Every spring my family and I spend a weekend cleaning the yard (an activity that can be made fun if you just try!) and planting flowers to make everything nice and cheery.
I’ve never given much thought to what I plant other than selecting what I think is “cute” and my “color choice” for the season, but I’ve also made some poor selections when they’ve required a lot of water to keep them bright, cheery… and alive!
Whether you’re planting flowers, trees, shrubbery or an entire lawn, make sure that your choices are native to your area. Despite having favorites that you’d like to see in your own yard, it’s wiser to choose something that will naturally thrive without watering and excess water use, and will eliminate your need for nasty fertilizers and pesticides.
This concept even has its own term, known as xeriscaping… (make sure you throw that one into a sentence today, to impress your family and friends! And oooh… I need to make an addition to my A to Z list, don’t I?). Check out PlantNative.org for lists of native plant
s by state, local nurseries and organizations too! All of them can help you make the smartest choices. Eartheasy also has great tricks, tips and ideas that get as green as they come.
Remember that vinegar and water is a great natural weed killer too. Just be sure to have good aim and a quality sprayer because vinegar is NOT selective and will destroy whatever it comes in contact with.
You may not think you have a green thumb, but with a little effort you CAN have the “greenest” garden on the block!
More good advice! I really enjoy getting your daily updates in my email.
We have recently talked to a landscaper in our area to figure out some choices for native plants. You can still have beautiful landscaping and be environmentally friendly. Another good suggestion that we received was to install a drip irrigation system for new plants which helps to keep water right were it needs to be, at the base of the plants.
Kimberly
.-= Kimberly Aardal´s last blog ..Dutailier Comfort Plus Two Post Grand Chair =-.
Kimberly – thank you! And more great advice from you too! Thanks!
This is a great blog topic, especially since the weather is starting to improve! I too have decided to go green and am reading up on various ways from different sites. I’ve only just started reading your posts, but you should check out this article regarding activities you could do with your kids in the garden and also to teach them about going green: http://ecohearth.com/eco-zine/kids-and-family/1309-10-fun-conservation-activities-for-parents-teachers-kids.html