SanJoseGreenHome.com

So you want fertilize your lawn. But you also want to avoid using unnecessary chemicals because of their potentially hazardous effects. So what can you do? There are several organic solutions for feeding your lawn without sacrificing environmental health. Most organic fertilizers are made from animal by-products, most often from animal dung, say cow or bat manure, for example. But there are a variety of other options as well.

Types of Organic Fertilizers

The two basic types of organic lawn fertilizers are organic and synthetic organic. Organic fertilizers contain animal, plant, or fish by-products. They come in either a granulated form, which can easily be distributed over your lawn using a fertilizer spreader, or they can be found in liquid form. Liquids are just as effective, but they can be harder to spread evenly over a lawn.

Synthetic organic is formed using “urea”. Urea is a chemical compound found in urine that can be synthesized. It contains nitrogen, which is an important nutrient in lawn care products. The reason synthetic urea is considered organic is (more…)

Considering building a new patio or deck to enjoy a lovely weather but want to be mindful of the environmental impact?  Millions of homeowners across the country continue to use”standard” patio materials like asphalt, concrete and cement to support their patios because they’ve proven their worth time and again but is it time for new awareness?

Problems With the Status Quo

Unfortunately, your asphalt, concrete or cement patio is liable to be among the least sustainable elements of your property. In fact, standard patio-building materials present several key problems for environmentally conscious homeowners.

For starters, these surfaces all contain synthetic or petroleum-based components that require huge amounts of energy to fabricate. The amount of energy that goes into a given product’s production is known as “embodied energy,” and it’s one of the main factors that contribute to its overall environmental footprint.

Asphalt, concrete and cement also contain toxins that can leak into your lawn, groundwater and pool during bouts of rain. What’s more, these nonporous “hardscape” surfaces can direct rainwater in concentrated streams and cause surprising amounts of damage to your yard. In the long run, this runoff could even eat away at your home’s foundation.

You don’t want to find out what that looks like.

A Gentler Way

Fortunately, there are several sustainable alternatives that feature lower levels of embodied energy as well as a more sustainable product life cycle. Some of these alternatives are “natural” materials that incorporate locally sourced or low-impact raw materials like soil cement. Others are reused materials like (more…)

One would have a hard time denying that swimming pools are some of the most wonderful and luxurious comforts in life. Merely at a touch of warm and soft water our bodies relax and minds blend with the basic elements of nature. However, maintaining a pool in the backyard is not a cheap proposition, neither financially, nor environmentally.

When my husband Ed and I decided to install a family swimming pool, we looked for things we could do to make our pool less taxing on the resources. Here are 10 ways we have found to make our pool more eco friendly:

1) Efficient heating. We love to swim during the months when it gets a bit chilly, so we installed a solar heater. We cut down on the amount of fuel we use to warm the pool. It also saves on our energy costs, and I love that part.

2) An insulated pool cover. When we’re not using the pool, the cover keeps it warm and prevents loss of heat. After a long discussion about cost, Ed won and got a pool cover with a push button mechanism. Sometimes I think he (more…)

It is estimated that up to 95% of all flowering plants, 1/3 of food crops, and 1/2 of the world’s oils consumed by humans today rely on animals for pollination to assure reproduction.  Over 180,000 plant species and more than 1200 crops require the services of these hard working, often unseen bio-contributors and out of every three bites of food we consume, one is there due to the efforts of pollinators.

Considering California produces over 400 crops, grows almost half of the United States’ vegetables, fruits, and nuts, and is the nation’s top agricultural state the importance of pollinators, both for large operations and small, cannot be overstated!

Why is Pollen Important?    

Pollen is essential to the reproductive system of most the world’s flowering plants and is distributed and transferred via a variety of animals (this essential genetic material is carried on their bodies) as they move from plant to plant.  These industrious travelers not only provide a vital service with regards to the food we eat and flowers we enjoy but also play a role in sustaining bio-diversity and promoting vibrant and vigorous ecosystems worldwide, not to mention (more…)

A home garden is a popular way to build value and comfort into a house and outdoor space. What better way to sit back and relax at the end of the day than by breathing in the aromas of your own flowers? Because gardening can be time consuming, not everyone thinks they can do it.  But that is just plain untrue – there are plenty of low maintenance flowers that can make your backyard a haven of relaxation and beauty.  The below flowers will naturally do well in the California weather, requiring very little attention after they’ve been planted. So get out your gardening supplies and get going!

