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Simple & Inexpensive Ways to ‘Green’ Your Landscape
By Ashley Halligan
“Green” landscaping, to the average person, may sound like a tedious, expensive, difficult task — particularly in a world where traditional landscaping has included pesticides, chemicals, and an overall synthetic approach.
What if I told you going ‘green’ and taking an organic approach isn’t as difficult as one may think, costs less than you expect, and could save you in time, energy, and money over time–all while restoring nature to its, well, natural grandeur? The EPA refers to this as “putting nature to work.”“Maintaining a wide variety of healthy plants, soil organisms, beneficial insects and animals can keep most pests and diseases in check.”
Well, here’s five simple ways to begin a green project, and maintain your landscaping over time.
Well, here’s five simple ways to begin a green project, and maintain your landscaping over time.
Beginning by testing your soil is a pertinent step, so that you can assess precisely what your soil needs. Otherwise, the fertilizer or nutrients you’re giving your lawn could be all wrong. Universities offer rather inexpensive soil profiles, which will help prescribe a nutrition plan for your lawn. Ohio State University’s Research Area says, “Soil testing can boost garden yield and quality. It is a very inexpensive way of maintaining good plant health and maximum plant productivity.”
Using grass clippings as mulch will provide 58 percent of the nutrients your lawn needs. That’s right, grass clippings can be used as free mulch, meanwhile meeting the nutritional needs for a healthy lawn.
Using rainwater as a source of hydration for your lawn is also a simple, inexpensive way to ‘green’ your lawn. In a recent article, Times Daily mentions that, “A 55-gallon barrel connected to a 1,000-square-foot roof will fill up during a 1-inch rain. The barrels can be purchased for $50 to $120 each, or constructed out of food-grade drums.” Essentially, for a $50 to $120 investment, you can continually collecte and reuse rainwater, eventually lowering the cost of your household water consumption.
Allowing your lawn to restore itself to its natural state is essential. One crucial way to achieve this natural environment is to skip pesticides and insecticides in entirety. Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides have been linked to a range of illnesses, diseases and birth defects. Furthermore, they can be expensive, and incredibly detrimental to your lawn’s overall health, while endangering your own health.
Lastly, in certain climates, xeriscaping can be a far more natural approach to landscaping. For example, maintaining a green lawn (literally) in a desert climate is not only unnatural, but it’s also quite costly over time. The amount of water saved through a xeriscape is incredibly value, particularly in times of drought and water-use restrictions.
As you can see, establishing a natural, organic, and ‘green’ landscape isn’t near as intimidating as many assume. In fact, it’s far easier to maintain (because it maintains much of its ecosystem itself), is less expensive, and is far healthier for you, your family, and local wildlife — all while making a significant environmental impact. What are you waiting for?
This article written by Ashley Halligan, a market analyst at Software Advice, a web-based advisory firm http://www.softwareadvice.com/cafm/ in Austin, TX
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