It's Photo Friday Again!

  For this Photo Friday we’re doing a little feature on a DIY project we’re trying in the office. We recently re-pinned a tutorial on Pinterest that teaches you how to take old 2-liter bottles and turn them into self-watering, seed starter pots. It’s a great way to use up some of that old plastic and it works really well! For ours, instead of starting out little vegetables, we planted a small Blue Moneywort. It is a cute little crawling plant that does great along the bottom of flowerbeds as well as hanging baskets. Its small blue-violet flowers are really lovely to look at. We planted this little guy with some soil, and of course compost, about a week ago and so far it has been thriving. Thanks to Skruben.blogspot.com for the great tutorial! Here is the link to their tutorial: http://skruben.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-to-self-watering-seed-starter-pots.html

Featured Article: Design a Classic Produce Garden

This blustery winter weather means only one thing- we're delving even deeper into our garden planning! So, we loved today's featured article. We like growing our own food, so any edible garden guides are great. We found on from HGTV that is all about designing a classic produce garden. It's full of ideas for plants, necessities for this garden type, and generally some good ideas.

If you deal with the snow and wind by thinking of all the green things you will be planting in a few short months, today's featured article is definitely a must-read!

Read the original post here.

Tips for a Sustainable New Years Party!

2013 is nearly upon us, and with it, a slew of parties and get togethers to celebrate the new year! If you're hosting a party this year, there isn't any better way to ring in the new year than by being green with your party! These tips are sure to help you have a fun and eco-friendly get together!

1) E-Vites: Rather than sending out traditional invitations, which waste paper, envelopes, and stamps, why not go the easy route and either send out evites or just invite your guests over the phone? This will save you a little bit of money and just think of that paper waste you've avoided!

2) Look for Locally Grown: For food and drinks, there isn't anything better than locally grown. You know it's fresh and there's a lot less emission waste associated with buying local. It even has the added plus of supporting your local community!

3) Use your own dishes: While washing up afterwards may seem like a pain, most of us have dishwashers these days and removing all those plastic/paper/styrafoam plates will make a huge impact!

4) Decorate Responsibly: Let's face it, your house is probably still decked out for the holidays, and getting a bunch of "2013" banners and hats that will just end up in the garbage the next day isn't exactly good for the earth or for your bank account! Skip out, or make your own upcycled decorations!

5) Don't forget your resolution: Making a green resolution is a great way to promise yourself that the change will stick. Whether it's simply to remember to recycle more, starting your own compost heap, or just switching to all LED bulbs in your house, these little promises can make a difference in the long run!

Plant Gifting Guide

Finding  a great gift for a coworker, family member, or friend can be tough, and this time of year you have to purchase gifts for a lot of people. Plants make great gifts, and they can still be very personal. Check out our favorite plants for gifting.

Golden Pothos

These plants are great for a new plant owner, or a distracted one. They require very little care and flourish well on their own. Give them a Pothos with water retaining soil and they can water the plant very little, keep it in low to medium lighting and it will thrive. These plants are also known to purify the air as an added benefit! 

Amaryllis

This plant is quickly becoming the new poinsetta. Around the holidays you can find them everywhere from gardening centers to superstores in brightly colored pots. It is important for this plant to go in a sunny, warm spot (somewhere between 68-70 degrees on average). This plant requires light watering until it's stem appears. After that, increase the watering. A flowering Amaryllis needs daily watering. 

Paperwhites

Paperwhites are another low maintenance plant that is easy for beginners. Given lots of sunlight and adequet watering, this plant will brighten any room. When planted for use indoors they grow best in loose materials, like soil, pebbles, tumbled beach glass, things like that. Make sure you keep whatever you plant it in watered. The base of the bulb should be moist but not the entire bulb.  

Mixed Herbs

Herbs can be an extremely useful plant for a foodie who also has a bit of a green thumb. Pick the herbs you choose based on the skill level of the gift receiver. If they're an extremely skilled gardener they could handle a little more challenging herb, but if not there are plenty of herbs that are pretty hard to kill. Visit a local garden center for advice on what to gift for each skill level. The good news- you can plant a variety in one container, so it's a bit more varied of a gift. 

Kalanchoe

This hard to pronounce plant makes a great gift. It comes in a variety of colors, and since it is a succulent it is fairly hardy. Give them light and some water and they'll be good to grow. Plus you can grow a couple varieties, so you have one of all your favorite colors.

These are just a couple of plant you can gift, but they're definitely some of our favorites. What plants will you be gifting this year?