Exteriors - Eco-Friendly Alternatives

Heating a Swimming Pool - Top 10 Tips for Cost-Efficient & Eco-friendly ways to heat a pool including planning & building a pool for energy efficiency. Happiness is a warm pool - but how to heat it? Swimming in a warm pool is a wonderful feeling, and while we hear from many pool owners in the cooler states &…

Ground covers & succulent plants offer an Eco-friendly alternative to traditional high maintenance lawn, the bonus is, Bees love them too. Alternatives to grass lawns - ground covers! North American backyards have one main point in common – Kentucky blue grass. But here we’re talking about ground covers and…

Sustainable home landscaping has permeable surfaces, doesn't require a lot of watering, and ideally incorporates rainwater collection. Urban farming means you can eat what grows there, and that's even better. How to grow vegetables & fruits in a garden Plants survived long before humans were around to water them, so…

How to build decks with greater durability - permits, deck materials, railings, foundations & construction techniques for longer lasting decks including natural wood finishing oils & stains. Deck building tips for a durable deck construction: Meeting setbacks and getting building permits in Canada & US Deck…

Three greenhouse owners share their construction methods and experiences for building greenhouses in cold climates where the benefits accumulate for food production. Growing Fruits and vegetables all year round in Canada or the colder parts of North America would be wonderful but, sadly, our climate limits us to a…

Solariums and sunrooms in cold climates will not add heat homes as commonly thought, unless carefully designed for Passive Solar Gain. Solariums have been gaining in popularity over the last 20 years, as many homeowners have found them to be a very enticing solution to brightening up a long winter. They are made…

How to identify and choose plants that are native to your region. Invasive plants are defined as plants from other continents, countries or even other regions of Canada. Humans have been introducing foreign plants to new lands since the 17th century, for horticultural, agricultural or medicinal purposes. Due to a…

How to create landscaping surfaces that allow for the absorption of storm water. Permeable Pavers or Paving Stones are best for Driveways and Paths Gaining an understanding of the importance of stormwater management may steer you towards a design and product choice in interlocking paver stones which will help you…

The importance and the benefits of creating buildings and landscapes that retain and manage rainwater on site. Stormwater - why it's important to choose permeable surfaces for paths & driveways As cities expand into the green space around them, naturally permeable landscapes are replaced with buildings, roads and…

With a little creativity & ingenuity small spaces can be maximized for a greater food harvest from your garden & look great doing so. Many of us look forward to the unmistakable taste of fresh, locally grown vegetables and fruit, especially those that come from our own soil. For those of you who would like to grow…

Whether or not you're interested in edible landscape design, permascaping, or creating a food forest, this list of cold tolerant edible perennials is a great place to start. When beginning to think about permanent edible landscape design and forest gardening, taking in the general concepts of Permaculture can help…