New Year's resolutions

2017 is nearly here! It's a great time to do what people do this time of year: make resolutions. Since an ecofriendly lifestyle is something I feel strongly about, my resolutions involve devising new ways to think about environmental problems. I've come up with three "eco-challenges," for myself, which all involve little more than a shift in mindset. I've kept it simple because, as we all know, intricate plans become difficult to sustain as the months wear on. Here, ways I plan to enrich myself, and disseminate helpful info to the larger landscape:

1. Keep an open mind

As we get older, I think there's a tendency to think we "know it all." We find it easy to discount unfamiliar notions, especially from those younger than we are. I've been bumping up against new ideas recently, and feeling myself getting cranky. One of those ideas is about veganism. I have to admit, up until a few years ago, I hardly knew any vegetarians, but nowadays many folks are touting the personal and environmental benefits of not only a meat-free lifestyle, but an existence of non-exploitive animal practices. Translation: living without ingesting or utilizing things like red meat, fish, fowl, dairy, honey, leather or wool. Seemed harsh to me. I kept wondering how fruits and vegetables could possibly cover daily nutritional requirements of those who became vegan. I'm not gonna lie: I still wonder about this. That's why I've been making an effort to learn about what it means to be vegan. Among my environmental discoveries: To produce one pound of animal protein vs. one pound of soy protein, it takes about 12 times as much land and fossil fuel, and 15 times as much water. I'm not sure a vegan lifestyle is for me--or even a vegetarian one, if I'm honest--but I certainly can cut back on my meat intake. These are issues that need our attention.

2. Read more

I'm a big reader. Always have been. I've realized lately, though, I'm not devoting enough of my "reading time" to environmental issues and practices. An eco-related question will pop into my head--and then exit just as quickly, without adequate exploration. An example: I found myself wondering about the state of the ozone layer. I've caught snippets of conversations and news reports recently chatting up the issue, but I had no idea if the initiatives begun in the late 1980's to reduce ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbon emissions have reaped any benefits. I remember the debates back then--my first real exposure to man vs. environment issues. I recall the culprits--things like aerosol propellants (hairspray comes to mind) and old-school refrigerants which spit vast amounts of the toxic chlorine cocktail into the air. Most of all, I remember the worldwide ban, a unique partnership between developed countries to safeguard the fragile layer of ozone shielding us from the sun's most harmful rays. Time to head to the Internet and catch up on some reading. Three credible sources--National Geographic magazine, Popular Mechanics, and NASA itself--all report good news: the hole in the ozone layer above the Antarctic appears to be shrinking. Apparently, the once 29.9-million-mile hole has shrunk to 24.1 million miles. While it's still a gaping wound 30 years after the initiative went into effect (the news sources report those chlorine particles have a shelf life of up to 100 years!) we seem to be headed in the right direction. Glad I read about it.

3. Disperse

Like sowing seeds into fertile soil, it's vital to share environmental news and ideas with others. Social media has made our very large world unbelievably accessible. With all the platforms available, we have no difficulty spreading information. Let's make sure it's the well-meaning, thoughtful--and thought-provoking--information that will benefit us all.

Winter begins

There's something magical about that first snowfall of the season, isn't there? Coating the ground in a shimmer of white, and concealing those last vestiges of fall: the stubborn leaves that refused to be corralled. It's a relief, really, to be on to something new--a new world outside, a blank slate, if you will. At our house, it means the pristine, snowy groundcover is prime real estate, ready to be marked up by eager puppies excited to play in the white stuff (note the paw prints scattered along the ground in the photo, above).

Ours first big snowfall conveniently arrived just before the first official day of winter. With temperatures diving, sending northeasterners running for cover, there's something timeless and wonderful about glancing out an ice-trimmed window just as our joyous holidays approach, and feeling the warmth lit from within. There's a reason so many Christmas songs tout the virtues of snow. It's tied up in our minds with peace, warmth, silent nights, decked halls and friendly gatherings. Many of us find ourselves wishing for snow and all it stands for: cookie-making, traditional Christmas songs, a flurry of shopping and decorating, and the universal wish to celebrate with family and friends. Gone is last winter's focus on slick roads and hazardous driving conditions, dingy gray mid-February snowbanks along the roads, bitter winds and the endless ache of cold fingers and toes. There's no room in our brains for negative thoughts among our Currier-and-Ives images and holiday dreams of "the most wonderful time of the year". If only we could be so optimistic during the other eleven months!

Whatever traditions and religious rituals you celebrate, may the cheer of this holiday season surround you like the new-fallen snow. May it cover over the old disappointments and inspire you to focus on all the good, fresh and wondrous things in your lives.

The Christmas flower

Like most plant enthusiasts in the northeast, I bemoan the fact that I can't enjoy my flower garden in the cold-weather months. I miss the cheery blooms and sweet aroma of growing things all around me. Luckily, I get a quick "flower fix" during the holiday season, when a bevy of Poinsettia cultivars pop up around the shops in town. Each year I'm fascinated by the new hybrids of the Christmas staple.

This go-to holiday plant, indigenous to Mexico, has made its way into Christmas floral displays since 1825, when it was first introduced to our country by Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the very first U.S. minister to Mexico. It's been dazzling us ever since.

