My Camellia nursery

No, I’m not pregnant. I’m just the proud foster mother of thousands of tiny little creatures all over my yard. Those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE creepy crawly little creatures: spiders, squash bugs, caterpillars.  Okay, I draw the line at cockroaches and flies only admiring them from afar. But walking around this morning I literally ran into a half dozen caterpillars parachuting from the oak trees.  It’s no coincidence that they hatch right now.  Every bird in Charleston is nesting this month and will begin the search for hundreds of bugs per day to feed their nestlings. They are all welcomed in my yard.

Banana Spider Hatchlings under the camellia flower - Pretty soon these little guys and girls will be all over my yard helping control mosquitoes and flies

You see in my yard I do not spray for bugs or caterpillars or spiders.  Nature is given free rein to achieve balance.  Living an organic life means accepting the inconvenience of walking through a spider web now and then, or having to relocate caterpillars from my veggie crops. Because along with those inconveniences I get to enjoy the bounty of honey bees and bumbles.  I get to spend hours watching banana spiders weave their orbs in the eaves of the porch. To watch wrens and bluebirds, thrushes and thrashers routing through the leaf litter.  I am rewarded by the sight of bluejays feeding their fledglings along my fence and squirrels chasing each other up and down the oak trunks. Occasionally I find an extra special treat like a parula clipping a spider from her web or a robin feasting on the worms in the compost pile.  But best of all, I get to eat healthy nutrient rich organic foods right from my own backyard and share them with friends and neighbors. 

I do not worry that I am consuming genetically modified corn or Round-up ready wheat.  You may think that living this way is inconvenient.  But I ask you, if given a choice between eating good wholesome foods that you grew yourself or putting unknown chemicals into your body that cause all kinds of disruption to your own natural balance, which would you choose?

 These days, it’s not good enough to read the labels.  Apples don’t come with labels that tell you what’s been sprayed on them to make them pretty and shiny.  Corn isn’t labeled as grown in fields sprayed heavily with Round-up and genetically modified to be tolerant of such harsh salts. Sure the EPA says that all of these things are safe.  But didn’t they say that about DDT at first too?

 Everything is a choice.  Choose wisely.

 If you’re not convinced to go organic and stop using Round-up, read this

By Pamela O’Malley Chang

4. Armstrong's FAQ page states that professional installation is recommended (not appropriate for DIY?) and that "Genuine linoleum is extremely long-wearing because its color and construction go all the way through to the backing. By comparison, in most vinyl floors, the pattern is printed onto the surface, which is then protected by a vinyl or urethane wear layer".

Natural linoleum–I remember it from my childhood, not as flooring but as an art material. Smooth, leather-like, durable, easily-carved, it was better than potatoes for print-making.

In the past 50 years, almost all so-called linoleum has actually been vinyl, with asbestos included for fire-proofing, insulation, and durability. Now, pushed by demand from eco-savvy designers and consumers, true linoleum is making a comeback.

Natural linoleum is becoming popular again for a number of reasons. First, in the search for alternatives to petroleum-based products (which are highly polluting in their manufacture, and are not sustainable in the long run), linoleum is a natural. It’s made from wood and cork “flour,” limestone dust, rosin (from pine trees), and colorants, all mixed with linseed oil (from flax seeds) and baked onto a jute backing. An acrylic sealant is added as a topcoat. Presumably, when it’s time to remodel, old linoleum can be shredded and turned into compost.

You'll notice that most manufacturers of Genuine Linoleum will place the flooring within modern decor. This doesn't mean that it cannot be paired with traditional design. They just want to give you the subliminal impression that a classic material is modern and vogue.

Performance

Natural linoleum is valued for its longevity and low-maintenance. Manufacturers estimate its lifespan at thirty to forty years compared with ten to twenty years for vinyl. Dry-mopping is the recommended method for routine maintenance. If linoleum is wet-mopped, manufacturers recommend periodically waxing it with an acrylic sealer. Because linoleum’s color extends throughout its thickness, surface mars can be buffed out and the area re-sealed. Certain disinfectants and high-pH cleaning agents should not be used with linoleum. On the other hand, the linseed oil in linoleum has some natural antibacterial properties.

