Raspberry Fields forever! So say peddlers of fashion accessories for Spring 2010. We say, how about some juicy finds for your crib?

Wee Jubilee from Mod Green Pod serves up a cotton damask weave free of toxic pigments. Buy it by the  $39.75 a yard, or get it already made into a pillow from the new green department at Lotus Bleu.

The LEED waterless urinal in stainless steel with 90% recycled materials makes going kind of fun. From Neo-Metro.

That round table never felt so hot! The Botanica Table Centerpiece in fuchsia from Eco Centric is crafted of 100% wool felt and is free of dyes. The piece is designed by award-winning visionary UK designer, Selina Rose, using cutting-edge technology (biodegradable , too!).

Eye catching ikat lumbar love in pretty peony, from Uzbec Alive, $28.

Sleep walk on the wild side with leaf motif Midsummer wallpaper by green and groovy company, Graham & Brown.

Flor’s Feeling Groovy pink rugs prove it’s hip to be square. Cozy underfoot and made of good stuff.

Hollywood Regency glam comes in pairs, like these hotties from Gustavo Olivieri Antiques at 1stdibs. The circa ’50s set was custom designed by Lewis Mittman Co. for the Weissman family of New York City in French style.

Main Image: Etsy

You’ve decided to up your game and green your urban nest. Before phoning that $150-an-hour architect who erected your sister’s efficient rectangular hillside dwelling, pick up this third revised source book, ecoDesign, from Chronicle Books. Inside, you’ll find more than 700 everyday consumer products, resourced by environmental educator and consultant, Alastair Fuad-Luke, a lecturer at Cranfield University in the UK.

The emphasis, naturally, is on recycled, recyclable, reusable and energy efficient. Don’t even worry about the taste factor, since everybody is getting into the game when it comes to upscale greenery. The Objects for Living section of this book showcases lighting fixtures, furniture, appliances, textiles and fashion, as well as transport, leisure and recreation. They are cool by virtue of being clever in material, sparing in application, ingenious in artistic composition. And some are affordable, which is for many of us is key.

The author backs up his selected inventory with words to live by: “As the products in this section illustrate, it is possible to tread more lightly on the planet, to consume and waste less, yet to maintain or even improve the quality of life.”

This is a user friendly source book – think detailed product information, a revised list of manufacturers, design studios and organizations committed to sustainability. (There’s also an extensive reference section defining new and hybrid materials that are outsourcing our petroleum-based past.)

Image: Chronicle Books

Here are new finds we love:

Flax, silk, cotton and hemp duvets and and ed skirts from Zia and Tia combine organic sustainable elements in both monochromatic and rich color options (pick from the pile), adding exotic elements to your room. Custom quality and a bit pricier than most. Think henna tattoo for the linens. $400 to $750.

The Kalamkari bed cover and shams collection from Viva Terra weaves the floral and fern motif in natural indigo on pure white sun-bleached organic cotton, using gentle Ayurvedic dyes extracted from plants and roots in a process dating back 400 years, $45 to $99.

Red Coral Organic Duvet Cover and Sham, Pottery Barn, $25 – $110. Our coral reefs may be disappearing but this gift form the sea still thrives in textile design and takes you to a resort mindset even in rainy, winter weather.

Bungle in the jungle, baby, with the organic and highly exotic Desert Retreat Leopard Duvet, $143 to $223, from Ralph Lauren Spa. This is an animal print we can live with.

Placid shading and stonelike textural originality from VivaTerra, the exquisite Felted Stone Lumbar Pillow by renowned South African textile designer Ronel Jordaan, $198.

Anthropologie is waking up to organic – finally – in its BoHo fashion, introducing new organic cotton sheeting evoking ferns, flowers, berries and vines. Sets are $68 to $268.

It’s tough to re-feather the nest during hard times. That’s why the home design industry is struggling not to be nailed shut while weathering the storm. But you can make subtle changes to your decor that won’t add up to big spending. Here are a few tips we recommend:

1. Reface Rather Than Replace Cabinets

Innovative companies can work with your existing wood and reface those cabinet doors with sustainable woods rather than trashing and starting anew. Read this post for more tips for the kitchen cabinet facelift.

2. Swap Decor with Family and Friends

You don’t need a piano and I don’t need that daybed in the TV nook, so let’s trade and recycle our stuff and get what we really need. It’s a match made in eco heaven when it doesn’t cost you a dime to swap decor, especially with people who have a good eye like you do, and are low on storage space. It’s how they did it in the olden days before widespread consumer waste and climate change. Here’s more.

