Dumpster pool [Recyclart]

The rest of them are here.

chandeliers [artwork by marin camille]
Recycled works by Marin Hood [Recyclart]

Located in the green country suburb of Linbro Park, Sandton and near major transport routes (N3; R25), the property is an agriculturally zoned 1 Ha of land with dense vegetation in an area that is set to be developed and upgraded in the near future.

To get the ball rolling, a number of sustainability features are being developed on the property, including a rainwater harvesting pool, swales, greywater systems, solar water heaters, a wastewater bio-filter, and a small food and herb garden. This intentional community will provide the opportunity for residents from across the social and economic spectrum to live an ecological lifestyle in a tranquil countryside setting close to the the vibrant African metropolis of Johannesburg.

There are a number of different ways and levels of being involved with this ecovillage, from simply using the garden for the cultivation of vegetables and herbs to living there in a one-roomed apartment, two-bedroomed apartment, or 3-bedroomed freestanding home. There is also the opportunity to simply invest and reap ongoing dividends from levies.

The Oak Trust are looking for human beings over the age of 18 who are committed to socially inclusive, democratic values, an ecological lifestyle and who are dynamic, creative and pragmatic. Members would need to be professionals engaged in ethical livelihoods who are financially independent and productive.

If you tick those boxes and have always thought that co-housing is exactly the way you’d like to share your lives with your community, find out more about the Oak Trust Ecovillage check out their concept document here (pdf).

Enquiries should be directed to Florian Kroll at flo@opensynergy.co.za

You can read exactly how Suzanne set up her gutter garden in this article from the Juneau Empire.

To conserve water, you could place potted plants under the guttering to soak up any water that drains away from your salad crops.

How does your garden grow? [Juneau Empire]

[via: greenUPGRADER]

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” – William Morris.

You don’t have to be a farmer to grow your own food, just a little patch in your back garden should enable you to grow a fair bit of your own produce. But some people just aren’t keen on the idea of giving over their lawns and ornamental gardens to the planting of food plants for fear that they’ll lose the attractiveness of the gardens that they delight in. It doesn’t have to be like that. There are lots of beautiful plants and flowers that are edible, or extremely useful in the growing of an organic food garden.

Removing food miles from your dinner plate is such a great way to go green and really cut back your carbon footprint considerably. So how about having a go this coming summer at growing something that you can proudly put on a plate and feed to family and friends, knowing that you’ve grown it yourself.

There are four ways that you could incorporate some beautiful food into your garden.

1. Permanent beds of perennial or self-seeding plants
Having permanent beds in your garden provides stability for wildlife over the winter, but also means less work for you once they’ve been planted. There are a few herbs that suit this job perfectly: rosemary, echinacea, bergamot, lemon balm, evening primrose, mint and oregano. Nasturtiums are also great, but you will need to keep them in check. This sort of bed looks great in between vegetable beds that lie empty in Spring.

2. Annual beds
Include an edible flower bed in your rotation with vegetables to have extras for salads, plants that attract pests away from your vegetables and some pretty flowers for the table. Calendula (marigolds) and nasturtiums are my favourite flowers for this purpose. You could also try pansies.

3. Feral flowers
If you’re brave enough to, set your flowers free to self-seed and grow randomly. Self-seeders like evening primrose, common mallow, nasturtiums and calendula can decide for themselves where to enjoy their next life-cycle. But you’ll have to take them in hand if they spread too far for your liking.

4. Vegetable flowers
The benefits of allowing some of your vegetable plants to go to flower is their bug attracting power, the fact that you’ll be able to save seed from the plant for your next vegetable crop, and that you can enjoy the blooms in your salads too. Leave some of your chives, rocket and radishes to flower for just those reasons. Other plants give you both the flowers and the vegetable, like baby marrows.

For more edible flower ideas, have a look here.

Photo credit: startcooking kathy & amandine

I went to work on my mirrors and my car windows this weekend, and after a minor mishap with spraying soap all over my windows, the TerraCycle Window Cleaner wiped it all up streak-free and clan as ever, without the ammonia smell. As quoted on their website, the cleaners leave no residue and are thus hypo-allergenic!

At $3.99 per bottle (except for the draincleaner), this product is not only environmentally responsible but is affordable. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the products.

This is a guest post by Carolyn Algar, our correspondent in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1. Buy a used fake tree on eBay or pick one up on Freecycle.

2. Buy a real tree and when you’re finished with it, dispose of it by taking it to a council collection point. The council will chip and compost the trees.

3. Grow your own Christmas tree. It’s a bit late for this year, but now’s the time to plant one for next year. This kit from Ethical Superstore costs just £1.99 and contains the seeds, pot and soil, as well as full instructions on how to successfully grow your own miniature Christmas tree.

4. Grow a grass Christmas tree. For small spaces, or for a windowsill or desk, this grow your own grass Christmas tree is just the thing. Fun for children too. And yes, it’s real grass.

