Creating an environmentally friendly garden at your homeDate: 3/31/2021 Spring is in the air, and there are many ways to have a safe, environmentally friendly, and beautiful garden.
Soil – Grass is a popular ground cover but not very environmentally friendly. Grass uses extreme amounts of water, they require chemicals to fertilize that run off and contaminate our drinking water, pesticides kill the good and the bad insects, and the gas powered lawn mower pollutes the air. Removing some or even most of a lawn has a lot of benefits, and there are many native plants, shrubs, flowers, or even a ground cover like clover to replace the grass that look even more stunning. They also provide food and shelter for many pollinators such as butterflies and honey bees.
Composting – Many towns offer discounted compost bins such as East Longmeadow and Longmeadow. Composting decreases your weekly trash, (vegetables, fruits, and grains go in the bin), and also provides nutrient enriched soil once it has decomposed. You can use this compost in your flower beds, and even to patch bare spots in your lawn.
Rain barrels – Instead of that high water and sewer bill, take advantage of free water. Garden and lawn watering accounts for 40 percent of residential water use during the summer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Thanks to a rain barrel's water catch, the typical gardener can save 1,300 gallons of water during the growing season.
Using a rain barrel to capture run off gives you an easy and healthy way to water your plants and shrubs. When it rains, runoff picks up soil, fertilizer, oil, pesticides and other contaminants and pushes them into other areas of the landscape, so capturing rain water lessens those harmful effects. If you have any questions about making your garden green this summer, email me at elizabeth.bone@eastlongmeadowma.gov.
Elizabeth Bone is the Recycling Coordinator for the Town of East Longmeadow. To ask your recycling questions, send her an email at elizabeth.bone@eastlongmeadowma.gov.
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