Environmental Impact
Healthy lawns and green spaces are a great benefit to our environment. A thick healthy turf helps trap pollutants and dust from the air, healthy turf helps lower temperatures in urban areas, and it even reduces erosion of soil into our waterways. These are just a few of the environmental benefits that green spaces provide.
- Cooling : Climate is controlled at ground level by turf grasses as they COOL temperatures appreciably, thus working as exterior “air conditioners”. Eight average front lawns have the cooling effect of 70 tons of air conditioning while the average home size air conditioning unit produces only 3 to 4 tons of cooling capacity. A well-maintained lawn and landscape keeps your home cooler on hot days by reducing ground level temperatures by 30 to 40 degrees over bare soil and 50 to 70 degrees over paved surfaces like streets and driveways.
- Cleaning : Properly maintained shrubs, plants and lawns are environmental heroes. Dust and smoke particles from the atmosphere are trapped by turf, which helps keep the air cleaner. Because of their filtering capability, plants prevent soil erosion, filter contaminants from rainwater, and absorb dust and soot. Groundwater is enhanced in two ways by a dense turf. Turf grasses increase infiltration of water and also clean the water as it passes so that underground water supplies are recharged for use by us all.
- Reducing Noise : Landscaping can reduce noise by up to 50 percent. Quiet, grassed areas affect people’s moods, thus creating feelings of serenity, privacy, thoughtfulness, happiness or sadness depending on our association with their use…home lawn, roadside rest area, city park, golf course or memorial park.
- Increasing Air Quality : Oxygen generation by turf grasses has a major impact in making our environment habitable and healthy. A 50′ x 50′ lawn produces enough oxygen for a family of four.
- Preventing Erosion : Erosion of soil by water is highly controlled by grasses as they intercept raindrops before they disturb the soil (and slow flowing water so that it drops larger soil particles collected). A healthy 10,000-sq. ft. lawn (about the size of an average suburban lot) can absorb more than 6,000 gallons of rainwater without noticeable runoff. As overwatering is a much bigger problem than under watering, automatic irrigation systems, where possible, should be considered for the most efficient watering rates.
Lifestyle Benefits of Green Spaces
- Healing : Horticulture is therapeutic and improves quality of life. Millions of Americans spend countless hours enjoying their yards and tending to their flowers and gardens. Studies illustrate that hospital patients whose rooms overlook landscapes recover faster and require less pain medication than those lying in a sterile urban environment. Yearly cycles of nature produce changes in the color of lawns, which are among the first areas to green up in the spring. This brings a lift to human spirits and links urban inhabitants with a symbol of the countryside and its heritage.
- Preventing Injury : Sports playing surfaces are made safer when grassed with sure footing and cushioning sod that adds to the quality of play. Volleyball, badminton, croquet, bocce and other games are enjoyed by young and old on grassed areas. No other surface material feels as good on bare feet or is as good for playing games and even turning somersaults.
Economic Benefits of Green Spaces
Not only can a well-maintained add up to 15 percent to a property’s value, but landscaping can accelerate the sale by as much as six weeks when selling a home. We understand that your biggest asset needs to be protected and that is why we treat your home as if it were our own.
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Source: customer-service@bestyard.com in collaboration with Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado
