We’ve come a long way as consumers, checking in with experts, perusing online reviews, obtaining home inspections and disclosure forms and generally doing our homework on a prospective new house till it hurts.

We should also take that same heightened level of due diligence when it comes to issues that affect the environmental aspects of our homes. How eco-friendly are the appliances, for instance? Has the house had any infestations of mice, rats, cockroaches, termites and other unwanted pests? How well is the attic insulated?

While these may be the dull and dreary facts of home ownership, you’ll be a much more well-informed and prepared homeowner if you go in with your eyes wide open. The following are a number of energy-related considerations you should keep in mind when inquiring about your next new home:

Windows & doors 

As a home ages, so do its windows and doors. There are temporary fixes you can employ but bear in mind that they will not solve your problem permanently. Naturally, dual-paned and triple-paned windows are especially effective at keeping in warm and cool air. R-value or resistance value is also important to note.

Insulation 

The higher the R-value of your insulation the better it is. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, you should look for signs of poor insulation such as cold floors and walls in the winter and hot inside air in the summer. Common types of insulation include spray foam, mineral fibre and fibreglass.

Lots of glass windows and doors 

The views and the setting might be spectacular especially as viewed through all those very large windows and glass doors, but know that living within a all that glass comes at a cost and that will be high energy bills.

How exposure affects energy conservation 

Where your house is positioned in relation to the sun, wind and landscape has an impact on its energy efficiency. It’s said that the best direction for energy conservation is for your home to face either south or east. Each of these exposures gets a significant amount of sunlight, which will help with heating costs come winter.

What age are the home’s big energy consumers

Pay close attention to the big energy users in the home such as heating and cooling systems, which account for nearly half of a home’s energy costs. If they are leaving behind appliances, find out their age. How old is the water heater?

Sources: www.houselogic.com, www.globalnews.com, www.homeguides.sfgate.com, www.chooseenergy.com

You may have pooh-poohed the notion of trying to create and maintain an eco-friendly garden largely because your wee patch of grass is so, well, wee.

Don’t let size dictate your decision to use genetically modified seeds or harmful lawn chemicals. Remember that every little bit helps. Your efforts will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the absorption of carbon dioxide by soils and plants which lessens the effects of global warming.

With that in mind, let’s address the old concept of recycling. Yes, you can recycle and reuse a host of items that will make your outdoors look like it came from the pages of a magazine. Here’s how:

Everything old is new again

You’ll need a little time and ingenuity with this point, but the pay-off will be well worth it. Scour antique and junk stores, out-of-town flea markets and garage sales for old tin laundry buckets, terra cotta pots and hand-made bricks. These items will add a distinctive ambiance to your gardens, infusing your outdoor space with colour, interest and charm.

Check your kitchen

As one of the most-used rooms in our homes, the kitchen also contains a lot of stuff. Look here to recycle and reuse materials for your lawn and garden.  Reuse your recycled egg cartons to create seedling starters. Their shallow depth makes them the perfect vehicle to start plants from seed.  Try to place in a south-facing window. The same effect can also be done with plastic lemonade containers that are recyclable.

Use old wine and beer bottles, especially the prettier blue and green ones, to make water planters.  Place water in the bottle then a cut stem and you’ll eventually see roots growing in the water. You can also try wine bottles planted upside down as an edging material. Warning: you will need a lot of bottles.

Outdoor furniture

Tired of that patio set you’ve had for years? If it’s metal and you still like its shape, why not consider a fresh coat of paint. That can definitely breathe new life into something old. But if that won’t do try selling it or giving it away. If your furniture is plastic, you may have a harder time recycling it. Check to see what type of plastic it is.  It’s unlikely your curbside recycling will accepts the furniture, though a larger recycling facility might.

Old wood materials

Try building a compost bin from old pallets. Simply arrange the pallets on their sides and attach four of them together with ropes or wire. The gaps in the pallets are okay as a compost pile needs air to develop.

The other neat thing you can do with pallets and old wood such as scaffolding planks is build a raised garden bed. As we age bending over to tend to gardens can become difficult so installing a raised bed on sawhorses is ideal. Don’t make them super large as the soil will make them too heavy. These raised beds are ideal for plants with shallow roots such as lettuces and herbs.

There are plenty of ways to employ the 3 Rs outdoors this summer. Use your imagination and get your family in on the plan. Eventually you’ll attract more bees and butterflies to your outdoor space and you’ll wonder why you didn’t consider the 3 Rs sooner.

