Saving energy in our landscapes seems especially important right now in light of how the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is impacting the livelihood of the people who live there and the wildlife who are dependent on the salt marsh ecosystem.
Sue Reed is the author of the ground-breaking new book, Energy-Wise Landscape Design. This book will transform your thinking about how you use energy in your garden and landscape.
Listen to Part One of my interview with Sue Reed
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download Energy-Wise Landscaping, Part 1 (MP3) [Right click link and choose "save as"]
You will learn:
- how to use the elements of your landscape to cool your house in the summer and warm it in winter
- reducing your lawn will save energy in the form of gas or electricity, but also in the reduction of amendments and use of water
- why using more native plants will conserve energy
- how more vegetation and less hard, impermeable surfaces can reduce the urban heat island effect.
Don’t miss Part 2 of this interview where Sue will give some specific strategies for reducing the amount of energy you use in your garden and landscape.
I highly recommend reading Energy-Wise Landscape Design. It is chock full of easy steps you can take to reduce the amount of energy used in your landscape. Choose some easy steps that you can put in practice right away, then work yourself through the many other ideas that Sue Reed presents.
To learn more about Sue Reed and Energy-Wise Landscape Design, visit the Energy-Wise Landscape Design website, or the Energy-Wise Landscape Design Facebook page.
What are you doing to reduce energy consumption in your garden?
[Music from the amazing Kara Barnard. "Blackberry Blossom" from the album, Fret Hopping in Brown County. Thanks, Kara!]
Show off Your Wildlife Garden–we’d love to see what you’ve got, so pick your favorite photo of your habitat garden and get the chance to be published at Ecosystem Gardening
© 2010 – 2011, Carole Sevilla Brown. All rights reserved. This article is the property of EcosystemGardening.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Carole Sevilla Brown
[...] sure not to miss Part 1, Energy-Wise Landscaping where we learn how to arrange our landscapes to keep our homes warm in the winter and cool in the [...]