Beautifully Designed Veggie Gardens

In light of this article about a woman in Michigan possibly going to jail for planting a veggie garden in her front yard, I thought it best to discuss some great ideas on how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your landscape design that are attractive and efficient!!!

Here is the link ..........

http://www.takepart.com/news/2011/07/08/michigan-woman-faces-jail-time-for-planting-vegetable-garden?cmpid=tp-fb-2011-07-8-Jail-Vegetable

Gardens filled with fruits and vegetables is a great way to eat locally, stop pesticide use, preserve native soil and share with your neighbours. According to this article, this woman's neighbours didn't like the look of her traditional vegetable garden so they are taking her to court ......... I know, I know, I too cannot believe that with the fountain of information that is out there that people still believe that lawn is a good idea!!!!

In order to create a veggie garden that is efficient, does not need pesticide, and is beautiful to look at and one that your neighbours will LOVE, follow these few simple tips:

#1 Mix your fruits and vegetables with different types of flowers. Traditionally in kitchen gardens, many types of flowers including marigolds, bee balm and roses were planted as companion plants around veggies to either keep pests away or attract them from your food crops.

#2 Design your veggie garden on paper before you install it, this way you can have a proper visual of what the end product will look like. Try to create a pattern of some sort, either formal or random but it should make sense to the eye

#3 Out line each garden bed with a type of hedge. Traditionally it has always been boxwood, but depending on where you live, you can use, Jasmine, Rosemary, Sage or Lavender.

#4 On the pathway between the garden shapes, use an attractive bark mulch or cocoa mulch, a scented ground cover such as thyme or Corsican mint planted between flagstones is always a great option, or if you feel you would still like some lawn, you can plant strips of lawn between the garden beds.

#5 Plant multiples of each plant so you can allow some of your herbs and veggies go to flower while you use the others for food.

With these few steps, veggie gardens are a great way to create a stunning garden ......... hopefully this woman's neighbours can see it the same way!!!!!

Hawaii's first and only Living Building!!!!!!

Its so nice to see that the Islands are ahead of the rest of the wold in our sustainability!

Go Hawaii!!!!!

Check out this school on the big Island ............ lots of great ideas to try to incorporate into your own reno's!!!!

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/category/6743/videoclipId=5890537&topVideoCatNo=91610&autoStart=true

Shoes, Shoes and more shoes!

Women have a soft spot for shoes ............ thats a given, but what if you could get new shoes and help the world while doing it .......... well that's just a given too!!!!!

Tom's shoes has a movement that for every pair of shoes you buy, they will donate a pair to children in developing countries.

Follow the link below and start your shopping ...........

http://www.toms.com/our-movement

Feel good about your new shoes and feel good about yourself at the same time!!!

Branching out .......

Ok!!! So normally when you think about using wood as a lamp, you have a 70's flash back to heavy dark wood and a giant seagrass lamp shade on top ......... well not anymore.

Branches, driftwood and old trees are being used in many contemporary designs and are not only sustainable by using reclaimed wood, but are eclectic and a fabulous focal point for any room.

Look at some of the great designs that are available and most are an easy DYI project.

Use branches in many different ways to create interest in a room, in a vase in the corner wrapped in lights,hanging from the ceiling, twined together to create a globe light or even as a table lamp with a contemporary shade.

Try it out ....... branch lights are not just for old dated homes anymore!!!!!!!!

Contact me with your projects and help for your DYI lamp .........

Why have a lawn when there are so many other options!!!!

Did you know that the mowing of lawns creates more than 5% of our worlds greenhouse gases?

Not to mention the water consumption and how much pesticide and fertilizer leach into our waterways and oceans. ...... Ugg, it sickens me to even think about it!!!!!!

Today there are so many other options to create a beautiful outdoor space, why settle for such a passe thing like lawn!!!

Here's a couple of options to think about when designing or redoing your garden .........

#1 Meadows

Most people have lawns because well ...... isn't that what your supposed to have? and besides that, it's what people know, have a green space surrounded by garden. What if we incorporated the green space as part of the garden by creating meadows? These can utilized just like a lawn and are much more interesting, environmentally friendly, lower maintenance and beautiful!

John Greenlee from California has a book out on how to create different types of meadows called the 'American Meadow'....... and I have to say, his work is breath taking.

#2 Ground covers

There are many plants that can be used instead of grass that tolerate foot traffic,are scented, flower, are drought tolerant and can live in all types of situations. Check out this web site for what would work in your garden!

http://www.stepables.com/

#3 Interesting gravel, sand and stone

Gravel, sand and stone can be used in so many ways and can turn mediocre garden into a stunning one ..........

replacing grass with sand is great for children and pets and requires virtually no maintenance, while using different types of stone and gravel can create multiple styles of gardens from Japanese to contemporary.

