8 tips for a "greener" yard

These tips will both help you be a better steward of your land and our Chesapeake Bay watershed, and many of them will save you money!

1. Plant more native plants/reduce your lawn
 Less turf and more garden beds planted with easy-to-grow native perennials is becoming much trendier.  Grass provides little to no environmental
benefit and is maintenance intensive.  In many places (and so why not Dundalk, too), planting beds in place of large expanses of grass are catching on. 
There are so many benefits to this that it is hard to list them all here.  A few of the best include: lower maintenance costs and time, habitat for butterflies,
and song birds, and landscaping with garden beds can increase your property value.
 Establishing more garden space can be done a little at a time to reduce your upfront investment in plants, edgings, and mulch.  Using native plants
will also reduce the amount of watering and fertilizing you need to do - ask at a local nursery for drought resistant varieties.  At Poor Boys Garden Center,
on German Hill Road, look for the plants labeled with the "Herring Run Approved" description tags to easily spot the native options.

2. Only fertilize once a year
 For the grass that you have left after increasing your garden beds, fertilizing only needs to occur annually.  If you are composting (see #7) you can
use your own compost to top-dress your lawn in the spring.  And an easy fertilizing step for your lawn can actually be to leave the clippings on the grass
as you cut it, rather than bagging them. Click here for more specific tips on how to fertilize your lawn with compost.

 To find out a more accurate picture of what your soil needs to benefit your lawn and garden, get your soil tested.  For a list of local soil test laboratories
and information about how to send in a sample and understanding your results, click here to check out a helpful document produced by Maryland Cooperative Extension.
 

3. Cut your grass-cutting emissions
 It might look old-fashioned, but using a reel mower will save you money, give you some exercise, and reduce air pollutants.  According to an EPA
study, with approximately 54 million Americans pushing gas-powered mowers each weekend, mowing our lawns contributes as much as 5% of our nation's air
pollution.  And no matter how you cut your grass, you can have a healthier lawn by allowing the cut grass to lie where it's cut and provide simple mulch.   
 

4. Plant a tree, or two
 Research has shown that strategically planting even as few as three trees around a house can provide significant heating and cooling cost savings.
Both Baltimore County and Maryland State are currently offering incentives for homeowners to purchase and plant trees.  Baltimore County's Growing Home
Campaign coupon is accepted at most nurseries and garden centers in the region.  Go to the Growing Home Campaign website to print this coupon now.  The Maryland State
coupon is a good option for more expensive trees, for this coupon, please click here. 

5. Get a rain barrel
 Rain barrels are a great way to be green and save green!  Contain the rain water that would otherwise run-off your roof by redirecting your
downspout into a rain barrel.  Rain barrels have an outlet for overflow and an attachment valve for a garden hose.  Water saved here can be used to water
gardens, lawns, or wash your car.  Using a rain barrel also limits the amount of contaminated stormwater washing into local streams and creeks.  Rain barrels can be ordered from many oline stores (there are a wide range of styles and prices).  Check the sidebar for information about rain barrel workshops to be hosted by the DRC.

6. Build a rain garden
 A rain garden is another way to let rain water soak into the ground rather than running off and contributing to polluted stormwater.  Rain gardens are
gardens designed to receive and filter rain water from your roof, driveway, or walkways.  They contain native plants that will be able to absorb a significant
amount of water.  There are many free guides and tips available online to help you design a rain garden that is right for your yard.  These guides also have
lists of native plants good for use in rain gardens.  Some sites for helpful information on planning a rain garden include: 

Chesapeake Ecology Center -- take a virtual tour of these Annapolis gardens and get tips on plant selection for various sites.

Low Impact Development Center -- there are two design templates included on this site appropriate for the Coastal Plain.

Fairfax County, Virginia -- this is a more technical manual with a helpful worksheet to help you plan the location, size, and shape of your garden.

Volunteers with the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation planted a rain garden on the north side of the Ateaze Senior Center building.  This garden, open to be
viewed by the public, contains 10 species of native plants and two tandem rain barrels. 

7. Compost your yard waste
 Composting the grass, leaves, and twigs picked up in your yard can be a great way to conserve and reuse nutrients, saving you money on fertilizer and minimizing
your contribution to the waste stream.  In a large yard, simply keeping a pile of this waste can work just fine, although a simple structure can be built with a small
amount of wood and some wire mesh to partially enclose the pile.  More information on do it yourself yard compost is available at this EPA site (click here).

8. Limit or avoid pesticide use
 There are many alternatives to keeping nice yards and gardens without the use of harmful chemicals.  Broad spectrum pesticides especially can harm both the intended
target, as well as beneficial insects.  Planting a variety of native plants, attracting birds (insect predators), and allowing predatory insects to remain in your yard
can go a long way in preventing pest problems without having to reach for the spray can.  For more information about ways to avoid particular pest problems, try these
tips from the Virginia Cooperative Extension: http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-725/450-725.html