Going Green in your BACKYARD

Going GREEN in your Backyard

This is an article I wrote for Valley Life Magazine and with spring write around the corner I thought it would be nice to share with you. As an interior designer, my education and experience is of course inside the home I needed to realize that with today’s homeowners being more environmentally friendly than ever before, another place they can really make a change is in their outdoor spaces. Not only can you make your yard beautiful and comfortable but also eco- friendly as well.

I decided to begin in my own backyard as it needed some work. I went to my local nursery and asked them for plants that won’t use a lot of water. Now I did not know this at the time but I was creating an environmentally friendly backyard by using all succulent cacti. Heck I was just trying not to have to remember to water everyday and you know what? You can even go up to 2 weeks without watering those plants. So if you are looking to be water conscious, low maintenance and eco friendly that is one way to start.

Now here is something interesting I found in my research on GREEN gardens, a Scrap Eater Solar Composter. These are beautiful old Bordeaux wine barrels made from solid oak which will last from 10 to 15 years. It has a composting container in a sealed compartment in the middle of your barrel and a place for some flowers around the perimeter. Not only do you have nutrients to feed the flowers growing inside but you are creating mineral rich soil. All from your table scraps. You can feed the composted soil to the rest of your garden and never have to use chemical fertilizer again. These composters will look beautiful on your porch, deck or even in an apartment there are no concerns about odors, insects or animals.

Speaking of animals this is for you dog lovers out there. I know my 10 year old son will be happy with The Doggie Dooley Toilet, yes I said toilet and no you don’t have to train your dog to use it. It’s a durable plastic, open bottom container you install in the ground. Drop in dog waste and occasionally add digester powder and water for continuous break down of waste. It is harmless to lawns, pets and shrubs and can handle the waste of 1 large or 2 small dog. The way it works is by using enzyme and bacteria action to turn waste into a ground absorbed liquid. This is an easy, sanitary way for cleaning up your yard.

As a designer I am most excited about all of the options for eco-friendly outdoor furniture. Every backyard needs some seating. Ecoplastics a company that makes furniture out of 100% recycled plastic they make toddlers tables, benches, picnic tables, patio tables and more. Their products don’t need to be painted, won’t be affected by weather changes and don’t need to be stored during the winter. This is basically zero- maintenance furniture. Who can argue with that? Best of all by buying recycled material products you are helping to divert all this plastic that might have gone in our landfills.

When looking to replace my fencing around my home, I found a product made from a proprietary blend of recycled plastic and wheat straw that comes in ranch-style rail fence and picket fence. They are made to look like wood fencing with a rich wood grain appearance which offers long term durability and low maintenance. What a great alternative to wood and vinyl fencing.

Last but not least let us not forget lighting in your yard. Low voltage landscape lighting is improving all the time. LED bulbs deliver high quality light with four times the energy efficiency of incandescent lights. Properly placed in your yard you can spend even more time enjoying life out doors.

These are just a few GREEN ideas that this interior designer found to change my outdoor space. Now not only is it beautiful but also envoirmental friendly. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, some of these ideas can help save the environment in more ways than one.

Valerie Pugliese
Decor & You
Designer
805-405-1953
vpugliese@decorandyou.com