How to Prevent Tree-related Storm Damage

The major snow and ice storm that struck 22 states last week, was the 2nd worst (Super Storm Sandy in October 2012 was #1)  in the power company’s history here in southeastern Pennsylvania.  There were over 700,000 power outages, many caused by downed trees. Some might argue to just get rid of trees, but trees […]

Got Mosquitoes? Act Now to Help Save Insect-Eating Bats!

Okay, so mosquitoes might be the last thing on your mind during these bitter winter months, but you know as soon as warmer weather arrives, and you want to get back out in the garden, they’ll be out there with you.  Here are some tips to reduce the future numbers of mosquitoes, stink bugs, and […]

Solar-powered Lights Add Sparkle to the Night

Now that the days are filled earlier with darkness, it’s the perfect time to brighten up your outdoor spaces.  Solar-powered lights are ideal since they add nothing to your electric bill, and they come in such a wide assortment, there’s a light for practically every situation! An arbor or trellis Streetlamp style lights for your […]

Tips for Fall Lawn and Garden Care

Autumn is not only a beautiful time of year, but it’s a perfect time for lawn and garden maintenance.  I am not a fan of lawns, as they require too much time, energy, money and maintenance to keep green and are actually detrimental to the environment (Read my earlier post here).  However, most people do […]

Parking Spaces Transform into Parks

The annual event where metered parking spaces are temporarily transformed into parklets is almost here!  Park(ing) Day, started in 2005, celebrates public spaces in cities around the globe.  Anyone, from everyday citizens to landscape architects, can participate in this altruistic event which begs, “To call attention to the need for more urban open space, to […]

The Wonders of Porous Pavement

What is porous pavement? Porous pavement is a surface material that allows rainwater to filter through the surface to a stone reservoir beneath it.  From there, rainwater can infiltrate deeper into the ground and recharge aquifers, making it a practical and effective stormwater management tool.  It can be made of gravel, recycled rubber, even asphalt […]

The Right Landscaping Can Lower Your Energy Bills!

While most houses are not passive solar homes (designed and oriented so as to capture the sun’s warmth in winter and keep the house cool and comfortable in summer), there are some easy things we can do with our landscaping to compensate for this that will lower our utility bills. The upcoming fall season is […]

Landscaping that Provides Rest Areas for Migrating Birds & Butterflies

The annual migration of millions of birds and butterflies over thousands of miles is an amazing feat.  Look up, and you might even see it, as it’s happening right now through the fall months across the country!  Creating welcoming habitat on your property, where these incredible creatures can safely rest and find food & shelter […]

Toxic Driveway Sealants

In my previous post, I showed the top 5 ways to make a driveway, yes driveway, more environmentally friendly.  Even our driveways can be more green!  Now there’s evidence that sealing our driveways and other blacktops with coal tar sealants is toxic.  These sealants not only contaminate our soil and drinking water supplies as rain […]

Turf Wars, Part II

In Turf Wars, Part 1, I began this series talking about the numerous harmful effects our lawns have on our environment, with a special focus on water issues.  Here, I’ll concentrate on why lawns are detrimental to birds and why this matters. Birds (as well as the many other creatures adversely affected by lawns) do […]

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