EASY Composting

I love the idea of composting, but I have never officially "composted". I mean, my entire life I have thrown food scraps out the back door to a place behind the bushes, but I have never had a "compost bin". When I run across an article about composting in one of those homesteading magazines, it looks extremely intimidating.
I'm a big advocate of the "green movement" being achievable for city dwellers. After all, half the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 percent will be city dwellers by 2050 (according to the UN).
Rural folks can't save the earth alone!

So, (back on track here...) I was excited to see this Automatic Indoor Composter by NatureMill. It takes up less space than those trash-compactors from decades past, and it serves a useful purpose. The NatureMill composting machine can compost up to 120 lbs of food per month. (According to a study by the University of Arizona Garbage Project, Americans throw away 1.3 pounds of food every day, or 474.5 pounds per year.)
The instructions, per the company website, sound very easy and apartment-friendly:

Deposit food waste items at any time, on any day. Add up to 120 lbs (55kg) per month. For best results, cut items into small pieces. Items remain in the upper chamber, with "hot composting" conditions: mixing, air flow, heat, and moisture. The energy released destroys odors, pathogens, and seed germination. The compost is later transferred through a trap door to the lower cure tray chamber, where it continues to compost while you add fresh waste items to the upper chamber.
No odors, worms, or bugs: Cultures consume waste quickly, without odors. The cultures produce a mild aroma similar to sourdough, mushrooms, or damp straw. Balance the chemistry by adding a small amount of sawdust to increase "brown" content, and baking soda to reduce acidity (both are included). A fan draws air into the machine continuously, providing oxygen to the cultures. A powerful carbon filter removes any lingering odors. Replace the filter every 4-5 years ($8 online, or about $1 if you buy the carbon yourself).

The initial investment is something to consider, but the ease of use will guarantee that you get your money's worth.

BONUS: NatureMill is offering FREE SHIPPING to MyGreening readers with the coupon code FREESHIPPING847.

Fabulous Matchstick Garden Giveaway!

This just in!
Brooklyn 5&10 has decided to give away 2 sets of 4 Matchstick Garden matchbooks to 2 My Greening readers! That is $10 worth of Matchstick Gardening!





To enter:

• go to this website and look around.
• Leave a comment below telling me which Matchstick Garden you would most like to try, and one other product from Brooklyn 5&10 that you think is neat!
• For an extra entry, blog about this contest (and leave a comment telling me the link)
• for an another extra entry, subscribe to my RSS feed.

(max. 3 entries per person!)

Deadline for Entry is 5/3. Good luck!

Gardening with Matches

A few weeks ago I ran across a neat little invention called "matchstick garden". It is a little book of paper "matches" that contain seeds on the ends. When planted, they grow into herbs or wildflowers (as specified on the packaging).

This is info from their website:

There are two styles of Matchstick Garden available, either four herbs or wildflower seeds already mixed on the end of each matchstick. The Mixed Herb Matchstick Garden contents Basil, Chives, Parsley, and Thyme. The Wildflower Matchstick Garden contains Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Corn Marigold, and Field Poppy. Each matchbook is 3" W x 2" H with 10 matchsticks. Easy to follow instructions are printed inside. The Matchstick Garden a great party favor, stocking stuffer and surprising gift!

My preschool-aged son loves gardening, and I thought something like this would be a fun and manageable way for parents without gardening skills (myself included) to start growing with their children.

This is easily more useful than growing "magic rocks". Hydrated Silica, anyone? Most likely NOT organic.