I’m a big sucker for pavers.  The Old World look that they give, the geometry…yet, here is another green alternative to concrete that I have fallen in love with: GraniteCrete.  Whether you’re in need of a new driveway, landscape path, or even a patio area, consider using the organic feel of GraniteCrete.

One of the reasons that I love pavers is because of their porous nature.  GraniteCrete is also porous, allowing water to naturally seep into the ground and preventing unnecessary runoff to drains and sewers.  Oil and other chemicals on our driveways can be broken down naturally by the bacteria in our soil before reaching our water table.  Keeping our groundwater clean is important for the root systems of our trees. GraniteCrete will also reduce the affects of flash flooding, and lessen the urban heat-island effect.  Runoff can cause erosion to the land and your landscape over time.

With all of that said, GraniteCrete has been installed in residences as well as harsher settings such as the California coastline (which, amazingly enough, did not require maintenance for 5 years at the high tide line).   It is made up of the remains from stone quarry manufacturing.  You can install GraniteCrete on up to a 30% slope, and it exceeds OSHA’s friction standards.   You’ll find support and LEED credits available when you choose to use the natural path surface of GraniteCrete.

For the DIY installer, you should be able to obtain the material from your local landscape contractor.  The ready mix can be purchased by the bag.  Because no rebar, special equipment, or professional skills are required for installation, you’ll find it easy to install a professional surface on your first attempt.  Amazingly, GraniteCrete is less expensive than both concrete and pavers at just over $1 a square foot.

GraniteCrete currently offers 6 standard colors: natural, adobe, sand, brown, used brick, and new brick. Custom colors are also available.  To see more GraniteCrete examples, click here and watch an informative video.

I can’t wait to try GraniteCrete on our next landscaping adventure.  Maybe I’ll even create a patio with a combination of pavers, natural stone, and GraniteCrete.  What other alternatives to asphalt and concrete are GetWithGreen readers using, and how do you rate them?

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Several weeks ago, I was walking Magneson Loop (neighborhood street near my home), and the green grass of a charming little bungalow caught my eye. The lawn was perfectly groomed as if cut by artists with scissors.

After further close inspection, I determined that the lawn was actually synthetic grass! While GetWithGreen hears of these products often from manufacturers, this was my first real life experience with this type of eco-friendly product, and from a distance greater than two feet I could not tell the difference between this artificial sod and traditional sod.

According to the Association of Artificial & Synthetic Grass Installers, homeowners installing artificial lawns reap the following benefits:

• Goes where no natural lawn dares to and thrives under almost any condition
• Low maintenance just keep it clean with a blower
• No need for watering, No need for mowing
• Never trim, edge, aerate, seed, thatch, or feed the lawn again!
• Thrives in full sun or shade
• Won’t stain, fights fading & discoloration
• Can handle high traffic and heavy weight
• Great installed on practically any type of surface
• Safe and environmentally friendly
• Non-allergenic

So who makes synthetic grass? NewGrass, is one leading manufacturer. The company offers four varieties of artificial lawn; Premium Rye ($5.99sq/ft), Rye ($4.99sq/ft), Fescue ($3.99sq/ft), and Sport ($3.79sq/ft).

NewGrass claims their products are 100% recyclable, and if/when you decide to replace your lawn they will come out to your home, and remove it for recycling — free of charge (NewGrass carries a 10-year warranty). The company’s EnviroCel backing material replaces traditional petroleum-based polymers found on previous generations of artificial grass, with bio-based compounds derived from domestically-grown soybeans. In addition, for every square foot of NewGrass installed the company makes a donation to the Carbon Fund.

New grass is installed presently across the U.S, so weather is not an issue for these types of alternative grasses. Existing sod is removed, crushed aggregate serves as a foundation for NewGrass, the grass is then put down. (See an installation of NewGrass on Bob Villa)

How else can you save? It turns out that many communities across the U.S. offer rebates:

• Arizona – Flagstaff, Tempe, Glendale, Phoenix and Scottsdale
• California has several active and pending programs
• Colorado has several active and pending programs
• Oregon has programs under consideration
• Washington has programs under consideration
• Nevada has several active and proposed programs
• New Mexico has rebate programs

The NewGrass website offers a list of NewGrass installers and distributors.

