If you love a lush yard, but really want to reduce your water usage and live a greener life, it can be done. It doesn’t require that you concrete over your lawn and paint it green, either. With some careful and thoughtful planning, a beautiful eco-friendly yard can be yours.

Spend some time researching the types of plants and trees you want in your yard and consider sticking with plants that are native to your area. These will grow better and more efficiently simply because they are highly suitable to the soil conditions and weather conditions in your area. Even if you live in a dryer area, there are many beautiful choices to consider. If you think it’s just dry grasses and spiky cacti, there really is more to consider in just about every geographic area.

If you do have grass and green shrubbery or ground coverings, be sure that you water the correct amount. Many people simply water too often or for too long. Get a water moisture meter and check out your soil to see if you are overdoing it. Also, when you plan out your lawn, consider limiting the amount of grass. Smaller areas of grass obviously cost less to water and maintain but still provide that splash of green you might be craving. If you live in a high-drought, desert area but you really want a huge patch of green grass, think about putting in a synthetic lawn. Synthetic lawns have come a long way in recent years, and they don’t resemble miniature golf courses like they did in the past.

One simple way to conserve water is to set up a rain barrel or two in your yard. Think about all the water that just flows off your roof during a shower. Even if it rains less than an inch, hundreds of gallons of waters can be diverted in to rain barrels which you can then use as a source of water for your garden and plants. This saves the tap water for essentials such as drinking and cooking, and will lower your monthly bill, saving you some money.

Purchase or build a couple of rain barrels and place them under the spouts that are closest to the items you need to water often, such as your vegetable garden. This makes carrying water easier. Because the water can sit there for days or weeks, you will have to do something to ensure the overall safety of this standing water. Using a safe and natural product is best, such as the Rain Barrel Water Cleaner that was developed by Healthy Ponds. This product, which is veterinarian approved and safe for pets, people and wildlife, uses beneficial types of bacteria to keep unpleasant odors at bay and the water clean and free of excess organic matter.

If you have other water features, such as bird baths or even a small pond or fountain, there are other Healthy Ponds products to consider. All of them use combinations of bacteria instead of chemicals to keep water clean and safe throughout the year.

Roland Stockwell enjoys writing about natural products. To find some good products for algae control in ponds or to know more about other products like bird bath cleaner, please check out the Bioverse website today.