I got this from a newsletter from Outdoor Expressions a landscape company here in Atlanta.  Some good pointers about green landscaping.

“It all adds up.

Making your home more attractive is reason enough to invest in outdoor improvements, but great landscaping yields many benefits that go far beyond aesthetics:

Improved home value. If your home is on the market, this is a huge reason to landscape. It’s clear that landscaping can bring value to your home whether you do some quick fixes, plant a few trees, or completely transform your property. According to the Gallup Organization, landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home’s value. The USDA Forest Service says healthy, mature trees add an average of 10 percent to a property’s value. Money magazine states that landscaping can bring a recovery value of 100 to 200 percent at selling time, while kitchen remodeling brings a 75 to 125 percent recovery rate.

Energy savings. What if your landscaping improvement began to pay for itself? Another finding by the USDA Forest Service is that “trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating.” Planning for shade in the right areas is a great way to naturally cut costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture finds that “the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.” (Another way to save is to plan early. Construction material costs increase constantly, and postponed projects tend to rise in cost as time passes.)

Environmental benefits. While reducing energy use is a good thing, the environmental benefits of landscaping do not stop there. Landscaping prevents erosion and runoff, supports wildlife, and improves air quality. Plants native to your area will thrive while using less water. The importance of trees cannot be underestimated. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people.”

Health and wellness. Perhaps the most important reason for landscaping is for enjoyment! As you’ve heard us say before, some of the best memories are made outdoors. Creating a backyard sanctuary, a gathering place, an outdoor kitchen, or another outdoor project for family and friends is the most common desire among those planning improvements. While we’ve all experienced the relaxing effect of a comfortable outdoor setting, this benefit of landscaping is also a topic of study. Various studies show that experiencing nature not only restores the mind, but can also positively affect physical well-being. Dr. Roger S. Ulrich of Texas A&M University studies the effects of healthcare facilities and nature on medical outcomes. “In laboratory research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension,” he found. Dr. Ulrich is one of many who study the behavioral effects of nature who believe that “green is good for you.”

Investing in your landscape means spending, so it’s helpful to know what to budget and how it could pay off. The most common recommendation is to budget 10 percent of a new home purchase price toward landscaping. That being said, what you spend should also reflect the end result you seek. For any significant improvement, count on at least 5 percent. While 10 percent is more average, keep in mind that large demolitions or adding elaborate hardscapes or pools can add cost. A good landscape professional will work with you to find the best solution that fits your budget. If you’d like more information on the benefits of investing in landscape improvements, contact us today.

Statistics in this article can be found on the web sites of the Arbor Day Foundation and the American Nursery & Landscape Association.”

I know that it is 20 degrees out and this is not the time of the year for outdoor gardening, but at a friend’s request I decided to share some ideas that I have for green outdoor living spaces.

I like to garden, particularly I like to grow my own vegetables and herbs.  This year, in on my path towards becoming more sustainable, I purchased a rain barrel.  This was an easy first step since the initial investment can be as little as 100 bucks for a decent rain barrel.  My vegetable garden was near my barrel so this worked out well for watering the plants when mother nature neglected to water them.

Getting it set up was quite a feat.  Since the location of the downspout was the same level as my plants, I had to build a platform in order create enough head pressure.   This worked out well for me since I built the platform to act as a storage center also.  All the trucks and other toys from my sons easily store under the rain  barrel now.  After a few month, however, I noticed a nice odor coming from the barrel.  The barrel that I purchased was a re-purposed wine barrel.  The vendor that sold these did not put a screen on it in order to filter the vegetative matter out though.  The screen also serves to block the mosquitoes from entering or exiting also.

Once I modify the entry into barrel with screen the smell and mosquitoes went away.

some of the benefits of a rain barrel:

• You can water your plants at any time of the day when there are watering restrictions regarding municipal water
• Water plants with municipal water is a waste of energy.  The amount of energy used to pump the water to your house will be saved if you use rain water collection.

If you are wanting to upgrade to an even larger system then you should consider a systern.  These tanks can hold enough water to water all of your plants is designed correctly.  One company that I have used here in the Atlanta Area is Raincatchers.