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.