3. Baby Steps Can Equal Full Grown Changes in a Room

Rearrange the furniture, buy a few new pillow covers, paint a wall. These easy fixes will refresh your pad without sinking lots of cash. As you’ll discover in this handy how-to post, it can all be done for under $30.

4. Repurpose Excess Upholstery Materials

Those fabric rolls are not doing anyone any good just sitting in the closet. Cut them up and redirect them to your interiors for pillow covers, framed art, bedding, even wall coverage like the picture shown above, if you have enough for adequate padding. See these great ideas for repurposing your excess.

5. Clean Before You Replace

Perhaps that rug can come clean with eco spot remover techniques. Why rip it out if it’s still useful? Another option is to cover a damaged section of the carpet by layering with a small, affordable area rug, one made of eco fibers that won’t cost the same as new carpeting or a large are rug. Go shagging for answers here.

6. Seasonal Accents Make Great Distractions

A collection of seasonal organic blooms and greens from your garden, lanterns, greeting cards, photos and tablecloths – they all can act as happy distractions in a room that is begging for a redux. Don’t have a garden? Head to the farmers’ market, the flea shop, the vintage shop in your hood, and spend little to stage your spaces with renewed charm. Head over here for inspiration.

7. Paint can Perk it Up

Even a dingy clawfoot tub can look ultra modern and cool by finding the right low VOC paints and giving the bath a new coat. You will find sprucing up furniture with paint can be a great cheap fix that refreshes your spaces.

8. Be a Thrift Shopper

It’s no wonder second hand shops in cities nationwide do well during hard times. These are outlets that actually offer discounts while more upscale sights like 1st Dibs are peddling vintage treasures that cater to those with lots of spare cash. Do some research and check out the shops in various neighborhoods to find out where nifty castaways are being parked.

9. A Room of Her Own

Sometimes just carving out one room of your own in your dwelling can suffice until you have a bigger budget to fix up the place. Are you craving that Project Runway sewing room? How about a closeted dressing room out of a spare bedroom? Having a blast doing just one space for yourself can be very rewarding, even if it is a multi-use corner for working, painting and reading. Own it with visuals on the walls and a fun rug that speaks to you. Experts say you will accomplish the most in a space you gravitate towards.

10. Spa Makeover

So you can’t afford to tear out the old tile and tired tub to make way for stone and steam. Use zen decor touches and nurturing elements to turn your blah bath into spa bath: Ideas include indulgent, organic towels; sensuous beeswax candles in an array of holders; yummy creams and oils displayed in a vintage tray; and my favorite Nob Hill Day Spa element – a large pitcher of spring water filled with sliced cucumbers or lemons and a pretty glass.

Image: Elle Decor

Are lawns going the way of the Noughties? First Lady Michelle Obama replaced part of the White House lawn with an organic vegetable garden, and it seems the rest of the country is poised to follow suit – edible front yards have been called the biggest gardening trend of 2010. It’s no wonder – fresh, homegrown vegetables are a far better use of energy and resources than a useless swath of grass.

And though ugly patches of dirt, ratty row covers and wire tomato cages can sometimes make front yard vegetable gardens the horticultural equivalent of a busted car on cinder blocks, it doesn’t have to be that way.  You can please a picky neighbor, satisfy your own aesthetic standards and feed your family all at once with these beautiful edible landscaping methods.

Murder the Grass and Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

If you’ve got visions of backbreaking labor, rented heavy equipment and weed-killing chemicals dancing in your head, relax. For once, the easiest way is in fact the best way. All you have to do is break down brown cardboard boxes, lay them on your lawn with the edges overlapping, soak them with water and cover them with two inches of weed-free compost and an inch or two of mulch. Sustainable Gardening Australia has all the details on this simple, sustainable process.

While it does take a while for the cardboard to break down and the grass to die, you can begin planting right away. Just cut holes in the cardboard where you want to insert plants, or dig up small areas where you’ll be putting in garden beds.

Landscape with Attractive Edibles

There’s no rule that says you have to plant vegetables in neat little rows like a farmer. Why not plant edibles in patterns that are not just biologically appropriate, but visually stimulating?

