In the Kitchen
- Benefits Of Buying Local Produce
- Buy Locally Grown Apples
- Don't Pour Kitchen Grease Down The Drain
- ENERGY STAR Refrigerators and Dishwashers Save Energy and Water
- Homemade Baby Food Is A Great Way To Do Your Part
- Organic Produce That's Worth The Money
- Paper VS Plastic
- Recycling Aluminum Cans Makes Good Cents
- The Great Wine Debate
- The Never Ending Glass Recycling Story
- Turkey Talk
In the Bathroom
All Through the House
- Cleaning With Vinegar
- Control Indoor Pests Naturally
- Don't Throw It Away - FreeCycle It!
- Earth 911
- ENERGY STAR products save energy, water and money!
- ENERGY STAR Washing Machine Saves Thousands of Gallons of Water Every Year
- ENERGY STAR- New Homes
- Father's Day Green Gift Ideas
- Get To Know Those Plastic Recycling Numbers
- Green Holiday Table Decorations
- Green Volunteering
- How Plastic Is Made
- How To Properly Dispose of CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs)
- ImagiPLAY For The Holidays
- In With The New and Recycle The Old
- Indoor Air Pollution
- Let the Holidays Shine with LED Lights!
- Mother's Day Gift Ideas
- Put Your Old Cell Phone To Good Use
- Recycle Glass
- Recycling Paper Is A Success
- Recycling Plastic
- Smart Strip Power Strip Saves Energy and Money
- Soap: Bar vs Liquid
- Sponges
- Stop Junk And Other Unwanted Mail
- Terri explains Do Your Part
- The Great Diaper Debate
- Treating Pet Smells and Accidents....Naturally
- Try Baking Soda Instead of Costly Chemical Cleaners
- What do you do with old or unused medicine?
- What Is Do Your part
- Why You Should Buy Organic Cotton
In the Garage
In the Garden
- Fall Leaves
- Go Native in the Garden
- How To Set Up A Rain Barrel
- Keep Mosquitoes Away Naturally
- Kill Outdoor Pests and Weeds Without Using Toxic Chemicals
- Plants That Tolerate Drought Conditions
- Put Those Coffee Grounds To Work In Your Yard
- Reduce amount of energy needed to cool your home
- Save Our Creeks - Don't Over Fertilize
- Test Your Soil Before You Fertilize
- Tree Banding
Fall Leaves
Fall is a beautiful time of year in the Carolinas. All of the bright yellow, red and orange leaves paint a pretty landscape but like clockwork this beautiful bounty of color will becomes piles and piles of leaves. Many will put the leaves at the curb to picked up with other yard waste. Others will use the leaves in a compost pile. Here's a Do Your Part idea that will provide protection and nutrients for your garden and make the job of leaf cleanup a whole lot easier.Make a nutrient rich leaf mulch. It sounds time consuming and messy but its super easy. All you need is a mulching mower and a catcher. Using just the mower you can mulch the leaves directly into your yard. You don't want the layer of leaves to be too thick and you probably don't want to do this more than once or twice a season. Using the catcher you can use the mulched leaves in your beds and gardens. Just pour the chopped up leaves into your beds. It's okay if there are some grass clippings mixed in. Just like any other type of mulch you don't want it to be too thick. Over time the leaf mulch will decompose into nutrient rich organic matter for your soil. Making leaf mulch is easier than bagging and hauling to the curb and your garden and lawn will benefit from the added nutrients.
If you have too many leaves put the excess at the curb. Many municipalities make compost of the yard waste and sell it back to their customers. In some counties it may even be free. Whatever you decide to do with your leaves -keep them out of the streets. The leaves can clog storm drains and flood city streets in a heavy downpour. Homeowners near flood prone areas should make sure the storm drains are always clear. If you live near a creek or stream, don't dump your leaves here. The excess nutrients can harm the eco system or clog bigger storm drains downstream.
Do Your Part and dispose of autumn leaves properly or put them to good use in your yard by mowing them into a beneficial mulch.