 However, installing linoleum carries some precautions. First, linoleum does give off a weak gas as much as vinyl (but it offgasses different chemicals). Some people are extremely sensitive to linseed oil fumes and cannot tolerate linoleum until it has aired for several weeks, even months. Check your reactions before selecting it.

Secondly, linoleum (like most essentially plant-based materials), should not be exposed to constant moisture. Test the moisture content of floor slabs before installing linoleum. Caulk edges in bathrooms where linoleum abuts tubs and showers.

Appearance

Linoleum comes in a wide range of colors, typically in mottled patterns. Forbo, currently the best-known linoleum producer, offers a product called “Marmoleum” in a palette of colors that mimics quarried rock, and “Artoleum” with colors that may have been taken from a computer-generated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan.

 Costs and Availability

Marmoleum, manufactured in Europe, is readily available in the U.S. and available in stock colors. Recently, Armstrong Flooring has begun marketing its own line of natural linoleum.

Marmoleum costs $29 a square yard versus $6 to $40 a square yard for varying grades of vinyl. Environmental Building News, a trade publication for builders, gives the cost of linoleum at $4 a square foot compared with $1.50 to $2 for vinyl. Installation costs are more variable. My 200 square feet of intricately-cut linoleum flooring installed in 1997 cost $1,400, or about $7 per square foot.

Resources

1. Forbo (‘Marmoleum’ and ‘Artoleum’). (800) 842-7839, Humboldt Industrial Park, PO Box 667, Maplewood Drive, Hazleton, PA 18201
2. Armstrong Flooring, (800) 292-6308, PO Box 3001, Lancaster, PA 17604-3001
3. Linoleum: the All-Natural Flooring Alternative,” Environmental Building News, Volume 7, Number 9, October 1988, 28 Birge Street, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301.

 From Healthy Home Plans

Mockingbirds LOVE fruit

Pouring my coffee, I heard a very loud screech out front on the porch.  The source: a mockingbird.  He was sampling from the grapes I had recycled to the bird feeder. This time of year, bird feeders get a number of rare visitors.  It’s brooding season.  That means that birds everywhere are seeking supplements to their normal diet in order to feed their nestlings.

Similar to the cravings that pregnant women get before and after delivery, brooding birds look for treats. But unlike pregnant women, birds crave the correct foods. Although the tv commercials and specialty shops will try to get you to spend big bucks on specialty seed, meal worms and other expensive snacks, there’s an easier and cheaper way to get in on the action that’s good for your wallet and your planet.  Recycled food!  

Let’s face it.  We all know about composting but most of us don’t like to deal with the mess of fermenting food or the hassle of having to turn a large pile every day. And even if you do, chances are you can divert some of that food to the birdfeeders.  Believe it or not, birds love leftover spaghetti and stale wholewheat bread.  During brooding season, some will even go after a stray piece of meatball and will knock you down for bacon drippings.  (Bet you know some people who will do the same.)

So here are my top three treats for spring. Add these to your feeders to entice the rare birds and help the brooders.  Best of all, each of these can be offered “past prime” so you don’t waste food nor money on expensive seed.  

Give the "bullies" the big pieces away from the other feeders

Fruit – oranges, raisins, grapes, cherries, blueberries- don’t waste them if they start to shrivel in your fridge.  Lay them around on untreated wooden perches.  Birds will snatch them and the ants that they attract.  Jelly also attracts mockingbirds and orioles.

Peanut Butter – One of the best things you can offer to your kids and to the birds.  High in protein and fat, birds really need both right now and, unlike suet, it won’t turn rancid in the heat. So if your kids don’t eat the crusts of their sandwiches, the birds will. I smear mine on logs that have predrilled holes.  I Hang these around the yard where squirrels cannot reach.  Since they have no perches, only little birds will visit.  Chickadees, Timouses, Wrens, Downy Woodpeckers.  (If you need one of these feeders, give me a call. I’ll show you how to make one.)

Egg shells – Birds digest differently than humans.  They require grit to break down the seeds in their gullets.  Eggshells serve this purpose as well as offering added calcium, magnesium and protein. Crush the shells under your feeders or sprinkle them around your tomatoes, peppers, eggplants.  What doesn’t get eaten will add these same nutrients to the soil for your plants.  (Calcium is also a great way to prevent tomato blossom end rot.)

