.jpg)
Happy Earth Day!I couldn't let this day go by without thinking about something I can to personally to make a difference. Here are some ideas:
-Reduce (or remove) chemicals in the landscape. I have to admit that with my gardening background in a large show garden, we relied heavily on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to keep everything super green and lush. I have a lot to learn about organic gardening! In fact, right now we have a dandelion problem developing in our back yard, and my first instinct is to run out and buy some broadleaf killer and zap them! Instead I have been trying to pull them myself and may try dousing them with vinegar. Any other ideas???
-Plant native species. They have adapted to the local climate and soil and require less water and maintenance. Las Vegas was getting pretty good at this; in fact, new homes were only allowed to have grass in the back yards. Front yards were usually rock and native plants. Well-done native landscapes can still be very aesthetically pleasing! Here is a website with information on Utah natives.
-Make your own compost. This is something I have always wanted to be better at. My current problem is figuring out some space... I can't really rip out the landlord's lawn for a compost pile, and my garden space is precious! You can buy compost barrels that spin to mix.
-Catch rain water! We turned our sprinklers on last week to wake up our landscape, but we turned them off this morning because of all the rain in the forecast! Go a step further and set out buckets or barrels to collect rain water! Use it to water plants or even wash your car!
Before you go, you better check out this page I found by the Nature Conservancy. They have some great articles and resources on this topic. What are you going to do?
-Reduce (or remove) chemicals in the landscape. I have to admit that with my gardening background in a large show garden, we relied heavily on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to keep everything super green and lush. I have a lot to learn about organic gardening! In fact, right now we have a dandelion problem developing in our back yard, and my first instinct is to run out and buy some broadleaf killer and zap them! Instead I have been trying to pull them myself and may try dousing them with vinegar. Any other ideas???
-Plant native species. They have adapted to the local climate and soil and require less water and maintenance. Las Vegas was getting pretty good at this; in fact, new homes were only allowed to have grass in the back yards. Front yards were usually rock and native plants. Well-done native landscapes can still be very aesthetically pleasing! Here is a website with information on Utah natives.
-Make your own compost. This is something I have always wanted to be better at. My current problem is figuring out some space... I can't really rip out the landlord's lawn for a compost pile, and my garden space is precious! You can buy compost barrels that spin to mix.
-Catch rain water! We turned our sprinklers on last week to wake up our landscape, but we turned them off this morning because of all the rain in the forecast! Go a step further and set out buckets or barrels to collect rain water! Use it to water plants or even wash your car!
Before you go, you better check out this page I found by the Nature Conservancy. They have some great articles and resources on this topic. What are you going to do?
No comments:
Post a Comment