Whether you have a developed landscape, or are considering extending your living space to the outdoors, Outdoor Lighting is a feature not to be overlooked. Not only can you extend the time that your outdoor space can be used, but important features can be highlighted so that they stand out in the darkness.

There are many options for your lighting needs, as well. Traditional line voltage systems are always a good choice; the fixtures are relatively inexpensive and can last a very long time if properly cared for. Low voltage systems have come a long way in recent years, and boasts ease of installation, and offers immense customization and choice of fixtures. LED options are becoming more and more popular now, with folks more aware than ever of their power usage, and wanting to “go green.” They use much less energy, last longer, and are more intense than traditional bulbs. These LED lights are available both in the Low Voltage and Line Voltage fixtures, which makes reducing your carbon footprint even easier.

What a way to light up the night! 

If you should need any assistance with a current lighting system, or if you would like to plan a new one, please contact me to get started!

Casey Taylor

I found a recent article that describes 5  Home Improvement To Do in 2010. This is a great article about improving the energy efficiency of your home to make it greener. I thought linking to it would be a great blog entry to kick off the new year. Even though it doesn’t address  landscaping, it highlights changes to make your house more energy efficient. 

There are, however, a number of Green benefits that professional landscaping provides:

Professional landscaping improves a property’s resale value. A study by the American Nursery and Landscape Association found that beautiful landscapes can increase property value by seven to 14 percent and can accelerate the sale of a home by five to six weeks.

Landscaping also adds energy efficiency to your home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can cut as much as 25% off a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling. Properly designed landscapes promote healthy living by filtering outdoor noise and improving air quality, as well as providing safe habitats for wildlife.

Landscaping also enhances a property’s aesthetic value and creates a desirable living environment. We are spending more time at home than ever, and the benefits of adding an outdoor room to your home is appreciated instantly.

This is all important information as we trend towards sustainability. “contact our design team today”  tolearn how Plantique can help you ‘Go Green in 2010′.

(CC) Audrey Michael/Flickr

National Geographic’s The Green Guide currently has a great article on landscaping and gardening products that are more eco-friendly than some traditional choices. “Greener Garden Supplies” covers a wide range of products, including garden tools, hoses, fencing, patio furniture, composting mixes and rain barrels. There’s even information about pest-eating insects that you can buy, for those who are looking for chemical-free alternatives to insecticides.

According to the article:

More and more people are choosing to garden organically. So it’s somewhat troublesome that garden tools and supplies are often made of materials that are decidedly not environmentally friendly. Just try to find a composter, for instance, that’s not made of a material like polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wooden handles of garden tools and the fence and other materials we buy require trees, of course, to manufacture. And therein lies the gardener’s dilemma: Must we contribute to environmental degradation in our quest to till the soil? The answer, happily, is no.

For more information on greener landscaping practices and products, please check out Plantique’s tips and advice:

• Plantique’s Green Initiative Page
• Forever Green’s Organic Lawncare Options
• Our Rain Garden Guide

Get ready for an exciting 2009 landscaping season! Plantique will be blogging about many creative and practical landscaping design ideas, as well as useful gardening ideas and news for the greater Lehigh Valley region and beyond.

For more great winter gardening ideas from Plantique, click here.

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