From Guest-Blogger Jakob Barry: A Yard and Garden "Eco-Upgrade"

Sometimes it’s hard to believe our yards and gardens could be any greener, especially in late spring when everything is in full bloom. Nevertheless, when it comes to the environment looks aren’t everything and properties everywhere could stand to be a little more eco-friendly.

After all, what we do around our homes not only affects the immediate surroundings but as a community can have serious repercussions for the local ecosystem.

That’s why as the cool weather subsides in the coming weeks and we start spending more time outside why not try implementing a yard and garden eco-upgrade so the growing season has a deeper shade of green.

Consider the following:

Chemicals
Just because something is a chemical doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. However, there are certain substances homeowners often employ in the yard to kill insects or stop the weeds from coming up and these insecticides and herbicides are dangerous in several ways:

• They contain ingredients that can cause health problems in people and interfere with children’s development.
• They may get sprayed on edible plants and eaten by people or by other animals.
• They may get absorbed into the earth and washed into underground aquifers.
• They usually kill beneficial insects and plants as well as those which are unwanted.

That being the case there are a lot of alternative methods for dealing with unwanted pests and vegetation. Some products can be bought over the counter and others mixed together using baking soda, lemon juice, salt and a host of other household staples.

Once you find what works best for you remember it may still cause harm to beneficial bugs or plants so use carefully.

Emissions
The yard and garden is the last place you’d probably be thinking about exhaust but believe it or not if you use gasoline powered lawn mowers, weed whackers, or trimmers the chance of polluting your living room’s indoor air from just feet away are great. How so?

Studies have shown that an hour of mowing the lawn can equal as much pollution as a 100 mile car ride only worse: the person mowing is standing in the cloud. This may not be an issue in urban centers but in more rural places like outside of Inianappolis where landscapers may have to mow larger front and back yards that’s a lot of fumes to be around.

For this reason it’s important both for the environment and the health of the operator to take care of yard work with manual tools as much as possible.

Yes, there will be times when gas powered machine are necessary but outside of those occasions get excited for a little extra exercise moving your arms and pushing. Also, when it comes to yard maintenance try to keep a schedule so the lawn, bushes, and other parts of the yard don’t grow wild and out of control because then using manual tools may be more difficult.

Repurpose
Eliminating or at the very least cutting down on noxious chemicals and emissions in the yard and garden is one thing but another way to to bring out the eco-friendly colors of the season is to repurpose things for use in the garden.

Some examples include:

• Food containers: Reuse cardboard food containers for planting and transplanting into the ground. They are great because they biodegrade.

• Plastic pots: If you purchased plants and they came in plastic trays or pots wash them off and set them aside for future use.

• Organic matter: Instead of tossing organic matter such as leaves and cut grass into the trash use it for composting.

• Tree branches: Wood from fallen branches or trimmed back bushes can be turned into homemade mulch.

Jakob Barry is a green living journalist for Networx.com. Networx.com helps homeowners save time, money and frustration by connecting them with home improvement professionals. From plumbers and roofers to exterminators and handymen, Networx simplifies the process of locating a reliable professional.