1.     Wildflowers are a beautiful, low-maintenance addition to any landscape. Frequently seen alongside ponds, streams, or lakes, they also work well in a backyard.  Because they don’t need any weeding, mowing, or trimming, wildflowers are a perfect option for someone looking to spruce things up a little without too much elbow grease and make a great choice for a homeowner looking to create an organic, sustainable garden in Northern California. Simply pick a spot with plenty of sunlight, remove the weeds, and plant your seeds by scattering them in small areas and covering with a little bit of soil. Keep the soil moist for at least 4-6 weeks. You should see your first blooms in about 6-10 weeks.

2.     California Fuschias are native to the Northern California area and so they’ve adapted to our soil, climate and insects.  These flowers will also attract hummingbirds in the summer and don’t need much water – just a little bit once a week should do the trick. It will not only keep the leaves plump, it will also clear away any cobwebs that might have accumulated. (more…)

If you had to imagine the greenest home in California, what images would spring to mind?  Would it be some clay, dome shaped structure perfectly exposed to solar angles, or maybe an ultra chic, boxy looking modern beauty with massive windows facing a valley?  What if I told you that this home sits on a pretty standard residential street in Santa Clara and an untrained eye wouldn’t even notice any “greenness” about it if they drove by?

Meet the “Bluebird” residence.  This Earth Bound Home’s show house  is also the personal residence of founder David Edwards.  Rated as the Greenest Home in California by Build it Green organization, the original 1400 sq. ft. ranch style home was added to and remodeled, creating a 3100 sq. ft. 4 bedroom, 3 bath home with an office and workout room.   Awards range from Acterra’s Business Environmental Awards Built Environment Award to Build It Green’s South Bay Best New Home award for the 1996 Green Home Tour. Come with us on a video tour to explore all the ingenuity, design and careful choice of materials that went into this project.  (Also see a list of “green” features below the video.)

This home’s many green features include:

• Small 2.7 kw Photovoltaic solar electric panels provide all of houses electrical needs
• Solar thermal renewable energy systems
• An inexpensive and no maintenance Grey water system waters the only plants in the entire landscaping that require water, the clumping Bamboo.
• A 1400 gallon underground rainwater cistern collects rainwater every winter
• All FSC wood framing and FSC certified Brazilian Cherry Flooring
• Home built with Structural Insulated Panels(SIPs)
• 65% more efficient than Californias’ Title-24 Energy Efficiency requirements
• $155/year gas bill, $4/year electric bill, $132/year water bill
• 93%  recycling and reuse of building demolition debris
• Half of all windows were purchased from salvage yards, saving over $10,000 over new windows
• All doors on the first floor were salvaged, saving $3,000.
• All trim throughout the house was salvaged from old redwood decks, fences and the siding on old houses. It was milled on site and the shavings used as mulch on the landscaping.
• New One Lawn Synthetic Lawn contains no heavy metals and requires no maintenance or water. None of the landscape requires supplemental water and saves approx. 50,000 gallons of water a year.
• House uses 31,285 gallons of water a year, for 5 people. This is approx 84% less. than the average household uses(~110 gallons per person/day- including irrigation)

Photo and home description courtesy of Earth Bound Homes

A small bungalow front yard is reborn as a shady woodland oasis of natives centered by a naturalistic fountain accented with metal sculpture.  As you’ll read on, you’ll notice from the photo tour that this new garden shows that sustainable landscaping can be accomplished through DIY talent and on a shoe-string budget when working closely with a professional landscape designer.

The home owners of this Craftsman style home in College Park area of San Jose already prided themselves living a green and sustainable life style.  But there was still some unfinished business – their water thirsty lawn.  So they decided to say goodbye to their front lawn and concrete hardscape and figure out a way to design a new, water wise yard on a budget.  They were receptive to many sustainable suggestions including: turf rebate programs, lawn removal, water-wise irrigation, flagstone installation, planting natives and storm water management.

Fact is, if you have the time, patience and willing to learn, you can do a lot on your own.  Here is what I mean… Size of the lawn was 900 square feet.  For about $5 a square foot, I designed the plans and coached my clients through their installation.  They did the install themselves but I helped them locate materials and assisted them in receiving an $800 water rebate by removing their lawn.  Total cost?  (more…)

Bay Area water suppliers expect there will not be enough water for their customers by 2018.

