Energy Efficient Landscaping
Smart landscaping can increase your home’s energy efficiency, saving you money on your utility bills. Shade trees, windbreaks, and layering are just a few ways landscaping can work for you while creating ecological balance on your property.
For example, well-placed trees and shrubs can save up to 25% of typical household electricity use. In temperate, tropical climates like South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, landscaping draws summer breezes toward the home — that’s especially nice during those dog days of summer.
Here are a few ideas for using landscaping to increase your home’s energy efficiency.
Shady Oasis
Summertime’s hot, sunny rays soak into dark roofing shingles, increasing the inside temperature of your home. Plant tall trees or shrubbery with leafy foliage close to the house and windows to decrease the amount of heat streaming in.
Trees covering the east and southeast sides of the house protect walls from the sun. (Trim tree branches regularly to keep limbs and leaves from touching the building).
Shade over asphalt, patios, and walkways keeps those surfaces from absorbing too much heat. If you like to eat outside, a picnic under the trees will keep everything cool.
Air conditioning runs constantly on hot days, and the higher the outside temperature is, the harder the unit works to keep the house cool. Shading your AC system with high shrubs protects the metal from absorbing sunlight and buckling in the heat (this may or may not reduce your electric bill).
Windbreaks
Breezy days are comfortable, especially in heat and humidity, but too much wind — and the salt and debris it carries — can damage a house, even if you can’t see day-to-day changes in the structure.
Thick groves and hedges protect your house from heavy winds. Greenery keeps air from seeping into windows and cracks in the house’s foundation. Fencing, gazebos, storage sheds, porches, and pergolas also block winds from the home.
Protecting your house from cold and overly-hot air is important, but buildings must breathe. Do not cut off circulation outside. Houses need sunshine and air on the roof and walls for drying after snow and rain.
Layering
Planting trees and shrubbery in scattered rows blocks cooler temperatures and harsh winds, while offering a stunning visual for the backyard.
Place an arc of evergreens like Atlantic white cedar, yaupon, Carolina cherry laurel, and sweet bay magnolia at the north and west sides of the house. Space Fir trees between deciduous varieties for contrasting colors, especially in the fall. Layer flowering shrubbery or vines inside the arc for a rainbow of color.
Solar Lighting
Turn off the electric lights and let the sunshine light up the backyard! Solar sticks, garden lamps, and fixtures soak in sunlight to produce photovoltaic technology that sparkles all night long.
Solar lights do need to be cleaned occasionally, and too many cloudy days in a row may lessen the brightness. But not only will solar lighting help you cut back on your electric bill, but it may also discourage burglars from your property.
Water Conservation
Knowing what your lawn needs is an important way to cut back on water usage. Cool-season grasses (fescues, Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, etc.) with strong root systems cut down on erosion as they hold soil in place.
Yards with warm-season grasses — St. Augustine, Bahia, and Zoysia, for example — are generally drought-resistant. Consulting a lawn watering guide lets you determine how much hydration the grass needs.
Green Scheme
Landscaping is more than placing a few pretty trees planted here and there. Create a green scheme for your yard to protect your property and keep your investment intact. In the long run, what you spend in sweat equity will be a few extra dollars that stay in your wallet.
James Winston is a home stager and freelance writer. He enjoys upgrading homes with all the latest gadgets and improving landscapes.
