5 Earth Day Lessons to Use All Year-Round
Kicking Off Green Week: The Best Week on Earth
Earth Day may be a single day, but there’s plenty of ways to make the spirit of sustainability last all year long. Check out our list of eco-friendly landscaping best practices. They’re easy to implement, promote better plant health, and can even save you money.
Waste Not with Mulching Mowers
Mulching mowers pack a powerful one-two punch in benefits. They reduce green waste that would otherwise be sent to the landfill by repurposing it onsite into a nutrient-rich compost. The mower's blades cut grass and leaves into fine pieces that are deposited onto the soil. As the pieces decompose, they act as a natural fertilizer for your landscape. Less waste + free fertilizer = win-win!
Beat Dry Spells with Drought-Tolerant Plants
Incorporating drought-tolerant plants into your landscape enhances curb appeal and can reduce your water bill. Thanks to their lower water needs, drought tolerant plants will look great, even during dry spells. And because they experience less stress in periods of water scarcity, that can translate to less need for fertilization and a greater resistance to pests and disease.
Be Waterwise with Smart Irrigation
When it comes to watering your landscape, there’s no reason for runoff, overspray, or watering in the rain. Today’s irrigation technology ensures the most efficient water application and implementing it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Among our favorites are rain sensors and smart controllers, which automatically adjust your watering schedule to ensure you’re not watering when it’s not needed. High-efficiency sprinkler heads and drip irrigation are another must have because they apply water in a slower, more uniform manner. This gives the soil more time to absorb the water, reducing runoff and wasteful mist that can blow away.
Let Sustainability Soak in with Permeable Surfaces
No pun intended, but concrete can be a little hard on the environment. That’s because concrete and other impervious surfaces don’t allow groundwater to soak into the soil and recharge aquifers. This leads to runoff and erosion. In contrast, permeable surfaces—such as gravel and permeable pavers—allow water to filter through, contributing to a more balanced ecosystem. And here’s a “cool” fact: permeable surfaces may even help reduce the urban heat island effect through evaporative cooling!
Remedy Run-off with a Rain Garden
Got drainage issues? Rain gardens are an attractive way to deal with depressions where rainwater collects. They act like nature’s sponge, soaking up excess water to prevent run-off, erosion, and flooding. Typically, rain gardens are planted with native plants that love water, but also don’t mind drier periods. Planted at the base of a naturally occurring slope, water funnels into the rain garden, where it’s able to soak into the ground more quickly. In a well-constructed rain garden, the water will be absorbed within a day, which prevents mosquitos and leads to some very happy plants.
Make sustainable practices your new norm. When you partner with BrightView, it’s easy to implement strategies like these in your landscape care. With electric commercial landscaping equipment, a large fleet of electric and hybrid vehicles, and United States Green Building Council LEED-certified landscape consulting, we’re leading the industry in environmentally friendly solutions. Get in touch to discover what’s possible for your property.
