More than just brighten up a room, living plants provide real health benefits. Plants give a feeling of well-being, so are beneficial for a positive mood and help to overcome stress. This has been proven in multiple studies.
And according to Dr. Leona Rogler in “The comprehensive office series,” in offices with plants, complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation-symptoms as well as colds are reduced. Not only do complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation-symptoms and colds decrease when indoor plants are present, but also richly decorating a room with plants can help keep the air clean. Summary: The influence of plants on air quality and our general wellbeing has been proven. Just importantly however, is the positive psychological effect they have on us. On a side note, they’ll also give you someone to talk to (who won’t talk back).
Go native outdoors. Trust us, the world doesn’t need any more English ivy. Instead of filling your community’s landscape with exotic or invasive plant species, use native ones. Because native plants evolved with your area’s particular conditions in mind, they use less water, resist pests better and require less attention than their pushy, high-strung cousins.
Besides cutting down on the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and air- (and noise-) polluting mowers, native plants benefit the environment in other ways: they stabilize soil and reduce erosion; they more effectively filter storm water (thus improving water quality); and they promote biodiversity, offering the food, nectar, cover, and nesting areas that local birds, butterflies, and mammals need.
- Important yard maintenance tips:
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The most important shade tree on home grounds is usually located near the southwest corner of the house. If placed properly, it will shade the house during the latter part of the afternoon in summer. Trees provide better shade than artificial structures, because air passing through the branches is cooled by transpiration from the leaves.
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Leave your leaf blower to molder in the garage and grab a rake instead– but once gathered, make sure those leaves head for your home’s (or the neighborhood’s) compost pile and not the curbside trash pickup. And once you’ve mowed your lawn (not too short, and with a rotary push mower if you’re really tough), let the clippings fall where they may. It’s an easy and chemical-free way to fertilize the remaining grass. Fact: in season, leaves may account for over half the municipal solid waste collected and on a yearly basis may comprise 5% to 30% of the total municipal solid waste stream. Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
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Rather than trying to rid your lawn of fallen leaves, consider leaving them where they are. It's nature's way to recycle. Leaves contain all of the nutrients and micronutrients your lawn needs. The trick is getting those leaves back into the soil without smothering your lawn in the process.
Good news: chances are your lawnmower can do the trick. For more than ten years, almost all new lawnmowers sold have been marketed as mulching mowers. After decades of bagging clippings, many homeowners have learned that it is best to "grasscycle" their lawn clippings when they mow. Clippings left in place quickly decompose and provide nutrients to keep the lawn healthy. Same goes for fallen leaves. Fact: in season, leaves may account for over half the municipal solid waste collected and on a yearly basis may comprise 5% to 30% of the total municipal solid waste stream. Source: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
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