Go Green with Eco-Friendly Landscaping Products
Green Equipment
A good place to start going green for a truly healthy and eco-friendly landscape is with your lawn equipment.
Electric and cordless lawnmowers; and 4-cycle mix engine weed eaters, such as the Black and Decker CMM1200 24V Cordless Mulching Lawn Mower and STIHL Autocut 4-mix Grass Trimmers, protect air quality and reduce noise pollution.
The cordless mower can be purchased online at the official Black and Decker website or at most home improvement retail stores for as low as $396. A variety of STIHL weed eaters are priced at a range of $330 to $430.
STIHL “Caring for Nature” eco-friendly landscaping products are sold exclusively at independent servicing Dealers throughout the U.S. Visit the STIHL website for a list of dealer locators.
Small engines used in lawn equipment are big polluters. They release a lot of emissions that when combined with heat and sunlight tend to form ground level ozone, which can trigger a number of respiratory disorders.
Once you’ve purchased your eco-friendly equipment, follow the green rule of thumb and mow the grass high and let it lie.
Mowing a lawn higher shades the soil and keeps it cooler and it conserves the moisture. Letting the grass lie allows the lawn to benefit from the nitrogen and the clippings as they decompose.
Organic Fertilizer
When it comes to fertilizer, less is more. Excess fertilizer (using more than your lawn can actually use) gets into your ground water, which can be a danger to your health. The use of an organic fertilizer not only improves the soil of your lawn but creates an overall beautiful, healthy, natural, and eco-friendly landscape.
Organic Fertilizers such as Bradfield Organics Luscious Lawn Corn Gluten Organic Fertilizer, and Milorganite, which is processed from recycled matter, can be used to safely fertilize lawns and gardens.
These eco-friendly products are carried at most leading home improvement retail stores such as Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Sutherlands, and at your local nursery. The average price for a bag of Bradfield Corn Gluten Fertilizer is around $25 for a 40 lb. bag and $21 for a 50 lb. bag of Milogranite.
It takes more product to get the same results when obtaining an eco-friendly lawn. Living green lawns can cost more in purchasing the right equipment and organic fertilizer but being preventive creates a healthier lawn and it reduces some of those cost that might come later.
Planting to Conserve Water and Energy
Planting also plays a role in creating green landscaping and can benefit the environment with the careful selection of native plants and other beneficial trees.
Placing native plants and deciduous trees in the right area of your lawn can result in a cost-efficient and eco-friendly landscape.
The planting of native plants can help conserve water because they grow naturally in the region in which they came from and require very little maintenance. Because they are resistant to most pests, native plants help reduce the need for pesticides.
Deciduous trees will shade your home in the summer if planted on the east and west side and warm it during the winter by letting in outside sunshine when the leaves fall.
Native plants can be purchased at nurseries in your region or, like deciduous trees, self-planted. Contact your local nursery for information regarding planting, selections, and care of the plants.
Design
Design is another way to achieve eco-friendly landscaping. Mulch complements plants and can provide a beautiful design to your landscape by adding a contrast of color and texture.
Mulch, along with other porous materials such as gravel and pervious concrete, can also be used in the paving of sidewalks, driveways and patios. These materials filter pollutants and minimize runoff from your lawn.
A variety of recycled mulch may be purchased at Ace Hardware and Home Depot stores for as little as $4 per bag (2 Cu. Ft.) and various online sites such as amazon.com and plowhearth.com.
More information on pervious concrete and its contractors/pavers can be found at concretenetwork.com and nrmca.org (National Ready Mix Concrete Association).
Water Efficient Systems
The use of eco-friendly landscaping products, such as irrigation systems, is a sure way to reduce the use of water and maintain a green landscape. Low-volume sprinklers and irrigation controllers make a huge impact in conserving water.
Low volume sprinklers, such as micro-sprays and drip systems, keep maintenance cost down by preventing water from getting on pavements and houses, which can result in the need for re-pavement and re-painting.
A number of irrigation controllers are equipped with technology designed to adjust the watering schedule itself. Other controllers can automatically manage water schedules by programming the device to communicate with local weather stations.
These eco-friendly products are supplied at Home Depot, True Value, and most leading home and improvement; and lawn and garden centers across the country.
With the purchase of some of the previous mentioned eco-friendly landscaping products, you’re now on your way to a greener and healthier environment for you and your family.
