Greening Up My Act: A Sustainable Living Podcast

Where exactly do you put compost? If you're as lost as Tiffany and Kat were, learn 9 easy ways to use compost.  Whether you buy compost or make it, your favorite sustainability podcast is here to bring you all the tips on adding it to your indoor and outdoor plants.

Sources

• NYC Compost Project: https://earthmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/tip-sheet-how-to-use-compost-cpts-htuc-f.pdf
• Oregon State Uni. Extension: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9308-how-use-compost-gardens-landscapes 
• Better Homes and Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/how-to-use-compost-7372129 

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Xeriscaping literally means "dry-scaping", and it's been popular in desert towns in the U.S. since the 80s and 90s. But it's got a lot of promise for fixing the issues you may have with making an eco-friendly lawn even if cactus isn't your aesthetic. Get some tips for xeriscaping on a budget in this episode of your favorite greenliving podcast.

BONUS CONTENT: A bit about rain barrels!

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

• PBS Newshour - What is xeriscaping? How you can turn your lawn into a sustainable oasis - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-xeriscaping-offers-a-water-efficient-environmentally-friendly-alternative-to-lawns
• Budget Dumpster - How to Xeriscape on a Budget for an Eco-Friendly Yard - https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/how-to-xeriscape-your-yard/
• EcoWatch - Xeriscaping: Everything You Need to Know - https://www.ecowatch.com/xeriscaping-facts-ecowatch.html
• Deseret - Xeriscaping Drawbacks (from 1990!) https://www.deseret.com/1990/8/1/18874220/xeriscaping-drawbacks/
• Today’s Homeowner - States Where It Is Illegal to Collect Rainwater - https://todayshomeowner.com/gutters/guides/states-where-it-is-illegal-to-collect-rainwater/
• FCMP Outdoor RC4000-BRN 50-Gallon BPA Free Flat Back Home Rain Catcher Water Storage Collection Barrel for Watering Outdoor Plants & Gardens, Brown - https://amzn.to/3QbsqHg

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This week on your favorite sustainability podcast, Tiffany teaches Kat about bee hotels and whether they're really saving the right bees. Watch out for tarantula hawks and the Wasp Surprise!

Sources:

• UC Davis on ‘beewashing’: https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=30929
• Scientific journal PLOS One study on bee hotels: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122126 
• Xerces Society: We should focus on habitat, not honey bees: https://www.xerces.org/blog/want-to-save-bees-focus-on-habitat-not-honey-bees 
• “Honey bees are not in peril. These bees are”: https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2023/1/19/23552518/honey-bees-native-bees-decline 
• University of Minnesota Extension: Wasps are passive pollinators: https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/wasps-are-gardeners-friend 
• Songbird Essentials Bee Hotel: https://nature-niche.com/products/bee-insect-hotel

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What do you do when you've grown too many tomatoes? Other than pawning them off on coworkers, you can try canning. But is this home method something anyone can do? Or is it just the realm of doomsday preppers and stay-at-home trad wives? Explore the eco-friendliness of home canning with Kat and Tiff in the latest episode of your favorite sustainability podcast. Bonus: count how many times Kat mentions asparagus.

Sources:

• Clemson College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences - Canning Foods at Home - https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/canning-foods-at-home/
• All Recipes - I Was Legitimately Terrified to Can My Own Food, but I Just Learned How — And You Can Too - https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-can-food/
• Jar Store How To - Why You Should Try Canning Your Own Vegetables at Home! - https://jarstore.com/blog/?p=why-you-should-try-canning-your-own-vegetables-at-home
• Green Living Detective - How Green Is It to Can Food at Home? - https://www.greenlivingdetective.com/how-green-is-it-to-can-food-at-home/
• Melissa K Norris - Is Home Canning Really Worth It? - https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/is-home-canning-really-worth-it-does-it-save-money-to-can-at-home
• CDC - Home Canning and Botulism - https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/home-canning-and-botulism.html
• USDA - How long can you keep canned foods? - https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-long-can-you-keep-canned-goods

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Are biodegradable flower pots full of greenwashing? It depends. Listen as hosts Tiff and Kat jump over the moon for CowPots (and trip and fall over others). Find out what biodegradable plant pots are made of, how they work, and which ones studies say work best in this episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

Sources

• CowPots website: https://cowpots.com/
• Biodegradable pot trial: https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/b802d35a-acf9-4af8-ac90-86d48343570f/downloads/2016%20Poster%20from%20MSU.pdf?ver=1705439455031
• EPA review of CowPots: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-09/documents/profile-freunds-farm-september2017_0.pdf 
• University of Guelph on manure: https://ses.uoguelph.ca/what-does-manure-have-do-climate-change 
• Farmer’s Almanac: DIY pots https://www.almanac.com/10-biodegradable-planting-pots-and-how-make-your-own

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Spring has sprung and gardeners across the U.S. are planting their vegetable gardens. Find out if growing your own tomatoes will reduce your carbon impact and save you money in the latest episode of your favorite green living podcast. 

