Water, mow, fertilize....the right way to do it.

ECOPOL put out a survey a few weeks back and 3/4's of our readers believe that lawns should be managed. If that is the way we feel then we should be managing our lawns in way that is environmentally conscious. In researching this project we came across this amazing article by Consumer Reports that illustrates how to properly engage in lawn care.

The article highlights how to properly water you lawn and garden, which include tips around how often and when. We need to reimagine our relationship with water, if we believe our lawns should be managed, then we have to manage our water usage.

The article also discusses the facts around fertilizers and the different kinds which include organic, and slow and fast release fertilizers.

The last point the article touches on is mowing tips which include how often, how high, and which mower to use.

Use this link to read this article and watch a very informative video that is posted on the link.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/07/essential-lawn-care-tips/index.htm

WaterSense

WaterSense, is a partnership program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that helps protect our nation's water supply by suggesting simple ways to reduce water usage with water-efficient products and services.

With the irrigation season just around the corner, it is time to start your Spring-cleaning and check your irrigation system before you start watering.  Sprinkler heads may have been damaged from winter weather and one broken or leaking sprinkler head can waste up to 25,000 gallons of water in just six months.  Sprinkler Spruce-Up is a WaterSense program that recommends four simple steps of inspect, connect, direct, and select to make your irrigation system more efficient.  It is also a good idea to check your sprinkler heads throughout the irrigation season as they can get damaged from lawn mowers as well. Watch the video below to learn more about the sprinkler spruce up program.

The WaterSense website also has great resources for ways to be more efficient by saving water, energy, and money.  Look for the WaterSense label on water efficient products. This label can be found on weather-based irrigation controllers and more! Click here, to learn about the WaterSense label. 

Xeriscape your lawn and start saving money and water!

Xeriscape is the philosophy of using water saving plants that are nature friendly. Sensible Gardening gives a video tutorial around the need for an new outlook towards the waste of water and time that goes hand-in-hand in most gardens. The video highlight many annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and native species that will look amazing in any garden. Video also explains the step it takes like evaluating your soil, supplementing water if needed, plant selection, and be patient.

If you would like to research more about Xeriscape, check out http://sensiblegardening.com you will find this and so much more!

Barreling Toward Storm Water Run-Off Reductions

Where does your storm water run-off go? Are you using it efficiently? Most people don’t realize that you can make your storm water work for you! Ways to utilize your rain water include rain gardens, capturing the water for use in gardens, and install berms and vegetated swales.

How can you get started? Let’s talk for a second about rain gardens! Rain gardens are used to improve the quality of the water that enters them and reduce the amount of storm water run-off that enters storm water drains. These gardens are usually divided into three sections of plants consisting of plants that can tolerate varying amounts of water. See here for a complete guide to building your rain garden!

If you would like to save your storm water fro later use around your landscape, a rain barrel might be the way to go. Hundreds of gallons of water can be captured for later use in rain barrels and are particularly helpful in areas with wet and dry seasons. See this guide for building your own rain barrel.

Installing berms and vegetated swales is a third option for storm water. Swales are basically just ditches, and berms are really just small hills. If you already have a sloped yard, you’re half way there! Placing plants that can tolerate both dry and wet conditions is best. Check in with your local Environmental Services department for a list of native plants appropriate for your area. Have a great time using your storm water, and happy swaling! 

Grow your own Eco Lawn!

                                                    
Do you want to have a lawn that uses 75% less water? Do you have an area that gets little sunshine and/or has poor soil? Do you veer away from using harmful fertilizer? Are you tired of mowing your yard as much as you do? If any of those reasons grab your attention or if you just want to have an environmentally friendly lawn then you have to check out this video from Patti Moreno who is otherwise known as the Garden Girl. Patti demonstrates how using her steps you can have a beautiful Eco Lawn! The video also demonstrates how to turn an existing lawn into an Eco Lawn.

If you want an impressive volume of information from Patti Moreno you would be doing yourself a favor by checking out http://www.gardengirltv.com/

If you want to learn more about Eco Lawns check out http://www.eco-lawn.com/

Where's the Sense in that?

Water conservation is an issue you have likely heard, read, or even talked about as it is a topic that exists at a global level. Water is used in a myriad of ways that affect us all on an individual level, the city we live in on a local level, and on a much bigger global scale.

Landscaping and lawn care is an industry that accounts for a staggering amount of water consumption, "Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day" (https://www3.epa.gov). We can help conserve water resources by learning how much water we use and how we can use that water in more sustainable ways, particularly in regards to lawn care. Inefficient water use in land care causes more harm to soil quality and the environment in many ways. Understanding proper lawn care techniques and practices is one the best steps we can take to become proactive in taking care of the land we live on.

WaterSense is a program the EPA began in 2006 and has "helped consumers save a cumulative 1.1 trillion gallons of water and more than $21.7 billion in water and energy bills." Their website has a host of tools you can use to see how much you know, calculate your use, learn how to take care of you lawn sustainably, and much more access. Though the WaterSense program, you can find certified contractors that are trained in sustainable water practices and can help you find ways to reduce water use and improve the health of your lawn. Check out their website for more information and access.

Alternative Solutions to Traditional Lawn Care, Landscaping, and Gardening.

For the next few months, a group of like-minded environmental focused collaborators will address the issues that surround America's compulsion with lawn-care, landscaping, and gardening. As a collective we will addressed the environmental impact of pesticides, the economic impact of maintaining the socialized standard of the neighborhood lawn, and the ineffective use of natural resources such as water and fossil fuels. For my part, I intend to begin looking for alternative solutions to these concerns. If we are not trying to reshape the thinking behind the taken for granted methodology of our yards then we will continue to teach the next generations the inefficient ways that are taught to us when we are young.
My first entrance is a video by Larry Hall that introduces the idea of rain gutter gardening as a way of rethinking the garden and the use of water. I added links to his Facebook page that will introduce you to a community of people willing to share and teach their ideas, enjoy!

Here is the Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/144745362329424/