Modern Hippie Mag » Guest Contributor

A world of beauty care products from Nature’s Basin

Guest Contributor — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:00:19 +0000

Nature’s Basin is a US based online retail store specializing in organic beauty product and natural makeup from around the world that are safe but also effective. Nature’s Basin analyzes every ingredient in the products they sell to ensure that the product is safe and there are no harmful chemicals in these products.

Our natural and organic beauty care products are formulated with ingredients from natural sources, such as plants, flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc. We select products that do not contain any synthetic chemicals, including parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, fragrances, or dyes.

Nature’s Basin not only selects beauty care brands that are committed to your health, but also a healthier environment through their production and packaging. We also make it easier for you to shop for products that are organic, vegan, cruelty-free, and hand-made based on your needs. We carry many excellent brands such as Erbaviva, NVEY Eco, Suki, Living Nature, Soleo Sunscreens, Pangea Organics, Sophyto, Suzanne aux bains, from around the world.

Nature’s Basin offers free shipping on all orders over $65 in the Continental USA and free shipping on all orders over $95 to Hawaii and Alaska. Additionally, Nature’s Basin offers a 30 day lowest price guarantee. If you find a lower price online for a product within 30-days of its purchase, we will refund the difference to you. Nature’s Basin also offers a 90-day no questions asked full refund policy or store credit. And not to be missed is their My Rewards Program.

To stay up to date with news and specials, please sign-up for the newsletter and receive a 10% off coupon offer from their home page. Become their Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/naturesbasin and follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/naturesbasin.

A world of beauty care products from Nature’s Basin is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Summer Trends – the Eco-fashion Report from Magnifeco.com

Guest Contributor — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 20:00:58 +0000

Ah, summer! This is the perfect season to add a piece of eco-fashion to your wardrobe with everyone from H&M to Target offering organic cotton t-shirt options. Dressing with ethics doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice aesthetics. Eco-fashion means you can be fashionable while supporting fair and sustainable practices. Want to figure out how to combine the current summer trends with ethics? We bring you our Eco-fashion Report:

Trend#1 – Rompers

L to R – ecoSkin, Elroy, Prairie Underground

Worn everywhere from the red carpet to the market, the romper is back! Following this trend and staying ethical is no problem with these designers. ecoSkin is a California-based apparel company offering chic, contemporary designs for the eco-conscious, fashion-savvy woman by using only environmentally sustainable luxury fabrics (woven, dyed and sewn in the USA.) Canadian designer Leanne McEroy believes it is more than possible to live in abundance without polluting, consuming natural resources excessively or abusing labor practices, and uses only organic or sustainable fabrics: tencel chambray denim, organic cotton, or vegan-friendly raw silk. Seattle-based Prairie Underground ensures that their collection includes organic cotton and remnant/salvaged fabrics and is ethically made in Seattle.

Trend#2 – Grape

L to R – deux fm, Sust, Stewart+Brown

This hot summer shade looks fabulous on everyone regardless of your skin tone or eye colour. Adding a piece of grape to your wardrobe will complement your complexion and keep you on trend. Canadian designer Anna Gilkerson studied in both New York (FIT) and Florence (Polimoda) before she created deux fm. Pronounced deux femmes, the line is for the woman who broadcasts both fashion and ethics. SUST is taking sustainable style to another level with a line of essential pieces in classic styles that are meant to stand the test of time. Each piece of clothing has social and ecological responsibility woven into its very fabric with organic fibers that are produced with fair labor practices in California. Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, partners in life and work, launched their ethical fashion brand Stewart+Brown in 2002 from Los Angeles, California. Inspired by their love and respect for nature and a passion for design they are determined to pioneer the sustainable fashion movement.

Trend #3 – African Prints

L to R - ASOS Africa, Sika Designs, Lalesso

Bold prints are synonymous with summer and this year is no exception, get on trend with these African Prints. UK fashion retailer ASOS has launched ASOS Africa, a clothing and accessories collection that has been designed, sourced and produced fairly by community groups in Africa. Sika Designs are inspired by the rich and diverse culture of Ghana, West Africa. Every fabric has been carefully selected in local Ghanaian markets and hand-made using natural methods, creating exclusive limited prints. Lalesso was launched in Cape Town. Inspired by the beautiful “khanga” or “lesso” which is actually a spotted handkerchief brought to the East African Coast in the 19th century from India, they produce organic cotton summerwear: bikinis, dresses, skirts, etc.

