Most landscaping work has a perfectly manicured look and maintains a perfect shade of green year round. The techniques used to achieve this often are damaging to the environment – they use excess amounts of water, remove trees, and use chemical treatments on their lawns. You can still have a lush landscape without doing so much damage. Get started with these three steps:
Use a rain barrel. Collecting rainwater provides an extra water resource that is excellent for maintaining your garden, lawn, house plants, or for washing your car.
Plant trees. Plant them where they are most needed – your lawn, around shrubs and bushes, near shade flower and vegetable beds, and around the southern side of the home, if possible. Planting trees around the south side of the house will help cut down on cooling costs in the summer.
Use climate friendly plants. Plants that are not native to your environment are less likely to thrive without excess water or environmental alteration. Talk to nurseries in your area about the best type of plants for your current climate.
Happy “Earth-Day” to You, Happy “Earth-Day to You, Happy Earth-Day… Mother Earth, Happy Earth-day to you! And many more…………….
Yep, April 22nd is the day! Sadly we have only been celebrating “Earth Day” for 40 years, because it was 40 years ago that we discovered we could be destroying this place we call “home”.
So what do you get a Planet who has EVERYTHING? ( or at least used to have everything)?
If “Mother Earth” is like the rest of US, she wouldn’t be interested in “stuff” but certainly would love thoughtful , kind, and generous ACTIONS, sort of like a coupon book of services. Here are some suggestions:
· Be fussy about recycling! Go that extra mile and ask yourself “ Could this be recycled?
· Don’t throw your trash out the car window for the rest of us to look at, & someone else to pick up. “This is a self -cleaning EARTH, Clean it your-self”
· Plan your trips . Figure out the route that will save the most mileage and perhaps prevent you from going out another day.
· Make your own Household cleaners using sustainable ingredients. ( I use products that have saved me lots of money each year, and work far better than the chemical cleaners or the baking soda, vinegar alternatives) 15% Discount to all if you contact me in the month of April.
· Put your own drinking water in stainless containers to drink as you are out and about. It will save you money and there will be that many less plastic bottles in the land fills
· Bring your lunch in re-useable containers. Why throw away all that trash every day?
· Use fabric Napkins at the table (use a special fold or a napkin holder to identify the user for several usages)
· Use Microfiber cloths instead of paper towels for cleaning.
· Make sure when you are washing clothes that you have gathered a full load.
· Monitor the length of your showers. There is NOT an endless supply of clean water, as a matter of fact the water that comes through your faucets have been used by 25+ other people.
· Most of all, “worship the ground we walk on”. This place we call home is just “borrowed “ from future generations to come. What kind of a world do you want your great grand children to in? Air respirators and full body protection suits?
What we do today will leave a direct impact on what we will do tomorrow. Be Part of the Solution, NOT part of the Pollution.
Submitted by:
Deb Villarese
www.bellawelllifestyles.com email: deb@bellawelllifestyles.com 630-420-2119