If you’re already a gardener, but have focused on ornamental plants rather than edibles, you probably already have flowerbeds in your yard. An easy way to test the waters with gardening for food is to simply replace some of those pretty but inedible plants with fruits, vegetables and herbs. Plant lavender and strawberries instead of flowers, kale and cabbage in place of hostas, carrots and chives rather than ornamental grasses. Tuck nasturtiums and marigolds in with your tomatoes and cucumbers to provide a touch of color and some ground cover to boot.

This method doesn’t just preserve the aesthetics of your yard – and allow you to keep a portion of your lawn, if you wanted to – it can also be beneficial to the plants you grow. Check out this companion planting chart to see which crops work together and Treehugger’s gallery of gorgeous edibles, and go from there.

Make Raised Beds for Visual Interest

So what if you don’t have the greatest soil for gardening? Clay, sand and rocky soil can pose a problem for gardeners who want to get started growing food as soon as possible, because amending soil takes time. But there’s a quick, simple solution that’s also easy on the eyes: raised beds.

Raised garden beds can go right on top of existing soil and lawn, and they’ve got a lot of advantages over planting right in the ground. They warm up quickly in the spring, drain easily, keep weeds out, raise the planting area for gardening ease and give you a lot of control over the type of soil used for particular plants.

Raised beds can be made from all sorts of materials from corrugated tin to cinder blocks, but many people simply use 2”x6” cedar or pressure-treated wood boards to create custom boxes filled with layered cardboard, mulch, compost and soil. Surrounded by stone or mulch paths, these compact little gardens can add a lot of visual interest to your yard.

Images credits:

(Top) Edible Estates Regional Prototype Garden #6: Baltimore Maryland,” 2008
Commissioned by The Contemporary Museum Baltimore – Photo by Leslie Furlong

(Third down) Edible Estates Regional Prototype Garden #4: London, England,” 2007
Commissioned by Tate Modern – Photo by Fritz Haeg

Green Garden Vienna and  Hortulus

Like bell bottoms, leisure suits and The Hustle, terrariums were totally groovin’ in the 70s but seemingly fell off the face of the earth as the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 1980. But if feathered Farrah Fawcett hair can come back, so can these gorgeous gardens in glass – they’re riding a wave of renewed popularity right back into our homes.

What makes the modern-day incarnation of terrariums so very 2010? Upcycling glass containers like mason jars, jelly jars, wine bottles, glass teapots, spice bottles and even light bulbs. There’s virtually no limit to the kind of container that can be used, as long as it’s mostly enclosed.

Terrariums are little worlds within themselves, providing a high humidity environment for plants that might not otherwise survive very long in your home. It may seem strange that plants can live inside glass without constant exposure to air, but when the conditions are right, they actually need very little fresh air. The amount that gets exchanged when you open the lid to water them is enough.

All you need to get started are these materials, many of which you may already have:

• Glass container
• Activated charcoal (the kind sold at pet shops for aquariums)
• Pea gravel
• Potting soil
• Moisture-loving plants
• Decorative stones, moss, or figurines (optional)

Assembling your terrarium is fairly simple. Horticulture expert David Trinklein of the University of Missouri suggests washing your container in hot, soapy water and drying it thoroughly, then lining the bottom with a thin layer of gravel for drainage. Next is a ½ inch layer of activated charcoal, which will filter the air. Add at least 1-½ inches of moist, high quality growing medium rich in organic material and then you’re ready to insert your plants.

For visual interest, choose plants of various heights and colors that all have roughly the same needs. The easiest way to accomplish this? Head out to your backyard and see what you find – moss is a great choice for beginners. Trim off any damaged parts, place the plants in the soil using long tweezers or a stick with a wire loop attached to the end, and gently tamp down the soil. Try to keep the leaves from touching the glass to prevent rot.

Mist the inside of your terrarium and let it sit for a day before misting again. Once the water has evaporated off the leaves, you can cover the container.

Of course, figuring out just how to fit all of these materials and plants into oddly shaped containers like light bulbs and wine bottles can be tricky – there’s an art to it. Check out these tutorials for all the details:

• Mason Jar Terrarium – Craftzine
• Inverted Jar Terrarium – Design Sponge
• Wine Bottle Terrarium – Dr. Vino
• Lightbulb Terrarium – Instructables

Now, proudly put your terrarium on display in indirect sunlight and get ready to ignore it! The best part about these little glass gardens is that you can have the blackest thumb on the block and still maintain healthy plants with just a spritz of water every now and then. The larger the container opening, the more frequent it will require watering – but closed terrariums may not need water for up to six months.

