What: A device that kills weeds

Features: Uses thermogenic heat to disrupt the weed’s normal function, causing it to shrivel up and die.

Green Factor: Uses NO herbicides or chemicals of any kind so your yard, gardens etc. remain blissfully untainted by toxic nastiness. This is safer for you, your children, your pets, wildlife, the groundwater and the overall environment. Also noteworthy, it’s a corded electric device so there are no noxious fumes or emissions.

Bonus: The temperature of the ceramic stone plateaus at a pre-defined set point of 400˚F so that it can safely be used around mulch and pine straw without the threat of instantaneous ignition or scorching.

Find It Here: CompostMania

What: Pre-Seeded Gift Wrap

Features: Plant the paper after it’s been used and grow wildflowers

Green Factor: Made from 100% recycled paper, creates zero waste

Cool  Factor: Totally NOT generic (so your gift will stand out!)

Find It Here: Little Kay Gardens

I let my kids watch TV. I admit it. But I’m also very picky about what I let them watch, opting predominantly for science and nature shows. One series that we’ve enjoyed immensely is Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel. The cinematography is so groundbreaking that we’ve been able to see things we would never ever witness otherwise and so indescribably amazing that it regularly gave me chills. It’s because of our love of nature that I’m especially excited about a movie from Disneynature films called Earth. It tells the story of three animal families and their journeys across the planet over the course of a year. It was directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, the Emmy Award-winning creative team behind the Planet Earth series which pretty much guarantees it will be both epic and visually astounding. What’s really cool is that Disney is going to plant a tree for every person who sees the film during it’s opening week, starting on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. That’s some serious green potential and I’m really excited about it! To help kick off this awesome new film, we’ve teamed up with Disneynature films to give away an Earth reusable grocery bag, a biodegradable tumbler, and a tree seedling so you can plant your own tree! (details below)

Find It Here: Disneynature Films

Win It: We’re giving away an Earth reusable grocery bag, a biodegradable tumbler, and a tree seedling. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter DE3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What, specifically, are the three kinds of animals featured in Earth? Enter by 4/07/09. $60 value. Contest Closed. Congrats  Sherry!

When I work in my yard, I always wear gloves. This is partly because I’m kind of prissy and don’t really like getting dirty but also because gloves protect my hands from branches, thorns, stubborn weeds that can cut and of course all the bacterium that live in soil. I learned about all the aforementioned hazards the hard way…by NOT using gloves and thus, I’m now a big fan. Of course, I always wear my husband’s el cheapo grande work gloves and of course, I always swear I’m going to get myself a decent pair. The ones I have my eye on are the West County Gardener Work Gloves. Full of recycling goodness, they’re constructed with a high-tech spandex mesh fabric derived from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles that have been ground up and spun into recycled yarn and each pair of gloves removes one 8-ounce beverage bottle from landfill. Only adding to their coolness is the fact that they also make them for kids. The Kid’s Classic glove is an exact replica of the adult Classic Glove, with all the same comfort and durability, but smaller. And cuter. My daughter, who always wants the gloves off my hands, literally, would be thrilled to have her very own and I’d be thrilled because then she could help me pull weeds!

Find It Here: West County Gloves

 Win It: We’re giving away three pair of West County Gardener gloves. The winner can choose from the Kid’s Classic and the Work Glove. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter WC3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is a signature feature of the Work Glove? Open to US residents. Enter by 3/20/09. $60 value. Contest Closed. Congrats Shawn!

I know this is short notice but at noon today EST, a horticulturist from Burpee Seeds will be on The Motherhood site doing a live text chat answering questions about growing your own vegetables.

Post to The Motherhood that you’ll be planting a vegetable garden this year and you could win enough seeds to grow $650 worth of veggies. They’ll randomly pick ten winners by Wednesday (2/25).

One of my goals this year was to start a compost pile. I was feeling a wee bit guilty thinking about all my kitchen scraps ending up in an airtight plastic bag in a landfill somewhere. Something about biodegradable organic matter not being able to biodegrade is just, well, wrong. And yet, I’ve been doing it for years! *sigh* But his year, after continually hearing how easy it is to compost, I finally got off my duff and decided to do it. There are lots of ways to compost and many of them are very inexpensive. However, I’m a bit lazy and I liked the idea of getting a gadgety thing for my yard that would make composting REALLY easy. Hence, my new found affection for the Tumbleweed Composter. Assembling this composter is really easy. I did it in less than an hour, and that evening I was already composting without any prior experience. Just open the lid, stuff in your garden refuse and kitchen scraps, and then give it a “tumble” or two and your done. It is so wonderfully easy to use - and the best part is that if you tumble it every day or so, you’ll have beautiful compost in just about a month. And don’t forget the added bonus of all that good green karma coming your way!

