Whether youโve been blessed with a grand wrap-around porch or youโre looking to glam up a tiny front stoop, there are countless front porch ideas to add some style to your space. From seasonal decorations to simple enhancements that boost curb appeal, adding decor to the front of your home doesnโt have to break the […]
Search Results for: motion-activated-solar-path-light
Vertical Herb Garden: What Is It, DIY Plans, And Photos
What can you possibly do for your ailing green thumb when all that is allotted to you is a patio, a balcony, or a postage stamp of an urban backyard with little room to roam? Don’t grow out…grow UP! With a vertical herb and vegetable garden, you can make a mountain of your molehill and […]
Growing Herbs Indoors
The long, cold, winter months or even the fate of living in a small apartment are not enough to stifle the need for fresh herbs. The smell of basil, the sight of green cilantro, is something that we should be able to enjoy all year round, no matter where we live. If itโs the weather, […]
Types of Carrots
From salads to stews, carrots have plenty of culinary uses, all of which improves its crisp and sweet flavor. Before growing your own, discover these notable carrot varieties and their special characteristics.
Tuna Truths: The Pros and Cons of Canned Tuna
Growing up in South Dakota, I thought there were two kinds of fish. Trout and tuna. Trout were flappy and fun to catch, with beautiful rainbow-colored skin that my mom always complained about removing. They were in bountiful supply in the lake by my uncle’s mountain cabin. Conversely, tuna were small and round, with steel […]
14 Inexpensive DIY Hot Tub Plans
A hot tub has been a long-held sign of status for homeowners. Being able to afford one meant you were probably doing pretty well financially, and having a hot tub adds value to your home. It might seem like a better deal to simply purchase a premade hot tub, but there are certain benefits to […]
Tiny House Plans
When looking for blueprints and designs for building your tiny house, the search can be arduous and overwhelming. With all the options on the internet and in books it can be hard to know which ones are worth using. Look for tiny house plans that come with detailed instructions explaining how to construct the house, […]
A Guide To Growing Lettuce Indoors For Fresh, Delicious Greens All Year Round
Is growing lettuce indoors possible? Absolutely! In fact, lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow both outside and indoors. When the temperatures drop below zero, itโs possible to grow delicious, tender, leaves of lettuce inside the comfort of your own home. Sun Requirements All plants need some degree of sunlight (lettuce included). However, […]
Types of Celery
In various cuisines, celery leaves and stalks add aroma, flavor, and texture. Get to know this well-loved vegetable, starting with its three main types and their distinct characteristics.
Chicken Runs
Despite the misleading title and the plot of aย 2000 movie, a chicken run is intended to let chickens out as well as keep them in. A run is an outdoor enclosure that chickens or other animals can get into on their own. Usually, it’s attached to their coop. It allows them to get exercise and […]
Types of Green Beans
Not all green beans are created equal. With unique traits on flavor, growth, and texture, get to know the different types of green beans you can grow at home.
Geocaching Teaches Kids Problem-Solving Skills
Geocaching is a growing outdoor hobby where the coordinates of certain locations or hidden “treasure” caches are made available. To find treasure, seekers are armed with handheld GPS devices, a pen and trinkets.
Wood Stove Decathlon
Wood Stove Decathalon
Thrive Market Review
Editor’s Note: We’ve been hearing awesome things about Thrive Market, but before we plunked down the $59.95 membership fee, we needed to know: Is it better than other online and local organic food options? We decided on a two-part strategy: Our writer road-tested the service, which she wanted to try anyway. Meanwhile, we compared the […]
4 Reasons Why Snakes on Your Homestead Aren’t a Bad Thing
โFound a big olโ snake last week.โ Now, I typically mind my own business at the laundromat, but I canโt help but overhear the conversations happening right next to me. The man to my right was folding towels, chewinโ the fat with someone he obviously knew well. โLopped that head cleeeeean off, garden hoe.โ He […]
Medicinal Benefits of Paper Birch
โIโd like to go by climbing a birch tree, And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,But dipped its top and set me down again. That would be good both going and coming back. One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.โ -Robert Frost […]
Are Slugs and Snails Harmful?
