The natural landscape is a potential source of beauty for your home — it’s a source of a lot of work, too. Many homeowners lose every weekend just trying to keep their yards looking good. If designed correctly, the maintenance can be kept to a minimum so you can spend more time enjoying your yard. Your landscape can provide beauty, recreation, and positive environmental effects. Trees, for example, shade your home, reduce energy consumption, create oxygen, filter the air, and even add to the value of your property. The figure below shows a typical house and provides examples of green landscaping considerations.
Landscaping can cause damage to the environment, too. Landscaping consumes fossil fuels; contributes to air, soil, and water pollution; and fills landfills with yard waste.
In the following sections, I fill you in on measures you can take that will help save you time, save you money, and save our resources.
Green Landscaping Resources
For more information on green landscaping ideas, check out the following:
GreenScapes (http://www.epa.gov/greenscapes) : This site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers suggestions for green landscaping for homeowners.
California Integrated Waste Management Board (http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/Landscaping): Although this is a California site, the free downloads and guides are useful for homeowners anywhere.
Integrated Pest Management (http://www.askaboutipm.info): This site offers information on using natural methods to control insects.
Native Plant Database (http://www.wildflower.org/plants): This extensive list of plants will help you find native plants local to your area, which are able to grow without as much watering.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC; http://www.fscus.org): Here you can find sources for sustainably harvested wood for your deck, fence, or trellis.