A heat pump is a more climate-friendly way to heat and cool your home and can also improve indoor air quality. By Holly Bowers   Heat pumps have been in the news recently, and for good reason—they’re the most energy-efficient way to heat and cool your home. In addition to bringing big energy savings, they’re better for the planet than traditional gas heat. But what are heat pumps, and how do they work? Heat pumps heat and cool as needed, so they can replace both traditional air conditioners and home heating systems. Because they run on electricity rather than fossil fuels such as oil or n ..read more

Sunny days may ripen fruits and veggies, but dusk and nighttime bring out the best in these flowers. By Sara Bruskin   Colorado saw its fourth-hottest summer on record in 2021, and The Farmer’s Almanac is predicting another scorcher this year. On sweltering summer days, it’s always a relief when the sun finally dips behind the mountains. You can get the most out of those evening reprieves by creating a garden space you’ll love even more after dark. With help from Eve Reshetnik Brawner of Harlequin’s Gardens in Boulder, we’ve compiled a list of plants that bloom or release their fragrance ..read more

Make your home a sanctuary this summer with these tips for pure, clean indoor air. By Janine Frank   As we all know too well, wildfire season is upon us; it’s prudent to plan ahead for smoky days. The gasses and microscopic particles in wildfire smoke can cause a range of undesirable symptoms, from petty annoyances like burning eyes, coughing and sore throat to more chronic conditions such as heart and lung damage. Fortunately, you can maintain healthy indoor air even when the outdoor air quality index reaches into the red. If it’s a smoky day, take as many of these steps as possible to p ..read more

Biophilic design honors our innate need to connect with the natural world. By Robyn Griggs Lawrence   Morning sunlight streams through an east-facing window as a breeze gently lifts gauzy curtains. Hummingbirds flit to and from a feeder; bluebirds splash in a birdbath; the honeyed scent of sweet alyssum draws bees and butterflies. Connecting with nature—whether you live next to a vast open field or cultivate geraniums on a balcony—is the ultimate luxury. The simple pleasures of seeing greenery, hearing running water and feeling the sun warm your skin make you feel calm and happy, fully al ..read more

Radiant Renewal Longmont-based artist Ada Schwehr’s jewelry and portraits inspire healing through foraged botanicals.   By Kate Jonuska   Turn a corner, and your life can change. This was the case for Ada Schwehr, an artist and a forager of nutritional and medicinal plants who turned a corner in the Pacific Northwest woods to find a life-changing leaf in 2009. “I saw this gorgeous Oregon red grape leaf all by itself, and it was—for me—a big, magic moment,” Schwehr says. “I immediately knew I wanted to preserve the leaf because it was so beautiful—to take in this fallen botanical and ..read more

Sheltered Sanctuary By Sara Bruskin   For many gardeners, the growing season is winding down. They’re pulling in the last of their harvests and getting ready to cover their beds in a deep layer of mulch for winter. It doesn’t have to end there. If you’ve been thinking about investing in a protective structure to extend your growing season, now is the time (unless you really want to assemble one when it’s 10 degrees outside). The type of greenhouse setup you’ll need depends on your budget, what you want to grow at what time of year, whether you want passive or active climate control and ot ..read more

Harvest Helpers By Janine Frank   Last fall, Boulder County experienced a bumper crop of fruit, a true bonanza that overflowed bushel baskets everywhere. Instead of leaving all those apples to rot, Community Fruit Rescue stepped in. The nonprofit organization has been helping Boulder County property owners reduce food waste, protect wildlife and get edible food to those in need since 2014. They work mostly with apples but also harvest plums, pears and peaches. “We recover fruit that would otherwise be sent to the compost facility or landfill, or that would attract bears and other wildlife ..read more

A thoughtful remodel gives an Erie ranch home more space, storage and light without adding any square footage.   By Lisa TruesdalePhotos by Justin Martin Photography   When Jen and Colby Jones moved into their newly built Erie home in 2004, they especially appreciated the open-concept design. Over the years, however, they came to realize it wasn’t quite open enough.  “We loved the layout at first,” says Colby of the ranch-style home in Vista Ridge. “But as time passed and styles changed, we began to see the new possibilities in the modern, more open-concept designs.” The home wa ..read more

Gas stoves may be harmful to your health. The good news? Alternatives are a lot better than they used to be. By Holly Bowers Between wildfire smoke and elevated ozone levels, the Front Range is no stranger to air quality concerns. There are measures you can take to limit environmental contamination in your home, and one solution may be your gas stove. To create heat, gas stoves burn, well, gas. That releases chemicals such as nitrogen dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and formaldehyde (a known carcinogen). The Rocky Mountain Institute found that homes w ..read more

A Boulder climate-tech startup is helping utilities get smarter and cleaner. By Holly Bowers   Boulder-based startup Copper Labs is getting dirty energy off the grid. Following the adage “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” Copper Labs uses real-time energy data to show electrical, gas and water utilities across Colorado and the United States what’s happening on the grid at any given moment. This allows them to help their customers shift non-essential energy use, or discretionary load, to off-peak times when energy costs less and comes from renewable sources. In an industry whe ..read more