Hopelessly craft-challenged? You can still get in on the terrarium trend. Handmade goods purveyor Etsy.com has a smorgasbord of terrarium offerings, including the moss terrarium by Greenbriar and light bulb terrariums by Tiny Terra, pictured above.

Photos: Greenbriar, Tiny Terra

Buzzzzzzzzzz. These little pollinators are a boon to gardeners, helping edible crops and ornamental plants flourish – and while they may send you running for the house, they’re way more interested in nectar than in you.

It does take time and effort, but the rewards of keeping bees are sweet. Almost too sweet – many backyard beekeepers end up with so many gallons of honey, they don’t know what to do with it all. But who doesn’t want another excuse to make sticky baked goods like honey buns?

So, why not come up with a plan bee? Even beginners can get a hive up and running within a few months, and before long you’ll have busy little bees working hard in your yard. These basic suburban beekeeping tips will help you get started.

1. Check your local ordinances and if backyard beekeeping is legal in your area, determine where you’d put your hives. A sunny spot that’s not directly situated next to a recreational area like a picnic table or playground is ideal. It’s best to plant a hedge or put up some kind of barrier around your bee colonies to prevent vandalism, protect the hive from wind and induce the bees to fly upward when leaving the hive (rather than through your neighbor’s yard.) Speaking of neighbors, you’ll need to talk to them about your plans. As long as none of them are allergic to bees, a little bribery with some honey should put them at ease.
2. Avoid a buzzkill by reading up on all things bee prior to ordering or building any equipment. It’s important to understand how colonies work including biology, social order, behavior patterns and potential problems like mites, colony-killing pests and intruders from other hives. A gentle, well-kept colony won’t bother your family or your neighbors. Don’t be too intimidated – the bees will do most of the work.
3. Find your own queen bee – a local beekeeping expert, that is. Take a course or visit a beekeeping farm or an experienced backyard beekeeper and ask plenty of questions. Many areas have amateur beekeeping groups where you can talk to other hobbyists and get the 411 on what it’s really like to keep bees in the city.
4. Consider your options in terms of equipment. TheFarm.org has a rundown on what you need for a conventional set-up, which includes supers, frames, a bottom board, a hive body, a queen excluder, inner and outer covers, a feeder, a smoker and protective clothing. BeeSource.com offers free plans for building your own hives, or you can purchase them from a recommended list of suppliers. Top bar hives are a great option for beginners, since it’s an inexpensive way to produce smaller quantities of honey.
5. Get your buzz on! Find a local source of bees if possible, or order them online. Honeybees are usually shipped in two- to five-pound packages containing about 9,000 – 22,000 bees. Once you’re accustomed to handling bees, you might be ready to capture a swarm that has branched off from another colony. “Beemaster” John Clayton has tips on how to find, inspect and gather swarms and acclimate them to your hive.
6. Prepare to be stung. It will inevitably happen every now and then, but there are a few tips to keeping your bees calm and happy. The University of Kentucky’s entomology department recommends that you avoid passing directly in front of a colony of bees, working from the side or back instead. If you are stung, remove the stinger by scraping it with a fingernail and wash the area so the scent of venom doesn’t get the other bees excited. If your colony consistently displays aggressive behavior, re-queening with a queen of gentle stock can help mellow them out again.
7. Get into the groove of seasonal honeybee management, feeding and medicating during the first two months of the year and inspecting the hives for growth and disease symptoms in February. By mid-April, your bees will begin gathering nectar and you can watch your supers fill with delicious honey over the summer.
8. Harvest that sticky, succulent honeycomb. While expensive honey extractors are available, there’s an easier and much more frugal way for beginners. Just cut chunks of honey-filled comb from the frames and wrap them in plastic or put them in sterilized containers, and enjoy the bounty of your buzzing bees!

Image: Don Hankins

In the highly ideal world of tomorrow, we’ll have forgotten all about soda bottles.

Oh, we’ll remember they used to exist and what they were for. We’ll know we made and discarded an incredible amount of them. We’ll have finally weaned ourselves off the bottle, so much so that we won’t recognise the name – even though they’re still very much around.

“Soda bottles”? Oh, what they make lampshades from? The same material as greenhouse walls, watering cans and homemade windmills (pictured)?  Like my zip-up purse, then?

