Now that spring is here you may be considering ways to green your landscaping. Here are five green landscaping ideas…

1. Use solar lighting in the garden and on the patio. Now that the sun will be shining more often, solar lights are the perfect green landscaping lighting solution. Bonus, plenty of companies carry outdoor solar lighting now, so if you check around, you should be able to find a price that works for any budget.
2. Build and install a rain barrel. A rain barrel can provide water for all kinds of uses. From washing your car to watering flowers, saving rain is an option that’s green and easy after the initial installing of the barrel.
3. Use recycled rocks and other recycled materials for landscaping decor: Recycled rocks or stones can be used for any number of landscaping applications while reuse materials can be used to make items like signs and planters. Consider an old reclaimed sink for a planter, birdhouses made from recycled items, or a small greenhouse made from reclaimed materials.
4. Save your coffee grounds: Sprinkling your used coffee grounds into the soil is a twofold green landscaping idea. One, the grounds enrich the soil without chemical or toxic additives, and two, you aren’t wasting coffee grounds – which sure biodegrade, but using something up is always greener than tossing it.
5. Plant food not just decor: You can plant decorative foods like cabbage or pretty fruit trees which make more of your landscape real estate than flowers or other non-edible plants. Plus, the more organic food you grow the smaller your family’s footprint – i.e less gas to transport food items!

What are some ideas you have for greener landscaping?