grass Archives - Big Green Purse https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/tag/grass/ The expert help you need to live the greener, healthier life you want. Tue, 14 Jul 2015 00:14:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 8 Best Natural Alternatives to Growing Grass https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/8-best-natural-alternatives-to-growing-grass/ https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/8-best-natural-alternatives-to-growing-grass/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2015 00:14:20 +0000 https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/8-best-natural-alternatives-to-growing-grass/ Why grow grass when you could grow so many other things that are better for the planet? Not that grass isn’t pretty to look at, or fun to play on – it can be. But grass comes with a big price tag. To keep grass green and healthy requires toxic chemicals – fertilizers to keep …

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growing grass

Why grow grass when you could grow so many other things that are better for the planet? Not that grass isn’t pretty to look at, or fun to play on – it can be. But grass comes with a big price tag. To keep grass green and healthy requires toxic chemicals – fertilizers to keep it growing, pesticides to keep the bugs out. Plus, there’s all that mowing and seeding and watering and …the list goes on and on.

Fortunately, there are lots of natural alternatives to growing grass that will look great, free up time, and save money. Here are the top 8.

Best Natural Alternatives to Growing Grass

1) Vegetable garden – If you have enough sun to grow grass, you definitely have enough sun to grow a garden. Dig up the sod, till some rich organic compost into the soil, and plant the vegetables you want to eat. It’s a great way to ensure you’re getting totally local and organic produce for the cost of seeds and water for the plants. If you put in raised beds, you’ll significantly reduce weeding, and it will be easier to pick your harvest when it’s ready. Even if you live in a colder climate, you should be able to grow food three seasons of the year. Talk with your county extension agent or local garden shop to learn what you can plant when. Want more tips to help you get started? Don’t miss our Top Ten Organic Gardening Tips.

2) Flower beds – Wouldn’t you rather look at a bank of beautiful flowers than a boring old lawn?  Plant some flowers you’ll leave to enjoy, and others you want to cut and bring into your home. You can also put in “theme” flower beds. For example, have one bed designed specifically to attract butterflies, another for flowers like sunflowers that the birds will love. Plant perennial flowers, which will bloom year after year, but keep pots of annuals ready to fill in when one part of the garden is finished blooming.

3) Berry bushes – Grow raspberries and blueberries instead of grass for delicious fruit you can pick right outside your door. You may need to put up netting to protect the berries from hungry birds, or use scarecrows and flags that will wave the birds away when the wind blows.

4) Fruit trees – Apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots and cherries need room to spread their branches. But if you give it to them, they’ll reward you with delicious fruit. Of course, you do have to pick it. But isn’t that half the fun? And so much better than eating grass!

Grass-less lawn

5) Hardy ground covers – If you need a place for the dog to cavort or the kids to play, replace your lawn with a hardy, low-maintenance ground cover that requires little mowing or watering and no chemicals. For example, Blue Star Creeper (Isotoma fluviatillis) is rugged, fast growing, and can handle lots of foot traffic. It flowers beautifully in the spring and summer, an added bonus. Elfin Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is very drought tolerant, grows low to the ground, and forms a solid mat of green foliage. You’ll love the light pink flowers it sports in the summer, too. Ivy, vinca and bishopweed are other options. Liriope works great, too. Though it dies back in the winter, for a solid three seasons it has lush foliage that never needs mowing.

6) Decorative stones, fountains, birdbaths – For a really low maintenance yard, replace sections of your lawn with stonework. Use gravel for pathways, larger boulders to make statements and different sized rocks to add visual interest. Fill pots large and small with some perennials, some annuals. Install a water fountain, a pond, and some birdbaths to complete the effect. Don’t forget a bench so you can sit near the fountain and take in the view.

7) Woodchips – If your kids need a play area, woodchips may serve them well. Pick large, smooth woodchips, not fresh chips that may easily splinter, and scatter them about two inches deep.

8) Green weeds – If the lawn look is what you want, or you feel like the kids just need some kind of grassy area to play on, go for “faux” grass – or, as it’s known around my house, weeds. Weeds are not uniform in appearance like grass is. But their low maintenance, while still covering the ground in green, makes them a hands-down winner. I never water or fertilize my weeds and mow them only about a third as often as I’d have to mow grass. But I still enjoy my yard greatly.

Want More Information?

