Green Options » xeriscaping

Water Wise Gardening

Megan Prusynski — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:00:21 +0000

With the economy on the downturn, more and more people are starting gardens to help ease grocery bills. Growing one’s own food is a step towards living sustainably, so this is great news. However, more gardens mean more water use, and 40% of water used during the summer is used outdoors. So, as you plan your garden this spring, be sure to keep water in mind and take measures to reduce water usage.

Reducing water usage in an organic garden not only conserves our most precious resource, it also lowers costs and in many cases, benefits the plants as well. By paying attention to how your garden is watered, you can be sure to give plants just the amount of water they need to thrive without overdoing it. Many of the water saving methods mentioned below also benefit the soil and enrich your garden in other ways. Water should be a key part of your garden planning from day one. Read on for ways to garden sustainably and save water.

Just Say No to Green … Lawns, That Is

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:10:15 +0000

Hats off to the Salt Lake Tribune, which published an excellent editorial this week on the folly of having lawns in Utah.

“We live in a desert,” the editorial reads. “Precipitation is sparse. And still we try to make Utah yards look like lawns in Ohio … Ultimately, our attempt to paint the desert green is unsustainable.”

VISION House 3 Aims for Glamor, Storm Resistance

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:42:51 +0000

The third project in the Green Builder VISION House series is taking on some special challenges. Unlike the previous two VISION projects in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and St. Louis, Missouri, this year’s house is being built in a steamy, hurricane-prone environment: Orlando, Florida.

Members of the public will have a chance to check out this latest VISION home toward the end of the International Builders’ Show and nextBUILD, set to be held Feb. 13 through 16 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The home will be open to National Association of Home Builders members throughout the show, then will welcome the public on Feb. 16 and 17.

Designers of the VISION House ‘08 Orlando say the structure is a unique, high-end custom home that shows “green can be not only glamorous, but also sustainable by considering durability and life safety in an active hurricane zone.”

What makes the Orlando VISION house especially suited to a Florida environment? Features of the structure include:

A focus on water conservation, with cisterns for collecting stormwater runoff, “super-efficient” indoor fixtures and native, drought-resistant landscaping;

Spray Foam insulation, high-performance doors and windows and an energy-efficient heat and air-conditioning system for reduced cooling costs;

Zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds), natural plaster from American Clay both inside and — as a test application of a new exterior stucco product — outside the home. In addition to helping moderate temperatures and control humidity, according to the company, the natural plaster also inhibits mold, a regular concern in Florida’s hot, sticky climate;

Indoor furnishings, materials and finishes designed to minimize offgassing of VOCs.

Dealing with Wildfires and Drought

Philip Proefrock — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:32:52 +0000

Wildfires aren’t usually on my radar, because I don’t live in a region that is much susceptible to them. But, in the past couple of weeks, everyone has become more aware of them. They have been widely across the news because of the number of serious wildfires in southern California recently. At the same time, recent news coverage has also looked at drought conditions which are being felt in Georgia and North Carolina. While these two are be peripherally linked in other ways, it makes some sense to look at these issues from the perspective of sustainable building.