Pamela Burton Landscape Architects created this award winning garden with drought tolerant plants, native plants and natural sand pathways.

http://www.pamelaburton.com

And Andrea Cochran uses pea gravel and native california grasses as ground cover.

http://www.acochran.com/

There are so many ways to beautify our homes, no matter what your design style may be so have fun with it .... think outside the box ...... and lets see what you can create, all the while preserving our precious earth!!!

Post your designs on this blog or on my facebook page and show others how its done.

Up in the Air!!!

New design trends are everywhere, but one that has really caught my attention recently is some of the designs that have been created with Air Plants. aka. Tillandsia

Air plants are easy to grow, environmentally friendly, great to design with and are super easy to maintain.

By nature these plants do not need soil and can survive indoors with minimal light and the occasional misting of water. There are many species that can be used for different purposes for example Throw them in a bowl in the middle of your dining room table for interest, use them in a green wall or as shown in the picture above you can even add them to a light, these plants can multitask!!!!

They are pretty easy to find at your local nursery or garden center .......... so have fun and design away!!!!!

Happy Earth Day!!!! ....... tips to ensure we can still have an Earth to celebrate

Sustainability, go green, reduce your carbon footprint, environmental protection .......... etc. ......etc. ..... etc.

Trying to make a difference in this world can be daunting, especially when it seems that there are people telling you what to do and how to do it everywhere you look. Protecting your sacred earth shouldn't be scary and certainly isn't out of your reach. Follow these few easy and very stylish tips and you can help our environment and feel better about yourself in more ways than one!!!!

#1 Say "No" to plastic bags

Plastic bags are wasteful and harm our environment and our oceans. They can take as long as 500-1000 years to degrade and the average American (and Canadian) uses up to 700 bags in a life time. Now I'm no mathematician, but I can figure out that that's a lot of bags clogging up our ground and waterways!!!!!

Check out this super cool link, the bags are easy to carry, trendy, washable and can be custom made.

http://www.envirosax.com

#2 Recycle

Need I say more .................

But just in case I do .... Recycled cans and bottled have been put to great use ... check out these super fun bright coloured dog beds made from 85% recycled plastic!

http://www.westpawdesign.com/catalog/dogs/dog-beds/eco-friendly-dog-beds

#3 Go organic

There is enough information about going Organic for your meals, but there are also many other ways to to Organic. So many designers now are using products like hemp, bamboo and organic cotton in their clothing designs, but these products are also being used for home decor.

Even Target sells bamboo and organic cotton sheets.

No excuse now!!!

#4 Grow your own food

I know ....... your in a condo or a town home and don't have the space for a vegetable garden but nice contemporary containers filled with luscious herbs will fit nicely on your deck,patio or even in your kitchen and thats still considered "Growing your own food".

#5 Turn off the lights

Changing your light bulbs to high efficiency bulbs is important, but it's more important to turn off the lights when your not in a room. Light some nice soy candles and cozy up with your loved one or pet this earth day!

Try these Aveda soy candles, the scent is natural oils, they are made from soy and you can keep reusing the recycled glass holder. My favourite is the Shampure scent!!!!

http://www.aveda.com

The Impossible Duo .......... Dogs and Beautiful Garden

We love our dogs, they rule our homes, unfortunately when we let them outside they also seem to rule our gardens!!!

Mud puddles, holes, and yellow spots .......... not really the look you were probably going for, but luckily there are ways to let these two arch enemies live together in unison.

Follow a few simple rules and you and your furry best friend can enjoy your outside space safely and happily.

#1 Ensure your Plants are Safe

Make sure your garden is safe for your pet, many plants are poisonous or toxic to dogs so make sure you know what is safe to plant. Here is a great link:

http://www.aspca.org/toxicplants

#2 Lower your irrigation and your gardens need for water

Not only is using less water in your garden more sustainable, but it also is much safer for your pet. Here in Hawaii we have Leptosporosis which dogs can get from drinking still water (even puddles) as well as very dangerous centipedes and frogs which love to live in cool damp places, so by choosing drought tolerant plants and lowering your irrigation, you are not only making your garden safer for your dog, your also helping the environment, and in return there are less muddy areas for your dog to be attracted to.

#3 Minimize lawn areas:

Lawns are the least most sustainable or environmentally friendly part of any residential garden. they require a lot of water, fertilizer and pesticide ......... none of which are safe for your dog.

