12 Green Ideas for your Lawn and Yard in 2012

You don’t have to wait for warm weather to see green. Whether you do it right now or start planning for doing it later, there are plenty of ways to conserve resources and reduce the environmental impact of lawn care and yard work year-round. Here’s one idea for every month of 2012 to get this year started smarter…and friendlier.

January: Reuse plastic milk jugs, yogurt cups or soda bottles for planting when indoor seed-starting.

February: Make good use of food scraps and other organic trash by starting a compost bin.

March: After early spring storms, collect sticks to use later as garden stakes.

April: Make a rain barrel your latest home addition to collect water you can use for your landscape.

May: Prevent weeds by practicing good lawn care practices rather than trying to control them with pesticides.

June: Reduce trips to the market by planting a vegetable garden. You’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor minus the packaging and fuel used to go shopping.

July: Don’t stress if there’s a weed here and there – simply pull them out as you see them.

August: Change and recycle your mower oil to keep your engine running clean while reducing engine emissions.

September: Leave grass clippings on lawn to add nutrients to the soil instead of bagging them.

October: Have mulch or soil delivered in bulk instead of buying multiple plastic bags.

November: Tune up your lawn mower to keep it running at peak efficiency.

December: Reuse nursery pots inside to organize and store household items. And reuse food containers like yogurt cups to start your seedlings.

For more information, see the Yard Doctor for your regional yard care calendar.