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Soil moisture sensors and weather-based irrigation controllers (such as our favorite Cyber-Rain) allow for much more efficient watering of your landscape.    But, did you know that there are certified professionals Nationally who can help you optimize your landscape watering with these technologies to save both your pocketbook AND the environment!?

It is true, there are designers, contractors, and auditors across the US, who have been certified under the EPA’s WaterSense program for their expertise in building landscaping systems that make efficient use of water.   The WaterSense program offers a list of these landscape experts, and the criteria by which they were certified.  Clicking on the following link will take you to EPA’s list of WaterSence certified professions.

According to the EPA, homeowners could reduce irrigation water use by 15%, or 9,000 gallons annually, by designing landscape irrigation systems using certified professionals.  That is just about equivalent to leaving your hose running nonstop for nearly a day!

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Using water-efficient products we can save both our environment and money.  WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is making it easy for all of us homeowners to find and select water-efficient products.

On average, WaterSense labeled product use 20% more efficient than similar products that are not.  To achieve a WaterSense label, a manufacturer must get their product certified against a specification from WaterSense.

WaterSense Labeled Home Products

Bathroom Sink Faucets -If every household installed a WaterSense labeled faucet or aerator we could save more than 60 billion gallons of water annually.  By installing a WaterSense labeled faucet an average home will save 500 gallons each year – and this reduced demand of water requires less heating, which saves even more energy and money!

Here are the bathroom faucets and aerators you can find with WaterSense Labels:

• Delta (Lahara model)
• Moen (Banbury, Caldwell, FINA, Lindley, Muirfield, Rothbury models and more)
• Price Pfister (Ashfield, Falsetto, Hanover, Langston, SKYE, Vega, Virtue models)
• NEOPERL Aerators

Toilets -Inefficient toilets are responsible for much of the water wasted in American homes today.  Replacing these toilets could save nearly 2 billion gallons annually.  GetWithGreen.com covered the best of the best WaterSense toilets late last year.  The ones we provided pricing for were high-efficiency toilets (HETs).  Here is the WaterSense list:

• American Standard (Cadet, FloWise models)
• Caroma (Adelaide, Bondi, Brisbane, Caravelle, Colonial, Royale, Sydney)
• Cascadian (Toscano)
• Crane (Eco Opus III, EcoGalaxy, EcoMiser, Economiser, EcoSaratoga)
• Foremost (AIO, Plaza, Total)
• Gerber (Ultra Flush)
• Glacier Bay – Home Depot brand
• Jacuzzi (Espres)
• Kohler (Barrrington, Cimarron, Escale, Highline Pressure Lite, Kelston, Persuade, Saile, San Raphaeil Power Lite and Pressure Lite, Wellworth Pressure Lite)
• Mansfield (704, Prestigio, EcoQuantum, Quantum, QuantumOne)
• Niagara (1.0 PA, Eco-Logic)
• Pegasus – Home Depot Brand (Cottage)
• ProFLO (HET Dual Flush ADA, EF, and RF, HET Gravity Flush EF and RF)
• Quality Craft (Alexis HET)
• Sterling – a Kohler company (Karsten EB and PB, Rockton EB and PB, Stanton)
• Tangshan Ayers Bath (Dofiny HET)
• TOTO (Aquia I, II, & III, EcoClayton, EcoDartmouth, EcoDrake, EcoNexus, EcoPromenade, EcoSupreme, EcoUltramax, EcoWhitney, Gwyneth)
• Tynan (Casade ADA, EF, and RF, MacLair EF & RF)
• VitrA (Evergreen)
• Vortens (Dali, Delfos, Hurricane, Rhodas DF, Tornado, Tornado)

Weather- or sensor-based sprinkler control technologies – Turning off the sprinklers when they are not needed due to weather changes is something we often forget to do.  WaterSense is presently drafting a specification for manufacturers to recieve labels.  You can bet that products such as the Cyber-Rain XCI system and automatic sprinkler shut-offs will be working for qualification.