This content was produced exclusively for ModernHippieMag.com by www.magnifeco.com – the daily eco-fashion blog featuring gorgeous products that are fair-trade, recycled, reusable, sustainable, organic, and/or vegan. Every day the amount of information is growing about the Magnifeco options for fashion: from earth friendly fabrics, to sustainable manufacturing processes to fairtrade practices. We feature conscientious designers and products for you the conscientious consumer.

Summer Trends – the Eco-fashion Report from Magnifeco.com is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Sustainable Best Practices

Guest Contributor — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:00:33 +0000

A sustainable best practices program involves a comprehensive and holistic approach that addresses all of the practices of a business that impact the environment. A best practices program assists companies in making changes in their business in multiple areas including air quality, energy, management, transportation, water and waste.

A sustainability initiative involves the development and implementation of green ideas and goals. Crucial to this process is the development of metrics that track and monitor performance in implementing ideas and achieving goals. Also important is the identification and response to challenges, opportunities and threats.

Although standardized sustainable best practices are still in their formative stage of development, there are some basic practices that help businesses become more environmentally sustainable.

Air Quality

Simply changing materials selections can dramatically impact indoor air quality. Chemicals are everywhere in a conventional office environment from the paint on the walls to the adhesive under the carpet. To reduce these chemicals use low-VOC paints and other sustainably made office supplies, furniture and equipment. Convert your cleaning products to less/non-toxic chemicals.

Energy

Energy programs can save energy and cost. Most programs pay for themselves within a couple of years. If your business is less that 300 kW then a small business energy audit is the best way for your company to save energy and save money. Global carbon emissions attributable to IT have been estimated at 2% to 2.5% of the worlds total carbon emissions. That is about the same as the airline industry! We know that our day-to-day, in most cases, is dependent upon using a computer but there are some simple things you can do to save energy and money. To dissuade the forecast of McKinsey Research, which indicates that the IT sector will triple it’s carbon footprint during the period between 2002 to 2020 get a Green IT audit!

Management

Sustainability Management is imperative to making and maintaining sustainable changes. Start by putting together a panel or Green Team that has representatives from different departments. Create routine maintenance checks for all appliances. Write policies in your employee manual for energy, water, waste, transportation and pollution prevention. Post signs around the office to educate employees/public about conservation (lights, water, recycling).

Transportation

Track the mileage of all company vehicles. Tracking mileage and examining your travel routes can help you better understand your fuel usage, calculate you carbon footprint and even help you find ways to conserve gas.

Water

Conduct a water audit and develop strategies for water reduction. Tracking water usage and conserving water usage can benefit the environment and the bottom line. Effective strategies include retrofitted faucets with low-flow aerators.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Conduct a waste audit and develop a strategy for managing waste and recycling. Knowing the waste stream is important because when a facility reduces the volume of waste it generates, it can achieve corresponding savings through decreased hauling fees and avoided disposal charges. Significant saving can be achieved by reducing trash container size and limiting the frequency of pick-ups. “Right size” the trash service by keeping a log sheet to track trash.

Include a recycling program with a good plan including logistics that detail where the materials are being generated and how they will be collected and stored.

Sustainable Best Practices originally appeared on The GREEN MARKET blog.

Richard Matthews is a Marketing Consultant and author of The GREEN MARKET, a blog dedicated to green investing and the economy. Richard hails from Quebec Canada. He enjoys hiking, canoeing, and rock-climbing.

Sustainable Best Practices is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Help the Environment and Save Money with ecofreek

Guest Contributor — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:39 +0000

ecofreek is a new company dedicated to advancing the recycling movement by providing a simple method to find free and swap items online.

Many peoples understanding of recycling is limited to just bottles, cans and paper; however, it’s not just trash that can be recycled, perfectly good items like clothing, furniture and electronics can be recycled as well. ecofreek’s mission is to encourage users to reuse pre-owned items, as well as give away items they no longer want, in order to reduce landfill waste.

ecofreek feels that newer is not necessarily better- but that free is better, especially considering the current issue of over-consumption and wastefulness. Also, with the uncertain economic climate, many people are looking for more ways to save money.

ecofreek (founded January 2010) is a search engine that locates free and swap items from over 45 websites; such as, Craigslist, Pennysaver, and public Freecycle sites, making ecofreek the most extensive way to find free items on the web. With ecofreek, users can easily find a free sofa, kitchen table, books or kitten in their area OR trade material or services with someone; for example, trading yard labor for a pool table.

