• About
  • Start Here
  • Work With Me
  • FREE GUIDES
  • RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

HealthyGreenSavvy

Easy, Practical Tips for Greener Living

  • Gardening
  • Foraging
  • Natural Remedies & Herbs
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Healthy Food & Easy Recipes

April 20, 2017

Ecological Landscaping: 5 Ways to Put Your Yard to Work for the Planet

5492 shares
  • 432

Last Updated on April 16, 2022

Ecological landscaping benefits you AND the planet! Save money, improve air quality, and capture carbon in your yard with these eco-friendly landscaping strategies. Here’s how to put your yard to work for the planet.

Ecological landscaping -- pin with wildflowers and title text overlay

WHY CONSIDER ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPING?

Your yard is about far more than curb appeal – it can have a significant impact on your carbon footprint, either adding greatly to it, or shrinking it considerably with ecological landscaping practices.

Here’s the deal: All that grass, fertilizer, and mowing is seriously bad for the planet. There are over 40 million acres of lawn in the United States, requiring more than 800 million gallons of gas EVERY YEAR.  

That’s 16 BILLION pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere! To cut grass. Insane, right?

(Experts believe another 17 million gallons of gas are spilled each year while refilling lawn mowers.  Exxon Valdez? A mere 11 million gallons.)

photo of lawnmower cutting grass

Worse still, the climate impact of fertilizer and pesticides is huge. Each pound of the stuff takes 6 pounds of carbon to produce. Fertilizer has an especially large climate impact: It breaks down into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO2.

(I interviewed some experts in the field for a more formal discussion of this issue in a piece I wrote on ecological landscaping for Sierra last year. If you want more detail, you can find that piece here.)

HOW TO USE ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPING TO MAKE YOUR YARD MORE ECO-FRIENDLY

Your number one move to cut the climate impact of your yard: Avoid carbon-intensive fertilizer. Then, try replacing some of your lawn with plants that can sequester more carbon and require less water and energy. An oak tree 18 inches in diameter, for example, can store nearly 1000 pounds of carbon each year, and larger trees store even more.

If you’re an average American, you’re emitting  21 tons of carbon each year driving, powering your home, eating, and shopping. A few trees can offset that number considerably. If those trees also help feed your family, you can also shrink your foodprint. Here’s more on what sustainability means and a worksheet to make the move to sustainable living easier.

You can find out more about the benefits of specific trees using the National Tree Benefits Calculator, which will show you not only carbon sequestration but energy and water savings and the impact on air quality and property value.

Say you replace some gas-guzzling grass with a couple apple trees and a few blueberry bushes. You’ll not only get free organic fruit for years to come, you’ll sequester hundreds of pounds of carbon each year and need less energy to cool your house.

photo of ecological landscaping in yard filled with perennials

Ready to transform YOUR yard into a climate-change-fighting oasis? Here are

5 savvy ways to use ecological landscaping to create a climate-positive yard.

1. LIMIT THE LAWN AND MANAGE IT WISELY

Get Rid of Some Grass

Consider reducing the size of your lawn or getting rid of it altogether. There are some excellent grass alternatives, including moss, clover, creeping thyme, and numerous other ground cover herbs.

Shady parts of my yard are now covered in wild violets, while sunnier areas have edible clover, which besides being a terrific no-maintenance groundcover, can be eaten or used medicinally.  If you really want grass, look for a “no-mow” variety. No-mow grasses top out at about 4 inches and form a nice thick carpet of grass.

Skip the Fertilizer

Instead of dousing your lawn with petrochemicals, use a mulching mower and leave the grass cuttings where they fall. They will provide a natural slow-release fertilizer that should be sufficient to feed your lawn – no chemical fertilizer required!  You’ll save money and pounds of carbon every summer.

Mow Less

Mowing less often and not cutting it too low will not only save gas and cut down on pollution, but will also helps keep weeds out and reduce the need for watering.

Avoid Fossil Fuels

Use an electric or human-powered mower rather than a gas one. Skip other gas-powered tools as well, especially leaf blowers, which have an astonishing output of CO2. One study estimated that using a leaf blower for a half-hour emitted as much climate pollution as driving nearly 4000 miles in a pickup truck!