Sources: www.earth911.com, www.growveg.com

It’s too bad winter snow and ice and its accompanying wrath don’t provide for a beautiful landscape once temperatures warm and melt away all signs of winter.

But that would be the stuff of fantasy. Unfortunately, most of our gardens and lawns look pretty sad at this time of year with dead and dried foliage, unkempt lawns and dirt in places where it shouldn’t be.

With springtime upon us and Earth Day right around the corner on April 22, let look at ways to do a spring clean-up without further harm to the planet. The following are suggestions on ways to tidy your property without destroying the natural cycle of nature and biology.

Remove dead leaves

This may be the most obvious springtime chore since brown and dried leaves aren’t the prettiest but don’t be too hasty with your rake. Did you know that that curled up vegetation is the perfect little home for plenty of creatures and beneficial bugs? Pollinators such as ladybugs and butterflies like to overwinter in leaves so give them a chance to wake from their winter’s slumber. All manner of eggs and pupae can be found lurking in dead plants, shrubs and leaves. Go easy before cutting and discarding and wait till temperatures hit about 10 degrees Celsius.

Be smart about…everything 

Planning a new garden this year or hoping to add some turf where none existed before? Maybe you’re thinking of adding mood lighting in an effort to impart some extra ambiance to all of those outdoor barbecues you enjoy hosting? Or perhaps you’ve decided it’s time to chuck the old sprinkler in favour of a new-fangled device. There are smart choices you can make in all three scenarios. For your lawn and garden, try selecting low-maintenance plants and flowers. They use less water.  Your lighting should be LED or solar because they last longer and offer the most energy efficiency.  Invest in a smart timer that allows you to operate your sprinkler from anywhere. Smart timers automatically respond to weather conditions so no need to manually turn off your sprinkler when it rains.

Compost it 

Your waste is a beautiful thing to waste so stop throwing it away. Start composting. This allows you to recycle materials and kitchen scraps that would otherwise land in the landfill heap.  The list of acceptable materials is a pretty long one: grass clippings, coffee grounds, sawdust, newspaper and food scraps are just a few. Composting also lets you reduce soil erosion, increase the moisture in your soil and enhance nutrients in lawns and gardens.

Let it grow 

Keeping your grass a bit on the longer side is best for helping it withstand drought conditions during hot summer months. Another added benefit to this is roots grow deeper and lawns get thicker resulting in fewer pests, less disease and less need for chemical intervention.

Sources:  www.augustagreen.ca, www.angieslist.com, www.rd.com

October signals thoughts of pumpkin pie, family get togethers at Thanksgiving and jaunty drives to take in nature’s beautiful fall colours.

But as realists, we all know those leaves eventually make their way to the ground for homeowners to rake, bag and grumble about. Did you know there is a lot more to autumn leaves than meets the eye? Let’s look at a few ways we can treat our foliage more kindly than bagging it up for the curbside. And just maybe, we can spare the environment in addition to our backs.

Compost

Leaves are our friend, especially when making rich organic fertilizer for your flower beds and gardens. Once you’ve raked up the leaves, you can shred them into smaller bits so use your lawn mower to do so. Though shredding is not absolutely mandatory, it will quicken the composting process. Add the carbon-rich leaves to materials that are rich in nitrogen such as grass clippings, coffee grounds or fruit and veggie scraps. The balance between carbon and nitrogen is key here. Mix well and be sure to turn over your compost pile every few days so can ensure a good breakdown. The compost should be ready in about two months, when it’s dark brown and earthy smelling.

Mulch

Believe it or not but leaves make for a great ingredient in mulch. Again, you’ll need to shred the leaves. Add grass clippings and wood chips. Use the mulch to top your flower beds and gardens.  As mulch decomposes, you will need to eventually make more with which to replace it.

Insulate

Consider trying leaves as insulation for tender or new plants in need of protection from the ravages of winter. So the leaves don’t blow away, you’ll need to circle the plant with some kind of wire fencing that creates a protective framework. Fill it with leaves.

Leave ‘em

Yes, you can do this. But again you’re best to run your lawn mower over them as you don’t want a blanket of leaves that will smother your lawn. You may have to do this a few times. Leaving leaves on your lawn is good because it feeds your grass.

Make leaf mold

This all-leaf compost is a soil conditioner that is high in minerals and loved by gardeners. Gather leaves into plastic bags or wire bins and makes sure to keep them moist, which allows the fungus to grow.

Preserve them

Remember grade school art projects? Exactly. Leaves are a thing of beauty all by themselves. You can dry them and press them between the pages of a book. Glue them onto paper or try topping a leaf with tracing paper and then lightly pencil over top to create an imprint.