Users can search by a keyword, city, or region (state/country), allowing results to easily be narrowed down. In addition, results can be sorted by how old the listing is, listings with images first, and more. Once the user has found an item they like, they only need to click the listing to be taken to the original posting to contact the the owner.

Unlike many classifieds, ecofreek uses a filter for spam and false listings, and also has an easy way to mark listings to be taken down.

ecofreek’s service is easy to use and full of extra features, such as driving directions so you can see how far away an item is from you. Plus, if you can’t find what you’re looking for at first, you can easily sign up for free email alerts and cell phone text alerts to be notified when a new item is listed that fits your keyword.

Soon, the company will be offering merchandise, such as t-shirts and re-usable grocery bags, to give away when users donate (at this stage the company is supported only by donation) .

Craig J. Stadler, co-founder said- “ecofreek encourages people to ask the question: Why buy a new piano, moving boxes or a desk when you can pick up a free one nearby, save money and feel good about helping the environment all at once?”

Nicole Boivin, nicole@ecofreek.com, (510) 768-7952.

Help the Environment and Save Money with ecofreek is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

5 Ways to a Greener Lawn, and I Do Mean Green.

Guest Contributor — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:00:31 +0000

Okay, so I may not always smile. In fact, sometimes I think my kids actually fear that I might be distantly related to The Wicked Witch of the West…or East…or any ol’ direction for that matter. And it really might be true except that I have not ridden a bicycle with a basket in several years. Or ever. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, just sayin’.

Most of the time, I have to say that I am an optimist with good manners and a polite disposition. It takes a lot for a total stranger to irk me and turn me into a loco greenie. Greenie is a fine persona – loco greenie, not so much. This might have been a little bit (and by a little bit, I actually mean a lot) of what happened today.

Those chemical lawn people are relentless and it was not my fault really. They continue to come to my front door with their disapproval of my lawn. Now granted, we do have clover. Not a ton, but noticeable and VERY noticeable (evidently) to many non-greenies.

We do not spray our lawn. We do not necessarily love the clover mostly because of the bees that linger in it. But to the naked eye, it’s just not something that sends us over the edge. Our son has eczema and allergies and his skin is incredibly sensitive to chemicals so we just don’t go there. Besides, we live inside of a home that is ever-increasingly green and natural to the best of our ability. So why then, should our outside be any different?

There are numerous health effects associated with one particular chemical known as 2, 4-D, which is a commonly used herbicide used for spraying weeds on golf courses and in residential landscape maintenance. “2,4-D has been linked to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental effects, as well as water contamination and toxicity to aquatic organisms. As the most commonly used “home and garden” chemical, millions of U.S. households especially vulnerable children and pets, are exposed to this toxic chemical. This means that children playing on lawns and fields continue to be exposed to a chemical that has known and uncertain toxicological effects from which they are not adequately protected” (beyondpesticides.org).

Scary, right? I know.

So what do we do? Well, I for one see nothing wrong with some clover, and our kids wear their sandals when they are playing to escape any bee stings. Organic lawns just require a different perspective, It involves giving our lawn the things it needs in order to grow to it’s best potential (kind of like our family) and when given what it needs, the junk just might not thrive. Clover has several advantages including staying green all summer without watering, it never needs fertilized, it out-competes other weeds, and it grows well in poor soil to name a few!

For a healthy lawn that keeps you healthy too – here are some tips!

Leave your grass clippings on the lawn, they are full of nutrients
For a natural fertilizer, apply grass clippings and compost regularly through the growing season
Aerate you turf! Renting an aerator can help control thatch and involves removing small soil plugs in your lawn to prevent soil compaction. “Compaction greatly reduces the pore space within the soil that would normally hold air. Roots require oxygen to grow and absorb nutrients and water. Compaction reduces total pore space and the amount of air within the soil. It has a negative impact on nutrient uptake and water infiltration, in addition to being a physical barrier to root growth. This results in poor top growth and lawn deterioration” (mastergardenproducts).
Throw down some seeds! By sprinkling some grass seed over your lawn, you can encourage new growth while “choking out” the weeds (another advantage of clover!)
Wear your shoes to avoid the bees and then “build a bridge and get over it” -when chemical guy comes knocking….be on with your merry green way!

