What is Garden Friendly?

One of my clients has a worm composting bin in her kitchen. If you make them correctly, the worms are perfectly happy to hang out in their cozy home, & not venture forth to co-mingle withyour foodie zone. They pull double duty – munching away on your table scraps, & producing rich compost for your garden out back. And the smell is minimal. Really. I smelled it myself.

Zoning the kitchen

But just in case you’re worried about separating the worm operation from the human ones, there’s always the option for a stand alone cabinet with countertop. That way there’s room for neatly sorting & sifting what goes in & comes out of the composting system. We often use pull-out shelving for the worm bin itself. Frees up the counter for the table scraps while you sift, or for filling the transport bucket to the garden.

Somewhere near that same cabinet we store cardboard, which becomes compost while it keeps the weeds from taking over the garden. Sometimes we spec an entire tall cabinet dedicated to just the recycling. Since larger sheets of cardboard work better at thwarting weeds, they get their own section of a tall & deep cabinet. The remaining sections are dedicated to the usuals: glass, plastic, newspapers.

Prep for the dormant season

What do you do with the backyard bounty you can’t give away or consume as quickly as it’s produced? You freeze it. A freezerless fridge allows more space for garden goods – especially if it’s a big garden. Some people are even opting for smaller refrigerators, or even under counter fridges for 2 reasons:

1. Valuable counter space is gained, which means prep area for jarring & freezing increases.
2. More efficient chest freezers can live in the garage or some other adjacent room without gobbling precious footprint area in the kitchen.

Last but not least

Aside from the normal cooking features like an oven & range, we try to maximize counter space by both the sink & cooking areas. You need a place for cleaning newly plucked lettuce & peppers, & getting them ready for your taste buds. There’s also a mobile countertop option on a cart that
can be stored out of the way.

And for those who don’t want to bother with transporting the goods from the backyard to inside, there’s always an outdoor kitchen & grill option. Or, you can just graze directly in the garden.

Learn more about garden friendly kitchens by visiting Eco-Modernism’s Web site: http://www.eco-modernism.com/

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The term “staycation,” is so trendy and buzzworthy these days that it’s close to being, well, common. The staycation is defined by UrbanDictionary.com as a vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s environs have to offer. Or, more simply and cleverly put by Ralph Potts in his “Vagabonding” blog, it’s a vacation without vacating.  This is still a relatively new concept thanks to the swift decline of our current economy, however thanks to the media and business everywhere with a local angle to promote, the staycation didn’t take long to catch on.

Photo Courtesy of Etsy.com

Economic conditions are the major driver of this trend, as gas prices remain unstable and consumer spending is down.  CNN reported that about 1.3 percent fewer Americans are expected to fly this summer than last summer, according to the Air Transport Association.  AAA also projects that this year’s Memorial Day travel will be down for the irst time since the 9/11 attacks, due to gas prices and economic uncertainty. 

Regardless, an uncertain economy doesn’t eliminate people’s need for a break.  Enter, the staycation.  For the travel industry as a whole, the staycation is putting a damper on things.  For local businesses restaurants, and home improvement retailers and brands, this is an opportunity. 

Local businesses around the country have quickly learned to capitalize on this trend by working with media outlets and bloggers to get the word out about discounts for members of their communities.  Even hotels are offering rates for locals that encourage them to staycation just down the road.

Large national retailers are also riding the wave.  In summer 2008, Wal-Mart offered “101 Days Of Summer Staycation” desktop widget with tips on how to enjoy the season without leaving home.  Big box retailers like The Home Depot and Lowes encourage making the backyard an extension of the home, offering not only deep discounts to the outdoor retail center, but also details plans on how to build a pergola or install lighting.

Watch for big discounts and “Staycation” promotions to be in full swing just prior Memorial Day weekend.  Also keep an eye out for increased coverage in local newspaper blog sites, like last year’s coverage in the New York Times “City Room” and Denver Post.  

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