Untitled Document Imagine my surprise during the first week of July, when my son and I harvested 40 cucumbers from our three cucumber plants. Since then we have been blessed with about 20 cucumbers per week. In addition to being abundant, this is the tastiest crop of cucumbers we have ever grown. So what does […]
Community & Lifestyle
Posted inArts & Culture
Green greens
Untitled Document What alternatives are there to traditional fertilizers and other chemicals typically used on golf courses? What other actions can be taken to make golf courses kinder to the environment? Although golf courses are large areas of open space, certainly more desirable ecologically than equivalent amounts of paved highway or polluting industrial operations, they […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Safe. Period.
Untitled Document Are there environmentally friendly alternatives to tampons and sanitary pads? Women of ancient cultures couldn’t buy feminine hygiene products at the supermarket or drugstore chain, so they improvised, fashioning them instead of various natural and biodegradable materials — from papyrus and wool to grasses and vegetable fibers. Modern women, however, have relied on […]
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Plan a rain garden to capture runoff
Untitled Document When it rains, much of the water falls on impervious surfaces. Instead of allowing all of it to drain away, home gardeners can create an aesthetically pleasing area that will allow the water to drain back into the ground, away from the house: a rain garden. As the name implies, a rain garden […]
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The Holy Grail?
Untitled Document Back in December 2005, I spent several days in a Sangamon County courtroom watching a middle-aged man stand trial for possession of marijuana. Set up in a sting by a co-worker who was trying to earn “consideration” in his own drug case, this state employee — who had no history of drug use […]
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Free state tree guide
Untitled Document Last year’s high winds, tornadoes, and ice storm played havoc on central-Illinois trees. If you haven’t already replaced trees in your yard, take some time this summer looking at trees in your area and learning about them. To help you decide on the perfect tree, Illinois professional arborists representing cities, villages, universities, the […]
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Build an eco-home
Untitled Document How does one build a residence that is sensitive to the environment? There are many ideas as to what constitutes an “eco-home,” depending on how pure one wants to be, but certain common elements — such as energy efficiency, responsible materials sourcing, and minimal landscape disruption — must be in place to meet […]
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Gardening in shady places
Untitled Document Shade has always posed a challenge for gardeners. “Trying to find something unique and different, let alone being able to tolerate and perform well in the shade, often led to the old standbys of hosta, fern, and lily-of-the-valley,” says Greg Stack, a horticulture educator for the University of Illinois Extension. “Well, fear the […]
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Bad to the bone
Untitled Document How much pollution do motorcycles generate? Are there efforts to make them more eco-friendly? Motorcycles typically get about double the gas mileage of even the most fuel-efficient cars, but that doesn’t mean that they’re green. Despite getting 60 to 70 miles per gallon, motorcycles are not subject to the same rigorous emissions standards […]
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Move over, Homer
Untitled Document Simpsons schmimpsons. Who needs ’em? So what if Springfield, Vt., whomped us in USA Today’s contest to host the animated family’s movie premiere? Big fat hairy deal. I mean, sure, it would have been fabulous to have a swank event here in li’l ol’ Springpatch. Everybody could’ve gotten primped up and inflated with […]
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Flouride flustered
Untitled Document Why do some people complain about fluoride in drinking water and toothpaste? I thought it was beneficial for dental health. Communities began adding fluoride to water supplies in the early 1940s after decades of studies of why some Colorado residents were exhibiting a discoloration or mottling of the teeth but at the same […]
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Beetle mania
Untitled Document Japanese beetles have invaded our gardens again. The first beetles were noticed around June 15 in the Springfield area, and the phone at the offices of the University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard has been ringing off the hook ever since. These half-inch metallic green beetles with coppery wing covers wreak havoc on the […]
