Green House

For other green product ideas, listen in on one of John Bruce’s presentations at the Home & Garden Show October 6–8. Bruce, a designer on TLC’s While You Were Out, will show samples of recycled building materials and eco-friendly plywood and hardwood alternatives. “Folks will be able to find out how this growing field of green and sustainable design impacts their design choices for better and more beautiful living,” he says.

In many cases, achieving more energy efficiency doesn’t have to cost much, if anything. Instead, it’s  a matter of becoming more aware of how a home operates and making small tweaks for a big difference.

For example, to make a heating system more effective, CenterPoint Energy recommends checking a furnace’s filters monthly, insulating ducts, keeping furniture away from vents, and opening curtains to let the sun warm the house. For cooling, awnings or tinted film can help windows reduce heat gain and therefore lessen the work for an air conditioner.  

Existing appliances can be more efficient with some energy-minded tactics as well, such as broiling with the oven door closed, allowing more space around the refrigerator for air circulation, and shutting off the dishwasher before the drying cycle begins.

Energy audits, offered by companies like CenterPoint, can help homeowners find leaks, use appliances wisely, and think more deeply about energy saving steps.

Growing Green
Energy efficiency doesn’t stop at a home’s doors. Through savvy gardening tactics, such as plant selection and tree placement, homeowners can save water and lower other utility bills.

One option is to plant trees close enough to the house so their shade cools the roof in the summer but allows sunlight to warm the home in the winter. Before the air conditioning era, homeowners relied on trees for temperature regulation, but once central air became standard in new construction, putting trees close to the house didn’t seem as important. It’s time for a blast back to the past, notes Don Engebretson, the “Renegade Gardener” and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s garden editor.

“People are learning that as fuel bills go up, the way people used to plant shade trees makes a lot of sense,” he says. “You can reduce your summer cooling expense by up to a third by having the foresight to plant shade trees.”

For homes in rural areas or those with large lawns in the cities, ample evergreens can also be used to block the wind. A few evergreens that keep their bushy shape in the winter will keep a house cozier and fuel bills lower.

To use less water, Engebretson suggests looking at plants that tend to do better in drier climates and are fairly drought resistant, such as hostas, daylilies, and columbine. “Native plants have thrived here for longer than we have, and they’re very moisture-efficient,” he says.

Composting is another environmentally friendly tactic that can aid gardens and help save the planet. In addition to reducing yard waste in landfills—and therefore helping reduce greenhouse gases—creating a compost pile of yard clippings will produce an organic material that can be incorporated into the soil and around plants, increasing drought resistance, says Ginny Black, organics recycling specialist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

“Basically, compost can create a material that acts like a big sponge,” she says. “If you have ten pounds of compost, it can hold a gallon of water. During long, dry periods, that means you have to water much less, and you get nutrients to your garden at the same time.”

A strategy that hasn’t caught on but should, according to Engebretson, is rooftop gardening. “It would be fun for homeowners to explore the green roof option,” he says. “Imagine a green garage roof, or a garden just off the master bedroom. Basically, you’re giving back to the earth what you took when you built the house. That’s a nice goal.”

Visit the Home & Garden Show–Fall Edition^SM to see a variety of these products and services and learn how you can become more eco-friendly.