So join us here on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chsnaturally. We’d love to see what you’re pinning!

Also, if you need an invite to Pinterest, drop us a note in the comments with your email address. We won’t publish your e-mail, but use it to send you an invite!

Right now, we’ve also got a ton of sale items including tons of beautiful vases and other decorative home goods:

Achla Design Herb Markers ($3.60) – available in basil, chives, dill, lavender, oregano, organic mint, parsley, rosemary, sage or a set of 10 for $35.95

Coolibar Packable Wide Brim Hat ($29.95) in natural or tan. This hat provides more than shade to a person’s face—it also contains UPF, or ultraviolet protection factor. Read more here

These Creatures Bird Feeder ($75) with a bird on branch design – this American made bird feeder was constructed with 12-guage steel and features two removeable bowls to make cleaning and refilling easy

Celebrities such as Brooke Shields, Heidi Klum and Megan Fox use Coola organic sunscreen ($12-34) to protect their skin. Coola’s line features products for various uses, like SPF 15 lip protection, SPF 45 Mineral Baby Unscented Sunscreen and SPF 45 Sport.

Ready-to-plant gardens from Potting Shed ($11.05-17) and Bloembox ($16.95-17.95) – come in vegetable, herb and pet varieties

Attract birds to your yard with this Achla Designs Pineapple bird feeder ($30). Made from hand-woven steel mesh, this feeder has spots for birds to perch on the top and bottom.

Brighten up your yard with Achla Designs Sparkle Cone Lights. Choose from dark blue, dark green, light blue, light green, mandarin and yellow ($7.95), or purchase the whole set for $44.95. Just arrange the lights in your yard, fill the cone with a tea light or votive candle and you’ll instantly add a splash of color.

Biting bugs can put a damper on outdoors plans, but Amazon Lights to the rescue! Utilizing the natural bug repellent properties of Brazilian andiroba oil, Amazon Lights are made from 100% sustainable bamboo and 10% essential oils of Brazilian andiroba, citronella, rosemary and thyme.  That essential oil percentage is 100–400% higher than most comparable products!

There are several options available to keep a yard bug-free. Read more about andiroba oil here.

Incense sticks ($16)

Incense cones ($16)

Candle ($16)

Flickr: JoshMcConnell

Whether you start your day at the office with a cup of Joe or enjoy java after a meal, you have helped make coffee the second most consumed beverage in the world! According to Professor’s House, “Nearly seven million tons of green coffee beans are produced each year worldwide,” and U.S. coffee drinkers consume about 3.1 cups each per day!

What does this data mean for the greenies? People really like coffee across the globe, and with the consumption of coffee comes coffee grounds. You may already be using coffee grounds for composting, but there are lots of other uses for coffee grounds. Grounds can serve as a deodorizer, bug repellant, pot cleaner and more!

Below are several of ourfavorites from Yahoo Green. Add additional uses for coffee grounds in the comment section.

• Skip the toxic abrasive cleaners for pots and pans and use a handful of coffee grounds instead.
• Leave a dish of coffee grounds out to absorb odors in rooms that have an unpleasant smell.
• Use coffee grounds for natural ant control. Place dried grounds in the areas ants frequent. The smell is a deterrent.
• Cover up scratches in furniture. Dab a strong solution of coffee onto the scratch. Naturally, this works best on darker woods.
• Use coffee grounds as a non-toxic, fully degradable fertilizer. Coffee grounds are a good source of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium and other trace minerals. While you need to be aware that not all plants love coffee (i.e. tomatoes), most are enriched by the added nutrients.
• Use as a non-toxic bug repellant. Spray your plants with a coffee solution. The smell is too strong for most bugs. You’ll need to re-apply after a rain.
• Use grounds as a facial scrub or mask.

Squash blossoms, Flickr: Maggie Hoffman

While most people wouldn’t think twice about a sprig of rosemary in a cocktail these days, some may react with confusion if a salad was adorned with lilies and lilacs.

In restaurants, edible flowers are most often used to add color to a dish, but can also be used to add an extra pop of flavor. Homecooking.com also suggests freezing flowers in ice cubes for parties, using them in flavored jellies or employing floral syrup in a sparkling cocktail. If you’re in Charleston, SC, stop by Cypress restaurant on East Bay Street for their signature Lavender Martini – a great example of edible flowers at their best!

The most important thing to remember about edible flowers though is ONLY EAT ORGANIC! Non-organic varieties could contain chemicals (and don’t really have the same aromatic quality), so check your local farmers market.

List of edible flowers from Planet Green:

Dandelion: this common weed does not get the credit it deserves. The greens of the plant are packed with antioxidants and minerals containing a high level of potassium. Although the plant can be a bit bitter, for those who don’t mind (think Arugula), it can be a wonderful addition to any salad. To satisfy the sweeter taste buds, check out this recipe for Dandelion syrup.

Day Lily: this flower has a sweet taste and can be eaten raw. The tubers of the roots can be boiled and eaten like mini potatoes. Just remove the stalks and hairs and, of course, the dirt. The flower buds are a good source of Vitamin C and Carotene. Be careful! Lillis are deadly to kitty cats.

