With summer in full swing, the lawn watering season has certainly begun. While you may normally think of a sprinkler as a simple convenience, check out this motion-activated garden sprinkler available at Hammacher Schlemmer. It has an infrared sensor which detects movement on you lawn or in your garden causing it spray anything that gets near it. Looks like this would be an easy and harmless way of ridding your garden of squirrels, rabbits or other would-be eaters of your fresh vegetables. This lawn sprinkler works during the day and at night,is powered by a 9 volt battery which will last several months with normal use, and it even has an adjustable dial for adjusting the spray for the type of pest you’re warding off.

A friend told me last week that she has been using banana peels left from her breakfast to fertilize her flower garden. I know that almost everyone has heard about the benefits of organic composting, but she’s doing something a little different. After eating a banana, chop the peel into 2 inch strips and save it in a container in your freezer. When it’s time to feed your plants, simply remove your frozen banana strips from the freezer and push them into the soil around the plants just as you would any store-bought plant food spikes. Your eco-friendly banana peel fertilizer spikes will quickly thaw in the warm summer temperatures and feed your flower garden with rich nutrients like potassium and phosphorous, both of which are great for your plants. Just a note on freezing banana peels: It may be helpful to freeze your banana peel strips in a single layer on a baking sheet before placing them in your freezer container to prevent them from freezing together.

In today’s LA Times Local News section, there is a marvelous story about LA’s Guerrilla Gardening movement. The cautious green neighborhood heroes are planting on land that is not legally theirs, but they are only ameliorating what’s already there. They are determined to turn abandoned patches of grass into flower or vegetable gardens, and they have the neighbors’ full support. To avoid getting caught, green guerrillas usually plant and “seed bomb” at night. They convert traffic islands, and any other unwanted piece of soil they can get their green thumbs on. The movement originated in New York in the 70’s and has since spread to London, Berlin, Miami, San Francisco, LA and virtually all over the world! Cultivating and caring for neglected land should be applauded! I think it’s admirable and genius!

LA Times via Outdoor Urbanite