reduce cooling costs in the summer. As we are undergoing record heat in May where it feels more like July, this is definitely something I desire. Too bad the payoff is in the future, not the present, but the four additional trees will add value when I sell my property. The fifth one is too far away for shade, but does add beauty as it flowers in the spring. Another item reused extensively are the rocks I discovered as I dug all the holes for the trees. While the rocks jarred my arms as my shovel hit them, I have been able to line the bottom of potted plants, hold down newspaper, cardboard and straw, mark the location for succession planting and edge a foundation bed with the limestone. I have a modest suburban rock pile, but it has served me well.

However, I keep as much as I can onsite, only occasionally exporting items (rose bush and raspberry shrub trimmings with plans to rectify the situation this year) and importing vast quantities. However, I am decreasing my reliance on the conventional system for my needs by outsourcing to curb shopping, growing my own food, generating my own fertilizer (compost), using gray water and rain water, reusing items rather than choosing disposable ones, shopping secondhand and being frugal. All these actions align with my personal values. So while I still commute daily to a job in my gas-guzzling car and rely on this form of transportation over most others, I strive to make all I do at home count and slowly increase my self-sufficiency even if I know I cannot supply all my needs onsite.

The life of a scavenging gardener

Much of my attention currently is focused on my garden. I am happily harvesting asparagus from my patch between the sidewalk and street, eyeing up the healthy rhubarb plants and looking forward to my first black raspberry harvest. I am also planting annual crops, figuring out among all my gardening spots where to put all the seeds I want to sow or plants I have started. I am also looking to fill in the native plants in the garden at the front of my house.

What do I mean by scavenging? Much of my recent venture was determined by craigslist. Because I had a rectangular recycling bin that was no longer needed for recycling, I wondered what to do with it. I had the brilliant idea to use it as a big planting pot as it had four holes in the bottom that would work for drainage. Also, I use five-quart ice cream buckets in various capacities around the house, but there gets to be a point where they are no longer fit for hauling stuff to the compost bin. Well, I have wanted to dress up the step to my front door. What if I use the ice cream buckets to plant annuals like impatiens? Plus I just used up paint in a metal can. That would work too! And hey, I could dress up the plastic and metal with some spray paint.

I found someone giving away garden soil on craigslist. All I needed to do was provide my own method of hauling said soil. So armed with my trusty shovel, two five-gallon buckets and two thick plastic bags that previously held either mulch or cat litter, I made my way to the person's home. As if digging and moving dirt was not work enough, his house was on a hillside so I had the challenge of hauling bags and buckets up an incline. This dirt haul was complemented by $1 per plant bee balm another person was selling off craigslist on the honor system. I chose two and stashed them in my car for later as I was getting plants and dirt over the lunch hour.

I also share a company-sponsored garden plot with three other people and wanted to get my sweet corn in the ground. However, I had forgotten my nitrogen-rich dried blood. Because I had access to two coffee pots and the leftover coffee grounds, another source of nitrogen, I decided to use the available two filters of coffee grounds. I mixed it with the composted horse manure (hauled for free a couple weeks ago) and planted four hills of corn in the garden plot after work. This was a good choice as rain started overnight.

When I finally reached my home, I layered my free dirt with composted horse manure in the recycling bin, the holes covered with rocks from around my house, likely uncovered when digging holes for my trees. I planted the last set of my onion plants and watered well. Finally, I dug two holes for my new bee balm plants and installed them with a boost of compost. I did encounter lava rock, a legacy mulch from a previous owner. These I plan on lining the bottom of my ice cream buckets once painted.

I still have dirt left from my haul, but less than I desire. With a bit more time, my scavenged dirt, inexpensive plants and repurposed materials will yield more food for me and more beauty for my home.

What will you reuse or repurpose in the garden?

Gardening the scavenger's way

Gardening is a wonderful pastime. You spend time outside doing physical activity, enjoy some fresh air, take pride in the beauty and bounty you planted and maintain. Right now all I can see is all the work I have to do: adding more mulch and compost, getting the seedlings started and planning where to put all the plants. I have written previously about low-cost gardening ideas (here and here) with a few more options to keep input costs down while maximizing enjoyment.

Coffee grounds
I am not a coffee drinker, but I had read much about the nitrogen boost that coffee grounds can give gardens. I have access to a couple coffee pots at work so I collect the grounds, filter and all, at the end of the day. I put the coffee grounds in a bucket and compost the filter. Acid-loving plants enjoy coffee grounds, but modest amounts of coffee grounds are also welcomed by other plants.

