How To Design An Environmentally Friendly Landscape In Howell, MI
Throughout Howell and the rest of the state of Michigan, more and more homeowners are becoming interested in designing outdoor spaces that have little impact, or even a positive impact, on the environment. Being environmentally friendly benefits the environment, of course, but it also provides benefits to the community around you and to you directly.
Environmentally friendly practices are more than just a trend. They’ll help you increase your home energy efficiency, and they can save you a significant amount of money of the resources you need for your home. No matter you look at it, going green is smart. And while you’ll find plenty of resources to help you be more environmentally inside your home, it can be more difficult to find tips on how you can do the same for your landscape.
It’s kind of funny to think about “going green” on an already green, natural area. But once you see what we mean below, you’ll understand more what an environmentally friendly landscape is. There are actually many ways to go green with your landscape.
At Rainmaker Irrigation, our Howell irrigation and landscaping contractors work with customers to design landscapes that are extremely attractive, healthy and functional. Here are a few tips to help you design a great “green” landscape:
Use Water-Wise Plants & Group Plants With Similar Water Requirements Together
Conserving water is an important part of being environmentally friendly, and the plants that you choose can have a huge effect on how much water your landscape uses. Water-wise plants are able to survive and thrive in very dry environments, which means that they don’t require nearly as much water as other plants that you might install in your landscape. On top of that, many of these plants are also extremely attractive, which makes them a perfect addition to any landscape design.
Even if you think that the amount of water that you use to maintain your landscape is already fairly low, it’s worth trying to cut it down. It’s very easy to use more water than is necessary, and the more you can do conserve it, the better off everyone is.
There’s no way to get around using water, but including water-wise plants in your landscape design can help limit the amount you waste. You can also try drip hoses or install a drip irrigation system. If you do, be sure to cover it with so the water doesn’t evaporate so fast. Consider using:
- Silvery Sage
- Yucca
- Purple Coneflower
- Sunflowers
- Yarrow
- Bush Cinquefoil
- Barrenwort
- White Fir
- Bur Oak
- Japanese Tree Lilac
- Bearberry
- Bush Cinquefoil
- Bottlebrush Buckeye
- Moss Rose
- Nasturtium
- Verbena
Mulching Helps You Use Less Water & Fertilizes Soil
Mulching the flower beds and any other areas not covered in grass will help to keeps weeds from growing in your garden. And, it retains water that your plants can use when they need it. Mulch is very effective at reducing water consumption, and there are a number of inexpensive mulches that you can use in your garden. Some of the things you can use as alternatives to expensive, chemical-rich store-bought mulches include:
- Compost
- Chopped Leaves
- Shredded Newspaper
- Pine Needles
Recycling something for another use can be environmentally friendly. This is what raking up pine needles and leaves to use as mulch is all about. Compost is very organic and highly recommended for plants who need good fertilizing. Do you have a dog? That’s just free fertilizer for you! As the compost breaks down over the season, it turns into a rich fertilizer.
If you much your landscape beds with natural material like chopped leaves, it can be turned into the soil and new mulch can be added for the next season.
This constant natural seasoning of the soil is what will make your landscape thrive…you don’t have to use chemical fertilizers if you don’t want to.
