trespress

Tres makes press in the August 2010 issue of Hospitality Design as well as in the fall/winter 2010 NEWH Magazine, the Hospitality Industry Network. Trespass stole #3 (so much cooler than #1) in this year's Radical Innovation Competition held at HD in Las Vegas. As quoted in the article by judge James Woods of Keen Partners – "Trespass was the best proposal I've seen to address a major and increasing blight on the suburban landscape," say Woods.

Judge Simon Turner, President of Global Development at Starwood Hotels and Resorts adds – "These concepts are very timely as we, at Starwood, continue to see increasing non-traditional development opportunities in urban environments and, an increased focus on incorporating green practices into existing and new build hotels as a clear trend. The current challenging economic times have placed more of a premium on striking a balance between innovation and practicality than in past years". For more, check out the article here: HD August 2010


The NEWH online version is not yet up, but you can probably find it here at some point soon.

Weetree Wall™ Featured on Webecoist

Weetree Wall™ was just listed on Webecoist's "12 Savvy Small-Space Urban Gardening Designs & Ideas" calling it "a stunning vertical garden effect."

Visit here for full article: 12 Savvy Small-Space Urban Gardening Designs & Ideas

Living Wall Barrier

Weetree Wall™ Featured on Lushe.com.au

This is pretty cool for us. Lushe.com.au is a blog we use as a reference for our living wall development projects. Josh did a nice write up on Weetree Wall™ all the way from Australia. I just happened to stumble upon it in my routine reading.

Check out their site: Weetree Wall™ on Lushe

Weetree Wall™ is Better Than a Dead Wall

Sister company, weetree, has released it's new living wall system, Weetree Wall™. This custom vertical garden system is designed to wrap the ugliness of Chicagoan's backyard garages, sheds, bomb shelters and outhouses. Well at least the garages.

Utilizing modified commercial irrigation and water capture systems, Weetree Wall™ becomes a sustainable and cost effective solution to expanding unused space into living and thriving gardens. Whether for sun, shade or herb gardens, your garage walls now can be come the envy of neighbors and a centerpiece to the garden.

Future iterations of Weetree Wall™ will include commercial installation; soil less mediums and modular click-and-grow indoor/outdoor systems. Stay tuned for more to come.

DIY Self Watering Containers

MATERIALS NEEDED

Two 5-gallon food grade buckets

One 1" diameter watering tube, about 3" longer than the height of one of the buckets, made of safe(r) plastic, copper, or bamboo

One 16-oz or 24-oz safe plastic drinking cup
One 13-gallon plastic trash bag
One cubic foot potting mix (not soil)
Organic fertilizer (1.5 to 2 cups per bucket)
For tomatoes only, Hydrated lime (one cup per bucket mixed into top 6 inches of soil)

Electric or cordless drill
1/4 inch drill bit
Box cutter/utility knife
Snips or heavy duty scissors

not all fun & mojitos!

Weetu made their 3rd Innagural mecca to Miami for the HD Boutique Conference, held September 14-15th. Though some sun was soaked, it wasn't all mojitos. The first day of the conference, Carly was up at the break of dawn (or so it seemed) to meet with the NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee. The committee discussed goals to meet important initiatives, including their primary mission to "Lead the hospitality industry to educate and promote sustainable practices that achieve a balance between environment, economics and social equity".

The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Website will be refined and expanded over the next several months. If you're in the hospitality industry now is the time to sponsor, as this is sure to be the resource directory for Sustainable Hospitality.

GreenWashing gone wild - WEETU style!

What may look like a perverse intermingling of sport, or perhaps a color inspiration palette, is really just a scaled image to demonstrate what's growing in our gardens!! Daniel, of the weetu crew, spent nearly all of last week bragging about the giant cucumber and marveling at why/how it could be so big!! Both proud and intimidated by his accidental creation, Daniel kept promising the cucumber to us in different ways at different times. First, he promised to sacrifice his giant cucumber to Carly's Juiceman Jr., and moments later, offering Linda the cucumber for a salad she was making. This continued all week, though he never produced the cucumber. Until finally he sent the picture. "Wow! That is big", we thought.

Finally he sent the picture. "Wow! That is big!", we thought.

But seriously - what is happening in that garden?? Are we subject to genetically modified gardens in the city? Too many Doritos bags, Big Gulps and cigarette butts decomposing in our soil? We know this is a kept, but not overly pampered garden - only a hands toss from the urban sidewalks of Logan Square. How did that soil produce such a genetically modified cucumber? Is this just another American phenomenon where everything is "just" getting bigger?

In contemplative moments such as these we ask The Google. What is the first search result for "giant cucumber"?
It seems hundreds of men and woman want to know how they too can grow a big cucumber, such as DST and his inquisitive wife:

Hello,
Anyone ever try to grow a giant cucumber? What variety would be best? My wife wanted me to ask.
Thanks,
DST

We learned there are many hopeful gardeners who wish the "everything I'm growing will be giant vegetables". Wow!
We also learned that you can purchase the "garden oddity seed pak" from Seedman.com, boasting of all the giant vegetables you can achieve.

Daniel won't admit to this purchase although he continues to grow giant cucumbers. Next up - huge tomatoes.
We can't wait for that image!

Weetu Goes Green (the move)

WEE moved! Follow us to our new location – 700 N. Green Street #506, Chicago IL 60622!