Try using alternatives such as mix of ground covers that are dog tolerant and soft pea gravel or stepping stones that are easy on your pets feet and don't get yellow spots when being used as a toilet!!!

#4 Incorporate trees and large shrubs

"Gardens should be designed from the Sky down" is the philosophy of one of my previous employers and great friends. Starting with trees to create a frame work for your garden, then moving onto larger shrubs and lastly choosing your perennials and flowers, not only creates beautiful gardens, it supplies shade for your home which in turn means you need less air conditioning, and gives your pet nice cool shade to lie in (which by the way is why they dig holes in the soil and lie in them!!!)

#5 Use old logs and branches as barriers:

In the tropical forests, old trees fall down and the natural cycle is for them to become 'Nurse Logs' as other plants grow on them and use them for stability and natural fertilizer as the logs break down.

Try using old logs or branches from the trees in your yard when you have pruned them. Place them along the edges of your garden to stop dogs from entering the planted space. To make them more interesting, try growing orchids on them or let a large Monstera, crawl over them. It creates a third dimension to grow plants, as well as minimizing waste and letting mother nature take it's course. As the branches break down, they will give nutrition to the garden as well as giving a home for predatory insects (for Aphids and Mealybug) which is a natural biological control minimizing any need for pesticide.

We all need to live in unison on this earth , so by following a few easy steps, we can share our garden space with Dogs, Bugs, Butterflies and all the while help to protect our environment!!!

Orchids ....... The New Sustainable Flower Arrangement

Everyone loves flowers in their homes ....... but most of the flowers we buy are not sustainable at all as they are grown thousands of miles away, are heavily sprayed with pesticides, are expensive and die within a week!

Why waste your time and money on cut flowers when you can incorporate a living Orchid Plant into a fabulous arrangement.

Although the initial cost of an orchid design might be slightly higher than a flower arrangement, they can bloom for up to 6 months and if in the correct light can re-bloom for you .......... try getting that from a cut rose!!!

Not to mention by using a living flower arrangement vs. cut flowers you are lessening pesticide use, reducing the carbon footprint from shipping, and reducing waste from throwing out flowers each week.

The most commonly used orchid is the Moth Orchid , or in latin, Phalaenopsis, but there are many other easy to grow orchids that also survive and flower indoors for prolonged periods and multiple times including: Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Paphopedilums and Cattleya.

The following link is great to get to know the different types of orchids that are out there and the best way to care for them.

http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/growing-orchids-for-beginners.html

Orchids are Epiphytes (Air plants) so they are easy to use in lots of ways for quick and easy designs as they don't require soil or much water, in fact try using orchids in your Woolly Pockets!

Green Walls and Vertical Gardens .... Option #1

Gardens come in many shapes and sizes,

But when most of us think of gardens we think of vast flowing fields through an English country side. Through many peoples passion for design and environmental protection, there are now so many other ways to create beautiful gardens regardless of space and budget.

Living Walls ..... aka. Green Walls or Vertical Gardens can be used in many applications including interior and exterior.

Sustainable in many ways, green walls help to cool building temperatures, which in turn means less air conditioning is needed!!!!!!!

Big, HUGE plus in the Islands.

Green walls can be created in lots of different ways, some much more extensive than others ....... but fear not, Wally Pockets are made from recycled pop bottles and are easy to install, simple to plant, easy to maintain, and that bit of funk you've been looking for and best of all inexpensive ................

Check them out, You won't be disappointed!!!!!

http://www.woollypocket.com/

Think big. Plan big. Announce big. Timid,feeble dreams don't excite anyone

Everyone has dreams and passions but as we move on in life we tend to put them on the back burner and focus more on the tasks at hand, .... you know, those fun things like jobs and mortgages, etc.

Now don't get me wrong, these are necessary things to focus on, but it's also important to make your dreams and passions a part of your life instead of something your going to come back to when you have the time, because FYI ..... ........... you'll seem to never find the time!!

Other than my loved ones of course, My biggest passions in life have always been plants, environmental preservation and design. I have been lucky enough to have included all of these at some point in my career ....... but now is the time to take it that one step further!!!!!

There are many people already beautifying and preserving Hawaii in so many ways, but we don't hear much about them except for the occasional small article in the back of the weekly paper,

SoI thought ......... whats the best way for Kama'aina and tourists to find out about who's who and what's what in the Islands???

So here it is ........... I am thinking big, planning big and announcing big ..... My dream,

B-Evolved Hawaii

Stay posted for daily ideas in preserving, protecting and designing.