Viridescence - be green!

With cold weather on its way, now is the time to weatherize your Courtesy of i.pining.com home. All types of homes (apartment, duplex, mobile homes, single-family) benefit from weatherization. Making your home resistant to cold weather by adding storm windows, insulation, etc., will not only make those cold winter nights cozy it will also reduce your energy consumption and reduce your energy bill. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates a savings on your energy bill of 5 to 30%. Weatherization – What you do Add insulation to walls and attic – if needed Seal air leaks in attic with expanding foam or caulk (seal around chimneys, wiring, ducts, flues, and vent stacks) Caulk doors and windows Install weather-stripping to windows and doors Install plastic sheeting on inside windows and sliding doors Install door sweep Seal furnace ducts Seal household leaks with spray foam (around door and window frames, chimneys, vents, skylights, etc.) Use heavy curtains

Chive Seeds. Photo by A. Bradley  Now that summer is coming to an end and your vegetable harvest is in full swing, consider leaving some of those ripe veggies on the plant to let their seeds ripen. Collecting your own seeds is a rewarding opportunity and provides you with free seeds for next year’s garden. Plant Type  Self-pollinating plants, such as tomatoes, beans, and lettuce, are the easiest to collect. Self-pollinating plants do not need another plant to pollinate their flowers to produce fruit. The plants produced from these seeds will be similar to the parent plant. Cross-pollinating plants, those that rely on the wind or pollinators to pollinate their flowers, are more difficult to collect seeds that will grow true. Meaning the plant grown from the seed of a cross-pollinating plant will not be like the parent plant. Collect  Annual plants produce seeds in one season (for instance beans, squash, and spinach). Collect mature seeds at the end of the growing season.