What's Your Zone?

"What do those zone numbers mean?" and "What zone am I in?" are two questions I frequently get from folks who've been reading signs at garden centers and nurseries or perusing plant catalogs. Well, here's the scoop.

The zones that you often see referred to in garden books and catalogs are usually USDA Hardiness Zones, based on the average minimum winter temperature range in a particular area. There are 11 different zones in the US, with the lower numbers corresponding to the colder areas. The zones are also sometimes broken down further into "a" and "b", with "a" denoting the colder part of the zone.

To find out what zone you're in, you look at the Hardiness Zone map, compiled by the USDA, which is available at: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html. Many gardening books also feature copies of the hardiness zone map.

Say, for example, you live, as I do, in northwestern Vermont. If I look at the map, I see that I am located in Zone 4b, where the average annual lowest temperature is between -20 and -25 degrees F. (Yes, it can get cold up here!) Often, the zone ratings you see for plants don't bother with the "a" and "b" divisions; in this case, Zone 4 temperatures go from -20 degrees to -30 degrees F. The zones are useful as a guide for selecting plants that will make it through the winter in your area. But it's important to remember that the zones are just a broad guideline; within any zone there will variations depending on elevation (higher elevations will be colder), how close you are to a large body of water (which moderates temperatures), amount of snow cover (this protects plants), wind exposure, etc. What this means for me is that plants listed as hardy to Zone 4 or lower are probably good choices for my area, but a plant listed as hardy to Zone 5 or higher would be less likely to make it  through the winter where I am. But if I lived at a high elevation, I might find plants listed as hardy to Zone 3 to be more reliable choices.Conversely, I might be able to grow Zone 5 or higher plants if I have a protected spot on my property.

Sometimes you'll see an upper zone listing as well. So, for example, when I look up paper birch (Betula papyrifera) in one of my reference books, it is listed as suitable for Zones 2-6. What this means is that in Zones 7 and higher, which are the warmer parts of the country, this northern tree won't thrive- the climate is just too hot for this particular tree.

Just to make things more confusing, there are other zone maps in use, although the USDA map is most widely used. Garden books published by Sunset and Southern Living have their own climate zone maps that pertain specifically to the western and southern regions of the country, respectively. And the American Horticultural Society has developed a plant heat-zone map that is helpful in assessing the suitability of plants to summer heat, rather than winter cold, and is based on the average number of days per year when the temperature is above 86 degrees F; the higher the number, the greater the number of warm days.  For example, the  white fir (Abies concolor) is rated for AHS heat zones 7-2, which means it is best suited for parts of the country that have at most between 61 and 90 days above 86 degrees.

So consider zone designations when deciding on the best plants for your garden, but remember to check  which map they refer to and keep in mind the particular conditions in your own landscape.

Susan, Lawn & Garden

It’s All in the Details

The upstairs bathroom remodel is finally done—except that I still need to find good curtains for the window

 and a new bathmat—sigh! 

 The downside to a DIY project is that it can drag on and on because there’s no pressing reason to get it completed beyond the sanity of the people who live in the house, and since ours might already be called into question, what’s the rush?

 

I was standing in the bathroom yesterday, though, when it dawned on me that what makes this room so transformed is not really just the obvious things like paint and a new floor. It’s really the details that “complete” the room—that take it from “nice” to “wow!” I wanted to share a few of them with you.

 

Drawer Pulls can be a HUGE investment—sometimes costing upwards of $25 a piece. I found a simple packet of 10 brushed nickel pulls for about $8. They are not particularly incredible, but they go with the other brushed nickel details throughout, like the new switchplates, the garbage can, and the curtain rods, and because they are so simple, I find them to be quite elegant. 

 Plus, at the end of an expensive project, it’s nice to feel like something was affordable!

 

Shower Curtain Rings can be more than clear plastic circles. I found these near the shower curtain—imagine that!—in the store, and I think they are beautiful. Made of metal, they are sturdy, but I like that they look ceramic. They might be my favorite detail because they have a kind of Klimt feel to them.

 

Shower Rods can also be more than a white plastic stick. This one, in oil rubbed bronze, diverges from the brushed nickel, but it is so pretty with the shower curtain, and I like that it ties in with the painted mirror. Again, this small, and relatively inexpensive, detail stepped the entire project up to a more sophisticated level.

 

Disposables like tissues boxes can also become part of the overall design of a room. Rather than keeping the utilitarian, and ugly!, blue box of Kleenexes that I had previously been using in the bathroom, I found this kind of mod olive and brown box, which matches perfectly. It felt pretty decadent to buy a new box of tissues simply for the box, but I love how it looks on my little art deco shelf.

