Photo by Jessica Hibbard Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed, and therefore very inexpensive. The flowers and leaves are both edible. As we discovered this past weekend, they also attract hummingbirds.

Everyone is worried about the economy these days, myself included. But nothing perks me up like getting my hands dirty in the garden. The benefits aren't simply therapeutic. If you've been less-than-enthusiastic about gardening, here are some financial incentives that might make you reconsider:

• Spend less at the grocery store. If you know anything about gardening, this is sort of a no-brainer. Homegrown produce is often cheaper, fresher, and healthier than its storebought counterpart. It's late in the season, but it's not too late to grow fall vegetables: Lettuce, spinach, and broccoli all grow well in cooler weather. The Home & Garden Information Center has great tips for fall vegetable gardening.
• Wildlife is cheap entertainment. This is prime time to observe critters doing funny things. Our urban backyard is home to highly entertaining squirrels and chipmunks, who are busy gathering (and burying) food for the winter. A simple birdbath and bird feeder will also attract a wide variety of birds. Bats are a joy to watch as they swoop back and forth devouring mosquitoes, and dewy spiderwebs are enchantingly beautiful. The HGIC has tips for wildlife gardening, too.
• Get a good workout without an expensive gym membership. Gardening provides excellent exercise, including stretching and lifting. The biggest benefits come from using as few power tools as possible, which will also save money on gas. Use a push-reel lawnmower instead of gas-powered, use a hoe instead of a tiller, use a rake instead of a leaf-blower, and pull weeds by hand instead of using a herbicide.

If you're already converted to the ways of gardening, here are some suggestions for doing it on the cheap:

• Make your own compost. Plant-based food scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and weeds are great ingredients for compost. Just throw them in a pile and let nature do its thing. Ok, it's a bit more complicated than that, but not by much. Check out this set of tips from Fine Gardening magazine. And if you want to get really fancy, you can even try your hand at brewing compost tea. The proper use of compost in the garden significantly reduces the need to purchase expensive fertilizers.
• New plants -- For free. Fall is a great time of year to collect seeds from favorite plants to sow in the spring or share with friends. It's also safe to divide some plants, such as spring-flowering bulbs, to plant elsewhere in the garden.
• Extend the growing season with a cold frame. DIY cold frames are easy to make -- Use an old window, some hinges, and a few 2x4s.
• Collect rainwater. Rain barrels are easy to make. If you typically use municipal water supply to water your plants, this will help you put a dent in your utility bill. Locally, you can check McCutcheon's to see if they have any used plastic barrels for sale. We purchased our barrels for just $10 each.

What are your money-saving gardening tips? Has gardening benefited you financially? Let me know! Send an email to jesshibb@gmail.com.

	Photo by freshairechoice.com Freshaire Choice, a new VOC-free paint available at Home Depot

Ok, raise your hand if you've ever given yourself a headache while painting inside the house. (If you didn't raise your hand, you're lying.)

Those fumes that make you feel yucky are VOCs -- Volatile Organic Compounds -- vaporized chemicals that can come from any number of sources, including paint and carpet backing, and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

I don't know about you, but the thought of a house full of nasty paint smell has (more than once) delayed home improvement projects in my house. Luckily, there are new VOC-free paint options popping up all over the place.

A couple weeks ago, Jen emailed to say that she'd just used Bioshield Paint in her hallway, attested to its lack of stinky paint smell, and gave it rave reviews. (According to the company's web site, Bioshield Paint is "made primarily from naturally-derived raw materials including citrus peel extracts, essential oils, seed oils, tree resins, inert mineral fillers, tree and bee waxes, lead-free dryers and natural pigments.")

And just today, I saw a post on Re-Nest about Freshaire Choice, a new option at Home Depot. The product is the first tinted paint without VOCs. (Looks like they're offering some free samples.)

So, the next time you paint, treat yourself to a fume-free experience.

	Photo by wikipedia.org Common domesticated honeybee

Two recent news stories caught my attention:

• Last week, on NPR's Morning Edition, they mentioned Haagen Dazs' $250,000 contribution to research projects at Penn State and the University of California. Many of the company's ice cream flavors require ingredients that are pollinated by honeybees, and the poor little critters are disappearing. Click here to listen to the story.
• Just this morning, The Baltimore Sun's political blog reported on a proposed bill to proclaim a special Pollinator Week in June in the State of Maryland. (I know you're probably laughing about this, but 75% of our flowering plants rely on animals to do pollination work. That includes all the fruit, vegetables, and grains we eat every day. Without pollinators, we'll all starve to death.) Here's the post.

So what does this mean for gardeners? Well, there are several ways you can make your garden more attractive to pollinators. It's fun to watch them at work in the garden, and you'll benefit from increased fruit & vegetable production. Here's how:

• Reduce (or preferably, eliminate) the use of pesticides -- Bees and other pollinators are super-sensitive to chemicals.
• Plant native flowering plants (trees, shrubs, and perennials) to provide nectar -- Bees seem to love plants in the aster family (daisies, asters, sunflowers) and the mint family (mint, lavender, salvia), but there are many great choices. Shop for plants locally and ask a helpful employee to make recommendations for your garden.
• Create habitats -- Place bat boxes and bee nesting blocks in the garden. If you're really into it, you can take a course in beekeeping and set up your own hives.

There's a huge list of links to online resources at pollinator.org. Locally, you can contact Maryland Cooperative Extension's Frederick County office for information about beekeeping and other garden-related inquiries.

Lately it seems that home & garden blogs have been dominated by a very feminine, crafty look. I don't usually mind, but a few scattered posts caught my attention this past week that featured a selection of housewares made from rustic woods. These earthy (and surprisingly modern) products are definitely a welcome change.

So, dear reader, I have assembled the highlights right here, in one convenient place. See below for sources.

Clockwise, from top left:

For once, I'm ahead of the curve. About a year ago, my mom made these custom frames for me, out of barnwood salvaged from my family's farm in Dimock, PA.

Live Wire Farm has created shelf supports, hooks, spoons, and other products from Vermont hardwoods. (Via sfgirlbybay and Apartment Therapy.)

A Design*Sponge reader submitted this DIY project. She used the centerpieces in her own barn wedding. (Instructions and details available here.)

Paradise Hill Designs sells these tealight benches (and other products created from reclaimed barnwood) in their Etsy shop.

Parker-Sims Interiors created this "Driftwood Bliss Bed" from driftwood found on the shores of South Carolina. (Via Design*Sponge.)

	Photo by pantone.com Pantone's 2008 Color of the Year: Blue Iris

After a holiday hiatus, I'm back to blogging. Happy New Year!

Each January brings a new "Color of the Year" from Pantone, the folks who have managed to create a lucrative empire out of color management.

This year, the "it" color is Blue Iris. I'm not really sure if it's blue or purple, but I guess that's sort of why it was chosen. According to the press release, Blue Iris combines "the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple," satisfying "the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

I love irises, and it's certainly a nice color, but I don't see it working well in my own home. We've gone with espresso-colored trim throughout the house, and I think this color really deserves to be paired with white. Luckily, Pantone has plenty of other ideas for home decor, including a line of interior paints and paint color suggestions from fashion designers.

So many colors ... So little time!