Tips for Eco-Friendly Landscaping and Water Conservation in Your Yard
February 5, 2010 
8 Comments
Once again, looking towards warmer weather and getting outdoors, I thought about this spring and what we could do around the yard to be more eco-friendly, I came across a list of tips to help:
1. Reel Lawn Mowers: What is that? Well reel lawn mowers are muscle-powered, no engine required. Using them not only conserves energy but also helps keep the air cleaner!
2. Cut Back on Lawn Space: If you have a large front or back yard, you might consider filling the space with more areas that do not require mowing, wildflower beds, rock gardens, native ornamental grass beds or a even a fish pond. Lawns require more watering than planting beds. In watering planting beds comprised of individual plants, you can target the watering better (using drip irrigation, for instance), thereby promoting water conservation.
3. Reducing Chemical Herbicides: Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ” What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered” Indeed, one of the best chemical-free approaches to weed control may simply be to control our intolerance toward weeds. If we re-evaluate the weeds in our yards, seeing if maybe we might have overlooked the “virtue” here or there.
4. Edible Landscaping: Blueberry bushes, fruit trees, edible “weeds”. From berry bushes to Apple trees and even in the case of some weeds, incorporating edible plants in your yard can be one of the simplest and practical ways to be eco-friendly with your landscaping.
With just a little bit of work and some of these tips, I bet I could start making my yard and landscape even “Greener” than it was last spring. If you have some tips for a “Greener” yard, let us know.
How do you feel about artificial turf? I know that it's not exactly the ideal fit for every home and environment. However I live in AZ and it definitely has proved to be beneficial through water conservation and money saved on our bill. It also kept our garden free from pesticides and harmful chemicals.
Hi Derek,
Artificial grass is a great idea but only if you buy from a company that makes their grass from recycled plastic.
Take a look at NewGrass:
http://www.newgrass.com/index.php
They make their wonderful looking artificial grass from post consumer recycled PET plastic bottles and it looks very realistic!
Thanks for your comment, please let us know what you decide on.
I have been on a mission to replace all of my cleaning supplies with eco friendly and safe products. I live in a high-rise apartment building and about twice a month my bathroom drains get clogged. It was a challenge to find an eco-friendly drain cleaner but thankfully I found the Green Gobbler Drain and Sewer Opener. This product is Eco friendly and Biodegradable which is what I was looking to purchase for a long time.
http://www.earthlovemachine.com/products/Green-Gobbler-Biodegarable-Toilet-and-Drain-Cleaner.html
Hi Matt, many thanks for the link, is Earth Love Machine your store?
Some cities will not allow artificial turf. There have been a few news reports in the last couple of years where the neighbors complained and the city fined the homeowner (of course this is in Dallas, TX). But I like your idea of cutting back the amount of lawn.
You got me thinking about changing the landscape in my backyard. – Thanks.
I would be remiss if I didn’t suggest rain barrels as a way of going eco-friendly – especially in places like California and Nevada.
http://www.55gallonwaterbarrel.com – Just a suggestion;)
Great list of tips. I think another great tip is water conservation. Living in Arizona and having Arizona sod it seems difficult to do, but I refer to the Arizona Meteorological network every week for my water levels. Every state has one and it lets you know how much water to use based on the weather, that way you’re not wasting too much water.
This article was very informative. Thanks