Posted by Erica Williams on Mon, Aug 30, 2010 @ 02:33 PM
Fourth grade science class was—let's just say it was a long, long, LONG time ago. I was talking with a landscaper friend of mine about the condition of one of his clients' lawn. The grass was brown and ugly. Thinking aloud, he was brainstorming reasons, why he why he thought it was so unhealthy and we came up with lots of reasons and elements that could turn the grass brown. Then as a question to himself, he muttered under his breath “I wonder what makes grass green?”
I didn’t answer him. He wasn’t really talking to me.
And the fact that I did'nt know the answer off the top of my head, gave me pause too.
That seemingly simple question stayed on my mind for about 2 or 3 days before I started to do a little research. My first and only resource I checked was my little sister, she’s in the 5th grade. (yeah, the theme music from the game show plays in my head too)
The first thing she said to me was “Do you know what chlorophyll and photosynthesis is?” "Well of course I do", I lied, "But why don’t you tell me what it is and I’ll tell you if you’re right” I had to try and save face. Once upon a time, way back when I knew what chlorophyll was so technically, I wasn’t lying. Here are the cliff notes of her mini lecture. "Chlorophyll does not absorb the green spectrum of light so thats reflected back to your eyes which gives grass the nice green color.Then there’s photosynthesis. Photosyntesis “is a process that converts carbon dioxide into organic compounds using the energy of sunlight.
So there you have it folks! Combine chlorophyll with the process of photosynthesis and you get green grass. Now take this information and impress a kid! Just end the conversation before they ask you why the sky is blue! THAT deserves a separate blog post.
Posted by Erica Williams on Mon, Aug 16, 2010 @ 08:48 AM
Flower buying is great past time for me! I can spend hours in Pike Nursery browsing and probably annoying the sales associate by asking 3000 questions per flower. Looking at fully or partially developed plants is great but nothing beats watching a flower grow from a seed.
It’s amazing actually! To watch something so small and ambiguous turn into something so beautiful and delicate as an African Violet , a white tulip, or something massive like a pecan tree! It’s been a while since I’ve attempted to use my (semi) green thumb. Remember I'm a beginner, but I’m always willing to learn. Although,I do have some past memories to pull from. As a child my grandmother helped me to grow plants. I’ve noticed now with my little sister that it instills a sense of pride and accomplishment. Caring for your own little plant and making sure that it gets everything it needs, teaches responsibility. And the fact that it’s just plain fascinating to watch is icing on the cake!
Since it’s been a long time since I’ve planted a seed, I’ve been reading a couple articles about how to get started. I stumbled across this article on the Home Depot Garden Club and wanted to share with you just in case you need a refresher course, like me. Click here to read more.
Posted by Erica Williams on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 11:05 AM
Gasp! I didn't know such a plant existed. I'm new to this whole "green thumb" thing, anyway. In fact, my thumb isn't even green, it’s sort of a pale shade of yellow right now. I'm improving and that's what all that matters right?
While surfing the net, I came across this article, a list, of plants that you can't kill. Surely there must be some fine print written at the bottom. I mean, that’s a pretty bold statement. I CAN’T kill them? The author clearly hasn’t met me yet. I’m almost tempted to prove them wrong. But I won’t.
These plants can survive in the worst conditions. Forgot to water them for a few days? No problem. Little to no sunlight? It's ok. They'll survive. Why can't all plants be this resilient? Sure would've saved me a lot of potting soil. LOL
I thought the only plants you really couldn't kill were cacti. I have been proven wrong and I am not surprised-at all. For those other " pale yellow" thumbs out there, here's a list of plants that you can’t kill.
- Golden Pothos Vine
- Spider plants
- Snake plants and mother in laws tongue (funny name)
- Dracaena species
- Succulents and Cacti
- Bromeliads
- Lucky Bamboo
For a more in depth discussion of the plants..check this out.
Posted by Erica Williams on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 @ 07:55 AM
I’d like to have a garden party this year at my Grandmother’s house just for the family to get together and enjoy one another. This will be a first for me and the family so, in order to get some ideas of what a garden party should consist of, I, of course, googled it. Not surprisingly, I found tons of information!
Tablescapes, flowers, lawn cutting techniques, activities and best of all the menu! I love to cook and I’d like to impress with little effort. Here’s a video I found on Youtube from the CBS Early Show. I’m going to try to make the curry chicken salad and the lemon pie.
Do you have any suggestions or ideas that you have used for a garden party?
