Going Green in the Garden

Going green in the garden can be a lot easier than it sounds, regardless of how green your thumb is or if you are going to be starting your garden from scratch or using nurseries.  Obviously, the easiest and surest way to make sure that your garden is entirely green is to begin growing your garden and doing all the maintenance yourself, from scratch. This is not always possible though, and luckily there are several nurseries, manufacturers and stores that are developing and supporting green practices that they pass on to consumers. Here are several things to look for when shopping for plants and products for your garden and when beginning the garden yourself.

To start, seek out plant nursery that practices green principles to grow its own plants, and in the products it sells. Beginning plants by seed in your own home is the best option, because then you can regulate everything that goes into your soil, otherwise check the labels and purchase only seedlings that have been grown organically.  Use biodegradable planters to start seeds, or purchase starter plants that come in containers that will break down easily as well. Once you have planted your garden, do so in a way that will allow it to take full advantage of the sun, water conservation and the natural setting. Gardening in this way is not only green, but it will ensure that your garden will prosper with the least amount of work or money on your part.

Continuing to care for your garden is the hardest obstacle when you want to keep everything green because most products for insects and weeds involve a lot of chemicals.  Instead of using pesticides and herbicides, practice organic methods such as green cleansers and weedkillers that can be made from basic household products that are natural.  Also, co-planting and using cover crops, and using plants that deter bugs helps stop problems right in their tracks.

Pesticide Bans – Ontario is the World Leader

Ontario has taken a step toward being the world leader for pesticide regulation. On April 21st, the province released the toughest pesticide ban in the world. The ban included 80 ingredients and 250 products. The products and ingredients on the list can no longer be sold or used for use in home garden care. The ban does not affect pesticide use in farming, forestry and for health reasons.

Safety concerns prompted the ban on pesticides. According to Premier Dalton McGuinty, the safety of children is of primary concern. The ban includes “cosmetic” pesticides which are used to kill pests, weeds and get rid of other problems on private lawns, gardens and school yards. Insecticides, fungicides and herbicides are all part of the new ban.

Pesticides can be used to get rid of dangerous pests, like wasps or mosquitoes carrying West Nile. For other needs, consumers can use bio-pesticides that suffocate the pests or discourage them from attacking plants.

Having a healthy green lawn and a beautiful garden can be easy with a few changes in your habits and gardening techniques. For your lawn, invest in a small weeding tool like a claw and pull weeds by hand when the soil is damp. Overseed the lawn to grow more grass and choke out weeds and be sure to aerate the lawn to keep it healthy. In the garden, use mulch around plants to encourage healthy growth. Copper barriers, cut worm collars and diatomaceous earth can help reduce pests in the garden.

Landscaping Tips to Save Water

While landscaping can really make your house exteriors look great, it can make you water bills shoot up high. This can lead you to question whether you really need that much water. The truth is that you can save a lot of water by making a few simple modifications to your water usage.

Here are a few tips to help you save water with landscaping.

Inefficient watering systems

Everybody wants their piece of automated equipment, whether it is the latest automatic land mower or the modern sprinkler system. Most often these automated sprinklers cause a lot of waste of water.

You might have noticed the water running off the lawn down into the street. This is utter wastage when you need to save water. However, most homeowners who have a landscaping use this kind of inefficient watering systems that causes so much waste. If you can find a good and efficient one then it will save water and prevent wastage.

Find an efficient watering system to suit your needs

You should remember a great thumb rule. It says that the bigger and closer to the ground, the delivered water droplet is, the better it is. Systems that give fine water sprays usually lose most of the water to the wind and evaporation.

You might be surprised to know that a hand held hose is the most efficient way to water, saving as much as 33% water compared to other systems.

Automated systems are no better

You might think that because relying on modern technologies means saving money and time. Well, you need to think again, at least as far as watering systems are concerned.

These automated systems such as the ground sprinklers, in fact use 35% more water while those systems that have an automatic timer to accompany utilise 47% more compared to other places that do not use any of such systems. While these devices keep you under the illusion of saving time, they are actually causing you to spend more.

Add some rain sensors or soil sensors

If you already have some kind of an automated system, then you do not need to throw it out and incur more loss. Instead, add such sensors to your system. This will help the sprinklers to know when the soil is moist enough not to need any watering. Hence, you will end up saving water.

Go for automatic drip irrigation

These systems are more efficient compared to sprinklers and with the sensors they will work even better.

Green Landscaping

When it comes to lawn and garden care, a green and healthy landscape is what we all aim for. But “green” in the sense of eco friendly or natural pest and fertilizer products is something we are only now becomeing concerned about. Our children and pets are often exposed to many toxins in the environment they live in that we can’t control. Most parents are now greening their homes on the inside – let’s talk about greening the outside of your home.

We all know that pesticides and fertilizers tend to be very toxic – but this is a thing of the past. There are eco friendly gardening and landscaping products available today. Unfortunately they do tend to be more expensive than the usual brands – but compared to the cost of your family’s health, it shouldn’t hold you back. If the products you will use to help control pests and weeds in your landscape may seem more expensive, the outcome is going to far outweigh your initial expenditure on getting your garden and lawns growing the natural way.

Benefits of greenscaping your lawn and garden are many, including: saving money in the long run, reducing waste, conserving water, saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emisions and reducing your environmental footprint. Getting your home “greenscaped” isn’t as hard as you think – but if you are unsure on where to start or would prefer a professional lawn care specialist to do the work for you, there are plenty of lawn maintenance companies that work with green products. Or, if you are looking for a commercial landscape company, try TruGreen.

Organic Gardening Tips

Between rising food prices and the overuse of toxic pesticides, organic gardening is here to stay. When you grow your food yourself, you know exactly what has been put in the soil and what has been sprayed, or not sprayed, on the plants. Even a small patch of land can grow a good variety of vegetables. Plus, food that is allowed to ripen while it is still growing and is eaten soon after being picked just tastes so much better than any store bought food. Here are some tips to make organic gardening very easy and to get the best out of your garden. Read more

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