On my first trip to Paris, I visited an apartment which had a grass balcony. It was amazing - like going out into a park, but 5 stories up. Today, there’s a growing movement to put green gardens on roofs. Why? Because they can:
- Increase the life of your roof
- Save energy for cooling in summer, and heating in the winter
- Reduce noise
- Help improve air quality
- Reduce stormwater runoff
- Look bitchin’
Before you go off and plant some sod on your roof, you should know that they’re not exactly easy to install - according to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, they consist of, “a high quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants.”So they are a somewhat complex, and perhaps mostly suited for larger buildings, although there are some who are pioneering planting them on residential buildings.But if you’re interested, the really good news is that cities like New York and Chicago are offering tax credits for installing green roofs. Regardless, it’s really fascinating and gorgeous stuff. Take a look!
JB just posted yesterday about her dreams of a yard, and a mower to go with it. Well, JB, don’t get a gas mower!
According to the EPA, gas mowers use 800 million gallons of gas annually and account for five percent of U.S. air pollution.
Because of this, according to one of our favorite new blogs, the Dwell Daily Blog, several cities are hosting an exchange program that allows residents to trade gas mowers for an eco-friendly alternative at a reduced price: the battery-powered Neuton CE 5.2.
Ah, but hold the phone! As it turns out, according to researchers at the University of Florida, even battery powered electric mowers cause plenty of pollution - mostly when producing the battery, and when those same batteries are not disposed of properly. (it’s the same reason that you shouldn’t necessarily replace your perfectly good car with a hybrid)
Their suggestion? Buy a corded mower - there’s no battery, and the only energy you use is the energy to run the mower.
I’ve been thinking about selling my townhome and buying a house that actually has a yard. A YARD! Can you imagine the possibilities? I can grow my own vegetables! I can have a place to sit outside!
Well, with a yard comes great responsibilities. That is, taking care of the lawn. I grew up in the midwest where our family had a pretty decent size yard (about a half an acre) and I have to admit, I never once touched a lawn mower. I am such a princess.
Anyway, I’m kind of excited about the possibility of having my own lawn to take care of - and have been thinking about push mowers. Paul thinks that this is not a good idea because he believes they would be hard to push, but I hear this is not really true anymore.
Another option would be to get an electric mower - at least this would still cut down on the pollution.
Anyone have any experience with either? Recommendations would be appreciated!
I’m a huge fan of plants. They perk up a room, they filter the air, give off oxygen… What’s not to love?
Anyway, I have some house plants and of the things that’s been driving me nuts is finding NON-UGLY planters that also do not weigh a gajillion (yeah, that’s a word) pounds. The more aesthetically pleasing planters are typically made of some ceramic or terracotta, and if you have a large houseplant that requires a large planter, well, good luck moving that thing.
For me, being a delicate little lady (ha!), I prefer lightweight materials so I can move my plants about freely and easily. There have definitely been some innovations in planters in recent years - there’s more variety in the “lightweight” category - materials like resin and fiberglass are becoming more common. One company that I recently came across — EcoForms — even makes their planters out of renewable grain husks and natural binding agents. They’re billed as an alternative to plastic (who doesn’t love that?) and claim to be durable and lighweight (woo hoo!).
Does anyone have any experience with these products, or any of similar nature? If so, drop me a line!
I wrote a couple months ago about why I hate Starbucks for promoting waste. I’m here to say that I recently made a discovery which helps Starbucks atone, if just a little, for the waste they promoted previously.
I stopped going to Starbucks a while back to both support other stores and as a way to protest Starbucks’ blatant waste. Well, last week, I had no choice as someone I was meeting with vehemently insisted on going to Starbucks. Resisting with every bone in my body, I told him that I’d meet him there, but only if we could sit outside since I would buy a drink somewhere else. (I give credit to Starbucks for not asking me to leave since I didn’t buy anything from their store).
As I was leaving, I walked through the inside of the store. Lo and behold, I saw a bin in the corner which contained free bags of used coffee grounds. Apparently, Starbucks has been offering free grounds since 2004. I think it’s a fantastic program. Used coffee grounds are great for the garden and great for composting. Adding coffee grounds to compost or ground soil increases the nitrogen balance, increases the rate of composting, and provides food for worms, which are great for gardens and plants. Here are some tips I read from an EPA article:
- Add brown leaves and grass clippings to offset the acidity of coffee grounds
- Grounds should not make up more than 25% of a compost pile
- Add one teaspoon of wood or lime for every five pounds of grounds to offset acidity levels
- Coffee grounds helps worms flourish – worms are great for your soil and garden!
- Coffee grounds can help repel pests
If you need a lot of coffee grounds, work with your local Starbucks manager. Many are more than happy to work with you on special needs. I’m still going to pass on buying coffee from Starbucks, but I won’t resist as strongly the next time someone wants to go there.
On my first trip to Paris, I visited an apartment which had a grass balcony. It was amazing - like going out into a park, but 5 stories up. Today, there’s a growing movement to put green gardens on roofs. Why? Because they can:
Before you go off and plant some sod on your roof, you should know that they’re not exactly easy to install - according to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, they consist of, “a high quality water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight growing medium and plants.”So they are a somewhat complex, and perhaps mostly suited for larger buildings, although there are some who are pioneering planting them on residential buildings.But if you’re interested, the really good news is that cities like New York and Chicago are offering tax credits for installing green roofs. Regardless, it’s really fascinating and gorgeous stuff. Take a look! 
