Stories

Another added benefit of attending the Philadelphia International Flower Show is a variety of lectures on horticulture, gardening and landscape design. Free lectures, presentations & demos will provide cutting-edge techniques & instructions for urban agriculture, green roofs, eco-friendly design and sustainable gardening. Greenies will enjoy a lecture series, “Greensource,” that feature nationally renowned designers. Speakers for the free programs (Mon-Fri @ 1 PM) include (find out who, including for a house we all recognize and various programs to check out after the jump!)

Get excited all you plant fanatics & flower enthusiasts... The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show is here March 6-13th! From the moment I walked into Philly's Convention Center during the writer's preview, the glorious smell of Springtime overwhelmed my senses... (which was quite a delight after my rendezvous in beautiful Clearwater weather last weekend). As I immediately saw the base of the Eiffel Tower and nearby Carousel, I was practically unaware we were still in Philly! Philadelphia's theme "Springtime in Paris" captures the essence of the city of lights, allowing visitors to enter a whole new, huge world of gorgeous flower displays & incredible settings. Did you know Philadelphia's is the largest indoor Flower Show in the world? It's consistently ranked as America's Top 100 events and is in the guide 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die. Think I'm exaggerating? Just take a sneak peak at the show (and find out way more news, after the jump!):

In the mood for a little weekend retail therapy? One of my favorite eco-friendly clothing companies, Ecolissa, has new spring merchandise you’ll love. And, you don’t have to break the bank… additional markdowns have just been made on their sale...

Mayor Nutter Announced the 4th Annual Philly Spring Cleanup at Kickoff Event in North Philly yesterday! There's about 1 month until residents can “Keep Up the Sweep Up.” The Spring Cleanup will be on Saturday, April 2 (rain date: Sat, April 9). and has has been designated as a Great American Cleanup National Kickoff Event by Keep America Beautiful. Want to get involved? Visit www.PhillySpringCleanup.com to volunteer or submit a project. Deadline is 3/18 for project submissions. Last year's cleanup in 2010 accomplished:

When you’re a voracious reader it’s easy to accumulate a slews of novels, periodicals and the occasional magazine. Reading is my go to relaxation method. Despite using the public library whenever I can I’ve accrued my fair share of books over the years. ( I reread and lend them to friends for maximum reuse.) While I’m here getting things off my chest - a few months back I noticed I had magazines piling up as well. My rule was: I’ll only buy magazines when I travel. Then I started traveling more frequently , and before I knew it my already crammed bookshelves were filled with magazines… that I’d eventually recycle. Still, I felt guilty contributing to paper consumption. What’s a reader to do?

Although Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, we still have a few days of cold left. How can you minimize that terrible energy bill in one of the coldest winters Philly has seen? Drafts easily waste 5-30% of your energy use. How can you block these drafts?

Excited for Sunday's Academy Awards & green Documentaries yet? I always love checking out the celebs that aren't shy with their ambitions. Here's a few noteworthy starlettes that will be making an appearance on Sunday:

With Hollywood's biggest night fast-approaching Sunday, it's time to sneak a peek at which films have an eco-impact. During last year's Academy Awards, the Cove's dolphin secret was exposed during their Best Documentary win. (During the speech, the filmmakers caused a stir by their activist message.) Here are the green-themed movies (and clips!) up for nods on Sunday:

The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability is ambitious with its Greenworks plan to make Philadelphia the greenest city in America. One important part of the plan is the Philadelphia chapter of Solar America Cities, (one of 25 cities). Thank you Mayor Nutter & the Sustainability office for making easy to understand video tutorials for Philly homeowners. Here's the Intro to Solar video that explains how to use Solar Energy in Philly: Solar Tutorial 1: Introduction to Solar from One Way Street Productions on Vimeo. Still on the fence?