We filmed a short video today showing the progress made on the garden area using a permaculture sheet mulching technique. We also cleared the hill above the garden of the pine trees and planted peaches and blueberries that will provide breakfast ingredients in the future. The pine trees were used to make a living fence to keep out larger animals and to provide a habitat for birds. In the future we will provide more video updates.
Our property at Cedar House Inn is not known for good soil for growing flowers and vegetables. I have planted over 250 trees and
shrubs since we purchased the property and struggled with digging each hole. First we have a very thin layer of top soil, then hard clay and finally a rock layer. To have a viable garden we have no choice but to haul in or make our own dirt.
Rather than hauling in dump truck loads of top soil I decided to make dirt the way mother nature intended. Down by the yurts we have a forest of trees and layers of leaves under the trees that have accumulated for many years. Raking back some of the leaves you notice decomposition of the organic matter. Worms, insects and fungi are all doing their part in breaking down the leaves. Could I use a similar process to make good dirt in areas where only rock and clay exists? I read about Permaculture (sheet mulching) and Lasagna Gardening that explains just how I can do that.
Last Fall I identified where I wanted the vegetable garden to be. I then took large sheets of cardboard and placed them on the ground as a weed barrier. The cardboard decomposes over time like the layers of leaves in the woods. After watering the cardboard sheets I hauled many loads of leaves to place over the cardboard. Next I added wheat straw, then more leaves. This created a “lasagna like” layer. Some beds were covered with black plastic to help the composting process. When my wife had vegetable scraps I dug a hole in the bed and bury the scraps. I also buried rotted wood to add other microbes and insects to assist in the composting process.
One bed has a worm tower that I made. The tower is a 5 gallon plastic bucket with holes the size of a pencil that I drilled. We add vegetable scraps and red wiggler worms to eat the scraps and make worm castings and tea.
I have read that by Spring if the organic matter is not fully decomposed that is fine. I can dig a hole in the garden for the plant, add some top soil in the hole and plant. This type of gardening also requires no weeding which I like.
We are looking forward to growing vegetables using this simple permaculture gardening method. Be on the look out for more posts about how our garden grows once planting season arrives.
At Cedar House Inn my wife and I have attempted to create a sustainable earth friendly environment. We recycle, buy local, conserve natural resources and live somewhat frugally compared to others. We visited the half off sale at our local thrift store today and purchased slightly used clothing for ourselves.
The following video features a family in California that takes sustainability and living simply to the fullest.
While twittering I had a follower ask me in a tweet if I wanted to try some soapnuts. They mentioned it was an eco friendly substitute for laundry detergent. We always use environmentally friendly laundry soap but I was intrigued and agreed to try a sample.
The soapnuts arrived promptly by mail.
For those of you that have never heard about soapnuts they are berries that grow on trees in India and Indonesia. Their shells contain a natural detergent called saponin. Soapnuts are gentle on clothes and skin so they are great for people with skin allergies and babies. They are also biodegradable so they are great for the Earth.
The nuts come with a little cloth bag with drawstring. all we had to do was place 3-5soapnut shells in the bag and throw it in the washer instead of detergent. We tried it on a load of personal clothing with great results. The clothes came out clean and fresh smelling (the soapnuts have no smell).
For more information on soapnuts and how to order some for yourself visit Laundry Tree.
TripAdvisor®, the world’s most popular and largest travel community, today announced the results of its environmentally-friendly travel survey of more than 1,200 U.S. respondents.
Seventy-six percent of travelers sometimes incorporate green choices in their travel plans and 27 percent of respondents intentionally made environmentally-friendly travel choices in the past year.
Fifty-two percent regularly find it challenging to incorporate “green” choices into their travel plans and 44 percent of travelers find that environmentally-friendly options are not readily available when traveling.
Guests visiting the North Georgia mountains and the Dahlonega area have a green choice in lodging at Cedar House Inn and Yurts. We opened in 2003 as a green lodging establishment and have always used green sustainable practices in our daily operations which are outlined on our web site.
To read the complete TripAdvisor Survey visit
Green Survey.
Happy Earth Day everyone.
I wish that Earth Day was not just a day but something that lasts all year. Imagine if everyone was mindful about recycling, saving electricity and conserving water and gasoline. The world would be a better place for our children and grandchildren in the future.
One thing that everyone could do that requires very little effort and expense is to start using reusable grocery bags when they shop. Every store now sells them but I seldom see anyone using them. America seems to be addicted to those little plastic bags that choke the landfills, pollute the roadways and require fossil fuels/oil in the manufacturing process.
If you do not currently use reusable bags I challenge you to start. Just purchase a few and place them in your car. When you arrive at the grocery store take them inside with you. When you are finished shopping and head to the check out have them ready for the bagger. When asked “paper or plastic” say “neither, I brought my own”.
