As the Garden Grows

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Do you think Live Earth will make a difference?

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There’s an interesting conversation going on about the Live Earth concert at Go Smell the Flowers.

The blog author asks the question:

Live earth is kicking off around the world today with performance in all 7 continents with over 10,000 events promised globally. Will it really help? Are we too late or no need for concern?

There’s been quite a few replies to that post. Some people are being quite pessimistic stating that whatever we do now won’t make a difference and that the message of the concert won’t really get through to many people. Others are more optimistic stating the changes they’ve made in their own lives towards becoming more green and how every little bit will help.

What do you think?

Do you believe global warming exists?

Whether you believe in global warming or not, do you think that if we all made a few changes in our lives it might help the environment or that it might really be a better way to live?

Chris and I aren’t totally green, but we’ve made a lot of changes in our lives over the years toward living green.

Here’s just a few of the things that we do:

  1. Almost all of our lights are energy efficient, as are our appliances.
  2. We turn the heat down in the winter
  3. We live a few blocks from work so we walk to work
  4. Our car is a 4 cyl and because we live so close to work and many small shops we really only use our car once a week or so for short trips to get groceries etc.
  5. We have a few small trees in our yard
  6. Not all of our plants are drought resistant but many are so I don’t have to water a lot
  7. We grow many of our own veggies and fruit
  8. Our garden is organic
  9. What we do purchase in the grocery store is local whenever possible
  10. We don’t eat much meat
  11. We rarely eat processed foods,
  12. We recycle and use recycled products if they are available
  13. We dry many of our clothes on the line instead of using the dryer
  14. We bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store.
  15. We try to use eco-friendly products whenever possible ie no harsh cleaning chemicals etc.

Do you do any of these things? Perhaps you have some more ideas on how to live green for those who read this site?






Plants that complement one another

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Everyone seems to be enjoying photos of my garden so I thought I would show you a photo of my beautiful Tamukeyama cutleaf Japanese maple and a Hosta Gold Standard.

The rose, with the faded blooms, that you can see behind the hosta is my Compte de Chambord. Possibly the smelliest rose in my garden. When I say smelly I mean most beautifully scented rose.

This photo doesn’t really do the Japanese maple and hosta combo justice. The colors of these two plants are so vibrant and depending upon the light falling on them they can look slightly different at various times of day.

The hosta leaves range from a yellow tinged green to a chartreuse. All hosta’s love shade but this one actually needs a shady area as the leaves are very delicate and can be damaged by bright sun.

At this time of year the Japanese Maple’s leaves are a deep reddish maroon. In the early spring they are a bright light red, and in the fall they are an orangish fiery red. It’s a lovely small ornamental tree.

I think that the two plants complement each other nicely. What do you think?

Chosing a chandelier for our dining room

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I’ve been keeping an eye out for sites that specialize in lighting so that once we are finished our dining room and living room renovation I can replace the current light fixture in our dining room.

The current lighting fixture is too modern for the style of the house, and will more than likely clash with the renovations that we’ve made to the room once they are completed.

I’ve just been introduced to the company of Barnes & Wagner and I’m currently browsing their dining room chandeliers section.

Barnes & Wagner specializes in lighting for every room of your home and office with items ranging from table lamps to wall scones to chandeliers. They also sell home decor items such as lovely wall mirrors, clocks and stained glass windows.

I’m still not sure exactly what kind of chandelier style I’ll want to use in the dining room. I think I’ll have to wait until the room is almost complete before I finalize my decision, but it’s nice to know that Barnes & Wagner has a selection of 13 different chandelier styles from which to make my choice.

We’ll probably choose a traditional or transitional style, but I might find a contemporary design that works with our new tin ceilings, ornate molding and venetian plastered walls.

With luck our reno will be finished by the end of summer and I’ll be able to make all my lighting and decor choices and purchases.

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