VideoTomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash or all of the above?

We have the basics of apartment gardening down and still need to decide what to grow.

When most people start their urban garden, they have visions of growing tomatoes, cucumbers and so many other vegetables. Then the reality sets in when tomatoes start dying and cucumbers shrivel up. Not to worry. I’ll help you to figure out which vegetables to choose.

For instance, one of the biggest mistakes that people make is planting a vegetable such as tomatoes in a spot that doesn’t get enough sunlight for them to grow.

In this video you will learn common vegetables to grow based on the amount of sun your garden gets.

If you are not sure how to tell how much sunlight your garden space gets, check out this post that I wrote about the process.

And if you feel like it, share how much sun your garden gets and what you are planning to grow in the comments below.

Mike Lieberman shows people with little to no land how to start growing their own food so they can avoid toxic pesticides, eat healthier and not feel limited by their lack of experience and space. Connect with him here to learn more urban gardening tips.

Image: tillwe

ColumnThe significance of our locks.

Throughout history, humans have imbued hair with meaning. Take for instance a superstitious Picasso who is said to have kept all his hair cuttings (and nails) to protect him from witchcraft. In an era when women were still property, Victorians’ long tresses could increase a dowry. Urban myth or not, Samson may indeed have lost his virility when Delilah cut his locks.

Hair continues to be a symbol, and its presence or absence is a powerful marker across cultures. In her work, Jenine Shereos, a sculptor and installation artist specializing in fiber and textile processes, is interested in drawing on the metaphor of memory. No wonder she is fascinated with this medium.

One can imagine her thinking as she describes,”the delicate trace of a hair falling silently, imperceptibly, from one’s head becoming the veins of a leaf as it falls from a tree leaving its indelible imprint on the ground below.”

In transforming those ephemeral strands, Shereos says of her process:

Inspired by the delicate and detailed venation of a leaf, I began stitching individual strands of hair by hand into a water- soluble backing material. At each point where one strand of hair intersected another, I stitched a tiny knot, so that when the backing was dissolved, the entire piece was able to hold its form.

With all that is embodied in her medium, Shereos brings our focus to these delicate, temporal objects, making us forget for a moment, what power each strand might otherwise hold.

Photos by Robert Diamante.  Inspired by a post on DesignTaxi

Eco, trends, art, creativity and how they tumble through social media to shape culture fascinate EcoSalon columnist Dominique Pacheco. Her trends blog, mixingreality, speaks to these topics daily, and here at EcoSalon, she takes a weekly look at the intersection of eco and art. We call it heARTbeat.

From debugging the grill of your car to cleaning pots and pans, there’s more than one way to use a dryer sheet. 

You’ve probably heard the tip about putting dryer sheets in your vacuum or bottom of the trash can to keep things smelling fresh. You haven’t? Well, it’s true. And here are ten additional ways of fluffing up your abode with downy freshness (we always suggest using non-toxic dryer sheets!)

1. Dusting
Use dryer sheets to dust blinds, fans or almost any surface. The anti static properties in the sheets will help repel the dust. They are easy to hold and you can dust your laundry room after folding the clothes. Don’t forget to dust the TV and reduce static on the screen.

2. Reduce Static Cling
Rub on your dress or stockings to keep your dress from riding up. You can also use them on your computer and TV screen. Even rub on your hair to prevent ecstatic flyaways.

3. Pets
Rub a sheet on your wet dog to take away the “wet rug” smell after a swim or bath. Towel him or her dry first. You can remove pet hair from your clothes and furniture with them as well.

4. Freshen Gym Accessories
Keep them in your gym bag, boxing gloves or shoes to keep away mold and stinky funk.

5. Cars.
De-bug or de-sap your car with dryer sheets. Wet down your car and rub with the sheets to remove bug guts on the windshield or the front grill. It works like a charm on tree sap, too. While you’re at it, toss one into the trunk to freshen things up in there.

6. Easy Clean Up
Clean paint brushes by soaking in warm water with a dryer sheet. Works on pots and pans with burnt on food, too. Use the same method.