 

Of course, there were larger, more costly pieces like the new lights and the new medicine cabinet, and I adore them, but they were a significant investment. The major pieces of this remodel will no doubt stay the same for a long time,  but I could switch out any of these small details at any time for a fresh, new look. All together, the pulls, switchplates, garbage can, curtain rods, shower curtain, rod, and rings, and the few disposables cost about $150. That’s not too bad for a complete change in appearance. It’s really these little details than can help finish a space to look more like you want without breaking the bank.

 

 

 

 

 

Pollution Reductions & Personal Actions

The National Resources Defense Council and the Garrison Institute released a new collaborative study looking at the science of human behavior and applications for reducing pollution contributing to global climate change.  The report concludes that simple personal actions may reduce U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases by 15% or about 1 in every 7 tons of emissions.

The main point of the study is that collective simple and low cost actions by many individuals can make a difference.  The activities included reductions in junk mail, use of programmable thermostats, turning off appliances and lights when they are not in use, and regularly substituting poultry for red meat in family diets.  The study found that people would be more likely to take personal action if they knew that the collective actions of many similar individuals would make a difference.  A symposium where the results of the study were presented worked to create potential programs that would allow individuals to see the collective progress of cumulative individual action.

A 15% reduction in greenhouse gases is significant, though probably only the first step to avoid the most serious potential effects of climate change.  I’m all for new programs to encourage personal progress and take many small actions in my personal life, but I don’t know how a non-profit funded social marketing campaign can compete with the billions of dollars spent on advertising or break through the constant input from email and Facebook.  The best solution is still coherent and effective national or international policy to set enforceable reductions or create appropriate economics incentives for action.

While I wait for a policy solution, I’m going to keep going with my personal actions.  Join me and we can move closer to that 15% pollution reduction.

-Chris, Green

Tooting Sears’ Green Horn

Get ENERGY STAR products and recycle your old appliances

I was just talking to some folks about energy efficient home products and I mentioned this blog I write for Sears. When I mentioned Sears they said congrats. I asked why. They then informed me that Sears was named the 2010 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

No one from Sears told me about this accomplishment but I feel the need to toot their green horn a bit. The company was recognized for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through its numerous initiatives focusing on educating customers about energy-efficient products.

I knew Sears was featuring a great deal of ENERGY STAR products and doing a good job of marketing them as well.  I had also seen the numerous promotions on ENERGY STAR products that came through during the year. What I didn’t realize was all of the resources they had focused on to train their staff on ENERGY STAR products.         

I read that ninety one percent of the home electronic products that Sears sold last year were ENERGY STAR-qualified.

I also found out that Sears was the only retail member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Responsible Appliance Disposal program – RAD.  Through the RAD program, Sears took millions of energy inefficient appliances off the grid and disposed of them properly.

You too can take advantage of this program and know that Sears and its partners will dispose the appliance in an environmentally friendly manner – i.e. avoid having your appliance ending up in a landfill. Many of the components of your old appliance will be recycled.

Looking ahead, Sears will increase the number of ENERGY STAR-qualified products offered, and incorporate online ENERGY STAR tools such as an energy savings calculator.

Good for Sears. Good for you. Good for the planet.

Tread Lighter,

- Phyllis, Green Expert

Flowers for the Shade

When I first moved into my newly-built house twenty years ago, the front yard was completely bare. Of course, I immediately began to plant- trees, shrubs, perennial and lots of annuals for quick color. While I had great fun selecting plants, I did have to limit my choice of flowers to ones that would thrive in full sun. The trees I had just planted- a red oak, a Japanese tree lilac, a fringe tree- would all make fine specimens one day, but at that point their canopies cast little shade. So when I visited nurseries to pick out phlox, baptisia, dayliles and irises, I cast a longing eye on all the hostas, astilbes and ferns I had no spot for.

Fast forward fifteen years or so- and it did seem to go by fast! One day a few years ago, it hit me how much my trees had grown. I realized, as I looked at some of my struggling sun-lovers, that I now had the opposite problem- more shade than sun. Of course, changing conditions aren't a dilemma for true gardeners- they are just a reason to buy new plants! So I began moving the plants that wanted lots of sunshine to a sloping area near my driveway that was always a pain to mow. And  I began to fill their places with perennials that would appreciate the lower light.

