OUR RAISED GARDEN JOURNEY (SERIES)

Without much Ado, the above video is my young son/environmentalist  teaching you on how to plant corn/maize 🌽. In very simple steps without beating about the bush:

1. make sure your farm or garden is moist (maybe one -two days after a good rainfall or after a drizzle you can as well wet prior to planting and turn the soil)
2. make sure your corn/maize seeds are well dried (preferably seeds from last harvest or buy from those selling dried grains in the market)
3. get a little stick or rod and just press further into the soil from 2cm to a depth of 10cm depending on the height of your ridges and to prevent wash-off from rain before germination. leave a space of at least 20cm along the ridges to give room for the growth of the maize leaves.
4. in your hole drop two seeds and cover.
5. wait for germination 🌱🌱🌱🌽. 

Do not forget that your plants need enough sun and water for photosynthesis and growth. plants need enough care so you might need to weed along the growing stages of the plant so that the weeds won't take all the needed nutrients your plants needs.

Also, plants might need to get extra nutrients through the application of fertilizers but if you are an organic urban gardener like us, their are organic ways of feeding your plants with the needed fertilizers without the application of harsh chemicals. We will talk about the organic method as we move along our raised garden journey. Stay hook on our blog so you do not have to miss any of our gardening experience 😉. 

You might want to plant yours too even if its in a bucket or just around your flower beds, if you do, kindly share your experience with us as we can learn from each other. Enjoy.💚

FIVE TRAITS OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS PERSON

 Are you an environmentally conscious person? 

I know most of us will answer in the affirmative. Really we all want to be as environmentally conscious as we can but most times we tend to see being environmentally conscious as a "BIG THING" that some of us even do show off and brag about the things we do and see as being an Environmental conscious person whereas in the right sense of it all, the "LITTLE THINGS" we take for granted are what makes us environmental conscious. 

Being environmentally conscious can mean something different to each person because it is a broad term that describes many different behaviors, guidelines, and laws like, Green, going green, and living green, Nature-friendly and natural, Eco-friendly and Eco-conscious; and, Environmentally friendly or environmentally cautious.

The term Eco-conscious can be said to be “marked by or showing concern for the environment.” There are many different ways people can make changes to conserve their environment, and the term environmentally conscious is a fundamental belief system that inspires action.

Being Eco-friendly on a personal level can mean changing your cleaners, and eating habits, but it can also mean supporting businesses who are making strides to help the environment. Making changes begins on the personal level but then affects companies, and eventually communities as a whole.

This write-up is not against anyone but to throw more light to the little things we take for granted and for those that don't know they are lovers of the environment or lovers of the Earth as the case maybe.   Also, this is a personal point of view post and can differ from person to person, however if you find some of these traits in you, consider yourself an environmentally conscious person and work towards protecting our COMMON HOME, the ENVIRONMENT.

So what are the things you do as an environmental conscious person?

1. you love nature or appreciate nature and greens: naturally, I am in sync with nature  and tend to appreciate things in their natural form and realize that I love soil and plants but don't want my hands dirty. I also noticed that anytime i pass through green fields, natural formations (rocks, hills, mountains, water bodies), I am always in awe and get curious and find facts, before I realized what was happening, I started reading about plants and experimenting with gardening  and now, I am a self established urban edible gardener. So, if you have any of this traits in you, you might unconsciously be Eco Friendly.
2. when you become conscious of your water usage: I told you being eco-conscious is about the little things we take for granted. when you start to reduce your water consumption and reusing some. Acts like finishing your sachet and bottled water before you open another, washing your dishes and laundry using bowls instead or running the taps, closing the tap when brushing your teeth, using bucket or eco shower taps are traits you need to pay attention to.
3. when you are conscious of food waste: everyone or almost everyone frowns against food waste however, at times we are not able to do without wasting food either intentional or not due to some factors like power constraints but how we manage the food waste is when you know you are becoming conscious of the environment. Eat right even in the midst of abundance.
4. when you start keeping or rearing animals: some say we keep animals just because we want to have them in our meal someday, however, when you start keeping animals, an eco conscious person tend to use them to manage food waste hence reducing the amount of food waste going to the dumpsite and reducing the amount of Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide released to the environment. I keep Ducks and Hens to manage my food waste and those that cannot be consumed by them are given to goats and dogs on my street. I have gotten to the stage that yam peels and bones are immediately given to my neighbours houses.
5. Nothing is a waste: when you begin to device another use for a presumed waste then you are gradually on your way to  being an eco-conscious person. when you reuse the pet bottles in your home, reuse polyethylene bags (nylon) etc, then your environmental consciousness is being awakened, welcome to the Eco world. Common egg shells and dried fish bones are being used as a supplement for animal feed and soil amendment in my kitchen.

Being an Eco Conscious person is not limited to the above traits, the above are just for you to awaken the inner eco consciousness in you and propel the environmental protection skills you never knew you had.  Welcome to the ECO-CONSCIOUS world! 

What other environmental conscious traits do you think you have or know? kindly share let us learn together and protect ourselves because an eco-conscious person protects the environment and he who protects the environment, protects himself.