Showerheads- Showering represents 17% of indoor water use per household.  Today there are no Showerheads available with WaterSense labels, but the specification is being worked on now.

Finally, many water companies offer REBATES for the purchase of WaterSense labeled products, so make sure you check with your utility!!!

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Rain Bird Corporation announced today that they have opened registration to win a $10,000 backyard makeover in their Why is it Always Greener contest.  One grand prize winner will receive a gift card to the home retailer of their choice, and a first prize winner will receive a $500 gift card.  The sweepstakes only requires you to fill out their form electronically and submit.   GetWithGreen.com thinks this could be a great way to get in on transforming your backyard to a greener solution — using products like automatic sprinkler shut-off sensors.

The deadline for entries is midnight on August 31, 2008. Winners will be announced in October 2008.

Additionally, the Rain Bird team is still accepting nominations for its Intelligent Use of Water Award.  This award is open to homeowners (and organizations) whose innovation, leadership, ingenuity, and overall committment, to improved landscape water efficiency has raised the standard for outdoor water conservation.

Both homeowners and professionals (industry and non-industry) are encouraged to submit their nominations for the 2008 Intelligent Use of Water Award by completing a nomination form at http://www.rainbird.com/iuow/award.htm. The deadline for nominations is June 30, 2008.

Following the close of the nomination period, an independent panel of experts will select the finalists and winner based on their demonstrated leadership, innovation and implementation of water-efficient measures.  The recipient of the 2008 Intelligent Use of Water Award will receive $10,000 in acknowledgment of their contributions toward protecting Earth?s most precious resource. They will also be featured in a short film highlighting their contributions to outdoor water conservation, which will be shown at the final screening event of the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition (www.iuowfilm.com) in Los Angeles on October 11, 2008.

The 2008 Intelligent Use of Water Award will be judged by an esteemed panel of landscape and water-efficiency experts, each with a unique understanding of the relationship between better landscape designs and reduced landscape water waste.   Returning as judges for the second annual Intelligent Use of Water Award are:

• Elizabeth Cutright, Editor, Water Efficiency, The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals
• Dan Stark, Executive Director of the American Public Gardens Association
• Ron Stoltz, Director of the School of Landscape Architecture at The University of Arizona

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Cyber-Rain’s wireless sprinkler control system was recognized by GetWithGreen.com as the Best Green Home Remodeling Product for 2007, and the Cyber-Rain team continues to have tricks up their sleeve to improve the product for all of us.

This week GetWithGreen.com caught up with Greg Nagy Cyber-Rain’s Director of Business Operations. Greg discussed upcoming upgrades that will soon expand the functionality of the new XCI systems, as well as upgrade your existing Cyber-Rain XCI system! In the coming months you will be able to securely access your Cyber-Rain from a computer outside of your home. This means your gardening service can maintain your lawn, AND they can log into your Cyber-Rain XCI system to manage your system for you — all through the internet. Did we forget to mention that the update is FREE.

GetWithGreen.com also asked Greg about MacOS support for the Cyber-Rain XCI. “It’s on the roadmap,” he commented. So if you are one of our Mac readers, stay tuned. We suspect that later this year, you too will be able to take advantage of this amazing product. You heard it here on GetWithGreen.com first.

Last and far from least, Greg discussed the Company’s passing of SWAT (Smart Water Application Technology) enabling homeowners to receive rebates for the purchase of Cyber-Rain products in cities where Cyber-Rain has registered their product. Rebates in some cities could range as high as $350, making the Cyber-Rain XCI virtually free with its retail price of $349!! Cyber-Rain is just now going out to the cities to inform them of SWAT passage, so check with your Water Company. San Diego is the first County where you can get your rebate! GetWithGreen.com will update you soon on the rollout plan.

