Royals for the Rainforest...

I think I first saw a clip of this over on MSNBC (surprise, surprise... I know...). It's a lovely, compelling video - and definitely worth a look.

There is an official website as well: The Prince's Rainforests Project.

Eco Barons ... looks like a good read.

I saw an inteview on Morning Joe with the Eco Baron author, Edward Humes, earlier this week. I'm completely intrigued - not only with the subject matter, but with the beautiful cover image. The mended leaf. So tragic, but inspirational. It's never too late, right? If anyone has read the book, please let me know what you think of it. (Although, I think I'll be hitting the bookstore soon to pick up my own copy.)

By the way, Mr. Humes has received the Pulitzer Prize for his journalism and he's a writer-at-large for Los Angeles magazine. And he does have a blog as well...

Prime Minister Gordon Brown ... Wow!

I'm currently watching MSNBC's coverage of Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown - he is a fantastic speaker. I liked Tony Blair immensely - now it appears I am also a fan of the honorable P.M. Brown. (I'd give you a link to his rousing, inspirational speech, but he's still delivering it...)

Quail by Mail ... Fair Trade, Eco Friendly

Top Row: Tulip Skirt, 3/4 Sleeve Shirt, Lucy Dress

Bottom Row: 1940s Shirt, Panel Skirt, Emily Dress

I am intrigued by this lovely clothing line from Britain, called Quail. Founded in late 2006 by husband and wife team Jason Clark and Shauna Chapman, they produce ethical, fair trade and eco friendly clothing for women and men. Their pieces are beautifully constructed, in gorgeous colors and prints - with amazingly reasonable prices and low, low shipping prices ... free shipping on orders over £49. (Current conversion is approximately 1 British pound = 1.48 U.S. dollars)

They even have some adorable, eco friendly plushies!!

By the way, Shauna has an absolutely delicious looking recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Cake on her blog. It looks sooo yummy... or as they say in Britain, scrummy!

all photos via: Quail by Mail website

how does your garden grow...

I spent much of today pulling thistles from my landscaping. Here are a few of the pretties that were in bloom while I toiled away. My peonies are in full bloom, some fading away (top left) and some still in the budding stage (bottom right - can you see that the petals almost look like hands wrapping around it?). The asiatic lilies are as vibrant as ever (top right) and the good Lord help me - I can't remember the name of the little flowers in the lower left corner. You'll have to pardon the pictures - the wind never stops in the midwest, and my digital camera is about 8 yrs old... "ancient" in the digital world.

We are trying to be more environmentally friendly with our gardening and lawn care. Here are a couple of products we've been using.

The Liquid Fence is absolutely amazing. We have been using it for about 2 years now, and it really does keep the rabbits away. It smells terrible for about 1/2 a day, but it's environmentally friendly, pet safe and bio-degradable. A word to the wise, don't spray it on a windy day unless you are prepared to smell like rotten, garlicky eggs. Also - you may want to keep your windows shut on the day of use.

Speedy-Gro is also made by The Liquid Fence Company and it's made of the world's fastest growing, fresh organic kelp seaweed, Ecklonia maxima. It's all natural, environmentally safe, bio-degradable and can be used on indoor and outdoor plants. We've just started using this product, so I can't really vouch for it yet. You can find both products right here.

And speaking of gardening, if I could do it all over - I would have made a concerted effort to include more native plants. The National Park Service redirects native plant inquiries to The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin website. If you are into plants, this is a fun site to wander around in. They even have a recommended species feature that allows you to search by state.