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Happy Snuggling for the Holidays!

Another year is "falling" into the slumber of winter. Mammals of all shapes and sizes are snuggling together to provide comfort and security for family and tribal members.

How are you snuggling...and huddling...and reconnecting? 

The holidays are a celebration of this harvest and huddling season. It starts a little earlier than we assume -- it really starts with Veterans Day in early November.  We gather our protectors of our tribe, our nation, together.  We then celebrate family and community at Thanksgiving.  And our spiritual communities at Christmas and Chanukah.  And the final snuggle is under the influence of the waning year and the rebirth of the new year. 

Blankets of crystal frost and snow snuggle the earth in a coverlet of precious moisture and skin care through the harsh temperatures of winter.  Snuggles. Repose.  Hybernation in dens and living rooms.  Ahhh, the solitude of close family and a mug of steaming brew on a crisp morning with streaming sunshine and sparkles that outclass any diamond.
 
Seasons are a sustainability system for our earth.  Rest and regeneration begins during these hugging times -- the days and nights of snuggles and cuddles that bond families together.
Observe carefully the birds and beasts of the field...they toil not.  They huddle together and forage together
.
Together they quietly bow to the king of seasons. The most powerful winds and snow drifts cannot bring the kingdom to its knees, and cannot dampen the hearts of life.
 
Tribal living is the extreme sport of extreme seasons -- winter in the heartland and summer in the lowlands.  Mountains and deserts are nature's extreme playgrounds that test the endurance and smarts of its citizens.  Together, plants, animals, minerals and the seasonal heavens throb in sync to sustain their cycle of life on a pulsating terra firma.

Happy cuddling!
Carolyn
Editor 
Wikigardens (www.wikigardens.com)  is a new website for the landscape architect, the practiced gardener, the amateur plant nerd and anyone who falls between the three. It is primarily a site for plant research. The site features a 50,000 plant encyclopedia, a garden showcase, a forum, a members' journal, seasonal topics of interest, and listings of local garden groups.

What separates WIKIGARDENS from other garden database websites is the "wiki" function which allows any member (membership is free) to contribute information about plants, successes and failures, helpful hints, post shots of their garden, etc. The information is vetted by other WikiGardens members to insure it is correct and trustworthy. The philosophy behind this is "many eyes make mistakes small" therefore the more users, the more accurate the information.

Additionally unique to Wikigardens is the absence of annoying pop up and sidebar ads. Vendors who chose to buy advertising on the site do so in the form of links back to their own website. This feature is useful because vendors are sorted by the zip code closest to the member. When searching for a particular plant to purchase, your choices will be closer to home.

Like any wiki site, it is only as robust and vigorous as the users who contribute to it. Any and all are invited to visit Wikigardens, become a member and "dig" in the garden.

Contact:
Michael Peterson
503-236-7574
admin@wikigardens.com

EPA's Greenscaping Program for Results

Millions of tons of waste materials are hauled away, buried, or burned each day from landscaping and grounds keeping operations—trees, shrubs, brush, lumber, asphalt, and concrete, just to name a few. Consider the millions of gallons of water, pesticides, fuels, and oils in use each and every day. The costs of these materials—both economic and environmental—can be easily reduced or eliminated with updated landscaping methods.


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) GreenScapes program provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping. Designed to help preserve natural resources and prevent waste and pollution, GreenScapes encourages companies and homeowners to make more holistic decisions regarding waste generation and disposal. This reduces impacts on land, water, air, and energy use.

The GreenScapes Alliance is a voluntary partnership program that aims to combine government and industry into a powerful, unified influence over the reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste materials in large land use applications.

Read related information about greenscaping at my website: CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com

Landscape Rating System for Sustainable Landscape Design

The Sustainable Sites Initiative has been launched by The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and the United States Botanic Garden. The U.S. Green Building Council is lending its support to this project and plans to adopt the Sustainable Sites metrics into its LEED system once they are finished.

The Sites Initiative will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes of all types, including public, commercial, and residential projects.

Learn more online at www.usbg.gov
Master Composting Program by the San Diego Solid Waste Management Department, is people-powered by The Master Composters, a group of volunteers who have undergone an extensive training class in all aspects of the composting process, and then use that information to teach others how to turn their organic wastes into a perfect soil amendment.

Master Composters receive:

1. Extensive training and background material in composting and other alternatives to organics disposal which they can use in their own residence;

2. Additional "continuing education" through semi-regular meetings, field trips, and interaction with others who have different expertise;

3. Experience in speaking to and interacting with groups and individuals with whom they have common interests;

4. Satisfaction in knowing that they are doing their part to alleviate part of the ever-increasing landfill problem

... Resources for Composting listed here:





Manage and identify insects, mites, diseases, nematodes, weeds, and vertebrates with IPM

Use IPM tools to help make decisions

  • Weather data and products
  • Degree-days
  • Interactive tools and models

California Pesticide Use Summaries

UC IPM developed this database from data from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. The database includes summaries of pesticides used on California crops datailed by commodity, pesticide, county, and month. The database has no information about a pesticide or its label.

Access IPM Database


UC Davis Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program




Iguana Juice Grow

From: Advanced Nutrients

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