If scavenging from your colleagues at work is not your cup of coffee, visit local coffee shops. With gardening season coming into full swing, many places will save the grounds for anyone who asks. Win for you (nutrients for the garden), win for them (organic material not going into a landfill).

Grass clippings
I mulch my grass back into the ground when mowing as I like returning the nutrients to the soil. However, many people see grass clippings as nusiance and catch the clippings and leave it on the curb. This is great material for mulching garden beds. Keep an eye out for homes where people pile they grass clippings for collection and come back with a rake and containers in which to put the grass. Leave the curb as neatly as you found it and keep the spot in mind if you need more.

Grass clippings (and coffee grounds) are great on the compost pile as well. If you have plenty of leaves, paper, cardboard or other carbon-rich items, add some nitrogen-rich material like fresh grass clippings and coffee grounds. The pile will break down faster and available for use in the garden.

Odds and ends on the curb
People get rid of many items that can be repurposed in the garden. Right now, I am looking for pole-like items that I can use to support my pole beans. It could be lengths of lumber, broom handles or PVC piping, but all would be welcomed to build a tripod structure for my beans to climb. Other bits that can be useful and found on the curb include metal head boards (for trellises), metal poles (for anchoring fencing or keeping hoses out of the garden bed when dragged around), reclaimed furniture (for outdoor use) and the list goes on. If your neighbor is throwing away something, imagine how it might be used to enhance your outdoor space.

Repurposing items
I have started a variety of seedlings in my basement. Most of them were sowed in repurposed containers (e.g., yogurt) and drip trays (e.g., styrofoam takeout trays). The commercial starting trays do take up less space, but I prefer to use what I have on hand. I have been collecting yogurt containers since last year and am grateful I had more than enough for my purposes. Many bits of plastic packaging like the kind that are affixed to cardboard back, are flat and can be used as watering trays so I can water from the bottom. I like this because most of that plastic has no number and cannot be recycled. Anytime I get more use out of something that is disposable makes me feel good.

Milk jugs and 2L soda bottles can be used as mini greenhouses after seedlings are planted outside and it gets chillier than the plant likes. Just cut off the bottom and slip it over the plant. When the weather is warm, remove the cap; when it is cold, put it back in place. With warm enough temperatures past the threat of frost, remove the bottle or jug and enjoy the growing plant.

I am looking forward to the garden this year as I really miss all my fresh fruit and vegetables. Using up the last of the frozen veggies make me even more eager to get out and grow more peas and beans. Reducing the costs of gardening with creative scavenging and reuse makes me proud of what I can do without spending money.

Do you have more suggestions?

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Hidden treasures in plain sight

I am not new to scavenging on curbside but I have not done it in a while. Frankly, I am somewhat uncomfortable with it especially when doing it alone. If I know the people are not home, I am less self-conscious. However I know if the people wanted the items, they would have figured out what to so with them prior to placing them curbside for garbage day. In the end, I am rescuing usable things so they are not consigned to a landfill. My prize: several aluminum rods that with some trimming of the ends will make nice anchors for the sides of raised garden beds, an old wooden basket that would be great to grow potatoes so I do not have to dig into the ground for the harvest and a piece of fabric that has a use yet to be determined.

However, I am a novice compared to the authors of The Scavengers' Manifesto and the blog Scavenging. One of the entries I read highlighted their recent post on no-cost gardening. It was a fascinating read that made me admire the bloggers ingenuity. In fact, I started exploring the entire Scavenging blog. If gardening is not your interest, the two women have entries on bartering, where free stuff is being offered (e.g., food for teachers and free comic day), how a couple furnished and refinished their Victorian home with curbside treasures, and more.

I recommend visiting the blog and seeing how you can think differently when looking at someone else's trash.

The power of collective creativity for greener living

Earlier this week, my work day started poorly and did not improve. I was running later than I wanted leave for work and then when I stopped for gas and sat back in my car, my pants ripped in a fashion that was both catastrophic and unable to be disguised. Since I was on my way to work and only a few minutes from home, I called in my wardrobe malfunction and went home to change. My colleagues made me feel better as they shared their own stories but I was still left with a pair of pants that were unusable as pants but still had plenty of life in them. So what could I do with the fabric?

I had a couple ideas that included using it to sew doll clothing or create a rag rug. One of my colleagues suggested cutting the pants up for rags, but that is what I use worn out socks and underwear for. I have been accumulating denim from jeans that I plan to sew a rug using strips of denim. The twill pants could be used for this purpose as well. However, I decided to turn to the Web and see what I could find.

