tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post7915009131426648561..comments2024-03-15T01:29:50.279-07:00Comments on Town Mouse and Country Mouse: Greenest House in the Santa Clara Valley (?)Town Mousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09777461911856383480noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-59171488944790281232011-03-25T11:58:30.835-07:002011-03-25T11:58:30.835-07:00Petroleum grass, marketed as eco friendly = AAAAUU...Petroleum grass, marketed as eco friendly = AAAAUUUUGH!!!! My head is going to explode!!!!Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03932975112078606231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-7798575644861403222011-03-21T10:26:15.129-07:002011-03-21T10:26:15.129-07:00It's sad to see a movement degraded to a marke...It's sad to see a movement degraded to a marketing blitz. The greenest home is one that is already built (while adding energy saving components to it)- it's a matter of consuming less and working with the resources that are already there. But alas, shiny new doodads are way more fun (and profitable). That lawn is just an insult to the garden. I really don't see how a plastic lawn is sustainable. Native grasses are available in sod, but perhaps they're cheaper than this plastic stuff. Have to think of the resale value!Christinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07938196559124125578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-65075015141256172062011-03-20T20:33:19.286-07:002011-03-20T20:33:19.286-07:00Good for you on the critique. I went to a green i...Good for you on the critique. I went to a green in-law cottage here in the East Bay that was described with a lot more hype than it really warranted. Calling the yard native is just false advertising and is not ok. And the artificial lawn in a private yard is not ok either (though i can see the point for soccer fields or other truly high traffic areas). I think that being "green" has become somewhat of a status symbol, which would be good if it actually meant true changes in behavior instead of pretty facades.Bradhttp://rootedincalifornia.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-5482695706155293312011-03-20T18:36:43.864-07:002011-03-20T18:36:43.864-07:00I'm glad you wrote about this. We have toured ...I'm glad you wrote about this. We have toured several LEED Certified homes and businesses here in MN and the landscaping in each instance reflects what you saw. None or very few natives. I need to read more on the point system for this Certificatiion but it seems obvious that they 're not giving out many points for the landscaping so it is often done quite poorly.<br />HeatherHeather Holmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12614164765858960174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-45189867262734636822011-03-20T12:34:20.805-07:002011-03-20T12:34:20.805-07:00And the new gardeners will go home happily reassur...And the new gardeners will go home happily reassured that ... rosemary, bamboo, 'Japanese' maples (one of mine has died) are drought tolerant and native to California. So 'our garden' is too ;~((Diana Studerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12286066768376135880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-61665607728799807862011-03-20T12:18:20.226-07:002011-03-20T12:18:20.226-07:00Pretty weak and un-green that they are calling tha...Pretty weak and un-green that they are calling that native and drought tolerant. When I see that native drought tolerant label thrown around so much, I understand why there have been so many battles over the word organic. Same with green ratings. On the one hand it maybe waters the green label down when people use it so much and not always accurately, but on the other it does help mainstream the practices.ryanhttp://drystonegarden.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-90054270063461659452011-03-20T07:55:09.298-07:002011-03-20T07:55:09.298-07:00Thank you for posting this and offering you opinio...Thank you for posting this and offering you opinion. I toured 2 "green" homes in the past few years and was very disappointed, not only for the lack of native gardening. One was the Sunset magazine home in Monterey County where they couldn't be bothered to line up the spigot so that the water actually fell into the tub - yes, being anal, I actually turned the faucet during my tour b/c it didn't look right to me and I discovered most of the water flooded the floor - not exactly water responsible. The other was done by a friend who received $1.5 million to renovate a house that now has an $800 electric and gas bill every month. Green? I don't think so. It's another marketing ploy to buy products.Katie (Nature ID)https://www.blogger.com/profile/17730655720390625839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-64915194733014731992011-03-20T02:19:10.427-07:002011-03-20T02:19:10.427-07:00The house sounds like a great construction, but I ...The house sounds like a great construction, but I wouldn't say so about the garden. Again, it wouldn't be fair of me to judge it unless I see better angles. Great to hear that you did your part to correct them, but unfortunately not everyone is okay with others pointing fingers at their work.Chandramouli Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06532146969497878220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-16626188939127434162011-03-19T22:07:36.473-07:002011-03-19T22:07:36.473-07:00What a disappointment with the garden. They could ...What a disappointment with the garden. They could do better. Hopefully the interior isn't subject to the same sort of greenwashing that you observed on the exterior!Jameshttp://soenyun.com/Blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8497277770771473008.post-68887082334421197712011-03-19T21:09:28.110-07:002011-03-19T21:09:28.110-07:00good for you for keeping them honest!good for you for keeping them honest!Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04047700077883145458noreply@blogger.com