Tag Archives: environmental

Simply Green Living: New Year’s Resolutions for 2013

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buylocalWhile your making your New Year’s resolutions in your personal and professional life.  Keep the environment in mind!

Here are some green tips to help save the planet that can also help you save on your pocketbook!

•Buy local, fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables

Save on greenhouse gas emissions and use less gas when you visit the grocery store.  Plan your trips and carpool with a friend.  You’ll cut down on local pollution and also contribute to the local economy when you buy local.

•Efficient Transportation

Is your car a gas guzzler?  If so, why not opt for an energy saving vehicle or better yet, if you can, walk, ride a bike or take public transportation!

•Energy Efficient Living

Discover how to make your home more energy efficient, CLICK HERE.

•Green Your Office

You can help save the environment buy employing sustainable practices at the office.  READ MORE.

•Green Cleaning

Clean your home, yourself & your environment using healthy Green Products. LEARN MORE.

•Buy Recycled Paper Products

Products made with 100% recycled paper require less water in the manufacturing process.  Recycled products also reduce waste going into our already overcrowded landfills.

•Carry a water bottle and Recyclable bag everywhere you go

Avoid buying bottled water when you can bring delicious tasting tap water with you in a BPA-Free, recyclable container.  You’ll save money, your health (drinking water is healthy and you’ll save the environment.

A great way to reduce plastic bag use is to keep reusable bags in the car, your purse/briefcase/backpack, etc.,  where you will remember to take them into the store. Use reusable produce bags instead of the plastic bags at the store and Farmer’s Market.

•Easy retrofits for water conservation

Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators in your kitchen and bathroom sinks are simple and inexpensive ways to conserve water. Low-flow showerheads and aerators can reduce your home water consumption as much as 50%.  The cost of heating the water can also be reduced 50%. Using less water and energy keeps money in your pocketbook and saves our natural resources!

•Smart irrigation

A landscape can be both beautiful and water efficient.  Set your irrigation timers at season appropriate watering cycles set to water only in the early morning or later in the evening to avoid evaporation and wind interference.  Get water to the intended targets, the roots of your garden and lawn.

REDUCE•REUSE•RECYCLE IN 2013!

By Maryann Ridini Spencer, From Sustainable Ventura

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GREEN Tips for Watering Your Landscape This Summer

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GREEN Tips for a Waterwise Landscape This Summer

Did you know that more than half of the average household’s water expense is from outdoor water usage?

With temperatures on the rise during the summer months, below you’ll find some great water-saving, eco-friendly tips that will help you save on your water bill too.

•Water Early in the Morning

Irrigate your lawn  before 8:00 am, when less water is lost to wind and evaporation.

•Don’t water when it rains or if the soil is wet

Touch the soil. Is it dry to a depth of one inch?  If so, then it’s okay to water.

•Water Deep vs. Often

When your landscape is dry, water it well, soaking the soil to a depth of 4-5 inches.  This will promote root growth and make your lawn and other plants more drought tolerant.

•Don’t use sprinklers on windy days

The use of sprinklers on windy days can lead to uneven watering and overspray onto the sidewalks and streets.  If you get a lot of wind on your property, install a drip irrigation system and low angle sprinkler heads in order to keep water near the ground vs. blowing away.

•Know your landscape and your plants

Are your plants brown at the tips?  If so, you’re plants are drowning.  They do not need more water.  Get to know your lawn and plant watering needs.  Learn to recognize the signs of moisture stress.

•Go Native

A great way to reduce your landscape’s requirement for water, and help the environment by saving water, is to plant with native trees and flowers. Talk to your local nursery and/or landscape professional about plants native to where you live!

•Cycle your sprinklers

Run your sprinklers for 2 or 3 short cycles instead of one long cycle on the days you water to ensure that water soaks into the ground rather than running off into your yard.

•Use Drip or sub-surface irrigation systems & water-based smart controllers

Sub-surface irrigation systems are the best means of watering your lawn and garden.  These systems, especially when applied with a weather-based smart controller, apply water directly to the roots, where the water is needed and avoids evapotranspiration (evaporation into the earth’s atmosphere).

•Watch for and Fix Leaks!

The next time you run your watering cycle, check for leaks, puddles and runoff.  If you notice a neighbor’s got a leaky problem, let them know immediately.

•Compost and Apply CPR

Apply a three-inch layer of mulch or compost around your garden plants to reduce weeds and evaporation and promote plant growth.  (Keep mulch away from tree trunks to prevent rot).  Improve the quality of your soil by using Surfrider’s CPR (Conservation, Permeability, Retention)! Visit:  http://www.surfrider.org/programs/entry/ocean-friendly-gardens

•Harvest Rain

Save money and the environment by harvesting the water that falls on your landscape in a rain barrel.  Visit your local nursery to purchase and/or inquire about rain barrels and rain harvesting.

- Maryann Ridini Spencer for Simply Green Living@ SimplyDeliciousLiving.tv

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