(ARA) – With the growing popularity of green building practices, more companies are incorporating environmental and sustainability policies. These are all positive steps toward reducing the impact of global warming and caring for our earth. But what do you really know about a product you buy that is labeled green? Is it really environmentally friendly, or is it just a marketing scheme? And how much of a difference is it actually making?
“Green and sustainable forestry practices are a step in the right direction. But even the most stringent standards, those certified internationally by the Forest Stewardship Council, are only a modest step away from the large-scale deforestation practices that were prevalent until recently,” says Raul Hernandez, founder of Old-Growth Again, an organization dedicated to restoring logged forestlands back to their ancient form.
Hernandez goes on to explain the problem is sustainable forestry does little in the way of ..
(ARA) - Oh, our achin’ backs. It’s no surprise that baby boomers who take care of the yard have plenty to complain about when it comes to aches and pains, including problems with backs, shoulders, arms, legs, hands and feet. And new research confirms what many of us know to be true — that yard care can be tough on the body, particularly for adults in the baby boomer generation.
A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the number-one lawn care injury among adults is pain from overstrain. And the number of injuries increased with age, peaking between ages 60 and 69, with adults ages 40 to 59 a close second.
“People tend to really overexert themselves,” says Vanessa Costilla, the study’s co-author. The good news? Experts say the majority of those backyard injuries are avoidable. “Using common sense is the top thing ..
The front yard is the first thing that most people see, so this tends to receive the most focus. There are many different ways to style the front yard. Even more are the countless landscaping ideas mulling around the minds of homeowners. In this short article you will find some basic landscaping concepts for your front yard.
Building Supplies
The most common material for front yards is bricks. They can be used in many ways to add height, create paths, borders or edges. In addition, they can be used to provide a patio area for relaxation. Bricks are inexpensive and can be used without the need for professional help.
Another choice material, though less desirable than bricks, is concrete. Its look does not match the brilliance of brickwork but in some cases concrete is more suitable, especially for people using wheelchairs and also for serving ..
If you live in the Chicago area and you are interested in getting some landscaping, Chicago native plants are your best choices. If you choose native plants you will find that your garden or yard will be much easier to take care of as time wears on. At first working in the yard may not seem like a big deal but you may get sick of it when the bloom wears off the rose, no pun intended. This is normal, we start to take our yards for granted and it is not so much fun to work on the landscaping Chicago anymore.
You can even use these native plants to solve your drainage problems. Chicago, for instance has many problems when it comes to drainage. They get a lot of different weather there and it affects the gardens more than you might think. When you are landscaping, ..
If you’ve ever walked barefoot through a lush, thick, healthy green grass lawn, you’ve probably caught the bug. The bug that drives us all. Having a beautiful lawn full of deep soft grass is probably the dream of almost everyone. Most of us however, feel it’s too difficult to attain. In reality though, it’s fairly simple to do. You’ll need to give it time and attention of course, but it will be worth it in the end.
The first step to having a deep lush green lawn naturally is to prepare the soil for the best possible results. It’s a good idea to test the pH levels of your soil, and you can do this by getting a soil testing kit from your local nursery or garden center.
If your soil pH is not quite right, you’ll want to enrich it with some natural compost, or by adding some natural elements to ..
Depending on where you live, August can be one warm month! Where I live, in the midwest, the heat of August can really get to a lawn. I noticed in my neighborhood many lawns are suffering for various reasons. This observation moved me to post about various lawn diseases that homeowners might want to look out for.
I began searching for some information regarding fungus and other enemies of a nice green lawn. I found a great page on the Internet that really goes into quite a bit of detail about different types, what conditions these fungi and diseases thrive under ..
No outdoor living space is completely successful until it is integrated with the surrounding landscape. Just as there are principles for designing interior spaces, there are also guidelines for exterior ones. If you are choosing a site for a gazebo or a patio, it is one of the most important landscape design decisions you’ll make. If the structure already exists, you can enhance it by assessing and changing the landscape. For instance, you may want to plan a garden around a gazebo, planting shrubs and flowers to highlight the beauty of the site. Or you may want to treat the gazebo as a secluded retreat. Achieving either goal takes careful planning of the site and surrounding plantings.
Evaluate the site. The landscape design should provide a framework for your outdoor living space. The views, lines, property configuration, and traffic patterns need to work together. Spend some time getting acquainted with your ..