Posted by Erica Williams on Mon, Jul 12, 2010 @ 07:56 AM
Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land. Contrary to popular relief, you don’t need to have a “green thumb” to spruce up your lawn. The right tools, and a little imagination can be your guide.
I can’t teach you how to use your imagination, you should’ve mastered that skill in kindergarten, but I can give you a little insight on what it takes to be the best gardener/landscaper you can be. I’ve compiled a list of the 5 basic tools that EVERY gardener/landscaper/homeowner should have.
- Gloves—Yes gloves are number one on the list. I know one of the joys of gardening is digging into the earth and getting your hands dirty but sometimes you want to avoid the calluses and gloves allow you to do that.
- Gardening Hoe—This tool is essential for breaking into hard dirt, and removing stubborn weeds. It’s also used to create shallow trenches for planning seeds and bulbs.
- Shovel—A shovel can be used like a gardening hoe in some instances but it’s mostly used to move loose material like sand and/or gravel.
- Rake—A rake is used for leveling soil, removing dead grass from lawns and collecting leaves in a pile. Also if you are like my Mom, you can use the rake to make perfect straight lines in the dirt that only last until a strong gust of wind comes through.
- Garden Hose—After you planted your garden of flowers and/or vegetables you want to make sure the dirt is wet enough for the roots receive enough moisture. I recommend getting a really long hose, so you can reach your entire lawn
That completes my list of essential tools for every gardener/landscaper. What are some of your must have tools? Leave your comments, suggestions, questions in the comment section!
--Erica Williams
Posted by DataCentric Support on Thu, Jul 01, 2010 @ 01:10 PM
Hi Everyone
My name is Erica Williams and I’ll be a guest blogger here on the “Mulching Mind”. Like many of you I’m a beginner gardener and new to the world of landscaping. I’m learning techniques and valuable information little by little, like how different grass is used for different parts of the golf course. Did you know that? I’ll be sharing my beginners knowledge with you. Hopefully we can learn more about landscaping and mulching together. Feel free to leave your questions and/or concerns in the comments section. If I don’t know the answer, trust me I’ll find it. Hope to see you again here on The Mulching Mind.
What I learned on the golf course.
I’m not much of a golfer but that doesn’t stop me from going to the local golf course. I’m not worried about the score, I don’t even know how to keep score, but I am intrigued with who’s cutting the grass. Aren’t you? Have you ever taken a look around as you were setting up and noticed how perfectly manicured the lawn is? Just me?
I’m not one to be kept in the dark for long, I ask questions. So I did a little digging, and after a few bribes -I learned a few lessons. Lucky for you, I’m won’t be stingy-this time. I’ll share with you the really simple lessons about how the golf course keeps their lawn in top shape.It takes a lot of work and a team of people.Ok maybe that’s not really a secret but, I had to ask. I never saw anyone actually doing any lawn work the times I went, so I had to know.
- It’s really simple to mow the lines in the grass.First, begin mowing the lawn in a perfectly straight line. Turn around at the end of that line being sure not to affect the pattern. Next, mow another line directly beside the first in the OPPOSITE direction. Continue in this manner until complete.
- Avoid mowing a wet lawn.Wet lawn equals grass clipping everywhere except the bag.
- Fertilizer, Fertilizer, fertilizer. Fertilizer is like hair conditioner. It protects and treats the roots. Don’t skimp on the quality of fertilizer. But the best quality of fertilizer you can afford. Do your research on the best kind of fertilizer for the type of grass you have. Fertilizer can mean the difference between a bad looking lawn to a breathtakingly beautiful lawn.
- Consistency is key. Once you’ve developed a working routine for keeping your lawn in the best shape, stick with it. Be diligent and vigilant.
Pretty simple right? Just follow these simple steps and you can have a lawn as beautiful as your local golf course. Just don’t go ruining your lawn by playing golf on it!
Posted by Erica Williams on Tue, May 25, 2010 @ 01:43 PM
Mulch can consist of a variety of materials, and by definition, it does a number of things. First and foremost, it’s a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture. Mulch also helps to reduce erosion, suppress weed germination and growth, and provide nutrients to the soil as it decays.
Got all that?
In simpler terms, mulch is whatever you put down to protect plant roots. Mulch can be made of many things. There’s rubber mulch, made from shredded tires. Plastic sheeting acts as mulch. Even landscaping rock and gravel can serve as mulch. But at the top of the mulch heap are the environmentally friendly bark mulch and pine straw.
