Category Archives: Going Green
Spotted Lanternflies And Damage Caused By Non Native Invasives
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Over the last few decades, our world has become more interconnected. People, food, and plants travel around the globe on a daily basis. Despite customs agents inspecting cargo, non native plants and insects hitchhike on shipments, landing on foreign shores to wreak havoc. The latest of these is the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive plant hopper native to China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. This year, the Spotted Lanternfly has fully established itself in densely populated South Jersey counties like Camden, Gloucester and Burlington.
Cleaning Up For The New Year Using Hydrogen Peroxide
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Another year has come and gone, and it’s time to clean up from the holiday parties and begin anew. But how to begin? One of the most versatile items in your medicine cabinet is hydrogen peroxide. A combination of hydrogen and water, it comes in a variety of concentrations. Hydrogen peroxide at three percent is designed for household use. For the purpose of this article, this is the type of hydrogen peroxide referenced.
The Twelve Days Of Christmas Plants
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Christmas trees, evergreen boughs, poinsettias, and Christmas cactus are the plants of the season, livening our homes with wonderful fragrance and pops of color. Of these, the Christmas cactus can be the longest-lived, providing a greater bounty of flowers with each successive year. Some people have a green thumb getting these cacti to grow and thrive, but all too many of these plants that are either received as gifts or purchased for their cheerful seasonal color, languish and eventually die.
Celebrating Harvest, Family And Plants
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Thanksgiving is traditionally about celebrating harvest and family. Harvesting is done, so my attention turns to tropical houseplants. There is always a last minute rush to get plants that have summered outside back inside before first frost. Nightly newscast weather predictions sparks something I refer to as “The Annual Fall Panic.” It’s first initiated when the last heat wave of the season breaks; intensifies when nightly temperatures reach the low 50s; and panic sets in with the first frost warning.
Poisonous Plants And The Ghosts They Leave Behind
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
‘Tis the season of ghosts, witches, and other spooky things of lore. However, there are some truly scary things to be wary of when you have children and pets who tend to put everything into their mouths.
A Perfect Time Of Year To “Fall” Into Gardening
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Temperatures are cooling, the mosquito invasion of this summer is finally in decline, and the angle of the sun is lowering as days shorten. If you recently purchased your first home, or are a beginner with gardening, now is the perfect time to try your hand in the garden. Autumn is a good time for planting, transplanting, and pruning your landscape.
Simple Hacks For A Stress-Free End Of Summer
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Summertime is when the days are long, the living is easy, and the kids are…still home!?! We all have some nostalgia for the summer days of our youth, but summertime as a parent is a little more complicated. Between shifting schedules, busy social calendars, sleepovers, camps and the days when the kids are home and bored, moms and dads have a lot on their plates.
Soap Making A Fun And Clean Summer Project
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
Now that summer is upon us, we’re outside playing in the sun, sand, and gardens. This outdoor play leads to sweat and grime accumulating on us and our clothing. Consider making your own soap to get clean; it’s easy, frugal, creative, and fulfilling. There’s something satisfying about taking a bar of your own homemade soap into the bath or shower with you.
Doing Something Special For Father’s Day
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
As Father’s Day approaches, many of us think, “What can I get him?” What will say thank you for raising you, for being there to witness your triumphs and comforting you through the tragedies? For all the sports games he attended, celebrating with you when you won, commiserating when you lost? For teaching you how to be handy, repair your car or things around the house, how communication and compromise can help elongate a good marriage.
Building A Rain Garden
By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist
There is an old saying: “April showers bring May flowers.” We’ve had a wet spring, which has brought a bounty of beautiful, fragrant flowers in many colors, sizes, and shapes. But what if there is a low spot on your property, one that turns into a large puddle every time it rains? It won’t take much for that space to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, or a mud puddle for pets and children. One way to solve the problem is by building a rain garden, a space filled with flowers and shrubs that benefit from periodic flooding.
