Organic, textural and highly ornamental, cabbage is an ideal crop to plant in your garden during those fall and winter months when falling leaves can be the only color abundant in the garden.

Planting rows of the cabbage was a great solution for my own raised veggie bed (below), which is very challenging to maintain this time of year. I long for pumpkins but we never seem to get them going in time.

A garden designer friend suggested the purple, low-water use option of the Cruciferea family (from the same family as cauliflower, broccoli, …

Tags: Cabbage , decor , design , fall crops , gardening , growing , healthy , home , house , houseplants , organic , outdoor , plants , raised beds , seeds , slaws , soup , succulent , water , winter crops

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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

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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

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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

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Need some plants for your wall? These Green Pockets by Maruja Fuentes are mounted tiles made from recycled materials that elevate the houseplant to new heights.

Fuentes says the tiles fuse nature with the interior space, improving both air quality and health. The goal is to create the the illusion that the plants are actually growing from the wall installations.  The unique shape allows the sculpted half-domes to interlock, resulting in a variety of  patterns depending on the vegetation planted.

Image: Mocoloco

Tags: decor , green , houseplants , interiors , paper clay , plants , recycled , tiles , wall art

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Say that six times fast, and then find your favorite pair of gardening gloves and let’s play with dirt. These pots are worthy of plenty of playtime.

Whether you want to grow your green indoors or out, the metal spun recycled aluminum Pod by PAD is the perfect planter. It’s sturdy, lightweight and powder coated in a choice of six sexy colors. (Say that six…never mind).

The Pod comes in two simple styles (both 16” D x 10” H). And if your space calls for it, choose one …

Tags: aluminum , decor , gardening , planter , plants , recycled

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If you ask me, artificial houseplants defeat the point of indoor foliage. Sure, they serve a decorative purpose, but houseplants are meant to bring nature indoors, not just mimic its appearance. (Not to mention they’re plastic!)

Don’t have much of a green thumb? Going faux isn’t your only option. Here are 10 houseplants that won’t wither away if you forget to give them TLC.
Tillandsia
Referred to as the air plant, tillandsia absorbs moisture and nutrients through its leaves. This nearly indestructible plant (shown above) doesn’t even need to be grown in soil …

Tags: decor , guide , lifestyle , low-maintenance , plants

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I’ve been walking my suburban San Francisco neighborhood for 13 years now, first as a newly married in jogging apparel, then as a new mom pushing a carriage, then one pushing a double umbrella stroller, and now, as an old mom yanking on a pug dog’s leash as I hike the steep hills. I’ve observed a happy change evolving in the landscape, from estates with thirsty sprawling lawns graced with European cottage-style gardens to inventive green designs using rocks or wild grasses as ground cover and gorgeous compositions …

Tags: climate , garden , green , green living , plants , reduce , water , weather

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