I am not sure I made a friend this afternoon when our chemical guy came around (Sorry chemical guy if I seemed annoyed), but sometimes it can be a challenge to give explanations of why and how I am green when on the spot. So even if I seemed like I should be on a bike with a basket (a’hem), it’s all in the name of green. I can deal with the occasional (or frequent if you are really counting) knocks at my door, and next time I am going to be smiling and proud!

Be Green, Be Proud. Love your weeds!

Lynn

Lynn Stone is the founder of the go-to green living blog for parents, SmilingGreenMom.com. Lynn’s goal is to help others “be the best green they can be” through her affordable tips and encouraging posts. A contributing writer for multiple blogs and websites, Lynn enjoys cooking, garage sale shopping, traveling, relaxing with her family and dreams of owning an eco-friendly log cabin one day! As a former competitive swimmer, she values wellness and living an active lifestyle and hopes to one day participate in a triathlon. Follow her on Twitter, @SmilingGreenMom and Facebook.

5 Ways to a Greener Lawn, and I Do Mean Green. is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

When baby goes eco – The Little Seed for Target

Guest Contributor — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:00:37 +0000

I’ve been on the hunt for eco friendly duds for my little man, but cheap and eco-friendly don’t always come hand in hand. And since babies grow so quickly I’m less likely to spend high dollar for something that will last for a few months, max. Thankfully Target decided it was time to do an eco and budget friendly designer collaboration for babies.

The Little Seed

The Little Seed was started by new moms Soleil Moon Frye (or as some of you might remember her as Punky Brewster) and Paige Tolmach when ‘finding stylish eco-friendly clothing wasn’t easy’. The all-exclusive line for Target is slightly limited to solid brightly colored organic onesies, pants, bibs, towels and blankets. Along with a few hat and bootie sets to spice things up in the cooler months.

The Little Seed

Prices range from $7.99 for onesies and pants to $12.99 for two swaddling blankets, making it easy to stock up on what you need now and later. All of the essentials are made with ’100% organic cotton fibers, and passes the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification process, meaning every item is rigorously tested for 100 substances that are harmful to health’. Meaning not only is it safe, it’s super soft and comfy just for baby and his needs .

The line will be available from July 4th until October 16th, so stock up on your baby’s essentials. It’s ‘never too early to sew the seeds of care and responsibility’.

Megan

Megan Zietz is the creator of the cheap chic fashion blog, The Frugalista Diaries. Megan has a passion for fashion, great deals, and refining personal style. It’s all about looking and feeling like a million bucks without spending it.

When baby goes eco – The Little Seed for Target is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

GE’s Investments in Green are Paying Off

Guest Contributor — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:00:02 +0000

General Electric Co. (GE) said revenue from its green products and services will grow at twice the rate of total company revenue in the next five years.

GE recently announced that its plan to pour $5 billion in investments into energy efficient and environmentally oriented projects has been met a year ahead of schedule. It also said it is committed to spend an additional $10 billion by 2015.

GE’s portfolio of greener products and services is now up to 90, ranging from aircraft engines, locomotives and wind turbines to energy-efficient home improvement loans.

GE’s annual report indicated that revenues from its “ecomagination” program increased 6 percent to $18 billion in 2009 and that it has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases.
The company said its $5 billion investment has generated revenue of $70 billion (GE’s revenue totaled $156.8 billion last year).

According to Jeffrey Immelt, GE’s chairman and CEO, and Steven Fludder, vice president of ecomagination. “We are doubling down to drive even faster impact and to deliver our contribution to a 21st century energy transformation.”

GE is helping to solve the world’s biggest environmental challenges while driving profitable growth for GE and its customers.

GE’s Investments in Green are Paying Off originally appeared in The GREEN MARKET blog.

GE’s Investments in Green are Paying Off is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

An Integrative Approach to Eco-Innovation

Guest Contributor — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:00:27 +0000

An Integrative Approach to Eco-Innovation by Richard Matthews

Eco-innovation offers businesses an increasingly important competitive advantage and an integrative approach often yields the best results

The term eco-innovation is used to describe products and processes that contribute to sustainable development. Eco-innovation is the commercial application of knowledge to elicit direct or indirect ecological improvements. It is often used to describe a range of related ideas, from environmentally friendly technological advances to socially-acceptable innovative paths towards sustainability. One of the first appearances of the concept of eco-innovation in the literature is in the book by Claude Fussler and Peter James (1996).

