If you’re a fan of green living, no single part of your home offers more opportunity for eco-friendly improvements than your yard. Traditional landscaping is extremely water and energy inefficient, and often introduces toxic substances into the environment.

There are many ways you can design your landscape to reduce water use, improve water quality, save energy, and improve habitat for wildlife and humans alike.


As a great side benefit, many of these practices will save you money on your utility bills. Here are some eco-friendly landscaping ideas to get you started.

Landscaping Tips for Water Conservation:

1. Choose drought-tolerant plants. On average, nearly one-third of residential U.S. water use goes to irrigation. Even if you live in an arid area, you can come in well below that average, simply by choosing plants that are already adapted to thrive in your climate with minimal watering. For a list of drought-tolerant plants, visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s website or contact your local extension agency.
2. Irrigate with alternative water sources. In many areas of the country, groundwater is being depleted at an alarming rate. You can reduce the problem by watering with alternate irrigation sources. Try installing a rain barrel or cistern for rainwater catchment. Or, use graywater — reclaimed water from your laundry or bathtub.
3. Plant a Rain Garden.  The traditional way to handle storm water was to direct it off the property into the storm drain system. However, this can lead to flooding and problems with water quality. A rain garden is an area in your yard designed to collect rainwater from your property and allow it to naturally percolate into the soil. In the process, it naturally filters the water and replenishes the water table. Many communities are now offering financial incentives for rain gardens and other water saving landscaping measures.

1. Automate your irrigation. If you must irrigate, then do so responsibly. An automatic drip irrigation system will typically save 20-30 percent more water versus watering by hand with sprinklers or a hose.

Tips for Saving Energy With Landscaping

1. Reduce your lawn. Gas-powered lawn mowing equipment adds significantly to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, operating a lawn mower for an hour is as polluting as driving 100 miles in an average car. By putting less of your lawn in turf, you can radically reduce your landscape’s energy use. Instead, plant trees or drought-tolerant bedding plants. Or, construct a rock garden.
2. Use an old-fashioned reel mower. Alternatively, trade in your gas-guzzling mower for an old-fashioned, walk-behind reel mower. You’ll need to mow more often, but you and your neighbors will appreciate the reduction in noise pollution. If this doesn’t appeal to you, check out the many models of electric mowers now available. Some even run on solar power.
3. Plant trees strategically. Trees can dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumed by your home. Planting tall trees on the west and south sides of your home will shade it from direct summer sun, and can reduce your energy bill by up to one-third.

Ideas for Improving Your Backyard Habitat

1. Use natural fertilizers and pest control. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can leave toxic residue in the environment, and can harm the soil, wildlife, pets and human health. Fortunately, there are many alternatives. Compost is an excellent fertilizer and is easy to make at home using kitchen and garden scraps. (It keeps these out of the landfill, too.) If landscape pests are a problem, make your own pesticides with organic ingredients such as cayenne pepper and garlic. Or, choose natural, organic fertilizers and pest control solutions available at most garden centers.  
2. Go native.  Loss of habitat is one of the biggest threats to wildlife and the environment. By choosing to landscape with native plants, you can help preserve our native ecosystems and provide homes and food for many beneficial species of pollinating insects, butterflies, birds and other wildlife.
3. Build homes for wildlife.  Your native plantings will naturally attract wildlife. However, you can take it one step further by placing birdhouses and bat houses on your property. You can even build a toad home in your garden by propping an old clay flowerpot up with a stone so the insect-eating toad can find cool shelter during the heat of the day.
4. Plant edibles. Don’t forget that your yard is your own habitat, too. By growing and eating local food from your own garden, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint, improve your healthy eating habits, and develop a closer connection with the Earth. Many edible plants look stunning in the landscape. You can include fruit trees or berry bushes as accent plants or hedges. Tall nut trees look beautiful in the landscape, as well. Even many vegetables can look surprisingly attractive when planted amongst your flower beds.

Even though the summer is already half over, it’s not too late to implement many of these eco-friendly landscaping ideas in your yard. What’s more, if you start planning them into next year’s landscape, you’ll have a great head start on the greenest yard in town.

Author Rick Ryan is the president and owner of All Valley Landscaping. He is a certified expert in the construction industry, with over 21 years of experience in both landscape and yard renovations, exterior home, tree trimming and removal services, as well as sprinkler repair and installations.