Even if your plan is to get out of town if a disaster strikes, the odds are even some of the most prepared will be unable to leave their homes.  I’ve often thought about what would happen if we couldn’t escape some unforeseen emergency and had to wait it out in our current location.  I’ve thought about how to black out the windows so it appears our house in uninhabited and hopefully seem uninteresting to any passerby that wanted to harm us in some way.  There’s something interesting about those of us who like to prepare and our love of the “what if” scenario.  It’s like a challenge that we must solve just in case…..

Often when I’ve thought about quarantining my family for various reasons, I’ve also thought about air quality and circulation.  Some situations won’t be as drastic as others and you may be able to keep using your backyard.  But, in a true collapse of society, you don’t want anyone to know you’re there.  In my little scenario this is the “hiding” plan.  If we’re hiding out in my house, how will we get fresh air?  We have some small windows that could be opened that would be impossible for anyone to get through, and wouldn’t attract attention from anyone outside.  I’ve also thought about having multiple house plants that will not only produce oxygen, but can have a positive psychological effect especially if you must spend weeks or months indoors.

One warning with house plants, often most plants that survive in low-light situations are not edible.  You may be successful growing herbs near a sunny window, but mainly think of houseplants as air purifiers, not as food.  Here’s a few options that you might want to try (common names):

• Jade Plant
• Ponytail Palm
• Pygmy Date Palm
• Ferns
• Chinese Evergreen
• Dumb Cane
• Philodendron
• Peace Lily
• Spider Plant

Do your research about the plants, especially water intake and nutritional needs.  Remember to stock up on extra water for your plants.  You might also want to stock up on several sizes of plant containers to have on hand. 

Certain house plants are susceptible to mites and other pests, so read my previous post about natural remedies for these.  Practice now so that if you are shut into your house for a time, you can still benefit from all houseplants have to offer.

Have you ever wondered why survival sites recommend heirloom seeds?  There are a few reasons.

One, open-pollinated heirloom seeds will produce the same offspring every year.  If you plant a beefsteak tomato and then save the seeds for next year - which is actually a fun and interesting project - its seeds will produce the same type of beefsteak tomato (except if it’s cross-pollinated).  This won’t necessarily happen with hybrid seeds.  While hybrid seeds have been bred to withstand drought and pests, they are also bred to be used once.  You may use a hybrid from a store that works just fine for you, and the seeds you save MAY produce the exact same vegetable, but you take your chances.

Two, buying heirloom seeds supports small, family owned businesses.  These are the heart of America and represent what some of us wish would become more popular - sustainable living that supports communities in a productive and healthy way.

Three, hybrids are produced and owned by big business.  While a lot of what they’ve developed has helped feed the world, they have also worked against the small, family heirloom seed farmers.  As with all big business, although they have their place in society, they shouldn’t dictate what we do individually.

I just received my Baker Creek Seed catalog and I’m so excited to select some seeds for planting this spring and also consider which seeds I’d like to store long-term.  I’ve considered what exactly to store away and I’ll be starting with those seeds I already know.  Types like zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes and green beans.  Vegetables I grew up growing and know how to grow and what to expect.  This year I also want to try kale and swiss chard as they’ve become two of my favorite vegetables.  I have a couple other things like New Mexico hot chiles and a type of Thai spinach that I want to try this year too.  If things go well, I’ll add extras to my storage.

Who knows if we’ll ever need to use our seeds in a survival situation, but I know they’re there if I need them.  Gardening is one of those fun things in life that we can enjoy while gaining knowledge that will serve us well in an emergency.

Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home…..starts the verse almost all of us learn as children.  We learn early on that ladybugs are friendly, and pretty bugs to have around.  They’re a gardner’s best friend when it comes to natural, organic pest control, feeding on aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and mites.  If you plant tomato plants or roses only to find they’re infested with aphids, you should think about releasing some ladybugs to take care of the job!

Ladybugs, or Ladybird Beetles are natural predators, eating only other insects.  Ladybugs themselves are mostly left alone by predators as they secrete a nasty tasting liquid from their leg joints.  Adult ladybugs have six spots on each wing.  Ladybug larvae begin eating as soon as they hatch and can eat up to 5,000 aphids in their lifetime of 2 - 3 years. 

Ladybugs are gentle and you won’t have to fear them stinging or biting your kids - although adults will bite if they’re squeezed too hard, but you probably won’t feel it.  Ladybugs hibernate if the temperature falls below 50 degrees, but will eat year round if you live in a warm climate.

If you’re interested in gardening, even in a small patio garden, think about purchasing a ladybug colony.  You’ll be helping the environment by not using toxic sprays and you’ll have some interesting science projects for your kids on the weekend.

I found a great company that sells ladybugs in 1500 count bags for only $6.50.  Check it out and bookmark for this Spring.

http://gardeningzone.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=121

I love gardening.  I don’t have much time for it since I’ve had children, but I still enjoy spending some time in the yard, or tending our container vegetables.  Gardening is a skill most of us have lost, our lives are full of other things and we have all the variety we could want at the stores and farmer’s markets.  Stocking up is a great way to plan for an extended crisis, but what happens when your stores start to run out.  After about a month of canned vegetables, you’ll be longing for a fresh salad with red, ripe tomatoes.  It’s not enough to buy seeds to store along with your food and water.  If you don’t know enough about how to get that tiny seed to make a tomato, it won’t do you any good. 

One aspect to successful gardening is keeping the pests and bugs away.  There’s nothing worse than reaching to pick a fruit or vegetable, but when you turn it over, there’s a fat, squishy worm eating it’s way in.  They’re gross, but a natural product of gardening.  Your first line of defense against insects should be growing companions.  What is that?  Pungent flowers that repel some insects include Marigolds and Nasturtiums.  In addition to growing these around your vegetable plants, you can also throw some of the leaves and stems in the blender, let it stand for a day, then drain and dilute with fresh water.  Spray this liberally around and on your plants, avoiding the fruits or vegetables growing.  Both of these companion plants are edible, so they serve a dual purpose.

A very easy insecticide recipes are:

Garlic Insecticide

1 Garlic Bulb

2 Cups Water

1 Gallon Water

Blend the entire garlic bulb and the two cups of water in the blender for 1-2 minutes.  Set aside for up to 24 hours.  Strain through a cheese cloth and mix the liquid with the 1 Gallon of water.  Spray liberally.

Dish Detergent Insecticide

1 Tablespoon Liquid Dish Detergent

1 Gallon Water

Mix Detergent and water and spray liberally.  You can reapply this about every 2 weeks.

Hot Pepper Spray

6 Hot Peppers (canned or fresh)

2 Cups Water

1 Quart Water

Blend the hot peppers and 2 cups water in the blender for 1-2 minutes.  Set aside for up to 24 hours, strain through a cheese cloth.  Add liquid to 1 quart of water and spray liberally.  Avoid spraying directly onto flowers, fruit, or vegetables as the peppery heat may remain.

Fungicide and Powdery Mildew Spray

1 Gallon Water

3 Tablespoons Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Bleach

1 Teaspoon Dish Soap

First remove the leaves that are badly covered.  Mix all the above ingredients.  Spray leaves, focusing on those with signs of infection.  Be very careful when spraying unaffected leaves with this mixture as bleach can harm them.

The next time you’re in your yard or garden and might reach for some chemical spray, try one of these natural and safe sprays instead.  The environment, your kids and pets will thank you!