Hostas were one of my first choices. These shade lovers come in a marvelous array of leaf sizes, shapes and colors and produce white or purple, often fragrant flowers to add to their appeal. I chose some big ones, like the striking 'Sum and Substance', which lights up the shade with its enormous chartreuse leaves. 'Partriot' and 'June' are more modestly sized, but their leaf variegation add interest throughout the season. Astilbes such as the pink-flowered 'Erica' and white 'Darwin's Snow Sprite' provide spots of color, while their ferny foliage makes a nice contrast with the bold hosta leaves.For more textural interest, I've also included 'Lady in Red' lady fern, whose lacy, light green fronds contrast with the dark, red-violet of their stems. To add color late in the season, I just added kirengeshoma, also known as yellow wax bells. Growing 3 to 4 feet tall, this shrub-like perennial has maple-like leaves and pale yellow, nodding, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and early fall.

Gardens are never static. Their constant change is sometimes a challenge, but it is also what makes gardening such an interesting endeavor. There is always something new to learn and something different to try. And that's what makes it such fun!

Susan-Lawn & Garden

Why Organic?

I get that question a lot. When it comes to clothes, towels, sheets, personal care products or napkins there are a variety of reasons for buying organic. Read the road trip of a cotton t-shirt below and I think you will come to the conclusion yourself.

The Mother Nature Network described the life cycle of a cotton t-shirt. It all starts on a cotton field. Some are here domestically, but many are in China and India. To produce 1 T-shirt, a cotton field requires 700 to 2,000 gallons of water. In the U.S. less water may be used, but nearly a third of a pound of chemical pesticides and fertilizers go into each pound of conventionally grown American cotton.

Once the cotton bolls are harvested they are SHIPPED to a gin. Here the fluff is separated from the seeds and pressed into bales. These mills produce very fine dust and if the workers in these mills don’t have protective gear and/or proper ventilation, it could cause a significant breathing hazard.

The bales of cotton fibers leave the gin and are SHIPPED to a spinning facility (most are located in China and India) to be carded, combed, blended and twisted into yarn. The cotton still must be SHIPPED again to a mill where the cotton yarn gets woven into sheets of fabric.

Since the cotton looks a bit gray at this point, traditional cotton goes through a “wet” and then “finishing” process, where it’s treated with heat (ENERGY USE) and CHEMICALS to make it look and feel like the cotton we know. Many times when the dyes are rinsed off in foreign countries, the wastewater (containing toxic chemicals) ends up in local rivers.

From here, the cloth is SHIPPED to a garment factory – usually in Asia or perhaps Mexico – where it will be cut and stitched into a T-shirt. It varies, but approximately 12 to 15 percent of the fabric will end up as scraps on the cutting room floor.

Finally, the T-shirt is SHIPPED from the garment factory to a wholesaler before it gets SHIPPED to your local store.

Did you realize that the t-shirt on your back had traveled so far, needed so much water and chemicals to be produced while creating such a health risk to the workers that made it and the land that grew it?

Organic cotton requires less water and reduces the amount of chemicals and synthetic pesticides that can end up in the ground, air, water and food supply says the Organic Trade Association. Turkey and the US are the largest organic cotton producers so it has less ground to travel.

Tread Lighter with organic cotton,
-Phyllis, Green Expert

More Smart Meter Trouble

At least one California utility is trying to manage angry customers after their smart meter rollout.  A Texas electric company is experiencing something similar.  Customers are complaining that their new smart meters are inaccurate and leading to higher electricity bills.  The utility looked at the meters and found they were working.  The higher bills were a result of cold weather and inefficient appliances. 

Not to simply state the obvious, but I think the major problem in both cases is consumer expectations that smart meters will automatically reduce their energy bills.  The promise of smart meters and real time pricing is better information.  The information will allow consumers and utilities to better manage energy use and supply.  The hard part for many of us will be the initial feedback that tells us we own inefficient equipment and use too much energy at peak times (when energy is most expensive). 

I worry the initial problems will make other utilities and regulators wary about rolling out pilot projects in other states.  Consumers must understand that the smart meters will only provide information and it’s up to us to manage our behavior to reduce costs.  Utilities should be ready to hold our hands as we figure out the technology and how to respond to the additional data.  Some studies say the utilities are not ready for the increased communication.  I hope that will change, because is smarter electric grid will reduce our environmental impact and our costs in the long term.

-Chris, Green

Pea Planting Time Is Here

The snow is finally melting and it will soon be pea planting
time here in Vermont. As soon as the soil is ready to work, I'll be getting them in the ground. How will I know when that is? I'll grab a handful of soil and squeeze it into a ball, then give it a flick with my finger. If the ball remains in a clump, I'll know it is still too wet. But if it breaks apart, I'm good to go.

