You may be wondering how to care for your yard in the most natural way, especially if you are concerned about the health risks pesticides pose to pets and children who spend a lot of time on your lawn. The King County, Washington, Department of Natural Resources has put together a clear, helpful list of five steps you can take to save time, save money, save the environment, and protect your family’s health.
- Build healthy soil
- Plant right for your site
- Practice smart watering
- Think twice before using pesticides
- Practice natural lawn care
They have published a guide with details of natural yard care as well as a Buyer’s Guide that helps you know what alternatives you can use instead of the conventional approach.
One practice that helps build healthy soil and keeping soil moist is mulching. My family lives near a lot of pine trees, so we collect pine cones as mulch. As I was weeding over the weekend, I noticed that our soil is still surprising moist under the pine cones. Not only do we have natural mulch, we don’t pay a penny for it. I hand each child a basket, and they return after their collecting adventures.
What you plant and how you plant depends on where you live. Your local garden store, university extension, or local natural resources departments for specific details on your area. The basic guide, though, works for us all.
You can create a safe, healthy yard where you will be happy to have your children and your pets roam freely.
Image © Oksana Belodarova | Dreamstime.com
