Its Time for Spring Planting!
It is the time of year our thoughts turn to yard work and making our properties look like a million dollars. Often (I would say a majority of the time), we are only concerned with the esthetic. We can have both esthetic and a functional landscape at the same time. Pay attention to where you plant trees and the type of tree you are planting. Using shade trees on the side of your home that get the most sun can lower you’re A/C requirements by up to 10%. Using trees as a windbreak can lower winter heating bills. http://www.energy.gov/landscaping.htm
If you are looking for plants to use as a border consider herbs and spices as they do double duty. Some plants we use are parsley flat leave and curly, oregano, basil, and rosemary. They look nice and you can eat them! I often grow chilies as accent plants and of course use the peppers (fruit) to eat.
You can grow mint like a ground cover, but you need to put up borders, as it will spread pretty well. You can use mint in cooking and in making drinks both hard and soft. It also makes a nice garnish.
Got a corner of your yard that is shielded from the North winter wind? Drop in a few citrus trees. You can in a few years have lemons and limes for fresh homemade drinks.
The emphasis here is to make positive use out of the landscape, make it functional not just nice to look at. You do not have to plow the front yard and plant corn but with some thought you can save energy (MONEY) and get some edibles out of your landscape.
Energy efficient is good, but green is better. Thinking of buying a home? Talk to an EcoBrokerâ and make an informed decision. 210-316-4555