Planting a garden in an apartment complex is difficult, we know. But those of you who have patios could use these ideas. Try these gardening tips this spring and summer and taste the difference between homegrown and store-bought veggies!

There’s nothing better than having your very own fresh vegetables right outside your back (or front) door. You know how they have been grown, they don’t cost you a penny to pick and you can take pride in knowing that you made something grow- something that is edible!

Here are a few tips to help you in your patio vegetable gardening:

• Don’t focus on quantity, focus on quality. You aren’t going to grow a hundred tomatoes in your first vegetable garden attempt, but you will be able to grow enough to keep you in fresh tomatoes throughout the summer.
• You don’t have to spend a ton of money on the containers. Window boxes, collapsible fabric pots, raised bed planters can all be used as containers. All you need is something that can hold potting mix, allow water to drain through the bottom and stay together.
• For better success, invest in potting mix. Living soils with mycorrhiza will help plants establish more quickly and use available nutrients better.
• Purchase plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant in starter sizes while starting vegetables like lettuce, spinach and carrots from seeds because they are easier to grow and you will typically want to grow more of them.
• Take into consideration the space in your patio garden before choosing what to plant. Space is at a premium in a patio garden, so it is a good idea to focus on highly productive plants that produce mid-sized fruits instead of very large types.

Follow this link for more information.

A recent article lists of various CSU global sustainability leadership fellows.

The School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) announced 20 early career academics, which include Ph.D. candidates and Postdoctoral Fellows, to be 2013-14 Global Sustainability Leadership Fellows. These fellows are innovative thought leaders that effectively communicate with both peers and the general public.

Within the school are disciplines like political science, geosciences, economics, education, bioagricultural sciences, atmospheric sciences and biology.

You are invited to meet these new fellows on Monday, May 13, at 5 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Grey Rock Room.

For more information and a list of the fellows, including their specialties, follow this link.

Read more about it here.

Pot is slowly losing its novelty. A recent study found that Colorado consumes about 2.2 million ounces of marijuana per year. However, that number is not expected to rise much next year despite pot’s newest legal status.

Although about 642,772 residents use legal pot and help to bring in about $130 million annually, those figures won’t save Colorado’s state budget problems. This is because it still costs a lot to regulate the newest industry. Also, the price for pot is about to drop to $185 an ounce, or about $3,000 per pound. The study estimated that the consumed amount will rise to only 2.4 million ounces by next year, not counting “consumables.”

The study said, however, there will likely be “a decline in the rate of growth of consumption as the ‘wow’ factor erodes over time … after an initial post-legalization period of intense interest and curiosity, consumption growth rates will stabilize or even perhaps decline as has been the case with cigarette consumption.”

Follow this link for more information.

We’re sure you’re all itching from cabin fever and are ready for warmer, clear weather. To help transition you into spring, here are some green cleaning tactics you can use. Obviously, some must wait for preferable weather conditions, but others can be performed in the meantime. Once you tick off all these suggestions, spring will be upon us in full bloom and you’ll feel that extra sense of satisfaction.