I discovered a cool Web site titled How can I recycle this? When I was looking at uses for ripped pants, I found this entry on torn trousers. Being curious, I explored the site and found a treasure trove of information offered by other people on how to reuse various items including burnt matches, old teddy bears, toothbrushes and empty paint cans. The search function helps you find what you are interested in. Furthermore, there is a link to a Web site that answers the question whether an item is compostable or not for your biodegradable edification.

I am always looking for ways to improve my green living. By finding suggestions for reusing items most people would throw away, I can decrease my footprint. Use the Recycle This Web site to help you figure out what to do with your worn out or seemingly unusable items.

Repurposing items for the garden

To keep with my theme of gardening, I have a few ideas for repurposing disposable items for the outdoors.

Plastic one-gallon jugs
Every month, I purchase at least two gallons of distilled water for my cats to drink. With my consumption of milk, this means I generate at least six gallons worth of plastic waste. I do put these containers in the recycling bin and save the milk caps for schools to redeem for money, but it would be better if I could reuse the items.

Last year, I saw a large bag sitting around newly planted trees at my workplace. When I did some research, I found the Treegator(R) is a drip irrigation system for watering trees. I did not want to pay $25 a piece for this item, but I really liked this idea for watering trees.

After thinking for a bit, I realized I had all these gallon containers that used to hold water--why not use them to water trees? To create my own drip irrigation system, I take the empty gallon jugs, put some small rocks in the bottom to keep them upright (especially when empty), poke 3-5 holes in the bottom with an ice pick, fill with water from the rain barrel, tie loosely around the tree with string (so they do not blow away when empty) and let them sit on the mulch. The water drips from the containers, provided the cap is not on too tightly, and the trees are watered. I use 1-4 containers around my trees, depending on size and fill them twice weekly to provide supplemental watering especially in dry conditions. The half-gallon containers might be nice for using in the garden next to tomatoes or cucumbers, plants that need more water to grow well.

Washing machine hoses or old watering hoses
I love my rain barrels, but when the water levels get low, the water pressure stinks. Since most rain barrels let the water drain by gravity, less water means lower pressure and more time spent waiting for the container to fill with water before use. I was trying to figure out a way to get around this waiting problem. If I could do something while I was waiting for my gallon jug to fill with water, I could be more productive. That is, pull weeds or put down additional mulch as the container fills with water or switch out for the next container as I use the full one. However, the spout for the rain barrel is more than 12 inches above the mouth of the gallon jug when placed on the ground.

As a new homeowner, I do not have lots of old bits and pieces of items laying around. However, a previous owner switched out the washing machine hoses when a new washing machine was installed, but left the old hoses in the basement. The spigot on my rain barrel is standard sized connection, which matches nicely with the old washing machine hoses. By cutting off one end of the hose and leaving ~18 inches of hose with the female end intact, I can screw the threaded end onto the rain barrel spigot and put the open hose end into my container. I can walk away as the container fills with water and no rain water on the ground. This idea also works with old garden hoses provided at least 18 inches of hose from the female end is intact.

Plastic containers and bags
This is not an uncommon idea: save the containers from a flat of flowers or four-pack of tomatoes and use them to start your own seeds. However, you may be like me and have no waterproof container to put these containers in to protect your furniture. In fact, I need a tray that is smaller than the dimensions of my plastic milk crates, which cover my plants so the cats cannot munch on the seedlings.

Both my cats are on a prescription diet, and the dry food comes in plastic bags. The bottoms form a rectanglar box shape and are Ziplocked closed on the top. I felt bad throwing these bags away as the plastic is quite sturdy, moreso than any bags from the grocery store. When I transplanted my pansy seedlings in larger, square containers, they did not fit well in the Pyrex dish I was using as a waterproof tray. In fact, I had five containers and could only fit two in the Pyrex dish. However, if I cut the bottom off my saved four-pound cat food bags, I found two seedling pots fit well (if a bit tightly) into the bag bottom. This protected the furniture and gave me more room to get the plants under the milk crate.

For the four-pack container of tomato seedlings, I found another tray to use: the plastic portion of the 500-pack of Q-tips. I just finished a box and while the cardboard was recyclable, the plastic was not. On a whim, I put the four-pack of tomatoes into the plastic lid and voila! Instant waterproof tray that fit the container perfectly! I repurposed an item and had more flexibility in situating the tomato seedlings as this tray was smaller than the Pyrex dish I had been using.

