Happy Earth Day 2010!

• Earth Day Network
• About.com

Local Events

• GreenFest at GVR, Sat 24 10am-5pm
• Green Solutions Expo at South Point
• Search for more at Earth Day Network

Take Action

• Global
• Local: 1Sky Rally Thurs 22 2pm, Green Jackson Avenue Block Party Thurs 22 11am-6pm

By Anne Johnson - Anne Johnson is a mom who also leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

Can Gardening Be Greener?

Yes, gardening can be even greener.  Maintaining a garden is a sustainable idea by itself:  Grow what you eat; travel a few steps to pick out dinner; connect with the food cycle.  Whether container gardening on a patio, or a raised bed in the backyard, growing your own food sustainably is achievable.

A few trends from MyGardenGuide.com for a more sustainable garden follow:

1. Lifecycle and Environmental Impact – How much energy was consumed in a plant or product’s transportation and if any recycled materials were used?   How much water was used in the production of a product?  What kinds of chemicals are used and how do they affect the soil, air and water?
2. Water-wise Landscapes – Use drought-tolerant plants, and install drip irrigation systems instead of using conventional watering techniques.  Visit Springs Preserve for ideas.
3. Plants for Wellness – Garden for the betterment of mental health, nutrition or fitness.
4. Mixing it Up – Maximize square footage with a mix and match approach–edibles with ornamentals is one example.  Learn more about Square Foot Gardening…
5. Vegetable Gardens – Grow edible gardens, which include vegetables, berries, fruits, and herbs.
6. Less Lawn, More Flowers and Shrubs – Water-wise landscapes are essential in our desert.
7. Native Plants – Native plants, or “naturescaping” emphasizes plants that naturally grow in a given locale.  Since they’re evolved to grow in those conditions, they require little artificial water or fertilizer, and are highly disease resistant.

Home Farming, or Urban Farming, aren’t new ideas, they extend back to our human beginnings.  However in in the past five years or so, the concept has resurfaced in an organized fashion.  Organizations promoting the concept focus on education, hunger relief, and health and wellness.  More community gardens are popping up to provide food for individual families, food banks, and those unable to garden for themselves.  Here in the Las Vegas Valley, we have a couple of urban farming organizations: Project Angel Faces and Tonopah Community Garden.  Individuals can contribute excess crops, or manpower to their efforts.

As we enter the month of Earth Day, give home farming or community gardening a shot.  It’s fun and delicious!

By Anne Johnson - Anne Johnson is a mom who also leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

Christmas Tree Recycling

Now through January 15, you can recycle your Christmas Tree at Springs Preserve.  You can give our community a gift while doing your holiday cleaning.  Visit one of over 20 drop sites, or make time to visit a great Las Vegas attraction by going to Springs Preserve.  Call (702) 822-7700 for locations, or visit www.springspreserve.org.

Over the past eight years this program is diverting more and more trees from the landfill.  According to the National Christmas Tree Association about 25 to 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year.  Here in the Las Vegas Valley, approximately 250,000 real trees are sold annually for the holidays, and only 7% are recycled.

Per Springs Preserve, trees should be prepared as follows:

“The tree must be a cut tree. No artificial trees. Remove lights, wire, tinsel, ornaments, nails, metal rods, tree stands and any other materials that are not part of the original tree. Most of the trees are ground up as part of the recycling process: foreign materials can ruin the chipping machine. Also, non-organic materials are not good for a compost mixture. Flocked trees cannot be recycled. Trees over 5 feet tall should be cut in half.”

By Anne Johnson - Anne Johnson is a mom who also leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

Put That Jack Back: How to Compost Your Pumpkin

Almost everyone has re-purposed a previous years’ Halloween costume or recycled household items to create frightful decorations.  Can your holiday pumpkin have nine lives too?

Even before Halloween eve, family fun can include baking a pumpkin pie or making a hearty soup with their “guts,” or enjoy some easy recipes for roasting the seeds.  Good for your body, or garden, pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, iron and phosphorus. Once the trick-or-treating is done, what ghoulish things can be done with the grinning vegetable remains? Let them decompose of course!

After brief lifetimes as glowing jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween, your pumpkins can live on as new garden soil.  Here’s how in a few simple steps:

1. If pumpkin isn’t carved, remove seeds for roasting and scoop flesh for cooking.
2. Remove candles and other non-organic decorations.
3. Smash or chop the pumpkin shell into large chunks (special fun for the kids!).
4. Place in your compost bin, or even straight into your garden with some dry leaves.

However you compost, be sure to remove all seeds or you’ll spend next spring weeding pumpkin seedlings.