Got another good tip or trick? Send them my way. I’ll share the good news.

Backyard Habitat of Dan & Joy Newlin

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting a gorgeous neighborhood in the Wando/Cainhoy area near Daniel Island.  Beresford Hall is a 547 acre community off Clements Ferry Road built in 2004 around a central concept of conservation.   Unlike many developments that maximize density, (i.e. cram as many homes as possible per acre) DesignWorks chose nature first. The neighborhood was planned around the 583 grand trees and natural waterways that already existed.  

The designers also designated the most beautiful site as common area so that all 200 homes could share the gorgeous water views, water access and other neighborhood amenities like parks and nature trails.  Winding streets, large lots and well-built homes abound. But my favorite part of the entire plan, native plantings. 

At the core of every homesite is a native planting edict. All homes are required to utilize a majority of native plants in their landscaping plans and are strictly forbidden to plant exotic invasive species.

To make it easy on homeowners, Beresford Hall provides a comprehensive list of native plants and trees in their Covenants and Restrictions.  I found this list extremely helpful as a reference for my own yard.

Another rule they enforce is the prohibition of rounding shrubs to non-natural forms. Plants, shrubs and trees are encouraged to grow in their natural forms within areas called Nature Curtains, curving areas along the roadside that mimic nature’s corridors.  Natural, un-dyed mulch is recommended. 

You would think with all these restrictions to manicuring, that the neighborhood would look messy.  In fact, it’s just the opposite.  Wide streets allow for parking off the grass, sidewalks allow for great nature walks and yards look wonderfully inviting, especially to wildlife. As I walked around the yard I saw no less than 15 different species of birds darting in and out of the shrubbery.

If you get a chance, this neighborhood would make a great day trip for your garden club.  If your interest is homeownership, I’ll gladly show you around.  Homes are incredibly well built with large open floorplans that maximize views of the natural landscaping. They easily accomodate large families, usually featuring 4-5 bedrooms, formal dining, eat-in kitchen, den and formal living room, quality hardiplank exteriors, architectural shingled roof and 2-3 car garages. Starting in the mid 800′s. There’s nothing like seeing to believing. Take 526 Exit 23B towards Cainhoy. Beresford Hall is about 3 miles down the road on your right.

So when our National Garden Club president suggested that we Go Native and Grow Organically, I was at a loss.  Organic growing is easy, but natives? They only ones I knew that grew well were the weeds! Asking other gardeners made it even more difficult.  Many of the plants that we think are natives are actually naturalized: Camellias, Crape Myrtles, the “Wild” Rose.  The difference? Here’s another area of confusion and it really depends on who you ask. 

A stand of native pines

Most experts agree that Native Plants are those species that were living and growing here before we colonized the New World. Think about Native American foods and you may begin to get the picture: squash, pumpkins, beans, maize, etc.  Also think back to your grade school history classes.  Remember the blight of the American Chestnut? How about George Washington cutting down the Cherry Tree? Think it was the Asian varieties that now grace our nation’s Capital? Nope, if it happened at all, chances are it was the Wild Black Cherry that colonials used to make early American furniture. And let’s not forget the gorgeous black walnut trees that once filled our hardwood forests from Maine to Florida, or the Oak that was voted our National Tree. Native species abound once you really think about it. But so do naturalized plants.

The eyed click beetle - A favorite food of Pileated Woodpeckers

Naturalized plants are those species brought by our ancestors that grew so well they are almost commonplace now.  Joking with a fellow club member yesterday I explained that Naturalized plants are like Yankees who stayed long enough to acquire a Southern accent. Most of these plants were brought for sentimental reasons, like the climbing roses I brought from my Dad’s garden when I moved here. Others, were brought as a familiar food source like okra, tomatoes, cucumbers and cabbage.

So what’s the big benefit to growing native plants if all of our favorites are imports or hybrids? Wildlife and sustainability.

