Article by Justin Samuels

There are a number of things we can do to green up our yard.   Doing so not only helps us with the environment, it helps save money and resources.

The first thing you can do for your yard is to plant an appropriate lawn that DOES NOT require watering.  In other words, don't put down Kentucky Blue Grass sod on your yard.   It uses up a lot of water, which a huge waste of resources.   The lake that Atlanta, Georgia draws it's water from may run out of water in a few months (and Georgia is normally rainy).  This shows why we cannot waste water on lawns.

What should we do for grass?   Plant Bermuda grass, which is a deep rooted tough grass that doesn't require watering.   It won't die even in the middle of the summer heat.   If it turns brown a little, let it, because if it's dry it grows slowly (saving you money on gas that runs your lawn mower).

While we're on the subject of water conversation, select plants that are adapted to your climate.   They won't require much watering besides the initial water you need to give them to get established.  In order to help the soil conserve water, use some form of mulch.  Mulch can be tree leaves, lawn clippings, or compost.   It's a good idea to recycle plant waste (including vegetable and fruit leftovers), by putting them in a compost pile.  Eventually they will compost and can be added back to the soil.   Also, for fertilizers, use natural fertilizers, many of which are leftover from agribusiness.   Animal manures (cow, pig, sheep, goat, poultry), dried blood, bone meal,leather meal, and other farm/slaughterhouse byproducts are an excellent way to recycle nutrients.

As for the occasional so called weed such  as dandelion or clover, so what if one's in your yard here or there?   Above all, do not use weed kill to kill them.   The chemicals from weed kill will eventually end up in our drinking water supply.  If your lawn is covered with a tough grass like Bermuda, it will have few weeds anyway.   Especially if it's moved on a reasonable basis.

As for pest control, do research and find out what the prevalent pests are in your area.  It's best to select plants in your garden that are least tolerant or resistant to these pests (meaning they won't die from them).

In short, there are a number of things you can do so your yard won't be a toxic corner of the earth.

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