Get ready in an environmentally friendly way.
If you’ve got a yard to take care of, you know it takes time, a few tools and a little sweat equity. The payoff, though, is a great looking outdoor area that complements your home and increases its value.
Before using a lot of chemicals and loud, noisy equipment, try some “green” alternatives to a healthy and great-looking lawn.
Consider replacing grass with native plants. They’re easy to grow and maintain and generally require less fertilizer and water.
Fertilize growing plants with compost, aged manure or all-purpose organic fertilizer.
Bug problems? Put up bird and bat houses. A single chickadee can consume up to 1,000 bugs a day. Just one little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitos per hour!
Plant a rain garden as part of your landscaping to catch runoff from your roof, sidewalk and driveway. Rain gardens slow the rush of water from these surfaces and hold the water before it can wash yard waste and pollutants into storm drains.
Start a compost pile. It’ll reduce what ends up in a landfill, while providing nutritious “food” for your garden.
Connect a rain barrel to your downspout to capture free water for lawns and gardens.
Use solar-powered accent and landscape lights. Solar lights are inexpensive and don’t use any electricity.
With minimal effort and investment, your yard can be “green” in more ways than one!