Green Living...how do you know you are doing your part?

I have yet to meet someone who is against the principles of green living and sustainability. People generally seem to want to do "their part" towards protecting our environment, whether it is picking up trash, turning off lights, turning up the thermostat and recycling cans and plastic bottles. The one point that is often made to me when talking about "green homes" is the fact that it really depends on the persons living in the house and their habits. Well, I guess the answer to that question is "yes" and "no." When people make the decision to purchase a LEED-H certified home, they are paying a bit more because they want the house itself to have an impact on the environment. LEED-H homes are built recycling materials, separating waste and using less toxic or non-toxic products. Those homes are more "green" just by virtue of how they were constructed. The "no" component comes about because of the behaviors and habits of the people that live in the homes. How do you know how "green" your lifestyle is?

How do you know when you are doing things that lower electrical consumption or decrease water usage? The lifestyle habits are a large component of truly being green.

Stay tuned as more information on understanding the impacts of your lifestyle habits on energy, water and air.

A Greener Lawn, With No Grass

In 2007 a couple of students from the University of Florida finished up an 18 month project -- a documentary about our obsession with lawns -- with grass, with mowers, with fertilizer and water. Visitors to Brytan are often confused by the lack of lawn, and not sure they are ready to give their weekly foray around the yard with a lawn mower. This presentation may help you think differently about what has become an American tradition with questionable value. It is titled "Gimme Green" and you can watch it on the website: http://www.gimmegreen.com/updates/seeGG.htm

The lots are too narrow...

"The lots are too narrow..." is a comment that we hear frequently. We often find that it really isn't the size of the lot, it is the fact that these lots "looks" different from other typical lots. If we start to ask people about how they use the lot that they currently live on and what they like about it, we find out some interesting points. First, they want an area for their kids to play. Second, they enjoy gardening. Third, they view the yard as serving as a privacy boundary for their home. Those points were common themes but also common was this point: very few people enjoyed the time, effort and expense of maintaining a yard. They either spent their leisure time mowing, weeding and trimming rather than actually enjoying the yard or they had to pay a landscape crew to take care of the yard. The actual amount of space that people would garden was relatively small compared to the overall yard size. People were paying for a large yard in order to garden a small 8X10 or 4X6 area.

The narrow lots in Brytan and the way in which homes are sited on the lot allow for privacy yet also allow for gardening. The gardening can occur in the front beds or in the private courtyard between the home and the garage. Pots can be used that allow a person to easily change the plants depending on the season. Working on rosebushes or annuals is fun; mowing a yard is a great deal less fun, especially in the heat of the summer months!

What about play areas? Brytan has one of the best parks in the area. Your family can take advantage of the play equipment and the green spaces as well as walking trails. You will no longer have to buy expensive equipment that your children will outgrow in a couple of years.

The other key point and it is one that is going to become more of an issue in the future is the costs associated with irrigating lawns. Water and charges for wastewater have continued to increase each year. Brytan has worked with GRU to utilize reclaimed water in Brytan but the water management districts are going to encourage conservation of water resources. Brytan yards are designed to minimize water required for irrigation and to utilize those plants that work well without requiring an abundance of water.

Yes, the lots are narrow but all the ways in which you use your lawn are still available. You spend your time and money on your family and your home, not your yard!