Waste Less Water

Water only when you need to, avoid watering in the middle of the day, and be sure the water lands on the plants, not the sidewalk.

Pass on the Poisons

Avoid herbicides and pesticides, which aren’t healthy for your family and endanger our pollinators. Rather than poisoning your yard and our waterways, make friends with some of the amazing edible weeds that likely pop up in your yard. Dandelions, for instance, are an incredibly rich source of food and medicine. Here’s how to eat dandelions, including the flowers, greens, and roots.

2. ADD NATIVE PLANTS AND TREES TO YOUR LANDSCAPE

Larger plants help sequester carbon, while their deep roots help water infiltrate the soil; in contrast, grass lawns’ shallow root systems let water rush off without being absorbed. This strains stormwater systems and usually means you’ll need to water more. (The water piped into your house took energy to purify and deliver, so more water=more carbon.)

Because native plants are naturally adapted to our climate, they also require no fertilizer and little water or maintenance. Ask for native plants at your local nursery, or get divisions from a friend for free. (Here’s how to get free plants for your next eco-savvy gardening project.)

photo of tree branches with sky in background

3. LANDSCAPE FOR ENERGY SAVINGS

Strategically located trees can shade your home in summer and protect it from winter winds, significantly lowering your energy use (and power bill). Add shade trees to shield your home and air conditioning unit from the sun.

Consider vines that add shade and protect your home from heat as well. Here are some helpful resources for ecological landscaping practices that can reduce energy needs from the Department of Energy. 

4. GROW SOME OF YOUR OWN FOOD

Using part of your yard for fruit trees or vegetable gardening allows you to shrink the ecological footprint of your food, while saving you money. Even growing a little food can help, though I’m a fan of growing food everywhere possible. 

Fruit trees and shrubs are an easy way to grow food with little work. There are also dozens of perennial vegetables to consider adding to your plantings for delicious veggies that don’t need planting every season.

Never grown anything? Pick up my quickstart guide to growing food for total newbies by filling in the form here!

In fact, you’re probably already growing numerous edible plants without even realizing it. In addition to dandelions, your creeping Charlie, Virginia waterleaf, purslane, lambsquarters, clover, cleavers, chickweed, violets, and numerous other common wild plants are edible.

5. COMPOST FOOD AND YARD WASTE

You probably know that when food waste breaks down in the landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas far more powerful than CO2. Composting your food waste keeps this from happening, while also preserving those valuable nutrients for your plants. (So you won’t need fertilizer — see how that works?)  Composting is a win-win.

Ecological landscaping -- photo of 3 bin compost system

Composting can be as easy as tossing some food scraps and leaves in a bin. Here’s a good guide to getting started composting, including a great list of 100 things you can compost. In addition to saving on fertilizer, if you pay for trash collection, you can save money by wasting less. Why would you want to pay more to pollute, anyway?

Other great reasons to adopt some or all of these strategies: You’ll help endangered pollinators, improve air quality and protect our water supply. (Stay tuned for more detailed posts on these topics 🙂 )

Ecological landscaping -- closeup of butterfly on flower

If we used ecological landscaping practices and replaced even a fraction of all that lawn, imagine the impact on the planet.

Related: Want to do more to shrink your carbon footprint? Save big with renewable energy before incentives disappear. Here’s more about the benefits of home solar power. If you want to know more about the most effective ways to live more sustainably, here’s an overview of what sustainability means and here’s a customizable worksheet to help create a sustainable lifestyle.

What do you do to make your yard climate-positive? Do you already practice ecofriendly landscaping? Share in the comments!

Pin to save these ecological landscaping tips for later!

pin with title text and photos of coneflowers and milkweed growing

Ecological landscaping photo credits: Conger Design, Skitterphoto, JamesDeMers, PublicDomainPictures, Antranias, inkflo, randtdiamond

Shot with book compressed
Susannah

Susannah is a proud garden geek and energy nerd who loves healthy food and natural remedies. Her work has appeared in Mother Earth Living, Ensia, Northern Gardener, Sierra, and on numerous websites. Her first book, Everything Elderberry, released in September 2020 and has been a #1 new release in holistic medicine, naturopathy, herb gardening, and other categories. Find out more and grab your copy here.

