Lets help out to protect our Earth. Being environmentally conscious has been the talk around town. Santa Clarita Valley was honored at the 2007 Mayor’s Climate Protection Awards Programs. The awards were in recognition of Mayor’s that were taking initiatives to make their communities more energy efficient and to help cut back on global warming. The community of Santa Clarita is becoming greener and you can help out too. With a few simple changes you can transform your household to a green living space.
To make your household is a little more green here are a few easy tips to follow. Instead of buying regular cleaning products, you can purchase “green” cleaning products, which are easily found in most stores. Or you can take on the challenge and make your own cleaning products. Here are a few simple recipes to follow. For glass cleaning; mix two tablespoons of white vinegar to one-quart water, for tougher jobs add more vinegar. Another trouble-free recipe is for mold-killing disinfectants. Lavender, thyme, clove, tea tree oil and grapefruit extracts are all mold-killing disinfectants, so add 20 drops of pure essential oil to one-cup water and there you go. Also it’s a fun excuse for grabbing a cozy blanket and bundling up on the couch with those dearest to you. One of the simplest changes a person can make, which can make the biggest impact is to recycle. Recycle plastics, glass and paper.
To make your garden a green living space here are some tips for your lawn and garden. When using any products make sure that they are chemical-free and use only organic materials. Also its best to keep your grass long; the minimum length should be two and half inches. By keeping your grass longer it will help to protect the roots as well as help to prevent water evaporation. Try watering your grass either in the morning or evening, this will also help to reduce water evaporation. When gardening make sure you start with healthy soil. Healthy soil allows for healthy plants, which are less likely to require chemical treatments. To get healthy soil use compost materials which is the best soil conditioner. Composts are usually made from rotted organic materials and provide plants with nutrients and beneficial micro-organisms. Another important tip when keeping your garden healthy is to turn over and break up the soil. This promotes deep root growth, helps with drainage, air circulation, mixes compost and other organic material into the soil and discourages harmful root feeding insects. One last helpful hint is companion planting. Plant plants that work together to provide natural protection and help to repel insects. However, you do have to be careful of what plants you are planting together for some can be harmful to each other. A few examples of plants that work well together are: planting French Marigolds near potatoes and tomatoes because they repel insects that are attracted to these vegetables, plant tomatoes and potatoes throughout your garden to reduce flee beetle damage and garlic can be planted with everything except onions to repel larvae of harmful insects. These are just a few helpful tips to make your household a better green living space.