Water costs will continue to rise, and already communities are facing mandatory water conservation requirements. We are seeing this in Georgia, North Carolina and other places across the US. Check out Cyber-Rain today to start conserving water and money.

Related Cyber-Rain Articles on GetWithGreen.com
- Cyber-Rain, who else wants to save on water bills?
- 10 Best Green Home Remodeling Products of 2007

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Dark woods are in indoors, and this week Trex announced a new color to their Brasilia outdoor decking product: Espresso.

Trex Brasilia(R) decking and railing takes its design inspiration from the exotic look of tropical hardwoods. Building upon positive consumer response to this collection, Trex introduced a new color and a new fastening system to the Trex Brasilia collection at the 2008 International Builders’ Show (IBS).

Already available in Burnished Amber and Cayenne colors, Trex is debuting Brasilia in new Espresso, which resembles the dark brown hardwood look that is in style throughout all home living categories – including furniture and flooring. This deep and warm color offers minimal fading over time, which allows Espresso to maintain its richness. Like the existing Trex Brasilia color options, Espresso features subtle shading and natural color variations – as well as a smooth and refined surface.

Trex® is made from approximately 50 percent recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50 percent reclaimed wood. Trex keeps some 300,000 tons of plastic and wood scrap out of landfills every year – that comes to about 600,000,000 pounds saved annually. According to Trex, NO TREES ARE CUT DOWN for the purpose of making Trex. Their wood comes from reclaimed wood from woodworking operations, used pallets, sawdust (300 million pounds a year). Trex is one of the largest plastic bag recyclers in the United States: 7 out of every 10 recycled grocery bags in the U.S. end up at Trex (about 1.5 billion per year).

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Yesterday, Pennington Seed unveiled ‘Smart Seed’, which they claim is the first environmentally-friendly grass seed. The seeds are coated with their ‘MYCO Advantage’, an exclusive blend of beneficial, all-natural root organisms that contribute to plant growth. The additional nutrients have been shown to result in denser and deeper root systems helping to achieve a thick, healthy, more drought resistant lawn.

According to Pennington, the average lawn requires 10,000 gallons of water in addition to what is provided by rainfall each year. By planting a new lawn or over seeding an existing lawn with Smart Seed, homeowners can conserve up to 3,000 gallons of water per year, so they can conserve water and save money.

Smart Seed is available in Tall Fescue, Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Rye and Bermudagrass seed blends, as well as Sun and Shade, Fescue/Bluegrass and Dense Shade seed mixtures.

Have you or someone you know tried ‘Smart Seed’? Are you aware of similar grass offerings? We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment to share your experience.

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Look out!  During your remodel your existing landscaping could be in for a beating!  

Construction workers, Bobcats, piles of lumber, nails, gravel, etc.  You can imagine, or maybe you already know what I am talking about.  Well there are precautions you can take to reduce the damage to your wallet, to your trees and plants, and to limit the impact on the environment overall for the energy it takes to replace them!

Here are a few things you can do to preserve:

• Agree with your contractor before the project starts that your landscaping is important.
• Install temporary fencing around roots, and trees.
• Don’t allow materials to be stacked under trees, as the weight can damage roots systems.
• Watch for washing of wheelbarrows in planted areas, as the lime in the mix can create harmful pH levels.
• Schedule waterings on weekends, or when workers are gone so they are not walking through wet soil.

There are many more ideas in Tom Dominguez’s recent article:  Tips for your landscape during construction projects.

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The DIY Network and Carter Oosterhouse from Inside Job talks eco-friendly landscaping mulch in the form of recycled rubber tires in this video. 

As we covered late last month, approximately one tire is discarded per person per year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003.  GetWithGreen.com believes that you should definitely take a look at mulch that repurposes this rubber waste. 

Related Articles on GetWithGreen:

- Ground cover & playground material solves a waste problem
- Eco-friendly backyard playground equipment
- Weed herbicide product that is eco-friendly
- 10 Steps to a Better and Eco-Friendly Lawn
- Don?t Use Chemicals, Try this Weedblocker

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