At Smart Home Construction, our mission is to not only build the smart home of your dreams but to also protect the environment one home at a time.
When purchasing one of our gorgeous smart homes in Cameron County, having an eco-friendly “green” garden will really be a key part of completing your new set-up. And while the summertime heat of the Rio Grande Valley can make it a challenge to raise a healthy garden, nothing is impossible – especially when your efforts involve saving the environment.
Let the good folks at Smart Homes Construction offer you a few tips for converting your yard into a beautiful, self-sustaining, healthy garden..
Tips for Creating a Greener Garden
- Composting
There are probably a number of items and resources that are just sitting around in your kitchen cabinet and fridge that you plan on throwing out. Instead of just dumping these items into your trash can, why not compost them? Not only does composting help reduce landfill waste by up to 30%, but it can also make your garden healthier.Composting brown and green items can play a role in making an eco-friendly fertilizer for all of your plants. Some great items include fruit and veggie peels, apple cores, tea bags, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, tea leaves, and other organic items found around the kitchen.Composting can bring tremendous organic benefits to your garden and it beats out using chemical-filled fertilizers. - Welcome Visitors, Not Pesticides
Nobody likes to have bad company around, especially in our homes, much less our gardens.Pests tend to show up in our gardens to eat the plants and foods that we grow. The wrong type of pest can ruin all the hard work you’ve been putting into your eco-friendly garden.But believe it or not, there are certain types of bugs that you want around. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies can help keep your garden bright and alive.These types of insects help move pollen from one plant or flower to another, fertilizing them along the way. It is estimated that ⅓ of every bite of food we eat exists because of animal pollinators.Ladybugs are another great insect as they prey on pests that can destroy your healthy garden. “Good” insects can help eliminate the need to use synthetic insecticides, fungicides, and weed killers which can be extremely toxic to the environment. - Planting the Right Way (and Right Place)
In order to attract the good types of pollinators, you need to grow the right flowers.Native Rio Grande Valley plants not only draw in pollinators but require less watering and less maintenance. They also tend to be more resilient against weeds and pests. Daisies and hibiscus are great examples of the types of flowers to plant.Also, with the Valley’s brutal heatwaves, it’s worth investing in heat-resistant flowers and plants such as columbine, coreopsis, firebush, and plumbago. These plants and flowers not only stand out but are also well suited for the Valley’s subtropical climate weather year-round. - Watering is key
Just like humans, your garden needs water to thrive.Water your lawn with 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly using a lead-free hose. Watering works best in the morning to reduce evaporation or when the sun is setting and temperatures begin to cool down.
