While I’ve never met a plant I didn’t love, succulents and air plants are favorites for their extraordinary variety, stunning forms and low consumption of water. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or believe you have a “black” thumb, these unique gems reward you with their ability to thrive as they bring an environmentally-friendly touch of the outdoors inside.

Survival of the succulent

The same survival traits that allows them to prosper in dry, arid climates where nothing else will grow makes these gorgeous guys ideal as a greener choice for houseplants. Unlike most thirst guzzlers, they can thrive with very little water because of their ability to store water in their leaves, stems or roots. This same storage system helps give them their “chubby” appearance or succulence. They are in fact “juicy” but don’t be deceived by their voluptuous appearance. They’re also tough and long-lasting.

Living on air

Air plants (tillandsias) grow magically without soil. They come in a wild array of
delicate and exotic shapes. Some air plants also flower at certain times of the
year. Tucking them into a container of stones, beach glass or sand creates
an instant indoor garden. All they require is filtered light, a spritz of
water a couple of times a week and a gentle upside-down shake to prevent
soggy bottoms.

Learn more about xeriscaping, succulents and eco-friendly gardening. And we’ll be taking a look at cacti and orchids soon, as well, so bookmark this post for updates.

Images: cattypumkinhead, VivaTerra

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Ten Easy Steps to the Organic Garden of Your Dreams:

If you’ve ever walked by a neighbor’s yard and thought, “I’ll have what she’s having” – if you’ve ever experienced overwhelming garden lust – this list is for you. The secret really is in the soil.

1. Why sexy soil? Easy. It’s the best “breeding ground” for any flower or veggie that you plant. It nourishes your nasturtiums, caresses your carrots with compost and supports your sunflowers. The best news is once you have it, you won’t need any toxic chemicals to make your garden to grow. If your soil thrives, your plants will, too.

2. What’s your type? Before you begin, decide if you’re crazy for daisies or if you’re really a lettuce lover. Be realistic as to your climate, garden size, and time commitment.

3. Lighten up. Watch the sun to check its daily path across your garden. Every plant has different light needs and this may help you choose.

4. Pick a partner. Next, head to your local nursery with a soil sample, and let the soil expert know what you’d like to plant – flowers, veggies, herbs, succulents, etc. Most importantly, let them know you plan to make this an organic activity. They’ll help determine if your soil is sandy, has too much clay or if you’re very lucky, naturally loamy.

5. Good dirt. It’s easy to crumble and light so it can absorb nutrients and water. You’re creating living soil that ultimately maintains itself with proper care. You’ll get a feel for it if you scoop out some potting soil at the nursery. Whether you’re planning a big plot or a few containers, the nursery can help you with amendments to fix yours or simple potting mix.

6. Dirty talk. What do you mean you don’t like to get your hands dirty? For those trying to maintain a manicure, there are some terrific garden gloves created by and for women.

7. Fork play. While we’re on the subject, like any new relationship, the right tools transform digging from drudgery to delight. Spades, trowels, weeders and forks are basics that will make your life easier. Buy the best you can afford.

8. Do you compost? No, that’s not a personal question. If you have the space, it’s the best way to amend your soil and recycle kitchen scraps.

9. Making your bed. Getting the plot or pot ready for planting is the garden equivalent to preparing a gorgeous, fluffy bed. Whether you’re amending or adding compost, turning the soil well is all-important. Be sure to turn the soil deeply and thoroughly so your plants of choice can snuggle in and put down roots.

10. Digging in. Before you plant, place the pots where you envision them. Be sure not to overcrowd the plants. They need room to grow and spread in the living home you’ve created for them.

Editor’s note: Bonnie Trust Dahan is the best-selling author of Garden House: Bringing the Outdoors In.

Image: Simon Grossi

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Catherine Hunziker MacMann, herbalist and proprietor of Wishgarden Herbs in Boulder, Colo. came up with this harmonious blend. When infused, the combination of herbs, berries, and roots makes a wonderful tea that acts as a tonic to the whole system.

Nettles are high in iron and other minerals as well as vitamin C, which helps their absorption into your body. Alfalfa leaf, dubbed the father of all foods by the Arabs, is rich in protein. Red clover is a relaxant that has been used as an anticancer remedy since the 1930s. Hawthorn berries act as a tonic for the heart. Oatstraw is a restorative tonic and counteracts nervous and physical exhaustion while benefiting menopausal women with estrogen deficiencies. Dandelion root stimulates and cleanses the liver. Spearmint promotes good digestion and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

You’ll need:

2 tablespoons dried nettle leaves

2 tablespoons dried alfalfa leaves

2 tablespoons red clover blossoms

2 tablespoons hawthorn berries

2 tablespoons oatstraw

2 tablespoons dandelion root

2 tablespoons dried spearmint leaves

To make 1 cup:

Combine the herbs and mix well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. To make the tea, bring 1 cup purified water to a boil and pour over herbal blend. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Strain and drink while hot. Drink 1 to 3 cups a day.

