I’ll get my mind out of the gutter and onto the green, where it belongs, and tell you about my latest obsession – plants in pockets.

I’d heard of hanging plants and plants that are potted, but the idea of putting a plant in a cloth-like pocket wasn’t in my repertoire. That is, until I came across the Woolly Pocket Garden Company.

It’s genius, really – a breathable container that can be hung vertically to cover an unsightly wall or spruce up a small space. Create yourself a lush little …

Tags: decor , garden , green , indoor plants , recycled , recycled plastic , wall

Add Comment |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

We have long sung the praises of Midwestern textile designer, Amy Butler, who introduced an exotic, Indian-inspired organic bedding collection of five designs this year. She even rolled out rugs to match!

The lovely and much needed bedding (still can’t find organic in many of my favorite haunts) includes 400-thread count sheeting, elegant embroidery and paisley flourishes woven without harmful dyes.

Among my faves is the Bucharest motif (above) with patterns found in Romanian embroidery and the flourishes of formal gardens. While modern and bold, the charcoal gray and ivory palette …

Tags: Amy Butler , bedskirts , Bucharest , carpet , decor , design , duvet , flowers , garden , gray , Indian inspired bedding , organic bedding , paint , paisley , rugs , sheeting

44 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

At first, it seems extremely eco-friendly, the biannual Compost Giveaway Events every fall and spring in San Francisco hosted by the city’s Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).

Residents are offered free compost to produce soil for community and school gardens and local backyards. It’s the green and organic thing to do.

The problem is the mulch isn’t made of food scraps and manure but a combination of toxic sewage sludge from waste water treatment, green waste, yard waste and wood chips.

What’s in sewage sludge? Stuff that’s foul and harmful to people and …

Tags: agriculture , biosolids , compost , eco , fertilizer , food , garden , giveaways , green , heavy metals , Mayor Gavin Newsom , mulch , organic , pathogens , PCB , pharmaceuticals , pollutants , Public Utilities Commission , San Francisco , sewage sludge , soil , toxic

4 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

They’re already talking about their costumes, those candy-crazy girls of mine. That’s how I know fall is here, just a wink and a nod after packing them up for summer camp.

Design-wise, it’s one of the easiest seasons for stylists since it involves scavenging for leaves and twigs to tweak our vignettes for free. Ah, there’s that “F” word, again, a favorite at EcoSalon.

Want to spruce up your rooms for autumn without much of a budget? Take one of the following paths most traveled …

Tags: candles , crafts , decor , design , dried flowers , fall , free , frugal , fruit , garden , harvest , leaves , plants , potpourri , pumpkins , squash , twigs , veggies

5 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

Sure, you could spray your front yard with a generous bath of toxic chemicals. Tasty! Or, you could simply enhance your collection of greenery with plants that serve that exact purpose, naturally. In fact, some even lure beneficial insects to make a meal out of the pests that feed on your foliage. All you need is your green thumb, and Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Catnip

Keep flea beetles, aphids, weevils and ants at bay with catnip. …

Tags: garden , lifestyle , natural , pesticides , plants

2 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

Call it a succulent message in a bottle: terrariums that capsulize nature’s beauty and grace without requiring high maintenance and daily watering to thrive. You probably have the ideal vessel stashed some place with your vases. Get inspired and grow!

Pictured above: A Carnivorous Plant Terrarium from Apartment Therapy is showcasing a Pitcher Plant, which is rumored to feast on flies.

This Etsy Moss Terrarium, described as the “instant boyfriend” is simple to care for, involving  a glass container that …

Tags: air plants , fern , garden , gardening , glass , green , grow , indoor plants , moss , plants , succulents , terrarium , vase , water

Add Comment |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

A for Apple, B is for Beluga, C is for Chullo.

Parents on planet Hollywood and elsewhere are headed in that fruity, foamy and woolly direction in declaring devotion to Mama Earth via naming their young.

In the roaring Nineties, when real estate and dot comers were soaring, we saw a return to the Old Testament with the names  Sarah, Jacob, Rachel and Eli in vogue.

“Eve and Adam, please leave the great room until Mommy is finished closing her Genentech deal.”

Now that resources are scarcer than ever, green …

Tags: babies , Deepak Chopra , earth , eco , endangered , food , garden , Gore , green , hybrid , Laurie David , names , naming , organic , parenting

7 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

Must be those years as a kid in Palm Springs that instilled my passion for succulent gardens that glow at dusk.

Whether opting for sun powered pathway lanterns or natural candles, you are cutting down on electricity while letting your prized garden bask in the limelight.

Combine them all for a low energy, highly-illuminated spot, where you and the mosquitoes can bite on juicy snacks and drink up the evening breeze.

Here are 10 that make a mark:

The color-changing Chalice solar path lights are said to last up to 30,000 hours (about 15 years) and automatically turn

…

Tags: alternative , decor , entertaining , garden , lamps , lanterns , lighting , solar power

Add Comment |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark

If you’re like me, spring cleaning extends to the great outdoors and through the garden gates. My yard, when tidied up from winter’s wrath and shameful neglect, holds endless potential for summer meals and glider chit-chat.

First, the fence is getting mended from radical storm damage and painted a fresh coat of low-VOC white; the veggie garden is being cleared of nondescript duds that resemble artichokes and will soon be replanted with good intent; the surfeit of sports paraphernalia is being rounded up and tossed in a bin while scattered shoes and flip-flops …

Tags: eco outdoor lighting , garden , lanterns , summer entertainin

6 Comments |

Link to this post |

|

Bookmark