We're moving into a new house with a yard. Gardening is new and exciting. There´s a drought. What´s the green thing to do?
And after the jump: Stephanie finds new, good glass food storage containers; we find ways to stay cool without switching on the AC; and we wonder about a new British washing machine that promises to use only one cup of water.
We´re looking for replacements for semi-disposable plastic food storage. Stephanie´s found a good contender in these Snapware Glass Lock containers.
AC can be a blessing, but most of the time we stay cool without using all that energy.
Scientists in the UK have developed a washing machine that uses only 1 cup of water to clean clothes... the catch is that it also uses 40 pounds of reusable plastic chips. It saves water, but is it progress?
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40 lbs of plastic chips!!!
view tallguylehigh's profile
The green thing to do is succulents in pots. You can move them if they don't grow well and then plant them after that. Jade (there are a number of varieties which are bright green, grey green, yellow and green and red and green) grows anywhere there is sunshine. My mother plantes her entire ACRE front garden with succulents including lots of Jade varieties and she's never watered it. She has the greenest and most "green" yard in the street if not the town. (Queensland Australia, long time drought sufferer)
view venus_thames's profile
Hey, have fun with that yard! The first 'green' thing to do is get rid of the lawn. If you really want a lawn, there are alternatives, such as babytears if shady, creeping thyme, astroturf (seriously! no maintenance baby!). There are tons of other substitutes if you google it you can find one you want. There are many schools of thought on greening your yard, one being to plant all natives. They need water to establish but then need next to none after. You could do something cheap like a native wildflower mix, it will look a bit drab in the winter, but is a fun idea otherwise. I also love the idea of a vege garden and fruit trees as being green, in the sense that you might use more water but don't go to the super market for pesticide covered vegies. Finally, if you get brave, consider finding ways to re-route your dish/bath water to the garden for outdoor plant use. Good luck, there are many great possibilities.
view darciekd's profile