Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce...in the garden.

Shipping Pallets used to create a living wall.

 While working in my garden one day, and cleaning off the carport at the same time, I realized that I could use some of the items just laying there in that artistic heap of junk. And save myself some money in the process, with items that were destined to be thrown away. In everyday life I try to find ways to use the 3R's (recycle,reuse and reduce), and what better way to reuse items I once thought were,well,useless. There are a countless number of everyday items that can be used in the garden,or other areas of your life. Here are just a few ideas... 

Joe Lamp'l From "Growing a Greener World" A living wall made with an old shipping pallet.

Old tin tea containers now sporting herbs.

Juice and Milk jugs used as planters.

Coke bottles used as wall planters.

An old hanging closet shoe holder. Add soil, a plant or seeds and water. Punch a small hole  in the bottom of each holder to water the plants below,it works sort of like a domino effect. Never waste water again.

An old shipping pallet used as a garden bench, for those times when you've been working  hard in the garden all day.

An old bathtub turned into a resting bench. 

You can use an old umbrella as a cover for seedlings ,hard rains, or winter cover for plants. 

You can  use old rain gutters as veggie plant and herb planters. Drill a tiny hole at the bottom of each gutter,excluding the bottom gutter. This way you don't have to water each and every row, just water the top gutter a little longer.

Juice jugs used planters. These jugs already have holes in them for watering the plants below and for good drainage.

Whole Corks used as mulch.

Mini Blinds cut up and used as garden markers.

An old baby gate turned trellis for climbing veggies.

Wine Corks cut in half and glued to water proof recycled  plastic. Makes a great bath mat.

Old tires used as planters.

                                             Other things that can be used in the garden 
                                            Old Salt Shakers- Use to plant Carrot seeds which are very small.
                                            Coffee Cans- Use to store small garden supplies such as Plant labels,etc.
                                           

Elegant Green Restaurants of Savannah...in picture

Cha Bella serves Organic local ingredients,from their garden. And did I  mention that vegetable garden is on property?

  

Private dining at Cha Bella

Fresh Local Seafood, and other seafood fare.

Cha Bella Storefront. 

Courtyard,Outside dining and garden area.

Local 11 Ten  serves Organic,seasonal foods in an elegant atmosphere.

Dining area.

Roof top garden, bar and lounge area on top of Local 11 Ten.

10 Films that raise awareness about Food,Environment, and Society

                                                                         

Food trucks

Portland,Oregon

"Skillet" Food Truck in Seattle

"Sauca" Food Truck- Washington D.C

"Cravings" Food Truck - New York City

Portland,Oregon  Truck

The "Chuckwagon"...the original Food Truck invented in 1866. 

"The Green Truck" Venice,CA    

"Mobile Canteen" Food Truck  was first used by the military

 At the start of the Food Truck movement around 2008, I don't think anyone knew that the movement would have grown as fast, and come as far in such a short period of time. So how did Food Trucks become so popular so fast? Well it all began in 2008 when the economy went down the toilet, business types were still trying to find ways to start up food businesses without all the overhead costs. They couldn't afford brick and mortar buildings with high rents, so they looked to Food Trucks. Trucks are mobile and could go anywhere the customers were,unlike food carts of the past. Today's Food Trucks are Eco friendly and serve food of the same fare. These trucks display a wide array of gourmet foods for all walks of life. These trucks cater to the on the go, with a limited time. Cities with some of the best Food Trucks are Portland,Seattle, L.A, New York ,Chicago,Washington D.C,and San Francisco. Another reason food trucks have done so well in recent years is because for the first time in 100 years, populations are moving into cities versus moving out towards the suburbs. 

A brief history of Food Trucks: In 1866 Charles,a cattle herder realized how difficult it was to cook proper meals during cattle drives, so he created the Chuckwagon, the first food truck. By the 1890s night lunch wagons, which catered to night-time workers were common place in big cities like New York. Later versions of the food truck were mobile Canteens,which were created in the late 1950s. Tracking and finding a food truck is easy today because of Social media such as Twitter and Facebook. And with thousands of Food Trucks across the country, and hundreds of trucks going into business everyday,who knows when and where this trend will stop(not that we want it to stop or even slow down).Food Trucks are quick ,cheap and continue to pop up all over the place. The "Food Network" even has a show dedicated to them. I for one can't wait to see what next in the Food Truck culture, but whatever happens I'm sure it'll only get better. 

Seven of the most Exotic,Rare and Expensive culinary items in the world

Black Truffle- A highly fragrant tuber which is a fungi is the most expensive fungi on earth.They are very rare, and depending on the weather conditions, can become even rarer ,and time consuming to find. They grow under ground and must be hunted with a pig or dog trained to do so. Farmers have yet to cultivate truffles, and this and many other reasons is why the truffle remain so expensive.Truffles can cost as much as $1500.00 per pound. Although the market price for these little gems can very from season to season ,and from year to year, they are still the most sought after of all the other culinary treats on this list. 

Matsutake Mushroom- Very rare and costly at $1000.00 per pound. The mushroom is from Japan. Their is no method for farming the mushroom,so they are harvested in very small yield by hand in the Japanese Forrest under the Japanese pine. The Matsutake mushroom has a distinct spicy-aromatic odor.

Blue Lobster- Extremely rare only 1 in every  2 million. The blue color is caused by a genetic disorder. And as far as can be seen ,their is no taste difference. But they usually cost any where from $50-80 for the Lobster.

Wagyu Steak- Japan, Australia and the U.S the major producers of Wagyu Beef. And at $100-150.00 dollars per pound Wagyu is one of the most expensive cuts of  beef. Wagyu is known for its marbling characteristics, flavor,tenderness and juiciness. Wagyu is also known as a healthy cut of meat because of its high percentage of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. It is believed that the Wagyu Cows are fed beer and are hand massaged.   

Kopi Luwak Coffee Beans-With costs as much as $600.00 per pound, the kopi luwak coffee beans are the most expensive in the world. Produced mainly on the islands of Indonesia, especially Sumatra.The Coffee is harvested from Luwak droppings that ate the gold blen of coffee berries. The animals stomach acids make a complex enzymatic process that makes the bean become unigue in taste.

Almas Caviar- Made in Iran and extremely rare ,a kilogram of this expensive caviar comes packaged in 24-karat gold tin,and sales for about $25,000.00 

Dansuke Watermelon-  The rind of the Dansuke Watermelon is dark black.And it's only grown on the island of Hokkaido,Japan. The average price for one of these watermelons is about $250.00 per watermelon. And did i mention that the watermelon is very,very sweet.

Garden Update

African Lily in the early morning.

Early morning Celeste Fig Tree.

First Knock-out Rose of the Season.

Grape Vine.

Early Morning Garden photo.

First Tomato

First Lily of the garden.

Tomatoes...

and more Tomatoes. 

Fresh Green beans from the garden.

First Bell Pepper.

Sunflower

Climbing Jasmine at night.

Yellow Summer Squash.

Gardenia flower.

Tomato Plants growing around a  Peach tree from organic compost that was spread around it to promote growth.

Bell peppers,Tomatoes, and Herbs.

Japanese Maple in the early morning sun.

Purple & Sweet Basil.

Tomato is almost ripe.

Juicy Figs are on the way.

Golden Wheat ready for harvest.

Tomato is Ripe!

Mammoth Sunflower!