Zero Waste Gardening

Or “Journey To A Garden That Works (for us)”:

Our house is perched on a steep hill, and our lot is small in surface, but we very much enjoy its height: our balcony extends into the mid branches of our front oak trees… Squirrels (red or grey), birds (hummingbirds, blue birds) and butterflies (well, they’re more like moths, but that doesn’t sound as poetic) respectively hop, chirp, and flutter right outside our windows. We’ve been in this house for 3 years and I never get tired of it. They stare at us, we stare at them. And in all that staring, they become part of our lives, and we become part of theirs. Ok – the hummingbird is really too busy to stare, but our plants give them what they need, and in exchange, we get an amazing wing beat show of 80 flaps a second - I counted ;)

Oaks are majestic. I love each one of our ten oak trees. How can we not? They provide us with great shade in the summer, give our house curb appeal, and provide a habitat for the local fauna that we so admire. But because they are scattered all over our property and can die from too much watering, we had to give up the idea of growing a vegetable plot to protect them (we also gave up the idea of the chicken coop, but for other reasons related to my yearly trip to France).

Furthermore, we are surrounded by an amazingly rich flora…

Since we moved to the area, almost four years ago, we strive to discover a new trail every week. But a year and a half ago, it struck me that, unlike my parents’ botanical expertise, I could not name even one plant (I envy my dad’s mushroom recognition abilities most). My ignorance became an unbearable weight and suddenly, walking the trails wasn’t enough. I wanted more from my hikes; I wanted to know all about the plants that accompanied them. So I took an evening college botany class for 6 months, and learned about our local plants. And, very much in the fashion of the French, I specialized my learning to EDIBLES. After completing my class (including a few lab/essay tests with self inflicted stress), and hours researching the internet and library books, I was able to elaborate a list of edible natives, with a plan to landscape our yard with them. By nature, natives require less watering and once established, no watering at all, so the idea seemed to match our landscaping requirements perfectly. We went to a local native nursery, bought all available plants (about 7 types, 30 containers), planted them according to their instructions - but in the space of two months… they all died or got eaten.

“Yeah… that’s a shame…” (a la Jerry Seinfeld).

Because we enjoy a welcoming, open, fence-free yard, the deer roamed in and ate the few berries that we had managed to grow and the wild roses whose hips I had hoped to add to my floral tea. However, I really enjoy their unexpected visits. I love the way they hop our terraces so effortlessly, the way they move on their feet so lightly, and the way they stare at Zizou in confusion: “hmmm…I have not seen a rat that barks before“.

A new plan was in order! And it’s the plan that is still working for us today: using my botanical knowledge strictly on foraging hikes for medicinal and edible plants, growing some citrus and herbs in containers on the enclosed balcony, and landscaping with plants that are deer proof, low maintenance (for our backs and schedules) and drought tolerant (native as much as possible)...

Today, everyone is happy: The oaks can enjoy a few more years, the squirrels can hop, the birds can chirp, the moths can flutter, the bees can buzz, the wild turkey can visit, the deer can roam, the cook (that’s me by the way) can reach to the balcony or the wild.

That is until our oaks die of Sudden Oak Death (sadly several are infected), and disturb our balancing act…

Here is what you can do to Zero Waste your garden:

PLANTS

• Use natives as much as possible: Some nursery plants are invasive and will take over/kill your local natives. With what I learned in my botany class, I feel really bad planting ice plants (succulent native to South Africa) on my previous property, it is one of the worse invasive in California, destroying flora and fauna all along the coast.
• Use drought tolerant plants: You can even replace your lawn with short native grasses. The look is amazing and does not need mowing!
• Return plastic containers to the nursery: Home Depot does not take them back (at least mine does not yet) but I drop them off at a local nursery that reuses any brand.
• Find bulk seeds: They are hard to find, but some nurseries carry them. Don’t forget to bring your own bag! You can then start your seeds in an egg carton thus reducing your plastic pot use and trips to return them.
• Give away plants (also, landscaping rocks, fencing, irrigation piping, etc…) that you do not want anymore: Post them for free on Craigslist. Within an hour someone will pick them up. It’s also a great way to get those pots reused.
• Get your dirt, rocks, compost, etc… in reusable sand bags: We go to a garden center that has piles of mulch, dirt, rocks… we get charged by the bag.