The actual plant itself is fascinating. The "flowers" are the tiny yellow specks in the center of the colored bracts--a bract being sort of a modified leaf, if you will. The plant, Euphorbia pulcherrima, is widely considered the horticultural symbol of Christmas, but how it actually came to be so is up for debate.

Many think it's because of the deep red-hue of the first well-known poinsettia bracts. Of course, there is such variety in this plant nowadays, that the poinsettia you choose for your holiday decorating can be white, pink, coral--even spray-painted "fantasy" poinsettias (like deep purple or shocking blue), which can match any color scheme or mood.

Some say the plant's growing habit shaped it's destiny. The traditional star-shaped bracts were thought to echo the form of the Star of Bethlehem. Once again, that's not necessarily the norm for modern-day poinsettia lovers. Nowadays, this plant comes in many shapes and sizes. The Winter Rose poinsettia (pictured in foreground, above) looks like, well, a rose. Note the deep green leaves, which surround this beauty in rich, velvety foliage. Some cultivars have speckled colored bracts, others have variegated lower leaves (see photo, below). As far as this plant is concerned, anything goes! And isn't that what the Season is about: not only accepting all our differences, but embracing the variety--and reveling in it!

Season's Greetings, my friends.

Evergreens--for Christmas and beyond!

There are few plants as alluring as the boxwood. A standout in the garden due to its perennial greenery and pliable nature, I've long thought of this longstanding favorite as the shrub of kings. The exotic knot and topiary gardens in places like Versailles and Hampton Court are fashioned from the rich, uniform branches of this horticultural staple. Yet this versatile vegetation is equally at home in it's natural, mounded state--and just as lovely.

For a number of years I've coveted this plant as not only a top pick for any style of garden, but as indoor décor. The plant's deep hue, simple growth pattern, malleability and lasting nature make it perfect for indoor (and outdoor) wreathes and garlands--especially around the holidays. In fact, there's little I don't love about this plant--except the price. Decking your halls in boxwood can be prohibitively expensive. A typical 22"-24" boxwood wreath can cost anywhere from $50 to $150.

One way to get around boxwood's pricey nature is to preserve it, which allows for a number of seasons worth of enjoyment. But preserving takes planning and patience.

As my grandmother used to say, you have time or you have money, but you seldom have both. You can part with big bucks and order up all the boxwood you need. Be prepared to spend between $150-$400 (before shipping) for approximately four three-foot garlands. Why? The process is tedious (unless you're like me and you enjoy DIY garden projects).

If you enjoy a bit of a challenge, why not attempt to preserve your own boxwood? Here's how:

First, head outside and trim your hedges (mid-November is best). Rinse them well to get rid of any critters. Next, find a half dozen decorative watertight containers and fill them with hot water, glycerin and concentrated food coloring. The ratio is two parts hot water to one part glycerin, and one part dye. The glycerin costs about $3-$4 per bottle and you'll need two for a typical wreath. You'll also need one bottle of the food coloring, which runs about $2 a bottle. These items are easily found at places like Walmart, Michael's and Hobby Lobby.

Fill the containers with the water mixture, then stuff the cut boxwood stem in, being careful not to wedge too many of them in each container, as this seems to encourage bacterial growth. The bonus: these makeshift projects offer lovely shots of greenery around the house.

Give the process time, allowing stems to sit for 3-4 weeks, until they soak up all the solution. Then pat them dry and grab some florist wire--it's time to string your wreathes and garlands! Keep the wire toward the bottom of each branch and gently wind an inch or two around each connecting stem until you establish the pattern you like. This may take some practice. Also, stems may go brown in some areas, since the solution may soak up differently by differing stems. Once your creation is all set, you can cover the whole thing lightly with matte green spray paint. But before you do, test it on a few sample twigs.

Experiment. Enjoy. After all, 'Tis the season for greenery and fun!

A standout evergreen in the winter garden

I think winter is the best time to enjoy evergreen plants, and one of my favorites is Juniperus communis, AKA common juniper.

Juniper is a coniferous shrub or tree, ranging in height from 6-25 feet tall. It can also grow as a spreading shrub, extending similar distances along the ground, excellent for anchoring soil in uneven or rocky areas. Its needle-like leaves grow in whorls and consist of the green portion and a single white stomatal band on the inner surface.

A dioecious plant, juniper has both male and female parts. Male flowers are yellow and female blossoms are green. The fruit is spherical cones that look very much like berries. Initially green, the pseudo-berries ripen in about 18 months to a purple-black hue with a waxy blue coating. Fused scales line each cone's surface, and each one contains one tiny seed. Birds nibble on the cones and pass the intact, wax-coated seeds in their droppings. These cones are also wind pollinated, spreading far and wide to separate plants with nothing more than a gusty breeze.

Oil of juniper has been commonly used in medicines for many years, however, it's the distillates from juniper berries that make a favored alcoholic beverage: gin. Ironically, ancient herbalists prescribed juniper-berry chewing to aid digestion in recovering alcoholics!

The wood from juniper trees has been fashioned into everything from fence posts to pencils, so whittle yourself a wooden cup, fill it with gin and toast the versatile juniper this holiday season!