Jump in

If the mood hits you can always pile them up high and dive in. Kids and grandkids welcome.

Sources: www.ksenvironmental.com.au, www.thespruce.com,

There are still a few good months to go in our efforts to manage and maintain our lawns and gardens.

While simply keeping on top of your vegetable garden and grass trimming can be work enough, August is a good time to get to know your garden a little better. So let’s explore those vaguely familiar, weird-sounding lawn-and-garden chores that you can begin applying. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find one you really like doing.

Deadheading:

This, quite simply, is the process of removing dead or dying blossoms from flowers and shrubs. The purpose for doing so is that it encourages the growth of more blooms.

Aerating:

This process pokes small holes in your grass so that air, water and nutrients can more easily penetrate the grass roots. This makes your grass stronger and greener.

Dethatching:

If healthy grass is important to you, you may want to take this step. Thatch is that layer of dead grass that sinks down into the soil line. As thatch builds, it prevents water and nutrients from leaching down into the roots.

Aphids:

These small insects are likely not an avid gardener’s favourite creature. Aphids suck sap from plants and they can cause heavy-duty damage to plants, shrubs and crops.

Biodegradable:

This word applies to natural substances that break down or decompose quickly thanks to the work of microorganisms. Food, leaves, wood, paper and cotton are all examples of biodegradable products.

Dibble:

These smallish tools might save your finger nails as the point makes holes in the ground for seeds, plants or bulbs.

Heirloom:

When plants are called heirloom, this refers to old fruit, flower and vegetable plants that have been grown by gardeners and farmers since before World War Two. These plants are generally grown in small-scale operations.

Hydroponics:

This is the art and science of growing plants without soil.

Irrigation:

This essentially means delivering water to your lawn and garden. When you sprinkle water on your flowers, whether with a watering can or hose, though there are many other methods, you are irrigating.

Symbiosis:

This is the relationship that occurs when life forms interact with each other. Sometimes it is beneficial, sometimes not. For example, marigolds release a chemical that wards off a type of worm. Beneficial, right?

Succulent:

All the rage right now, this often thick and fleshy type of plant retains water in dry climates.

Xeriscaping:

This is a type of water-saving garden that works well in drought conditions. Native flowers, plants and shrubs are ideal for this as they are accustomed to our climate. These gardens tend to be less maintenance and attract birds and beneficial insects.

Summer is here and the time is right for watering lawns and gardens, washing our cars and topping up pools.

Did you know that city water use doubles in the summer thanks in large part to grass and garden watering? While there’s nothing wrong with keeping your plants and lawn hydrated, homeowners often overdo it when it comes to H2O. The result tends to be water wasted due to evaporation, run-off and over watering.

In an effort to avoid wasting water and to cut costs, here are some guidelines set out by the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation:

Watch Mother Nature

It’s a good idea to assess your weekly rainfall by keeping a measuring container in your yard that is emptied each week. Established lawns, for example, need about 2.5 cm or 1 inch of water per week. To determine the measurement set out a can of tuna on your lawn and after an even watering, when the water reaches the top of the can, you know you’ve reached the limit. Time how long that takes and use the timer on your sprinkler next time. If you get a good rain, you can skip watering for one full week.

Timing is everything 

Water before 9 a.m. as this cuts evaporation and the scorching of leaves.

Don’t be a hoser 

Set up your sprinkler or hose so that you’re not watering your walkway, driveway or sidewalk. Talk about throwing money down the drain!

Roll out the barrel 

Rain barrels can cut your municipal water usage incredibly. They collect rainwater from your roof thanks to eaves troughs directed into the barrel.

Soak it

Apply a soaker hose to the base of plants, rather than to the leaves, as this reduces evaporation. Drip or trickle irrigation systems work well because they bring water slowly and directly to the roots. This will ultimately create deeper roots which heightens a plant’s drought resistance. If you prefer a sprinkler pick one that sprays close to the ground and that has a timer.

Don’t cut too short

Short grass doesn’t absorb as much water as longer grass so it’s best not to trim it too short. Set your mower blade so that it cuts no lower than 6 to 8 cm or 2.5 to 3 inches. Shaded roots can hold water better.

Use mulch

Mulch does a lot more than simply retain moisture in the soil. It’s also good for moderating soil temperature, erosion and weed control. Try wood chips, bark and crushed rock, though there are other choices for mulch as well.

Other ways to save water

Don’t hose down paved surfaces to get rid of dust, dirt and debris. Use a good old-fashioned broom. When washing your vehicle, use a water-filled bucket instead of a hose. Finally, cover your swimming pools when not in use. This decreases the water’s evaporation.