1. Hang dry your laundry. Drying your clothes in an electric or gas dryer isn’t just hard on your clothes; it’s also hard on the environment. Don’t stop with natural laundry detergent. Stay green every step of the way and install a clothesline in your backyard. If space (or aesthetics) is an issue, look for a “retractable clothesline” like this one from Gaiam, which takes up virtually no space when not in use. Weather permitting, line-dry your clothes outside to reduce pollution, cut your energy bill, get more exercise, enjoy the sunshine, and extend the life of your clothes. Plus, they’ll smell like a clean breeze, not a fake “clean breeze scent.”
2. Add a little greenery. Install a living air filter—houseplants! Some of the most efficient air-cleaning houseplants include Spider plants, English ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies. You’ll need 15 to 18 medium-sized (6 to 8-inch diameter container) houseplants for the average 1,800 square foot house. If that sounds like a lot, place a few plants in the room where you spend the most time.
3. De-clutter your wardrobe. Donate gently worn items to charity, where they’ll get a second life, and donate torn and stained items (if they’re made of an absorbent fabric) to your rag collection, where they’ll replace wasteful paper towels. And as you’re packing up your winter sweaters, replace those stinky mothballs with a natural and better-smelling version: Stuff a lonely unpaired sock with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and whole cloves and tie it at the end.
4. Swap out your Swiffer. Instead of continually buying expensive single-use mop pads, invest in a reusable mop. Casabella is one brand that’s widely available in health food stores and general stores. Their mop heads can be washed in your washing machine, hung dry, and used again and again—well worth their moderate price tag.
5. Ditch the paper towels. Save trees, cash and landfill waste. You can buy specially-made, washable cleaning and dusting cloths (in all types of fabrics from cotton to microfiber). But better yet? Use what you already have and give an old piece of cloth (stained towels, ratty sheets and pillowcases, too-small T-shirts, etc.) a new life. Simply cut or tear your old item into smaller squares (if you want to get fancy, finish the edges with a sewing machine), and voila! Pop them in the washing machine with your laundry to clean, and use them again and again.

Follow this link for more information.

Have you heard about Taiko before? It’s one of the oldest and most respected traditions of Japan. It literally translates to “drum” in Japanese and is a unique style of drumming that started as a form of communication and fear mongering against enemies in battle.

Since then, Taiko has evolved into a performance art that requires specific stances and high energy. The Denver Taiko group will bring it to CSU during the Colorado State A/PACC Asian Fest.

Learn more about the event by following this link.

Ok, so edutainment probably isn’t something you pay attention to that often. But there’s a chance for you to experience it on April 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The Colorado Rockies, 9News and Colorado State University are teaming up to launch the Fourth Annual Weather and Science Day at Coors Field on April 24, 2013. The interactive presentation will run from 10:30am – 11:30am with parking lots opening at 9:30am to accommodate busses.

Please join Colorado State University’s Little Shop of Physicsand the 9News Weather Team for this educational event that incorporates physics, math and meteorology into unique science experiments. The day will also include a highly anticipated segment involving fireworks and 3D glasses! Students will receive a gift bag containing an assortment of the hands-on activities that illustrate the science of weather and the amazing properties of chemistry and physics seen throughout the presentation.

Follow this link for more information.

You can buy tickets here between $5-70.

Sometimes certain people from the area are just awesome. Take Evan Weissman, 34, for example. He is the co-founder of the six-person collective Buntport Theater. “Making theater” has been his full-time job since graduating with a politics degree from Colorado College in 2001.

Weissman’s latest project is Warm Cookies Of The Revolution, a venue to encourage people to discuss, and perhaps change, civic and community institutions. Monthly meetings combine activism and entertainment. They began in November with a game night, a letter-writing night, a Bring Your Government night that included building a Lego city along with presentations, and Civic Stitch ‘N Bitch, where participants listened to six presenters as they sewed or knitted (or colored templates). The Warm Cookies evenings draw 50 or more participants, from hipsters to seasoned activists. Soon, Warm Cookies will have a permanent home in central Denver, and host meetings and events daily. Also coming up: Weissman’s wedding to fiancée Kristin Aaker.

Learn more here.

Anyone who’s ever owned Venetian blinds knows that they’re one of the hardest window accessories to clean. So many slats, so many overlapping parts, so many tiny spaces. Some days, you might feel like taking the blinds outside, laying them on the ground, and hosing them down with a powerwasher.

But that will just break them. There’s an easier way to do clean them.

Before getting started:

• First remove loose surface dirt and dust by either vacuuming the slats, or wiping them with a foam paint brush, sweeping with a paint brush or feather duster. More ideas: try a pastry brush, shaving brush or a makeup brush.

• With the slats turned down and at their full length, clean with desired method from the top down then reverse the slats and wipe again.

Wipe each slat (from side to side) with a soapy wet sponge (excess water squeezed out), or try one of these methods to make the job a little easier:

• Wrap a piece of cotton or flannel around a wooden ruler. Spray with cleaner then run the ruler back and forth across each slat.

