Too many people only associate landscaping with curb appeal. While there’s certainly no denying that a little bit of lawn beautification can go a long way in turning your yard into a jaw-dropping paradise, there’s more to our homes than looks alone.
The living flora in our front and backyards can also have a tremendous impact on the quality of the air we breathe and the amount of energy we use in our homes. A mere 50×50-foot (or 2,500 square foot) lawn, for example, releases enough oxygen into the air to “feed” a family of four. At the same time, it also absorbs less pleasant substances like carbon dioxide, hydrogen fluoride, and peroxyacetyl nitrate from the air.
There are other ways that landscaping can affect your environmental footprint, too. If you want to get more eco-friendly with your home landscaping, here are a few ideas and suggestions to give your thumb a whole new shade of green.
- Plant leafy trees for summer shade
A few well-placed deciduous trees, particularly near any east- or west-facing windows, can help keep the interior of your home cooler in the summer months. When the trees lose their leaves in the fall, the extra sun can help warm your house and reduce energy bills all around. - Stick with native plants
No matter your preferred flowers, shrubs, or other types of decorative plants, choosing a native species will be more eco-friendly than exotic types that might require special watering or care. Additionally, locally indigenous plants tend to be more resistant to local pests, too. - Minimize your grass
There are many ways to create a beautiful lawn without high maintenance grass that needs to be watered, fertilized, and cut with a lawn mower. Instead, you might consider swapping out some of your lawn space for low-maintenance ground coverings, a stone patio, or even a seasonal vegetable and herb garden to get more out of your space.
We all want to do what we can to preserve the beauty of our planet — and our homes.
There may be more to landscaping than meets the eye. With some careful planning and planting, you can fashion a yard that helps you live a more sustainable and eco-friendly life in the comfort of your beautiful home.