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This Earth Day, take a few moments to think about easy ‘earth-healthy’ choices you can make in your garden. These choices improve air, water and soil quality, beautify your surroundings naturally – and support the Earth Day movement every day! Here’s how:

1. Plant a Tree

We all know that trees produce some of the oxygen we breathe. But did you know trees can have a big impact on energy costs?
Deciduous trees planted on the east and west sides of your home provide shade in summer but allow sunlight through in the winter. Evergreens planted on the north and northwest sides of your home create a windbreak for cold winter winds. This can reduce the cost to heat or cool your home, because it translates to using less gas, oil and electricity for that purpose. That’s great news for the environment!
Trees have other environmental benefits too, like filtering pollution from the air, reducing erosion, and directing water back into the water table.

2. Keep that lawn

You could replace your lawn with drought-tolerant plants or paving stones to cut down on watering, but you’ll lose out on turf’s other benefits. Grassy areas cool the areas around them, and filter dust and dirt particles from the air. They reduce noise and erosion.
If reducing water use is a big concern, why not choose a grass seed mix that contains drought tolerant types of grass plants instead? That way you’ll need less water to keep your lawn healthy, while keeping those other great benefits.
Be even kinder to the environment by choosing earth-friendly products for fertilizing your lawn and garden and for controlling pests and weeds.

3. Mulch away

Mulching your flower beds limits erosion, reduces the need to water, and means less weeding. That makes a more natural approach to weed control so much easier to adopt.
In the fall, try mulching garden beds with fallen leaves. Your plants will have an insulating blanket for the winter, and as leaves decompose, they add organic matter to your soil. This improves your soil and makes nutrients more easily available for your plants.
Mulching encourages a diverse population of microorganisms to take up residence in your soil, which also improves soil and provides nutrients for a healthy, happy garden!
By composting your garden and kitchen waste, you’ll be sending fewer bags to the landfill or for processing. That translates to less fossil fuel being used to transport them. It’s earth-friendly…AND you’ll end up with great fertilizer or mulch for your garden for pennies!

4. Right plant, right place

When choosing plants for your landscape, check out what those plants need to be at their best. Choose drought-tolerant plants for drier areas in the garden. Group plants that like similar conditions together. you’ll be able to reduce water use and cut down on plant maintenance. And less time maintaining your garden means more time enjoying it!
Like to learn more about earth-friendly gardening? Drop in to see us at Peter Knippel Garden Centre! We’ll show you how easy it is to make little changes for a big impact on our environment.