When I go grocery shopping with my wife it seems that she is the only one using reusable bags. It’s really sad in my opinion. One day those little plastic disposal bags may be illegal. I certainly hope so.
Do you part to help the Earth. Start using reusable bags today.
With the droughts of last year a distant memory and the frequent recent rains we have had many are not probably thinking about water conservation. Last year rain barrels were popular and many found they were hard to find due to market demand by people wanting to save rainwater for garden irrigation.
We added a metal roof onto the inn to catch our rainwater but have not added the required gutters and rainwater chains. Rain barrels are also part of the project.
In the United Kingdom rainwater barrels are called water butts. They come in various shapes and sizes like the rain barrels you can purchase in the USA.
One company has made a rain barrel or water butt in the shape of a persons bottom complete with butt crack and a tattoo above the thong line. They even come in several skin tone colors.
Unfortunately they cannot be purchased in the US. Can you imagine some neighborhoods trying to deny the use of these water butts in the deed restrictions?
What’s wrong with looking at a good butt? And a butt that saves precious water?
For more information visit water butt.
At Cedar House Inn we always try to hang out our bed and bath linens on the clothesline outdoors weather permitting.
We bought a vinyl clothespin bag a year ago that became very tattered quickly. We tried to extend it’s life with duct tape. The sunshine apparently caused the premature death.
We have been looking for an replacement and saw some on the internet made from organic cotton. They were expensive.
We also recycle everything that can be recycled when guests check out of the inn. One item my wife saved was a hemp Earth Shoe bag that a guest had left last year.
My wife surprised me and made a really neat hemp clothespin bag that we used today.
All she did was cut out an opening for the pins and added a plastic coat hanger for hanging.
Coat hanger and bag now having another life with a different use.
Recycle…..Reuse
At Cedar House Inn we receive a number of guests living in the city who are questioning their current state of living. They commute great distances to jobs that do not provide fulfillment or security. We certainly came from a similar situation in the past. We tell some our of story at About the Hosts on our inn web site.
One thing that we learned early on in operating a five unit bed and breakfast in the country was that we needed to have multiple streams of income. The inn provides the majority of our living expenses most of the year. The one exception is during the winter months when the area is not appealing to tourists. Times can get lean and we have created other income streams to help us survive.
My wife has a part time tutoring position at nearby Brenau University in Gainesville. She tutors international students two days a week in writing. It is a great release for her to get away from me and the inn as well as making a little extra money. She also tutors children locally and receives leads through her tutoring web site Dahlonega Tutor.
I am the environmentalist in the family and sell eco friendly products on our web site Eco Store. I sell composting toilets and composters primarily but am always looking for additional products. Guests frequently ask about starting businesses using their skills or interests and I created another web site, web income that covers the topic.
Whatever income sources we have discovered fit into our right livelihood philosophy. Our inn is eco friendly because that fits our passion. Our side income opportunities also relate to who we are.
I was reading our Green Hotels newsletter yesterday and there was a short article on water footprints. We have all heard about carbon footprint but water footprint was new to me. Water is a resource that should be conserved. Some say water will be the next oil in terms of scarcity of fresh water supplies.
At Cedar House Inn we value water and try to conserve it as much as we can. Low flow shower heads and sink aerators have been installed in all bathrooms. Guest reminder stickers are in the bathroom asking guests not to waste water. We use low flush toilets throughout the property and have composting toilets that require no water. Guest bed and bath linens are not changed daily (unless requested) to save laundry water. An Energy Star washing machine and dishwasher have also been installed that use less water compared to conventional appliances.
In our owner’s area we have a bucket to catch the cold water coming out of the bathtub faucet prior to the warm shower water arriving. We use it to flush the toilet or water the plants. We also use the “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” philosophy in our bathroom. I save my “liquid gold” for reuse as nitrogen fertilizer (see earlier blog post on this topic). We turn off the sink when we brush our teeth is another water saving tip.
A few months ago we installed a new metal roof to capture rainwater more efficiently. We have not installed rain gutters and barrels yet. Our yard is a freedom lawn that requires no water. Native drought tolerant plants have been planted as well.
In terms of shopping the Green Hotels article mentioned the water footprint of products we purchase. For example 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer, 132 gallons for 2 liters of soda, 500 gallons to make a pair of Levi’s stonewashed jeans. Even some foods have a higher water footprint depending on where they are grown and the type of plant.
I am not suggesting we give up beer or quit wearing bluejeans. I do think we all need to be more mindful of our water usage and footprint.
The Green Hotels newsletter referenced an article on this topic published in Currents, The Wall Street Journal, 2/17/2009 by Alexandra Alter.
