When making decisions regarding the health of your landscape and of your family it’s helpful to have some information on natural gardening. Sometimes there are better alternatives to conventional gardening.

Lawns: Do you want to be GREEN? These simple tips can help save water and reduce your chemical usage. Keep your lawn 2″ tall to reduce water use, control weeds, and cause less stress on your lawn. Let your grass clippings fall back into the lawn rather than bagging them. This keeps clippings out of the landfill and provides nutrients for your grass at the same time. Aerate your lawn yearly to provide better exchange of water and air to the root system, making for a healthier lawn–which means less of a need for chemicals.

Watering: Most people water more than they need to. Be aware of how much water you’re using and only water when absolutely necessary. Watering in the morning reduces evaporation and also reduces susceptibility to disease. Also, rain barrels are a fantastic way to recycle water back into the Earth as needed.

Natives: Native plantings are better suited to our area, requiring less maintenance, less water, and less chemicals than non-native plantings. They provide habitat for birds, butterflies, and the bees needed for pollination of our food sources. They also provide lots of color throughout the growing season and structure through the winter.

Chemical Use: Improper use of pesticides and herbicides contaminates the environment and has harmful effects on people, our pets, and other animals. Be aware of the constant exposure that children have with the chemicals we use on our lawns. Another negative effect is that pesticides kill not only the bad bugs but also the beneficial bugs and other creatures. Honey bees (which pollinate 80% of our crops) are declining at very alarming rates from pesticide use. There are natural remedies on the market. Call us to find out specific solutions to your pest, disease, or weed issues.

Compost Compost: provides a means of getting rid of yard waste and fertilizing your plants at the same time. If done the correct way, compost bins do not smell bad or attract animals. Clippings, leaves, and weeds go in, and rich dark soil is created. You will be pleasantly surprised by the benefits of using compost on your vegetable garden or plantings beds.