Into each life, a little rain must be caught: The local Web site www.organicgardeningtx.com sells Old World-style oak rain barrels for $175. They hold 50 gallons of rainwater, which is great for food crops in your garden. They’re equipped with a faucet and hose attachment and a screen at the top to keep mosquitoes out. More on gardening with rainwater

Grow locally: Designs in Nature — The Tree Place, a garden center near Lake Arlington, offers native Texas container-grown trees from its completely organic operation. 5501 E. Interstate 20, 817-561-9248, www.thetreeplace.com. Trees, shrubs and other plants that thrive in Texas heat

Grow with like-minded individuals: The Arlington Organic Gardening Club posts questions and answers about everything from composting to getting rid of head lice the natural way. www.aogc.org.

The new phone books are here, the new phone books are here! Please discard your old ones responsibly. According to greendimes.com, recycling of 500 phone books saves 7,000 gallons of water, 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, 17 to 31 trees and 4,100 kilowatts of electricity, which would serve an average home for six months.

Recycle your wedding gown, and look stylish, too! A trend among green brides is to recycle parts for their gowns. Dress designer Jennyvi Dizon told Earth 911 that you don’t have to wear Grandma’s whole gown: “Instead, take the many good pieces and create a bodice. The rest of the dress can be brand new. So, when the big day comes, you have something old and something new and, if need be, add a little something blue.”

Test your fridge’s door seal by shutting it over a piece of paper. If you can pull it out easily, the seal may need to be replaced, warns Earth 911. Another tip: Cover liquids and wrap all foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

Indulge your sweet tooth: Terra Nostra, maker of organic chocolate,employs a “cleaner, greener means of chocolate production,” the company says. One example: Terra Nostra offsets all of its carbon emissions by buying wind power renewable energy credits from community-based wind farms. That allows reinvestment of profits to build infrastructures that produce renewable energy.

Green gifts and more: Green Living, a retail store based in Dallas, opened its online shop for business on Aug. 20. Among its Earth-friendly products: a lightweight Brill push reel mower (“Burn calories instead of gas”) for $219; an organic cotton bathrobe for $34; and a placemat made of recycled newspapers for $14. www.green-living.com