SarahV
Posts:136
Total Points Earned:1430
 | | 4/02/2009 15:57 |
| From the US Dept. of Energy:
A well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home but it can also reduce your heating and cooling costs. On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than 8 years. If you were already planning to landscape, these tips provide an ideal way to beautify your home while saving on your monthly energy bill.
*Landscaping your home for energy efficiency can reduce your heating and cooling bills, the largest component of your home's energy use. Your overall landscaping strategy will depend on your regional climate.
*Plant trees to shade your home, reducing your cooling costs in the summer months. Typically, newly planted trees will begin shading windows in their first year and will reach your roof in years 5-10.
*Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer. Plant so there will be at least 1 foot (30 cm) of space between full-grown plants and your home's wall.
*During winter, dense, low-lying trees and shrubbery on the north and northeast sides of your home can help protect your home against wind chill. | | | Thank you and Happy Gardening! ~ Sarah | |
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paul
Posts:60
Total Points Earned:300
| | 7/18/2009 3:32 |
| great !! yeah it does save energy costs ..and it also beatifies your home at some point..and the feeling of you're close to nature due to the trees and plants..what about vegetables too? | | | |
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mamabear
Posts:40
Total Points Earned:200
| | 7/21/2009 4:13 |
| Beautiful ideas for greening and energy conservation. Thanks a lot Sarah! I never thought of gardening that way, until you pointed it out. LOL | | | |
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mozart
Posts:107
Total Points Earned:535
| | 7/23/2009 8:04 |
| There are lots of advantages when you have a landscape at home. How much do you think it would cost to have a landscape garden? I think this would be expensive. | | | |
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savvyeyty
Posts:10
Total Points Earned:50
| | 7/26/2009 1:34 |
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Posted By SarahV on 4/02/2009 9:57
From the US Dept. of Energy:
A well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home but it can also reduce your heating and cooling costs. On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than 8 years. If you were already planning to landscape, these tips provide an ideal way to beautify your home while saving on your monthly energy bill.
*Landscaping your home for energy efficiency can reduce your heating and cooling bills, the largest component of your home's energy use. Your overall landscaping strategy will depend on your regional climate.
*Plant trees to shade your home, reducing your cooling costs in the summer months. Typically, newly planted trees will begin shading windows in their first year and will reach your roof in years 5-10.
*Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer. Plant so there will be at least 1 foot (30 cm) of space between full-grown plants and your home's wall.
*During winter, dense, low-lying trees and shrubbery on the north and northeast sides of your home can help protect your home against wind chill.
This is great. I didn't even know that proper landscaping strategy can do this to us. I never knew such thing could also reduce energy costs and make our living cooler. | | | |
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gardenia
Posts:67
Total Points Earned:335
| | 7/26/2009 13:21 |
| I like trees around the house. It keeps the inside and outside of my house cool during hot months. And it gives seasonal fruits to boost. | | | "WORK is LOVE made visible" Kahlil Gibran | |
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paul
Posts:60
Total Points Earned:300
| | 7/27/2009 1:48 |
| well i think its better late than never known this one! what do you think ? | | | |
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paul
Posts:60
Total Points Earned:300
| | 7/27/2009 1:50 |
| yeah i agree with you on that !!and eating its fruits is a plus!! | | | |
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krishnaraok
Posts:76
Total Points Earned:380
| | 7/27/2009 14:13 |
| A well designing landscape will cut ypur winter and summer enery costs drmatically...protects your home from winter wind and summer sun...helps in controlling noise and air pollution....
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SarahV
Posts:136
Total Points Earned:1430
| | 7/29/2009 20:26 |
| I would think that the cost really would depend upon what you want to do and the size of the area you want to landscape. If you do the work yourself, you could save a lot. If you hire a company to do landscaping for you, you will pay for labor plus the cost of the items you add to your landscape like, trees, shrubs, plus any ground cover you may want like rock or bark. Also, you may want a border material and a weed barrier added. When we built our house, we did a lot of our own landscaping and we very proud of our finished product! A little sore, but proud! :-) | | | Thank you and Happy Gardening! ~ Sarah | |
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millionaireman
Posts:44
Total Points Earned:220
| | 8/03/2009 2:39 |
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Posted By SarahV on 7/29/2009 14:26
<p>I would think that the cost really would depend upon what you want to do and the size of the area you want to landscape. If you do the work yourself, you could save a lot. If you hire a company to do landscaping for you, you will pay for labor plus the cost of the items you add to your landscape like, trees, shrubs, plus any ground cover you may want like rock or bark. Also, you may want a border material and a weed barrier added.</p>
<p>When we built our house, we did a lot of our own landscaping and we very proud of our finished product! A little sore, but proud! :-)</p>
I would agree that hiring professionals would be expensive. It would be better to make your own artwork. So Sarah V., how many days did it take you to finish your landscape? It seems that you really have great time. | | | |
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SarahV
Posts:136
Total Points Earned:1430
| | 8/03/2009 17:00 |
| Millonareman, It took us about two days to do all the edging, weedbarrier and rock (which we hauled by wheelbarrow load)! It was a little easier for us since we had no lawn at that time! | | | Thank you and Happy Gardening! ~ Sarah | |
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mozart
Posts:107
Total Points Earned:535
| | 8/04/2009 1:36 |
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Posted By Tita Luna on 7/26/2009 7:21
I like trees around the house. It keeps the inside and outside of my house cool during hot months. And it gives seasonal fruits to boost.
I agree with you, tita luna. Trees and other plants at home helps to beautify not only to our house but also to the environment. You could also get lots of benefits from them, like fruits, flowers and etc. What are the plants that you have at home?  | | | |
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saikanth
Posts:10
Total Points Earned:50
| | 8/04/2009 13:13 |
| I do all of my own landscaping and mantaining on my own lawn,yard.It will cost you thousands if yiou plan on getting everything done the first year.Iplanted just a few plants at a time and put them where I knew I wanted to have my gardens.And after 3 years my yard is the nicest in the neighborhood.Also I do not plant annuals in my gardens at all because you will just be replanting next year anyways.It will cost you more at first but, the amount of work will be less.So buy perennials only.Good Luck!
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dboo
Posts:23
Total Points Earned:115
| | 8/04/2009 18:56 |
| On my neighbors house on the west side, they have these beautiful plants that grow up the wall that covers it completely. This helps with the heating and cooling. I can't seem to make mine grow. | | | |
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paul
Posts:60
Total Points Earned:300
| | 8/06/2009 1:59 |
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Posted By saikanth on 8/04/2009 7:13
I do all of my own landscaping and mantaining on my own lawn,yard.It will cost you thousands if yiou plan on getting everything done the first year.Iplanted just a few plants at a time and put them where I knew I wanted to have my gardens.And after 3 years my yard is the nicest in the neighborhood.Also I do not plant annuals in my gardens at all because you will just be replanting next year anyways.It will cost you more at first but, the amount of work will be less.So buy perennials only.Good Luck!
thanks for the tips/suggestions on this saikanth..very helpful..i will follow this one..doing it on our own i guess gives a better advantages. | | | |
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