Participate in this event on the official E-Gala 2009 website.

Follow Beth’s blog, “Growing in Chicago,” here.

These banks market their green policies by offering lower interest rates on loans to green builders and borrowers who buy fuel-efficient cars and incentives to depositors who opt out of paper installments.  Research firm Mintel surveyed consumers, of whom 56 percent found paperless accounts to be genuinely ecologically friendly, not just a cost-cutting ploy.

With bank failures widespread through the country, GreenChoice Bank aspires to be one of the Midwest’s first green lenders. “Sustainability has entered the mainstream, as evidenced by the ubiquity of ‘green’ messaging and reporting in the media,” said GreenChoice’s application with the Office of Thrift Supervision. Steve Sherman, who will be GreenChoice’s chief operating officer, is accredited in green building practices by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. On June 2, 2009, GreenChoice received conditional regulatory approval, and it hopes to raise $13.5 million to $16 million in capital.

In addition to the above mentioned benefits to green banking, GreenChoice Bank is pushing envelope-free ATMs and remote deposit capture, in which the business customer can deposit checks without visiting a bank. First Green Bank, which opened earlier in 2009, offers zero-interest loans to workers who buy cars that get more than 30 miles to the gallon.

“It’s reassuring that we have new confirmation that home gardeners see herb and vegetable gardening as a practical solution to health, safety and economic issues,” says GWA Foundation President Steve Dobbs of Forth Smith, Arkansas. “We believe the latest trends report shows public interest in edible gardens goes well beyond current economic issues and points to a significant growth in sustainable living that will carry vegetable gardening to new heights for years to come.”

Other findings from this national consumer survey include:

Reasons to garden: 35 percent of Americans say that their primary reason for gardening is better mental health, nutrition or fitness.

Concerns about environmental impact: 70 percent of gardeners are either very (36 percent) or somewhat (34 percent) concerned about the environmental impact of the gardening-related products that they are purchasing. 16 percent say that they are neutral about the issue, while 12 percent are unconcerned.

Recycling: 51 percent of the gardeners surveyed say they always recycle plastic nursery pots/trays (48 percent in 2008); 49% said they always mulch or compost grass clippings (48 percent in 2008); and 44 percent said they always mulch or compost garden waste (41 percent in 2008).

Planned lawn activities: 53 percent of gardeners said weed control was the number one activity this year, while insect control (33 percent) and over-seeding with new seed (20 percent) capture second and third place, respectively.

This information comes from a press release issued by the GWA Foundation titled “Vegetable Gardening Still Tops Most Consumer Gardening Lists,” issued May 2009.

GreenMark PR’s Sue Markgraf was a co-chair of this year’s event and can be seen in this video, produced by Dave Smolensky, Publicity Club of Chicago board member and COO of Resolute Consulting, and his team. The event was held Thursday, May 14 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, Ill. The 2009 event celebrates the 50th anniversary of the award.

Robert Milani of Chalet said “We’re finding that a lot of people still don’t know there are options to replace the iconic American elm, which is susceptible to Dutch elm disease. There’s still a lot to do to educate the customer.” Elm trees have been on the decline both naturally and in the interest of gardeners since the disease began killing the trees in the 1930s. Triumph, bred by The Morton Arboretum is one of five of their elms that are highly disease, pest and drought resistant.

Milani recommends Triumph to his customers because of its glossy leaves and nice structure, adding that it is a relatively fast growing, urban tolerant selection. “We haven’t seen any problems with it,” he said. The positive reviews of Triumph come as no surprise, however. The line of trees have undergone years of rigorous testing prior to hitting the market via a unique plant introduction program.

Chicagoland Grows is a partnership between The Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois. The program develops, evaluates and selects trees and other plants that are suitable for growing conditions in the upper Midwest. After a selection is made, it is vigorously tested at botanical gardens, universities and municipal forests. If the plant performs well, propagators grow the plant and it is introduced on a limited basis to wholesale and retail nurseries. If the plant’s performance remains high, Chicagoland Grows conducts a full release to nurseries, as it did with Triumph in 2005.

There is a cost, however, and a commitment in installing a fireplace or a fire-pit as well as differences to consider. A fireplace typically covers a larger space than a pit and most are made of stone or brick assembled on-site. Outdoor fireplaces can range from $3,500-$25,000  while fire-pits are easier to install, smaller and cost between $1,500 and $3,000 for a built-in model. When choosing between a fireplace or a fire-pit, consider the size of the area you’d like to designate and don’t forget seating area. Beatty recommends considering “your overall landscaping goals as you debate wehther to buy one and how much space to use.

Each structure can be fueled by wood or outfitted with gas logs. Milani suggests checking with your local building department to make sure the type of area you want is within code, “some towns, for example, do not allow wood-burning fireplaces outdoors or have guidelines regarding how close the fireplace can be to the house.” You can of course, opt for supplemental heat fire-pits and chimineas or portable units, which are smaller in size and less expensive.

The article referenced in this post was by Allison Beatty and appeared on Chicagotribune.com, Apr. 17, 2009 and also in the Chicago Tribune newspaper (Chicago Homes, Section 6, Page 7). Other articles about fireplaces and fire-pits involving Chalet include the Apr. 1009 issue of North Shore Magazine (Pages 8, 66-71, 74-75) and NorthShoreMag.com.

Other companies on this list making green choices include: General Mills, General Electric, Tesco, Wal-Mart, Timberland, Dyson, and JP Morgan Chase.

Read the article on Be More Eco’s website to learn more about what these other companies are doing to foster a green future.

Read more about Chalet and other “desination garden centers” on Midwest Living’s website.

Some of the plants he brought in include: Hellebores, Bergenia, Bleeding Heart, Mertensia, Epimedium. He said the Hellebores bloom in the shade for four to six weeks, have a wide range of colors and no negative effect if it snows while blooming. He said the Bergenia grow great with the Hellebores in the shade. Bergenia have striking, deep pink flowers that bloom above glossy green foliage. The old-fashioned, but beautiful choice will always be the Bleeding Heart, though. They bloom for several weeks in the shade and go dormant in the summer heat.

See the video on the WGN Midday News section.

Chalet also appeared on ABC7 Morning News, Tuesday, Apr. 21, 2009, featuring several segments and live remotes.

See the video of Chalet on ABC7 Morning News.