One way to celebrate Earth Day in your own yard is to plant a vegetable garden with your kids.
Earth Day is Thursday, April 22. There are a number of ways to celebrate Earth Day in your own yard and garden. You can reduce your environmental impact and help make the earth a greener place.
Plant a tree. Trees help the earth in numerous ways. They store CO2, reduce energy use, clean the air and water, attract birds and wildlife, and make your landscape and neighborhood more beautiful. Ask your local independent nursery to recommend trees that will grow well in your yard.
Attract pollinators. The best way to attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators is to grow flowers that produce nectar. Plant flowers that bloom at different times of year so you can help pollinators throughout the growing season. Here is a list of plants that attract pollinators from the Xerces Society.
Attract birds and other wildlife. Bird populations have dropped sharply. The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century. To attract birds to your yard and help them survive, you need to provide food, water and shelter. Read our post on gardening to attract birds.
Grow your own organic food. Plant a vegetable garden and feed your family fresh, delicious food all season. Incorporate edible plants, such as blueberries and fruit trees, into your landscape. And gardening is a great activity to do with your kids. There are numerous plant sales each spring where you can buy a wide variety of plant starts. Here is a list of local plant sales from the University of Washington Botanic Gardens.
Reduce or eliminate pesticide use. Choose native plants or other plants that are adapted to our climate and will grow well in your yard’s conditions. Keep plants healthy with the right amount of water and organic fertilizers. Healthy plants will be less susceptible to insects and diseases, so you won’t be tempted to use pesticides. And a thick, healthy lawn will outcompete weeds.
Use In Harmony natural lawn, tree and shrub care services. Our services emphasize building the health of the soil, which helps plants to thrive and improves the overall health and beauty of your lawn and landscape.
Protect water quality. Add a thick layer of mulch to garden beds to reduce runoff and reduce irrigation needs in the hot summer. Install a rain garden, cistern or permeable pavers to reduce runoff from your yard. Choose organic or slow-release fertilizers, which are less likely to run off into nearby water bodies.
Reduce water use. Choose drought-tolerant plants, and group plants with similar watering needs together. Use efficient irrigation methods such as water timers and drip irrigation. Get tips on better ways to water on our YouTube playlist on watering.
Switch to a battery-powered lawn mower. Gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment emit harmful air pollutants. Rechargeable battery-powered mowers help make the air cleaner and your neighborhood quieter.
More ideas. In last week’s blog post we talked about several ways to celebrate Earth Day through volunteering, enjoying nature, planting a garden and more. King County has lots of Earth Day-related ideas and actions on its website, including games for you and your kids.
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