Note: reprinted with permission from my book, Wise Concoctions: Natural Elixirs and Tonics for Health and Energy.

Image: kanko*

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One of the reasons juicing has become so popular is that it concentrates the vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables so that immediately after drinking them you often can experience a beneficial boost to your system. This particular combination provides magnesium, potassium, and calcium – all rich nutrients that nourish the body.

Chlorophyll, which is also plentiful in green leafy vegetables, has a rejuvenating effect. Nourishing to the intestines, it helps filter toxins from the liver. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which supports the immune system and promotes skin health. The apple adds a sweet taste and contains pectin, another cleansing and purifying agent. You will almost feel the renewed energy coursing through your body as you sip this "cocktail".

You will need:

– 3 to 4 organic kale leaves

– 2 tablespoons chopped fresh organic parsley

– 4 organic carrots, scrubbed but not peeled

– 1 organic apple, seeded but not peeled

To make:

Put the kale, parsley, carrots, and apple through a juicer. Stir well until the cocktail has a uniform consistency.

Note: reprinted with permission from Wise Concoctions: Natural Elixirs and Tonics for Health and Energy.
Image: Tim Gage

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Try these additions to the usual cup of warmed milk the next time you have trouble getting to sleep.

In Ayurvedic medicine, milk is considered a nourishing and building food, while its calcium and triptophan content calm and relax. Adding ginger or cinnamon followed by a teaspoon of honey counteracts the mucous that can form if one uses cow’s milk.

Besides its calming properties, this milk decoction strengthens the digestive system and is extremely nutritive. Lycii, a sweet-tasting Chinese herb available in most Chinatowns or by mail order, is a kidney and liver tonic, high in vitamins A and C, carotene, and linoleic acid. Dried red dates, another Chinese, herb, are sweet and warming; they soothe the emotions when you are irritable and help you to drift peacefully into sweet dreams.

You’ll need:

1 cup milk, soy milk, or rice milk (organic)

3 dried red dates, soaked in warm water to soften

4 lycii berries

1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger root or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Honey

To make:

Heat the milk. Remove seeds from the dates and grind the dates and the lycii with a mortar and pestle or in a blender or food processor. Combine this mixture with the ginger or cinnamon. Add the ground herbs to the heated milk and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add honey to taste. Strain and sip slowly.

Note:

For the wide-awake-at-3-a.m. version of insomnia, you may not want to take the time to grind the herbs. I have found a simpler version of this elixir just as effective at those times. Simply simmer the whole herbs in milk for 10 minutes, strain, and stumble back to bed, cup in hand. (The herbs can be eaten; just be careful of the pits in the dates.)

Image: Ann Marie

Editor’s note: reprinted with permission from Wise Concoctions: Natural Elixirs and Tonics for Health and Energy.

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A spring makeover for your laundry room? Why not?

Whether your washing machine and dryer reside in a closet or a hall or a spare bathroom, the laundry area is often a forgotten space.

Remember, the spring ritual walk-through and makeover is all about converting life’s chores into pleasures. By greening and brightening the area where you do your laundry, even the weekly wash will take on a new, lighter feeling.

Simple Switch

As in any room, you can easily start with a fresh coat of low-VOC paint to gain a new perspective. This guest bath and laundry area pictured must have looked awfully forlorn before getting a vibrant splash of paint.

Clear & Cleanse

More often than not, this space becomes a repository for old brooms, broken vacuum cleaners and dwindling cleaning supplies. The first step is to look for items you can eliminate and simplify. Keep the tools and products you really use and donate or safely dispose of the rest. You’ll open up shelf, wall, or cabinet space and eliminate unnecessary chemicals and toxins from your home.

Why buy organic cotton or bamboo towels and sheets only to wash them in conventional laundry detergent? Some of my favorite eco-friendly brands are Seventh Generation detergent and Mrs. Meyer’s, which is available in a variety of aromatherapy scents. (Meyer’s also makes fabric softener sheets if you use them in the dryer. Or, follow Kim’s advice and make your own!)

Corral the Clutter

No matter what products you use, they can look like an unsightly hodge-podge if they aren’t stored thoughtfully. For open shelving, I like to find inexpensive baskets with handles and line them with colorful fabric remnants appropriate to the season and corral all the clutter in this area. But your storage options are really limitless.