Find It Here: Clean Air Gardening

With their loud engines and nasty gas fumes, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would find cutting the lawn with a gas-powered mower to be relaxing. On the other hand, using a push reel mower actually could be a relaxing experience because hello? No ear-splitting combustion engine, no fumes, no filling the old gas can, no carbon guilt! Push reel mowers are a real classic that have been around since your grandfather’s day but the modern incarnations are much lighter and easier to use.  And of course, there’s the whole environmentally-friendly aspect — reel mowers cut the grass blades like a scissor and leave fine mulch clippings behind to further feed the lawn. Get yourself a push reel mower and you’ll be the quietest lawn groomer on the block plus you’ll actually be able to hear your neighbor say hi while you’re cutting away, providing the perfect opportunity to tell them all about your groovy green mower!

Find It Here: Clean Air Gardening

The only way I garden is organically. Why use mainstream pesticides and herbicides when you can achieve the same thing organically? Sure, it may take you a bit longer, but your garden (and your health) will thank you for it. One of my favorite resources is OrganicGardening.com. On the site you can find regular features such as Fresh Picks, which features short articles such as Meet the Beneficial Insects; Slide Show, a feature centered around photos, and OG Solutions, a series of guides that cover everything you need to know for organic gardening success. Keep informed with their free newsletter, visit the community message board to discuss gardening topics with other gardeners and be sure to enter the weekly giveaway for some great prizes! Organic Gardening is also available in print format and whether you’re an organic gardener already or considering becoming one, it should be at the top of your ‘Must Subscribe’ list.

Find It Here: OrganicGardening.com

Planting season is upon us and whether you’re just beginning or a “seasoned” pro, Seeds of Change is a great resource for all your certified organic, non-GMO seed needs. Since 1989 they’ve strived to help promote sustainable, organic agriculture and to preserve biodiversity in an ever-changing environment. With over 600 different varieties of traditional and heirloom seeds available, the hardest part might be choosing what NOT to plant. Got kids? You can get them involved with the Children’s Garden Collection of seeds. On the eco tip, Seeds of Change recently switched their seed packs to new, reusable, recyclable envelopes. They have a longer shelf life, can be resealed to store unplanted seed, reused for other purposes, or recycled as #1 plastic. You can order from their catalog, on-line or by phone, as well as sign up for their monthly e-newsletter to keep up with everything that’s happening on at Seeds of Change.

Find It Here: Seeds of Change

The Mother Earth News website, a companion to the print version, is a great resource for tips on DIY projects, renewable energy, organic gardening, sustainable farming and more. In the Fresh Content Daily section, there is always something new to read. Curious about how and when to plant potatoes or what is the best organic milk? You’ll find it there. You can also browse through the most popular articles, diverse blogs, even the current issue of Mother Earth News. Also handy is the 38-year archive completely available on-line which features an archived article every day on the main site.

Find It Here: Mother Earth News

As a busy mom, I have limited time to spend beautifying my yard, but I want a beautiful yard nonetheless. Luckily, I have a solution - naturescaping! Naturescaping is the practice of using native plants to design a landscape. Plants that are native to their environment require little to no watering, fertilizing or care, and they are less likely to require pesticides because they are less susceptible to pests and disease. So while it may take me some effort to learn which plants are native to my area, the outcome will be totally worth it because I’ll have shrubs, trees, and flowers that can be maintained without chemicals or constant watering. Check out PlantNative to learn more about the art of naturescaping, and check out their native plant database to find out which plants are native to your area. Not only will your yard be beautiful and low-maintenance, but you’ll be increasing biodiversity, reducing water usage and reducing health risks associated with traditional landscaping. That’s taking green to a whole new level.

Find It Here: PlantNative

Are you a new gardener? Struggling with where to start? As you probably already know, the market is loaded with fertilizers that promise bigger blooms and heartier produce, but there are safer, more earth-friendly organic options available and Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has all the tips and techniques needed to produce beautiful flowers and gardens, tasty herbs and lovely organic fruits and vegetables. Even an experienced gardener could likely learn something new from Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening; a great resource for both beginners and more seasoned gardeners and for anyone who just really doesn’t dig handling or eating toxic fertilizers and pesticides.

Find It Here: Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening