Solar Decathlon and Living Walls

The Solar Decathlon places 20 university teams from around the world against each other to see who can design, build, and operate the most energy-efficient, solar-powered and good looking home. http://www.solardecathlon.org/ While I was there for the 2009 competition (without my camera, d'oh!), these pics are from the 2007 competition. I loved the German entry (lower picture), and apparently team Germany outdid themselves again this year, earning 1st place for their design. I also LOVED the living walls installed on the top picture. Beauty and function all in one place! The living wall helps keep the home cool in the summer, and insulates during the winter.

PNC bank recently installed a 2,380 square foot living wall at their headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. They even sourced all the plants locally, and used many native plants in the design. Engineering comes into play when you have a 24 ton living wall attached to your building, but many smaller versions can be installed on the side of a garage or shed quite easily. Some companies are now offering modular systems that make it even easier. http://www.greenroofplants.com/ or http://www.greengridroofs.com/Whenever doing a major project on your home, it is always a good idea to check and see if any permitting is required...usually attainable by working with a local contractor or landscape contractor. Who will be the first garden center to incorporate a living wall into their operation? The race is on!

Hiking at Ravenswood in Gloucester MA

A good friend took me hiking while I was up in Boston filming with The Garden Girl. We hiked a miles of trails on the property known as Ravenwood, a 600 acre property preserved as open space. This property was filled with stunning views and cool woodland plants around every corner. The mosses and ferns were emerald green, and the mushrooms were popping all over! Given they had 28 days of rain in the 30 days of June, its not too surprising...but I digress. My friend loves this trail because it is dog-friendly, has great views, is an easy hike, and has lots of cross trails to keep it fresh and interesting for folks who visit often.

Filming with Patti Moreno, The Garden Girl was the main focus of the trip, so when we returned from our morning hike, off I went to Garden Girl studios. We filmed a couple segments just chatting on soil biology, soil amendments, and all things soil related. You will be able to catch them at some point on youtube, our website, or on Patti's E-zine. If you havent checked out the Sustainable E-zine, hit it up! www.urbansustainableliving.com