Simple Tips for Eco-Friendly Landscaping

Whether you are trying to add some curb appeal to help sell your house, or you plan to spend the rest of your life there, chances are you want your yard to look its best. Often this means rushing down to the local nursery and picking out the prettiest and most exotic plants we can find and plopping them down in your yard. Maybe you add a sprinkler system to keep them alive, and to keep the lawn as green as it can be. If this is your approach, then your attempt to make your environment look better may be hurting the environment's health.

One of the hottest trends in landscaping these days is eco-friendly landscaping techniques. A yard that just looks good is no longer enough for today's homeowner. In planning an eco-friendly landscape, there are two big things we want to avoid. The first is buying exotic plants that have been transported long distances using up precious fossil fuels and creating pollution the whole way. The second thing to avoid is choosing plants that will need a lot of help to survive in your yard; the last thing we want in the eco-friendly garden is plants that can't survive without artificial pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or extra watering.

Fortunately, we can avoid both of these issues by buying plants that are native to the area in which you live. These plants have evolved to thrive in the conditions naturally found in your area. That means they can withstand the heat of the summer, and the cold of the winter without any extra help. They probably also have some resistance to the insect pests common to your part of the country as well.

Buying native plant varieties from local nursery producers is the single biggest thing you can do to make your landscape eco-friendly. Most plants will still be happy to receive some extra nutrients in the soil when you plant them. Instead of chemical fertilizers, try mixing organic compost into the soil. Compost is soil created from decomposing vegetable matter. You can either create your own compost from your kitchen scraps or buy it from a local nursery. Compost adds a variety of nutrients back to the soil and will help new plantings get off to a strong start.

When planning a lawn, choose grass that is suitable for the type of area in which you plan to put it. For example, there are varieties of grass that do better in the shade, varieties that do best in full sun, and others that prefer a mix of sun and shade. You made need several varieties for different parts of your yard. When mowing your lawn, try to avoid cutting it too short. Set your mower for a taller cutting height, especially on hot sunny days. Grass that is clipped too short is especially sensitive to heat and drought and will require more watering to maintain its healthy green color.

It is not only possible, but fairly easy to have a "green" landscape if you follow these simple steps. Buy native plants from local nurseries. Use compost instead of chemical fertilizer. Choose grass that is suitable for the location in which it will be planted. Use a taller cutting height on your mower during the heat of the summer for a healthier lawn.