Patrick Blanc is a contemporary garden designer from France who basically “invented” the concept of a vertical garden.  What Patrick did is invent a hydroponic structure on which plants can easily grow vertically without any soil.  Essentially plants need water and minerals dissolved in it.  Many plants in the wild grow on vertical surfaces - rocks and cliffs. Many plants have the root ability to grow without any soil as long as there is sunlight, minerals and water.  Being soil-less, vertical gardens are very light and thus easy to implement on any wall.  Metal frame is installed that supports two layers of polyamide felt . These layers mimic cliff-growing mosses and support the roots of many plants. A network of pipes provides a nutrient solution containing dissolved minerals.  The roots of the plants take up the nutrients they need, and excess water is collected at the bottom of the wall by a gutter before being re-injected into the network of pipes.
In towns there are a lot more vertical free spaces than horizontal ,  Blanc says.  I wish to see many of them turned into a garden. 

May 30, 2009 by Designsquish

Osias Beert the Elder
Still-Life with Cherries and Strawberries in China Bowls
1608 Oil on panel
19 5/8” x 25 3/4”

One of my favorite Flemish vanitas paintings is “Still Life with wild Strawberries” by Osias Beert the Younger. Vanitas is a type of still life painting popular in Northern Europe in Flanders and the Netherlands in the 16th - 17th centuries. The word “vanitas” is Latin, meaning “emptiness” and loosely translated corresponds to the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of vanity. Paintings executed in the vanitas style are meant as a reminder of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure and the certainty of death.




Osias Beert the Younger
Still Life with Wild Raspberries
Oil on Panel
11.2” x 15.6”

STILL LIFES WITH FLOWERS

Pieter Brueghel the Younger
Still Life with Flowers
1601-1678





Jan the Elder Brueghel
1607 Oil on wood
98 x 73 cm





Brueghel Jan the Elder
Still Life with flowers in a Glass

May 26, 2009 by Designsquish

Scottish Highlands area is an amazing and magical place that is definitely not from this world.  Steep bare mountains,  strong winds, rainfall , swampy grasslands and many waterfalls, they hide one of the strangest animals -  Kyloe.

Kyloe or Highland Cow is an ancient Scottish breed of beef cattle with long horns and long wavy pelts.  ( They look a lot like mammoths or at least like giant,big headed, hairy cows)  Highland cows are known are a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, they graze on plants many other cattle avoid.






Other inhabitants of the Highlands are lots and lots of sheep.  Sheep is everywhere. 

May 23, 2009 by Designsquish

Kusamono and shitakusa are a potted collection of plants. Plants used are typically moss, grass, lichen, small mountain flowers and plants, bonsai trees, bamboo, or bulbs, that may be arranged to heighten the beauty or reflect a certain season.  Usually a collection is displayed separately in special pots, driftwood, or even stones. Photos from beautiful blogs: Shitakusamono and Happy Hearts at Home.

April 22, 2009 by Designsquish

Love the idea!!

April 21, 2009 by Designsquish

Above: Interactive U.S population map showing the population density in America.

Above:
World population map by National Geographic

April 11, 2009 by Designsquish

DIY Algae/Hydrogen Kit is an art project by Future Farmers Future farmers write: “Currently scientists are testing and generating strains of algae to determine which one most efficiently produces hydrogen in a process called “biophotolysis”. This is an exciting sector of research, but most of the activity takes place under highly controlled environments in laboratories within universities”. Future Farmers decided to create a “backyard/DIY” model which would allow people (not only scientists) to produce hydrogen. “The notion of people producing their own power is exciting. Researcher, Jonathan Meuser used this opportunity to exhibit a model of “biophotolysis” to test a system in his backyard. His test was a success, in that it produced hydrogen and could demonstrate the process using off the shelf and found supplies”. “The ultimate goal is to develop a water-splitting process that will result in a commercial H2-producing system that is cost effective, scalable to large production, non-polluting, and self-sustaining.”-Maria Ghirardi

February 17, 2009 by Designsquish

Matthias Merkel Hess made these 28 terra cotta self-portrait flower pots for his 28th birthday. Each pot was planted with a nativis updated regularly e California trees chosen specifically for a friend or family member and then given away.  Matthias Merkel Hess is currently receiving MFA at the University of California . He also the founder of the Eco Art Blog (one of my favorite eco blogs) with a focus on visual arts and the environment.

by Designsquish

I love this painting by Danna Ray of new growth on a tree that was cut down .  Danna writes: “I grew up in a log cabin in the woods of rural South Carolina. Surrounded by forest and lots of crayons, I enjoyed drawing tiny bugs, and tiny plants, and tiny kittens driving trucks.”

