It’s summer, and that means finding reasons to head to Harbor Country. Two good ones in the next few weeks: an event called Revive Your Green Retreat on May 30 at Susan Fredman’s At Home With Nature in Union Pier, and the Heartland Alliance house walk June 6. At the Revive Your Retreat event, speakers throughout the day (including me, talking about green décor trends) will discuss the nuts and bolts of creating a healthy, environmentally friendly home. Learn about eco-color trends, composting, finding tax breaks and home loans for green homes, and creating a green wedding. For the kids: ice cream, and getting crafty with recycled materials. See the full schedule and RSVP on the site. The next Saturday, The Heartland Alliance Celebration of Home & Garden Tour starts at 10 a.m. and features seven impressive Harbor Country homes, from an antiques-filled Normandy-style house to a Hamptons-style cottage. Proceeds go toward the development of affordable housing.

—Jan Parr