Issue #5 of Philly-based sustainability magazine Grid arrived this week—chock full of summertime “how to” cheer that’s just begging to be shared. Grid is a free magazine, and you can read its entire digitized issue online. Be sure to check out:

How to make rhubarb cobbler on page 15: This tasty-looking recipe calls for delectable maple sugar instead of the loads of predictable, refined white sugar found in most rhubarb concoctions.

How to attract beneficial insects to your garden on page 12: From lacewings to ladybugs, Grid has the skinny on how to lure the good guys—insects that pollinate and keep pest populations in check—into your yard, including specific “companion plants.”

Plus: How to fix a flat bike tire (page 10), how to recycle your television (page 11), and loads of other recipes, including vegan blood orange cupcakes and sugar-snap peas with bacon.

Source: Grid

Organic Gardening just made this bicycle geek smile: The May 2009 issue includes simple instructions on how to convert old bike wheel rims into a support for climbing garden plants, like beans. All the nailing and stringing necessary (which isn’t much), happens through the holes already there for spokes. Brilliant!

Source: Organic Gardening

If This Old House strikes you as a bit too old, there is a new breed of building shows that teach you how to make your house pretty—and environmentally sustainable at the same time. Check out OnNetwork’s Mainstream Green program, which has host Alex Pettitt helping you understand things like integrated pest management and on-site recycling. The latest episode on recycling shows how a handy “tub grinder” can be used on building sites to turn previously wasted wood, drywall, and brick into natural insulation. The show also takes you inside a paper recycling plant where you get to see the huge bales of paper waiting to be “repurposed.” If you still want more, check out HGTV Pro’s collection of green building “best practices.” These videos give a bounty of green building tips for your next home improvement project.

—Brendan Mackie