It’s easy to understand why we cringe, swear and swat at creepy crawly insects. But in reality, if they didn’t exist our eco-system would be an absolute disaster.

Clearly, there are pests we don’t want in our lawns and gardens such as mites and aphids, which do a great job at destroying plant life and spreading disease. But there are plenty of bugs that do good. They’re known as beneficial insects and they help your garden strike the perfect balance of creating a chemical-free garden that displays healthy looking and abundant plants.

Using beneficial insects to control other less garden friendly bugs is a method known as biological control. By using living organisms to control malicious insects you create a garden that is free of pesticides and other garden chemicals. Essentially, you are creating an organic garden.

We’ve all heard about the shortage of bees in recent years. These garden must-haves are essential for pollinating vegetables, fruit trees and other crops. To attract more bees and other pollinators such as butterflies plant a wide variety of flowering plants as well as pollen and nectar sources. Bees are especially attracted to blue, purple, white, yellow and violet. Leave a section of your garden free from mulch so as to attract ground bees. A dead tree or rotting log will supply prime nesting for bees. Provide them with a shallow water source such as a bird bath or saucer filled with water.

Beetles are another beneficial insect you should welcome on your property. These nocturnal bugs help to keep night-time pests at bay. They prey on about 50 types of pests such as snails and slugs. Attract beetles to your garden by using mulch and planting perennials. They nest and lay their eggs in decaying plant matter and will overwinter there as well.

Ladybugs are another garden friendly bug you want to have. They enjoy munching on a number of pests such as aphids, white flies, mites and mealy bugs. Their larvae are equally important in your garden as they are as ravenous, if not more so, than their parents. One thing to keep in mind is that the ladybug larva looks remarkably different from its parents. In fact, the larva looks like a tiny red and black alligator and not at all like its parents, which are often considered the darlings of the bug world.

Don’t let the large size and scary shape of a praying mantis scare you. They are harmless to humans. Not so much to other bugs, though. In fact, a praying mantis will eat just about any insect in the garden. They’ve been known to catch small frogs and birds as well.

Sources: www.organiclesson.com, www.thespruce.com, www.care2.com,

Did you know the first Earth Day was marked 48 years ago in 1970? To help celebrate this April 22^nd observance, why not head outdoors and do something green?

Begin with your own property. By now, hopefully winter’s assault is over and what you’re left with is the promise of spring mixed with the remains left by snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Take a mental inventory and begin to prioritize what needs tending first.

Prune dormant trees, non-flowering shrubs and vines such as wisteria, clematis and climbing roses. Rake up leftover curled fall leaves caught in your flower beds, shrubs and hedges. Now is the time to feed your garden so try an organic fertilizer on trees, vines, roses and other plants. Trim summer-blooming shrubs such as hydrangea. Also don’t forget to divide perennials that have grown too big.

April is also a good time to begin trying to keep weeds at bay. According to Mark Cullen, weed control comprises a four-step approach:

1. Kill them when they’re young.
2. Mulch is so effective at preventing weeds. It’s also not a chemical and easy to apply. Cullen says the secret is to apply four to five centimetres of finely ground up cedar or pine bark mulch. The sooner this is done, the better.
3. For grass weeds, he recommends removing all loose debris from the area and getting grass blades to stand up on end. Smoothly rake on three to five centimeters of lawn soil or triple mix. Use quality grass seed on the area. Rake it smooth and then step on the patch to ensure the seed comes in contact with the soil and water until germination. Keep it damp and be sure to fertilize.
4. Consider trying biologically based weed killers.

Once your lawn and garden is spring ready you may want to tackle the neighbourhood. Consider organizing a spring clean-up on your street or in your community. It’s likely in desperate need of a polish what with coffee cups, dog poop and plastic bags now on full display now that the snow is gone.

The city is also encouraging spring cleanup with drop-off depots for items such as electronics, books, dishes and toys. Beginning April 7 in Scarborough-Rouge River and Parkdale-High Park wards will take turns hosting these Community Environment Days until the end of July. Free compost collected thanks to the city’s yard-waste program is also available.

According to the CBC.ca, about 200,000 volunteers from Toronto schools, businesses and community groups participate in Community Cleanup Days, which are local city-run events that clean up public spaces. They take place from April 20—22.

It’s for good reason that Toronto is known as the City of Neighbourhoods with some of those many communities dating as far back as 200 years. Given that lineage, it’s safe to assume that lead-based paint could be in your home.

