My Green Worlds

An organic garden brings a vibrant and colourful touch to any eco home. But instead of just the run of the mill vegie patch out the back, having a garden professionally conceived by a landscape architect can add a unique aspect that highlights your own green passion.

“Landscape architecture is a combination of science and art,” says landscape architect Steve Batley from Sydney Organic Gardens. To Batley, the process of designing a sustainable garden for an eco home involves a world of creativity while employing good practical design that works with nature.

A well designed garden is a living ecosystem that encourages animals and people to interact with nature. Children love connecting with the earth and gardening is a great way to teach them to cherish the environment.

Here are some handy tips to consider for your own organic garden:

Also, feast your eyes on my primitive, amateur lighting setup. Four compact fluorescent bulbs and a 200 watt incandescent, using only the bouncy white walls and bouncy white ceiling to diffuse. I’m like the MacGuyver of studio lighting, except I suck at it.

What difference can one homeowner make to the environment? Why, when big polluters are making “green” changes, do we need to change our daily living habits? The answer is simple… children! By making slight and easy changes in the way we look at, and treat Planet Earth today, future generations of children will have learned by example.

Teach the Children

My children love the outdoors, because I expose them to it. They also love computers, and I am sure if we exposed them to fast foods they would love that as well. It’s all about making good choices and being a good example. I’m not talking about wearing hemp clothing or eating granola all day long although there are those who do. You do not have to be that committed to be a part of the “Green Initiative”. For those who merely have a healthy respect for the world we live in and want to take action to help improve the environment, there are many simple changes that we can make, and teach our children to do the same.

Shopping online provides consumers with lots of choices as well as the ability to research products and compare prices without ever leaving home. Due to its efficient & cost-effective nature, online shopping has quickly become associated with the movement to go “green”.  Now that this movement is gaining more worldwide attention, consumers are now turning to online shopping as a greener alternative to traditional storefront shopping.

A 2010 study conducted by the Green Design Institute at Carnegie Mellon University suggested that online purchases can result in 35 percent less energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions than traditional shopping.  Storefronts require massive amounts of energy in their daily operations for functions such as lighting and electronic registers.  Many online retailers, especially the smaller variety, do not have the need to expend nearly as many resources.

The online shopping process is easier on the environment overall.  Products sold through traditional retailers often have to pass through multiple distribution centers before being delivered to stores.  More trips mean more CO2 emissions and resource consumption.  Online retailers help streamline the delivery process from A to B, so less is wasted.  When deciding whether to buy online or make a trip to the mall, consider this: an average trip to the mall produces 4,274 g of carbon dioxide, while a typical van-based delivery creates about 180 g (which makes online shopping approximately 24 times greener!).