Preparing for the post-oil age is somewhat like preparing for the apocalypse, only without having to deal with those four annoying horsemen. As we motor towards peak oil, we’ll need to rely less on gasoline-powered vehicles and machinery, and more on our hands and our own muscle power. And according to adherents of the Great Reskilling — a permaculture concept where people learn to become self-reliant by learning traditional skills — we’ll all be better for it.... Read more

7/19/09: Last Sunday, the 13th Annual Flynn Garden Tour drew over 400 people to the Champlain Islands for a peek into some spectacular secret gardens.

Music: La Strada, "Flying"

Location: North Hero, South Hero, Grand Isle Vermont

At first glance, the house at 133 New South Farm in Hinesburg doesn’t look different from other ones in the area. Modestly sized and attractive, it’s perched on a south-facing hillside with an impressive view of the rural valley below. But this two-story dwelling, like its five neighbors, is arguably one of the “greenest” homes in Vermont. It doesn’t just does power itself; it earns its owner money.... Read more

We’re building green. We’re doing it because it’s trendy and we have loads of money. OK, not really. But we’re sure that’s what some people think when we tell them about our construction plans.... Read more

Joe Nusbaum wasn’t planning to become a gypsy last January, when he started building a mobile domicile in his backyard. The Homeland Security policy writer, who has no architectural background, drew up a plan based on living spaces he had seen in a Chelsea Green Publishing book called Freewheeling Homes, including several built by Corinth resident Dan Wing.... Read more

If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the windows of your house are your eyes on the world. So the least you can do is keep them clean. But, given Vermont winters — and the planetary carbon-emissions crisis — it’s even more important to keep them “green.” How? There are two essential components to consider: window treatments on the inside, and the window itself.... Read more

Industry analysts are predicting the slumping economy will drive gardeners to grow more of their own food this summer. Even novices, and space-challenged urbanites, can get in the game with containers, according to Burlington gardening expert Barbara E. Richardson.... Read more

The warm tones of a Wagner overture can be heard in the living room of one of the South Village model homes where developer David Scheuer is sitting. Like the house around him, he has a polished yet casual air, with a crisp white shirt and ironed khakis; trendy rimless glasses perch on his nose. He sits comfortably in a wingback chair beside a fireplace, with a rose-colored ottoman resting on a sisal rug beneath his feet.... Read more

A nomadic upbringing goes a long way toward explaining Michelle and Nicolette Parchini’s chosen occupation. As these sisters tell it, their parents moved frequently all during their childhood — “and it wasn’t in a 20-foot moving van,” says Michelle. “We picked up and left with just the necessities.” So it’s no wonder the two were drawn to making every house a comfortable home. And now they’re doing it for others.... Read more

Karl Hammer makes his living in a way most of us can only dream about. He takes waste, which nobody wants; uses less-than-cutting-edge science to turn it into soil, which many people want; and finally makes it into money, which everybody wants. How’s that for a business plan?... Read more