WATER

• Consider investing in an irrigation controller: We have a RainBird with a rainwater sensor to control the amount of water irrigated based on precipitation. Smart thing. We were able to use a rebate for ours; it came out to be practically free.
• Install a rainwater catchment: Gasp! We don’t have one yet… we are saving up to install the Rainwater Hog which would fit our house disposition beautifully and simply. Not cheap though.
• Put a bucket in your shower to collect the cold water while your shower heats: Use it to water a different part of the yard each day.
• Check out your grey water ordinances: Ours just changed. We’ll soon be able to water our plants with the rinse water from our wash machine.

COMPOST

• Compost (duh): Great for your plants, veggies, and your zero waste kitchen.
• Pee in your citrus and your compost: It works wonders.
• Worm compost (Can-o-Worms) for liquid fertilizer: I am not crazy about having the large black plastic container in the back yard, but the “worm pee” that comes out of the convenient spigot has been great for my plant wall. It just needs to be diluted to 4 parts water.

TOOLS

• Keep a minimal tool selection: Select the best, donate the rest to your local garden club, nursing home, or better yet, tool co-op, if you’re lucky enough to have one in your town! You can also post them on Craigslist too.
• Select metal and wooden tools: Although they cost more at first, they’ll last longer, look better, and can be repaired more easily.

Not all green products are created equal: What was I thinking?

When you start greening your life, one of the first items on your shopping list of reusables is, a travel cup. So, a few years ago, I decided that I needed to have one to carry around my green tea.

But, I was not going to let just ANY cup showcase itself on my bare shelf though.

So I shopped around. Back then, it seemed that options were mainly restricted to stainless (which makes sense if it is completely constructed of stainless, for its lightweight and insulating capabilities). But all those I found had too much going on: A large obstructive handle, or an (advertising) logo, or a plastic interior (???), or a leaking top or/and bottom…

I was determined not to settle for less and would share my husband’s until the right option arose. I found his at a thrift shop: steel interior, plain exterior (it had a Starbucks logo but I removed it with steel wool), great insulation, and right price… just an unnecessary large handle. Pretty close to perfection though, for just $1.50. It was worth every penny, especially considering its zero manufacturing footprint (the advantage of buying used). Too bad, it did not come with a twin (the disadvantage of buying used).

While I kept on searching, I visited the San Francisco Green Festival. And there, amidst the “granola” filled aisles, I found it: The “I am not a paper cup” (a cup with a name!). Boy did it stand out. It seemed that this object answered all my prayers. Its reusability, its ceramic and silicone material (a change from the usual stainless), its white and clean design, and its reference to modern art, a bonus! (Its name is a take on Magritte’s surrealist piece entitled “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”). In our home, where we choose to live minimally and only surround ourselves with objects that we love and that fit the décor, this cup was all I wanted in a cup.

Who knew that a simple ceramic piece could sum up our house so beautifully!

I had fallen in love with, a cup… but not its packaging: An unrecyclable clear plastic box on a cardboard stand evidently simulating that of a museum art display case. So I bought the shelf sample and welcomed it into my white house.

Gosh, did it look pretty on my cupboard shelf, a piece of art.

The next day, I was meeting some friends for a hike. Time had come to take my warm cup of tea for a walk and Zizou (my dog) too. On my way to meet them, I crossed a couple of trendy looking women, paper cup in one hand, an oversized purse in the other. And it dawned on me…

Instead of being an example of green living, was my new acquisition supporting the paper cup as a fashion accessory? Was I trying to emulate one of the stars mentioned in the Foxnews article "Hollywood’s Hottest Accessory: The Big Coffee Cup"? “The venti embodies everything about the American lifestyle,” Yanoshik said. “Not only is it trendy, but it’s big and out there. People take notice of it.”

What was I thinking going out with this in my hand! I don’t even have the purse to go with it ;). Had I purchased the ultimate wannabe accessory?

And just like that, the object that I had so much loved for one day became one that I despised. I had fallen into the trap of purchasing a sustainable product carrying a contradictory message.

