Green or Organic Gardening
has many environmental and lifestyle benefits. You can start with these basic thoughts while you research what works best for your garden or landscape.Landscape With Native Plants
Native plants are plants found in the local your area before Europeans settled. To support the new communities they cleared land for grazing and homebuilding - then introduced foreign and exotic plants from overseas. Native plants tend to be hardy because they have adapted to the local conditions. Since it is their territory they will not need pesticides, fertilizers, or watering. Since native landscapes tend not to be mowed it reduces the demand for non-renewable resources and improves the water. Native wildflowers and grasses helps keep the balance of a healthy ecosystem. Diverse varieties of birds, inserts and small animals, are attracted to the native landscape which will lead to bio diversity. Native plants have been growing and evolving for millions of years adapting and adjusting to the local soils, resources and climate. This allows them to be likely to thrive with minimal care than foreign or non-native plants. They tend to need less water, fertilizing and pest control. They are also invasive plants.Native plants also have a strong link in the local ecosystem. Other plants, animals and insects require them for a balanced resource of food, storage, shelter and nutrients. Balance is key to a local ecosystem. Balanced population of beneficial flowers, plants, animals and insects keep the harmful ones in check.
Native Plant Societies and Organizations
Native Plant and Invasive Plant Guide
NYS DOT Native Plant Resource Guide
Native Plant Societies of the United States & Canada
Reduce Pesticides and Use of Powered Equipment
Native plants have adapted to local conditions and tend to have natural defenses against local pests. Reducing lawn to the minimum size needed. It may be greener to create or expand beds of native flowers and shrubs, plant wildflowers, allow a section of lawn to revert to wooded area. If you want to remove turf you can cover the grass with a thick layer of old newspapers. Then provide a thick layer of organic mulch. Several months later the grass will have died and you can replant without removing the old newspapers.Improved Your Town's Air Quality
With the natural synthesis of organic landscaping - SMOG and other air pollutants are reduced by the elimination of maintenance equipment - which need petrol or batteries. Conventional energy produce green house gas pollutants and SMOG such as carbon monoxide , carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and particulates.Improved Water Quality
The lack of pesticides prevents their overuse. This will eliminate or minimize run-off into streams, lake, and rivers. This improves the quality of the drinking and recreational water and the life species that call it home. In addition, if you let the garden fall into a more random layout, it can reduce runoff. Structured forms tend not to do as well as following natural bends and curves of the landscape. Capturing rainfall is also a key element. Rather than allowing rainwater runoff to into a driveway or into storm drains you can capture it with a rain barrel or pond or french drain. Then reuse the captured rain later for use in your garden. Keep these at least 10 feet from buildings to avoid wet basements. Rain barrels are located under your downspouts from your roof gutter. Check for local permitting codes.Composting
Organic waste from gardens such as leaves, grass clippings and other yard debris clog landfills. This is a natural resource. Once decomposed, this organic matter can provide free mulch - which is a source of nutrients.
Pennsylvania State Dept has a great web site for Home Composting. They stress reducing, reuse, and recycling.
Danielle Green of the Great Lakes National Program Office and Dan Welker of EPA Region 3, provide a wonderful PPT slide presentation on environmental impacts to air, water, land and bio diversity of traditional landscaping and offer alternatives such as using native plants in the landscape. You can see it at there EPA link. The EPA also has a strong site on Landscaping with Native Plants Factsheet and also a video of Landscaping Naturally.
