Green Landscaping

Traditional landscaping may be aesthetically pleasing, but it also causes many harmful effects on the environment that some homeowners may not even realize. By adopting eco-conscious practices while working outdoors, you can help to eliminate these negative results in your neighborhood.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the clearing of natural habitats for urban and suburban growth and the planting of grounds with large lawns and manicured arrangements of exotic plants place a large toll on environmental health as well as human health.

Extravagant landscaping requires the extensive use of mechanical equipment, the consumption of limited natural resources, the frequent use of fertilizers and pesticides and the production of solid waste. The results of these requirements are, according to the EPA, polluted surface ground waters, destructive flooding and disrupted neighborhood tranquility and air quality.

Although there are numerous ways these problems can be resolved, below are four solutions that are relatively simple and can make a significant difference on the environment.

1. Use reel lawn mowers

Reel lawn mowers are a green alternative to gas-powered mowers and can save on energy consumption because they are muscle-powered.

2. Conserve water and soil

The EPA suggests stabilizing slopes with natural plantings, mulching around plants and installing drought-tolerant plant species.

3. Avoid the usage of pesticides

The residential application of harmful pesticides is typically 20 times that of farmers per acre, which ends in unintended results, according to the EPA.

4. Make use of local plants

Native plants have evolved to local conditions over millions of years, and they form an essential part of the life cycles of local wildlife.

If you’re interested in green landscaping and live in metro Detroit, be sure to check out Eco-Logic Lawn and Landscape.

Jennifer Griffin is a writer for http://GreeningDetroit.com, an online directory of green products and services. She writes various news articles pertaining to green events happening in the metro Detroit region. She also writes for the company’s Grassroots Blog, in which she writes about people, companies and organizations in Michigan that are “going green.” Jennifer is currently pursuing a degree in Journalism and English from Wayne State University, and she is also a contributing writer for WSU’s student newspaper, The South End.