Water. It’s difficult to say we lack it during this el-nino year.  You look outside, nothing but rain.  You open your faucet, it doesn’t run out.  It seems like it’s always there in unlimited quantities.  Hence lies a dangerous illusion that water has always been there and always will.  However, there’s been a lot of buzz lately about the shortage of this precious commodity.  Some even call water the next gold.

After all, gold values have risen in the last several years. Will water too? Bay Area water suppliers expect there will not be enough water for their customers by 2018. So what does this mean for us and our homes? It means we can expect the water bill to get bigger.  Much bigger.

Have you seen all the hub-bub being made about the EPA filing on rainwater runoff? You can read the actual filing if you like.  Basically, the tax would be levied on new and newly redeveloped sites that do not meet certain requirements for control of storm water discharge. Closer to home, Deputy GM of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Michael Carlin indicated that San Francisco Bay Area households that pay $63/mo for water can expect to pay $128 in 2018. To top it off, the cap on the water that can be drawn from the Hetch Hetchy in 2018 won’t be enough for residents – it will be short by (more…)

Credit: Texture from ~diAnNa~, Inspired by this pre-made background by ~vallendesterstock

So Mary, how does it grow?  With wisely planted trees and shrubs, and many sunny days without rain in a row.  It’s called water-wise gardening my friends. 

Did you know an average Bay Area home uses almost 80% of its total potable water for simply watering the lawn and plants?  What would you say if you found out you can have a glorious looking landscape by spilling a drop instead of a bucket to water it?  Just imagine the water savings and your water bill at the end of the month.  In fact, read on and I’ll tell you where you can get a $1000 rebate for going water-wise! 

Don’t be afraid, “sustainable” landscaping doesn’t mean rocks and once a year blooming cactus. By understanding our climate zone, soil type, sun and shade conditions, and the water requirements of your site, you can have lush and beautiful garden if you practice some fundamental principles of water conservation. 

Why Landscape to Conserve Water? 

Drought is a part of the natural weather cycle of the West. Even though we have been able to import water from other areas, our population is rapidly outgrowing existing water supplies. In the years ahead, water conservation and water-wise landscaping will need to become a part of every westerner’s lifestyle. 

Use water conserving plants: The key is to choose plants that are (more…)

Synthetic turf can look just as real grass from a few feet away but does it hold water with its new eco claims?

Installing synthetic turf has become all the rage recently. It was even featured on some Bay Area local channels. Commonly known in the past as astro turf, it has been reinvented, repacked and now called ‘eco turf.’ It is being touted as the latest in green landscaping. There is even a striking list of ecological “solutions” that this product addresses. Those include no mowing, no watering or expensive irrigation systems, no weed control, and no other maintenance headaches like fertilizing and hauling away grass clippings.

The latest synthetic turf is even manufactured from recycled plastic and is recycable at the end of its life. Your kids can play on it in the rain and won’t get muddy. It is wheel chair accessible. So it seems like we have solved a horde of environmental issues with one product, so what’s not to love?

Stepford Lawns

Do you recall the part in the movie, The Stepford Wives where one of the Stepford wives gets stabbed and it messes with her wiring and she starts repeating “ I thought we were friends, I thought we were friends? That’s what I imagine synthetic turf is saying when I stab it with my accusations of it being a pseudo green product. Like my friend Owen Dell would say, it’s kind of like organic heroin, organic or not it is still fundamentally a bad idea.

Aromatherapy it’s not

I’ll begin with the deceptively simple argument that my primary distrust of synthetic turf is based on the fact that it is not alive. It does not breathe and therefore it offers no oxygen as a byproduct. On a warm day the entire area around a synthetic playing field reeks of melting off-gassing plastic, not an enjoyable smell. It certainly is not aromatherapy. Again because the stuff is not living and breathing the cooling effect is absent and thus the heat island affect is increased. The ‘heat island’ refers to the phenomena in which urban air and surfaces sustain higher temperatures than nearby rural areas.

The images below comparing air, water, bermudagrass, sand, asphalt, and synthetic turf surface temperatures illustrate how (more…)