People are not the only ones who can benefit from plants! Did you know that certain plants are pleasant to furry felines -- and some are actually good for them? Cats are naturally drawn to varieties of vegetation, which can help provide them with essential nutrients, vitamins, oral health, and more. So, whether you are a cat lover or a cat owner, check out these 9 plants that are great to grow for cats.
1. Catnip
Sprouting seeds is a smart and healthy way to use up any leftover seeds you may have from your garden. Sprouted seeds have been recorded as being consumed and grown over many centuries. Not only does sprouting seeds provide a quick way to grow and provide fresh vegetables, but it also allows for a way for food to be grown indoors during the cold weather.
Want to make an impact on the earth but don't know how? It might be easier than you think. See, back when I first started learning about the environmental stress our world is under, I felt overwhelmed. I wanted to do everything I could to help the environment, but didn't know where to start. After all, there are so many problems to address: Pollution, harmful chemicals, endangered species, and pesticides are just a few. That said, there are ways you can help the earth without losing your marbles. Here are five easy ways to start living a more natural, eco-friendly lifestyle.
It is said "all diseases begin in the gut," which is why gut health is so important. You see, we all have microbes in our intestines: Trillions of them, to be exact. These microbes metabolize food and make vitamins accessible to us. In other words, they’re essential to our health and immunity. They actually add up to 4 pounds of our body weight and help us fight off “bad” microbes (like the infamous E.coli or tetanus).
Now that there are apparently several more weeks of winter (thanks, Mr. Groundhog), it is the perfect time to find creative ways to incorporate more green into your life. Not only is a thriving, jungle-like terrarium lovely in the colder, winter months when we’re all too ready for spring, but a cleverly crafted terrarium can bring joy throughout all of the seasons.
For those of you who are looking for something easy and edible to plant in your garden or kitchen, look no further than microgreens! Microgreens are small, leafy vegetables that are fairly easy to grow for most home and backyard gardeners. They are grown from the same seeds as their full-sized counterparts, but the greens are harvested much earlier – earlier than baby greens, but later than you would harvest sprouts.
Air purification, improving health, beautiful décor and adding moisture to the air—those are only some of the great rewards of having houseplants. I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but the larger the vegetation growing within my living space, the closer to nature I feel. Indoor trees are fantastic for adding a greater amount of green-environment to your residential setting. For those of you who would like to make your house feel more like a small forest—or at least close to it—try growing one or more of these 10 terrific trees for your home interior.
The first time I saw a seed bomb it was in a Facebook video. Literally, I’ve been obsessed ever since. They are just the cutest things, so easy to make, and the best way to safely refurbish vacant lots. You can make a bunch of them and toss them in areas that really need more plants without having to worry about someone seeing. Since they decompose on their own, nature will take care of the rest. Unfortunately, you never know what is or isn't private property, so seed bombs are the ultimate discreet way of planting something (without spending much money or leaving any evidence).
The idea of consuming spirulina, let alone growing your own, might be off-putting. But hear me out: spirulina is widely considered the most nutrient dense food on the planet. With high levels of protein, B-vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients like copper and iron, spirulina is like the whole foods version of your daily multi-vitamin.
But, at close to 50 cents per serving, it’s certainly not what you might consider economical.
So what can you do instead?
For clever farmers, alfalfa is a nitrogen-fixer, but for those of us who aren’t quite on that scale yet, alfalfa sprouts add a fabulously light, crunchy, young-green flavor to any meal. And they taste even better when you grow them yourself…in your kitchen…with materials you (probably, hopefully) already have on hand!