Grow Your Own Smoothie Greens and Super Charge Your Health

Beautiful days are perfect inspiration to get outdoors, go for big walks, swim, run, hit the gym.
but when the cooler weather starts to hit, the rainy days and the chilly mornings can lend to us swapping sneakers for sleep ins, gym visits for snuggles on the couch with dvd's and letting some of those exercise routines slip a little, sometimes even a lot! And then throw a few Winter bugs into the mix like the odd cold, cough and flu and you can really lose your fitness mojo..
But Winter is the best time to actually ramp up your fitness and health levels and best of all being fit, strong and healthy is your best defense against all the bugs that get around that time of year, and if your a busy mum like me - you know, you just don't have time to get sick!

So how is my family SuperCharging our health and fitness?
Well Australian Fitness Week is 7th to 13th April and there is inspiration all around you like Fitness First's pay as you go flexible gym plans, free twighlight bootcamps in the city (fun!) and a 1 day guest pass so you can try before you buy, which is such a fantastic idea.

We will eat well and exercise every day. For me using weights will be much more of a priority. We are making our health important. We have also pledged as a family to do something energetic and fun every weekend on top of daily exercise, yes, even if it raining!
Think climb a mountain, long waterfall trek's, canoeing, surfing, dancing, yoga, maybe an outdoor bootcamp!

AND thanks to the ever inspiring Fitness First we are inspiring ourselves to have a green smoothie or green juice EVERY DAY by growing our own organic smoothie greens!

So much easier than you think, and so rewarding!
As a horticulturalist I can tell you growing your own beautiful, organic produce is one of the most exciting things in life. I firmly believe the reason both my kids with very different personalities both love all their veggies and are not fussy eaters is because they have grown up with lovely fresh produce all around them and gardens they can pick and eat from.

This school holidays thanks to Fitness First's inspiration we set about creating a very special garden.
A smoothie greens garden!So there will always be plenty of green, organic goodies to supercharge our life.
WHY are greens so good?
They are alkalizing, they are full of iron and vitamins for our bodies and minds.
They supercharge your health and boost your fitness energy!!

We wanted to make it a garden that any family, anywhere in Australia could do also.
So we chose a self watering, leak proof affordable planting tub from Bunnings.
One that is neat and tidy to look at, user friendly, size friendly so even if you only have a small balcony in the city you can fit one in and practical and of course doesn't cost a fortune!

(You can also find these at hardware stores and nurseries. Look for one that has a removable water tray underneath so you can clean the tray if need be and also so it wont make a mess on your veranda or balcony with water stains.

TIP Pick just the right spot, most vegetables and a lot of herbs require at least 6 hours of strong, full sunlight to grow well. Not enough sun and they will be weak, grow strangely and be prone to pests and diseases.
Then just like a good cake mix load yourself up with gorgeous goodies for your garden.
TIP a successful garden relies hugely on the soil/potting mix, never scrimp on this part of gardening. Underrating soil will mean weaker plants, plants prone to pests and diseases, soil that dries out too quickly and a huge array of problems. A good mix is worth every cent!

So what kinds of things did we add into our garden?
The garden was 120 L, we used

• Brunnings All Natural Garden soil (60 litre)
• Richgro organic compost (25 litre)
• Dynamic Lifter (as directed on packet)
• Coir Peat  x 2 bricks (you buy this in a compressed block for under $3, add water and it swells up, lots of fun for the kids this part - we use this peat and not actual peat moss as peat is an limited resource so we try not to use it)

We mix these together like a big giant cake mix making a beautiful custom blend.
This is one of the mist fun arts for the kids and is also a very grounding exercise for us busy mums too, studies show too that toiling in fresh dirt actually has anti depressant effects.

After filling the tub with a beautiful, rich mixture we get the seedlings ready by gently soaking them in a weak solution of seasol (my favourite fertilizer) for around 10 minutes. This will help give them strength, nutrients and a real boost to take to their new surroundings.

Then you get to give the little health packed plants a home. Remember to always space them well, you don't want overcrowd them or have taller growing plants shadowing out the littler ones.
TIP I always recommend planting some companion planting herbs and flowers amongst your vegetables, they help deter pests and make plantings smell great and look attractive too. Trust me if your little veggie pot has pretty flowers around the edge, smells amazing as water hits the herbs amongst them you truly will find yourself more likely to spend time looking after it and watering it regularly and therefore getting so much more success out of it.
In our little smoothie greens patch we have included marigiolds which are fantastic for repelling nematodes and also chives and garlic chives to deter all the green leaf munching pests!

