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Landscaping Ideas For Green Solutions
By Susan Schlenger
There
are certain areas of the United States that are moving forward with green
solutions. New homes are being constructed, concentrating on green
construction, necessities and amenities. Energy efficient appliances, green
roofs, solar heating, and using materials from renewable forests are all
elements the direction our country is going in.
But there is another area which can greatly impact our planet. That is the
outdoor environment, or the landscape.
There are numerous ways that outdoor elements can be addressed.
One
way is to use native plants. Native plants require less maintenance
than other types of plants. They need less water. They are more resistant to
pests and disease, and therefore don't require pesticides. Little or no
fertilizing is necessary. They keep out undesirable invasive species, which
can take over a landscape.
Many natives are quite beautiful. The Flowering Dogwood tree has beautiful
pink or white flowers. It also has wonderful berries in the Fall, which birds
love. Viburnums will take the shade, flowers and also produce berries.
Winterberry Holly becomes absolutely covered with berries in the winter too.
Red Twig Dogwood has bright red stems which are showy against evergreens
during the winter months. White Pine is a native evergreen which is majestic
in later years. There are many, many others. These mentioned are just a few
that come to mind.
Another landscaping idea that is helpful to the environment is to create rain
gardens. Although native plants are often used in these types of areas,
non-native plants that are wet site tolerant can be included. Rain gardens
are areas that are especially created so that water is directed to them. They
are located in a low lying area. Wet site tolerant plants are used and do
well here. Rain gardens help with storm water management. Water draining to
this area goes back into the ground and helps supply the water sources. Rain
gardens eliminate runoff and also the need for expensive piping of excess
water elsewhere.
Xeriscaping is another green method of landscaping. Here, plants that
are drought tolerant are used in the landscape. As with native plants, less
water is needed for survival. Many native plants are drought tolerant
although some non-native ones can be also. Many herbs and perennials are part
of this group that can easily survive in dry conditions. Less water is used
from our homes to keep drought tolerant plants alive. Lavender, Catmint,
Thyme, Japanese Holly, and Junipers are all examples of these types of
plants.
Lighting designs and fixtures that use less energy is also a positive way to
help out environment. Low voltage lighting is one choice. An even better one
is solar lighting. Solar lights depend on the energy of the sun during
the day to provide lighting at night. Eight hours of sunlight is required to
get the full benefits. No electricity is used and installations are simple.
I have touched on just a few ways to help the environment with some good
landscaping ideas. Hopefully you might use some or all of them in your
landscaping projects. Every little bit helps.
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Copyright by Susan Schlenger
Susan Schlenger is a professional Landscape Designer with a degree in
Landscape Architecture. To read more landscaping ideas, visit
http://www.landscape-design-advice.com/landscaping-ideas.html
Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
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