7 Steps Towards An Eco-Friendly Lawn And Garden

Courier Press

As the author of "The Green Gardener's Guide," I've written the book on essential ways to green your garden while protecting the planet. But at the risk of hindering future sales, if I had to narrow it down to just a few things, the following list of seven will get you well on your way.

Right Plant, Right Place

If there were only one bit of advice I'd give for creating the healthiest garden possible, it would be to put the right plant in the right place. Plants that are growing in the most appropriate conditions have the best possible chance to thrive. Conversely, plants in distress will shut down or try to divert precious energy, all in an effort to survive.

Often our misguided solution is to pour on the fertilizer or pesticide, when all that was probably needed was to change the plant's location to the proper setting.

Feed the Soil

Healthy soil is alive with a complex array of creatures that all play a vital role in water uptake, nutrient availability, soil drainage and moisture retention. Feeding the soil means providing natural amendments like compost, aged manure and organic matter to fortify what's already there, and fuel a nutrient-rich ecosystem to sustain future needs.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

One of the easiest ways to make our garden less dependant on water and chemicals is to mulch generously. Applying about a three-inch layer around your trees and plants acts like an insulating barrier that helps retain moisture, moderates soil temperatures and suppresses weeds. In addition, a protective mulch barrier blocks many soil-dwelling diseases from splashing up onto foliage and infecting plants.

Whether you buy mulch in bulk or by the bag, it's a great investment that does so much. Even as it breaks down, it's improving your soil with valuable organic matter.

Water Deeply, Infrequently, and Responsibly

With a looming worldwide water crisis, one of our worst offenses at being more eco-friendly is how we waste water in our gardens and landscapes. More plants die from over-watering then under. Plants respond more favorably to infrequent, deep watering, as close to the root zone as possible, rather than short applications often. Deep watering promotes deep root growth, which in turn promotes more vigorous top growth and a more drought-tolerant plant.

If Using Chemicals, Act Responsibly

By applying the steps mentioned so far, you'll eliminate many problems that would otherwise require chemical intervention. Yet quite often the bigger problem with using chemicals lies with the person applying them. We incorrectly believe that if a little is good, more is better. If, when using chemicals, you simply stick to the label instructions, keep on target and use them only as a last resort, you'd be making a big improvement to a more sustainable landscape.

Select Tools That Don't Pollute

We gardeners work hard to promote so much beauty; in the process we do a lot of not-so-pretty things to the environment, including using tools that spew plenty of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Lawn mowers, weed whackers and leaf blowers are some of the biggest culprits. Fortunately, battery-operated and electric models are now formidable replacements, and there are plenty to choose from.

Even manual push reel lawnmowers have made a strong comeback lately. It's my mower of choice. I love the quietness of these human-powered rotary lawn mowers along with the simplicity and no-fuss ease of operation.

Manage Horticultural Waste Properly

Being a greener gardener also means making wise decisions when disposing of horticultural waste such as plastic pots, yard debris and chemicals. One of the biggest culprits in greenhouse gas emissions comes from landfills. And according to the USDA, about 65 percent of any landfill is unnecessary because it can be composted or recycled. Moreover, 25 percent comes from compostable yard debris and kitchen scraps.

So as you do your part to green your garden while protecting the planet, remember to consider everything that leaves your property, too. There are plenty of other ways you can garden in a more environmentally responsible way, but starting with one or all of the steps above will get you well on your way to making a big difference!

USFA Kicks Off Home Safety Campaign For Smoke Detectors

Fire Engineering

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) launched an effort to encourage everyone to install and maintain home smoke alarms and, if possible, sprinklers.  More than 3,000 people die in home fires each year, and the majority of them have no working smoke alarm. To prevent these deaths, the USFA, a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sponsoring the nationwide Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign, which emphasizes that “Smoke Alarms Save Lives.”

