Brunswick Crossing is going green from our ENERGY STAR homes to nearly 100 acres of forested conservation area complete with eight foot wide paved trails for everyone to enjoy. To go green in your back yard space we have found some great ways to complete that outdoor living area with some great green ideas!
It used to mean that going green meant giving up your sense of style but now going green has style! Whatever your outdoor tastes, look for some of these great going green ideas for your back yard! Brunswick Crossing loves going GREEN.
The important thing when opting to go green with your outdoor furniture is to remember your three Rs; and I'm not talking about reading, writing and arithmetic. I am talking about the green three Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; an important component to keep in mind when choosing your outdoor furniture.
These tips will help you in choosing the right eco-friendly outdoor furniture for your yard and patio.
1. 'Reuse' will come into play if you decide to keep your old outdoor furniture and give it a face-lift with a coat of low/no VOC paint. While you are at it, you can make new cushion covers. Just remember to use a natural fiber when choosing your fabric.
If you don't have any outdoor furniture, or if you want a different set; consider buying a good, second-hand set. Springtime is an excellent time to find different sets for sale in the classified section of your local newspaper, on Craigslists, or yard/barn sales.
2. All three of the three R's come into play when you purchase outdoor furniture constructed of Polywood. Polywood is a material made primarily from recycled milk jugs. The polymers are extracted at high temperature, the different colors are injected into the mixture, and then the molten product is molded into forms that replicate lumber; hence the name Polywood.
Outdoor furniture made from Polywood can look as if it has been made from a high quality wood that has been painted. And it is so easy to clean, that a quick hose off or a little soap and warm water will get the cleaning job done in no time. To learn more about the company that makes this unique material, and the outdoor furniture made from it, you can go online to http://greenfrogoutdoorfurniture.com/.
3. For those of you who prefer to have more of a natural look in their outdoor furniture might consider going with wicker, or rattan. This type of furniture is quite elegant, and can give your yard a look of the tropics. Wicker outdoor furniture is made from a renewable resource, so it is definitely eco-friendly.
What a lot of people might not realize is, Wicker is not a plant; it is a weaving process, and it is this process that gives it its elegant and tropical look. The way this furniture is made is, a solid frame is put together, and then reeds or young cane is then woven around the frame; making a beautiful piece of furniture that can be rivaled by no other. You can find out more about this furniture and where to buy it at http://www.wickerwarehouse.com/showpage.asp?t=what_is_wicker.htm.
Shopping for eco-friendly outdoor and patio can be a lot of fun, and it is much easier than one might think because there are so many green choices to choose from. As you can tell, there are many options open to the consumer who is looking to buy eco-friendly outdoor and patio furniture. Don't spend too much time choosing though. Summer is almost here, and you'll need it quite soon.
6 Tips for “Going Green” Outside Your House
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Email ShareThis 1. Composting
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Composting is one of the easiest and greenest ways to help out the environment. A compost bin doesn’t cost too much, or you could even build your own, but even then they’re not necessary, when a nice heap will do fine.
Pretty much anything will go into a compost pile, from your lawn clippings to raked up leaves to last night’s dinner. If you like to drink coffee, add in your used coffee grounds to increase the overall nitrogen balance.
Not only does composting keep your garbage scraps out of the everyday waste, but it also creates a great food for your garden. Wait for your compost to really degrade, and then you have some seriously healthy dirt to start planting your new veggie garden.
2. Start a Vegetable Garden
A lot of the stuff you can do outside is going to have a green thumb about it. If you have your own compost pile, as well as having your own veggie garden, the circle of nature is just beautiful.
Imagine growing your own food, right outside your kitchen window, and never forgetting those last minute herbs or vegetables you need for dinner. And when all is said and done, all of your scraps go out into the compost bin, to one day help grow more vegetables.
Starting a garden isn’t just something for those with a huge backyard either. Anyone can grow their own vegetables, whether you have a backyard or not. Container gardening is a great way to grow your own vegetables, if you don’t have enough yard space. Everything from tomatoes to lettuce to peppers and herbs, all right out in the small courtyard in front of the kitchen.
3. Worms
Composting may not be a lot of fun, and neither may planting your tomatoes or weeding the garden, but worms are always a big hit, especially with your children.
You can buy yourself a small bin of dirt filled with worms, till your garden, add the worms, and after awhile you get more worms. Check with your local gardening store to see if they have worms for sale.
This way you’re getting nice healthy dirt without the use of chemical fertilizers. When your compost is ready, add to the dirt to create more nutrition for your plants.
Gardening Tip – You can always tell healthy dirt if there are worms living in it.
4. Saving Water
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There are so many ways to save water outside that I just had to mention it.
The Australian’s, who are doing all they can to save water, use everything from buckets in the shower to massive tanks out back. Obviously, this is normally a more expensive option than the buckets, and can range anywhere between $75 up to several thousands.
But installing a water tank that can catch rainwater – most normally harvested from your roof and guttering – is a great way to help the environment.
From the tank you can connect up a hose and water your garden whenever you want, especially handy if your region is affected by drought and, subsequently, water restrictions.
5. Plant a Tree
Across many nations there are regular events to plant a tree. With the mass of deforestation taking place, every tree replaced is an improvement.
If you’ve got the room, make sure that you ask someone about the type of tree you wish to plant (ie, so that the tree doesn’t send roots into your house), and plant a tree outside.
I recommend planting trees that will produce fruit and grow well in your area.
6. Grow & Maintain Green Grass
I obviously view going green as an activity for the whole family, and another one of the family-oriented ideas has to do with your lawn. If you are a parent with young kids, then you’re going to love having them playing outside – preferably where their noise is muffled by a window. And by choosing the right type of lawn for them to roll around on, you can save the environment some harm.
Once again, looking for local advice is going to be your best bet. Head to your local nursery and ask for the type of lawn/grass that grows well in your location and requires minimal watering.
Often these are going to be native grasses, but there are also some special grasses designed to thrive with very little water. These of course do well in drought stricken regions, but are also going to be useful in cutting down on the watering you’ll need to do. You might want to have your kids checked for any possible allergies to different grasses before planting. Also be sure not to use chemical based weed killers or fertilizers.
Another thing you can do for your lawn and the environment is to use a reel mower. Sure, it’s going to take a bit of extra work on your part, but it is satisfying work.
And when you’re done mowing – hopefully with the help of your kids – you’ll be able to throw the clippings into your compost bin without any of the contaminants picked up going through a petrol powered mower (you can also use an electric mower if your back isn’t up for the reel mower).
Saving Money & Saving the Environment
Those are just some quick and easy tips to help you go green outside your house. They are helpful to you in that they help you save money, they save the environment some extra work, and they are infinitely rewarding. There is nothing quite like growing your own food outside. And once again I’ll stress the importance of getting your kids in on all of this. The earlier they learn that being green is not only ok, but a good idea, the sooner they’ll make it a part of their lives.
Brunswick Crossing is situated on 552 rolling acres in Brunswick, Maryland, where the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and the Potomac River meet. With resort-style amenities at your doorstep, and shops, restaurants, and activities just minutes away, this is more than a home; it's your home base.
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