Savings & Space

If it’s time to replace an old washer and dryer, look for a set with the Energy Star logo, and trust it. Last year when my 20-year-old set gave out, I comparison shopped and learned that I’d be saving money by switching. (Our regional gas and electric company offered generous rebates as well.)

New appliances will not only spruce up this area, they actually produce cleaner clothes, using less water. Since they’re usually front loading, you’ll also gain a folding "table" on top – another unexpected benefit when space is an issue.

Image: Chad Jones

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This month I’ve been sharing my tips for a seasonal makeover of your home. As you refresh your space for spring, don’t forget that the easiest room to perk up is the bathroom. 

No matter how tiny yours may be, the simplest changes can have big impact. Often neglected, updating bathroom décor holds endless possibilities.

Here are my tips:

A Gallery Approach

Color: without spending a fortune on redoing countertops or back splashes, a new coat of paint in an unexpected color draws the eye away from uninteresting bath tile.

Wall decor: think about art – yes, art in the bathroom. Black and white photographs grouped on a wall or one strong, graphic poster beautifully framed will add an element of surprise. If your storage space is limited, consider arranging and hanging your collection of necklaces, earrings or bracelets as a functional collage. Hanging an open cabinet allows you to stagger displays of perfume bottles, candles, or other favorite objet with towels in bright spring tones. Or, if you paint the cabinet, there’s nothing fresher than a perfect stack of folded white towels.

Speaking of Towels

This may be the perfect time to relegate the fraying towels you’ve had for years to the basket of cleaning supplies. Nothing is more comforting than drying off with a fresh, fluffy towel. Look for certified organic cotton or silky 100% bamboo labels to be sure that you’re getting the purest eco textiles. Choosing one color to coordinate with the walls or furnishings gives the room a serene feeling. Sage green, sky blue, sand or ivory are all reflections of nature’s awakening outdoors.

Scents of the Season

Save the spicier scents for fall. Refreshing lemon grass, lime, orange, vetiver, or rosemary are all uplifting scents that speak of spring. Fortunately, we’re seeing more and more choices in candles that use vegetable wax or beeswax rather than paraffin – a crude oil by-product to avoid.  Essential oils instead of  fragrance oils are always preferred and offer aromatherapy benefits as well.

Floors and More

Gone are the days of the shaggy polyester bath mat (at least they should be) that harbored bacteria and felt like you were stepping on wet fur.

If you still prefer a textile mat, look for organic cotton in a flat weave to coordinate with your towels that can be easily washed and dried. Woven reeds, natural fibers, teak or hinoki wood, the vetiver shown here, stone, or bamboo mats are healthier and more stylish eco options for the bathroom floor.

Spring is also a good time to toss those expired prescriptions, cosmetics and make-up. You can use some of these same materials on your counter or corner shelves as storage solutions. Investing in a few eco-friendly boxes to hide those vials and tubes helps to organize bathroom clutter that accumulates so easily.

Add a bamboo or teak ladder to hang towels or magazines if you have room and save shelf space.  That change alone might just be enough to give your bath a whole new refreshing look for spring.

Recommended:

Open storage, $59
Bamboo towels, $15-78 (in sets of two)
Corner storage, $89
Vetiver mat, $49-69
Bamboo ladder, $129

Note: Bamboo rack, bamboo towels, vetiver mat and hinoki corner storage images used with permission. Products by sponsor VivaTerra.

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Wines, syrups, cordials, jams, and medicinal tisanes have been created from the flowers and berries of the elder plant. I remember being spared from an impending case of jet lag one summer after an all-night flight to London by the bracing effect of an iced elderflower lemonade.

This version is a perfect antidote to summer colds as the elderflowers encourage sweating and, in combination with yarrow and mint, help relieve upper respiratory congestion. The astringent action of the lemon helps tissues to contract so that mucous is released, which helps cleanse and purify the system. Lemons are also high in vitamin C. Honey, an antiseptic that deters germ growth, soothes and sweetens this elixir.

You’ll Need:

1 cup purified water

1 teaspoon dried elderflowers

1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried peppermint leaves

1/2 teaspoon yarrow leaves

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup carbonated mineral water

Sprig of fresh mint

To Make:

Bring the water to a boil and pour over the herbs. Allow to steep for 5 minutes or longer. (For a hot drink, simply add the lemon and honey and eliminate the next step.)

To make the spritzer, add the lemon and honey, and allow the infusion to cool in the refrigerator. When ready to drink, add the carbonated water and stir. Garnish with the mint sprig.

Editor’s note: opt for local honey as it’s just the thing for combating irritation caused by the pollen in your area.

