5 Landscaping Ideas for a Greener Home

What can be a better way to start ‘going green’ than at your home itself? Having an eco-friendly landscape is not only beneficial for the environment but will also be easier on the pocket. Going green is not just a fad anymore, it has become a necessity. Here are some tips and ideas to help you beautify your home while being kind to the earth.

•    Start Composting

Compost is matter occurring in the soil that is then decomposed and recycled from the plants back to the soil. It is a great natural fertilizer. Creating and using your own compost is easy and inexpensive, and better for your soil as well as the environment. Mixing biodegradable home materials such as fruit peels,leaves or clipped grass into your garden soil is much more nutritious for your plants than using chemical fertilizers. It also helps reduce municipal waste, insulates the soil, increases its moisture retention and improves the plants’ immunity systems. If making compost is not your cup of tea, you can always purchase it from hardware stores or local compost facilities.

•    Change your Irrigation Technique

Most houses use the spray irrigation system for their gardens without realizing that it is much less efficient and causes more wastage of water. A more suitable and less expensive way to irrigate your garden and plants is by using drip irrigation, a method by which water is delivered directly to the plants through a perforated hose.The hose is kept on top of the soil and saturates the plants’ roots, instead of wetting only the leaves and blooms as is the case with sprinklers. Also, storing water during the rains in big barrels and using it to irrigate the landscape is another way to reduce your water usage as well as your water bill.

•    Use Recycled Materials

Using recycled goods such as mulch and construction materials is another wise way of having a sustainable landscape. A layer of mulch can be added around the plants and it prevents the growth of weeds, cools the roots of the plants as well as retains their moisture. Recycled construction materials such as bricks or broken concrete can be incorporated into the stonework part of the landscape and are therefore more economically as well as environmentally favorable.

•    Use Native Plants in your Landscaping

Since native plants are acclimatized to your area, they are easier to maintain, require much less water, and are more resistant to pests, hence reducing the use of pesticides as well as saving water. Incorporating native plants in your landscaping will therefore be more economical than growing only exotic plants. If you are unsure about which type of native plants to use in your landscaping and where to find them naturally, ask a garden curator to help you out.

•    Use Non-Polluting Lawn Mowers

Although gas powered lawn mowers are less time consuming, using reel mowers will not only cut back on electricity usage but also be a great way for you to get some exercise while mowing the lawn! If you have a huge garden, then investing in a non polluting electric lawn mower is the best way you can benefit the environment.

A good landscaping and tree service in Wallingford CT or anywhere else should be able to help with all your landscaping needs. Visit this website and get more information.