Weekend Tweets: The Orchid Mantis, Self-sufficiency and Self Driving Cars

...— Science Friday (@scifri) April 14, 2016 BBC News – What happened to the self-sufficient people of the 1970s? https://t.co/xLGArdjCKr — Root Simple (@rootsimple) April 15, 2016 “We need to design our cities so you feel…like you’re missing out on all the fun when driving a car.”—Dom Nozzi pic.twitter.com/Cgm5KPbJXi — Taras Grescoe (@grescoe) April 13, 2016 DIY Thrift Shop Bug House Excellent project to do with kids.https://t.co/bHcwsBuxo1 https:/...

Read…

Watering 101

...oist. Not soggy and soppy, not dry, but pleasantly moist and springy. Over-watering can be problem as much as under-watering. If you know your soil tends to hold water, it may pay to dig before you even start watering. You may find you don’t need to water at all. In a regularly watered bed, the deeper you dig, the more retained moisture you are likely to find, but the first few inches dry out fast. Older, deeper rooted plants don’t mind this so mu...

Read…

Waxed Cloth Food Wrap (Made in a solar oven for bonus self-righteousness points)

...tions. The oven floor is wide but narrow, so I can’t make wraps bigger than 11 inches square. The floor is actually only 9 1/2 inches deep. By wedging the cat food box higher in the oven, off the floor, I was able to fudge things enough to make an 11 inch waxed cloth, but that’s the limit. I may be able to fold a cloth in half for coating, perhaps layering the wax between the two halves. This is something I’ll play with if I decide to make more. W...

Read…