Your Yard During the Seasons

Here are some tips for your yard that'll help you conserve energy all year round.

Your yard in the summer

• Surround your home with a green belt.
• The leaves of deciduous trees or shrubs block out the heat from the sun in the summer months, while letting in the sun's warmth during winter.
• Add mulch around your plants to retain cooling moisture during the summer.

Your yard in the winter

• Install timers and power-saver cords on your car's block heaters and interior car warmers. Three hours is all that's needed to be effective.
• Put outdoor lights (like LED Christmas lights) on timers.

Keeping your water garden over winter

• If you have a sunny room, set up your water garden indoors.
• Place smaller water plants in a fish tank with an overhead light.
• Fill a large plastic tote with a few centimetres of pond water and place in a cold storage room. Check the plants periodically.