What creative reuse or repurposing ideas do you have?

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Doing laundry can be fun (and smell good too!)

This past weekend was one of the first truly warm weekends since winter hit with full force and everyone took advantage of it. I characterized all my fellow suburban and city dwellers as exploding out of their houses. I have not seen that many walkers, bikers and people about for many months. I spent my time pulling weeds (I had given up doing that last fall), talking to the worms I turned up (quite a few are active), reassembling the snowplow-ruined sod, seeding bare patches of lawn, making laundry detergent and hanging out my laundry to dry outside. It was sunny with a brisk wind, thus allowing the clothes to dry well.

The outdoor drying really had me excited. Why? I had forgotten what outdoor-scented laundry smelled like. In the winter, clothes hung in the basement smell a bit like damp places (i.e., the basement). Laundry dried in a dryer smells like chemicals as I use a scented dryer sheet. The good old-fashioned outdoor smell was forever banished from my life--so I thought. Would you believe I tried to hang out all the laundry I could reasonably put together in a load during the weekend? I had forgotten how much I missed the smell of outdoor-dried laundry.

To top off my experience, I made my own laundry detergent using the recipe from The Simple Dollar. I have not bought detergent in over six months and I had about an inch left in the bottom of my liquid detergent bottle. Between my front-loading, high-efficiency washer and the three detergents I use for various purposes, I do not use much each time, about a 1/4 cup. I had planned on making detergent for a while, already having purchased a bar of soap, 20 Mule Team Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, but the items sat in the basement until I finally decided to make the detergent.

The first decision I made was using up the soap remnants I had. I still had soap left from hotels and slivers of bars that I had used and then put aside. Unlike others, I seem soap-bar-fusion defective so only use brand new bars without the addition of the old sliver. Armed with a variety of five soaps, I warmed water and started shaving with a knife. It takes some time for the bar soap to dissolve in the hot water, probably about 30 minutes in my case, and I did not count on that. That is my impatience showing through so make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to make the laundry soap if you try it.

Once the soap was dissolved, the other steps went smoothly. I added the soap mixture to three gallons of hot water, mixed, added 1 cup of washing soda, mixed ~one minute, added 1/2 cup of borax, mixed about a minute and let sit overnight. The end result looked a lot like Trent's recent post except more slimy and less gloppy. Of course, I had to try it right away and everything came out clean. Since the homemade laundry detergent does not suds up like the store purchased, I added a whole cup to my high-efficiency washer. I am not sure this much is needed, but I will experiment with this. The glops of soap make it difficult to measure easily so I have currently compromised on 1/2 cup homemade laundry detergent.

Since I had saved the previous container of laundry detergent when I emptied it, I transferred some of the homemade detergent into the bottle. This way, I did not change the storage-space needs for my laundry detergent and can use the cap for measuring the correct volume. However, I have to wait until the second bottle is empty before refilling it. In addition, I still have a five-gallon bucket with more laundry detergent. I recommend reusing detergent bottle with screw-on caps. Because the detergent is so gloppy, I am concerned the slimy chunks might clog a spigot-dispensed container.

As for hanging the laundry outdoors, it did not matter which detergent was used. The end result smelled the same--fresh and outdoorsy. I love my umbrella clothesline and do not care who knows it! So I am pleased with my first shot at homemade laundry detergent and am glad the outdoor laundry-drying season is back!

Update about my green living improvements

Earlier, I posted specific steps I wanted to take or specific items I wanted buy to improve my sustainability as an individual. How have I done so far?

I have purchased brand new greeting cards for the slew of birthdays this month as well as various over the counter mediations for a variety of ailments. The former I could have purchased used but not the latter so I am doing okay with room for improvement.

One of my purchases ended up in a plastic bag so that was bad, but it was only one trip to one store and I neglected to bring additional reusable bags with me for the three stops I made. Again, I made most of my trips with reusable bags so one lapse is not a tragedy, but I know to prepare better next time.

I have made no progress on purchasing the cat poo composter so I will have to consider that soon. Other issues are more immediately important so this possible purchase has fallen by the wayside. I am reminded each time I use another plastic bag that I need to decide on this matter soon before I need to find more plastic bags.

On the plus side, I have purchased two sweaters, a long-sleeved knit top and a nightgown all at the thrift store. In addition, my niece will be receiving a gift of clothing also purchased secondhand. It kept me in my budget and allowed me to get three pieces for her to wear. I have been looking for denim jeans to purchase but none have appeared in my size. I also purchased a DVD secondhand even though it is more plastic. I rented the movie first, decided I enjoyed it and wanted a copy of my own.