Hibiscus: the flowers can be eaten, but the best way to use hibiscus is to make an infused tea. Just soak ten or so flowers in hot water. Add lime for flavor and enjoy. Drinking it cold is just as delicious as hot, so for a nice summer day, put it on ice!

Honeysuckle: the base of the flower holds a sweet tasting nectar that can be eaten, and the entire flower makes a great addition to any spring or summer salad.

Lilac: the beautiful smelling lilac (you guessed it) tastes like it smells, but is delicate and not overwhelming. Lilac is best used as a garnish. For something different try mixing it in vanilla frozen yogurt for an interesting treat.

Calendula: this flower has been coined the “Poor Man’s Saffron.” Its flavor ranges from tangy to spicy with a bit of a peppery aftertaste. It’s a great complement to rice dishes, soups and pasta. The flower can also be used as a great herbal remedy.

Rose Hips: these circular buds have played an essential role in the Native American diet for a long time. Like the Day Lily, Rose Hips contain Vitamin C, and store well when dried properly. For a refreshing twist try making “Rosebud Ice Cubes.”

Squash Blossoms: the orange, yellow blossom found at the top of the squash can be cooked or eaten raw. Be careful, the flower perishes fast, and if you want to use them try to pick them right before you cook. Like Quesadillas? Like flowers in your Quesadillas? Try this quirky recipe.

Violets: the flowers, along with the heart-shaped leaves of the wild Violet, are edible. Both can be used to add color and complexity to salads. The flower is often used to make jellies and teas and can also be candied and used as a decorative garnish.

Carnations: as sweet as they are beautiful, Carnations can be steeped in wine or eaten plain. If you’re the baking type think about creating a beautiful design on top of a cake using these flowers or some of the others mentioned above.

Read a full list of other edible flowers here.

Choose from a blue fish (4” in diameter, 8” high, 11” long) or black owl (4.5” in diameter, 9” high) design to attract birds of all varieties.

The weave and color of a fabric determine the item’s ultraviolet protection factor, or UPF. Sun protecting clothing has been around for several years; but due to the increase in skin cancer and higher demand for sun-blocking clothing, manufacturers are now making fashionable items to protect your skin.

One of our vendors, Coolibar, was included in the story.

Michael Hubsmith, executive vice president of Coolibar, said he has noticed an increase in the level of awareness about sun-blocking clothing since Coolibar started in 2003 in Minneapolis.

Modeled after popular Australian skin-protective clothing, all Coolibar products have a UPF value of 50-plus that is guaranteed to last the life of the garment. Unlike some companies, Coolibar doesn’t sell products like bikinis that expose a large portion of the body to sun.

We carry two colors of Coolibar’s Packable Wide Brim Hat ($29.95): Natural and Tan. Whether you’re gardening, boating or just sun bathing, both hats have a four-inch brim and block 98% of UV rays. The hats are fully lined to ensure maximum sun protection, and fold for easy packing.

The goal of the dirty dozen list is to encourage consumers to avoid these items or buy organic. In addition, the “clean 15″ list contains items that have the least pesticides; therefore, do not require buying organic. The data is collected from the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, which records the amount of pesticide residue in agricultural commodities from state and federal agencies.

Onions, flickr: sleepyneko

Dirty Dozen 2011

1. Apples (98% of apples had pesticides)
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries (domestic)
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

Clean Fifteen 2011

1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplants
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

According to the EWG website:

If you choose 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day from EWG’s Clean 15 rather than the Dirty Dozen, you can lower the volume of pesticide you consume daily by 92 percent, according to EWG calculations. You’ll also eat fewer types of pesticides. Picking 5 servings of fruits and vegetables from the 12 most contaminated would cause you to consume an average of 14 different pesticides a day. If you choose 5 servings from the 15 least contaminated fruits and vegetables, you’ll consume fewer than 2 pesticides per day.

Download the EWG’s guide to dirty and clean produce here.

Farming apprenticeships are quickly becoming even more popular than farmstays. Some farms seek paid help, while others are looking for seasonal interns. Whether you’re doing it to start your own farm, or just want to experience something different, there’s a farm apprenticeship available for just about any preference.

A quick search on the Grow Food website returns seven farms in South Carolina (where Charleston Naturally is based) offering apprenticeships. The description for Red Fern Farm reads:

Located 30 miles south of Greenville, SC, Red Fern Farm is a small, family-owned and -operated farm comprised of 100 acres. We are chemical-free and focused on long-term sustainability and permaculture; we are not certified organic and have no plans to be. We produce heirloom vegetables and fruits; culinary, aromatic, and medicinal herbs; transplants; grass-fed lamb; and wool goods. We direct market our products through the Carolina First Saturday Market in Greenville, SC and other seasonal markets around the Upstate.

Redfern expects a minimum of 30 hours of work during the week (Monday through Friday) and approximately 4-5 hours of market work on most Saturday mornings between May 1st and October 31st. Sundays are always free days. Work on weekdays begins no later than 9 a.m.

Interns are required to keep an activity log. The vast majority of work centers around the garden and greenhouse, so a potential intern should have a strong interest in organic gardening including seed starting, planting, weeding, pest control, harvest, and preservation. Other tasks include livestock management, construction projects, market prep, farm planning, and producing value-added products from our vegetables and herbs.

We’d love to hear feed back from anyone who has completed a farming apprenticeship, so please post those in the comments section!