Concept

There are many landscaping details that will make a house more “green” and energy efficient. Here are some of the key points to consider early in the building process – trees take a long time to grow and it is even better if you don’t cut what will be appreciated later.

• An evergreen windbreak between you and the prevailing winter winds.
• Deciduous shade trees on the west and possibly the south to cool in the summer but not interfere with the sun in the winter.
• An opening in the direction of prevailing summer breezes.
• Nut and fruit trees wherever it makes sense.

Application

We saved nine evergreens (blue spruce, white spruce & douglas firs) by having Plant-a-Tree move them before we cut our driveway in. These provide the northern windbreak and some privacy.

I’m not sure what we are going to do for western shade. The site was essentially an open field and there was nothing that we could salvage. Lacking trees, we will probably need to install some shading and plant some trees for the next generation...

We should be OK for summer breezes. There is a dense hedgerow about 300 feet away, but nothing in the way closer. We are on a plain and get a fairly steady summer breeze. Someday I’d like to investigate a small wind turbine, but there probably isn’t that much wind.

Twenty years ago, when we first bought the lot, we ultimately subdivided for this house, we planted a variety of apple trees. Last spring, when we began considering building on this site, I planted twenty nut trees. This spring I will plant some more fruit varieties.

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