You mean…the arms of coat hangers?

(They used to make hanger arms from polystyrene foam? That’s just nasty).

Like all the best ideas, the Rethink Concepts Hanger from designer Xuan Yu seems obvious in retrospect. It tackles our PET infestation by upcycling two of the little blighters into lightweight, well-padded hanger arms. All you buy is the hook – and when you do so, 10% of the sale price goes to helping people slake their thirst in developing nations. (And try upcycling to the max by hanging recycled polyester garments on them).

And to think, these…plastic tube-like things get thrown away. (Whatever they’re called. I forget).

Images: noquedanblogs

Don’t be pining away for the disposable tree when you can conceive a brilliant alternative, like Tara and Thyme’s rendition carved of recycled wood and copper pipe. How lively are their branches! Even the star is close to the spirit of the nativity, made from the siding of an old barn. Other stamps of creativity are the gold leaf garland and laser cut ornaments.

The drying rack may not have that evergreen scent but it is something that endures long after New Year’s day. Just locate that collection of ornaments form the basement and have at it. Yes, this inspiration from Re-Nest grows on you.

Cozy up to felt this year with this soft and clean option from cb2. It’s the Coneheads’ fave.

The Cardboard Christmas Tree is a real seasonal cut-up, destined to have you playing workshop elf for hours, adding your own personal touch to the sustainable alternative. Another paper option is the modern and minimal Pop-Up Tabletop Holiday Tree from the MoMA Store.

Prune a yuletide tune, drying out your winter flowers and shaping like a tree. Follow the steps on Ehow with a hydrangea arrangement. Prop it in your entryway to set the seasonal tone.

My best friend got the holiday bonus gift she dreamed of from her dentist employer this year: A new food processor. It replaces the worn out one that came with her husband when she got married 20 years ago.

Susan is a great cook, but so much of what she grinds in her processor is better done without electricity.

Enter the mortar and pestle, said to date back 5,000 years when hungry people figured out grain could be separated from chaff to procure digestible food. It has since been used by apothecaries to grind medicines and by foodies everywhere to pulverize grains and herbs to fully release the oils and flavors of a substance.

The logic: The rough surface of the interior takes hold of what we need to crack and crush, allowing us the traction for the pestle to do its job of amalgamating ingredients, reducing herbs and spices, defoliating stems and turning nuts to powders and pastes.

“If you enjoy cooking, using a mortar and pestle will simply be part of your craft of food preparation, but if you just need to get the job done, reach for the food processor, ” says Gourmet Sleuth, which opines that marble is the best choice for a versatile mortar and pestle. That’s because marble won’t absorb odors from garlic and other foods and is a hard surface for grinding, as well as easy to clean and maintain.

Are you ready for more hands-on food prep? Do you want to appear as if you are well equipped in the kitchen? Either way, here are some bowls and bats (including modern renditions) you can score for your own kitchen:

The Swiss designed Kuhn Rikon Eco Mortar & Pestle is made of bamboo with a porcelain bowl. It features a teardrop shaped porcelain hole, a modern approach to an age-old staple. $50.

This classic and affordable white marble Mortar and Pestle has a smooth shape with a contemporary clean style. It holds about 6 ounces. $14 at Olive Barn.

Le Creuset Stoneware Mortar and Pestle in Caribbean Blue (comes in other delicious shades, as well) has an unglazed interior and pestle tip to create the perfect surface for efficiency. The virtually non-porous stoneware is fired at 2156 degrees F, giving it unmatched strength and durability, making it resistant to chipping, cracking and staining. The enameled surface makes it easy to clean and resists scratching. Capacity: 20 ounces. $38.

Carved out of natural volcanic stone, The RSVP Authentic Mexican Molcajete from Chef Tools is the traditional Mexican version of a mortar and tejolote, or pestle is also included. This is the tool of choice for authentic moles, salsas and fresh guacamole. Includes a booklet with steps to cure and clean your molcajete as well as recipes for authentic guacamole and salsa. The molcajete is 5″ tall and the tejolote is 4.5″ long. $57.

Helen Chen’s Asian Kitchen 4″ Bamboo Mortar and Pestle works well because of the straight-up bowl and wide pestle designed for quick, efficient grinding. Bamboo is less absorbent than wood and therefore easier to keep clean and sanitary. Dimensions: 4″ tall. $13 at Chef Tools.

Main Image: Chef Tools