Green Gardening
Green garden is about being mindful of being gentle with the earth. The less you waste the more you and the land benefits. Protecting resources is the key focus. For example, our Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. However since it is one of the most productive in the world, its continual decline due to nutrient over-enrichment is of concern. Over thirty years of research illustrated that the main concerns of the Bay were nutrient over-enrichment, dwindling Bay grasses, and toxic pollution. Invasive plants are just another environmental challenge destroying fragile ecosystems. Land can be used and developed in ways that minimize impact on water quality improve water quality and allow aquatic life to flourish.
Also, climate change is creating all sorts of other concerns. Increased rainfall and drought and a host of other concerns; refer to arborday.org and refer to Hardiness zone map.
The EPA estimates that 54 million Americans work on their lawn and do landscaping each weekend burning 800 million gallons of gasoline with their lawn mowers, leaf blowers and weed eaters. Unfortunately the emissions from these devices are much worst than our late model cars.
A tremendous area of concern is non-point source pollution from the 5 million lawns in the Bay since excessive lawn fertilizing is a significant source of nutrient pollution. So developing and implementing home nutrient reduction strategies is critical. Better managed lawns would reduce the amount of excess nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, thus improving water quality.
Nationwide we spend annually $350 million on grass seed and manage over 30 million acres of lawn. Each year Americans apply 100 million tons of fertilizer and over 80 million pounds pesticides to their yards.
Another source of nitrogen pollution comes from air emissions mowing and collecting these clippings. Roughly, 40 hours per year the average homeowner spends behind his power mower using 10 gallons of gas emitting ten times more hydrocarbons then a typical car. Grass clippings consume a large part of landfill space during the growing season requiring further cost to transport and dispose of this valuable material.
Finally, 30 percent of the water on the East Coast goes to watering lawns. A 10,000 square feet of turf uses 10,000 gallons of water per summer.
Green Garden Maintenance Practices
1) Use water wisely
2) Reduce toxins (pesticides and fertilizers) and run-off
3) Lessen erosion
4) Integrated plant and pest management
5) Yardcycle and compost
6) Cultivate more natural ways
7) Protect and preserve ecosystem
The art of gardening is simple process. You get what you put into it. If you fail to plan you will plan to fail and impact others living things. Be skillfull and enjoy emulating nature where you waste little and harvest a wonderful organic experience!
Also, climate change is creating all sorts of other concerns. Increased rainfall and drought and a host of other concerns; refer to arborday.org and refer to Hardiness zone map.
The EPA estimates that 54 million Americans work on their lawn and do landscaping each weekend burning 800 million gallons of gasoline with their lawn mowers, leaf blowers and weed eaters. Unfortunately the emissions from these devices are much worst than our late model cars.
A tremendous area of concern is non-point source pollution from the 5 million lawns in the Bay since excessive lawn fertilizing is a significant source of nutrient pollution. So developing and implementing home nutrient reduction strategies is critical. Better managed lawns would reduce the amount of excess nutrients entering the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, thus improving water quality.
Nationwide we spend annually $350 million on grass seed and manage over 30 million acres of lawn. Each year Americans apply 100 million tons of fertilizer and over 80 million pounds pesticides to their yards.
Another source of nitrogen pollution comes from air emissions mowing and collecting these clippings. Roughly, 40 hours per year the average homeowner spends behind his power mower using 10 gallons of gas emitting ten times more hydrocarbons then a typical car. Grass clippings consume a large part of landfill space during the growing season requiring further cost to transport and dispose of this valuable material.
Finally, 30 percent of the water on the East Coast goes to watering lawns. A 10,000 square feet of turf uses 10,000 gallons of water per summer.
Green Garden Maintenance Practices
1) Use water wisely
2) Reduce toxins (pesticides and fertilizers) and run-off
3) Lessen erosion
4) Integrated plant and pest management
5) Yardcycle and compost
6) Cultivate more natural ways
7) Protect and preserve ecosystem
The art of gardening is simple process. You get what you put into it. If you fail to plan you will plan to fail and impact others living things. Be skillfull and enjoy emulating nature where you waste little and harvest a wonderful organic experience!
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