Green Living: Your Lawn & Garden
Use The Rain
Collect rain water and use it for your plants. Getting a rain barrel or two for your yard is a simple way to collect and reuse Mother Nature’s water. Just put it under your gutter’s down spout and you’ll be amazed how fast it fills up.
You can buy a
Rain Catcher Water Barrel here for less than $150
Don't Over Water The Grass
Make sure you’re not over-watering. Most of us over-water our lawns. Do you have moss growing on your driveway or sidewalk or in your garden? That’s a sign you’re watering too much. Do you have pools of standing water anywhere? Another sign. You can buy a very inexpensive lawn moisture meter that will tell you if you’re over-watering. You might also consider getting an intelligent irrigation control system that attunes your watering to the weather and your lawn’s needs.
You can buy
Raindrip R672C Electronic Water Timer for about $25 here.
Do You Really Need To Water The Driveway?
Don’t hose down your sidewalks and driveway. That water is a valuable resource and the water you send into the gutter is carrying oil and a host of chemicals out as run-off that go on to pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans.
Compost
Be sure to compost your other yard waste. If your city doesn’t collect green waste for composting, please get a composter and do it yourself. It’s super easy and the composter will turn your waste into great mulch for use throughout your yard and garden.
You can buy
The complete Worm Factory 3 Tray Composting System for less than $100.
Can't Grow Grass?
Are you addicted to the look of grass but live in a high-drought area? You may want to consider synthetic grass. It uses no water, lasts over ten years, and looks & feels surprisingly real.
What Are You Spreading On Your Lawn?
Use non-toxic fertilizers and pest-control agents for your garden and lawn. Not only are these better for your plants (particularly any food you might eat), they reduce the amount of toxins that run-off into our waterways.
Light It Up
Use solar or LED lighting in your lawn. Solar lighting is obviously an energy-saver. If you don’t find solar lights bright enough, check out LED lights—they are very bright and use very little power. They will last 5-10 times as long as standard outdoor lights. Find energy-efficient lighting options here.
Click here to buy a
Set of 4 Solar Lights for about $35.
Click here to buy a
Solar LED Outdoor Three Tier Pagoda Path Light for about $100
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Use mulch to help conserve water outdoors and improve your drainage. One of the best eco-friendly products is Vigoro Rubber Mulch, an innovative, non-toxic mulch made from 100 percent recycled rubber tires. The mulch maintains its color for 12 years, so there’s no need for annual mulching.
A 20lb bag of Rubber Mulch is on sale here for about $20
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