Clean Coal

This was posted on The Reality Blog from the folks at the Alliance for Climate Protection.

Landscaping is for the Birds

Why should we care about the birds?  Because diverse bird populations are a direct mark of a healthy ecosystem--their lack of habitat is an indication of forest health and their declining numbers can be a barometer of  pollution.  Birds benefit the environment by being agents of seed dispersal, voracious consumers of insects and rodents, and important to pollination.  The Bird Education Network states, "People benefit because an environment that birds can thrive in is a healthy environment for humans."

What can YOU do to help the birds?  NJ Audubon provides a list of Ten Tips for Backyard Habitats.  A backyard habitat reduces the amount of your lawn which provides absolutely NO benefit to wildlife (except for deer & geese).  If you choose native plants and shrubs, not only will you provide food for the birds, you will help replenish the understory in our woods.  An extremely helpful online state-by-state plant finder (listing natives and invasives) can be found at eNature, and the U.S. Department of Transportation provides a comprehensive NJ list.

Whatever you do, don't plant invasive barberry or burning bush... their seeds are also dispersed by birds but the plants choke out what little native understory plants the deer don't eat.

Landscaping Saves Energy!

Did you know that winter is a great time to assess the "bones" of your garden?  We all know that trees and shrubs can soften the hard lines of our homes, but, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, they can help us reduce our heating and cooling costs as well.  

Shade--by planting deciduous trees with high crowns to the south-east of your home and trees with low crowns to the west and south-west, you can decrease your air conditioning costs by 10% in 5 to 10 years.  It's best to leave the south area of your yard open to allow passive solar heating in the winter.  Remember to plan for shade around driveways, walkways and patios because those surfaces radiate and retain heat.

Windbreaks--can lower windchill near your home and trap snow to lessen drifts.  Use dense evergreens and shrubs with low crowns and plant to the north and north-west of your home at a distance of two to five times the mature height of the tree/shrub.  

Planting shrubs near your foundation creates air pockets that act as insulation in winter and summer.  It's important to leave at least one foot of space more than the mature width of the shrub to prevent moisture problems (and leave elbow-room for maintenance).

So, what to plant?  The Native Plant Society of New Jersey offers a list of native plants for Morris County and you can view our previous discussion about why to use native plants here.