The Johnson Family, courtesy Be a Johnson

Bea Johnson, environmental lifestyle blogger and author of Zero Waste Home, says her family of four's household garbage output plateaued about three years ago and has stayed the same ever since: one quart per year. That's not a typo. During a phone interview, I ask her what's in her "waste jar" for 2013 and she pauses briefly as she rummages through the few debris. "A laminated fishing license, a few bits of plastic from an electrical repair, a piece of cable from my son's bike, and a lollipop stick-probably someone gave it to my son and he couldn't refuse, I understand." That's three months of garbage. It would include butter wrappers too, the one food item Johnson buys in packaging since she found it was too expensive and impractical to make, but she's saving them for an art project.

The average American produces over one thousand pounds of garbage a year, and ten years ago, Johnson, her husband, Scott, and two young sons were blithely dragging their overflowing 64-gallon trash

Photographed by Erin Yamagata, Refinery29

You probably know its facets and features better than you know your best friend's. It's been witness to some of your most genius moments, as well as your most brain-dead. You spend a quarter of your life in front of it. So, if your desk at work doesn't make you happy, you're doing it wrong.

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However, an office space makeover doesn't mean selling your soul to Dieter Rams and Brookstone. For just $50, you can take the barest of corporate spaces and transform it into a nook that feels more like you. We had three of our editors hit three shops - IKEA, Kmart, and a run-of-the-mill dollar store - to give a sad setup a bit of a lift. Go ahead, pick a favorite.

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I swear, the sun comes out for 48 contiguous hours in Portland and I'm ready to wear flip-flops and play in the dirt. This year, I'm going to try to kill two birds with one stone and fill my veggie garden with pick-and-eat crops. Gardening with kids is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to expose them to more vegetables. Frankly, I'm ready to give the dinner table tension a rest, and when we're gardening, vegetables are just part of the fun. Here are my favorite pick-and-eat vegetables - easy to grow, even for the novice gardener. If you don't have garden space, plant them in a pot. In a matter of weeks, you'll be able to tell the kids they've grown their own snacks. Click through for 7 pick-and-eat crops from your kids' vegetable garden! -By Asha Dornfest

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Our guide to favorite varieties in pinks, reds, yellows, and more

'Bartzella' Itoh hybrid peony
Bright yellow double blooms have a spicy scent. Stems are sturdy and foliage is lush and dark green.
A new introduction, 'Bartzella' is especially vigorous, blooms in late spring, and grows 2½ to 3 feet tall and wide.

'Blaze' Herbaceous peony
With ruffled red petals around a yellow center, these single blooms resemble fluffy bowls atop erect stems on a 2-foot-tall and 2½-foot-wide plant.
Grow it behind spring bulbs or as an accent in perennial borders (blue-flowered Campanula glomerata makes a pretty companion). Bloom time is mid- to late spring.

20 colorful plants for shade gardens

'Bowl of Beauty' Herbaceous peony
Bowl-shaped, fuchsia-pink blooms have tufts of creamy white petals in the center; the fragrant flowers start opening in midspring on plants 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Buckeye Belle' Herbaceous peony
A semidouble variety with velvety, dark red blooms atop sturdy stems, this stunner makes a showy cut flower. It grows 1½ to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.

'Cora Louise' Itoh hybrid peony'
Fragrant, white

New gardener Reed Davis chronicles each step, misstep, and big juicy victory as he turns a small patch of soil into a bountiful vegetable garden.

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There may be snow in some parts of the United States, but I'm springing for next season anyway! Of course, with spring comes fresh produce, sunshine, and leaves on trees and petals on flowers. So what better way to prep for the warmer weather than by getting your gardening on? I'm springing for a few on-trend gardening solutions this year because, after all, growing just isn't as much fun with a simple gardening pot as it is with a cool planter. If your sentiments match mine, you'll love what I've got in store. Click through for 7 on-trend planters to brighten your home! - By Michelle Horton

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Ah, springtime is about in session! And you know what that means: It's time to get to growin'. Regardless of where you live or your horticulture skill level, you can start an awesome backyard garden! Really, the benefits of doing so extend well beyond the chance to grow something of your own and add some green to your life. There's what comes during and before that: the documenting of your garden, all the yummy produce you'll have, plus everything in between. Click through for 7 simple ways to start gardening this spring! - By Cyd Converse

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You guys might know by now that I have a bit of a thing for trolling around and finding old things that I can make new again. Items with great lines or a cool finish are fair game for upcycling in my book! I tend to really love scavenging around at garage sales, flea markets and estate sales to see what old but new-to-me treasures I can bring home. Not only is making the old new again super fun, it's also more eco-friendly and generally more budget-friendly than buying new. That's what I like to call a win-win-win. I've got a few examples if you're not sure what I mean. Click through for 7 amazing ways to upcycle old household items! - By Cyd Converse

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