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I love going barefoot, especially in the summer.
Summertime is an invitation for all of us to connect our
uncovered feet with our favorite terrain.
Whether it's using our toes to pull up blades of grass or
wiggling our feet in sandy beaches - there is a pleasurable,
intimate, and healthy connection that we make with the
earth. . . unless it's tainted with unhealthy bacteria or
chemicals.
It is not easy to know where to safely put our bare feet,
except in our own controlled environment like our back
yards.
Public places are especially difficult to know unless they
have the good sense to let people know if the area has been
treated with something or if the area is unsafe.
Beaches can have high levels of undesirable bacteria
(usually e.coli) and we might not know it until the
municipality closes it down. Water can be unsafe for
swimming and unnatural bacteria can affect the shoreline and
the sand.
Many lawns and public grassy areas can be loaded with
chemicals to kill weeds and make the grass grow greener and
thicker.
Sometimes we are forewarned with little white flags bearing
the universal NO symbol over icons of pets and children. In
other words - "the chemicals placed on the lawn are
harmful".
I am much more aware of this now that I have my dog Prin
whom I walk in neighborhoods and parks. I appreciate those
little white flags because I know when to stay away. I love
seeing grassy areas that have weeds and clover where I know
I can safely let Prin and my bared feet run loose.
I've been reading about organic lawn care. Although I have a
natural lawn care service that is pesticide and chemical
free, I know from my experience with
essential oils and eating cultured foods that there are
a variety of ways that we can "let nature take care of
nature".
At the Young Living Farms out in Mona, Utah, where acres and
acres of organic farming abound, we can witness goats eating
weeds. There is a secret recipe of essential oils
specifically for killing bugs and weeds which is called the
"ho, ho, ho" formula. If any of you HSL readers out there
who are
YL fanatics like me know what is in this formula -
please email me. I actually don't think it is a secret
recipe - I believe YL would be very open to sharing this -
but for some reason it has picked up that reputation.
Now most of us aren't about to go out and buy goats, but we
might consider composting (compost is a mixture of varying
decaying organic substances used for fertilizing soil.
Organic landscapers and professional lawn care companies who
are using natural mixtures of compost teas and potions of
good bacteria are "sprouting up" in various areas.
A 2004 survey from the National Gardening Association showed
that 5% of us are using organic means for fertilizers, and
weed and insect control. They expect that number to double
to 10% by 2009.
Tips for organic lawn care:
- Let your grass grow higher (3" blades)
- Twice a year mow low (2")
- Leave grass clippings on lawn
- Water between 12:00 midnight and 8 AM every few days
- Weed control:
----Over-seed the lawn in the spring
----Pull weeds by hand, or use a fish-tail weeder
----Spot-treat weeds with an equal mix of vinegar and
water
----Re-seed bare areas where weeds have been pulled.
- Attract or purchase natural enemies:
----Lure birds with sunflowers and zinnias
----Buy ladybugs at a garden supply store
----Get a toad for your garden
Tips to help keep our beaches clean:
- Report pollution sources
- Be a responsible beachgoer - bring trash bags
- Don't feed the birds or other animals
- Don't empty waste in water if boating
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Direct comments or questions about this article, including
requests for reprint rights, to:
Marilee Tolen RN, HNC - Board
Certified Holistic Nurse
HomeSpaLady™
“. . .natural remedies for health and beauty that you
can do at home!”
Get your FREE “Tips of the Week” at
http://www.HomeSpaLady.com
www.HealingEnergies.com
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oils here
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