If your house was built prior to 1960 chances are pretty good that lead-based paint was used. Homes constructed between 1960 and 1990 may have lead in the exterior paint, though paint used inside could still contain some smaller amounts of lead. Residences built after 1990 should not have any lead in their paint as North American manufacturers were producing lead-free paint by then.

The danger with lead paints is highest among children because they absorb it more easily and because they are still developing.  According to the federal government, even small amounts of dust with lead are dangerous to babies and children. Unborn infants could also be at risk if a pregnant mother-to-be consumes lead. Lead poisoning causes anemia in addition to brain and nervous system damage. A simple blood test is how you determine your level of exposure.

There are ways to detect if lead-based paint was used in your home. Having paint chip samples analyzed at a lab is a possibility as is hiring a contractor who has the appropriate x-ray equipment to detect lead on painted surfaces.

The federal government recommends taking action if your lead paint is chipping, flaking or within reach of children who might ingest it. But it also stipulates that sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone when it comes to lead paint, as long as the safety of children is not compromised. As an added protection home owners can cover lead-based painted areas with wallpaper, wallboard or panelling.

If you plan to do the work yourself, know that it’s a tall order. Remove all furnishings, rugs and window coverings on which lead dust might cling. If you can’t remove a belonging or furnishings make sure they are covered in plastic. Cover your heating and cooling vents and doorways as you want to prevent scrapings and paint particles from travelling throughout your house. Open your windows. To trap the dust and keep yourself protected you will need tarps, a respirator, protective eye coverings and gloves.

It’s a good idea to take frequent breaks, every ten minutes or so. Exit the work area immediately if you begin to feel dizzy, sick or have trouble breathing.

Use a chemical paint stripper paste and apply it with a brush. You want to avoid sanders, heat guns or blowlamps as they create toxic dust and fumes.

Then again, you may decide to hire a lead abatement company to get the job done. You’ll find them online. Be sure to check references.

There’s no doubt that when historians look back on this time it will be deemed the Age of Technology or some such name that indicates the era as a whirlwind of rapidly changing automation.

Perhaps nowhere is that revolution more evident than in our homes with how technology has served to make them warmer yet more eco-friendly. Let’s take a look at some of the tech advances that are helping green our homes:

Temperature-Controlled Living

Saving us money and time, but perhaps most importantly, saving our planet from environmental ruin are home automation systems that allow you to cool or warm your home remotely. What’s unique about smart thermostats is that technology allows you to be eco-smart so that you are not heating or cooling a space when you’re not there. Sync these thermostats with your iPhone so that your habits are remembered. Some tech companies allow you to use your smartphone to link your temperature controls with your lighting for added savings. Just think: no more fiddling with tricky timers or leaving lights on at all hours to fool people into thinking you’re home. With this technology, you can easily control the timer from anywhere with a simple click.

Tiny Bubbles

While laundering your clothes will never be a snap, there are smart washing machines now that don’t guzzle energy like their predecessors. Equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, these machines also allow you to use your smartphone to detect any issues that crop up with your washer.

Ditch the Dryer

While that is much easier said than done, dryer chugs through an inordinate amount of energy that rivals your washer, dishwasher and refrigerator combined. Try using folding racks to hang and air dry your laundry or simply hang clothes such as shirts from hangers. Or consider hanging half your laundry and machine drying the other half. Just be sure to air dry the heavier items and let the lighter loads in the machine, which will cut down drying time.

Skip to the Loo

Dual-flush toilets are all the rage and with good reason. Instead of flushing away six gallons of water with each flush, dual-flush toilets only use up either.8 or 1.6 gallons. Let’s say a family of three each uses the toilet five times a day. If they are using an older style toilet then they are flushing nearly 100 gallons of water down the drain each and every day. Dual-flush toilets allow you to select the level of water required for each flush. Another great technological advancement is the toilet that uses gray water from your bath and shower in order to flush.

Eco Padding Your House

While spray polyurethane foam insulation is a workhorse of a product in terms of helping keep homes draft free and temperature controlled, environmentalists don’t look too kindly on it for its greening properties. Soybean-based spray foam is a good alternative as it does not contain the chemical (MDI or diphenyl diisocyanate) that causes off-gassing. Castor-oil based lcynene is also a good option. Cotton denim batting is a good green insulation, though it can be expensive to install and not nearly as easy as foam. Similarly, sheep’s wool is a good eco-friendly alternative, but like denim, it is not as easy to install.

Sources: Mother Earth News, Better Homes & Gardens, Organic 4 Greenlivings, Eco Building Pulse, Green High Five