7. De-Squeak Your Shoes
Rub on the bottom of rubber soled shoes to keep them from squeaking on cement floors.

8. On the Road
Place between your packed clothes to get rid of that musty luggage smell. Keep in your suitcase and camping gear when stored, too. Put them in the air conditioner vent in your hotel room to take away mildew odors.

9. Crafts
Run a sheet over your thread while sewing. The thread won’t tangle as easily. They can add structure to appliqué and quilting projects, too.

10. Insect Repellant
Tuck them in your socks or belt to keep away the bugs. You might look ridiculous but it works in a pinch.

Bonus Sheets!
Wipe scissor blades with a sheet to help them cut smoother lines. Use dryer sheets to polish your glasses, though not recommended for plastic lenses.

Image: This Week for Dinner

Roses are red, violets are blue, everything was great ‘til he moved in with you.

Couples move in for all sorts of reasons: love, convenience, flood damage, rodents. Using the above as a very rough estimation, that means only 25% of move-ins are intentional. Wait. A whopping three quarters of co-habitating partners are living together by accident? It’s entirely possible. No wonder 50% of marriages end in divorce.

According to Airbnb, a global network that hooks travelers up with hyper-local accommodations (be it an empty apartment or cozy corner in a loft), the love shack needn’t come crashing down quite so hard.

Here’s how:

The trend of house swapping and shelter sharing is as current as typography. Like the font Helvetica, a good sublet will suit just about every occasion. An apartment swap in Paris, summer in Bushwick, campaigning in Washington – all housing conundrums easily remedied with a sublease. Hidden in that clause, too, is an opportunity to test-drive your significant other’s long-term potential.

Airbnb conducted a poll that found 58% of women would prefer a test move-in with their lover but rent being what it is, all too often the bachelorette pad is sacrificed in the melee of good sex or a bed bug infestation.

The company provides monthly sublets in 17,745 cities and 188 countries. It’s a eureka solution, and an opportunity to take a more long-view approach on your relationship before commingling cutlery.

No matter what kind of relationship you’re in, it’s a win-win. For example,

Young lovers:

The hot new boyfriend has a horrid roommate, and so do you. On the other hand, your downtown lover also a gaming habit you’re not so sure about. Get a sublet, live month-to-month in a furnished pad before jumping into a 12-month lease.

Long-distance:

Are you sleepless in Seattle? Awww, that’s about as cute as Meg Ryan’s pantsuit in 1993 (to say nothing of Rosie’s shoulder pads).

We’re in the middle of a housing crisis. You’d have to be as codependent as Alice Hill to give up your Harvard Square apartment for some dude you Skype with on Friday nights. Test-drive and keep your mortgage paid by listing your apartment on Airbnb first.

Newlyweds:

Kate Winslet is a city girl. Country life drives her bonkers. The suburbs leave her feeling unfulfilled. Yet in role after role, she ends up barefoot and pregnant in the ‘burbs and it never ends well. If you find yourself recently married, do not pull a Winslet and move to suburbia just because Leo asks you to. Trade in your East Village apartment for a sublet on Metro North in three-month increments. Move back to the city, try commuting again. Then decide if your happily ever after resides in New Rochelle.

Images: CinemaSeries; IMDB; Ali Leila; IMDB

Wherein we ask our favorite design bloggers, curators and forecasters what inspires them.  

We are very pleased that Jaime Derringer of Design-Milk is kicking off our inaugural week in our 5 Questions Series. Design-Milk is a blog and magazine that provides constant inspiration and direction on what’s happening in contemporary art, furniture, architecture, interior design, style, technology, and home accessories.

Jaime decided to answer all five of our questions, earning her an official spot in the EcoSalon Favorite Interviewee’s Of All Time Hall of Fame.

What’s on your coffee table?

Books. I don’t have a library of books, so the only books I own are coffee table books that have been sent to me. Right now I have the Knoll book, Barber Osgerby, and Design in One Hundred Objects. Also, a pair of small antlers I picked up at a flea market.

What object are you currently lusting after and what would you do with it?

I lust over something new every day. However, my current obsession is fabric for my family room ottoman, which is a hideous beige. I’m considering Schumacher Scallop fabric, but if I don’t use it for the ottoman, I have got to find a place for it.

What’s your favorite object and how did you find it?