Natural Weed Control

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Ten Ways to Save Water Outside and Cut Your Water Bill by 50% https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/save-water-outside/ https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/save-water-outside/#comments Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:05:15 +0000 https://www.newsite.biggreenpurse.com/save-water-outside/ Are you keeping track of how much water you’re using – and maybe wasting? You could probably cut your water bill by almost 50% if you do – and now’s the time to do it. Late July and early August are usually when outdoor water use soars. By some estimates, you might use between 30 and …

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ist1_6505376-water-sprinklerAre you keeping track of how much water you’re using – and maybe wasting? You could probably cut your water bill by almost 50% if you do – and now’s the time to do it. Late July and early August are usually when outdoor water use soars. By some estimates, you might use between 30 and 70 percent of all the water your household consumes watering plants, trees, bushes and your lawn.

I like a lush green landscape as much as the next person. What I don’t like is a big hefty water bill, especially when I know I can save money by being smarter about how I use water. Experts estimate that 50 percent of the water we use outdoors gets wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff from overwatering.

No matter how much or how little water you use, it will save you and money and time to use less water. Here are ten tips that have worked for me that I’m happy to share with you.

Top 10 Tips to Save Water Outside

1. Xeriscape: Plant perennials, annuals, bushes and trees that do not need more water than normally falls in your region. If rainfall is scarce, skip hydrangeas, which require frequent watering to thrive and bloom. You can find a good list of plants and the amount of watering they require here.

save water 2. Give Up Grass: Did you ever notice that grassy lawns don’t exist anywhere naturally? That’s because they’re a “monocrop,” and Mother Nature prefers to mix things up (it’s called “biodiversity”) by encouraging a variety of plants to grow together. Even in regions that benefit from a lot of rain, you won’t find a lawn growing all by its lonesome. Follow Mother Nature’s lead. Replace your thirsty lawn with a diverse array of ground covers that are more suited to the actual climate in which you live. Here’s a picture of my former lawn. It is now covered in buttercups, clover, and yes, a little crab grass. I never water it and only mow it maybe once a month.

3.   Plant in “watering zones”: When planting, assign areas of your landscape to different hydrozones depending on sun/shade exposure, soil and plant types, and type of sprinklers you plan to use. Then,  adjust your irrigation system or watering schedule based on those zones’ specific needs. With this simple system in place, you’ll avoid overwatering some areas or underwatering others.

 sprinkler-spruce-up-infographic-thumb4.   Tune up your system: Inspect irrigation systems and check for leaks and broken or clogged sprinkler heads. Fix sprinkler heads that are broken or spraying on the sidewalk, street, or driveway. Repair or replace hoses that have holes. I have one spigot I can’t seem to stop from leaking when I water, so I put a big bucket underneath it to catch the drips. When the bucket is around half full, I’ll empty it onto some hydrangeas or azaleas or other plants that need a little extra moisture. Works like a charm!

5. Water when it makes sense. Know how much water your landscape actually needs before you set your sprinkler. Your local utility or garden center can recommend how much water certain plants need in your region and best times to water. It’s best to water lawns and landscapes in the early morning and late evening because large amounts of water can be lost due to evaporation during the heat of the day.

watersense logo6. Use a WaterSense timer. WaterSense is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program that helps people save water. Products carrying the WaterSense label perform well, help save money, and encourage innovation in manufacturing. Clock timers you attach to your faucet can be set to turn off automatically, saving you water and time. WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers act like a thermostat for your lawn, using local weather data to determine when and how much to water, which reduces waste and improves plant health.

 7.  Get some help: Contractors certified through a WaterSense labeled program can audit, install, or maintain home irrigation systems to ensure water isn’t wasted. Make sure you ask for credentials.

8. Use a soil moisture sensor: Grass doesn’t always need water just because it’s hot out. Step on the lawn, and if the grass springs back, it doesn’t need water. An inexpensive soil moisture sensor can also show the amount of moisture at the plant’s roots and discourage overwatering.

 9. Cut back on mowing.    Longer grass promotes deeper root growth, resulting in a more drought-resistant lawn, reduced evaporation, and fewer weeds. So raise your lawn mower blade to leave the grass longer when you cut it.

 10.   Give your hose a break: Sweep driveways, sidewalks, and steps rather than hosing them off. And don’t forget to check for leaks at your spigot connection and tighten as necessary.

What Do You Do To Save Water?

We’re always eager to learn from you! If you have some additional ideas to save water outside, please share them below. Thanks!

And here’s another interesting idea for you: some people install water tanks to collect significant amounts of rainfall from their roofs, much more than they’d collect with just a rain barrel. Someone in my neighborhood installed an underground water tank, but there are many other ways to do it. In most parts of Australia, locals make use of rainwater tanks, not only to boost their gardens but for water conservation and sustainability. Water tank suppliers like Rainwater Tanks Direct provide materials as well as help educate citizens about effective rainwater catchment systems.

 

Related Posts:

Find water-saving timers and devices in our Amazon store here.

 

 

 

 

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