Finally, the long promised lemon balm post. I planted my lemon balm at the same time as the chamomile and feverfew, but it didn’t take off right away like they did. However, once the lemon balm started to grow, it got very bushy and became a magnet for all sorts of butterflies, moths and bees. At first I was like, “Awww, look at all the pretty flying creatures in the garden!” But then I noticed tons of bite marks on some lemon balm leaves and little black dots on other leaves. I had been really looking forward to using that lemon balm for teas and recipes , but the condition of the leaves is very unappetizing. I am not sure if it is a plant fungus or insect eggs or feces or what, but it is nasty. Sigh.

Apparently, the scent of lemon balm has been used for centuries to calm nerves and elevate mood, so it’s at least it’s still a great addition to our urban garden oasis. It is such an interesting plant and I feel like there is still tons I need to learn about it. Here are some great informative sites I’ve found:

• Encyclopedia of Spices
• Botanical.com
• How to Grow Lemon Balm
• Lemon Balm: 2007 Herb of the Year
• Mosquitoes Hate Lemon Balm
• Herbalpedia: Lemon Balm (pdf)

Tomorrow, May 16th is National Bike-to-Work Day! Save the environment, gas and your money while getting great exercise by riding your bike to work. Check out bike to work week info from:

• Bike to Work Week 2008
• League of American Bicyclists
• California Bike Commute

Don’t forget your bicycle helmet, and bring a bike light if you will be riding after dark.

Southern California weather and sunshine are great for gardeners, but many people have to deal with small yards, patios or balconies as they try to create a green oasis in the city. Here are some ideas for transforming a small space into the patio of your dreams.

• Small-Scale Style from Garden Ideas
• Landscaping a Small Patio, A Balcony Garden and Stretching Small Gardens from HGTV
• Balcony / Small Patio = Outdoor Room from Suzy Renovator
• Small Urban Garden Design Tips from Urban Gardening Help
• Apartment Gardening on the Balcony from Rental Decorating Digest

I have said before that I am not that into “girlie bikes”, but my bike is starting to get girlie in a different way. It started with the Rock Shox Judy fork and now I am getting a Terry saddle…my bike is turning into a regular sorority!

The cool thing about the Terry Butterfly Carbon women’s saddle it is lightweight and reportedly one of Terry’s most comfortable bike seats. I love the design, which is much sleeker than many of the gel saddles I’ve been looking at.  I am so exited about my new seat and can’t wait to get out on the trail!

Now for Part 2 in my continuing series on air purifiers.  I did not know that there were 3 main types of air purifier–HEPA Filters, Ionic Air Purifiers and Ozone Generators. I also did not know that “all ionic air cleaner devices produce some ozone“, and that “ground level ozone is the primary constituent of smog.” What I can’t understand is why 2 of the 3 main types of air purifiers–Ionic Air Purifiers and Ozone Generators–both produce ozone in their effort to clean air, the ozone generators producing it at levels toxic to nearby humans and animals. The main advantage to both ionic air purifiers and ozone generators seems to be their ability to remove smoke and odors from the air, but I personally don’t think that is worth the ozone health risks.

Apparently activated carbon helps to remove odors from the air, and UV (ultraviolet) light can kill airborne bacteria and micro-organisms, so I think a HEPA filter air purifier with those features would be the best for improving indoor air quality.

A few air purifier recommendations:

• IQAir HealthPro Plus Air Purifier
• Alen A375 UV Ultra HEPA Air Purifier
• Blueair 402

OK, I think I am going to either postpone or cancel part 3 of this air purifier series, since I have covered a lot of information already and want to move on to different topics. 

I have found some really interesting information about air purifiers. I’ll break it up into 3 posts because it is important but a little overwhelming all at once. The main topics: WHY people need home air purifiers, WHAT to look for in an air purifier, and WHICH air purifiers to buy.

1. WHY People Need Home Air Purifiers

You may have seen the commercials for some lawyers that begins, “If you are a loved one suffer from COPD, call us…” The commercial isn’t simply using scare tactics to generate business, it is pointing out a very serious problem affecting a lot of people in this country. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and it is sometimes caused or exacerbated by indoor air pollution.

Other health conditions like asthma, headaches, fatigue and chronic sinusitis are other common problems caused or worsened by indoor air pollution. The very structures of U.S. homes often contains toxins like formaldehyde–found in everything from plywood to carpet glue–and asbestos, both of which are linked to severe respiratory problems and even cancer.

A list of other things you might be breathing in:

• Biological pollutants - viruses, bacteria, animal dander, dust mites, toxic mold, pollen, mildew.
• Chemical Products - cleaning supplies, paint and even printers can emit VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
• Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Radon - Gases that not good for living things in the home.

Air purifiers remove toxic airborne particles and improve overall air quality. My next post will discusses the different kinds of air purifiers and what to look for in an air purifier.

Several bits of interesting news on air quality and air pollution:

• According to WebMD, Los Angeles is not even on the list of 10 Worst Cities for Asthma …but Memphis is!

• Green Blog reports on air pollution causing baldness, or at least making it worse.
• From Science Daily: Unmanned Aircraft To Study Southern California Smog and Its Consequences
• 18 States take greater steps to cut carbon emissions

Info on how to protect yourself and loved ones:

• Home Air Quality Tips from American Lung Association
• American Industrial Hygiene Association: Is Air Quality a Problem in My Home?

Luckily, there are a whole bunch of air purifiers and HEPA air filters that improve the air quality in your home, but I’ll post more on those later.

Here’s a fun weekend activity: archery lessons! There are a bunch of places around LA that teach you the basics and let you practice for free or . Here’s info on a few:

• Rancho Park Archery Range on Yelp
• Southern California Archery Clubs and Ranges
• SoCal Archery
• Pasadena Roving Archers beginning archery class information

The best part is that some of them provide archery gear, like compound bows, arrows and arm guards, for practice, so you don’t have to drop a bundle of cash to try it out.

Here’s a great way to plan your next hike: Google Earth! Lifehacker recently posted about the Trimble Outdoor Trips layer-feature on Google Earth that makes it easy for hikers, backpackers, and bikers to preview an upcoming route.

My favorite feature: if your cell phone has GPS tracking, you can have coordinates sent to your location with just a click.

I am so depressed about the wildfire raging around Southern California currently. There’s the Apache fire in San Jacinto, which apparently was caused by a lit cigarette. Earlier in the week, the mountains above Sierra Madre started burning. Ugh. I took the above photo last year, when Angeles Forest was still lush. I know that wildfires are a natural process and are key to the forests renewing themselves, but it sucks when the fires are started by careless humans, which they often are.

The fires, combined with the ridiculous gas prices in the city, will make it pretty tough to do any hiking or camping this weekend. At least I have some new lawn chairs so I can enjoy the greenery in my backyard. It’s not the same as a nice long hike, but I guess it will have to do.

Here’s a refresher on outdoor fire safety:

• Smokey Bear gives a great fire safety checklist
• Tips from American Red Cross
• Wildfire prevention from FEMA
• Earthquake Fire Safety from US Fire Administration