Many gardeners and homesteaders can testify to taking a stroll through their garden and finding slimy little guys slithering on their flowers and vegetables. A common thought that arises would be โAre these snails good for my plants?โ or โShould I get rid of them?โ Look no further for the answers. This article will cover […]
Controlled Burns: Everything You Should Know
Fire has always been a part of our environment just like water, earth, and air. Believe it or not, fire is one of the most essential natural agents of change because it plays a vital role in maintaining certain ecosystems. Native Americans have understood this and used fire to maintain prairies, keep the ecosystem healthy, […]
Lighthouses For Sale
Buying a lighthouse is more than a real estate transaction. It’s a lifestyle change that links you to a proud American tradition. The best way to find lighthouses for sale is via a U.S. Government lighthouse “property disposal”. These happen sporadically. When one is going on, the General Services Administration lists available lighthouses on this […]
Scientists Discover New Global Warming Threat: ‘Methane Time Bomb’ Under Arctic Seabed
Scientists have today warned that global warming could rapidly accelerate as millions of tons of methane escape from the arctic seabed. According to preliminary findings, as the Arctic region gets warmer massive deposits of the greenhouse gas – 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide – are rising to the surface. Orjan Gustafsson of Stockholm […]
Tree Houses! From The Past Into The Future
future tree houses, modern tree houses, treehouse inspiration
Seattle Resources
Here’s a never-quite-complete list of the local businesses & organizations we support. Almost all of the businesses on this list support sustainability, organic practices, or other environmental issues we’re concerned about. There’s also a few listed that are just good local businesses that we like. Please email or tweet or leave a facebook comment if […]
Floating Homes
AMPHIBIOUS ARCHITECTURE, Floating Homes
Whole Tree Architecture
Whole Tree Architecture
24 Truly Unique Bird Baths (Starting At Less Than $25!)
Enjoying the beauty and birdsong of avian visitors can be a delightful and relaxing way to spend time in your backyard. Thereโs something special about slowing time down to watch birds look for food or call to one another. Many bird enthusiasts look for ways to attract more feathered friends to their outdoor spaces, and […]
How The Average American Uses Energy
Inspiration Green Blog. Inspiration to green the world.
Eco Sports Cars
Porsche 918 Spyder Plug-in Hybrid prototype (all of Porsche’s concept cars have been brought to market) has emission levels of just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre on fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg imp). Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h […]
River Rock Fireplace
river rock fireplaces
Nick Cave Sound Suits
Upcycled suits…or as Nick Cave calls them – Sound Suits Twigs, one of Nick Cave’s first Sound Suits, he says they’re “full body suits constructed of materials that rattle with movement, like a coat of armor, (they) embellish the body while protecting the wearer from outside culture.” Cave constructed his first suit after watching the […]
Porch Swings
After all the yardwork and chores are done, there are few things more relaxing than sitting in a porch swing with a good book or company. Imagine yourself swinging in these incredible porch swings, porch beds, and hammock chairs. Porch Swings Wine Barrel Stave Porch Swing A perfect porch addition for any wine-lover, this swing […]
Toys Upcycled Into Sculpture By Kris Kuksi
Unwanted toys, frames and plastic model kits are recreated into fantastic sculptures by Kris Kuksi. By turning old plastic soldiers, dolls and tanks into sculpture, all that plastic is kept out of the landfill, long term. The Deadly Sins, 2007, 40″ x 24″ x 8.5″ The Deadly Sins, detail. kuksi.com Kris Kuksi with Imminent Utopia, […]
Sweden Has The World’s First Electric Road
The inevitable stop at the grimy just-off-the-exit gas station will eventually be a nostalgic memory. Tomorrow’s roads will fuel our electric cars as we drive over them. A new electric road in Swedenโthe world’s firstโemploys the magic of inductive or wireless charging. An induction coil embedded in the road sends out electromagnetic energy. A vehicle […]
Best Work Gloves
Work gloves protect construction folks and DIYers alike from cuts, bruises, scrapes, and other nasty events. They also eliminate the chafing and blistering that can result from hands coming into direct contact with construction materials or work equipment. Get A Material Tough Enough For Your Work The first thing to look for in good work […]
Preparing Your Homestead For Winter
Freezing rain, sleet, high winds, heavy snow, ice, and extreme cold can present serious hazards, so it’s imperative that your homestead is ready. Whether or not you think it’s too early, it’s always a good idea to begin prepping your homestead for the winter. Preparation For Power Outages Cold temperatures and winter storms can be […]
How Much Does Your Wine Weigh?