“The U.S. Fire Administration tracks fatal home fires every day, and it is tragic to see how many deaths are linked to homes without working smoke alarms,” said Kelvin J. Cochran, U.S. Fire Administrator. “The USFA is committed to preventing the loss of life and we want residents and fire fighters to be safe.”  He added, “Smoke alarms are inexpensive, easy to install, and easy to maintain. We are asking everyone to make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes, and if possible, sprinklers.”

When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82 percent, when compared to a residence without either.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2003-2006, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms or no kitchen fire extinguishers.

Cochran also emphasized that firefighters often die in the line of duty trying to rescue people who did not get out at the first sign of a fire.  He added, “Smoke alarms and sprinklers give you and your family more time to get out, before firefighters have to come in to rescue you.”

The Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign is promoting fire safety through a free Campaign Toolkit DVD; featuring English and Spanish educational materials; print, radio and television PSAs; children’s materials, a video demonstration of how quickly a home fire spreads, and on the USFA’s consumer-friendly Web site at www.usfa.dhs.gov/smokealarms. 

The USFA has always promoted fire safety and the use of smoke alarms and fire extinguishers through materials and in campaigns, such as “Tribute to Heroes” and “Prepare. Practice. Prevent the Unthinkable: A Parents’ Guide to Fire Safety for Babies and Toddlers,” to name a few. Now, emphasizing the importance of both smoke alarms and sprinklers, our PSAs --“My Dad” and “My Mom” – focus on the viewpoint of the child of a firefighter. The campaign materials include real stories of people whose lives have been saved, because they had a working smoke alarm.

The USFA offers a few helpful tips on smoke alarms and sprinklers:

    * Place properly installed and maintained smoke detectors both inside and outside of sleeping areas and on every level of your home.
    * Interconnected smoke alarms are best, because if one sounds, they all sound.
    * The U.S. Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.
    * Test smoke alarms monthly and change alkaline batteries at least once every year, or as instructed by the manufacturer. You can use a date you already know, like your birthday or when you change your clocks as a reminder.
    * If possible, install residential fire sprinklers in your home.
    * Avoid painting or covering the fire sprinkler, because that will affect the sensitivity to heat.


Organizations in partnership with the U.S. Fire Administration’s Install. Inspect. Protect. Campaign include the American Fire Sprinkler Association, Burn Institute, Everyone Goes Home, Fire and Emergency Manufacturers and Services Association, Fire Department Safety Officers Association, Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Home Safety Council, International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services, National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) , NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation, National Association of Hispanic Firefighters, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, National Fire Protection Association, National Fire Sprinkler Association, National Volunteer Fire Council, and Safe Kids Worldwide.

Not All Energy Star Appliances Equally Efficient

NY Times

The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency

Some manufacturers could therefore be putting the stickers on unqualified products such as kitchen appliances, according to the audit, by the Energy Department’s inspector general, Gregory H. Friedman.

The Energy Star program, jointly managed by the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, has benefited from a renewed emphasis by the Obama administration, as a mechanism for reducing the waste of energy and curbing resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Under the federal stimulus bill, $300 million will go to rebates for consumers who buy Energy Star products.

Some consumers choose energy-efficient appliances for the same reason they might choose a car with good fuel economy: to save money or reduce the environmental impact.

Teams from the Energy Department and the E.P.A. oversee different categories of products. Last December, the environmental agency’s inspector general said the Energy Star ratings for products it oversees, like computers and television sets, were “not accurate or verifiable” because of weak oversight by the agency.

The Energy Department vowed then to scrutinize its performance in evaluating the products that it oversees, like windows, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerators.

The new audit, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, indicates that the Energy Department has also fallen far short. Those shortcomings “could reduce consumer confidence in the integrity of the Energy Star label,” according to the department’s inspector general. The audit is to be submitted to Energy Secretary Steven Chu this week. While the Energy Department requires manufacturers of windows and L.E.D. and fluorescent lighting to have independent laboratories evaluate their products, the report said, companies that make refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and room air-conditioners, which consume far more energy, can certify those appliances themselves.