Due to the overwhelming growth and development of our country, American suburbia is now the most dominant source of wild plants, flowers and trees for our native wildlife. Sure there are still a great deal of forests but they have become separated by urban developments in between, making it impossible for wildlife to sustain itself without our assistance.  In his recent book, Bringing Nature Home, entomologist Douglas W. Tallamy states that in his research, native plants are more prone to insect damage for good reasons; they are all part of the bigger picture.  The oak, for example, can support 517 unique species of butterfly and moth larva. These caterpillars are the number one food source for our native birds and the acorns are an important food sources for our native squirrels, birds and deer.  

Great White Egret in Native marsh grass

Understanding this important cycle is the crux of responsible gardening. It has also become a new standard in “green building and development” as more and more neighborhoods are opting for native plantscapes. In fact, some developments in Upper Mount Pleasant have made it part of their covenants and restrictions that homeowners only landscape with native plants.  

Although I love exotics as much as anyone, I have a new appreciation for natives. Knowing why they are important to the grand scheme of things, I am more apt to choose them in my plant selections.  If you would like to learn more about native plants, go to the South Carolina Native Plant Society’s website at  www.scnps.org

1. Bamboo Floors - Not only are they trendy but they are made from a renewable source, grass.  Okay, technically trees are also a renewable source but it takes between 25 and 75 years for a hardwood tree to grow to maturity. It takes approximately 1 year to grow bamboo.  
2. Earthcraft – EarthCraft House is a green building program that serves as a blueprint for healthy comfortable homes that reduce utility bills and protect the environment. The aim of the program is to help home builders be leaders in smart growth management and environmental stewardship. Building an EarthCraft House is about constructing a healthy, more valuable home while minimizing environmental impacts. EarthCraft House follows a systems approach to home building that stresses an understanding of how the different components of a home work together. This approach results in a home that performs better, is more economical for the homeowner and costs little more to build than a comparable home built with standard construction practices.  The important thing to know about Earthcraft is that not every Earthcraft house will have the exact same features.  To allow the builders and architects flexibility in the designs, there is a point system that targets key areas like construction materials, site planning, appliances, waste management, air quality, water conservation as well as builder bonus points that they can earn from recycling waste materials like end cuts of wood. To gain the Earthcraft certification, the house must first be Energy Star certified for indoor air quality tests and earn at least 150 Earthcraft points.  Select and Premium Earthcraft homes must earn 200 and 230 points respectively. For more info: www.earthcrafthouse.com
3. EStar - ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes energy efficient products and practices. Energy Star rating can be achieved in many different areas of the home, so just because the house has an Energy Star HVAC system mean that the entire house is Energy Star. Again it’s a menu available to builders and home owners from which to select energy efficient features.  On average, Energy Star homeowners can reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emmisions by approximately 1/3rd. These features include: Air filtration and HVAC systems, appliances, Insulation, Roofing, windows and doors. For more info: www.energystar.gov
4. HERS Rating -   The lower the number the better the energy rating.  Based on the Energy Star model,  the HERS Rating system is a mathematical score given to a house after careful inspections and site reviews.  The rating is based upon a HERS Index. Upon completion of the plan review, the rater will work with the builder to identify the energy efficiency improvements needed to ensure the house will meet ENERGY STAR performance guidelines. The rater then conducts onsite inspections, typically including a blower door test (to test the leakiness of the house) and a duct test (to test the leakiness of the ducts). Results of these tests, along with inputs derived from the plan review, are used to generate the HERS Index score for the home.The HERS Index is a scoring system established by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) in which a home built to the specifications of the HERS Reference Home (based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code) scores a HERS Index of 100, while a net zero energy home scores a HERS Index of 0. The lower a home’s HERS Index, the more energy efficient it is in comparison to the HERS Reference Home.Each 1-point decrease in the HERS Index corresponds to a 1% reduction in energy consumption compared to the HERS Reference Home. Thus a home with a HERS Index of 85 is 15% more energy efficient than the HERS Reference Home and a home with a HERS Index of 80 is 20% more energy efficient. For more info: www.energystar.gov
5. LEED Certified – Released in January 2008, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. A green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier and more comfortable for the occupants. Benefits of a LEED home include lower energy and water bills; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; and less exposure to mold, mildew and other indoor toxins. The net cost of owning a LEED home is comparable to that of owning a conventional home. There is an incredible wealth of information on this new system inculding rating systems and project checklists at www.usgbc.org
6. Rain Collection/MGR  – Rain Collection can take many forms from a small water barrel that collects from the downspout to huge intergrated systems that recycle the water through a filtration system. At present, this technology is very rare in this area and still under development.