Love wine but hate the environmental impact associated with the heavy glass bottle? Here are some eco-friendly alternatives!
10 Steps To Attract Birds In The Winter
Do you want to attract birds in the winter to your homestead landscape? Do you enjoy their sweet sounds and would like to have more feathered friends come to visit? Birds make the garden magically come alive with beauty, color, music, and motion. Read on to learn more about foods that will attract specific birds […]
Best Pruning Saw
A good pruning saw can make the difference between mangled or well-shaped limbsโboth on the plant youโre shaping and your own body. If you’re planning on pruning any kind of trees soon, you’ll need to be equipped with a saw that is meant for the job. Don’t try to prune with anything other than a […]
Easy Upcycling: Give New Life To Old Lampshades – With A Stencil!
Thinking about tossing those old off-white lampshades? Don’t! A little paint, and some cool stencils, can make them brand new again.
9 Beautiful Water Plants For Your Aquatic Garden Or Pond
Spring has come. For the winter-weary gardener, the chance to finally get back out into the wonderful world of soil and sprouts is exhilarating. Within a few short weeks, garden beds are awake and planted, pots are filled and placed back on the porch, and flower beds are tenderly mulched. And then โฆ all that […]
25 Free Bird House Plans to Welcome Feathered Friends to Your Garden
Ornithologists know something that many people donโt: Birdwatching can be a peaceful and restorative experience. Encouraging birds to visit your home or yard can be challenging, however. Especially if you donโt have any houses for those feathery friends. A well-made bird house could be the ideal place for a coupling pair to build their nest […]
20 Free Porch Swing Plans for Warmer Days
With beautiful weather upon us, there’s no better time to build your very own porch swing. Sure, you could purchase a porch swing that’s already assembled and finished — but you’d miss out on huge DIY benefits! A porch swing is a great entry-level building project for people with beginner to intermediate experience. You can […]
How to Amend Arid & Nutrient-Depleted Soil
Do you have dry, depleted soil on your homestead or farm? Does your soil not provide your plants with the appropriate nutrients to help them grow, and do you struggle to establish plants because of the soil conditions in your area? Is your soil very dry or xeric? Or do you work in areas with […]
Sustaining Survival Gardens
Iโm not trying to sound apocalyptic with that title. Growing food has been a way of life for centuries. Long before farmers markets and grocery stores, people grew produce. It was a part of day-to-day living. Having enough food to sustain your family or household in times of need is security. If youโre like many […]
Eco Friendly Tips To Redecorate Your Living Room
These eco-friendly redecorating tip for your living room will save you money and help the environment all at the same time. EPA reported in 2009 that 9.9 million tons of furniture were thrown in the landfills compared to only 2.2 million tons in 1960, that is an increase of 450%! If you compared the increase […]
Modern Underground Homes
Modern Underground Homes
Fork and Spoon Chandeliers
Fork and Spoon Chandeliers
40 Large Planters For Trees And Flowers
When you’re planning your garden for the upcoming spring, you may find yourself quickly running out of space in your yard, garden beds, and hanging planters, but who says you have to pick and choose what plants you want just because your yard is full? The deck, patio, and front porch are all free for […]
13 Savvy Small Bathroom Ideas
Whether you live in an apartment, a tiny house, or a Harry Potter closet, small bathrooms can be a challenge, especially when you’re living with roommates, a significant other, or little ones. Not only do you have to coordinate shower and bath times, but storing away all your toiletries can get tricky. So before you […]
My Chickens Survived A Montana Winter Because I Broke The Rules
One of the most pressing concerns for me, when I began raising chickens, was what to do with them in winter. Living in northwest Montana, I’m accustomed to plenty of snow, some nice arctic wind, and temperatures ranging from the high 20s to below zero. If we have a chinook in January or February, then […]
Farmhouse Bedroom Inspiration For Your Rustic Home
If youโre thinking of redecorating your bedroom, consider a farmhouse-inspired look for an ultra-cozy feel. Revamp your boring sleeping nook into something rustic and romantic. If youโre not ready for a complete remodel, pick and choose a few of these decor items to try out this interior design trend. What are the main components of […]