green in the garden

"Consumers are changing their way of living to follow "greener" paths, and the yard is no exception."

It wasn't so long ago that consumers and builders alike gave little consideration for the environmental impact that building materials and home designs had on their lives. Now that the green movement has brought forth an awareness of its benefits, you would be hard pressed to find a builder that didn't consider green practices part of his job. The going green attitude has swept across the country with owners even scrambling to remodel green in an effort to be more environmentally conscious, save money, and create a healthier home for their families. As this movement gains momentum, no stone is left unturned from interiors to exteriors to yards. Yards, you ponder. Yes, even your landscape can take on a green approach by using sustainable materials.

If you are not starting from scratch, don't worry. Green landscape remodeling is a new approach to home improvement using a well devised plan developed to fit your family's needs. It is, however, a plan that takes time and energy to create. While it may seem like a hassle, remember, the result will be a landscape that is healthy, safe, cost-efficient and satisfying.

Begin by taking inventory of your yard noting the things that already support green living. Generally, the more you stick with your natural landscape's features, the less time and money you will initially need to put into the project. Make a list of objectives and price comparisons keeping in mind that money spent wisely will save you in the long run. A higher purchase price may actually prove a better deal especially for materials that take on the weather elements throughout the year. Focus on product durability and low maintenance rather than price.

It should go without saying that a project of this magnitude and importance will also require a lot of research. By familiarizing yourself with green products and their uses, you'll be able to ask your landscape designer/contractor all the right questions. Not only could it prevent costly mistakes, but you'll also develop a better understanding of how green thinking can benefit your life. Green products are slowly becoming more available in the marketplace, so ask around to find out which local suppliers carry the products you need.

Planning a landscape remodel can be exciting and wonderful as well as confusing and scary. By identifying your priorities and making careful selections, you can ensure your landscape products meet the goals you've established. To help you in your venture consider these objectives and how they fall into your range of priorities:

• Health & Safety Does the design encourage the use of low-toxic materials and products, for both installation and maintenance? Are materials chosen to reduce the risk of slips and other accidents?
• Durability Will the products stand up to use over time? Are they right for the job at hand? Are they covered by sufficient warranties?
• Reduced Maintenance Will the materials or products result in less work over time? Are they easy to clean and maintain without chemicals or toxic finishes? Do they resist decay and moss without chemicals?
• Functionality Are the materials well suited to their purpose? Do they have the necessary qualities for the job? Can they be reused for another task? Do the materials serve multiple functions? For example, can pavers serve as a walking surface and allow rainwater to safely infiltrate into the subsoil?
• Beauty Do the materials appeal to you? Will they stand up to the test of time, aesthetically? Do they enhance nearby elements, including your home?
• Accessibility Do the materials reduce or remove barriers to people with varied abilities, ages and sizes? Do they help orient the user, mark transitions and boundaries, and facilitate the safe, easy passage of wheelchairs or other mobility-assisting devices?
• Ecological Benefit Do the materials enhance and protect the natural environment? Do they help absorb or retain storm water and protect water quality? Do they help conserve water? Are they free of toxins that can leach into the soil, water, or air? Are they manufactured locally? Do they contain recycled content? Are they readily reusable or recyclable?

Click on photo for larger image

3 great reasons to go green

SAVE MONEY

Long-lasting, low-maintenance landscape elements prove their value over time. Salvaged and reused materials often cost a fraction of the price of new, while also providing a patina of history and character.

MAKE A HEALTHIER HOME

When you take a green approach to landscape materials selection, you realize health benefits as well as peace of mind. Many landscape elements contain toxic chemicals, which can be tracked into your home by people and pets. By making safety a priority, you can identify potential hazards in landscaping materials and then choose those that minimize your family's health risks.

REDUCE ECOLOGICAL IMPACT

Choose products with a range of far-reaching benefits: from materials that are easier on the environment during their manufacturing to those that help restore natural ecological functions to your landscape.

green ideas

Before selecting materials and products for your landscape, focus on your overall design and how it functions. To be thorough, assess everything from soil preparation, plant selection, and watering techniques to how storm water flows through your property, landscape maintenance and code compliance. Here are 5 great steps toward a "greener" landscape:

Paths that Percolate
A walkway gives permission for visitors to enter and leads them where they need to go. If well designed it can be a safe and attractive route of travel. Walks and paths can be made with a variety of materials, salvaged materials being the greener choice. To ensure their durability, rainwater should properly percolate into the soil beneath a path. Do this by preparing the path bed with sand or crushed rock before laying pervious materials for the structure. Permeable concrete pavers, salvaged stone, clay brick, crushed rock, nutshells, or recycled glass pavers are some good choices.

Use Mulch Materials
Mulch is organic material placed around plants to minimize soil erosion, inhibit weed growth, insulate plants from extreme conditions and reduce necessary watering by keeping soil moist. Do your homework: some plants work better with certain mulches. Some examples of mulch are pine straw, nutshells, leaves, wood chips, and compost.

Long-lasting Furniture
Lawn and patio furniture comes in a range of shapes, sizes and materials. Look for pieces that are durable and will last through the changing weather conditions. Green material choices include naturally rot-resistant wood that needs little or no painting or staining. Also look for responsibly harvested wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC, www.certifiedwood.org) and recycled-content plastic. Since the debate over the use of PVC continues among environmentalists, many companies have begun producing PVC-free alternatives such as recycled content products made from materials destined for the landfill.

Make it interesting with found objects
If images of pink flamingos are dancing through your mind, don't worry. Found objects don't have to be kitschy. When carefully chosen, they can actually add personality and a bit of history to your landscape while bringing a little relief to the local landfill. You can even get creative by visiting your local salvage yard and assembling surplus materials into a one-of-a-kind work of art. Look for things that interest you like brightly colored objects, broken tiles or iron scrap. And keep an open mind - one man's junk is another's treasure.

Harvesting Water
Rainwater collection has never been more popular especially in light of recent drought situations across the U.S. Excessive rainwater diverted into storm or sewer systems can damage local creeks, cause flooding and impair water quality, so collecting the water actually can be a service to the whole community. If you are concerned aesthetics, you'll be happy to know rain barrels now come in a variety of materials and designs that can actually enhance your garden. But the best plus of all: the water is free!