Photo by James P. Blair. © National Geographic Society.

Interactive planning director Jeannine sent this image to me this morning.  Residents of Sun City, a retirement community near Phoenix, once upon a time covered their lawns in grass-colored gravel.  What do you think? This eco idea dates back to the early 1960s. Who needs drought-tolerant shubs and flowers when there’s emerald stones to scatter across the yard?

Q: Did Kohler’s water-saving plumbing fixtures contribute to HGTV Green Home’s LEED Platinum certification by earning water-efficiency points? – Show Me The Green

A: Yes. Kohler’s toilets, showerheads and faucets contribute to the water-efficiency credits in the LEED program. – Rob Zimmerman, Senior Staff Engineer for Water Conservation Initiatives at Kohler Co.

Q: Does the HGTV Green Home have a gray-water system? I’ve heard that these systems can be expensive and must be custom-built. Do Kohler or any other companies create products that make it easier to install a gray-water system? – Holly

A: The home doesn’t have a gray-water system. While this is a great technology, it’s not yet fully developed — and there are a lot of existing infrastructure and strict plumbing codes that make implementation difficult. – Rob Zimmerman, Senior Staff Engineer for Water Conservation Initiatives at Kohler Co.

Word is spreading about our eco-friendly pad in Port St. Lucie – and not just via the local papers. We invited our friends from Coastal Living and Southern Accents magazines to tour the HGTV Green Home 2009 on February 2-4. The magazine team took some gorgeous photos and Loren Hawkins, the marketing manager for Coastal Living, took time out of her busy schedule to stroll through the home, interview both house planner Jack Thomasson and interior decorator Linda Woodrum, and gather information that will appear in the May issues of both magazines (please make a special note to pick up souvenir copies when the magazines hit newsstands on April 28 – I think it’s a safe bet to say they won’t last long!).

Shown, from left to right: HGTV Green Home house planner Jack Thomasson, HGTV Green Home interior decorator Linda Woodrum, Coastal Living Marketing Manager Loren Hawkins, HGTV Ad Sales Marketing Manager Stephanie Barchi and HGTV Creative Services Design Manager Randy Armstrong.

The online team’s travel day to Port St. Lucie was pretty uneventful. Blue skies, perfect flight from Tennessee, easy drive to the home. We arrived at about 2 or 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The weather was just perfect – the kind of day when you want to ditch your list of to-dos, sink your flip-flops into the cool green grass, pull up a lawn chair and just bask in the bright sunshine.

You’re probably wondering about the home. It’s amazing, of course. The decor is bright and cheery, and influenced somewhat by the tropical surroundings. HGTV Green Home interior designer Linda Woodrum has hit another home run with this one. And wait till you see the master bedroom. Oh my! I had a chance to chat with Linda on Thursday to get the scoop on the furnishings and inspirations for each room. She’s such a special lady – her take on design is down-to-earth, yet innovative, and she pays attention to those little details you might take completely for granted. I guess you could say she has an artist’s eye.

Right now, our talented photographers are in the midst of snapping pictures of the rooms and capturing the scenery at just the right time of day and in just the right natural light. I think you will really enjoy the online tour (launching April 1, BTW).

You might be thinking, “Oh, come on, Mary, enough with the fluff. Give us some hints. Show us some pictures.” Well, I would have to say that one of my favorite spaces is the back patio, the perfect spot to daydream or read a book as the sound of ocean breezes blowing through the leaves of the palm trees lulls you to sleep. And then there’s the kitchen – at about five in the afternoon. The slowly sinking sun streams through the window, bounces off the sparkling recycled-glass countertops and seems to sprinkle magic around the room. As I listened to mellow jazz tunes, I could just imagine a small party of friends gathered in this space, just back from a day spent at the beach, happily sunburned, hungry and sipping martinis while steaks sizzle on the grill in the backyard.

Bet you can’t wait to enter the giveaway now …

HGTVPro.com has launched a photo gallery with just-taken pictures of the HGTV Green Home in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Take a peek, then come back to the blog and share your comments and questions. Even pre-stucco, the home looks amazing! Go to the Gallery.

What Makes It Green?
Here are just a few eco-friendly features incorporated into HGTV’s second green home. Stay tuned for more detailed information as we near April and the launch of the online tour and sweepstakes:

●Design features will reduce the overall water consumption by 50% over a conventional home.
●The HGTV Green Home 2009 will use about 50% less power than a conventional home.
●Careful attention will be paid to selection of construction and building materials that can be locally made, do not release dangerous fumes and can be rapidly re-grown or recycled.
●Air quality will be controlled by sealing off or exhausting unwanted dirt and fumes, reducing incoming moisture and improving ventilation.
●The natural beauty of the site will be protected and enhanced through minimal site disturbance, erosion control and beautiful landscaping.

You may have noticed the “All-New HGTV.com” postings on the site in recent days. We’re working on a major makeover of the site that will include new and improved blogs. This blog will be inactive for just a few days as we put the finishing touches on the new HGTV Green Home blog. Check back on Friday when we relaunch. If you bookmarked the main page of this blog, don’t fear. The link will still work just fine. Once we’re back online, let us know what you think and then bookmark our new blog so you never miss a single post.

Take a look and let us know what you think. Also, don’t forget to check out all the design and construction updates on HGTVPro.com.

And while you’re at it, get caught up with our Super Fan on Dream Home Central. Gail’s blogging and vlogging weekly, answering readers’ questions and doing fabulous behind-the-scenes interviews with the talented team involved in the design and build of HGTV Dream Home 2009.

We’re getting closer and closer to revealing the location of the next HGTV Green Home. But what would you do if I told you it’s only four days away?

Hunters, here’s your final clue:

In the grand tradition of HGTV giveaways, the HGTV Green Home has become not just one of our favorite events, but one of the core events of our year. In other words, can you believe the answer’s been here all along?

And be sure to tune in Monday when house planner Jack Thomasson will reveal the location of the next HGTV Green Home!

Come back here after the show and tell us your best guess.

Did you miss the clue on Thursday night? Here it is again:

State Animal: Panther

By the way, have you checked out our Halloween decorating, party and pumpkin ideas? They’ll help you get ready for the big night — which is a week from tomorrow!

If you want something fun to occupy the time between now and then, test your Green I.Q. with the FineLiving.com Eco-Friendly Living Quiz.

I got 9 out of 10 (which officially qualifies me for green geekdom). What did you get?