February 16, 2009 by Designsquish

This moss rug is perfect! I found it on Environmental Graffitti Blog.  - “Created by Switzerland-based industrial designer La Chanh Nguyen, the small indoor greenspace features three types of live green mosses - ball moss, island moss and forest moss - that grow in individual “cells” of plastazote, a decay-free foam” The moss carpet absorbs bathroom moisture. Mosses flourish in damp, humid environments such as bathrooms.  You probably will need to have a window of some sort in the bathroom because i think moss also likes sunlight, but otherwise this is a great idea.
I always wanted to have a bed out of moss.  Moss is really soft and good to sleep on.  I know this from experience. Once I was in the forest and I was very tired. I found a large field of moss the size of a bed. I slept on it for three hours.  The idea of moss as a carpet or rug is only natural. In fact, I am seriously considering growing my own moss rug. 

February 12, 2009 by Designsquish

My friend Sergio is making New York City more beautiful by restoring and creating new architectural stone ornaments, reliefs, figures, gargoyles and public monuments. I like how they are not entirely symmetrical and organic.
Besides stone conservation Sergio is currently working on a documentary about atlantic rain forest. Sergio writes: “Some areas of the Atlantic Forest have been designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere Reserve because of their outstanding biological distinctiveness. Others, equally distinctive, beautiful and rich in species diversity and endemism, are still unprotected.
Until interrupted by human encroachment, continuous areas of forest extended for thousand of miles, linking the Great Araucaria Forest of Southern Brazil to the Amazon jungle. Many plants and animals have evolved travelling throughout the tropical and temperate zones of the New World. This flow is essential to maintaining the rich gene pool and species diversity of the area. The fragmentation of these forests places many species, including some existing only there, under critical threat of extinction”.
Webite for the film: ATLANTIC FOREST 911. 

February 09, 2009 by Designsquish

I just found this interview with Graham Hill, the founder of Treehugger.com about Planet Green! Elephant journal says: “Years ago, back in the dark days of pre-Green Fad-dom (2004)<—:):), our smoggy future looked black. Four years later, Green is the new Black. (!!!!!) ”

February 07, 2009 by Designsquish

NYC have lately been building more bike lanes that are bigger and brighter in color.  This adds a completely new aesthetic to the city, which is becoming more sustainable.  Recent studies show that more people are riding bicycles in NYC now than in the past 23 years. Biking popularity is steadily increasing every year. It is estimated that nearly 4,000 cyclists commute from the outer boroughs into Manhattan making up part of the 100,000 bikes that are on the street everyday.

January 08, 2009 by Designsquish

Above: Monk Parakeets in the Snow

Brooklyn parrots are wild Monk Parakeets (or Quaker Parrots) native to the temperate to subtropical areas of Argentina and the surrounding countries.  The Monk Parakeet is globally very common as a pet.
There are many theories about why these parrots live in Brooklyn - from sinking ships, overturned trucks;  Hurricane Gloria in the mid-1980s.  The theory with the greatest credence among ornithologists is that a shipment of parrots destined for sale at New York area pet shops was accidentally released at Kennedy Airport in the late 1960’s . Anyway, there are lots of Quaker Parrots living in Brooklyn and for some strange reason they love it here. Maybe because the pizza crumbs are so good.  Or the art scene.  Actually, the reason these tropical parrots can survive cold winters in New York City is because they build giant commune nests in which about 10 - 15 parrots can fit in and warm each other during these winter months. 
There is a blog dedicated to Brooklyn Parrots: brooklynparrots.com illustrating parrot life. You can even take a free Wild Brooklyn Parrot Safari in Brooklyn College.
Steve, the founder of Brooklyn Parrots website and blog, believes that Brooklyn parrots are not an evil “invasive species” but a welcome replacement for the Carolina Parakeet, hunted to extinction almost a century ago.  ” The last wild specimen of Carolina Parakeet was killed in Okeechobee County in Florida in 1904, and the last captive bird died at the Cincinnati Zoo on February 21, 1918” -wiki. I agree with him Steve .

