kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and KilleenEarth Gauge: Plan for a Sustainable Spring

Earth Gauge: Plan for a Sustainable Spring

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By Nick Piesco - email

Although many Americans turn off unused lights and take other energy-saving approaches inside their homes, fewer use energy or water-saving approaches in their yards and gardens. A 2008 online survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Society of Landscape Architects found that only 23 percent of respondents used rakes and other manual options for yard care, only 15 percent harvested rainwater or used recycled water for plant care, and 11 percent used drip irrigation.

Winter is a great time to plan for spring gardening! The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin recommends some steps you can take now; so that when spring arrives, you can save money and help the planet.

  • Look for discounted prices on rakes, clippers, and other manual gardening tools while they are off-season.
  • Consider what it would take to install an in-ground watering system, which often comes with a timer that allows you to save time by not having to babysit hoses and lowers your water bill.
  • Also investigate whether your municipality sells rain barrels, or you can review options sold online. Your house could also be outfitted to harvest water in a cistern. To learn more about this approach to rainwater harvesting, visit www.wildflower.org/howto/show.php?id=15&frontpage=true.

This information is provided by The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Learn more at www.wildflower.org.

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