One refrigerator manufacturer tipped off the Energy Department that some models from a competitor that carried the Energy Star label did not meet the criteria, the audit said. That problem was also described by Consumer Reports magazine in October 2008 about tests it had conducted. In a settlement last year, the manufacturer, LG of South Korea, agreed to modify circuit boards in the machines already sold, to reduce their consumption and to compensate consumers for the extra power consumed.

The report also noted that while the government said in 2007 that it would conduct “retail assessments” to ensure that all the products carrying the Energy Star logo deserved them, it is still not doing so for windows, doors, skylights, water heaters and solid-state lighting. And the department is not following through to ensure that when inappropriately labeled products are identified, the labels are actually taken off, the audit said.

In one category, compact fluorescent lights, the government has certified nearly all existing products, the audit said. “When 90 percent of the products qualify, the consumer cannot easily judge the relative efficiencies of C.F.L. products,” the report said.

Jen Stutsman, an Energy Department spokeswoman, cited the recent agreement with the E.P.A., and said, “The Obama administration is strongly committed to ensuring that all Energy Star products provide American consumers with significant energy and cost savings, and has moved forward with steps to streamline and enhance the program.”

An outside expert, Lane Burt, the manager of building energy policy at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said some of the criticisms were justified.

“It’s been a tremendously successful program,” Mr. Burt said. “It’s grown by leaps and bounds, and any time you have that kind of growth, you’re going to have growing pains.”

Nonetheless, he said, “it’s crucial to make sure consumers are actually saving money and energy when buying an Energy Star appliance.” On Sept. 30, the Energy Department and the E.P.A. signed a memorandum of understanding that seeks to address some of the shortcomings detailed in the report.

Other Energy Star Appliances:

• Blenders
• Slow Cookers
• Indoor Grills

Mr. Burt said the memorandum committed both agencies to having all of their products evaluated by certified independent laboratories, and to expand the Energy Star program to cover products that were not in common use when it began in 1996. No target date was set.

The memorandum called for a “super star” program within Energy Star to identify the top-performing 5 percent of products, ranked by efficiency, he said.

Dreams, Books, and Blowtorches

from the Wall Street Journal

Thomas Keller is widely regarded not only as the top chef in the country but as the food world's reigning perfectionist. His restaurants, The French Laundry and Per Se, are among the country's most expensive and exclusive temples of haute cuisine.

Now the chef has written a cookbook for regular folks, with recipes for "everyday staples" such as hamburgers, chicken-and-dumpling soup, and creamed corn, using ordinary kitchen appliances like coffee makers, blenders and slow-cookers. The book, "Ad Hoc at Home," is Mr. Keller's "most accessible," says publisher Ann Bramson of Artisan Books, with the words "family-style recipes" emblazoned on the cover.

The concept is tantalizing: four-star flavor in the comfort of home and with less expense (the prix fixe dinner at Manhattan's Per Se is $275 per person without wine). There's just one problem: After one spends the time and money to buy the ingredients and equipment and then cook through the multiple steps in some of the recipes, dinner at Per Se starts looking like the cheap and easy route.

It's a frustration food fans are likely to encounter as more cookbooks are published that celebrate the unfettered complexity that the world's top chefs bring to their cuisine. These chefs include New York's David Chang, whose book "Momofuku" was released earlier this week, and British star Heston Blumenthal, who this month is publishing a $50, 528-page version of a $250 cookbook released last year. While Julia Child made her career by breaking down classic French cuisine into steps the average cook could execute, these top chefs don't make concessions for home cooks. Instead, they write recipes that require the equipment, ingredients and techniques they use in their restaurants.

"It's my point of view that cooking is a process and something you should enjoy doing. You have to embrace and enjoy that process if you want to become a good cook," Mr. Keller says.

