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Blog posts tagged with 'green'

July, Smart Irrigation Month

July is Smart Irrigation Month, which reminds us that to be wise in how we irrigate our Landscapes and Gardens areas. Water is our most precious resource. It is very important to conserve our water during the hot summer months and when in drought areas of the country. Conserving your water will save you money as the price of water continues to rise.

Here are some smart ways to water your garden or landscape:

You don't need to water your lawn every day. During the summer months you only need to water every five to seven days. Your lawn only needs about one inch of water a week. You can buy a rain gauge to help keep track of how much water your grass is getting. The best time to water your lawn and plants is early in the morning or at night when the temperature is lower.

Mister Landscaper sells a timer that you can set to water your landscapes & garden beds when you want to. This will make smart watering very easy and avoid over or underwatering your plants. Mister Landscaper also sells a DIY easy to install low-flow Micro and Drip Irrigation kits that will use 50% to 70% less water then standerd irrigation. This will help keep the green in your garden as well as in your wallet! In the long run you will save water, time and money. Using mulch or graound cover also helps to retain moisture in the soil which means you have to water less overall.

For Smart Irrigation Month Mister Landscaper created a coloring book as a fun way to help teach kids about how to water wisely.  You can download it by clicking this link.

Some other simple tips to save water and re-use it in the garden are...

If you are going to take a bath use the water after you are done to water your plants.

If you take a shower put a bucket in the shower to catch the water. When you are done use it to water your plants.

Rain Barrels, we have all heard of them.  Getting one set up is not that hard, and you can use Micro and Drip Irrigation with them. Companies like Aqua Barrel make small pumps that cary the water in the barrel's to attached hoses for easy use.  Check them out at http://www.aquabarrel.com

If you have any other smart watering tips you can join us on Facebook. We would love to hear from you.

http://www.facebook.com/MisterLandscaper


I want to wish all of you a smart watering day.

Edible Landscapes, A Taisty Trend

A well manicured landscape is something to be noticed.  Beautiful Trees, shrubs, Flowers, and other types of plants fill the yard space with a combination of balance and design that can adorn the outside of a home much like jewelry on a beautiful woman.
While there are countless examples of wonderful landscape designs available online, something special began to catch my eye. I noticed that some of these landscapes had edible plants used in their layout.  This seemed to me like such a fabulous idea that I wanted to know more, so I began to research this trend and found out that it is becoming quite popular to ad edible plants to landscape designs, or even to completely use edible plants for the landscape.

There are a great many benefits to having edible plants in the yard. The first being, they are edible.  This can save some time, and money by avoiding going to the grocery store, just walk outside and pick your favorite veggie or fruit off your own plant. The Second benefit is that they are healthy.  We always talk about how we want to eat healthier around our house. What better way to do that then to surround our yards with healthy plants that encourage us to consume more fruits and vegetables.  A third benefit, is that growing edible landscapes is a "green" way to landscape a yard because the fruits and veggies that are grown in the yard don't have to be shipped across country or around the world to end up on your table.  And last, but certainly not least, if it is grown in your yard, you know what went into it, and on it, so there is less worry about strong pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and more time to enjoy the fruits of your yard.

This kind of landscaping will continue to gain in popularity as people tire of using water and other resources for large grassy areas that do little more then ornament the yard. Edible landscapes can help feed us and turn our yards into ecosystems. Fruit-bearing trees, bushes and perennial vegetables can be a part of a productive landscape, especially when mixed in with native and drought-resistant ornamentals. Ad to that low flow irrigation products such as micro & drip irrigation and one can create a sustainable landscape with not just color, but flavor as well.


With the prices of food rising in much of the country this is, no doubt, a trend that will continue to grow, leaving many a front and or back yard full of tasty treats.
 

Increasing Awareness for Using Drip Irrigation

Most people who work in the landscape or gardening industry know about Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation.  It's been used in some agricultural areas for over 40 years and is increasingly being used by larger and larger farms and groves for everything from grapes to oranges.  This has proven to be a vast improvement on the goals of saving water and wise use of water by the industries that depend on it to survive.

In recent years, large landscape companies have also adopted Micro and Drip Irrigation as a way to water a variety of landscapes, keeping the plants well-nourished and saving 50% or more on water usage.  Everywhere you look you can see it, little black stakes in the ground with Micro Sprays hidden behind bushes, Drip Irrigation tubing stretching through landscaped flower beds. With ever-increasing awareness of conservation of water, and the importance of being wise with resources, this trend will continue to improve as time goes on.