If your pumpkin patch is missing a composter, the Springs Preserve is collecting well-used pumpkins for their environmentally friendly landscaping projects.  Please remove candles and any non-organic decorations.  Drop off is November 1-22, 10am – 6pm daily.  While you’re there, take a look at their latest membership deals–they’re a scream!

By Anne Johnson, AIA, LEED® AP – Anne Johnson composts all sorts of holiday treats, and leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

Green Design Tips

Whether it’s a few items on your honey-do list, or a full-scale construction project, making design changes to your home can also make it greener.  Including eco-friendly features is good for our planet and your budget.  Reduced initial cost, federal tax credits and local utility rebates can add up to real savings.

Here are a few tips as you plan your project:

• Think long-term and build to last. Consider initial cost and long-term maintenance savings.

• Do more with less. Get creative with re-purposing materials; refresh older items with paint and/or hardware.  New isn’t always necessary.

• Reduce energy and water needs through conservation and efficiency. Check with the utility companies and federal government for rebate and tax credit programs: Energy Star, Federal, NV Energy.

• Keep materials on site, out of landfills. For example, use existing landscape rock as a drainage layer under new gravel; use old cabinets in the garage for storage; or use old concrete slab pieces as garden stepping stones.

• Recycle and reuse. Use recycled materials and second-hand fixtures where possible.  Recycle construction debris: paper, wood, metal, fixtures.  Get indoor recycling bins to make collection easy.  Use salvaged and overstocked building materials from a local reseller such as Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store.

• Use renewable building materials. These are made from rapidly growing plants, such as bamboo, hemp or grains; or animal fiber, such as wool.

• Design for a healthy indoor environment. Provide good ventilation (windows and vent fans), clean water (filters for your drinking and shower water), no off-gassing materials, natural cleaning products.

• Keep water on site. Prevent water from draining into the sewer system with permeable paving and rain collection.

• Produce power. Options abound today: solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind.

A design professional, such as an architect or interior designer or home energy rating professional, can also help you with green decision-making.  Check with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) or American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for local professionals and set up an hourly consultation with a designer.

By Anne Johnson, AIA, LEED® AP – Anne Johnson leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.

Links are provided for readers’ convenience; they do not represent any endorsement by the architect or Primrose Magazine.

Fresh Food for Baby

It’s easy to share the delights of this season’s harvest with your baby, and simply skip bland jarred food and cereals.

At the same time you prepare your family dinner, easily make these homemade baby food treats.  Enjoy some with your meal and freeze the rest for later.

A standard ice cube tray will yield 2 ounce portions. Or a BP-A Free/Phthalate Free covered tray from Fresh Baby will produce 1 ounce portions perfect for combining.

How about Sweet Potato with Barley, or Barley Cereal with fresh Organic Applesauce? Yum!  Use these same techniques with fresh veggies from your garden, the local Farmer’s Market or the Organic section at the grocery.  Peas, Zucchinis and Pears Oh My!

Sweet Potato: Roast in skins for 40 minutes at 425º F.  Wrap in foil if you’re roasting on the barbeque.  Let cool and remove skin.  They’ll easily peel off.  Mash roughly with a potato masher.  Yield for two small potatoes is about 12 ounces.
For mom and dad only: keep in skins and season with butter, drips of honey and a dash of cinnamon.

Applesauce: Remove skins and cores.  Slice into 8 wedges.  Place in saucepan and cover with filtered water.  Bring to boil, uncovered.  Reduce to low simmer and cover for about  minutes, stirring frequently. Mash roughly with a fork or puree in a blender.  Add water if needed.  Serve warm or cold.  Yield  for three small apples is about 12 ounces.
For mom and dad only: Season with a dash of cinnamon.  Add sugar or honey to taste if desired.

Barley Cereal: Grind whole pearl barley in a spice (or coffee) grinder until all grains are at least halved.  This will create some barley “dust” also, perfect for a creamier cereal.  In a saucepan combine ½ Cup Ground Barley and 2 ½ Cups Filtered Water.  Whisking constantly, bring to boil at medium high.  Whisking frequently, reduce to simmer for about 12 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then spoon into trays.

If it cools to a cake, whisk in more water before portioning.  Yield is about 24 ounces.

For mom and dad only: Enjoy this delicious barley risotto with summer vegetables recipe.

Defrost these little gems in a microwave safe container (about 20-30 seconds per 1 ounce cube), test for temperature then serve them up.
Your baby will love the fresh flavor, and if a little lands on you then you will too!

Note:  These recipes are perfect for 8 months on.  If your baby is younger, add more water to the recipe and puree in a blender or food processor.  No solids are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) prior to 4 months.    

By Anne Johnson - Anne Johnson is a mom who also leads a woman-owned architecture and graphics studio focused on integrating sustainable practices into residential, commercial, civic and graphic projects with client-centered solutions. Learn more at Anne Johnson, AIA.