Recognizing that chefs often write recipes over the heads of average people, the Food Network says it no longer seeks out well-known restaurant chefs and has instead changed its business model to promoting home cooks with good personalities, says Michael Smith, Food Network's senior vice president of marketing. Cookbooks from Food Network stars are hugely popular: Of 38 cookbook best sellers last year, five were from Paula Deen, Giada de Laurentiis and Rachael Ray, all Food Network stars, says Simba Information, a media researcher in Stamford, Conn.

But there remains an audience that craves teaching from the industry's top masters. Mr. Keller's books are Artisan's biggest sellers, Ms. Bramson says. Nearly 400,000 copies of "The French Laundry Cookbook" have been printed; the company has ordered 100,000 copies of "Ad Hoc at Home" for its initial run. Overall, cookbook sales have been strong relative to the book market overall, and publishers released nearly 14% more cookbooks in 2008 than the year before.

The recipes in "Ad Hoc" are mostly homey staples, such as chicken pot pie, that are cooked with four-star-restaurant techniques. Mr. Keller's take on a hamburger involves buying sirloin, brisket and chuck and grinding it. "Blowtorch rib roast" is exactly as it sounds: a roast that is browned with a small propane blowtorch, which he suggests buying at a hardware store, before being cooked in the roaster oven. Several recipes require expensive machines such as a Vita-Mix Blender (starting at about $450) or a standing mixer (about $300) and don't offer alternative methods. Mr. Keller definitely prefers other techniques to deep fryers.

One particularly challenging recipe comes with a deceptively comforting title: Chicken Soup with Dumplings. The picture of a thick broth poured over bright green celery and carrots and perfectly shaped dumplings is motivating.

But the recipe takes about two hours of active labor and dirties about 10 pans and bowls and food choppers. It involves such diverse skills as making a parchment lid for a pot, thickening broth with a roux, and making cream puff dough (for the dumplings). That celery is bright green because it is separately cooked in boiling water, then quickly chilled in ice water and later incorporated into the soup. Also, using two spoons to form the torpedo-shaped dumplings known as quenelles might be a challenge for novices.

The Easiest Recipe

Mr. Keller says that people using his cookbook should choose recipes within their skill level. The easiest recipe in the book is probably the grilled-cheese sandwich, Mr. Keller says. The chicken soup is fairly complex, he says. "I always recommend that any cook start with something that you feel you can be successful with," Mr. Keller says. As readers attain more skill and make a deeper commitment to cooking, they can graduate to trickier recipes.

Mr. Keller is part of an industrywide trend in which chefs known for fine dining are migrating into more casual cuisine. The recipes in the book are from food served at Ad Hoc, a three-year-old restaurant in Yountville, Calif. Mr. Keller is opening a third branch of his Bouchon bistro in Beverly Hills around mid-November, and his future plans include opening a hamburger restaurant, if he can ever find the right location, he says.

Elsewhere, Daniel Boulud, of Manhattan's tony Daniel, recently opened a sausage restaurant in the Bowery, once New York's skid row. Marcus Samuelsson, known for cooking at Aquavit, an exclusive Scandinavian restaurant in Manhattan, wrote "New American Table," a tour of American food traditions out this month that includes recipes for breakfast burritos and turkey meatloaf.

The push into more casual fare is a significant shift for Mr. Keller, a chef known for uncompromising standards. He is widely credited with luring American diners to restaurants in which they have no choice of what they eat—they must order the tasting menu.

'Be Warned'

His previous cookbooks, "The French Laundry Cookbook" and "Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide," are notorious for including some of the most laborious recipes in print, spawning daredevil blogs on which people attempt to make the recipes and Amazon reviews such as "Be warned." Most recipes, such as "Butter-Poached Maine Lobster, Tomato Pain Perdu, Celery and 'Russian Dressing'" are in fact a series of recipes, often involving complicated techniques. Simply putting the ingredients together on a plate properly can be an architectural challenge.

Mr. Keller says he has time to make dinner at home only about six times a year. His favorite meal: grilled steak, corn on the cob and a salad from his garden, preferably with ripe tomatoes.