All of these things are incredible on their own, but they are just the beginning.  Where Drip Irrigation is heading now is into the garden and landscape of the average homeowner.  Most homeowners shy away from trying to mess with installing irrigation, for fear that it is too complicated or that they will not do it right and create a disaster that will kill all of their plants. But with droughts at a record high, and the desire of many to establish home gardens, that mentality is quickly changing. 

The benefits of using Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation are tremendous.  It's not just about not wasting water.  The plants get what they need rather than too much water, which can lead to fungus growth and premature rot in the root systems.  Also, many areas in the country that are under drought conditions will allow home owners to use low-flow irrigation products in their landscapes and gardens, rather than sprinklers.

Right now, homeowners across the country are realizing the need to use water wisely and are looking to install their own Micro and Drip Irrigation systems .  We applaud that - and encourage others to do the same.  A difference can be made, one garden and landscape at a time!

 

 

Go Green By Purchasing American-Made!
Earth Day is just around the corner, and we are as excited as ever. Never before has so much attention been put on environmental issues as right now, and with good reason.  People have the opportunity to use technology and common sense together to conserve natural resources, recycle a multitude of products, and utilize natural energy sources more readily in their daily lives.  With all that being said, there is a great deal more to be done.  We have become so accustomed to waste that we sometimes don’t even think about the small stuff that adds up big-time.  One of the things that seems to be missed in a lot of the “green” conversation is all of the products we buy from manufacturers overseas, instead of products produced domestically.
 
 
There are several reasons that buying products that are made in America is the “green” environmentally friendly way to go.
 
 
The first, and biggest reason to buy products manufactured in the U.S.A., is the condition of the factories in which the products are produced.  Most people don’t think about it, but very few countries have as many, or any, regulations or restrictions on dumping chemicals, releasing air pollutants, and other toxins into the environment.  American factories, though not perfect, are far cleaner than almost all of their foreign counterparts.  The domestic factories are held to a far higher standard for the environmental impact they have both on their employees and the area around them.  Factories in China, and elsewhere are not under such scrutiny to keep the environment inside and around them clean.
 
 
The second-biggest “green” reason to buy products made domestically is simply the shipping.  The fuel consumed in sending mass amounts of product half-way around the world is insane.  Talk about a carbon footprint.  Freight ships carrying millions of pounds of consumable goods embark across the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis, leaving in their wake a thick diesel fog of greenhouse gasses.
 
 
Those may be the two biggest “green” reasons to buy domestic, American-made products, but there are many more - one being the human factor. We, in the U.S., tend to treat our employees with dignity and respect. Though there are a few exceptions, most American companies try to provide a clean and safe work environment for all who work there. There is no such guarantee from foreign manufacturers who may not have any incentive to treat their employees well. 
 
 
That is why buying products made in the United States makes so much sense and is definitely a more environmentally friendly way to go.  It helps keep jobs at home, money at home, and helps keep the planet cleaner and safer for all who live here.
 
 
Thanks for reading, and have an awesome day!
 
 
Sarah L. Farnsworth
Think Green Save Blue

Everyone spends a great deal of time and energy discussing the environment these days. Global warming, the oceans rising, strange weather events. Very few media events focus a great deal of energy on a much more serious problem, saving fresh water.  There are some parts of the United States where droughts are so bad that people are using rain buckets to collect fresh water so they can water their plants when there is no rain because using sprinklers are prohibited.

 

Water is a precious resource in our environment. All life depends on it. Growing populations and ongoing droughts are running our fresh water resources dry, causing natural habitats to decline and impacting our everyday use of water.

 

People in industrialized populations should feel obligated to pay more attention to how we are using water, and how we may be wasting it. We must bridge the gap between our understanding of how important water is to our survival and what we can do to ensure that we have an adequate supply of clean water for years to come.

 

Here are 10 easy and practical tips for thinking "green" by saving the "blue". 

 

1. Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street. 

 

2. Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full, and you could save 1,000 gallons a month. 

 

3. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time. 

 

4. Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell this by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave footprints, it's time to water. 

 

5. When you clean your fish tank, use the water you've drained on your plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, providing you with a free and effective fertilizer.

 

6. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600 gallons a month.

 

7. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.

 

8. Wash clothes only when you have a full load and save up to 600 gallons each month.

 

9. When you give your pet fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees or shrubs.

 

10. Choose new water-saving appliances, like washing machines that save up to 20 gallons per load.

 

For more tips on how to save fresh water in your day-to-day lives, go to http://www.wateruseitwisely.com.

 

Of course, Mister Landscaper recommends using their products to save water as well. By utilizing Drip Irrigation and Micro Irrigation in your landscapes and gardens, you can save over half the fresh water you use every time you water.  Imagine the impact that would make if everyone did that.