I don’t have a favorite object because I have so many. However, one of my little treasures is this “It’s OK” sculpture by Multi-Polar Projects (Matthew Hoffman).

Every time I look at it I remember that everything is gonna be OK. And that everything is OK.

The story behind the sculpture is that he is carving one million of these little OKs. I have #3029.

What’s the story behind your favorite photograph, and how did you choose to frame it?

My favorite photographs probably remain unframed sitting on my hard drive. However, one of my favorite photographs that I actually have framed is a photo taken by my mother of Ocean City beach in New Jersey, where my family has had a house since I was little. The remarkable thing about this photo is that it’s actually a color photograph, but captured on an overcast day gives the appearance of it being black and white. The poor frame has been banged up in our many moves and deserves a nicer home.

What is the most awkward, wayward object in your home?

This is the weirdest thing I own. It was a gift, and I love it. But it scares my friends’ kids. It’s a momma giraffe and her baby. I have no idea about its origin, what it’s made of or who made it but it’s a conversation starter.

The 5 Questions Series is an ongoing project wherein we peek inside the workspaces and living spaces of our favorite design bloggers, curators and trendsetters.

More than a shower curtain: consider it a blank canvas.

Another creation from design collaborative Grain, this DIY Shower curtain kit (called Ty, $33) encourages you to embrace your inner grizzly, unicorn, or whatever inspires your permanent marker (included; comes in black, blue or green).

The plain white shower curtain is made from 100% High-Density Polyethylene, one of the most commonly recycled and PVC-free plastics available today, and strung up on nickel-plated brass grommets. The refillable non-toxic magic marker is comprised of 74% post-consumer waste material.

What we love about Grain is that their products are created with sustainability in mind, either in the Pacific Northwest or in collaboration with artisan communities in Guatemala. They also donate a percentage of their annual revenue to The Organic Seed Alliance, PCC Farmland Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Park Foundation.

Now for drawing lessons…

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

Room with a hue: the Pantone Hotel is themed around every designer’s essential tool.

Cutting-edge design might not be the first thing that springs to mind when Brussels is mentioned. Maybe mussels, chocolate, lots of Euro-politics. As such, the Pantone Hotel is a much-needed blast of color in the midst of bureaucratic grey. If you’re a beige, greige or otherwise neutral palette person, then forget it. If you’re a designer, it’s hotel heaven.

Everything, from mugs and folding chairs to walls, is in a Pantone color showing its ID number or name. Even the bicycles (available for sale, though not for riding) are brightly colored.

Sixties moulded plastic chairs in zingy orange and Mediterranean turquoise, and stripey walls, are guaranteed to pep you up for a stroll round the city, but won’t look so great after too many brews.

Interiors are white canvases with splashes of color, each of the seven floors is themed by mood (earthy: brown; fiery: vermillion; vibrant: orange; fresh: aquamarine). The accents, used sparingly to dramatic effect, are provided by pantone panels on the walls showing each room’s palette along with tonally-coordinated original artwork. Block-color bedspreads abound in the bedroom; in the bathroom, cups, shampoo and toilet roll (yes, really).

The 61 guest rooms have LCD TVs and free WIFI; being a tall townhouse, the top ones offer great city views. If you’re a low-down, just pop up to the roof terrace to look out over this medieval city.

Rates from $143 including tax and every color in the rainbow and beyond, but not the Pantone products (cups, chairs, iPhone cases). The little colored sugar sachets are good to go, though.

ColumnWhat would your mother/daughter relationship look like through the lens of a photographer?

Julia Fullerton-Batten makes a career of focusing our gaze on the multifaceted world of women. Her latest series is no different: Mothers and Daughters peers into the fertile ground of relationships shared between two generations of women. Working with real families, Fullerton-Batten presents a somewhat manipulated scenario in which these stories unfold.

Fullerton-Batten typically brings a stylized eye to her subjects, high production value to her finished shots, and directs a strong narrative. In the case of this series, she worked a little differently:

I chose to work with real mother and daughter pairs in their own environment, rather than with models or actors.  I only needed to orchestrate the sitters moderately to show the essence of their emotional bond. 

They created their own small world together, at the same time, through the staging of the scene, reviving my memories of my own family’s relationships.