Eco-innovation requires a workforce that can consider problems from multiple perspectives and that can effectively work in cross-functional teams. For example, experience in chemistry and physics is required to tackle things like photovoltaics, polymers and greener chemical production.

For an integrative approach, research and development need to encompass the entire life cycle, and this information needs to be continuously shared among the various work groups. Green innovation is about maintaining a sustainable focus and this requires continuous project evaluation from idea to commercialization. It is important to ensure that each phase creates a feedback loop that continually informs decision-making.

The common business basics of location, capital construction, and equipment considerations, need to be viewed from a sustainability perspective. For some, the hurdle for green innovation is related to physical infrastructure rather than human resources or knowledge.

Green innovation is a significant challenge, but an integrative approach increases the possibilities for significant rewards.

Richard Matthews is a Marketing Consultant and author of The Green Market, a blog dedicated to green investing and the economy. Richard hails from Quebec Canada. He enjoys hiking, canoeing, and rock-climbing.

An Integrative Approach to Eco-Innovation is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Mojo Boosters: 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Energy Output

Guest Contributor — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:00:43 +0000

Mojo Boosters: 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Energy Output

Is your mojo running in “slow mo?” Are you finding yourself dragging through each day, seemingly unable to move out of neutral? Are you fighting a bad case of the “grumpies?” Chances are, you need a mojo boost. Like most of us, your energy levels are being adversely affected by the negativity we are absorbing in the midst of the widespread challenges, both on Wall Street and on Main Street. Going to work when you’re constantly hearing about layoffs or reading about the latest company shutting its doors is difficult – and trying to remain creative, upbeat and productive can be twice as hard.

Before we begin to boost our mojo, we need to understand what mojo is. Mojo is reflected differently in each person, yet its essence is the same for all of us. Mojo is our internal energy, inspiration and power that propels us joyfully forward in life, allowing us to fulfill our goals and act upon that which we desire. In short, mojo is our fuel for a happy and productive life. Our tanks get low on mojo when we allow it to become stagnant, depleted or sucked away from us by others. However, we can fill our tanks whenever we wish. All it takes is some intention, conscious awareness and choice.

So how can we boost our mojo? We acquire more mojo when we choose activities that are healthy, balanced and blissful. At work especially, this means finding the silver lining, even when times are tough. But don’t despair! Below are five simple yet effective mojo boosters to help you out of the recession rut:

Be good to yourself. One of the most important steps you can take to boost your mojo is to adopt a rigorous plan for self-care. This includes choosing the highest quality fuel to run on. Choose healthy foods to eat and snack on, avoid eating on-the-go, and especially avoid too many empty (albeit comforting) sugary foods and simple carbohydrates. Get outside at least once a day to breathe in one of nature’s biggest mojo boosters: Oxygen! All it takes is a simple walk around the parking lot or office plaza to get your energy boost. Also, don’t be shy when it comes to getting those forty winks over the weekend, soaking in a tub, or getting a massage. Take care of your body so it will take care of you.
Photo by Arsel Özgürdal

