Much has been written about the benefits of creating an edible garden. It’s good for your health, your wallet, and for the environment. But as this recent article in the New York Times points out, urban gardeners really need to be aware of what’s in the soil they are using to grow their vegetables and fruits. (See our post on testing your soil.)

Information collected since 2003 shows that in many big cities there are hazardous amounts of lead in backyard and community gardens.

This is putting …

Harvesting electricity from fake trees?

That’s the idea behind a British start-up company, Solar Botanic Ltd, which plans on building forests of artificial trees that can soak up sunshine and generate clean power.

This novel approach to generating electricity is the brainchild of company founder Alex van der Beek, who wants to create a form of electricity production that doesn’t appear to alter the natural landscape. His solution – the creation of  nanoleaves, artificial leaves that would utilize photovoltaic, thermoelectrics and piezoelectric …

Years ago, when I was traveling in Peru, I became enamored with the way Andean women carried their babies – in blankets tied around their backs.

It made so much sense; after all, strollers are heavy, expensive and impossible to push up a mountain trail or crowded cobblestone mercado. The mamachas had their hands free and their young children were safe and secure, held so close to their mother’s body. I vowed then and there that if I ever had children, I’d wear them that way too.

And now …

Did you catch everything this week? Take a closer look at what you may have missed.

The sun will soon be back in full force, so save your skin from damage caused by UVA and UVB rays and unnecessary chemicals with Katherine’s picks for the Best Organic Sunscreens for Your Face.

Enter for your chance to win a Reclaimed Redwood Adirondack Chair by e-mailing us your ideas for the perfect staycation.

Amy can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as old textile mills across the country begin to crumble along …

Got the itch to redecorate but limited funds? If you’re in need of some inexpensive decor, just look outside. Plenty of options can be found in your own backyard, compliments of Mother Earth. Our friends at Apartment Therapy Re-Nest recently compiled a list of Natural Objects You Can Use In Your Home, and I came up with some more to get your scavenger hunt started.

Stones and Pebbles

Fill a bowl or small glass vase with pebbles or stack stones to …

When it comes to cooking, I like to start from scratch. And I mean from scratch. It’s really not so hard. Case in point: in a few simple steps, you can make your own flour, butter and mayonnaise minus the preservatives for a fraction of the cost you’d typically encounter at a grocery store.

Flour

Making flour is as simple as it gets. You know that container of rolled oats you always have on hand to make your morning serving of homemade oatmeal? Using a food processor, grind several cups down to …

My husband is always first to note that if a perfume’s natural, why is it bottled?

“People like to smell what they can’t in their everyday,” I usually tell him.

After all, it’s not likely I’m going to pick vanilla beans today, wrangle up some sandalwood or score an overflow of Moroccan book bindings (a real scent).

But thanks to a handful of perfumeries here and there, people like you and me are able to smell similar to these …

Summertime, and the cotton is high. It’s also 100% organic and woven in a refreshing feminine palette with low-impact dyes by Midwest modern designer Amy Butler.

Can you imagine having anything but good dreams when tucked into such life-affirming florals?

Come June, this first bedding collection by Butler makes its exotic debut, proving eco-friendly textiles have our fashionable bedrooms covered. Butler thinks over everything in these stunning ensembles, even tossing in the throw pillows to keep the layering a no-brainer.

If it all suits …