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February 04, 2019

5 Ways You Can Have Lush Green Grass All Year Round

February 04, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

guest post by Emma Metson

It is a thing of beauty to raise and maintain your own lawn. Lush green grass doesn’t only come in the form of artificial grass, no! For most of us, it is a chore to raise the real deal. But to many, it has become their art. I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who wouldn’t appreciate a clean, sleek, vibrant grassy garden or yard.

If the grass is well taken care of, it can bring a vibe of elegance to your home, thus making your yard, and you, look a hundred times more respectable.

February 02, 2019

10 ways to consume less and help the planet

February 02, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Last week I was lecturing in one of my classes about the birth of consumerism in the 1950’s, showing students a couple of popular ads that linked domesticity, femininity, and sexuality and asking them to comment on what they believed the ad was trying to communicate. The class reminded me that I needed to check my own consumption habits once again. It is a practice I have observed since starting Green and Prosperous several years ago.

January 30, 2019

How to Reduce Heat Loss in Your Home

January 30, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Introduction by Kelly P @ Green and Prosperous; infographic by Senator Windows

During the cold months of the year your house loses heat from a number of different places, including the roof, floors, windows, and walls. Preventing heat loss is a major concern for homeowners, who are increasingly demonstrating interest in finding ways to not only heat the home in the cold months, but to do so in environmentally-friendly ways.

January 28, 2019

Soil Amendments for Organic Gardening

January 28, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Anna Wrench

The right type of soil is important for plant growth, especially in organic gardening. The gardener or specialist in soil knows exactly how the soil has to be treated in order to make it more fertile. If you are cultivating crops, then it requires that the soil be enriched with apposite nutrients to help in the proper growth of crops.

The modern trend is inclining towards environmentally-friendly and healthy organic gardening. Organic gardening seeks to maintain balance and harmony with nature. In this context, soil supplies help with the decomposition of toxins, play an essential role in root growth, maintain the health of the root, and lessen the gardener’s dependency on fertilizer. It is indeed essential for growing productive and healthy crops that are healthier not just for the consumer but also for the environment.

January 23, 2019

3 Small Ways We Can Prevent the Next Mass Extinction Event

January 23, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Rebecca Pryor

For the majority of us out there, the question of mass extinctions through time is hardly a priority in our minds. After all, we have our own busy hectic lives to manage on a daily basis. We may have had a cursory look at them in our Geography class several years ago, but that is about the extent of it. It is a phrase that has been buried in the deep recesses of our minds for a while now, but we need to bring it out to the consciousness of most people out there. Why so? The main reason is to ensure that people are aware of the sheer possibilities of such a colossal disaster taking place in the world of today. The question of mass extinctions over time is especially relevant in a period when we have a renewed focus and added urgency to address the question of global climate change before it’s too late to prevent the next mass extinction event.

January 22, 2019

Jeff's Luscious Red Pepper Sauce

January 22, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

This was a recipe invented by my ex-husband Jeff, who besides being a gifted gardener and landscaper who could revive even the saddest-looking plants, is also a great cook. This recipe is fast and easy to make, and the sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

January 20, 2019

The Perfect Rainwater Collection System for Homesteaders and Urban Gardeners

January 20, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Jon Godfrey

Rainwater collecting is enormously helpful. However, if you understand the infrastructure that you put in place, it can be even better for your home and garden. Let's look at how you can set it up yourself.

1. Set Up Your Roofs and Gutters

Your house, garden gazebo, shed, garage, and every other building on your property should have excellent gutters all the way around the roofs. Run a garden hose in them and walk around, carefully checking for any leaks that would cut down on efficiency.

January 16, 2019

Wind farms to power global cities?

January 16, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Over the last few years, there has been a huge rise in people opting for more eco-friendly ways to power their home. However, it’s not always down to individuals to ensure their homes are greener, which is why governments around the world are also looking into ways of providing renewable energy to homes and businesses. One of these ways is wind power.

January 13, 2019

Staying Healthy at Work: An Actionable Guide

January 13, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Brenda Snow

You spend a significant part of your life behind a desk. Desk jobs can be a blessing and a curse.

On the one hand, it’s nice to not be a roofer working on top of a skyscraper in the middle of a hot and humid summer or freezing cold winter. On the other hand, being tied to a chair is not without hazards, either. In fact, sitting in a chair for hours at a time, let alone all day, without getting up to move, can cause a number of health problems, both acute and chronic.