Sadly, it seems that in a world where fashion is so ephemeral, the coffee cup has remained the strongest accessory since Starbucks. Only in a disposable and media focused society, driven by excessive consumerism, can such a destructive trend survive…

Last year, D Squared based a whole runway show on the “Olsen-twins chic” (Nicole Phelps called it), a big purse in one hand, the Starbucks in the other (one would think that there would be room in those large purses to carry a travel mug…). Going down the runway with a cup is one thing, but a disposable one? Couldn’t the label have taken this opportunity to come up with its own reusable design and show some environmental compassion?

People magazine is filled with stars sporting the disposable: Do you ever see a reusable one? I have yet to see one (I admit, I look at People magazine once every 3 months at some doctor’s office…but still, I have not particularly noticed a consciousness raising trend from Hollywood’s most watched individuals over the last few years).

I saw a well-known musician at Whole Foods a couple of months ago. I was waiting for the deli counter, struggling with my jar, when I spotted the public figure and watched him fill a paper cup. You would think that someone, who knows that he is being watched, would at least care to be an example and make better eco friendly choices. He even has the power to make “green” cool! Don’t ask me if I said anything to him… I did not and still regret it.

Ironically in this java driven society, and after years of searching (and many new plastic options on the market later...), I still have yet to find the perfect cup.

Although, I confess: Not finding it, has been a minimalist’s blessing… it has given me time to reflect: Do I really need one? Probably not. My favorite way of enjoying a hot tea outside the home, is with my friends at La Coppa anyways. Luckily, Mill Valley is perfect for that with its European style cafes, outdoor sitting, and ceramic cups… I can donate my fake paper cup to the local thrift store, for wannabes in need of "Olson-twins chic", to reuse.

Coffee or Tea anyone?

Zero Waste Home’s Last Resort: Recycling

At a party, when people first find out that I run a zero waste household, they like to share with me that they “too” recycle everything…

I need to clarify something:

Running a Zero Waste Household is NOT ABOUT RECYCLING.

It’s about REFUSING first and foremost.

Home waste management starts outside the home - and then the disposal of what you refuse does not even need to be addressed. For those items that we do allow in our home, we practice the '3R' mantra (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) religiously and IN ORDER. Recycling is the last resort. A Zero Waste Home is not just about kicking the trash can, but is primarily about refusing the unnecessary packaging as much as possible, therefore reducing recycling (what goes in your recycling is, afterall, a home “reject”, or a “waste”, isn’t it?).

Furthermore, only a percentage of what we recycle, actually gets recycled. However, the cleaner the material that you recycle, the more likely it will be recycled (no, no, your pizza box can’t go in there).

So here is what to keep in mind when shopping, based on an article I found in Co-Op America Quarterly magazine: A simple list of what gets Recycled (can be recycled again) vs. Downcycled (made into an un-recyclable lesser kind of product).
- Aluminum - recycled
- Steel – recycled
- Glass – recycled
- Paper – downcycled (about eight times)
- Plastics #1 and 2 – downcycled (generally once)
- Plastics #3 to 7 – rarely downcycled
- Plastic bags – sometimes downcycled

As for "compostable" bio-plastics - it is "Buyer Beware": Only hot city composts can actually compost them, your backyard variety can't. Not all city composts accept them either (our local trash hauler won’t for example). Some people also mistakenly recycle them, which mucks up the recycling stream. With all that in mind, their disposal becomes worse than "real" plastics.

All things considered: when buying a new product (or a used product for that matter, since its eventual disposal will become your responsibility), I believe that it is best to favor aluminum (unless it comes in contact with food), steel or glass, all of which can be easily recycled again and again. Note: Some aluminum containers are plastic coated.

What’s in our recycling bin this week? As little as we could:
- Two empty bottles of white wine since I have not found a refillable white that is drinkable yet.

- Two envelopes from medical statements (no online billing option).
- One paper label, from a lemonade bottle with an attached reusable cap that I am saving for a wine refill.
- A few paper notes printed/handwritten on both sides and corners ;) since I take a break from paper making in the rainy season.
- An empty roll of TP since, you guessed it, we still don’t have solar (Zero Waste Bathroom).
- One flyer from Comcast since (damn it!) I am still fighting their junk mail . I have called them so many times…they won’t leave us alone!

