It’s National Pollinator Week. I say “thank you” pollinators. Thank you for this lovely pea pod that will share the nutrients from a seed, blossomed in our soil, wonderfully transformed by sunshine to my body, giving me energy for another day. I used to think that an...
Invasive plants are removed from part of the shady north side of the property -good. It’s a rainy, early summer morning here -also good. It has rained recently so the ground is already moist -even better. I’ve bought these native, woodland plant seeds from a reputable...
This lawn spiral is just one experimental way to inspire homeowners to mow less, leave areas of unmown, more diverse plants in their yard. It’s a fun way to gain these five benefits!; #1 You’ll help the bees. “A study by the USDA Forest Service found that cutting the...
It's summer. Yay! And daytime temperatures are now exceeding 85 degrees. 🙁 So now we start the summer, energy-efficiency, window dance to begin at the Healthy Home Habitats house. Yes, the solar panels & heat pumps here provided 90% of our heat this past winter...
For years, many homeowners in our Monadnock region have struggled to create and maintain a coveted, green lawn in the frequently sandy, thin, acid soils of our Granite State. Now as concerns mount regarding the unintended damage of lawn maintenance chemicals, the...
Oh boy, no rain again today... “Wait Mommy, I’ll turn on the rain for you!” my young daughter said as she ran to one of the rain-barrels along the dripline of our roof years ago. “In 2012, the top 1 percent of rainfall events in the northeast carried 71 percent more...
Dear Healthy Home Habitats, Our water bills are rising and droughts are back again this year. I think I’m finally through with the “best lawn in the neighborhood" competition. But I’m not ready for the cost, expense and effort of creating a meadow. I need my yard to...
No, you are not imagining it. Not only are the droughts back again this spring in the Northeast US. But they are projected to continue through the growing season. Drought and erratic, intense rainstorms are predicted. Communities are implementing outdoor, landscape...
HOME ACTIONS FOR HEALING OUR EARTH All of the lovely fruits and vegetables we hope to harvest from our gardens this year rely on the soil they grow in for their nutrients. And healthy soil is full of bacteria! "These soil...
Dear Healthy Home Habitats, I love my affectionate cat and I like to feed wild birds in the backyard too. But for the third time this week I’ve come home to beautiful, little feathers strewn throughout the house 🙁 I know I should keep Clara the Cat inside but she...