Eco-Friendly Landscaping

With so much concern surrounding the environment due to human impact, many individuals are looking to the practices they use in their own lives to find ways of cleaning up and "greening" their lifestyle. Green landscaping is included in these practices as one common activity that homeowners do where they can cut back their negative impact on the environment.

Thinking of your lawn and backyard as a complex ecosystem that requires biodiversity in place of chemicals is the first step in achieving more eco-friendly landscaping practices. Not only will increased awareness of the biodiversity assist in keeping your environment clean, you will have healthier, more natural looking plants and grass. What goes into (and hopefully stays in) the soil is extremely important.

Virtually all vegetation requires water to live, which is why watering a plant seems like just a routine. But, the soil must contain organic matter in order to hold the water over a sustained period of time for the plan to leech off. Additionally lots of different organisms live in the organic matter that should compose soil. These organisms break down living and dead matter into simpler nutrients which is easier for a plant to utilize when growing.

Because of time constraints that many people feel when they wish to personally take care of their lawns and bypass hiring landscapers, chemical fertilizers will be the first place they look to when their vegetation isn't flourishing. At a glance chemical fertilizers, usually made up of concentrated forms of nitrate, seem like magical cures for a lack of water or care. But, often these fertilizers will be overused and the chemicals will kill off much of the living organisms in the soil aside from the plants. So even though the plants may do well for a little while, the soil is gradually degrading into something that is useless without the use of chemicals.

Additionally these chemical fertilizers help lead to runoff of the topsoil. Overuse of nitrates will turn the soil dry and brittle instead of soft and porous like the organic humus (soil) mentioned earlier. To help facilitate the building of organic soil in your gardens, lawns and planting areas, use organic compost wherever possible. This is made up of rotting organic matter that has decomposed from its original state into a soil-like consistency. Compost is very water absorbent and will help protect the base of your plants.

For lawns, watering with sprinklers can cause a significant amount of runoff due to excessive and wasteful use of water. There are slow drip irrigation techniques and products that slowly and gradually introduce water to the ground and will allow for more efficient and lasting absorption of water.

Building and minting healthy topsoil for your plants to grow should be the number one priority when wanting to become more eco-friendly. It doesn't take professionals with fancy techniques or chemicals to get your landscape looking good. With some research specified to what types of vegetation you want and how to manage it, your green landscaping habits will bring you well on your way to having a healthier and more eco-friendly lawn and garden.