Although pea plants are hardy and can take some frost, sometimes the peas seeds rot in the cool, damp soil before they can germinate. To increase my chances of success, I will pre-germinate my peas. I'll wrap the pea seeds in a moist paper towel, then keep it in a warm, dark spot for a few days. As soon as I see the tiny root beginning to emerge, I'll pop the seeds into the garden.

I usually plant tall peas varieties that need some sort of support to climb up. I've made a trellis with a wood frame onto which I tie untreated twine. Then, when the peas are finished, I don't have to untangle the vines from the trellis-I can simply put the vines and the twine into the compost pile together to decompose. I make sure the trellis is in place before I plant my seeds, so there's no chance of disturbing the young seedlings later on. If you don't want to be bothered with a trellis, you can plant lower growing bush peas in wide rows- they'll support themselves. Plant the seeds about an inch deep and 4 inches apart for tall varieties. Bush peas can be planted about 2 inches apart. 

Susan-Lawn & Garden

How I COULD have Saved a Disasterous Cake

My mother's birthday was last week, and since I consider myself kind of a cake expert, I set out to find the perfect, gourmet cake.

I have mentioned that spring is not exactly here yet, but hope springs eternal, so I was looking for something light and spring-y. I settled on a lemon cake. I chose to make a Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone. Doesn't that sound incredible?!?! There were 219 reviews—almost overwhelmingly positive—so I thought it was the winner.

I made some significant changes to the recipe—mostly short cuts. I used a cake mix, but I added fresh grated lemon peel to it. I didn't have two 8” cake pans, so I used one 8” and one 8 ½” springform pan. Not ideal, but I was working with what I had on hand.

I also purchased some really good lemon curd since I didn't start thinking about this cake until the day of her birthday. I have made lemon curd before, and it is delightful, but if you buy good quality curd, it is really pretty comparable.

Finally, I drove to two grocery stores and neither had mascarpone cheese, much to my irritation. I have purchased it many times, but of course, if you need something, it tends to not be available. I had some good cream cheese at home, so I used that instead.

Actually, I hardly followed the recipe at all, now that I think about it. I think that if it had turned out, however, all these shortcuts would have been perfectly acceptable.

My first mistake was that I accidentally put the bottom of the 8” cake on the cake stand first and frosted away. It wasn't until I was on the 3^rd layer that I realized I had used the wrong cake—too late. Even if everything else had worked, the cake would have looked bizarre and unbalanced.

The second mistake, and this was probably the big one, was that I microwaved the cream cheese for just a few seconds—about 45—to bring it to room temperature. That must have altered the state of the cream cheese because after I combined it with the curd and whipped cream, it never came together beyond a thick cream.

To make a long, and painful baking, story short, the cake went from bad to worse. The top layer cracked open, creating a huge chasm on the top, and the frosting ran down the sides and over the edge of the cake stand. It looked like an excellent 3^rd grade baking effort that had been sat on by a baby. Sigh!

I presented this sad little cake to my mother, we all had a big laugh, and she said, “You could have turned this into a lovely trifle.” Pause. Why didn't I think of that? A container of fresh raspberries nestled between creamy layers of lemon cake and this glorious frosting would have been a masterpiece, and no one would have ever known it wasn't intentional. Well, there's always next time.

-Dayna Del Val

Green Housing Options, Now Standard

EcoHome Magazine reports that two major homebuilders are moving to make green options standard in their new housing developments. KB Home's California developments and Lennar's Minnesota projects will meet third party certification standards, incorporating sustainable design and efficient equipment.

Green design features and products will include building materials with recycled content and efficient appliances and HVAC equipment. New projects that meet Energy Star Homes criteria feature appropriate insulation, efficient windows, “tight” construction to minimize drafts and energy losses, and the latest Energy Star products.

Although it won't be standard, KB's home packages will include the option of pre-wiring for electric vehicle charging. Electric vehicles are an option for reducing air pollution from the transportation sector but, like any big change in our transportation behavior, their adoption is limited by the lack of a new infrastructure. I can buy an electric car but there are no charging stations for me to “fill up.” Progress equipping homes with chargers now will make any future transition easier and, therefore, more likely to happen.

The best news is that these programs are voluntary and in response to consumer demand. That demand for more efficient housing will drive additional advances in technology and improve our ability to reduce our energy use (and costs) without needed to be a green expert.

-Chris, Green