According to New Hampshire’s Department of Environmental Services, you can reduce your cooling and heating bills by as much as 30 percent by landscape planning.

And – you knew we were going to say this, didn’t you? – the way you landscape your yard has a big effect on the environment.

Says DES: No matter where you live, you are in a watershed. Within that watershed, rain and snow falling on homes, lawns, and driveways eventually finds its way to the lowest point: in a river, lake, pond, stream or ocean. Often, without realizing it, homeowners add pollutants such as lawn chemicals, fertilizers, silt and sand, to surface waters. And here’s the thing: By making a few minor changes to your garden and lawn care routine, you can save time and money AND feel good about your environmental impact.

Do you need all that lawn? Says DES: Reducing the size of your lawn will not only save you time and money from mowing, watering and fertilizing, but it will also save your watershed from pollutants in fertilizers, pesticides and other runoffs. Plant groundcovers, trees, flowers and shrubs to help water infiltrate into the ground and prevent soil erosion instead of running off a compacted lawn.

Only apply fertilizer or lime if you really need to. If you must fertilize, DES says, select a slow-release or organic fertilizer to avoid excess nutrients running into the water, which causes too many plants to grow and hurts fish and other aquatic creatures.
Try to maintain a fertilizer-free buffer around wetlands and surface water. Do not to apply fertilizer within 25 feet of these sensitive areas.

What types of plantings do you have? Consider planting natural, native plant species instead of non-native plants (plants that were introduced for agricultural purposes or by accident). Native plants generally require much less water, pesticides, fertilizers and trimming.