No phosphorus for us!

There are things we can do now, in the middle of winter, to ensure everyone's outdoor spaces are healthier come spring. I'm not talking about grand gestures here, but simple things that have the potential to make a big impact.

Topping my list is switching laundry detergent. Yes, that's what I said: laundry detergent. Now what, you may wonder, does laundry detergent have to do with healthy landscapes? Let me explain.

Followers of my blog know about the issue of phosphates in laundry detergent. It's called sodium triphosphate, or STPP, a compound that softens hard water. Problem is, when mixing with waterways, phosphorus encourages algae blooms and low oxygen levels, which kill aquatic life--and ultimately make their way into our human lives. Of course, this is a well-known issue, first brought to public attention 40 years ago, when lakes and rivers turned bright green with algae. In addition, phosphates sourcing has been linked with higher greenhouse gas emissions--not good for our global-warming situation.

 In the past thirty or so years, states--and some European countries--have passed regulations significantly reducing their use. In our country, Seventh Generation has been offering phosphate-free laundry detergent since it began in the 1980s--it's even packaged in a recycled paperboard container. I don't know many people who use it because it doesn't have the name recognition of the heavily marketed products. It also doesn't have dyes, whiteners and fragrances, which can contain phthalates, also known to harm environmental and human health.

A possible game changer: Enter Proctor and Gamble with their latest Tide laundry detergent called Pur Clean. Marketed as "The first bio-based detergent with the cleaning power of Tide," it's unscented, perfume- and dye-free, made with renewable wind power electricity, packaged in a recyclable bottle constructed of post-consumer recycled plastic, and claims to be made in a "zero-manufacturing waste-to-landfill site." My research indicates this means there is no little or no byproduct from its manufacture.

My concern: this product is only 65% bio-based, meaning the water and plant-based surfactants and solvents, pH adjusters, etc. make up that amount. What's in the rest of it? Still, this is a newsworthy development because P & G claims the largest share of the North American market and 25% of the global market share. Having tried the product myself, I can attest it cleans just fine.

Also note: this product is slightly more expensive. Go onto the product website, www.tide.com, and check out coupon sites to claim valuable savings. And if you have to pay a few bucks more, consider the tradeoff: cleaner water for generations to come.

Ultimately, this is a simple step each of us can take to help ourselves. Yet as C. G. Jung so eloquently stated, "Simple things are always the most difficult. In actual life, it requires the greatest discipline to be simple." Make the commitment. Great strides begin with that first, simple step.

All-natural ways to melt road ice

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As winter shifts into high gear in the Northeast, our roads and driveways would clog with ice if not for the rock salt commonly spread on driving surfaces. Yet the traditional salt, sodium chloride, is effective only above 15-degrees Fahrenheit, and has a host of other drawbacks. Not only does it corrode metal, cars, concrete and our leather shoes, but it can harm vegetation- and even aquatic life if it mixes into waterways.

I've discovered a few all-natural ingredients that melt ice more effectively when added to salt--or even on their own. I've listed some of the most promising findings:

Organic sugar beet juice is environmentally friendly and can be used at 100% concentration (though it's actually most effective when mixed 50-50 with brine--a simple salt solution). This juice is especially good for colder temps because sugar lowers the freezing point of ice. When sugar is added to salt, the salt is able to melt at colder temperatures. My husband pointed out that beet juice on clothing stains, yet my research indicates the juice is really more brown than red, and is not supposed to stain. Still, I'll test a small patch of my brick driveway before I spread it all over. Also, make sure the beet juice you use is organic, as certain additives could compromise its effectiveness.

Pickle brine. Don't discard the salty solution once you've scarfed down all those dills and baby gherkins! The leftover pickle juice will work wonders on walkways, melting ice at temps as low as -6-degrees F. Even better: pre-wet driveways and sidewalks with it before a snowstorm to prevent snow and ice from bonding with pavement, making it easier to remove. Put the brine in a spray bottle and spritz slick surfaces. Another plus: your driveway will have the odiferous appeal of a kosher deli.

Cheese brine. Prefer the smell of a dairy to a deli? You may want to spread cheese brine around your walkways. If you make your own mozzarella cheese like my super-talented husband, you'll have plenty of salty waste product to repurpose as a road-salt substitute. Used extensively in our nation's cheese capital--Wisconsin--this solution melts salt down to -21-degrees F! Warning: this is by far the smelliest solution.

Get creative! When you combine salt with pickle brine or beet juice, add a bit of molasses, which provides "stick factor," ensuring ingredients adhere together and on sprayed surfaces. Mix really well before pouring into your spray bottle, then spritz those slick spots for a gentler de-icing, which will help protect your plants.

Seeing green all winter long

Wintergreen is a plant I've always associated with this season--probably due to the word "winter" in it's name, though retaining its lush greenery when most plants don't certainly adds to the impression. The creeping stems of this evergreen native produce branches that reach up to six inches high, and display nodding white flowers from May to September.  Although the delicate blossoms aren't showy, they do offer long- lasting flowering throughout the growing season.

Occurring naturally in woodland areas from south central and southeastern Canada to the north central and northeastern U.S., this plant prefers part sun and cooler spots in the garden--a perfect bloomer for shadier areas.

Historically, oil of wintergreen was used to treat aches and pains, much like aspirin. That's because the methyl salicylate in it is a chemical related to our preferred pain reliever. It's also used topically, in a tea used to treat sore throat or mouth, and can even soothe skin sores and irritations.

Of course, anyone who loves Wintergreen Lifesavers knows the oil is a natural flavoring in candies and gum, though pure, undiluted wintergreen oil is an irritant. Best not to apply it full-strength, unless you plan on spicing up a flowerbed with this perennial. Order it by its botanical name--Gaultheria procumbens--to ensure you get the right plant. That sparse corner of your garden will thank you all year long.

Nature at its coolest

By now readers of my blog are used to my first post of each new year. It always involves describing my family's New Year's Day antics at the annual Lake George Polar Plunge in Shepherd's Park. On the snow-strewn beach beside the frigid water, about a thousand intrepid souls carry on a 44-year tradition, kicking off the new year quite literally, by kicking off their shoes and plunging into the frigid depths of the upstate lake.

I include details of this ritual each January because to me it epitomizes a number of enticing ideas. First and foremost, my family is insane. Let's face it, ya gotta have a little crazy in your DNA to hop from snow pile to thirty-five-degree water, even though the proceeds from the sponsored event benefit worthwhile charities.

Yet when I really think about this craziness, a lot of other words come to mind, too: challenge and fearlessness, camaraderie, tradition--and fun. My family looks forward to "taking the plunge" each year. It's become a way to stretch the holiday season a little longer, giving us all reason to be once again in each other's company, engaged in a group project. Since the process involves dressing up, family members and friends start casting about for the next year's "theme" about 10 minutes after completing the existing year's event. Much bantering and joking goes into deciding what the following year's costumes will be. The final decision isn't usually reached until around Thanksgiving.

In a world that seems to be becoming increasingly colder--with polarizing politics, cyber-bullying, computer hackers and terrorists dominating each day's news cycle-- perhaps a sub-zero outing celebrating togetherness, sharing, giving back and the beauty of nature, is just the thing we need to warm our hearts.