The West Chicago Garden Club

These ideas may not be new to you, but practicing them can make a real difference!

• Water less frequently, but more deeply. This is not only better for the plants, but a more efficient use of our water resources.
• Incorporating native plants into at least part of the landscape is advantageous because they’re less disease-prone, less likely to have insect problems, are more drought-tolerant due to deep root systems.
• Use “rain garden” type plants near downspouts to solve runoff problems.
• Recycling yard waste by composting provides a steady supply of nature’s fertilizer which mitigates PH problems as well as feeding the soil.
• Planting deciduous trees on the west and south sides of buildings can produce as much as a 10% difference in the energy used for heating and cooling.