Filed Under: Gardening, Green Living, Impact Tagged With: climate change, eco friendly landcaping, garden

« Edible Landscaping 101: Growing Fruit
How to Make the Best Homemade Fruit Leather ~ With Rhubarb! »

Comments

  1. Michele says

    November 19, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    Should leaves be raked or left where they fall? I’ve been raking but using in flowerbeds for winter insulation of plants, then clearing in spring for new growth.

    Reply
    • Susannah says

      November 19, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      I leave them till spring as well, and then crunch them up and cover with mulch where it’s needed. The horticulturist I consult with said that’s a good practice, as leaves breaking down will add nutrients to the soil. I’ve heard leaves left on grass turf all winter can cause problems. I’m not sure about that, since I have no lawn and know zilch about lawn care 🙂

      Reply
  2. Greg Sungreen says

    July 22, 2021 at 12:41 pm

    Nothing is more accurate than that. All that grass, fertilizer, and mowing are awful for the planet. However, the idea of ecological landscaping can save the earth and make it habitable again.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 30 Day Challenge Day 27: Consider and Try Composting • Darlene Goes Green says:
    May 18, 2018 at 7:03 am

    […] “Eco-friendly Landscaping: How to Put Your Yard to Work for the Planet” by Susannah at Healthy Green Savvy […]

    Reply
  2. Grass Alternatives ~ Why and How to Replace Your Lawn | HealthyGreenSavvy says:
    July 19, 2018 at 11:00 am

    […] Climate impact: All that mowing and fertilizing has a huge climate footprint. Collectively American lawnmowers emit an estimated 16 billion pounds of carbon annually! Each pound of fertilizer leaves a trail of carbon in its wake and breaks down into nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon. Really bad news for our imperiled climate. Read more about the climate and your yard here. […]

    Reply
  3. Fuel Efficient Cars ~ Save Money & the Planet! | HealthyGreenSavvy says:
    November 8, 2018 at 11:00 am

    […] would be to know when we do drive that we’re adding zero CO2 to the atmosphere. Our home and ecological landscaping are carbon-neutral, and now our car travel can be as […]

    Reply
  4. Zero Waste Living ~ Why & How to Start | HealthyGreenSavvy says:
    November 12, 2018 at 10:30 am

    […] Related: Eco friendly Landscaping ~ How to Put Your Yard to Work for the Planet […]

    Reply
  5. Borage Plant ~ Benefits to Garden & Table | HealthyGreenSavvy says:
    March 5, 2019 at 2:30 pm

    […] Borage plant is a bee magnet, which is great for your fruit and vegetable yields. Worldwide, pollinators are having a really tough time, what with the rampant use of pesticides and destruction of habitat. Everything we can do to make our yards welcoming for them is a good thing! (Here are some other important ways to make your yard more eco-friendly.) […]

    Reply
  6. Gardening: The Health Benefits - Reclaiming Vitality says:
    July 10, 2019 at 5:50 pm

    […] can help the planet! This post on Eco-friendly landscaping from Healthy Green Savvy explains how starting a garden in your little corner of the world can help […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

MY NEW BOOK

photo of cover of my new e-book Quickstart Guide to Permaculture

POPULAR POSTS

Cover photo of chard, one of many vegetables that grow in shade, growing in pots with title text

45 Vegetables that Grow in Shade for Less Sunny Gardens

cover photo of DIY bath salts with title text overlay

Easy DIY Bath Salts Recipe {Just 2 Ingredients & 2 Minutes!}

get free plants

How to Get Free Plants for Your Garden

cover photo of lemon balm leaves with title text, Uses for lemon balm

12 Uses for Lemon Balm, a Delicious Medicinal Herb

HealthyGreenSavvy is all about shortcuts to a healthier, greener life. Want some super-simple ways to live healthier now? Start here.

HealthyGreenSavvy is committed to protecting your privacy. Please see our privacy policy for more details.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Content on this website is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to provide personalized medical advice. Please consult a licensed professional concerning any health condition.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hi, I'm Susannah, a garden geek, energy nerd, and fan of healthy food and natural remedies. Need some simple, practical solutions for living healthier and greener? You've come to the right place! More about me and my green projects here.

Copyright © 2023 · HealthyGreenSavvy