Of course, you and I can probably think of many other ways a house can be greener, such as a living roof system, organic materials, and the like but as of today these are the locally accepted standards according to the Charleston Trident Multiple Listing Service. 

One word of caution, these are all new and subject to change.  So new in fact that many homes have these features and do not advertise them.  So don’t be afraid to ask your Real Estate professional for assistance in navigating through the Green Maze.

Oak Terrace Preserve is the only South Carolina-based green residential development listed.  

At Oak Terrace Preserve, homes feature usable porch space, facing the street. Built in a traditional Lowcountry design, each home features EnergyStar® appliances, renewable, environmentally-sensitive building materials, water efficient toilets and sinks, among other features. The neighborhood features an innovative rain water management system with bioswales, and is accentuated by a network of pocket parks, public spaces and pedestrian-friendly walkways and streets. Some 400 trees, including many grand oaks, have been carefully preserved to enhance the neighborhood’s aesthetic. Even some walkways are constructed of Flexi-Pave, a pervious walking surface made from recycled tires.

With eight different builders participating, each home at Oak Terrace Preserve meets the certification standards of EarthCraft® House, as determined by the Southface Energy Institute of Atlanta, Georgia. Homes are offered at the $200,000 and up range.

Oak Terrace Preserve is owned by the City of North Charleston, and The Noisette Company, LLC serves as the development manager. OTP is the first new neighborhood in Historic Park Circle in nearly a half century, and the first fully EarthCraft-certified community in the Lowcountry. When finished,  there should be 374 homes developed.  

To date, 21 homes are already owner-occupied, with 8 more under contract and 24 lots left for sale. 

Cottage Living magazine as part of the overall 3,000-acre Noisette master planned area, named one of the nation’s “Top 10″ green communities. Last April, OTP was part of a story about North Charleston’s emerging status as a leading green community in South Carolina, on SCETV’s “The Big Picture”.

(Source: Noisette Press 2008 article by Keith West)

The 10 hottest years ever recorded in the Earth’s atmospheric record have all occurred in the past 14 years.

As the planet gets hotter, we lose our protective outer layer of atmosphere, creating a spiraling effect of even more heat and radiation coming through to the surface.

As the planet heats up, it disrupts our natural balance of hot and cold regions, glaciers melt, oceans rise, temperate zones flood and arid region gets drier.

The long-term effects of these changes are unknown but scientists across the globe all agree on one thing – no one wants to find out.

Here in Charleston so many of us have lived through disasters like hurricane Hugo, that most of us are all pretty much aware of their incovenience, not to mention their tragic effects on our society.  Multiply Hugo ten fold and you are now scratching the surface of what the Going Green movement is trying to help us avoid.  We may not be able to stop hurricanes, but we can stop the long-term effects of Global warming.

If you are one of those nay sayers who doesn’t agree with the studies, think about Going Green from another perspective.  GOING GREEN MEANS SAVING GREEN – money that is.  Green households save up to 20% on their energy bills.

Since charity begins at home, let’s start there.  Here are Al Gore’s top 5 recommended changes you can make in and around your house to green up the place.

1. Compact fluorescent light bulbs: These energy-efficient bulbs cost less than $4 and are produced by major corporations like GE. If every household in America switched five regular light bulbs for five fluorescent bulbs, it would be the equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the highways for a full year.
2. Outdoor solar lighting: These yard or patio lights cost less than $20, and they don’t burn any electricity or produce any CO2.
3. Programmable thermostats: Though these thermostats cost from $50 to $100, they can actually cut your heating and cooling costs. Set the setting so it’s a little bit cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer when you’re not in the house. A difference of 2 degrees can reduce a home’s CO2 emissions by up to 9 percent over the course of a year.
4. Air filters: Changing the air filters in your heating and cooling systems regularly can knock 2 percent off of your CO2 output each year.
5. Electric hot water heater blanket: Hot water heaters use a lot of energy and generate a lot of CO2. A blanket costs less than $18 and can cut your home’s CO2 emissions by almost 4 1/2 percent.