Arrives complete with decorations and pre-grown, the idea is to water it and trim it to keep it in shape. Further growth depends on how you look after it. Makes a great gift. £12.99 from Nigel’s EcoStore.

5. Here’s another real tree, and a good reason to grow your own. Real Christmas trees are more eco friendly than artificial ones. Real trees are carbon neutral. These Christmas tree saplings are delivered to your home, and will grow up with your family year after year and help make Christmas a little more sustainable.

There are a variety of different types of trees available, including the Scots Pine. Scots Pines are native to Scotland and a favourite with many families at Christmas. Pine was once known as the ‘Sweetest of the Woods’ and was said to symbolise fertility. This tree can grow to around 36m after 10 years, but will keep nicely in a pot for the first 2-3 years. It comes with full care instructions. £24.99 from Nigel’s EcoStore.

6. The cardboard christmas tree was designed in Chicago, IL and is made in the USA from recycled cardboard. This 3ft tree is perfect for the urbanite who wants a sustainable Xmas tree. It can be decorated any which way you like.

Designer Director Nick Ng says “We wanted to give people living in smaller spaces a stylish alternative to a plastic artificial tree or a large living tree. As well as being perfect for apartment dwellers, the tree can be used to decorate school and college dorm rooms, offices, or shop window displays. It can be either left in it’s original state for a clean modern look; or customized to suit the decor of the room it’s in.”

The cardboard christmas tree comes flat packed, is easy to put together, and easy to take apart again to store for next year. It costs $22.95.

7. If you like the idea of the above tree, but don’t want to order your tree from the US, then here’s a similar tree available in the UK. It’s a recycled cardboard Christmas tree to paint or decorate as you wish. It’s 70cm tall, so great for small spaces or for use as a table centerpiece. The kit includes tree, paints and brush. £6.99 from Party Pieces.

8. Make your own recycled cardboard Xmas tree. Full instructions here.

Electricity

1. Light-bulbs – look for the energy rating on the packet and go for A only. Energy saving light-bulbs are a bit more expensive than the regular old ones, but they last for 5-10 years and save up to 70% of energy used, so it’s a false economy to buy cheaper bulbs.

2. Switch off standby – this device is on sale at the moment and you don’t need an electrician to install it. It’s like a remote control to switch off all non-essential power supplies in an office or home.

3. Motion sensor lights – these are great, especially in offices and communal areas in flats or house-shares. If possible, look out for LED bulbs as these use hardly any energy but do tend to be used more for atmospheric low-lighting conditions.

4. Appliances – in the home situation, when choosing cookers, fridges, washing machines etc. always look for the energy rating. AAA is best and G is the worst. If you currently have an old fridge, it’s possible to add a Sava Plug to it to improve energy efficiency.

Water

Considering that water rates have just gone up in the UK, it makes sense to save this resource too.

1. New toilets by law require a dual flush cistern, but if you have any older toilets, consider fitting a hippo into the cistern. This is a low cost way of using less water for every flush.

2. Add an aerator fitting to taps.

3. Stop all dripping taps.

Photo credit: thingermejig

The OWL shows you how much electricity you use and how much it costs you, as well as the level of harmful C02 emissions you are contributing to the environment through your electricity usage. It gives you everything you need to know to start saving electricity, and can end up saving you up to 25% on your electricity bill. So at this low price, your investment will pay itself back in no time, and save the planet at the same time.

The offer is only valid until the 18th of August 2008, so don’t hang around if you want one! Find out more and read product reviews here.

Warmer weather is imminent and it’s time to get outdoors. From picnics to digging in the garden, you’ll love Nigel’s Eco Stores new range of eco outdoor and gardening products that will save you money as well as help the planet and make gardening great fun…

Paper Potter
Forget about buying sowing and seedling pots. Turn your old newspapers into seedling pots with the ingenious Paper Potter. It’s easy to use and newspaper pots reduce disturbance to tender roots when transplanting because they compost away.

Organic String on a Stand
Organic jute string on an FSC oak spindle stand with an integral blade on the stand that cuts the string without needing scissors or a knife.

Potting Shed Collection
A great gift for a gardener. Nigel’s lovely Eco Potting Shed Collection includes the Paper Potter as well as a Dibblet for pricking out seedlings, an Oak Pot Tamper for firming the soil, a Dibber for creating the perfect space for seedlings and Garden Lines to get the professional row. The potting shed collection is organic and FSC approved.

100% Biodegradable Leaf Sacks
If you need inspiration for your compost, but don’t have room for a compost bin, we have just the thing – our 100% biodegradable leaf sacks turn garden waste into nutritional plant food. All you need to do is fill one up with leaves, leave it in a corner of the garden and voila, you will have a wonderfully rich compost for next year’s plants.

Eco Picnic Set
For picnics in the park, invest in a 100% compostable picnic set that is ethically and sustainably made. In the recycled jute bag is a fully biodegradable and reusable picnic set consisting of plates, cups, glasses, cutlery and napkins – all held in place with a removable divider.

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