Be playful. When is the last time you’ve seen a child without energy? It rarely happens! Most children have one agenda item on their list: have fun. They revel in the act of creating, exploring and playing. Their days fly by, and they never want to take a nap or go to bed for fear that they will miss something wonderful. We can learn something from these smaller teachers by incorporating a little more play into our lives. At work, think about the ways you can bring more play into your cubicle. Display your favorite bobblehead or figurine on your desk. Use your lunch break to play a board game with co-workers while you eat. Sign up for a joke-of-the-day e-mail. Outside of the office, pick shells on the beach, play with your family outside or even run on the Slip’nSlide in the back yard. Let your inner kid play again!
Be mindful. Our mojo gets sapped when our minds endlessly jump from task to task, or more precisely, obsess over problem after problem. Our computers need to be turned off every once in a while in order to function optimally, and our minds are no different. Take some time to mentally “defrag” through the act of meditation. If you are new to meditation, simply carve out a few minutes every day to comfortably sit in silence. DO NOTHING. Simply be. Take the end of your lunch break and use it to meditate. You will be surprised how much more energized you feel after letting your brain rest for a bit. Once you have incorporated periods of silence into your life, you can begin to add other mindful activities such as creative visualization or clearing your office space through de-cluttering and other simple Feng Shui techniques like turning your desk toward the door, placing plants in corners, and moving electrical equipment as far away from you as possible.
Photo by Tosaporn Boonyarangkul
Be present. A major obstacle to maximizing one’s mojo is the all-too-common practice of regretting the past or fretting over the future. We spend so much of our energy wallowing in previous so-called failures or fearing the absolute worst of what may happen instead of living joyfully in the moment. We don’t know what the future holds, and it is simply a waste of valuable time and mojo to try to control it. The best way to remain firmly planted in the present is to increase your awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Place your hand on your heart. What do you feel? Look around. What do you see? Our lives are rich beyond measure when we take the time to be fully present. It is, after all, the only thing we have.
Be grateful. Expressing gratitude is like receiving a shot of adrenaline. When we are grateful for what we already have – a home, a family, love, health, food, and shelter – we instantly get a boost of mojo that can help us through the tough times. The key is to make the expression of gratitude a daily habit. Think about starting and ending each day with a “gratitude rant.” Before you get out of bed and drive to work, or before you shut off the light to get back into bed, mentally rattle off all of the fabulous things in your life. Take note of the gifts contained within the challenges of the day. What was the blessing in the postponed meeting or client call? Did it allow you to spend more time on a project that had a deadline, or did it make it so that you were able to drive home a few minutes earlier to see your family? If you operate from a perspective of gratitude, then you will never have that familiar feeling of running on empty.

Even though it sometimes seems like our energy is dependent on our job status, the messages from the media, or the balance in our bank accounts, we can break that pattern by making these simple mojo-boosting choices over and over again, day after day, minute by minute. Choose to have a life of abundance, balance, and creativity, and then go about embodying those ideas, beliefs and actions that support it.

Theresa

Theresa Rose is a national motivational speaker and author of Opening the Kimono: A Woman’s Intimate Journey Through Life’s Biggest Challenges. She won the 2008 Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association and the Living Now Book Award from Independent Publisher. For more information, visit theresarose.net. You can also connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Mojo Boosters: 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Energy Output is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.

Your Garden Show!

Guest Contributor — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:55 +0000

One of the best ways to honor and live in harmony with this planet we all seek to protect is through a return to gardening. Family gardens. Rooftop gardens. Community gardens. Gardens play an important role in the sustainability movement. More gardens mean better health for us all.

YourGardenShow.com is an interactive online experience where gardeners of all levels can share videos, photos, ideas and inspiration, YourGardenShow.com brings gardeners together in a rewarding, fun way. With individual and group pages, how-to videos, garden planners and a rapidly growing audience for new garden bloggers, here you can share the wisdom you have “grown.”

* Join the Community to Share Photos and Videos
* Learn about Plants that match Your Growing Conditions
* View other Inspirational Gardens

YourGardenShow.com features an expansive 6,000 vegetable database developed by Cornell University (778 varieties of tomatoes!) and a 5,900 ornamental database powered by Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the U.S.A. Uniting the 25,000 square miles of America’s gardens and beyond, YourGardenShow.com encourages passionate gardeners to “show and tell.” Maintaining local roots in California, Iowa, Illinois, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy, the YourGardenShow.com team includes “Groundskeeper” Mark Kane, the former Executive Garden Editor of Better Homes and Gardens.

“Creating a resource and network of global ‘neighbors’ trading tips and spreading green thumb wisdom is a fantastic tool for the growing worldwide gardening community,” says Mark.

“Gardeners visit over the virtual garden gate — with one click of a finger you can be transported from an Italian Grand Garden to a vertical window garden in downtown New York — everyone’s got something to share,” say husband and wife co-founders Tom Finerty (Emmy-Award winning producer) and Lisa Marini (Master Gardener).

YourGardenShow.com was developed by Pivotal Labs (Twitter) and designed by Hot Studio (Ancestry) in San Francisco.

Stacie Shepp, (415) 259-4546, stacie@yourgardenshow.com

Your Garden Show! is a post from Modern Hippie Mag your online resource dedicated to hip, healthy conscious living & environmental sustainability.