Turn Landscaping into GreenScaping

As protection and safety of key natural resources from water to wildlife take on greater importance in today's ecosystem, families and individuals are becoming more conscious of how what we plant and grow in our yards, gardens and plantings can contribute to a safer planet. You can save time, money and help protect the environment by adopting a set of "GreenScaping" practices advised by the EPA to conserve water, minimize use of harmful chemicals and reduce yard waste. Here are some ideas to help:

• Choose the right plants. By choosing plants that are native to your area and by paying attention to appropriate growing places for each according to planting information (full sun, partial shade, full shade, and so on), you can help minimize care and watering. Look for plants that are pest -and disease-resistant.
• Build and maintain healthy soil. Make compost at home or buy it in bags to dig or rototill into your garden and/or lawn. When planting lawns or making beds, a good mix is 1 to 3 inches of compost for 6 to 12 inches of top soil.
• Mulch. Spreading a layer of organic material like leaves, wood chips, compost or grass clippings around your plants in spring and fall is a great way to protect and nurture your plants. Avoid spreading more than three inches of mulch in landscaping beds, and keep mulch about an inch away from stems and tree trunks to limit fungus. Mulch stabilizes soil temperature, prevents it recycles itself!
• Fertilize mindfully. When shopping for fertilizer, look for a product that contains "natural organic" or "slow-release" ingredients. Unlike "quick-release" fertilizers, "natural organic" or "slow-release" fertilizers feed your plants slowly and evenly with less harmful runoff effects.