Maybe it’s safer. A beige ranch rambler on a street named after a whatever kind of tree was growing there before some developer ran a fleet a bulldozers over the land and dropped a couple of hundred carbon copy houses off the back of a very large truck. I drive down streets like that all the time; the more creative developers have three, maybe four different sets of plans they switch between on any given street.

Or you can find one of those neighborhoods that still have craftsman or art deco houses from the good old days. The good old days when a 400 dollar electric bill was something only a baseball stadium might get. I’ve lived in some neat old houses and paid the utility bills to prove it. With our current energy situation this is more than a financial issue. Our future and our children’s future depends on it.

Look at the pictures of this house; not only is it flat out cool but the house is designed from the ground up to eco friendly, both during construction and after it’s occupied.

From the start; the house was designed to take maximum advantage of its orientation. When positioned right the house blocks cold winds in the winter to keep warm and summer sunlight to keep cool. The roof is even angled with solar panels in mind and is even designed with collecting rainwater in mind. Aditionally the whole thing is elevated to have minimal impact to the natural drainage of the site.

Inside the house is open to allow for natural airflow to make heating and cooling more efficient. Rooms requireing extensive plumbing (kitchen, bath, and utility room) are centrally located.

I know this would be a bit more of a gift for most people than say, a garden gnome; the Eco Friendly House Plan sells for $1,895 from Clean Air Gardening. But if you looking to build a house maybe think of this as a gift to your children; to all our children.

There is no law that says that solar powered garden lights have to be functional industrial looking hunks of plastic. I’m not knocking functional industrial looking décor; I kind of dig that really. But some times you just want something different, or you know, attractive.

For that we have the solar powered torch light. Now, you aren’t going light up a stadium with these things but they sport hand blown phosphorescent glass, an LED light source, and a powder coated stake to place into the ground so they stay where you put them. They glow for around 6-8 hours a night recharge from the sun during the day. The Solar Torch Light is available from Gardeners supply for 34.95.

The Toro Power Sweep leaf blower is a great tool for fall and winter chores in your yard and garden. This is a high powered blower (140 mph of air force) that is also environmentally friendly and inexpensive to use and maintain. It requires no gas and won’t belch out exhaust like gas powered blowers. Simply plug it in, recharge it, and take it out to your yard! It weighs in at only 5 pounds and costs around $45.00.

Garden in comfort with this excellent Bubble Gel Kneeler, available on the Brookstone.com website. The gel-filled bubbles on this garden kneeler will keep your knees protected, even when gardening on rough ground. The kneeler is also easy to clean and water won’t damage it! This is a very practical gift for all gardeners.

Garden tape may seem like a weird gardening gift, but it is one of those essential pieces of equipment in the garden. The thing is, you can’t use just any tape in the garden, you need something that stretches so that it doesn’t strangle your shrubs and trees as it grows, and that is resistant to extreme weather. Vinyl garden tape will do the trick. Golden Harvest Organics sells garden tape for $1.95 a roll, so stock up!

Rittenhouse, a gardening store that’s been around since 1974, offers these excellent garden forks. These are great tools for turning compost, shoveling leaves, and a variety of gardening and yard chores. This garden fork is made of stainless steel, making it an attractive and durable garden tool.

The Watering Can Rain Chain is a handy gardening gadget that works like a downspout. Attach it to your gutter, and the unique watering can design slows the flow of the water as it rains. The attractive design will be a conversation piece for friends and neighbors as well!

Bat Guano is a 100% natural fertilizer that will make the plants of your garden very happy. Bat guano has a high humus content, which makes it an excellent soil builder. Before the advent of artificial fertilizers, bat guano was the fertilizer of choice for many gardeners. Bat guano is also 100% safe for the bats. This bat guano comes from the Bracken Bat Cave in Central Texas.

Foxgloves, Inc. offers a variety of very cool gardening gloves. They’re made of SUPPLEX® nylon which means that they’re comfortable and durable. You can use Foxgloves for a variety of gardening chores and other tough jobs in the house and yard.

Aerating your lawn is a ritual you should already be doing every year so that your grass will grow green and healthy. With these lawn aerator shoes, you can actually combine your mowing with your lawn aerating! Just strap these sandals over your shoes before you mow and continue mowing! They work great!