Give the whole lot a nice slow, deep drink.

And then tuck all the plants in with a good mulch, I recommend an organic sugar cane mulch.
Sugar cane mulch is excellent at retaining moisture, breaks down quite rapidly adding organic matter and nitrogen to the soil and increases microbial activity. All helping give you strong, healthy plants.

Finish with another drink make sure all the plants are upright and stable in their little spots, or tucking them in as my youngest called it!
Maintenance keep them healthy with regularly watering and once a week seasol treatments to start off with, dropping down to every 2 weeks once the seedlings have established. Keep your garden growing organic and strong, remove bugs by hand, use organic natural sprays if and only when necessary.
*Remember just because it's natural doesn't always mean it is safe or non toxic as well and you will often kill off all your good bugs as well.
TIP  get the kids involved with the whole process and especially harvesting for and then making green smoothies and they will fall in love with the whole process and you will have the added pleasure of knowing you are giving them amazing healthy life-skills and an incredible learning experience.

How will you #superchargeyourhealth ?

If you make your own smoothie greens garden I'd love to see it! Share your pics on my Facebook page

Be well, be happy, eat beautiful and be active.
Love Bek XX

Detox your home or business with Plants

Plants make us happy and make our environments indoor and outdoor healthier and less toxic.

Landscaping and use of plants, including indoors in homes, in bistro settings, courtyards, foyers, restaurants and entrances has become very in-trend and for good reason. Not only does it add to the ambiance, create freshness and give a sense of style and is actually proven to improve air quality too.

The research by NASA dating back from the 1970's shows that in as little as 24 hours as much as 87% of indoor pollutants are removed. Air pollutants that can come off paint, furniture, upholstery, carpet, building materials, air conditioning, paper and cardboard products, packaging, plastics even electronics.
The recommended ratio by NASA is 15 good sized specimen in around a 6 inch pot per 170 Sq m.
It is a combination of the plant leaves, roots and also soil bacteria that play a crucial role in removing toxins.

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Research by the US EPA and its Science Advisory Board have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.

What air is effected ?
Quoted definition from the Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
“The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) defines indoor air as air within a building occupied for at least one hour by people of varying states of health. This can include the office, classroom, transport facility, shopping centre, hospital and home. Indoor air quality can be defined as the totality of attributes of indoor air that affect a person's health and well being.”

The air inside our homes and office’s can contain a cocktail of toxins, many we wouldn’t be aware of and can come from commonly found sources in our homes, work places even in our children’s classrooms and bedrooms.
With recent figures estimating average Australians spending as much as 90% of their time indoors the quality of the air in our indoor spaces because something we need to look at carefully.

While good ventilation plays a big part in reducing effects studies show that certain indoor plants are extremely effective at removing indoor air pollution.

Research first done by NASA and in particular Dr Bill Wolverton, Senior Research Scientist at NASA’s John C Stennis space station proved that certain indoor plants are extremely effective at reducing and even completely removing certain very harmful toxins from air in confined spaces. While this research was originally intended for space it became apparent that it was applicable to our homes and office building 

environments. 

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5 dangerous toxins commonly found that are able to be treated by indoor plants

Formaldehyde
Carpet, cleaning products, fire retardants, furniture, paper products, ply wood, particle board, pressed wood, some grocery shopping bags, waxed paper, foam insulation and natural gas.
Benzene
Detergents, inks and dyes, plastics, Petroleum products, rubber,  synthetic fibres, pharmaceuticals, paints, oils and  tobacco smoke.
Trichloroethylene
Adhesives, dry cleaning, inks, dyes, lacquers, paints, varnishes and metal degreasing
Xylene
Rubber, printing, leather, paints and varnishes
Tolyene
Silicone sealants, leather, paint thinners, disinfectants, adhesives, printing, lacquers and disinfectants.

Pollutants also dealt with by plants either by degradation or elimination include metals, pesticides, explosives and even crude oil

There are so many different ways to add some plant design features to a business and a lot will depend on how much light the area has, what look you are interested in, whether plants can be rotated and how much maintenance you are willing to take on.

Structurally, architectural looking plants can make dramatic entrances and features.
Things like large matching pots with plants that make a bold colour statement at an entrance or in a row, massed plantings of different grasses and foliage contrast plants in an area and the use of large visually beautiful pots planted with dramatic plants as features.
Think plants with lines like dracenas, grasses, grass trees, pineapples, aloe’s, grasses, yukka’s, succulents.