Sources:

• The Garden Continuum - 6 environmental and health benefits of growing your own food - https://www.thegardencontinuum.com/blog/the-6-environmental-and-health-benefits-of-growing-your-own-food
• Investopedia - The Cost Effetiveness of Growing a Garden - https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0312/the-true-cost-of-growing-a-garden.aspx
• Treehugger - How to prevent food waste in your garden - https://www.treehugger.com/how-prevent-food-waste-garden-5201349
• Empress of Dirt - 10 Garden Mistakes That Waste Money - https://empressofdirt.net/garden-mistakes-waste-money/
• Earth 911 - Home “Eco”nomics - Vegetable Gardens - https://earth911.com/home-garden/home-economics-vegetable-gardens/

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Word on the street is that leaving your leaves on your lawn -- rather than keeping up with perfect lawn care -- is better for the environment. But is it? Marketing writers Tiff and Kat explore potential greenwashing behind the popular hashtag in this fun episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

Sources

• Treehugger: https://www.treehugger.com/is-it-better-to-rake-or-leave-leaves-4864213 
• National Wildlife Federation: https://blog.nwf.org/2014/11/what-to-do-with-fallen-leaves/ 
• Canadian Press: https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/don-t-rake-leaves-ncc-1.4887187 
• EPA Environmental Fact Sheet: Yard Waste Composting: https://shorturl.at/cdfIX
• YouTuber E Fleming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRVVtIf2ubw 

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Hardscaping isn't one of those flashy lawn replacement movements that you hear about on Instagram, but it's got some pretty interesting benefits. Listen as Kat and Tiff walk you through this underrated aspect of sustainable landscaping.

Sources:

• The Spruce - What is Hardscape? https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-hardscape-2131060
• Ernest Maier - 7 Benefits of Adding Hardscaping to Your Outdoor Living - https://ernestmaier.com/7-benefits-of-adding-hardscaping-to-your-outdoor-living/
• Unit Paving - A Beginner’s Guide to Sustainable Hardscape Design - https://unitpaving.com/a-beginners-guide-to-sustainable-hardscape-design
• EPA - Greenscaping Brochure - https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/greenscapes/web/html/brochure.html
• Water Conservation for Lawn and Landscape - Using Sustainable Hardscaping Materials - https://landscape-water-conservation.extension.org/using-sustainable-hardscape-materials
• Austin Impervious Cover Calculation Criteria - https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/environmental_criteria_manual?nodeId=S1WAQUMA_1.8.0IMCOCACR

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Tiff and Kat take you through the pros and cons of the wildflower lawn movement -- the kinder, gentler alternative to turf lawns that could be a gateway drug to overthrowing your HOA.

Explore how to spot greenwashing in the world of wildflower and meadow lawns with your two favorite marketing writers in this upbeat sustainability podcast.

Sources:

• American Meadows - Plant a Wildflower Lawn & Transform Your Yard to a Pollinator Paradise - https://www.americanmeadows.com/content/wildflowers/inspiration/get-this-look-pollinator-yard
• National Wildlife Federation - Greening Your Homeowners Association - https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2022/Feb-Mar/Gardening/HOAs
• Science Alert - Replacing Your Lawn with Wildflowers Has Loads of Benefits - https://www.sciencealert.com/replacing-your-lawn-with-wildflowers-has-loads-of-benefits
• Family Handyman - 7 Things to Consider Before Planting a Wildflower Meadow - https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/wildflower-meadow/
• Holland Wildflower Farm - Comparing the Cost of Wildflower Seed to Lawn Grass Seed - https://hollandwildflowerfarm.com/compare-wildflower-seed-cost-to-lawn-grass/

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Clover lawns are all the rage — but should they be? Hosts Tiff and Kat answer:

• What eco-friendly claims do folks make about clover yards? Are they true?
• Why is Reddit so uncomfy?
• What are the disadvantages of clover lawns?

Explore how to spot greenwashing in the world of clover lawns with your two favorite marketing writers in this upbeat sustainability podcast.

Sources

• Martha Stewart: https://www.marthastewart.com/8322420/clover-lawns 
• Gardenia Creative Gardens: https://www.gardenia.net/guide/native-plant-alternatives-to-trifolium-repens 
• Podcast: Backyard Ecology episode on clover: https://www.backyardecology.net/clovers-native-clover-conservation-clover-yards-and-more/ 
• Reddit - No Lawns subreddit specifically covering Clover: https://www.reddit.com/r/NoLawns/wiki/meta/clover/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1#wiki_clover_controversy 
• The Spruce: https://www.thespruce.com/all-about-clover-lawns-6362145
• Bob Vila: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/clover-lawn/ 
• Wild Ones garden designs: https://nativegardendesigns.wildones.org/designs/  

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