Landscaping for Energy Savings

Surprise surprise, reforestation begins at home--and it can even save you money. Green Options has publsihed an article by Paul Pruefrock today on landscaping for reduced home energy consumption. Ever notice how farmhouses in the middle of hot, dry fields are always surrounded by a ring of shade trees? Before there was air-conditioning, there was good, old-fashioned shade.

Pruefrock writes that planting trees can greatly reduce energy consumption in both summer and winter:

"In the summertime, steps you take to keep the outside of the house cooler can help lower (or maybe even eliminate) the amount of air conditioning you need to run. And providing evergreen plants to buffer the north walls, as well as the direction of the prevailing winter winds (often, but not always, to the west), can help stop drafts and help keep the house warmer in the winter."

You can find tree-planting instructions here, and at arborday.org. To learn more about trees that will grow quickly to provide shade and insulation, visit Fast Growing Trees, and if you want to feed your family in the bargain, you can find more information at the Fruit Tree Planting Society.