January 10, 2019

Why you should think beyond organic for a bigger impact on the environment

January 10, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Globally, the way people think about food has shifted dramatically over the past few decades. With major changes to the food industry (including the introduction of GMO, the mainstreaming of organic foods, a growing awareness of the problems with factory farming, and the growing number of documentaries about our eating habits) more people now think that eating healthy is important. Along with that, many people have turned to the organic market to create healthier diets for themselves and their families.

Organic is hyped, let’s be real for a minute here. While I would never tell you not to eat organic (for reasons I have explained in previous posts), the fact is that there are lots of problems with organic farming that most people don’t know, or just choose not to think about. And eating organic will not help save the planet. That last thought is an important one, so I’ll repeat it once more.

Eating organic foods will not help save the planet.

January 07, 2019

Eco-Friendly Cities of the Future

January 07, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest Post by Powertools2U

Pneumatic waste systems, pollution sensors, robots, drones, and self-driving cars…it’s what we expect for the far future. But these features could be coming to a town near you. In 2050 the world population is estimated to be 9.7 billion; currently, it stands at 7.53 billion. To tackle this overpopulation crisis, new cities and towns are being built across the world. With cool tech and eco-friendliness high on the agenda, we look at these futuristic cities that are not far from the present:

January 05, 2019

Paprika chicken wings (recipe)

January 05, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for a quick and healthy dinner. It doesn’t require any marinating beforehand (although you can do that if you like for richer flavor), and with a few simple ingredients you can have it on the table in under an hour! It’s a favorite with my kids, too, and we rarely have leftovers!

The real secret to the rich taste, though, is good-quality Hungarian paprika. Hungarian paprika is one of several kinds of paprika (including sweet, smoked, and Spanish pimentón) used in cooking. It has a complex flavor (with at least 8 varieties) and ranges from mild (flavor) and bright red (color) to spicy and pungent with a pale orange color.

January 03, 2019

How To Create an Eco-Friendly House that Still Feels Like Home

January 03, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Tony Mers

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is essential in the modern era. Many people who want to live healthier lives and promote sustainability begin their eco-friendly journey by implementing small changes within their home.

Unfortunately, many people think of two versions of eco-friendly living: a cold, industrial building covered in solar panels, or a home akin to the ground floor of a rainforest (complete with compost piles in the corner of each room).

But this couldn't be further from the truth. In reality, environmentally-friendly living doesn't mean you have to undergo a complete lifestyle change when you want to support our planet and engage in sustainable efforts. Here are just some of the ways you can craft an eco-friendly house without sacrificing the comforts of home.

January 01, 2019

Why going green might ultimately be pointless

January 01, 2019/ Kelly Pemberton

It’s hard to ignore the expanding “green living” industry, even if you don’t particularly follow it or practice any of its tenets. Globally, more and more people – particularly those who are middle to upper-middle class, urban and peri-urban dwelling – are pursuing healthy living options, buying more organic and non-GMO foods, raising awareness about the presence of harmful and toxic chemicals in the water, the air, and the personal care products we consume, and investing in renewable energy sources.

Yet ultimately, going green may be pointless. Here’s why, and what you can do to make sure that your efforts to go green are actually helpful…

December 28, 2018

Types of Air Plants for Your Home

December 28, 2018/ Kelly Pemberton

Guest post by Alexandria Heinz

Air plants are the latest trend in decor, but what are they? If you’ve ever been curious about these tiny, green succulent-like plants, you’ve come to the right place! Air plants, also known by their scientific name Tillandsias, are easily identifiable by their small structure and lack of roots. Similar to most plants, air plants do need a combination of air and water to survive, but unlike most plants, they don’t require soil to grow.

Epiphytes (plants that don’t need soil to grow) can absorb nutrients through their leaves rather than roots. This makes them a popular choice in home decor. They do need to be watered about once a week, but this is done by misting them, which leaves less of a mess in the home.

In their natural state, air plants are found on trees and shrubs. They are common in the warm climates of the southern United States, Central America, and South America. Many of these tropical plants produce a bright neon flower. To help you become familiar with air plants, we’ll show you 5 distinctive types that are unique in shape and color.