Presently Green -

Lorraine, our star chicken has started laying eggs (at the advanced age of 4 months old.) She’s a charismatic gal but doesn’t have much of a mothering instinct so she’s not protective of her eggs. In fact, she seems happy to hand them over. This new egg chapter began a week ago. Once I realized there was some protein in the mix, I challenged myself to eat only what our backyard produces. (Only a couple days per week since it’s slim pickins out there.)

Some days are better than others–the solely cilantro day was tough. Luckily today was not a backyard challenge day because one yellow grape tomato would have kept me satiated for four minutes. Sunday was a jackpot–two eggs with basil and six beans for brunch  (see above). The cucumber dinner was delicious but felt more like an appetizer. It looks like the next full meal might be an egg, carrot, basil, oregano and tomato combo. Maybe I can find a pie crust out in the yard to complete a Quiche Lorraine. That would be a good backyard challenge day.

I’ve found that the best summertime gift to bring along to a bbq or dinner party is something straight out of the garden. A bundle of basil, a bunch of cut flowers, a box of tomatoes, two strawberries…whatever you have is always appreciated. Supplementing from your local farmers market is fair game too.

There’s Lorraine, much more concerned with her mealy peach than the egg in her little house.

I grew up in Michigan and now I live in Montana. Kalamazoo to Bozeman–I like having a “z” in the name of my town. While I am celebrating the long-awaited, glorious Big Sky summer, the nostalgia of a Michigan summer rings true to me. I just spent a couple weeks with my family near Lake Michigan. These photos are a big part of what summer is to me.

Even though I’m quite sure these memories will be anchored in my mind for seasons to come, based on experience I think it might be a good idea to have a back up plan.

Picture frames – I feel like digital images only offer us the same fleeting memories as the experiences themselves. Other than my mom, who is the best collage-maker and picture-framer I know, it seems like most of us tuck away our images into iPhoto and occasionally choose a new one for a fresh desktop look.

Again, picture frames! Recycle them, pick a dusty one off your shelf and fill it with a new memory. Give a framed photo as a gift…what could be more sustainable? Trust me, no one will ever know if you reuse a frame from your own collection (how could it possibly get banged up sitting on the shelf?) and fill it with your own new look. Six months from now, when it’s so cold my hand freezes to the door handle, I know I will love glancing at my framed nieces in sundresses and oogling at fresh-picked strawberries.

Terra cotta flower pots are classic, orange-tinted plastic pots are chintzy and eco-unfriendly but useful if you happen to have them around. A good, green option for your greenery is EcoFlowerPots, made from recycled rubber and plastic. The EcoPot is the one in the forefront of the photo. As you can see, it blends right in with the other flower pots while offering a lot more character. EcoFlowerPots have a rich patina and the durability of a superball. The pots are made in the USA and available at nurseries nationwide. The company was generous enough to send me a selection of pots yet individual pots are not sold on their site. You can order an entire pallet but I imagine that’s a bit overkill for the average garden. To find outlets where you can purchase smaller quantities, check distributors on the site: www.ecoflowerpots.com. If you don’t find a local retailer, I would suggest contacting the company directly. They were excessively helpful.

I would like to make the claim that EcoFlowerPots are deer-repellent, however I’m not sure I can do that in good conscience. You decide. A “before” photo would help, as this shot is from the day “after” a deer came by on a snacking spree. She nibbled away all of the daisies in the plastic containers (note the blighted landscape in the large pots) and left the English Daisies in the EcoFlowerPot in tact. I looked up English Daisy (or Bellis perennis if you prefer Latin) in this nifty list of plants rated by deer-resistance and they were rated a dubious, “occasionally severely damaged.” Since these Bellis perennis are not suffering any damage, I am crediting the EcoFlowerPots as the deer-resistant prize winner in our yard.

You should be able to find EcoFlowerPots or other planters made from recycled or natural materials at your local gardening shops. But, before you head out to make the purchase, make sure you assess your used flower pots. Chances are, they’re probably in good enough condition to use for one more season. Then, you’re just recycling what you already have. If your plastic pots just can’t make it one more minute or the deer have eaten right through them, be sure to put them in your recycling bin (the pots, not the deer.) And while you’re at it, don’t forget to recycle the plastic containers that house your store-bought starter plants.

A few more upcycled planters:

Follow these instructions from Wuv’n Acres Daylily Gardens to craft your own car tire flower containers. Be warned, the website says “This is not a project for lazy people.” Price: relatively free.

Really cool car tire flower pots (although at this price you might need to decide if you need a new set of tires for your car or your yard.) From Design Within Reach, set of 3 for $88.

An inaugural week, this is. Let me know how I am doing in 100 days or sooner.

My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary last weekend. He’s never been a big present-giver, which has made me realize he’s not an incredibly gracious present-getter. I don’t mean that negatively. In fact, his reaction to gifts, “Thanks! Want to go for a bike ride?” drives home the point that traditional gifts aren’t always necessary. Creativity and thoughtfulness do play in his favor, even if weekly flower bouquets do not.

Our anniversary celebration was his idea. Right before sunset, we sat balancing back to back on the rocky shore of Jackson Lake in the Teton National Park. Three hundred and sixty five days earlier we were married on the beach in Michigan. With the Tetons as our back drop, we began a new tradition. Sipping wine, eating cheese and crackers (that was an old tradition, not the new one) and attracting an unromantic parade of red ants, we knew we had about forty minutes till the sun set and the temperature dropped frostily. Time became of the essence for the gift exchange. We had purchased- so yes, there was an actual gift involved- two leatherbound  journals made with recycled paper. They will stand the test of time. We are hoping to fill most of the one hundred pages, one page at a time, once a year on our anniversary. So we wrote. We didn’t set any rules or parameters except that the journal entries will go unread until next year.

My husband BJ gets full credit for the first very green and very present idea on my new blog.

Some green journaling picks:

I can picture tucking my thoughts away in this golden creation by Binding Bee. $25

I ♥ You, treeless paper journal from LaPaperie. $50

“A Couch I Was,” green leather journal. A lush volume, repurposed from a leather    couch-you may even see a few cat scratches. By KupoKiley.$20

Recycled leather sleekness by Jenni Bick ($28) and Ciak ($16).