subject: Designing Your Outdoor Space [print this page] Organic gardening and green landscape design are smart ways to conserve water and energy while reducing your use of pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins. Making smart plant choices means you will use less moisture and fewer pesticides while spending less time and money on maintenance.
First, choose plants that will need a minimum of care for your climate and soil. Typically plants native to your area are the best choice.
Non-native plants might work, too, but you should do some research and make sure that they are not an invasive species. An invasive species can spread and take over, choking out native plants and starving local wildlife.
Consider how much long-term care and hydrating your plant choices will need. Make sure you put them in the right place relative to sun exposure to reduce maintenance costs.
Even in rainy climates, people need to be aware of outdoor water use and conservation, since seasonal irregularities and dry spells can strike at any time. Rain barrels are an effective and increasingly popular option for conserving rainwater.
Houses that are newly constructed or undergoing renovation can benefit from installing systems that capture and reuse "gray water." This is recycled from sinks, showers, and laundry and used for outdoor irrigation.
Irrigation technology has evolved significantly in recent years. Computerized sprinkler controllers adjust watering times and amounts to local weather conditions, and underground systems can bring moisture directly to plant roots to help reduce water use.
Drip irrigation systems and low-emitting sprinkler heads also help to conserve water. Some municipalities even offer rebates on these irrigation systems.
Xeriscape landscaping practices also reduce water use. Installing a water feature is a favorite way to make an outdoor space much more inviting, though without thoughtful planning these amenities can turn into an ugly, expensive mosquito incubator.
Consider the impact your fountain or koi pond will have on your overall water and energy use, and then go green by installing energy-saving pumps, lighting and other items. Some people also favor a saline pool that eliminates the need for chemicals like chlorine.
A modern swimming pond that stays clear and clean through natural biological processes is also a way to go green. Grass lawns guzzle an estimated 8 million gallons of water every day.
When you factor in fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and lawn mower gasoline, oil, and pollution, you can see why some environmentalists call turf lawns a massive eco-disaster. Minimize your use of sod grasses by expanding your mulched areas, garden spaces, and natural, unmaintained wooded spaces.
No-mow and low-mow lawns are another increasingly popular option, as are artificial grass lawns. In semi-arid and arid regions, use of xeriscape landscaping techniques makes sense by reducing water use and maintenance needs.
Hardscaping refers to the non-planted areas of your outdoor space. This includes decks, patios, walkways, etc.
Expanding your hardscape can reduce water use, and smart hardscape materials like decomposed granite or recycled glass let moisture soak back into the ground. Composite decking material, for example, is often made of recycled material and reduces use of trees in construction.
For city dwellers with less outdoor space, the only way to grow is up, so vertical landscaping is very popular on rooftops. Vertical landscaping allows you to grow fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants that grow on vertical surfaces, trellises, "living walls," or other support structures.
Green roofs not only provide a sunny garden area, when designed and built correctly they can also provide some thermal insulation from the sun's heat and winter's cold. Mulch is an all-natural material that feeds nutrients into soil while stabilizing soil temperatures, keeps soil moist and discourages weed growth.
And pests can be controlled with smart, safe integrated pest management techniques. When the sun goes down, you can still enjoy your outdoor space with attractive, energy-saving lighting.
Solar lighting frees you from the electric grid and the need to dig trenches and run wires. Though the technology, design and price of solar lighting have improved in recent years, solar still has a way to go before offering the brightness and reliability of standard lighting.