Judging "Ad Hoc" purely on the basis of difficulty misses the point, says Ms. Bramson. The book is a compendium of cooking knowledge, from how to properly truss, or tie, a chicken for roasting to an essay on kosher salt (different brands have different weights), Ms. Bramson says.

"We're grown-ups. If the recipe looks too hard, you don't make it," she says.

Bathroom Tops Home Remodeling Needs For Seniors

U.S. News & World Report

Making bathrooms more friendly to older homeowners tops the list of important projects to help people remain in their homes as they age. Angie's List has more than a million consumers in its local networks providing their experiences and recommendations of favored contractors and service providers. It polled participating contractors and found that the four most requested bathroom improvement projects were the installation of grab bars in the shower-bath area, replacement of a bathtub with a walk-in shower-tub, installation of bathroom vanities with space underneath to accommodate a wheelchair, and the lowering of electrical switches to make them easier to reach.

When doing the work, here were the contractors' recommendations:

    * Properly install grab bars and seats so they can withstand the weight they’ll be expected to bear and the safety devices they’re designed to be.
    * Provide safe entry and exit from bath and shower enclosures.
    * Install non-slip flooring.
    * Install good lighting.
    * Install lever door handles because they are easier to use than traditional, round door knobs.
    * Round corners to help minimize injuries.

While cost is always important, the first priority for bath safety products is that the modifications perform as advertised. The National Association of Home Builders and AARP helped develop a three-day training program that conveys a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) designation. They've also developed a CAPS locator tool.

The recession has helped bring down home-improvement prices, according to several contractors. Dan McClure, from Mansfield, TX, says, "For basic or standard materials and installations, we have seen some overall project costs drop 15 percent to 20 percent." In addition, more of his suppliers have held clearance and close-out sales, leading to even larger price savings on some jobs.

"Handicap-accessible shower stalls, when converted from tub installations, can range anywhere from $1,800 to $5,500," McClure says, "again depending on a wide range of materials selections as well as the degree of difficulty in making the renovation to existing structures." He says toilet change-outs generally range from $285 to $485, and grab-bar installations range from $65 to $95. Don't be surprised if the total cost of a complete "aging-in-place" bathroom begins at $10,000, and moves up from there. However, like all home remodeling  projects, the sky's the limit, depending on personal tastes. Angie's List heard of one set of grab bars that cost $7,000 -- just for the bars!

Pricing can vary greatly because of differing bathroom layouts, the age and condition of the home, the quality of work desired, and the unseen plumbing and electrical issues that often don't emerge until walls are opened up after a project has begun. For this reason, contractors say consumers should get multiple bids and should make sure they communicate regularly with their contractor.

Vanessa Cheshire helped her parents renovate their Boston home 15 years ago after her father, then 63, was in a serious car accident. Her parents relocated their living space to the ground floor of their two-story home. Related renovations included making the bathroom wheelchair accessible, widening doorways and erecting an outside wheelchair ramp. Like many projects, this one was driven by necessity. "I don't remember how much all the renovations cost," she recalls. "But I do remember that we did not shop around too much. We went with a known, trusted contractor who had done work for us previously. Our entire family was emotionally overwhelmed. And, we were in a rush to have the renovations done by the time my father would be released from the rehab hospital." Last year, her father passed away, and the bathroom was renovated again to meet the current needs of Cheshire's mother.

In hindsight, she says, "it would be better to renovate well in advance of a debilitating condition. However, it is hard to know what is needed in advance." While that is a factor, contractors say evolving aging-in-place standards point to many changes that can be made without knowing the specifics of an occupant's special needs. "Baby boomers planning to live in their homes for another 30 years should seriously consider implementing as many universal design concepts as possible," says San Francisco contractor MartinSimenc . These changes include curb-less entries plus arthritis-friendly fixtures and hardware. "Older adults in the midst of a health crisis or rehab should initially focus on the modifications that will maximize their independence immediately," he adds, mentioning grab bars, railings and wheelchair ramps.