Image: elderflower by smoobs

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The popularity of espresso drinks and the frustration of friends who can’t drink caffeinated beverages, but still yearn for the aroma and taste of freshly brewed coffee, led to the creation of Herbal Espresso.

This delicious healthful blend comes close to the taste of the real thing and delivers a powerful tonic effect at the same time.

Dandelion root has a reputation as a blood builder and liver strengthener, unlike coffee, which actually irritates the liver. The dark color and richness of chicory evoke the blended coffees of New Orleans. The tradition of adding chicory to coffee actually originated with the French, who believe this root counteracts the acidic quality of coffee. They also make chicory into a decoction on its own to neutralize stomach acidity. Ginseng, an overall tonic, acts as a natural stimulant for those who relish the energizing effect that coffee provides. Molasses contributes natural B vitamins and sweetness to replace refined sugar. Carob powder and cinnamon add aromatic flavorings.

You’ll need:

1-2 cups purified water

3-5 teaspoons Herbal Espresso Blend

1/2 teaspoon carob powder

1-2 teaspoons molasses, honey or pure maple syrup

Pinch of ground cinnamon

To make:

Bring the water to a boil. Place 3-4 teaspoons Herbal Espresso Blend in a drip coffee filter. Pour the boiling water through the mixture and allow to drip into a coffee cup. Add the cinnamon and carob powder for added flavor. If too strong add more hot water. Sweeten to taste with the molasses, honey, or maple syrup.

Herbal Espresso Blend:

To make the herb blend, roast chicory (1 cup dried root), dandelion (1/4 cup dried chopped root), barley (1/2 cup pearl), and ginseng (1/8 cup chopped root) in a 200 F oven for 2 hours. (Or roast in a large heavy skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.) Grind in a clean coffee grinder until very fine. Store in a glass container with a lid.

Note: Ginseng is not recommended for pregnant women or individuals with high blood pressure. It may also have estrogenic activity, which aggravates fibrocystic breast disease in women. If any of these conditions are present, simply eliminate the ginseng from this mixture.

Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission from the book Wise Concoctions.

Image: Striatic

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Why not start your ritual day where you spend the most time – in your bedroom?

All those layers of comforters, quilts and blankets suddenly look cumbersome. Darker tones and rich colors that felt cozy during chilly winter nights can seem heavy now. It also makes sense to “green” the bedroom while you refresh it.

The Basics: Your Mattress

If yours is more than 10 years old, consider a replacement. Options abound, and as the most functional and used piece of furniture you own, it’s well worth it to make this step a green one. Aside from the environmental issues related to the source of their materials, off gassing from conventional mattresses has been cited as a cause of allergies and illness. Polyester fiberfill in many mattresses tends to hold moisture, creating high humidity while you sleep. And most mattress cushioning is polyurethane or memory foam – filled with chemicals.

I replaced my conventional mattress last year, and went all the way with an FSC-certified wood frame, carbon steel coils, natural latex foam, Oeko-tex certified pure wool, and organic cotton covers and bed pad. I have to tell you, I have never slept more peacefully.

Linens

It may also be time to renew your linen closet with organic cotton or bamboo sheets, cases, duvet covers, and shams. And then the fun begins. You can keep it simple and outfit your bed in the purest ivory so it becomes a serene nest, or you can combine colors that please you. Lavender and gray or ivory work well together, as do pale aqua and dusty cocoa. Mix and match tones and patterns as you please. Play!

The Layered Bed
 
Collecting textiles from various cultures around the world when I travel, I tend toward a neutral color for bedding and a revolving palette of coverlets, throw, shawls, and runners. You can overlap sizes and shapes, add a fresh toss pillow or two, and the bed becomes a personal work of art.

Simple Seasonal Switches

Bedside rugs are another easy fix to a tired look. Store your shaggy wool 3 x 5 and try a flat kilim or aromatic vetiver. Or, take up the rugs completely and move toward a cleaner, edited look.

Consider changing out the shades on your bedside lamp for linen or silk, or put them aside and opt for discreet wall-mounted reading lamps.

The Inexpensive Makeover

Finally, turn to paint – always the most dramatic and least costly décor change. One pop of wall color transforms a beige boudoir into a designer’s vision. Blue, lavender (yes, I said lavender), or sage green are restful hues. Bright yellow, magenta, and persimmon can add a liveliness that cheer you as you open your eyes to a new spring morning.

As with any room, any one of these elements may be enough to renew your bedroom or it just might encourage you to try other easy fixes to create your spring update.

Note: This post is part of my March series featuring simple ways to transition into spring. Be sure to read last week’s post: From Dreaded Chore to Refreshing Ritual: How to Reinvent Spring Cleaning.

Image: Jeff Kubina

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