* Above: extinct Carolina Parakeet

December 17, 2008 by Designsquish

Do not place unsolicited advertizing materials on this property sign can be placed in front of your door in New York state to prevent useless advertizing materials such as flyers, product catalogs and fake postcards saying that you won a trip to Florida from coming into your house.

December 06, 2008 by Designsquish

December 03, 2008 by Designsquish

Google maps now has a better resolution thanks to Google’s partnership between a commercial satellite imaging provider and the department of defense.
The new hardware of Geoeye satellite is a significant improvement over previous generations in resolution of the images. I suppose now they also have a better photo camera that takes pictures for street view. 

November 30, 2008 by Designsquish

Green Screens is an electronic recycling event all over NYC boroughs.  Green Screens: “As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, more and more consumers are looking to replace their outdated equipment with new, energy-efficient products. However, with technology constituting an estimated 87.5 percent of landfill toxic waste, it is vital for consumers to understand the importance of recycling technology in an environmentally responsible manner”

November 28, 2008 by Designsquish

This is the most stylish EV I’ve seen! This car is called Myers Motors NmG (NmG stands for “No more Gas,” haha.  It gets 30 miles to the charge and goes over 70 mph. sadly, you will have to charge batteries for 3-5 hours and it costs twenty five thousand dollars.

November 25, 2008 by Designsquish

Algae fuel is a biofuel from algae. Algae can produce more oil in an area the size of a two-car garage than a football field of soybeans.  Algal fuel does not impact fresh water resources, and can use wastewater or even saltwater.  With increasing oil prices, competing demands between foods and other biofuel sources and the food crisis, there is much interest in farming algae.  (Bill Gates already invested, how about you ? ) The United States Department of Energy states that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers), which is a few thousand square miles larger than Maryland, or 1.3 Belgiums. This is less than 1/7th the area of corn harvested in the United States in 2000.

November 21, 2008 by Designsquish

I love the Rebecca and Drew new website and sustainability mission.
You can reuse this bag as many times you want as well as draw your own design on it and fill in the words in the statement!

November 17, 2008 by Designsquish

How hard is it to organize a community garden, promote energy efficiency and make a city to place benches alongside your main neighborhood street?  Really hard.  SUSTAINABLE FLATBUSH is an organization based in Flatbush area of Brooklyn that emerged from neighbors desiring changes.  It has been responsible for such projects as a Parking Day, Flatbush Community Garden and Flatbush Electronics Recycling. 

November 10, 2008 by Designsquish

Forest is so nice…

October 17, 2008 by Designsquish

Saved by the Sun is an educational film/program that probes how innovative technologies, new business models, increasing financial incentives, and a growing grassroots commitment to solving the climate crisis are driving a renaissance in solar energy around the world. The film is about an hour long and is divided into six chapters.  For ex, chapter four is about Germany’s renewable energy through financial incentives.
Watch Saved by the Sun here:  Saved by the Sun. 
Watch chapter four of the film by clicking the image below:

December 01, 2007 by Designsquish

Caraway is a biennial plant native to western Asia, Europe and Northern Africa. Caravay grows on meadows, field edges, dry valleys, floodland meadows as well as weed around house dwellings. Seed-resembling fruits are usually used as a spice in breads, especially rye bread. Although rye flour is naturally more dense than wheat flour, there is a theory that seeded rye bread is even more dense because the limonene from the caraway fruits has yeast-killing properties.  Caraway is also used in liquors, casseroles, curry and other foods.

April 12, 2006 by Designsquish