I know Scott wishes that we had beer bottles on the list - but their caps don’t recycle… and the refillable jug doesn’t work for an occasional drink of beer after a hard days work in the yard.

What’s in your recycling?

Zero Waste Recipes

These are recipes of items that I have not been able to find in bulk or as a refill, items that our household “can’t live without”. We have tried and tested many recipes but these are the ones that have made the cut because they tasted good and worked best for us (which is why I won’t give the instructions on how to wash your hair with baking soda, or make cheese from kefir). Most importantly my recipes only require very few ingredients (all available in bulk, except for the yogurt starter) and are easy/quick to make. Every home is different: you might not find the toothpowder to your liking, and can find more options (with more ingredients) online. Experiment, have fun and make quantities that last!


Bathroom

Tooth powder:
2 tb baking soda
1/8 ts white stevia powder
In a parmesan shaker
(for my shaker pictured, it takes 16tb baking soda, 1 ts stevia)

Hair Spray:
2-4 lemons sliced
Cover with water
Simmer for 30 min
Strain
Pour in spray bottle
Add 1tb rhum or vodka

Vitamin E balm:
1 tb beeswax
4 tb vitamin E (a friend gave me some but you can find sesame oil in bulk. It has a high concentration of vitamin E, and does not carry the strong smell)
Pour in small tin (got mine from Container Store)
Let cool
I use this balm on under eye, lips, hair tips, and home applications that call for Vaseline, like greasing up our attic ladder...

Lip/Cheeks Stain:
Cook beets, as you normally would, in a bit of water (eat the beets)
Reduce the left over juice until it thickens
Add a splash of vodka
Pour into a glass roll-on


Laundry/Cleaning

Ironing Starch:
1 pint water
1 tb cornstarch
In a spray bottle

Drain Cleaner:
¼ c. baking soda in your drain
Followed by ½ c. white vinegar

Multi Purpose Cleaner:
1 ½ ts. castile soap (optional, for scent)
3 ts. white vinegar
4 c. water
In a spray bottle.


Kitchen
Mustard:
Soak ¾ c. yellow mustard seeds in ¾ c. white vinegar + ½ c. white wine, in a canning jar
Blend (immersion blender) with salt and 2 ts honey
Add water to reach your preferred consistency

Vanilla Extract:
Combine 2 vanilla beans chopped, ½ c. brandy, ¼ water
Steep for 3 days
Strain
Pour in glass bottle

Hot Sauce:
Blend ½ c. chiles (serrano or jalapeno), 2/3 c. vinegar, 1 ¾ ts salt
Steep for 3 days
Strain
Pour in glass bottle

Soymilk:
Soak 2 c. soy beans overnight
Drain
Blend (immersion blender) with 12 c. water
Strain and squeeze in handkerchief into a large pot
Add sugar and vanilla to taste
Bring to a boil
Boil for 10min
Let cool
Pour in a glass (Straus Creamery) milk bottle
Lasts a week

I was making soy milk for my older son only, who does not like the taste of regular milk, but as I noticed his use decreasing over the last few months, he finally told me that he had had enough of it and did not want it anymore... He added that it would save me time... what a sweet mama's boy.

Yogurt (you need a thermometer):
Heat oven to 100-150, turn light on
Heat 4 c. milk on the stove to 185F
Pour milk in a French or mason canning jar
Cool milk to 110F
Add yogurt starter or ¼ c. yogurt that you already have
Put in oven, turn oven off, keep light on (to keep temp at 110F)
(to save energy, you can also drop the jar in a 110F water bath in a closed pressure cooker)
Wait 4-6 hrs
Refrigerate

(You can also make cheese from your yogurt, by hanging it in a handkerchief and letting it drain... it's a lot of milk for a tiny bit of soft cheese though, not economical when you use Straus Creamery milk)

I am not making yogurt on a regular basis anymore either, I can't seem to get past the starter's packaging and am hanging onto my last packet. I hope to find yogurt starter in bulk soon!

On my way to make more hot sauce! (my bottle looks pretty low on the picture...)