• Put a cotton sock over one hand, apply some cleaner then wipe as noted above. Dry with another sock.

• Wearing a soft cotton or knit glove will also work (mentioned previously on this page).

If they are really dirty or greasy, a good soak can do the trick:

• Lay a towel on the bottom of the bathtub and fill with warm water, add a good squirt of liquid dish detergent. Remove blinds then lay them on top of the towel, the water level should be deep enough to cover them completely.

• Let them soak for about 30 minutes then holding them by the top frame, plunge them up and down in the water. Wipe each slat with a sponge or scrub gently with a soft nylon bristle brush. A toothbrush will get into small nooks easily. If the grime doesn’t come off, soak longer and try wiping again. Empty the tub then rinse well with clear water (you can use the shower head if you have one). Wipe dry with a soft towel.

• Another option: Instead of soaking in the tub, you can lay them out on the grass on a hot sunny day, squirt a bit of soap on them then spray with a garden hose. Flip them over and spray again. Scrub with a soft nylon bristle brush if needed. Rinse with clear water. To dry: hang them on a clothesline or let them dry on the grass (flip them over so they dry on both sides).

Grime Busters:

All you need is a quick squirt of liquid dish detergent in a bucket of warm water or spray with a general household cleaner. If you need more grime-busting power, here are a couple things you can try:

• Recipe: 1 cup ammonia & 1 cup warm water.

• Add 1 TBS of automatic dishwasher detergent to a pail of warm, soapy water (can also add a scoop to the bathtub water if using that method).

Tips: Sweep or vacuum them regularly and you’ll only need to wash them once or twice a year. After washing, you can treat them with dusting cloths (mix 1 cup hot water and 2 TBS lemon oil), this will help repel dust.

Note: The soaking or spraying methods should work for vinyl, aluminum and plastic varieties but check manufacturer’s information first just to make sure. Avoid using the ammonia recipe if slats are aluminum.

Follow this link for more information.

• Strip Down Your Space - Eliminating clutter is a good idea in any kitchen but a must in a tiny one. Do your best to keep the counters totally empty because even a coffee maker can take up precious space.
• Use Islands - Consider getting an island to add counter space. If you buy one that’s relatively attractive and on casters, you could even wheel it into the dining room as an extra side table.
• Plan, Plan, Plan - The number one key to cooking in a small kitchen is to plan a menu that’s realistic. While a whole rack of pork might not even fit in your oven, several pork chops will be easier (and faster) to cook and are just as tasty.
• Make As Much Ahead As Possible - Along those lines try to make a menu that has a good deal of make-ahead foods. This will allow you to cook in shifts in your limited space and will let you hang with your guests once they arrive. While some dishes (like a casserole) can be made completely ahead, other dishes might have elements that can be made ahead then finished at the last minute.
• Mix Up Temperature - It’s always easier to make things ahead when they can be served cold or at room temperature, so mix up the temperature of your menu. Springtime is perfect for serving a simple cold salad, a chilled soup or even an easy poached salmon.
• Cook In Shifts - That’s to say you should prep all your ingredients before you start cooking then wash the dishes all before you ever turn on the stove. That will not only keep things tidy but also allow you to work more efficiently.
• Compose Your Food Instead Of Cooking It - Sometimes the easiest way to get around a small kitchen is to not cook at all. Or to cook very minimally. I make dishes like a rustic Salmon salad when I’m cooking out of a small kitchen because the cooked elements can be made ahead and the rest is just assembled at the last moment.
• Small Bites Are More Manageable - I fully believe that small kitchens call for small cooking. So, turn to easy, make-ahead small bite dishes like this seasonal bruschetta of ricotta, smashed peas, and watercress that’s simple to serve and easy to put together.
• Know Your Platters - Finally plan your plating ahead of time. I label all my serving pieces and platters before a big party so I know which plate goes with which dish. Then they all stay in a separate room until it’s go time for plating and serving.

Follow this link for more information.