Heritage Toronto puts on some great walks throughout the city. I recently took one and found it was a nice way to learn about the City’s history and architecture while exploring on a beautiful day. Check out their site for upcoming walks.

Technorati Tags: architecture, Design, history, puppy, Toronto

Spring is starting to appear and it’s time to think about what this year’s garden may hold. Will it be a yard covered by the ever-so-aggressive mint? or a weed by another name? or some luscious sweet peas? Plenty of decisions to be made.

If you are planning on planting some vegetables in the garden and would like to plant organic heirlooms I have a great source for you. Urban Harvest sells all kinds of fantastic seeds that you can plant in your window sill and later transfer over to the garden.

Urban Harvest provides you with options to plant many varieties of plants which have fallen out of favour with big agribusiness and are much more flavourful than those found in most grocery stores.

The sad truth is that vegetables, such as tomatoes for instance, are being bred for shipping date, pest resistance, weather tolerance and not for taste. That explains why some of the beautiful red tomatoes taste like water. Urban Harvest claims that North Americans now eat only a fraction of the diversity of fruit and vegetables that were eaten 100 years ago. That stinks.

Toronto-based Urban Harvest has an online store and ships across Canada.

PS - Another helpful references to gardening is You Grow Girl, a fun book for basic gardening tips and blog written by a charming Toronto native.

Technorati Tags: garden, heirlooms, local business, organic, plant, seeds, Toronto

With a name like hawk eyes I expected a lot. I was not disappointed.

This recent addition to Roncesvalles Avenue is set up full of amazing little vignettes that make you feel like you are in a storybook.

The fairy tale awaits you from Wednesday to Sunday. The hours are roughly 12-5.

Not to mention the prices being reasonable, Rachel is lovely and her dog Tullulah is pretty cute too. Here’s a close up of Tullulah and her smile when you say “Gremlin”.

Technorati Tags:
Toronto, Vintage, Furniture, Roncesvalles, elegant, antique

Another great local designer: Lubo of Lubo Design. He is an architect turned woodworker and furniture designer. The detail and quality of workmanship in his pieces is amazing. He combines some Asian and European elements with clean modern lines, producing intricate, crisp yet warm designs. He uses only beautiful solid wood for his works, some of which is reclaimed wood. Check out the renovation work he has done. I dream of having some of his custom cabinetry.

You may have seen his showroom window on Dundas Street West near Lansdowne, or his van around town. Lubo is a nice guy. If you wave I’m sure he’ll wave back.

Technorati Tags:
artisan, furniture, design, Toronto, renovation

Outstanding modern designs are displayed in the MADE showroom on Dundas West.  All of these designers exhibited are Canadian and their works include furniture, lighting, ceramics, jewelry and home accessories.  Although MADE has a friendly gallery-like feel, pieces are also available for purchase. The art is always changing, and there is always something amazing to be found.

I heard all the hype and was excited about the new light bulb technology that was being promoted throughout the land.  These new compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75% less energy than regular light bulbs! Yahoo, an easy win!  Switching to CF bulbs, combined with some diligent turning off un-needed lights and appliances reduces the  demand for our dirty electricity.  Since much of our electricity is produced by coal burning power plants (that emit greenhouse gases contributing to global warming and cause asthma), anything that can help us conserve power is good news.  We are improving our environment through simple steps to reduce demand for electricity.

It was only after changing out nearly all of our light bulbs that I heard these bulbs contain mercury and the toxic metal will leak out if you break the bulb. Which means that these bulbs require special disposal.  Nowhere in these big advertisements did they mention that CF bulbs cannot go into the garbage. 

The City of Toronto has set up the following methods for disposal:

1. Community Environment Day (April - September)

2. Drop off the fluorescent tubes and compact bulbs at the Dump or call the Toxic Taxi  if you have 50 Liters of hazardous waste (maybe getting the neighbours in on it would help)

3. Ikea is taking back and recycling the bulbs they have sold customers. Go Ikea!  Rona seems to be the only other company that is working toward a corporate initiative to take back the bulbs. 

By the time these long lasting bulbs burn out I’m sure disposal will be made easier, especially as we get closer to 2012 when Ontario will no longer sell any other type of light bulb. 

David Suzuki reminds us that coal fired power plants are the largest sources of mercury in our environment today, so by reducing our dependence on them through use of these bulbs we are still ahead.

Now if only we could get offices to turn off the lights when no one is working …

Check out this cute little shop.  EyeSpy is located at 1100 Queen Street East and carries all kinds of eye candy and home decor… ideal for gifts.  (That’s code for “you’ll probably find all kinds of things for yourself”.) They carry beautiful table lamps, high design kiddy items, jewelry, cards and some furniture. 

Another new shop opened up on Ossington.

As the name implies, the shop carries beautiful modern furniture with all the essential complements from lighting to wallpaper. They even carry marimekko bags and dwell home furnishings. Mmm, delicious….

Technorati Tags: design, furniture, interiors, lighting, marimekko, ossington

Toronto’s Urban Forest Canopy is so good to us, but we’re currently losing more trees than are being planted. Trees help reduce the urban heat island effect, they provide shade so we can use less air conditioning, help prevent global warming by sequestering CO2, make Kyoto Protocol targets attainable, look great, provide habitat, prevent erosion, contribute to biodiversity, mitigate urban storm water runoff, and make neighbourhoods beautiful. Recent studies have proven that they even reduce crime. Need I go on? Time to get planting!

We are lucky in Toronto to have organizations that help with our City’s beautification. Trees that would normally run between $350-$600, with planting that could set you back an additional $200, are being heavily subsidized for city residents.

A local non-profit group LEAF is offering backyard tree planting in Toronto for the reduced cost of about $80-$130. This is amazing. LEAF is dedicated to improving Toronto’s urban forest, so if your backyard could also use a little sprucing up (pardon the pun) then you should contact them at:

LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests)
Subsidized trees for your yard
T 416 413 9244

LEAF’s service includes on-site advice on appropriate species and planting location, a 1.2 to 1.8m tall native tree, and the planting service. Native shrubs are also available.

If are interested in planning a tree on your front lawn you can get a free tree from the City of Toronto. Urban Forestry Services plants trees on City owned street allowances fronting residential properties for free.

City of Toronto Urban Forestry Services
Free tree for your front lawn
T 416 338 8733

Thanks to our local tree-hugger Alissa for pointing out these great resources! I recently planted two trees and have to say that they make me happy every day.

Technorati Tags: environment, garden, planting, trees