A very stylish feature is currently the vertical gardens, a wall of succulents, herbs or flowering plants. Very space effective and gives an absolute wow factor. There are many designs available for this kind of garden including pallet gardens.

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The use of water holding planting devices like the EzyGrow which not only holds its water but reuses and makes it available to the plants are perfect for small courtyards, units, outdoor eating settings.

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A tropical themed dense planting around entrances, stairways always looks fantastic and tropical looking plantings with a water feature can completely transform an area and invite people to feel relaxed.

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Topiaries of suitable citrus trees are always a classic, though they must have full sun, perfect if you have an open courtyard, outdoor eating area or for an entranceway. Pots and planters of herbs and annual flowers make a beautiful addition to outdoor eating areas if it is exposed to sunlight. As do the fantastic colour flare of bougainvilleas, that can also be shaped. 

Use plants to add colour.

So many plants have fantastic colour, in their flowers and foliage.
Combine with coloured pots and use matching coloured or contrasting coloured plants, even follow a colour theme you already have in your business or home to give a stylish look.
Mass planting of the same or similar plants always gives a great effect; consider a row or a grouping.

Indoors dark green, leafy plants make their dazzling appearance and give a lush feel.
Large indoor plants can also be used to subtlety divide areas and provide screening and private alcoves or to disguise less attractive areas.

And to create a hidden oasis feel, adding huge impact to atmosphere.

Peace Lily Image Credit

A touch of lush green has been said to have soothing, calming effects on an atmosphere making indoor plants a great investment for businesses, waiting rooms, homes and working environments. Including office areas.

Ficus Image Source

Some great indoor choices would be: Peace Lily - Spathiphyllum ( hardy and very beautiful)
Bamboo Palm - Chamaedorea Seifrizii, Golden Pothos - Epipremnum Auereum (poisonous if eaten, but fantastic for trailing and in hanging baskets, very beautiful). Elephants Ear-Philodendron Domesiticum. English Ivy - Hedera Helix (Trailing and good for hanging baskets).
Spider Plant - Cholorphytum Comosum (Hardy can also be grown in hanging baskets). Aglaonema
Dracena Marginata (can be toxic to dogs and cats – very striking looking)
Boston Fern - Nephrolepsis Exaltata ( Great for a hanging baskets if limited in space-hardier than they look!)
Ficus Benjamina ( Very hardy and an attractive tree like plant)
Mother in Laws Tongue Plant - Sansevieria Trifasciata and popular cultivar Sansevieria Laurentii (Very hardy and architectural looking but can be toxic to dogs and cats)
Areca Palm-  Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens, Dwarf Date Palm - Phoenix Roebelenii, Phalenopsis Orchid Sp. Anthiriums.

Depending on the situation and light levels, it is a great idea to have indoor plants that can be rotated with others that are in a better lit position to keep healthy plants on display, as even indoor plants do need some light. This will also ensure that your plants are always fresh looking and healthy.

For the non green thumbs who want plants with minimum of care, cast iron plant, mother in laws tongue, Spider plants, Peace Lily’s, English Ivy, Ficus and certain Palm’s are beautiful and very hardy.

General growing tips and notes for plants in houses and business situations

• Ensure plenty of light wherever possible, keep near windows, under skylights, outdoors but also watch that they don’t burn too, keep adjusting is possible until you find great positioning for your plants or rotate.
•  Use good quality potting mix, always. This is one thing you should never scrimp on with plants in pots.
• Water regularly, don’t forget to water them but don’t drown them either. You can always feel the soil, a few cm down to see how dry or wet it is and a lot of plants will visually wilt when thirsty.
• Put them out in the rain if possible every so often, they will love it, (just don’t leave them out there when the sun comes out if they are indoor varieties.)
• Use pots with good drainage and saucers or pot feet. It is important for plant health to have good air circulation around their roots. There are planter systems available like EZY Grow that actually store the water in them as well so there is no mess on the ground, a great feature for eateries.
• Along with a slow release, fertilise with Seasol or similar on a regular basis to ensure they are healthy and happy. Just check the proximity to people eating and try and fertilise on a day when no-one will be there or ask your local nursery for plant feeding options that would suit your situation.
• Where you are very limited with natural light try having a couple of plants and rotate outside ones with the inside ones regularly so you are always putting a fresh plant in the spot, most plants will take 2-3 days indoors without light.
• When buying plants look for a nice healthy looking specimen that is pretty stable in its pot. Check it over for pests and diseases, a quick look should reveal any bugs, slugs, badly eaten leaves or fluffy white mealy bugs around the stem and under leaves.
• Ask the nursery person if it needs re-potting any time soon when you buy it, a pot bound plant will not be happy for long.
• Consider multi plantings. Plants do better when grouped together and it looks aesthetically beautiful too so even if you have limited space, try putting a few together.
  