As the project grew in shape, form and content, I related to twenty different mother and daughter pairs, with their very varied, sometimes ultra-sensitive relationship and realized again how much the fragility and vulnerability of the female is exposed fully in the mother-daughter relationship.

Though the portraits tend to portray a certain socio-economic demographic and is notably missing women of color, we can’t help but find moments of familiarity within the photos.

Fullerton-Batten taps the root of commonality with her theme. Indeed that may be the most unnerving aspect of the project as we witness the most visceral of universal bonds under the glare of key light.

Inspired by a post in Whitezine. Images via Julia Fullerton-Batten.

Eco, trends, art, creativity and how they tumble through social media to shape culture fascinate EcoSalon columnist Dominique Pacheco. Her trends blog, mixingreality, speaks to these topics daily, and here at EcoSalon, she takes a weekly look at the intersection of eco and art. We call it heARTbeat.

Get yourself in the mood for V-Day.

Valentine’s Day is not for everyone. But pretty much everyone can be sorted into one of two categories vis á vis the pinkest day of the year.

Category A: you experienced sweaty palms and heart-wrenching anxiety while trading Valentine’s Day cards in grammar school, afraid that no one would remember that you heart stationary, too. You were left so emotionally scarred that you inadvertently sabotage whatever romantic situation you’re in two weeks before the big day. For you, Valentine’s Day is the loneliest day of the year.

Category B: you were the type who had to employ three brown paper lunch bags instead of half of one to get all your admirations, candies and pastel colored cutouts home after the most scintillating day of the school year. You love love. You love Valentine’s Day. You will love these three Valentine’s Day decoration ideas.

1.) Order 48 mini prints from Printstagram for $12 and make a wall heart. 

2.) Create some mood lighting with a package of doilies from the craft store and a set of strung up lights. Just poke the lights through the paper.

3.) Set a romantic table with a bouquet of flowers and raspberries in your champagne. Bring out the dishes you don’t normally use and write a love note underneath the dish on an old book page.

Enjoy. If you can.

Image: Helga Weber; Loving Living Small; French Lark Spur, jaroslavd

An indoor solution for the balcony and allotment-less urban dweller.

The word parasite carries with it some nasty connotations, particularly for the independent young urbanite. There’s the bloodcurdling kind (rats scrambling into crevices pitted into the tracks of the F train, e.g.)and then there’s the human kind (roommate, from hell). Both are pretty nasty.

They feed off our trash while lusting for our blood. They’re capable of murder most foul. Parasites: they suck. Whoever would invite them to live amongst us, in our kitchens? Where we eat?

The answer is, clever Deutschlanders Charlotte Dieckmann and Nils Ferber. They’re behind the strikingly inoffensive Parasite Farm.

The Parasite Farm is an indoor vermicomposting system, replete with a chopping-board for quick scraps disposal. It can be attached to a kitchen table and the mountable plant boxes can be affixed to existing bookshelves.

Inside the Parasite Farm live the parasites that feed off your biological waste churning it into humus soil.

According to Fast Company via The New York Times, food waste accounts for roughly 13 percent of the trash in the United States. Composting in the open country or even the ‘burbs offers an easy solution to offset that level of waste. Composting in the city is “not for the faint of heart.”

“It requires commitment, space and sharing tight quarters with rotting matter and two-inch-long wiggler worms that look like pulsing vermicelli.”

Um, ick.

It also beckons fruit flies and, if not pulled off correctly, major olfactory funk. Luckily the Parasite Farm comes with this handy little flytrap to keep the fruit flies where they’re meant to be.

And the lively green device makes the task look friendly and approachable, thus totally doable for the composting impaired.

Here’s a visual of how it works:

Step 1.

Slide veggie trimmings into the bin, where the worms live.

Step 2.

Harvesting involves shaking the grate at the bottom and pulling it out of the drawer underneath

Step 3.

Leftover water is siphoned into a separate tank to be used as a liquid fertilizer.

Step 4.

Voila! Fertilize seeds with your apartment grown soil. Call yourself Farmer Jane.

Truly, this is as close to urban organic as you can get.

Images: Alexander Giesemann; Charlotte Dieckmann