Cut Your Utility Bills By Up to 40% With Landscaping

Landscaping can change the microclimate around a building by 20-25 degrees F. According to the US Department of Energy, energy-efficient landscaping can save up to 30% on home heating bills. Savings for cooling can be even more. Most people can save at least a few hundred dollars a year by property reworking their yard. This can also increase the value of your home since buyers will pay more for a house with low utility bills. There are a number of things to consider including sunlight, water, soil and color of your house.

Sunlight - Plants interact with solar radiation by creating shade and absorbing heat. In temperate climates, deciduous plants in full leaf are generally the best interceptors of direct solar radiation. And, in the winter, when their leaves have been shed, they allow in much desired sunshine. Landscaping should block or filter summer sun and permit winter sun to reach most living areas. Dense trees can block up to 95% of sunlight and 75% of its heat. Consider the size and shape of the shadow a plant will cast. At midday, a vine-covered wall is cooler than a bare wall. If you don't have mature trees, consider planting vines on a trellis.

Water - Water also tempers heat. Even a small pond can help. Plants can also alter microclimates by intercepting precipitation. Only 60% of rain falling on a pine forest reaches the ground. because trees intercept and slow down water movement, they also help to control runoff and erosion. Plant water-thrifty plants, often natives, suited to the climate. Group together plants with similar water needs. During droughts, raise the cutting level of your lawnmower to between 2 and 3 inches. This causes less stress and encourages deep root growth..

Soil - Berms, small manmade mounds of earth, can block sun, obstruct winds, insulate and control noise.

Mounding soil against a wall can provide insulation, however, the soil must be well-drained. Sandy soil drains too quickly and doesn't provide much in the way of nutrients. Water tends to run off of clay soil. The best soil is a mix of clay, sand and silt (loam).

Color - Paved blacktop can raise temperatures 20 degrees F over adjacent grassed areas. House color also influences temperatures. White roofs keep houses cooler in summer.

Green Solutions Using Landscaping

From a monetary standpoint, a nicely landscaped property can increase the value of your home by 15%, allowing you to recoup 100-200% of your investment at selling time. This compares with the investment recovery rates for kitchen remodeling (75-125%), bathroom remodeling (20-120%), swimming pool additions (20-50%). A monetary return is not the only value of landscaping. Below are some very important values of landscaping.

Plants Protect Water Quality. Proper landscaping reduces nitrate leaching from the soil into the water supply. Plants also reduce surface water runoff, keeping phosphorus and other pollutants out of our waterways and preventing septic system overload.

Proper Landscaping Reduces Soil Erosion. A dense cover of plants and mulch holds soil in place, keeping sediment out of lakes, streams, storm drains and off of roads.

Plants Improve Air Quality. One tree can remove 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. equaling 11,000 miles of car emissions. Landscape plants, including shrubs and turf, remove smoke, dust and other pollutants from the air. One study showed that one acre of trees has the ability to remove 13 tons of particles and gases annually.

Landscaping Lowers Summer Air Temperatures. According to the EPA, urban forests reduce urban air temperatures significantly by shading heat sinks such as buildings and concrete and returning humidity to the air through evaporative cooling. Trees shading homes can reduce attic temperatures as much as 40 degrees.

Landscaping Conserves Natural Resources. Properly placed deciduous trees reduce house temperatures in the summer, allowing air conditioning units to run 2 to 4 percent more efficiently, but allow the sun to warm the house in the winter. Homes sheltered by evergreen windbreaks can reduce winter heat loss and are generally warmer than homes without such protection. By using trees to modify temperatures and protect against wind, the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling and heating is reduced.

Landscaping Screens Busy Streets. Well-placed plantings offer privacy and tranquility by screening out busy street noises and reducing glare from headlights. So, what is the value of landscaping - much more than first imagined.