Lessons I Learned in Eco-Landscaping

When I started looking at landscaping my new home, I wanted to do it in the most eco-friendly way possible. And, while I wanted green landscaping, I also wanted to save money on watering and lawn maintenance costs. What I tried to do is create the most eco-friendly landscaping possible as well as have the lowest cost of ownership over the long term. Here are some of the things I learned.

First, find someone locally that has expertise in this eco friendly homes. This may be one of your most important decisions. Choosing someone to work with you rather than going it alone gives you access to the to someone who understands what grasses, trees, shrubs, and other plants work best in your area. In my case, I live in a location where the temperature can range from 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to -40 degrees in the winter. So I needed hardy plants that were eco friendly as well as hardy. By having an expert along for the ride, I quickly weeded out plant suggestion from other sources (e.g., the Internet) that would not flourish in my environment. A good resource for finding a local pro can be found Ecolandscaping.org (http://www.ecolandscaping.org/).

Secondly, do your own composting. One thing I discovered is that I always needed a little dirt here and there. I was forever running to the local dump to grab a load of dirt. Doing that was fine when I first started landscaping, but it quickly became intolerable and inconvenient. A good way to start is to get directions from your local community extension college program or look up some designed on the Internet.

Lastly, you also want to ensure that your landscaping is drought resistant. This is a mistake I made when I first began; I did not plan for automatic watering systems and all my careful green planning with minimal maintenance failed during the first summer when water was short (not to mention it cost me a fortune to keep the plants properly watered).

After that experience I installed a simple drip irrigation system which is basically a valve, regulator, and some tubing around my plants in order to slowly water the plants that need it. This system has a few advantages. First, it was very easy to install. Second, I can move it around when need to or I can leave the tubing alone. I have build it large enough that I no longer move it around. Lastly, you will use less water irrigating this way resulting in a lower water bill. The only thing to be careful of is as you are doing the installation be sure to follow all your local building and safety codes and you will need to notify your local regulatory board for an inspection after the installation in complete.