3 Sustainable Landscaping Practices for a Greener Yard & Planet
Implement these sustainable landscaping practices into your garden and yard to lessen your environmental impact and create a greener and healthier local ecosystem…
This time of year, many homeowners take to their yards and gardens for spring cleanup and landscaping tasks to get things in shape for the summer season. However, did you know that your landscaping practices can have an impact on the environment?
Using things like lawn chemicals, leaf blowers, and other gas-guzzling tools can pollute the water supply and soil. Poor soil that is lacking in organic matter can lead to unhealthy plants, runoff, and erosion.
Building naturally healthy soil, and choosing cleaner, safer, more natural solutions for your yard, can make a positive difference in the world around you. Below are 3 sustainable landscaping practices that you can implement in your own yard starting this year.
1. Prevent Runoff and Erosion
…Design and orientation of your garden elements help utilize the best natural light, provides drainage and makes it easier to trap rainwater for reuse. These methods are important whether you have a large yard or small urban space to green up.
For those areas that have more space to cover, soil erosion could be a bigger concern. One way to remedy this naturally is by looking at different methods of planting and fertilizing, like hydroseeding. This method combines seed, fertilizer, and water to create a slurry that will promote vegetation. The slurry is then sprayed on the land that needs planting and is often used in landscaping projects that need sustainable options.
2. Be Water-Efficient
Water efficiency and conservation is also a large part of green landscaping. Water shouldn’t be treated as an endless resource. Water harvesting is one way to make your new yard self-sufficient, and there are some great DIYs out there to make it quick and simple. You can also consider xeriscaping, which essentially groups the plants you’ve chosen with the same water needs together. It is also a way to create a drought-resistant garden.
3. Use Recycled and Repurposed Goods
The key to sustainability is giving a longer and even second life to all the materials you incorporate into each project – even if these materials only play a part in a different stage of the process, like your organic food waste. The same can be said for the mulching or construction materials used to create your design. Use recycled plastic borders to shape your space, or give your design flair with recycled glass mulch.
You can also apply this thought process to the hardscape elements, which are footpaths, stone walls and other hard elements used in landscape design. This can be anything from reclaimed wood for fences, broken concrete or even recycled brick for a patio. Each use of a recycled product eliminates waste and the energy associated with production and transport through the normal supply chain.
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