Copyright RebeccaMugridge2013
Rebecca is a qualified Horticulturalist with over 15 years experience and a love affair with plants, gardening, nature and cooking.
To share this article please use the share features below or ask Rebecca for a quote - thank you.

Gardening with Bek - Composting

Composting

We have all heard the term and heard how good it is for our gardens. There are pre-made varieties available too that are fantastic and you will need these if you have lots of gardens but the satisfaction of composting our kitchen scraps into garden gold is too wonderful to be missed! Plus you know you are doing something really pro-active to help the environment too.

Composting is easily done in a heap in the back yard, a bottomless bin straight on the garden or in one of the huge variety of tumblers and compost bins designed to make the whole process easier, lighter work and space savvy.

WHY compost?

      Compost is a naturally occurring process in a healthy garden habitat.

      Compost encourages earthworms, good bacteria and micro-organisms that are all important to a healthy garden. They help aerate the soil resulting in stronger root growth.

      Compost has nutritional value and good compost when generously used, enables plants to obtain vital foods for healthy growth, which helps them be more resilient to pests and diseases.

      Compost improves the soils ability to hold moisture.

      Compost improves all soil types from sandy to clay and everything in between.

      Compost is an effective way to reduce household waste.

Compost in the soil helps to grow strong, healthy, pest resistant plants

Composting Tips
There are several techniques when it comes to composting and many ways to great compost but some of the key principles are:

      Composting works on temperature. It can get above 60`c in the centre of compost; these high temperatures will kill most weed seeds (note: not all weeds should be composted), insect larvae and nematodes, while creating a fast working, controlled process of decomposition.

      Aeration is a very important aspect of effective composting, a compost heap should be turned with a fork to allow air in, and a tumbler turned.

      For faster compost, pieces should be as small as possible.

      Do not use as a dump.

      Compost should be kept moist but not soaked.

      Too wet compost will give off a foul odour. A heap can be covered with a tarp during times of heavy rainfall.

      Compost is too dry if you cannot squeeze a little moisture out of a handful.

      Moisten compost with liquid fertiliser like watered down Seasol, fish emulsion or water.

      You must balance kitchen scraps with lots of carbonaceous material (grass clippings, hay, leaves, cardboard, newspaper, sugar cane, saw dust, legumes etc) at a rate of at least 10 dry matter to 1 scraps.

      Accelerators can be added, there are commercial ones available and you can also use things like watered down molasses.

Your soil will benefit greatly from compost and be richer, hold moisture better and look beautiful

Compost do’s and don’ts

Do add:

      Leaves, grass clippings.

      Pruning’s – try and chop up small or will be very slow to decompose.

      Spent vegetable plants likes tomatoes and bolted lettuce.

      Egg shells.

      Fruit and vegetables scraps.

      Pine needles in small quantities.

      Cardboard, paper and shredded newspaper (avoid glossy printed material).

      Rinsed seaweed.

      Tea bag contents and coffee grounds.

      Juicer leftover contents.

      Chicken manure.

      Old potting mix.

      Wood ash in small amounts.

Don’t Add:

      Pet manure, pig manure, human waste

      Cat litter

      Plastics

      Metal

      Meats, dairy products and fats – this can attract unwanted rodents and harmful bacteria.

      Weeds gone to seed.

      Treated wood.

      Magazines.

      Diseased plants.

Growing vegetables at home is one of the most exciting elements you can bring into a child's life

      "As a passionate horticulturalist if there was just one thing I could pass on to people with gardening, it would be to love and nurture your soil."

    It is a vital part of a healthy, strong garden and time spent on this will save you so much time, effort and even disappointment in the long run.

Want more of my edible gardening tips?Why not subscribe to the blog at the top right hand side and check out my book The Pram Diet where I talk a lot about growing organic edible at home, even in pots!

     (c)RebeccaMugridge2013 No part of this may be copied, quoted or reproduced without Rebecca's written permission