Sustainable Landscaping

Need some help figuring out what you can do to make your yard more sustainable?  EcoLogic Environmental Landscaping offers a free consultation up to 2 hours and 10% off any tree planting for PEA members.  The Winston-Salem based company specializes in resource-responsible landscape designs that work with nature to reduce irrigation, fertilizer, and chemical needs and help you enjoy your outdoors more. Applying a sustainable ethic to the everyday yard means a focus on healthy, living soil, a broad plant knowledge to get the right things in the right places, and a commitment to energy conservation, water quality, and overall human health.

As a certified arborist, proper tree planting and tree consultation are available. Also, EcoLogic can help you get your home vegetable garden going or provide garden and landscape "coaching" for those who just need a little education.  Contact Jon Hanna, at EcoLogic Environmental Landscaping at 336-403-3121 or ecologic@bellsouth.net.

Whether you are an avid gardener, master of the perfect lawn, or the one who hires the lawn crew, you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint and make our community a healthier place to live by making changes to your landscape.

Reducing your water usage and protecting the watershed from harmful chemicals are important steps to take.  On the East coast, 20-30% of residential water consumption is for landscaping (Day of Action).  North Carolina is plagued with drought.  Choosing plants that are drought tolerant and buying from local nurseries where the plants are grown in local soil can reduce water usage.  In fact, growing native plants can save more than 50% of the water normally used to care for outdoor plants.  If you do have special plants that require extra water, group them together in a bed so you can water that area frequently rather than all your plants.  Collecting rainwater to water your garden can also reduce your water usage and your water bill. 

Turf requires large amounts of water, not to mention care, with constant mowing.  Warm season grasses such as Bermuda require 50-70% less water than cool season tall fescue.  Reducing your turf area can save on water, labor, and reduce pollution.  Gas powered lawn equipment contributes 5% of the Country’s total air pollution. 

Water is also the vehicle by which many harmful chemicals enter our watershed.  Ten times more chemical pesticides per acre are applied on homeowner lawns than on farmers’ fields according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Anything we put on our yard has the potential to be carried to waterways when it rains. 
The weed preventers we spread on our grass come in contact with those critters that frolic most in these areas, including our children and our pets.  It is tracked into homes each time we enter.  The key to reducing the use of these harmful chemicals and exposure to our pets and children is healthy soil.  Soil that is healthy requires less pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers and water.  NC is the only state that still offers free soil tests for homeowners.  Take advantage of it!  The tests kits, available from your local Cooperative Extension Service, will tell you specifically what your soil needs are based on what you have planted. 

Take steps today to make your landscape more sustainable.