Since I have been consuming more soda over the last several months (in parallel to my pizza consumption), I am considering making my own soda. Not only would this be more frugal but I would consume less plastic since I do not need to buy more plastic two liter bottles. This is a plan in the works but with all the snow my area keeps getting, I have not been motivated to visit the beer and wine shop that carries the supplies.

I am also looking at ways to use worn clothing and fabric scraps. I was stunned when I found a woman who crocheted her own rug out of secondhand denim. It is a great idea and prompted me to look at rag rugs and how to construct them. I found two books, Twenty Easy Machine-Made Rugs by Jackie Dodson and Rugs from Rags by John Hinchcliffe and Angela Jeffs, to help me figure out what techniques I can use to construct a rag rug. I found ideas in both that I may use for my home. Again, I can reuse materials I have to construct something useful.

As if these ideas are not enough, I had an epiphany at work after seeing a colleagues hand-knitted socks: I can make my own socks! I will preface the following statements with I cannot knit (attempted unsuccessfully) and I do not know how to crochet, but creating my own clothing and being more self-sufficient is part of what I want to do and who I want to be. I am planning on having a friend guide me through knitting and I borrowed a book from the library to instruct me in how to crochet. Both methods can be used to construct socks. Time is at a premium right now and my concentration is not on how to make new things, but the possibilities have my creativity cooking. I hope I can report one of my new ideas bears fruit in a few months.

Repurposing items

In my previous post, I discussed how I try to extend the useful life of various items by fixing them rather than throwing them out and buying a new one. However, there gets to be a point where the item is too worn for its original use or cannot be fixed. Then what do I do with it? I have found new uses for various items in my home and hope they may inspire you to look at worn items in a new light.

I upgraded my sheets to a higher thread count but there was no real reason to get rid of the original set I had. I love my cats but their tendency to leave fur everywhere makes it difficult to clean furniture. Well, I could clean it but I got tired of the maintenance. Enter old sheets. Laying them over the furniture means the cats deposit their fur on a washable cover. It is easy to remove when company comes over and protects the fabric from cat fur and crumbs from dinner. For one piece of furniture, I sewed two full flat sheets together and it completely covered the sofa. Extra bonus: discourages my cats from scratching at the sofa corners.

Other uses for old sheets: dropcloths. When painting or refinishing, they soak up splashes and splotches. Any old worn fabric can work for this. I can imagine old curtains, blankets or tablecloths could work as well.

I had some pillowcases my mom gave to me in college or just after for my own use. I used them regularly until the fabric was thinning and the corners were starting to unravel. The cats not only lay on the sofa, but curl up in the corner against the throw pillows, another fur collector. To protect them, I stuff them inside the old pillowcase. They get a bit compacted but the ease of cleaning far surpasses that minor drawback. I also use old pillowcases on top of the cushions on my kitchen chairs. Again, cats lay on them so it is easier to remove and wash the pillowcase than defur the chair cushion.

Recently some of my socks have been developing holes in them. To me, it was not worth repairing so they ended up in my rag pile. Old socks are great for polishing shoes or rubbing off stain from wood. Old underwear or t-shirts are also thrown in the rag pile. These items are used for dusting or cleaning. I use Pledge and spray the rag before dusting. It works well and after a wash, it is ready for another round. I have used rags to wash down outdoor furniture or wash the car. With the exception of cat messes, I try to use cotton towels or rags to clean many dirty items rather than paper towels.

Old towels are repurposed in various ways. Depending on how worn they are, they may end up as towels for beach visits or folded up inside a pet carrier for cushion. Old towels can be relegated to the rag pile or used to dry a car after washing. Since I have laminate flooring, I use a towel on which to press my sponge mop to minimize the streaks on my floor.

Repurposing can also mean reusing an empty, one-time use container. For example, there was a tall slender tin that had chocolate-covered pretzels in it. Once empty, I took it home and put my spaghetti pasta in it. The container is nicer than the Creamette box and I have something sturdy in the kitchen. Pill bottles are used to hold various nails and screws or as travel-size containers for cotton balls. An empty gift basket holds all the cat toys.

A bit of imagination and there are new uses for old, worn items. While I illustrate some uses by protecting furniture from my cats, I believe it also works for humans. I have been repeatedly thankful there was a cover on my sofa when I dropped food while I was eating. Sending fewer items to the landfill is good and if all else fails, cotton and other natural fabrics can be cut up and added to the composter!