My gardens and home are not as green as I'd like them to be but I'm doing the very best I can.

Does using grass clipping's mean green? I finally got DH to move the old door that was used for placing fire wood on over to the very back of the yard. This left a large 3 feet by 6 foot bare area that was 2 inches deep. I needed some way to fill it in and I had thought of buying the compost/top soil mix together but then changed my mind to trying the dried out grass clipping and it worked like a charm. It's been nearly two months since the door was moved and the grass has nearly taken over covering the bare spot.
I store my grass clipping's along the side of the house that is not visible. Grass clippings will also be used later for mulch.

I am trying to work it out with rearranging part of the back yard so that I have a sitting area under the tree for the hot months. I have stepping stones that I used along the bed but plan on using them in the new sitting area and replacing the stones with plants.
I have been searching craigslist for any materials I could use for my new project also either free or at low cost.

Is it green if you turn off the shower once you've gotten wet and lathered up the wash cloth soap up then turn the shower back on when your ready to rinse off...OMG I told on myself...

I started to post all the ways I've gone green and it was turning into a novel!!!
Are you SURE you want this much info??? I could go on freaking forever!!! PJ

What topic would you like to cover? Well, I'll stick to gardening specifically.

I've planned out my yard and am starting to buy the trees (adds up so quickly!!)for my new-to-me home.

I'm planting evergreens on the north side for wind protection for the house and wildlife. A windbreak keeps the wind from wicking away heat from your home. I did decidious trees on the west side for summer shade and a sunny exposure to heat the house in winter. I did shade vines on the pergola that die back in winter for the same reasons. I have a small water garden for wildlife that's recirculated water that I keep clean. I also have a regularly cleaned bird bath. I grow plants that are mostly native with some adapted and a couple exotics that are potted for the deep shade on the patio and for looks.
I'm solarizing (killing with solar radiation using plastic )my hellstrip to make it completly xeric and mow free. I plan to plant it with desert willow,anacanthus,evening primrose and an Eve's Necklace tree. All are wildlife friendly and rarely if ever need irrigation once established. I'm doing the same thing with the narrow strip on the other side of my driveway only using Kidneywood trees and a sumac instead. I'm planning on a raised bed for organic vegies interplanted with wildflowers to encourage predatory native bugs to "guard" my produce. It was 95% successful at the last house. I'm planting at least 20-30 trees including a multilayered understory to encourage wildlife. I will eventually be almost sod free. My Dh wants a bit of grass a around the back door and the common areas near that area. I will allow that. I don't want to water the full 1/4 acre of sod. I use recycled flower bed edging. I have almost no overspray with my sprinkler system. I have a mulching lawn mower. I cut the grass frequently and keep it long to make it more drought tolerant. I leave the mulched grass clippings on the grass to recycle the nitrogen. That's all I can think of right now! PJ

Pj - I want to see your yard now!! That sounds gorgeous! After thinking on it a bit, I believe I need to develop what the article would focus on. In the link, they said they were looking for articles that would describe the "character" of the particular city, like trends in Ft. Worth/Arlington that reflected the people and the environmentally sound things they were doing. I've heard a lot of the things you've described recommended on GardenWeb; maybe I could do a Texas GardenWeb/DFW article on how gardeners are helping each other be more economically and environmentally sound, and use your place as an example!

Mommyfox it takes at least 3 yrs for a native garden to look even 1/2 decent! My sumac has no leaves and is only about 3 ft tall. It will have good foliage next year and size a couple years after. Also, this is a PLAN. I wish ( I can't tell you how much) I had the money to put this in NOW but (*sob*) I can't. Also, this is a slow process as well. For example I have 2 lovely American elms in the back being shaded out/deformed by 2 hackberries. I have to have the hackberries removed and it will take several years for those poor Elms to straigthen out. The first tier of my rain garden will be in in about 3 weeks. I'm solarizing now. It will be world's tiniest Tx Sabal surrounded by Pavonia(Rock rose?). The Pavonia will be taller than the palm for quite a few years. I don't have a single wind break tree in yet. I'll start gathering evergreens as they go on sale in gardening centers! Right now you'd only get a sea of grass with a few puny trees and some not-to-happy-to-be transplanted flowers! LOL! PJ