The Nourishmat comes with everything you need to start growing organic vegetables: seeds, fertilizer and know-how.
The mats last about 5 years and are printed with nontoxic ink that won’t leach into the soil.
The mats use a technique called square foot gardening. “The key is planting in grids instead of rows so you can maximize your space,” said Weiner. “More food in less space. We adapted the layout of the Nourishmat based on this popular method. We say natural because it embraces the idea of bio-diversity.” This method requires less water and fertilizer then conventional monoculture farming.
The square-foot method also makes plants into beneficial neighbors. “The layout of the plants revolves around companion planting,” said Weiner. “For example, the bugs that like marigolds are the same bugs that love to eat the bugs that love to eat tomatoes.”
this is actually so cool
I want that.
Sprout pencils!!
Each of these lovely pencils is tipped with a water-activated seed capsule, so when you’ve used up the writing part, you can plant it in some soil and grow something delicious. Cutest ever!! From whodhavethought.comI WANT THEM ALL
Amazing Volcanic Eruption With Northern Lights, Iceland
After hearing that the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano was erupting, photographer James Appleton made a journey to Iceland. Appleton managed to take these stunning photos of the volcano’s eruption while a light display of the aurora borealis (northern lights) filled the sky. His words express the experience best:
In 2010 I became aware of the volcanic activity on the Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass, on the side of Eyjafjallajökull. Having crossed the pass several times on previous trips to Iceland, I knew the area and that I would know my way around. Dealing with the severe winter conditions and obviously volatile situation would be something else. I am a strong believer that sometimes in life it is the risks we take that bring the greatest rewards, so with that in mind I booked flights, assembled my gear and headed out to Iceland. Arriving at night, I hitchhiked to the south coast and the start of the path up to the pass. Five days later I would return, physically and mentally exhausted, but with some of the greatest photographs I had ever taken and a pretty wide smile on my face.
I have always wondered what would happen with an infinite loop in all directions…
This is the coolest thing I have ever seen
Cotton Candy sculptures in a food magazine
This is Japan in a nutshell. Forget all the crazy stuff with the weird tv programs and the cosplaying—that’s just the outer shell that gets attention because it’s unusual. This, this is the beauty of the country. I’ve had little grandmothers chase me down because I dropped my shinkansen tickets. In amusement parks, the attendants do their upmost to get lost items (usually cardigans or kids’ shoes) back to the owners—before the owners even realize they’d lost said item(s). I’ve had complete strangers not only give my thorough directions but have offered to drive me to the place I needed to go.
It is so, so, so hard to go back to the States after you get the J-treatment. I mean, Japan has its downside (“What is this madness you call pizza???”), but the general attitudes of everyone—even the so-called hardcore yankees (two of whom who, on a blazing summer day, helped me find one of my schools when I was heinously lost in the labyrinth that is the neighborhood in which said school is located)—is the epitome of the mindset that I wish everyone would adopt. Because yelling at people gets you nowhere. And being able to empathize with people kinda helps make this country a really nice place to live in.
When I lived in Japan, I never feared for my safety or the safety of my possessions. I never worried about getting lost because whenever I did, it was a fun adventure and I got to interact with a lot of cool people.
Then I got back to the states and it was like… I got hit on crudely and felt scared for my safety pretty much immediately. Literally on the bus home from the airport. I missed Japan so fiercely and thinking about it I feel like crying all over again.
who has time to map out the world in their coffee good lord
i do
this is amazing