Bark mulch retains moisture longer than most other mulches, but decays quicker. So it’s good for returning lots of nutrients to the soil in the short term, and will save you some watering. For cities with water restrictions, bark mulch or wood chips are the way to go. Wood mulches also help to keep plant roots cool. Temperatures in the south and western states can be scorching. So while you’re trying not to break a sweat, mulching your outdoor plants will cool them off, too.
Pine needles or pine straw, as it’s called in the south, are commonly used as mulch in parts of the country where long-needle pine trees are prevalent. Pine straw also retains moisture which means a lower water bill. Also, a layer of pine straw about 3 to 4 inches thick can practically eliminate the growth of weeds—Bonus!
What other materials have you used or seen used for mulch?
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 @ 11:16 AM
We often get asked what are the components of your products? Check out our MSDS sheets for a chemical breakdown, but the basic ingredient is Iron Oxide pigments. These Iron oxides yield pigments. Natural iron oxides pigments are called ochres. Ochres, Ochre or Ocher (pronounced /ˈoʊkər/ OH-kər, from the Greek ὠχρός, ōkhrós, pale) is term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as Red ochre. The more rarely used terms Purple ochre and Brown ochre also exist for variant hues. Because of these other hues, the color Ochre is sometimes referred to as Yellow ochre.
Ochres are among the earliest pigments used by mankind, derived from naturally tinted clay containing mineral oxides. Chemically, it is hydrated iron (III) oxide. Modern artists' pigments continue to use the terms Yellow ochre and Red ochre for specific hues.
Many classic paint colors, such as raw and burnt siennas and umbers, are iron-oxide pigments. These pigments have been used in art since the earliest prehistoric art known, the cave paintings at Lascaux and nearby sites. Iron (III) oxide is typically used. They are considered to be nontoxic, moisture resistant, and nonbleeding. Iron oxides graded safe for cosmetic use are produced synthetically in order to avoid the inclusion of ferrous or ferric oxides, and impurities normally found in naturally occurring iron oxides. Typically, the iron(II) oxide pigment is black, while the iron(III) oxide is red or rust-colored. Iron compounds other than oxides can have other colors.
Because of these properties it is the best and safest way to treat mulch pine straw and grass. EnviroColor® strives to provide its end user the most vibrant, long lasting and environmentally sensitive top spray colorants. There are some very interesting and entertaining uses of the Ochres throughout history. My personal favorite was learning about the Himba culture. I look forward to your discoveries about the uses of Iron Oxide pigments from the prehistoric era to our modern times.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Feb 10, 2010 @ 09:37 AM
The more I research the more confused I become about alternative fuel sources. Reading all the articles available about what is fact vs. fiction at least most sources agree that the biofuel debate will continue. Being related to the wood fiber industry I was interested in what Pete Stewart, the CEO of Forest2Market, had to say at the annual meeting of the Mulch and Soil Council. He threw out some statistics about the growing demand for renewable fuels using wood fiber. "The United Kingdom is targeting a rate of 20% of its fuel needs coming from renewable supplies by 2020. To reach this goal it will need to import around 12 million tons of fuel pellets, at least a third of which will likely be imported from the US." He also estimated that the demand for pellet fuel in the US may double in the next decade depending on the renewable resource legislation pending in front of Congress today.
This means a lot to my industry and that is why we are working diligently to provide an economical and sustainable alternative to replacing wood mulch every season. My favorite article I have read I found in Foreign Policy Magazine and encourage you to read it and give your opinions. As the world realizes that the impact of depleting fossil fuels and Sarah Palins "drill baby, drill" is a short term solution to our dependency on foreign oil, there are renewable alternatives for our energy needs and wood may or may not be the best choice. I look forward to continuing this interesting and relevant debate and appreciate your feedback.
Posted by Sean Kennedy on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 10:18 AM
When dealing with questions like this one, I prefer to defer answers to the agronomical and horticultural experts. I searched and searched and went Ivy League this time and found some great, basic facts for nearly every mulching situation. Whether you need mulch to replenish nutrients in the soil, help in a vegetable garden or just looking to spruce up your curb appeal read what the Department of Horticulture at Cornell has to say. I feel this is one of the most comprehensive and informative pieces I have come across while learning about mulch and its various functions. If you have found other educational sources you would like to share, please link in your comments. I hope this is as useful to you as is to us at EnviroColor®.
