Benefits of Sustainable Landscaping

Many homeowners feel that they have to put a lot of time, energy, and resources into their yards to keep their landscaping in tip-top shape. While it’s true that time is going to be an investment for any endeavor, you can really cut back on the energy and resources that you pour into your yard work by switching to sustainable landscaping practices.

By making a few substitutions with the plants and décor in your yard, you can come up with several options to conserve electricity and water. Not only will this help reduce your utilities costs every month, but it’ll also be a sizable reduction of your carbon footprint. Consider these suggestions:

Xeriscaping

The practice of xeriscaping has grown in popularity in recent years, especially in particularly arid regions. The basic principle is to use regionally native plants that will do well in the climate, without needing a lot of extra watering. It makes sense because plants that are native to your area evolved to tolerate the natural climate.

This type of sustainable landscaping can also lead to some very innovative and natural yard designs. If you live in a dry region and use things like cacti and decorative stone in your landscaping, your yard can look beautiful and area-appropriate. Don’t try to deny the natural appeal of your home climate—embrace it!

PV Lighting

Photovoltaic—or, PV—lighting is more commonly known as solar-powered lighting. And it can be a great benefit to any outdoor area. Lots of people like to use outdoor lights to illuminate and highlight their landscaped spaces, and this can be a very effective technique. The only downside is that traditional outdoor lights can use up a lot of energy, plus they often need to be wired to the house to get the power they need to run.

Solar lighting, on the other hand, does away with this hassle. These lights provide ambiance in the same way that traditional electric lights do, but without the excess energy use or the wiring hassle. Most PV outdoor lights have solar panels built in—they charge all day and then run on stored energy when the sun goes down. They regulate themselves, and you don’t have to worry about turning them off before you go to bed.