Eco-friendly landscaping is the way!
Even though there is still snow on the ground in Evanston, we have the promise of spring and warmer days just around the corner. Perhaps dreaming about the gorgeous lawn and gardens you will have this spring, gets you through the cold and gray days. At Evanston Landscaping, we are happy to be offering more sustainable, eco-friendly lawn care, lawn mowing, landscaping, and gardening in 2024. Your health and the environment will thank you!
What is eco-friendly landscaping?
Healthy, sustainable lawn care includes reducing chemical pesticide pollution, conserving water, and limiting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. We agree with Ryan Pankau from the University of Illinois Extension office that natural lawn care is merely a different system which is no more complicated than traditional methods, it just requires attention to a different set of details.
What you plant matters…native plant gardening is the way to go
In eco-friendly or green landscaping, the type of plants you choose makes a difference. Our city is in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 and 6. When you pick native plants and flowers, they will naturally thrive in Evanston, with no need for harmful fertilizers to help them grow. Once their root systems are established, they require little watering. Check out this resource for which native plants to pick and when to plant them. Be sure to select plants and flowers with different bloom periods. You can be assured of having color in the garden the entire season and also provide well for the pollinators all season long. Gardening with native species, you can create a unique space to attract them.
Instead of putting up a fence, you might consider adding a hedge or a “living wall” to the landscaping in your yard. You’ll provide habitat for creature friends and add a different element of beauty to your yard.
What are the eco-friendly options for leaf clean-up?
Are there leaves hiding under the snow in your yard? When we thaw out, it will be time to start leaf clean-up.
Here is a surprising statistic….
Not only is this type of leaf blower [gas-powered] noisy, but it also puts out more carbon emissions than a car driving 100 miles.
Wow! Before you pull out your gas-powered leaf blower, consider some of the alternatives.
Mulch the leaves
New York Times best-selling author, Douglas Tallamy, encourages us to rake and clean up as few leaves as possible. In his interview with Margaret Roach, he describes how we should allow the leaves to remain on the ground. You might create, he suggests beds of leaves at the base of each of your trees. Tallamy states that the leaves will return the nutrients to the soil to nourish the same tree from which they fell. The leaves will smother the grass underneath and, in time, you will have the beginning of a new bed in which you can start planting. He understands that you will sacrifice your lawn if you allow all of the leaves to stay. He cites leaf litter as
…the perfect protection for our soil community, which then encourages our plants, our root growth, and mycorrhizal interactions.
The leaf litter also becomes home to many insects, like bees, millipedes, and caterpillars. The caterpillars, in turn, are a food source for birds, especially baby birds. Your one decision to leave the leaves impacts many parts of this ecosystem.
Electric-powered leaf blowers
Electric-powered leaf blowing options exist for getting the clean-up done. Many people prefer them, as they are quieter than the gas-powered models. Less noise pollution: such a great plus! The only drawback is that the cord attached to the machine can make the work a bit more challenging as it is too short to reach all of the spots in your yard.
Other options…
Leaf vacuums are also on the market, and many will mulch the leaves as they vacuum. Most of these vacuums are electric, so you have the same cord inconveniences as you have with the electric-powered leaf blowers.
With a properly-equipped lawnmower, you could mulch the leaves as you mow. Allow the mulched leaves to remain on your lawn to provide nutrients to the soil. Some people don’t care for the look of mulched leaves on the lawn, but you will benefit from knowing that you are enriching the soil. When lawns have the proper nutrients, they are less susceptible to producing weeds and don’t need chemical fertilizers (which harm the environment.)
If you bag the lawn clippings and mulched leaves together, they make excellent content for your compost pile. These two ingredients are the perfect combo of green and brown substances needed to nourish the compost.
How eco-friendly landscaping benefits you
Maintaining your lawn and landscaping year-round requires a commitment to lawn mowing regularly, ridding the yard of pests, watering, and fertilizing. Yet, in this article, they point out the dangers to the air, water, pets, and humans when we use certain products:
Most over-the-counter fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides contain chemicals that pollute groundwater, degrade soil and send toxic gasses into the atmosphere. In addition, these chemicals pose numerous health hazards to people, pets, and wildlife. Green lawn care promotes a healthier lifestyle for people and a natural defense system for lawns.
In her opinion piece for the New York Times, Margaret Renkl reminds us that pesticides kill insects indiscriminately. They are equally deadly to the bugs which bore holes in your yard as they are to the butterflies which pollinate your vegetable garden. The use of pesticides, she says, is causing insects to die at alarming rates. You might think that it’s just a bug. Yet, the impact is far-reaching. Renkl explains,
The global insect die-off is so precipitous that, if the trend continues, there will be no insects left a hundred years from now. That’s a problem for more than the bugs themselves: Insects are responsible for pollinating roughly 75 percent of all flowering plants, including one-third of the human world’s food supply.
With eco-friendly lawn care, you can still have a beautiful yard and limit your use of harmful substances. Using more “green” methods, your lawn will begin to use more of its natural defenses to prevent weeds and pests. In the Borst Landscape article mentioned above, they list the following benefits of green lawn care:
- Improves soil health
- Promotes thicker grass
- Promotes deep root systems
- Promotes longer grass growth
- Improves Grass Quality
- Prevents overfeeding
- Promotes natural photosynthesis
- Reduces water contamination
- Safe for humans and pets
- Safe for the environment
Read the full article to learn more.
Contact us (link to contact page on the website) at (business name) for all your landscaping, lawn mowing, and gardening needs in Evanston. Let’s discuss how to create a more beautiful lawn and take care of your family and pets, and our environment.
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