Xeriscaping

I live in a desert region so when figuring out what to do with the landscaping at our new house one of the first things we thought of was xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is landscaping in such a way to avoid the use of unnecessary amounts of water. Xeriscaping is also known as “zeroscaping”, “water-conserving landscaping”, and in some places “smart scaping”.

Xeriscaping is a great way to save water and energy. With xeriscaping there is little to no use of water, there isn’t a lot of grass to mow so there is no extra fuel or energy consumption, and it is generally easy on the environment as you would just be using natural materials that are common in your area and these materials don’t require any sort of fertilizers or harmful pesticides.

When we started here with our new house we only planned out our front yard. Our back yard will take more work, but it will be xeriscaped as well. In the front we brought in common drain rock found at our local rock quarries – it is a form of river rock, only the smaller version. We laid the rock down around a few shrubs that fit naturally into the environment for the area directly in front of our house and then for the rest of the area we have the rock spread out with a few boulders mixed in. The result is a very simple yet beautiful yard with very little maintenance needed. The few shrubs in front are on a drip system that only runs for 20 minutes a day, three days a week – that’s it!

If you are looking for ways to reduce water consumption and save some energy as well there are some tips you should know before xeriscaping.

Xeriscaping Tips

• Choose plants wisely. You should only choose plants that are drought resistant and that can survive where you live. If you live in a desert region like me you don’t want to pick tropical plants, this will defeat the purpose. Choose plants that are more native to your area to insure their survival.
• Set up a drip system for plants. Drip systems only water when needed and it really allows the plants time to absorb what they need rather than get overloaded.
• Make sure to weed on a regular basis. Weeds consume more water than your plants so you want to get rid of them as soon as possible.
• Cover your soil. You can leave the ground bare, but covering with rock or mulch will keep it cooler and help your plants to need less water.
• Aerate the soil before you cover it. Keeping the soil in good condition will help your plants thrive without the need for more water.
• If you use rock, keep it natural. Don’t worry about bringing in fancy rock that has been chemically processed to create a neat color – natural rock will look better, be better on the environment as a whole, and it will save you money.

If xeriscaping is something you think you’d like to do the fall is a great time to get busy. Many landscaping companies lower prices at this time of year and you might be able to get plants for less. Remember, even though you are going for something natural you still need to get it from the correct resources. Just going out into nature and picking up rocks and plants is not only illegal in many places, but it is also destructive to the natural habitats of many species. Find a local nursery and a local rock quarry to work with, plan out what you want to do being careful to take good measurements of your area, and with the help of the experts you will be able to create an environment you will love.

Copyright ©  2009, Becki, Green Christian Network, All Rights Reserved

               

Compost Anyone?

We just moved into a new house and with that comes a whole new yard. I told my Husband that I would really like to plant a garden, but he informed me that the soil quality where we live is very poor and that I would have to buy topsoil and other nutrient-rich additives if I was to have the hopes of anything actually growing. At first I was a little bummed out, but then I thought this was the perfect time to start that compost bin I have always wanted to start. If I start now, by the next planting season I should definitely have something substantial to add to the poor soil that is already here. My Husband likes this idea so a compost bin is in the works and will be placed out back soon.

I know you can add things like rotten fruits and veggies to a compost bin, but there is so much more!

Below is a lit of stuff that you can add to a compost bin…

…things I never knew before!

• Pet hair
• Lint
• Old herbs and spices
• Coffee grounds with the filter
• Tea bags and leaves
• Egg shells
• Kleenex tissues
• Old potato chips (stale)
• Moldy cheese
• Shredded cardboard cereal boxes
• Hair trimmings including those your Hubby shaves off his face
• Toenail and fingernail clippings
• Cooked rice
• Old plain pasta
• The liquids from canned veggies and fruits
• Pencil shavings
• Cotton swabs with the cardboard sticks (not plastic)

And those are just a few of the weird and unusual things I found that can be composted!  In addition to that of course you can all old kitchen scraps (as long as they don’t have meat products), grass clippings, pine needles, leaves, etc…

I can wait to get my compost bin started and along with creating some nutrient rich material for my garden I am also helping keep necessary waste out of the landfills – it is win win for everyone!

Copyright ©  2009, Becki, Green Christian Network, All Rights Reserved

               

Green Tip – (05/27/09) – Organic Gardening

A great way to give back to the planet, save money, and be certain you are getting fruits and veggies that are safe for your family is to create an organic garden. Organic Gardening means that you will only use natural methods to grow your garden. No synthetic or nasty pesticides allowed.

3 Important Tips for Organic Gardening

Organic additions to soil. You can add decayed plants and other organic material.

Earthworms. They will help your roots grow well and water to pass better. Worms equal healthy plants.

Tilling. Be sure and till your soil regularly.

I hope these simple tips help get you started on a great organic garden. I will be sharing some more tips from time to time that will help you with your environmentally friendly gardening.

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Grow Your Own Organic Veggie Garden

Growing your own organic vegetable garden not only assures fresh, safe, great tasting vegetables all season long; it also provides you with exercise, stress relief, and the knowledge that your hard work is accomplishing great things for your family.  If this sounds like something you’d love to try, here are a few tips you need to know before you get started.

How to Grow and Organic Vegetable Garden

The first thing you need to do is to prepare your humus for the soil.  Ideally, you should start composting well ahead of time so you can simply recycle your yard waste and not have to buy store fertilizers.  Even though you can purchase organic fertilizers, making your own is better.

To make a compost pile: just throw your fallen leaves, grass clippings, and other plant matter into a bin or pile and stir periodically.  This will eventually decompose into quality humus to fertilize your soil.

In addition to your compost humus, there are other natural ingredients you can add to build nutrients in your organic garden soil.  Manure is a great natural fertilizer, but it’s best found locally rather than bought from a store.  You may also have to add natural ingredients to the soil if the pH balance is off.  If the pH of your soil is below 6, add crushed egg, clam, or oyster shells.  If your pH is above 7.5, lower it by mulching with wood chips or sawdust.  These treatments, along with other organic additives, can take a while to work.  You want to prepare the soil up to 6 weeks before planting to make sure the conditions are optimal.

Before you can plant, you need to pick the right vegetables.  You should buy organically grown seedlings.  If you can’t find any, just sprout your own seeds.  This way you can be sure there are no chemicals going into your vegetables at any stage of growth.  You also want to be sure that the variety you buy isn’t genetically altered in any way.  While these plants might grow better looking fruits and vegetables, they produce less flavorful and less healthy fruits and veggies.

Once your organic garden is planted, you can naturally repel pests and fertilize the soil by companion planting.  This means you plant more than one crop in the same area.  If you have an insect problem, you can find plants to repel specific pests.  If you have larger animals eating your plants, you can choose vine vegetables that furry friends prefer not to cross over.  If you choose complementary plants, this can also be used to restore nutrients to the soil.  You want to be sure to rotate out different vegetables every year to further build soils.

Creating your own organic vegetable garden can require a lot of work and research, but once you bite into your first perfect vegetable, you’ll realize that it was well worth the effort.

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