This page is under construction, but here's a small preview of topics on the table:

The nature of your landscape (no pun intended!) can greatly affect your monthly utility bills. Plant and tree locations can greatly affect your heating and cooling load year-round. A house properly oriented amongst evergreen and deciduous trees - and their position around the house is critical to acheiving energy savings - can save significant amounts of energy from the passive influence of the trees. Northern, eastern, southern and western views all have influence on your energy bills! Is it better to focus on having a house that captures that southern exposure or is it more advantageous to have deciduous trees on the western/southwesthern areas of your yard? Well, it all depends....

Millions of gallons of water are used each year by homeowners watering lawns and gardens or by washing the car and driveway. By planting native plants that do not require watering (a practice known as xeriscaping) you can virtually eliminate this chore, or by collecting rainwater from downspouts this can be reused for lawn watering or car/driveway cleaning, all compliments of mother nature! Did you know that the average home in the southeastern US has more than 60,000 gallons of water pass through its gutters every year?

Proper foundation planting - and knowing what plants are best for various types of exposures and situations - can greatly assist in securing against erosion and possible eventual foundation cracking or worse. Knowing what common ornamentals will crack a foundation is also important!

As an avid native plant enthusiast and gardener there's much to say here with respect for "smart landscaping" practices and how they relate to resource efficiency. Stay tuned for more information - and as the seasons change you can also watch for occasional plant/landscape related blogging activity on our Eco-Blog.