© Provided by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited Green roofs can reduce cooling costs and are easier to care for than green walls since the plants get nutrients from the rain and sun. 
© Provided by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited Green walls, or vertical gardens, filter the air in your home while producing oxygen. Does the thought of sustainable living at home conjure images of clunky solar panels and backbreaking work? Don't let it.
Recent innovations make it easier to live a green lifestyle without sacrificing style. Check out some of the new, beautiful and trendy ways you can create an environmentally friendly home.
Green walls: Also known as "living walls," green walls are trending due to their numerous health benefits and interior functionality. Basically, these are walls covered with living greenery. Green walls filter harmful toxins from the air and produce oxygen. They help cool the air in the summer, keep it warm during the winter, aid with noise reduction and even help with fire-proofing.
Though a green wall does require more maintenance than a regular one, it isn't much more trouble than looking after potted plants.
Green roof: Green roofs are similar to green walls but offer even more benefits. Have a professional install a protective layer and some low-lying greenery on a flat portion of your roof and reap the rewards. Green roofs come with all of the perks that green walls offer, and they act as a great insulator for your home. They can reduce cooling costs by up to 75 per cent.
Plus, a green roof is easier to care for than a green wall — since it's outside, the roof gets most of its nutrients from the rain and sun. You will need to inspect the roof annually to check for leaks.
Urban beekeeping: Give our endangered pollinators a home with a piece of your property. This cheap hobby is a great conversation starter and an easy way to enhance your greenery. If you're interested in honey, you'll need the necessary equipment — a colony, a beekeeping suit, a beehive and harvesting materials — and the bees will do the rest. If you're worried about the visual appeal of a small wooden box on the edge of your property, try painting the hive a neutral colour so it blends in. Or, better yet, take the opportunity to decorate it with floral designs.
More bees mean more pollination, so expect your yard to thank you for your efforts with larger vegetables and more plentiful flowers.
Solar shingles: Many people love the idea of solar power but shy away from the idea of unattractive solar panels cluttering the roof. Thankfully, recent innovation has led to the creation of solar shingles.
Solar shingles come in the form of tiles and can either fit over your existing roof, or act as the roof itself depending on the brand. Either way, they're a simple, attractive and seamless way to get solar energy into your home.
Be warned: The upfront cost for these roof tiles is formidable. However, they are known to be as durable as or stronger than regular shingles, and they'll save you a ton of money on electric bills.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
© Markus Wegmann Provide sanctuary to pollinators with a bee house and see the benefits the endangered insects will bring to your garden.
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